Page:Works of Thomas Carlyle - Volume 06.djvu/261

Rh ''was fired in three places by the Enemy; which we could not put out. Which begat a great trouble in the General and us all; fearing to see so famous a City burnt to ashes before our faces. Whilst we were viewing so sad a spectacle, and consulting which way to make farther advantage of our success, the Prince sent a trumpet to the General to desire a treaty for the surrender of the Town. To which the General agreed; and deputed Colonel Montague, Colonel Rainsborough and Colonel Pickering for that service; authorising them with instructions to treat and conclude the Articles,—which “accordingly” are these enclosed. For performance whereof hostages were mutually given.''

On Thursday about two of the clock in the afternoon, the Prince marched out; having a convoy of two regiments of Horse from us; and making election of Oxford for the place he would go to, which he had liberty to do by his Articles.

''The cannon which we have taken are about a Hundred-and-forty mounted; about a Hundred barrels of powder already come to our hands, with a good quantity of shot, ammunition and arms. We have found already between Two and Three-Thousand muskets. The Royal Fort had victual in it for a Hundred-and-fifty men, for Three-hundred-and-twenty days; the Castle victualled for nearly half so long. The Prince had in Foot of the Garrison, as the Mayor of the City informed me, Two-thousand five-hundred, and about a thousand Horse, besides the Trained Bands of the Town, and Auxiliaries a Thousand, some say a Thousand five-hundred.—I hear but of one man that hath died of the plague in all our Army, although we have quartered amongst and in the midst of infected persons and places. We had not killed of ours in the Storm, nor in all this Siege, Two-hundred men.''

''Thus I have given you a true, but not a full account of this great business; wherein he that runs may read, That all this is none other than the work of God. He must be a very Atheist that doth not acknowledge it.''