I wait your answer to my Letter last night from Wallop: I shall desire that your pleasure may be speeded to me;—and rest, Sir, your humble servant,
Basing is black ashes, then; and Langford is ours, the Garrison ‘to march forth tomorrow at twelve of the clock, being the 18th instant.’[2] And now the question is, Shall we attack Dennington or not?—
Colonel Dalbier, a man of Dutch birth, well known to readers of the old Books, is with Cromwell at present; his Second in command. It was from Dalbier that Cromwell first of all learned the mechanical part of soldiering; he had Dalbier to help him in drilling his Ironsides; so says Heath, credible on such a point. Dennington Castle was not besieged at present; it surrendered next Spring to Dalbier.[3] Cromwell returned to Fairfax; served through Winter with him in the West, till all ended there.
About a month before the date of this Letter, the King had appeared again with some remnant of force, got together in Wales; with intent to relieve Chester, which was his key to Ireland: but this force too he saw shattered to pieces on Rowton Heath, near that City.[4] He had also had an eye towards the great Montrose in Scotland, who in these weeks was blazing at his highest there: but him too David Lesley with dragoons, emerging from the mist of the Autumn morning, on Philipshaugh near Selkirk, had, in one fell hour, trampled utterly out. The King had to retire to Wales again; to Oxford and obscurity again.
On the 14th of next March, as we said, Sir Ralph Hopton
