1921 THE BATTLE OF EDGEHILL 37 consent retired some few paces, and then stuck down their colours, con.- tinuing to fire at one another even till night ; a thing so very extra- ordinary, that nothing less than so many witnesses as were there present, could make it credible. Unfortunately for Byron's hard-pressed men the infantry in their front — the flower of the parliamentary foot — did not constitute their sole danger. They were now assailed in the flank by Stapleton and in the rear by Balfour. To add to their misfortunes they mistook Balfour's horse for their own cavalry, just as they themselves were at first mistaken for parliamentary foot. 1 Attacked by these superior numbers, the royalists gave way. Lindsey's regiment seems to have been cut to pieces, and Lindsey himself wounded and captured. His son Willoughby tried to rescue him, but only succeeded in sharing his captivity. The king's guard was broken, too, and the royal standard seized from Verney's lifeless hand, only to be recovered later by Smith. 2 Belasyse's regiment, the next in the line, was involved in this disaster, and driven back across the field to the original left brigade, which had by this time reformed. 3 A complete rout was only averted by the heroism of two regiments on the right, which retired orderly, and at last made a stand ; and having the assistance of cannon, and a ditch before them, held us play very handsomely. And by this time it grew so dark, and our powder and bullet so spent, that it was not held fit we should advance upon them. 4 At this stage the royalist horse returned from the pursuit, but so disorganized that a single parliamentary troop routed five of their enemy. 5 The cavalry, says Clarendon, could not be persuaded or drawn to charge either the enemy's reserve of horse ... or the body of their foot . . . the officers pretending that their 1 Fiennes mentions that some of Balfour's troopers actually shook hands with soldiers of the king's guard and were fired upon in consequence by Stapleton — an incident noted by Ludlow. I have no doubt that this mutual mistake is the founda- tion for Clarendon's accusation of treachery against Balfour (vi. 85). 2 Gardiner accepts Ludlow's statement that Smith recovered the standard by ^an artifice, and rejects Walsingham's statement that it was captured after Smith had attacked six horsemen and Essex's secretary (Chambers) (Britannicae Virtutis Imago, pp. 13-14). The Life of Belasyse mentions that the standard was recovered by Smith with a party of horse, as he returned from following the chase. No other parlia- mentary source supports Ludlow, and it is extremely improbable that, at a time when charges of treachery were frequent, this alleged instance of trickery would have escaped notice. 3 Ormonde MSS. : ' In this right wing of the king's foot my lord [Belasyse] charged with his pike close by my lord Lindsey, as also very many gallant officers, most of which were killed or taken. He only received a slight hurt upon his head, and had the good fortune to recover with sir Jacob Ashley, the major-general, and some others our foot upon the left wing, who never came to charge at all, so they stood entire.' 1 Official Parliamentary Account Most hostile narratives praise the bravery of these two regiments. James II implies that their stand saved the day. 5 Official Parliamentary Account ; Fiennes.
