POLITICAL HISTORY Derby ' the lord Paget, who to expiate former transgressions ' 88S had raised a good regiment of foot, joined the king, and at Shrewsbury His Majesty was met by a great number of the gentry of the neighbouring counties, some of whom offered to raise levies for him at their own expense. Then Charles entered into negotiations with the Roman Catholics of Salop and Stafford- shire, ' of whom there were a good number of very valuable men,' with the result that they advanced him between 4,000 and 5,000,'"* and shortly afterwards he wrote to Sir Edward Mosley, high sheriff of Staffordshire, requiring him to use his utmost industry with the well-affected in that countv to persuade them to contribute horses, arms, ammunition, plate or money for his assistance. 88 ' At the outset matters went in Charles's favour, and in the midland counties in February, 1643, he was steadily gaining ground. Lord Brooke was therefore chosen to redeem the day at the head of the force of the associated counties. He drove the Royalists out of Stratford and advanced to Lichfield, where a force had garrisoned the close, aided in their object by the walls of Bishop Langton. He at once commenced the siege, and stepping into the street to watch the effect of a cannon shot aimed across the pool, was shot through the brain !88 by a bullet, according to tradition, from the gun of one of the sons of Sir Richard Dyott, who with the Earl of Chesterfield com- manded the cathedral garrison. The garrison were few in numbers, and ill provisioned, and in three days surrendered to Sir John Cell, who succeeded Lord Brooke. A contemporary broadside S87 printed in London makes the following comment on the shooting of Lord Brooke by Dyott : to whom he had immediately before shewne mercy, by which we may see what their dealings would be with us and all true Protestants if they were peaceably entertained into the city, like snakes received into our bosoms we should be in continuall danger of an unexpected generall throat cutting or some bloody tragedy : the Lord have mercy upon us and keep us from being a prey to the wolf-like cavaliers and bloody-minded Papists. The damage done during the siege, short as it was, to the cathedral at Lichfield, was immense, and the wanton destruction committed afterwards by the Puritans as bad. Even the records were destroyed, the gravestones stripped of their brasses, the tombs broken open and their contents scattered. Lichfield was not to remain long in the hands of the Parliament, for its loss was felt by the Royalists as weakening the king's hold upon the midlands where it was most important he should be strong. The Earl of Northampton was therefore dispatched from Banbury to retake it, and met Sir John Cell at Hopton Heath. Of the battle that ensued it may be instructive to give an account written by either side : the Royalist account is as follows 888 : After the surrender of Lichfield Stafford became the head quarters of the Royalists of the county, and against this Sir John Cell led his troops, flushed by the recent victory. But the Earl of Northampton 289 came to its aid, and Sir John 283 William fifth Lord Paget had at first been against the king, and therefore made by the Parliament lord-lieutenant of Buckinghamshire ; Whitelocke, Memorials, 58. "* Clarendon, Hist, of Rebellion, vi, 65. 195 Mosley, Hist. ofTutbury, 220. !M Gardiner, Civi/ffar, i, 112. 887 Now in Bodleian Library. >8S Clarendon, Hist, of Rebellion, vi, 278 et seq. 169 Clarendon says of him : ' He was a person of great courage, honour, and fidelity, and not well- known till his evening, having in the ease and plenty and luxury of that too happy time indulged to himself with that license which was then thought necessary to great fortunes ; but from the beginning of these distractions, as if he had been awakened out of a lethargy, he never proceeded with a lukewarm temper' ; Hist, of Rebellion, vi, 283. 259
