POLITICAL HISTORY assisted the king with arms or money, except under constraint, and all bishops and cathedral chapters. On May 23, 1643, the House issued an order for impressing horses in Surrey or for taking an equivalent in money. At the same time a weekly assessment was levied in every parish for the service of the war. 1 In the latter part of 1643 the war again approached the borders of Surrey. In November Sir William Waller, at the head of the regiments raised in the south-east and of trainbands from London and the neigh- bourhood, had advanced to attack Basing House in Hampshire, where a Royalist garrison dominated the main road from London to the south- west. His troops were ill paid and mutinous. The London trainbands, who no doubt thought that they had done enough in one year by relieving Gloucester and fighting at Newbury, were as impatient as militia generally are of prolonged operations. They refused to assault, cried out ' Home! home! ' and insisted on retiring. Waller was forced to fall back upon Farnham, while the Royalists recovered Winchester, and on December 9 took Arundel Castle and came on to the borders of Surrey. There was skirmishing about Farnham. Petersfield and Alton were both occupied by Royalist troops, and the enterprising Royalist commander, Lord Hopton, was in hopes of penetrating right into the south-eastern district. Waller however, with some fresh troops and some of the men who had failed at Basing House but were now shamed into a better mind, surprised Alton on December 13, and completely cut up or captured the force there. The English soldiers brought over from Ireland, who were among the prisoners, mostly enlisted in his army. The Royalists then abandoned Petersfield, and Waller recovered Arundel on January 6, 1644. The war was again pushed away from the borders of Surrey. The Parliamentarian victory at Cheriton near Alresford on March 29, 1644, rendered the south-east quite safe from invasion. But with un- trustworthy militia for his principal support Waller was unable permanently to get away from Surrey till September. He twice had to return to Farnham. On September 2 he was there with only 1,400 men, and only three weeks' pay for these in hand. Yet by calling in his cavalry, who were further west, and receiving reinforcements and supplies, he was able to leave Farnham for good and all in the latter part of September. The Parliament sent him orders to march on September 16. The campaign ended with the second battle of New- bury. Farnham was either left ungarrisoned altogether, or was occupied by only a trifling force. The county levies seem to have been kept in arms at Guildford. On January 9, 1645, the old Royalist forces made their last appearance in Surrey. General Goring, who had been given an independent commission to see what he could do in the south, made John Evelyn (of Ditton), knights; Robert Goodwyn, George Fairwell, John Goodwyn, esquires; Richard Wright, Cornelius Cook, gentlemen. See Severall Ordinances and Orders, etc., for Sejutstring Estates of Delinquents (London, 1645), pp. i, z, 16. 1 St. P. Dam. May 23, 1643. 411
