Breakfast was speedily prepared, and when this was done justice to Sir Henry proceeded to relate to Harry, who was burning with impatience to hear his news, the story of the battle of Edgehill.
"We reached Shrewsbury, as I wrote you," he said, "and stayed there twenty days, and during that time the army swelled and many nobles and gentlemen joined us.

We were, however, it must be owned, but a motley throng.

The foot soldiers, indeed, were mostly armed with muskets; but many had only sticks and cudgels.

On the 12th we moved to Wolverhampton, and so on through Birmingham and Kenilworth.

We saw nothing of the rebels till we met at Edgecot, a little hamlet near Banbury, where we took post on a hill, the rebels being opposite to us.