John Lilburne, Innocency and Truth Justified (1645) (E314/21)

At Brentford I lost (in a manner) all that I had and after a long fight there with a handful of men against the King’s whole army, my person after I had several times escaped the danger of drowning, was taken a prisoner.  The parliament, the City and the whole Kingdom owes not more to any one particular number of commanders and soldiers and for one particular engagement than they do to myself and the others in Brentford who were the saving of the train of artillery (which then with a slender guard was at Hammersmith) but also of the whole City and consequently of the Kingdom, although we were sent thither without ammunition.  For when we had the alarm first we had neither provision that I knew of, of match, powder and bullet, but were necessitated to ransack the shops and houses in the town for our present supply.  I had resolved to give over my foot company to my lieutenant, being pressed by my friends in London, whither I went after Edgehill on special business from Lord Brooke, to take charge of a troop of horse in the new army under the Earl of Warwick.  He required a certificate of my fitness, which I obtained, from Saul warren et al at the Guildhall, 11 November.  Then went to Lord Brooke, whom I found at essex House with the Lord General but he said, Lilburne, the King is at Colnbrook, and I do verily believe we shall speedily have another fight with him, and so I entreat you not to leave me and my regiment now for I hope we shall beat him and the wars will be at an end before thou canst get a troop of horse raised, and if you leave me now I shall think thou art either fiened covetous and would have a troop of horse for a little more pay, or else are turned coward, and would leave my foot company now we are going to fight and I do believe shall do it tomorrow, so I told him I would take my horse to Brentford and fight as resolutely tomorrow as your Lordship.  I got there about 9 pm.  In the morning when we had the alarm all the horse left us which were about 10 or 12 troops and Lt Col Quarles drew out so much of Colonel Hollis’ regiment as was there, and that part of our regiment which was there, having neither lieutenant colonel, colonel nor sergeant major to order and command them, did fair and easily on their own heads march out the town towards London, of which when I heard, I galloped after them, and put them to a stand and at the head of them made the best encouraging speech I could and took those colours that were mine into my own hands and desired all those that had spirits of men and the gallantry of soldiers and were willing resolutely to spend their blood for the good of their country, and to preserve that honour that they had lately gained at Kineton to follow me, upon which they all faced about without any more dispute abd I led them up to the field where their fellow soldiers the redcoats were, which ground with them we maintained divers hours together in a  bloody fight.  I believe we were not 700 effective fighting men against the King’s whole army, who hotly plyed us from several places, both in front and flank, with cannons and muskets, and we had neither breast-work nor trench nor any other defence but one little brick house and 2 or 3 hedges.  Lilburne was taken prisoner to Oxford where soon after the King sent the earl of Kingston, Lord Dunsmore, Lord Maltravers and Lord Andover to woo him with large professions of honour and glory of court preferment to join the royalists, but he refused, clapt in irons, kept there nearly a year.

By kind permission of the British Library