zo8 HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN.

chap. from his enterprises, was the establishing of thei.vi. king’s authority in all the northern provinces.

i«43- In another part of the kingdom, lord Brokewas killed by a (hot, while he was takingpossession of Litchfield for the parliament ".After a (harp combat, near Stafford, betweenthe earl of Northampton and Sir John Gell, theformer, who commanded the king’s forces, waskilled while he fought with great valor; andhis forces, discouraged by his death, though theyhad obtained the advantage in the action, retreat-ed into the town of Stafford ".

Sir William Waller began to distinguish him-self among the generals of the parliament. Activeand indefatigable in his operations, rapid andenterprising, he was fitted by his genius to the *nature of the war ; which , being managed byraw troops, conducted by unexperienced com-manders , afforded success to every bold andsudden undertaking. After taking Winchester

*’ He had taken possession of Litchfield, and was viewingfrom a window St. Chad’s cathedral, in which a party of ]the royalists had fortified themselves. He was cased incomplete armor, but was (hot through the eye by arandom ball. Lord Broke was a zealous puritan; and hadformerly said, that he hoped to see with his eyes the ruinof all the cathedrals of England. It was a superstitiousremark of the royalists, that he was killed on St. Chad'sday by a Ihot from St. Chad’s cathedral, which piercedthat very eye by which he hoped to fee the ruin of allcathedrals. Dugdale, p. ng. Clarendon, &c

" Whitlocke , p. 66. Rulhworth, vol. vi- p. i; 2 .Clarendon, vol. iii. p. i«i.