ASTLEY, JACOB ASTLEY, BARON (1579-1652), royalist commander in the English Civil War, came of a Norfolk family. In 1598 he joined Counts Maurice and Henry of Orange in the Netherlands, and afterwards fought under the elector palatine Frederick V. and Gustavus Adolphus in the Thirty Years' War. Returning to England with a well-deserved reputation, he was employed by Charles I. in various military capacities. At the out break of the Great Rebellion (1642) he was made major-general of the foot. His characteristic battle-prayer at Edgehill has be come famous : "0 Lord, Thou knowest how busy I must be this day. If I forget Thee, do not forget me. March on, boys!" At Gloucester he commanded a division, and at the first battle of Newbury he led the infantry of the Royal Army. With Hopton, in 1644, he served at Arundel and Cheriton. At the second battle of Newbury he made a gallant and memorable defence of Shaw House, and at Naseby he once more commanded the main body of the foot. He afterwards served in the west, and with 1,50o men fought stubbornly but vainly the last battle for the King at Stow on-the-Wold (March 1646). His remark to his captors has become as famous as his words at Edgehill, "You have now done your work and may go and play, unless you will fall out amongst yourselves." His scrupulous honour forbade him to take any part in the Second Civil War, as he had given his parole at Stow-on-the-Wold. He died in Feb. 1652.