"therefore you have the more reason to be careful; and I "múft tell you, I fhall be very fevere in the punishing of "thofe, of what Condition foever, who tranfgrefs these In"structions. I cannot fufpect your Courage and Refolution; "your Confcience and your Loyalty hath brought you hither, to Fight for your Religion, your King, and the Laws of "the Land. You shall meet with no Enemies but Traytors, "most of them Brownists, Anabaptists, and Atheists; fuch who "defire to destroy both Church and State, and who have al"ready condemn'd You to ruin for being Loyal to Us. That " you may fee what use I mean to make of your Valour if "it please God to blefs it with fuccefs, I have thought fit "to publish my Refolution to you in a Proteftation; which "when you have heard me make, you will believe you can"not Fight in a better Quarrel; in which I promise to live and "die with you.

THE Proteftation his Majefty was then pleafed to make, was in these words.

"I do promife in the prefence of Almighty God, and as I "hope for his Blessing and Protection, that I will, to the ut"most of my power, defend and maintain the true Reform'd "Proteftant Religion, establish'd in the Church of England; "and, by the grace of God, in the fame will live and die.

"I defire to govern by all the known Laws of the Land, and that the Liberty and Property of the Subject, may be "by them preferv'd with the fame care, as my own just Rights. "And if it please God, by his Bleffing upon this Army, raised "for my neceffary defence, to preferve me from this Rebel"lion, I do folemnly and faithfully promife, in the fight of "God, to maintain the just Privileges and Freedom of Par"liament, and to govern by the known Laws of the Land to « my utmost Power; and particularly, to obferve inviolably "the Laws confented to by me this Parliament. In the mean "while, if this time of War, and the great neceffity, and "ftraits I am now driven to, beget any violation of those, I "hope it shall be imputed by God and Men to the Authors of "this War, and not to Me; who have so earnestly labour'd, "for the prefervation of the Peace of this Kingdom.

"WHEN I willingly fail in these particulars, I will expect no aid or relief from any Man, or Protection from Heaven. "But in this Refolution, I hope for the chearful affistance of "all good Men, and am confident of God's Blessing.

THIS Proteftation, and the manner and folemnity of making it, gave not more life and encouragement to the little Army, than it did comfort and fatisfaction to the Gentry and

Inha

Inhabitants of those parts; into whom the Parliament had infufed, that, if his Majefty prevailed by Force, he would, with the fame Power, abolish all those good Laws, which had been made this Parliament; fo that they look'd upon this Protestation, as a more ample fecurity for their enjoying the benefit of thofe Acts, than the Royal Affent he had before given." And a more general, and paffionate expreffion of affections cannot be imagin'd, than he receiv'd by the People of those The King Counties of Derby, Stafford, and Shrop-fhire, as he paffed; or a better reception, than he found at Shrewsbury; into which Town he enter'd on Tuesday the 20th of September.

comes to

Shrewf

bury.

Ir will be, and was then, wonder'd at, that fince the Parliament had a full and well form'd Army, before the King had one full Regiment, and the Earl of Effex was Himfelf come to Northampton, fome days before his Majefty went from Nottingham, his Lordship neither difquieted the King whilft he ftay'd there, nor gave him any difturbance in his March to Shrewsbury which if he had done, he might either have taken him Prifoner, or fo difperfed his fmall Power, that it would never have been poffible for him to have gotten an Army together. But as the Earl had not yet receiv'd his Inftructions, fo they, upon whom he depended, avoided that expedition out of meer Pride, and Contempt of the King's Forces, and upon a prefumption, that it would not be poffible for him to raife fuch a Power, as would be able to look their Army in the face; but that, when he had in vain tried all other ways, and thofe, who not only follow'd him upon their own Charges, but fupported those who were not able to bear their own (for his Army was maintain'd and paid by the Nobility and Gentry, who ferv'd likewife in their own Persons) were grown weary and unable longer to bear that burden, his Majefty would be forced to put himself into Their Arms for Protection and Subfiftence; and fuch a Victory without blood had crown'd all their defigns. And if their Army, which they pretended to raife only for their defence, and for the fafety of the King's Perfon, had been able to prevent the King's railing any, or if the King, in that Melancholick conjuncture at Nottingham, had return'd to White-Hall, he had juftified all their Proceedings, and could never after have refufed to yield to whatfoever they propofed."

AND it is moft certain, that the Common Soldiers of their Army were generally perfwaded, that they fhould never be brought to Fight; but that the King was in truth little better than Imprifon'd by evil Counsellors, Malignants, Delinquents, and Cavaliers (the terms applied to his whole Party) and would gladly come to his Parliament if he could break from that Company; which he would undoubtedly do, if their Ar

my

my came once to fuch a distance, that his Majefty might make an escape to them. In this kind of difcourfe they were lo fottifl, that they were perfwaded, that thofe Perfons of whofe Piety, Honour, and Integrity, they had receiv'd heretofore the greatest Teftimony, were Now turn'd Papifts; and that the fmall Army, and Forces the King had, confifted of no other than Papilts. Infomuch as truly thofe of the King's Party, who promised themselves any fupport, but from the comfort of their own confciences, or relied upon any other means than from God Almighty, could hardly have made their expectations appear reafonable; for his Enemies were in a manner poffeffed of the whole Kingdom.

ders Portf

mouth.

PORTSMOUTH, the ftrongeft, and beft fortified Town Colonel Go then in the Kingdom, was furrender'd to them; Colonel Garing, ring furren about the beginning of September, though he had feem'd to be fo long refoly'd, and prepared to expect a Siege, and had been fupplied with Monies according to his own propofal, was brought fo low, that he gave it up, only for liberty to tranfport Himself beyond Seas, and for his Officers to repair to the King. And it were to be wifh'd that there might be no more occafion to mention him hereafter, after this repeated treachery; and that his incomparable dexterity and fagacity had not prevailed fo far over thofe, who had been fo often deceived by him, as to make it abfolutely neceffary to fpeak at large of him, more than once, before this difcourfe comes to an end.

Hertford's

proceedings

THE Marquis of Hertford, though he had fo much difcre- The Mardited the Earl of Bedford's Soldiery, and difhearten'd his great quis of Army, that the Earl (after lying in the Field four or five Nights within lefs than Canon fhat of the Caftle, and Town, in the Weft. and after having refused to fight a duel with the Marquis, to which he provoked him by a Challenge) fent St John Norcot, under pretence of a Treaty, and the Godly care to avoid the effufion of Chriftian blood, in plain English to defire "That "he might fairly and peaceably draw off his Forces, and march away; the which, how reafonable a request foever it was, the Marquis refused; fending them word, "That as they came "thither upon their own Counfels, fo they fhould get off as "they could: and at laft they did draw off, and march above a dozen miles for repofe; leaving the Marquis, for some weeks, undisturb'd at Sherborne: yet when he heard of the lofs of Portsmouth, the relief whereof was his principal bufinefs, and fo that thofe Forces would probably be added to the Earl of Bedford, and by their fuccefs give much courage to his bafhful Army, and that a good Regiment of Horse, which be expected (for Sr John Byron had fent him word from Oxfard, that he would march towards him) was retired to the

King;

King; and that the Committees were now fo busy in the several Counties, that the People, in all places, declared for the Parliament; and more particularly fome ftrong and populous Towns in Somerset-fhire; as Taunton, Wellington, and Dunftar Castle; by reafon whereof it would not be poffible for him to increafe his ftrength, he refolv'd to leave Sherborne, where his stay could no way advance the King's Service; and to try all ways to get to his Majefty. But when he came to Minhead, a Port Town, from whence he made no doubt he should be able to tranfport Himfelf, and his company into Wales, he found the People both of the Town and County so difaffected, that all the boats, of which there used always to be great store, by reafon of the trade for Cattle and Corn with Wales, were industriously sent away, fave only two; fo that the Earl of Bedford having taken new heart, and being within four miles with his Army, his Lordship, with his fmall Cannon and few Foot, with the Lord Pawlet, Lord Seymour, and fome Gentlemen of Somerfet fhire, transported himself into Glamorgan tranfporteth fhire; leaving Sr Ralph Hopton, Sr John Berkley, Mr Digby, bimfelf into and fome other Officers with their Horfe (confifting of about gan-fhire. one hundred and twenty) to march into Cornwal, in hopes to find that County better prepared for their reception.

Thence

Glamor

On the other hand, the Earl of Bedford, thinking those few fugitives not worth his farther care, and that they would be eafily apprehended by the Committee of the Militia, which was very powerful in Devon, and Cornwal, contented himself with having driven away the Marquis, and fo expelled all hope of railing an Army for the King in the Weft; and retired with his Forces to the Earl of Effex, as Sr William Waller had done from Portsmouth; fo that it was not expected, that the Forces about his Majefty could be able to defend him against fo puiffant an Army, fo it was not imaginable that he could receive any addition of ftrength from any other parts. For wherever they found any Person of Quality inclined to the King, or but difinclined to Them, they immediately seised upon his Perfon, and fent him in great Triumph to the Parliament; who committed him to Prifon, with all circumstances of cruelty and inhumanity.

THUS they took Prifoner the Lord Mountague of Boughton, at his Houfe in Northampton-fhire, a Perfon of great reverence, being above fourfcore years of age, and of unblemish'd Reputation, for declaring himself unfatisfied with their disobedient and undutiful proceedings against the King, and more exprefsly against their Ordinance for the Militia; and notwithstanding that he had a Brother of the House of Peers, the Lord Privy Seal, and a Nephew the Lord Kimbolton, who had as full a power in that Council as any Man, and á Son in the

House

Houfe of Commons very unlike his Father; his Lordship was committed to the Tower a close Prisoner; and though he was afterwards remitted to more Air, he continued a Prifoner to his death.

THUS they took Prisoner in Oxford-fhire the Earl of BerkShire, and three or four principal Gentlemen of that County; and committed them to the Tower, for no other reafon but wishing well to the King; for they never appear'd in the least Action in his Service. And thus they took Prisoner the Earl of Bath in Devon-fhire, who neither had, or ever meant to do the King the leaft fervice; but only out of the morofity of his own Nature, had before, in the House, exprefs'd himself not of their minds; and carried him, with many other Gentlemen of Devon and Somerset, with a strong Guard of Horse, to London; where, after they had been expofed to the rudenefs and reproach of the Common People, who called them Traytors and Rebels to the Parliament, and purfued them with fuch ufage as they use to the most infamous Malefactors, they were, without ever being examin'd, or charged with any particular crime, committed to feveral Prifons; fo that not only all the Prisons about London were quickly fill'd with Perfons of Honour, and great Reputation for fobriety and integrity to their Counties, but new Prisons were made for their reception; and, which was a new and barbarous invention, very many Perfons of very good Quality, both of the Clergy and Laity, were committed to Prifon on board the Ships in the River of Thames; where they were kept under Decks, and no friend fuffer'd to come to them, by which many loft their lives. And that the lofs of their Liberty might not be all their punishment, it was the usual course, and very few escaped it, after any Man was committed as a notorious Malignant (which was the brand) that his Eftate and Goods were feifed, or plunder'd by an Order from the House of Commons, or fome Committee, or the Soldiers, who in their march took the Goods of all Papists and eminent Malignants, as lawful prize; or by the Fury and Licence of the Common People, who were in all places grown to that barbarity and rage against the Nobility and Gentry (under the Style of Cavaliers) that it was not fafe for any to live at their Houses, who were taken notice of as no Votaries to the Parliament.

So the Common People (no doubt by the advice of their Superiors) in Effex on a fuddain befet the House of St John Lucas, one of the best Gentlemen of that County, and of the moft eminent affection to the King, being a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber to the Prince of Wales; and upon pretence that he was going to the King, poffefs'd themselves of all his Horfes and Arms, feifed upon his Perfon, and used him with

all