THE DECLARATION Of Lieutenant Generall CROMWEL CONCERNING The Citizens of LONDON, and their high and ſtrange expreſſions againſt the Army; with his Proteſtation touching the ſaid City, and his Reſolution concerning the Northern Expedition.
Preſented to the view of all His Majesties loyall and faithfull Subjects within the Kingdome of England and Dominion of Wales.
ALSO, The Votes and Reſolutions of both Houſes of Parliament, concorning the Kings Majeſties Letter for a Perſonall Treaty, and their concurrence to his Majeſties Deſires, for the Scots to joyn in the ſaid Treaty, and to have ſuch ſervants are needfull to attend His Royall Perſon.
Likewiſe, the recalling of their former Votes, concerning the KING, and appointing five of the Houſe of Peers, and ten of the Houſe of Commons to treat with his Majeſty in the Iſle of Wight.
Together with ſtrange and terrible Newes from Colcheſter, and the Scottiſh Army.
Printed for R. W. and are to be ſold neer Temple-Bar, 1648.
VVHereas I ſhould long ſince have acquainted you of the many favours we received from the City of Briſtol, by the mediation of Mr. Peters, when we lay before Pembrook, they affording us not only a great ſupply of Beer, but linnen for our wounded and ſick ſouldiers, a mercy ſeaſonable and neceſſary, and at this preſent ſenſibly felt; yet in this very poor condition, we can do no more but acknowledge it with thankfull hearts to God, and by promiſing to hazzard our lives in a farther adventure for them, and the Kingdome in this our Northern expedition, much enabled and encouraged by the benefit and remembrance of thoſe former favours, together with the ſupply of 2500 pare of ſhooes from Northampton, and the like quantity of ſtockings from the city of Coventry, and our joy is, that God hath cleered up our way by the appearance of his prouidence in his former aſſiſtances, and believe it, Sir, as long as we have life, we ſhall keep to firſt principles, though a poor naked deſpiſed partie, and die by the ſides of our faithfull Officers, in the owning of that only, which God and reaſon allows, as for thoſe againſt whom we now march, it's our opinion, they if Victors, will put no difference betweene Cavaliers, Presbyterians, and Independents, but we truſt, he that hath hitherto gone along with us, will aſſiſt us in this enterprize, to blunt ſome what the edge of their delights, and that they ſhall reap as thoſ•before them, of that ſtamp, both old and new, will not Engliſh men conſider of whom it is ſaid they are the beſt ſervants but the worſt Maſters in the world we grieve for that famous City of London, over whom we never deſired to inſult, nor marched we through with any ſuch intent, but to let them and the world ſee and underſtand, how falſe their reports were concerning our endeavours to come up and plunder them, but let them know their deſtruction (if they periſh) will be of themſelves, not us.
And not withſtanding all their high and ſtrange expreſſions againſt us, who have been inſtrumentall of more good to them, then to all the Kingdom, and received the leaſt from them, yet we profeſſe our ſelves their ſervants in the worke in hand: and for you noble Citizens of Briſtol you have had wonderfull experiences and deliverances, do do not loſe them; we appoint no Government to you nor this Kingdom, we ſhall ſtoop, we hope as low as the loweſt and look no other way upon our ſelves, and take no other notice of the workings of providence, then as inſtruments uſed by the eternall, ſince our new modelling, for ſubduing thoſe who have and would inſlave both ſoul and body to their wils, not Gods and reaſons: and ſo many of us as ſhall out live theſe troubles, you ſhall ſee will be willing to reſign all kind of power and truſt, when ſuch an agreement or ſettlement is made, as may put us in capacity to live under the worſt of ſhades, free from tyranny and perſecution.
On Wedneſday laſt, the Lords at a conferrence communicated to the Commons their votes or reſolutions upon the Kings Letter to them, which were to this effect.
SInce my laſt of the 9 inſtant, here hath hapned little action till Sunday and Munday laſt; at which time they made ſeverall Sallies both upon the Suffolk Forces and the Lord Generals. Gen. Lucas and the L. of Loughborow, with a party of Horſe and Firelocks made an attempt againſt the Guards neer the Almshouſes, our Horſe Guard charged them, and made an intervale through their whole Body, who upon their wheeling about, five piece of Ordnance were fired from the walls upon them, which killed two or three; then both parties bodied, and after a gallant charge by both Parties, the Colcheſterians retreat, our men purſues, and in the purſuit killed 7. and took 9. priſoners, with the loſſe of 5 men.
C. Lunsford with another party ſallyed out at Buttolphs Gate, who fell upon our Out-guards with great fury, doing ſome execution, and took about 17. priſoners, but by the gallantry of Col. Barkſtead and a party of foot, they were repulſed, their priſoners releaſed, and Col. Lunsford and his party totally routed, and purſued to the very Gates and Sally ports, leaving divers of his men in a moſt deplorable and gaſping condition.
Moſt of the Salliers which engaged in this action were Kentiſh-men, who fought with abundance of courage and reſolution, and maintained their ground to puſh-a-pike, goring and mangling ſome of our horſe, vowing revenge upon us, for our late conqueſt in Kent, but in this action & retreat they felt one hand more heavier then both, above twenty of them being ſlain in this ſhort diſpute and conflict: ſince5 which time, they have declared, that they will fight it out to the laſt man, and maintain their Workes with the laſt drop of bloud, the ſhavers and others in the town, having alſo vowed the like reſolution, proteſting to ſacrifice their lives with them, againſt the Army, and all others that ſhall adhere to them.
They have ſunk ſeverall places under the Walls, and neer the Gates, who by countermining have blowd up one of our Mines, which hath ſomewhat retarded the work of ſtorming, yet we have four more almoſt finiſhed and ready to ſpring, and the better to faciliate the work of ſtorming, are raiſing of Batteries, and bringing our Trenches neerer the works, which we have accompliſhed with little loſſe: the Beſieged calls over the walls to our men, ſaying, That they deſire to exchange ſome tokens with in the town, and to welcome them over the walls with the meſſengers of Mars; and indeed, we are in a readineſſe to ſatisfie their longing deſires, the Councell of war having reſolved that approaches be made round the town in order to a ſtorme: And thereupon his Excellency with a Generall Councell of war conſiſting of all the Officers of Suſſex and Eſſex, aſwel as thoſe of the Army, debate high in relation to Colcheſter, endeavouring to make ſhort work of a long ſiege, the reaſon and inducements being theſe, 1. The Enemy having com for 20. dayes, 2. Their ſouldiers well ſatisfied with horſe-fleſh. 3. No want of freſh water, beſides much wine and fruit. 4. The City deſign much ripened, and may be ſpeedily put in execution. 5. The ſucceſſe in the North uncertain, and the Princes landing may prove prejudiciall, all which are motives to cauſe a ſtorm.
ColchesterAug. 16. 9. at night.
DIvers of the Scots forces are come into this county,〈◊〉are quartered neer Lancaſter, they drive all the cows Oxen, and ſheep they meet withall towards Scotland, an•leave not any moveables unſhifted away, to the very po•hooks there being few Artiſts in Scotland, they take chi•dren from their Parents, and put them to redeem them, an•ſome have redeemed their children four times over; an•when no redemption money could be had, they have kille•the children: If it be asked why they carry not children into Scotland, the anſwer is, there is no need of them ther•There is one obſervation which hath a great empheſis wit•it. They ask people if they have taken the Covenant, if the•anſwer they have, they plunder them of all as enemies t•the King; if they have not taken it, they are plundered as S•ctaries and Cavaliers: ſo that their oppreſſions are moſt i•ſufferable.
PreſtonAug. 14. 1648.
(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A80891)
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