A DECLARATION OF The Royaliſts in the Weſt of England, and other parts of the Kingdome. Wherein is declared their preſent Reſolution touching the Kings Majeſty, and both Houſes of Parliament.
HAving occaſion to ſend you a Letter by a friend of mine that came to London about buſineſs, I wil give you a touch of the affairs in theſe parts for the preſent, and & you a more ful relation by the Poſt. Col. Poyer and Col. Powell are joyned, and have declared for the King; they are now in the field, and upon their Guard. Sir Richard Pierce is very active in raiſing of Forces to aſſiſt Poyer, who hath lately muſtered the county of Pembroke in his owne name at Colby Moor, where a party of the Inhabitants ſeemed to comply. The 11. of Aprill he muſtered in Carmarthen ſhire, & the 12. at Lanbadern in Cardigan ſhire, but now he is quite ſpoyled of this ſp•rt, for Colonel Horton is marched againſt him, being aſſiſted by 200. Horſe and Dragoons out of Brecknock ſhire; as alſo by Col. Lewis, Capt. Iones, capt. Read, capt. Griffiths Troop of Dragoons, Thomas Lloyd Eſq High Sheriff of Cardigan ſhire, with the reſt of the Commiſſioners for that county, and others, who are joyned into a Body, and conſiſt of above 30 Companies of Horſe and Foot, gallantly armed, and prepared to fight; they are even entring upon ſervice, and before you receive this, here wil be ſomething of conſequence done; for newes came this evening which certifie they were upon ingagement, and that they have had a skirmiſh already; but the ſucceſſe is variouſly reported: ſome affirme one thing, ſome another, according as their fancy leads them, but it is whiſpered, Poyers Forces are all ran away to their Hold: this is all I can impart to you for the preſent, when occaſion ſerves, I ſhall remember you; in the mean time,
An exact Relation of the late Fight in the North.
Here hath of late been a riſing in theſe parts, but quelled almoſt as ſoon as undertaken; it was occaſioned by a Black-coat, who preached here, whoſe doctrine being not altogether right, the ſouldiers found fault with it, and offered to foyl him at his own weapons; this was agreed to, and the time and place for diſpute appointed; but in ſtead of convicting them, he aſſaulted them, and with certain Farmers, anp a few ruſtical fellows, hee fel upon the Souldiers, and beat them out of the Town; but all is quiet now, and the chief Actors apprehended and taken, and are to anſwer it before a Councel of War.
SandhillAprill 15. 1648.
By Letters from the North intelligence was received of a ſtrange accident, or rather a miracle, which hapned in thoſe parts. Alſo a Gent. who was an eye-witneſſe, and ſaw the ſame, did teſtifie, both by word of mouth, and under his hand writing, doth affirm that at Shereborn in Yorkſhire, on the 24. day of this laſt March, in the afternoon, aroſe a great ſtorm, beginning firſt with Rain, which was powred downe in great abundance; aftes which inſtantly ſucceeded a mighty ſhowr of Hayl being powred down with ſuch an extraordinary force & violence, that it brake mrny glaſſe windows, kil'd Geeſe, Ducks, and other ſuch feeble creatures as wanted ſhelter. After the haile was over, their iſſued out of the Aire a great ſhowr of wheat; ſo that in ſome places it covered the gronud, & it was in all reſpects like unto the commou wheat whereof bread is made, both for colour & form, but that it was ſomething of a more ſad or darke colour then our ordinary wheat. It hath been likewiſe teſtified by others, & affirmed, that the poor people gathered up ſome of it, & made bread thereof, which they eat, & found it in operation like unto other ordinary bread, that bread was ſomething for colour and taſt like unto bread made of Rye. The fore-mentioned haile-ſtones were of a very great bigneſſe, many of them being as big as ſmal Wal-nuts, or Nutmegs, and ſome bigger; alſo this hail was ſo hard, that ſome carryed them 4 or 5 miles in their pockets to ſhew, and yet they were not melted. The people in thoſe parts which ſaw it are very much amazed at it; ſome think it to be a ſign of a famine; others think it to be a ſigne that Bread-corn, or Wheat, or Rye, or the like, in Harveſt ſhall be deſtroyed, by ſome extraordinary ſtorm of Haile or Raine, or ſome ſuch accident, but none can aſſuredly tell what it prognoſticates; but ſurely, ſuch ſtrange and unuſual things, are ſignes of ſome great alterations.
At Edinburgh the expectation of the malignants are great, and reports variable, but little concluded on: only we hear that they are reſolved, that an army ſhal be ſent into England, and although many wil not be perſwaded to believe it, yet it may now more eaſily be gathered, that ſuch a thing is intended, and wil ſpeedily be effected, if not prevented; for the Scots army draws Southward, and many of them are ordered to be quartered neer the Borders, the Lord Belcarouſe Troop have taken up their quarters within five miles of Berwick, having order ſo to doe. Many other Troopes have quarters aſſigned them in the South of Scotland, and eſpecialy in the Townes and Villages nrer adjoyning to England; alſo from other parts of Scotland we perceive the Scots Forces to creep Southward, but they are wary, and do it by little and little, the better to avoid ſuſpition, but if their intents are, as is ſuſpected, England may chance to fruſtrate their deſigns, and the Scots after all their jugling be deceived of their expectations.
The Parliament of Scotland have given anſwer to the Engliſh Commiſſioners papers, but it is ſaid to be very unſatisfactory. and that they refer the ſubſtance of all to their own Commiſſioners who are comming into England, of whom the Lord Lee is one to treat with the Parliament, and have Propoſitions and inſtructions given them, to treat about ſetling Religion according to the Covenant for the King his removall to one of his houſes, and a perſonall treaty with him; as alſo for disbanding the Army, and other Propoſitions that I have not as yet; the certainty of the difference between the Clergy and ſtate is as great as ever, they will by no meanes conſent to the raiſing of men, although liſting in divers parts of this Kingdome; 'tis ſuppoſed 'twill be ſpeedily effected; and becauſe many of the Commanders of the ſtanding Forces of this Kingdome do not concur with them in this deſign, thoſe Forces are to be disbanded, and the Earl of Calender is to be General of their new Modell; inſomuch, that the Cavees and Engliſh Fugitives grow very high, treating ruine and deſtruction to the Parliament and their Adherents.
But indeed, ſome dayes there are great hopes of an agreement, and other days the diſtance is ſo farre, as ſcarce any man ſhal know how neer they are to have an Army: many Engliſh men are at Edenburgh, and they doe dayly increaſe. Another great ſhip came to Leeth Rode on Fryday night laſt; what ſhe is, is not yet known, but a flying Report of the Prince being in her, but no certainty. Some Iriſh Rebels are come into ſome of the Scots Iſlands, and the Marq. of Argyles Regiment are directed, with ſome others, to march towards them. This is all, I earneſtly requeſt a correſpondency weekly, and where I ſhal direct my Letter unto you, that I may take the occaſion to ſubſcribe my ſelf.
Since the writing hereof we hear that the Parliament of Scotland have given an anſwer to our Commiſſioners papers, but it is ſaid to be very unſatisfactory, and that they refer the ſubſtance of all to their own Commiſſioners which are comming into England to treat with the Parliament.
IN the Marq. of Argyles Countrey, there is riſen up in Arms one commonly called Kolkittok, which hath cauſed ſome of the Forces that l•y in the South of Scotland to march Northward for the ſuppreſſion of them, all the Officers in the ſtanding Army of Scotland except Lieutenant General Middleton) have petitioned to the Parliament, and preſented theſe Propoſals, viz. 1. That they will be pleaſed to conſult with the Miniſters of the Kirk, in relation to their proceedings touching the Kingdome of England.
2. That they will be pleaſed not to ingage in a War against their Brethren of England, unleſſe the Kirk of Scotland doe concur therein.
His Excellency Gen. Leven, and the reſt of the Officers of the Standing army, have declared their unwillingneſſe to ingage in a war againſt the Kingdome of England, Parliament, and army. Sir, I am
yours, &c.
Sir, Since my laſt, we have received further intelligence from South-wales, that Col. Horton, and Col. Lewis with their Forces have ſtreightned the enemies quarters, & forced them to a narrower diſtance, but not without ſome blowes; for, as it is ſaid, they have had a very hot skirmiſh, and reſolutely maintained by both parties, upon ſeverall charges and conflicts; and after ſome diſpute Poyers party retreated, our men purſues; ſome are wounded, but no great hurt done. This was done by Parties, the main Bodies are not yet engaged. By the next you ſhal hear further, from
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