A MESSAGE SENT FROM Colcheſter to the Parliament, informing them of the Paſſages there, and how the multitude doth daily increaſe, and have plundered the Lady Rivers her houſe, taking away from her the value of forty thouſand pound in money, plate, iewels, and many other things of great worth,And how they threaten to plunder all the Papiſts houſes in that Countrey.Alſo a true Relation of the manner of taking Dover Caſtle on wedneſday night Aug. 24. by the Earl of Warwick and M. Dukes.

THe Houſes of Par­liament have recei­ved information frō Sir Thomas Baring­ton and M. Grim­ſton, that were ſent to Colcheſter in Eſ­ſex, that the multi­tude of people that gathered themſelves together by occaſion of Sir Iohn Lucas his2 providing of horſe and ammunition to ſend to His Maieſty, were very much increaſed, and that they were ſo much incenſed againſt the Papiſts, and others ill-affected to the Parlia­ment, that they could not appeaſe them, and that they have plundered the Lady Rivers her houſe at Colcheſter, and have ſpoiled and taken away from her in money, plate, iewels, and o­ther things of value, to the ſum of forty thou­ſand pound, withall giving out ſpeeches, and threatning to plunder all the Papiſts in that County, which (they conceived) were the cauſers of all theſe troubles and diſtractions in the Kingdome, and were the occaſions that they, their wives and children were brought in­to great want and extremity, (by the great de­cay of trading) and for that they have plotted the ruine and deſtruction of this Kingdome. The occaſion of this multitudes gathering to­gether in this manner was as followeth.

Upon Friday laſt being the ſix and twentieth day of Auguſt, the Houſe of Commons re­ceived a Letter from the Maior of Colcheſter directed to M. Iohn Pym of the Houſe of Com­mons, declaring the fidelity and good affection of the inhabitants of the ſaid town of Colche­ſter and other townes thereabouts in that good ſervice they performed for the King and Par­liament in taking away the great ſtore of armes and ammunition that were found in the dwel­ling3 houſe of Sir Iohn Lucas neere Colcheſter, and how that a great many Muskets, Piſtols, and Carbines were found ready charged; all which was diſcovered by one Captain Lumley, who forthwith informed the towne thereof; upon whoſe information the whole towne roſe in a great uproare, and within a ſmall time about two thouſand people were gathered to­gether, who forthwith beſet the houſe of the ſaid Sir Iohn Lucas, but were d•n•ed entrance for a time; whereupon the people were ſo in­raged, that they demanded entrance without delay: they that were within the houſe percei­ving the multitude without to be too great for them to make oppoſition againſt, opened the gates, where after they had entred, they found twelve Horſes fitted for warre, that ſhould have gone to the King the next day, and two hundred men: Diverſe of them being exami­ned concerning the occaſion of their being there, would confeſſe nothing, but ſaid that they were ſworne to ſecreſie: the people hear­ing this anſwer, were further inraged againſt Sir Iohn Lucas, inſomuch that the Maior was inforced to carrie him home to his own houſe, to keep him from the violence of the people: Herewithall the people were no whit ſatiſfied, but rather the more inraged (reſolving either to have him out, or els they threatned to pull downe the Maiors houſe) untill he had ſent him4 to the common Goale. The people yet are in great feare and amazement, and continue together in great multitudes, and will not re­turne to their habitations untill they have fur­ther ſatisfaction concerning him. The Maior not knowing what courſe to take with the people, nor how to pacifie them, ſent with all ſpeed to know the pleaſure of the Parlia­ment concerning the ſame. After ſome debate of it in the Houſe of Commons, they deſired a Conference with the Lords, where the ſaid Letter was read, and thereupon the Lords and Commons ordered, that Sir Thomas Barring­ton, and M. Grimſtone ſhould goe with all ſpeed downe to Colcheſter to appeaſe the people, and to give them thankes for their good affe­ction, and forwardneſſe to aſſiſt the Parlia­ment, declaring to them, that the Houſe took it as an acceptable ſervice, deſiring them to de­part to their owne houſes.

Upon wedneſeday night laſt the foure and twentieth of Auguſt, one•. Dukes a Merchant that was intruſted for the ſecuring of the Caſtle of Dover in Kent, cauſed ten men, armed with ſwords and Muſkets ready charged, to climbe up a ſteep rock (in the dead time of the night) and to draw up ſcaling ladders after them, to ſcale the wals of the Caſtle, to take it and keep it for the King and Parliament. After they had ſcaled the wals and got into the Ca­ſtle,5 theſe ten Musketiers went to the Court of Guard, conſiſting but of foure men, who at the ſudden appearance of theſe ten men were ſo a­mazed, that they ſeemed to be in a trance, and demanding of them who kept the keyes of the gate, for feare they directed them to the Porter who kept the keyes, and knocking at his cham­ber doore, they commanded him to deliver up the keyes to them for the ſervice of the King and Parliament: at firſt he denied, ſaying, he would not: whereupon they would have broke open the door, and withall threatning to ſhoot him, unleſſe he would deliver up the keyes: at length he gave them the keyes, and preſent­ly they went to the gate and ſent poſt to the Earle of Warwick, who lay nigh Dover with his ſhips, and immediately ſent them threeſcore Musketiers, beſides forty Musketiers more ready prepared which were ſent from the Ci­tizens of Canterbury, who immediately tooke the Caſtle for the uſe and ſervice of the King and Parliament, turning out all thoſe whom they ſuſpected to be ill-affected to the Parlia­ment. Not above two dayes after, upon fri­day the 26. of Auguſt, the Parliament received information of a ſhip coming from Spaine with 600000. pound coming to Portſmouth, and finding no means to arrive there by reaſon of the ſhips which the Earle of Werwick had laid before the towne, and perceiving no poſſi­bility6 of eſcaping, being deſcried by the ſaid ſhips, they ſtruck in o Southampton, pretending that they came with other merchandize, but being ſearched, little was found therein but Bullion, which they ſaid was to be coyned here and ſo it is thought it ſhall; for, the Parlia­ment have made ſtay thereof, and ordered that it ſhall be brought to London.

His Maieſty was gratiouſly pleaſed to let the Houſes underſtand that if they will withdraw their forces, and nominate a Committee to treat with others choſen by him, he is willing to ſtand to ſuch a treaty of pacification they ſhall agree on.

The Lords and Commons in Parliament declare, That all ſuch perſons as ſhall, upon any pretence whatſoever, aſsiſt His Maieſty in this Warre, with Horſe, Arms, Plate or Money, are Traytors to His Maieſty, the Parliament and Kingdome, and ſhall be brought to con­digne puniſhment for ſo high an offence.