An Exact Relation of the Proceedings of the CAVALEERS at CICESTER.
PRince Ruperts Scouts, upon the tenth of this inſtant February, approached near the Town of Ciceſter in the County of Gloceſter, and newes was brought to the Town, that Prince Rupert himſelf, Prince Mawrice, the Earl of Carnarvon, the Earl of Northampton, the Lord Digby, and divers other great Commanders, with about ſeven thouſand horſe and foot, were marching towards Ciceſter with an intent to make an attempt againſt it, which Town at that time, was not in ſo good a poſture of defence as formerly it had been, for that part of their forces were about Malmesbury and other places, which was occaſioned by a late aſſault which was made againſt Shudly-Caſtle by the Glouceſterſhire forces, where they took the Lord Shandoys and three hundred men priſoners with their Arms and Ammunition, ſo that there was in Ciceſter at this time, but eleven hundred men, and five ſmall Peeces of Ordnance. This day there was but little done, only three or foure of Prince Ruperts Scouts were taken Priſoners and caried into the Town, but the next day Prince Rupert having brought all his forces together before the Town, began to make an aſſault againſt it, whereupon the Townſmen perceiving the great ſtrength that was againſt them, preſently ſent to Glouceſter, deſiring ſome ayd and aſſiſtance from thence, and in the mean time, they reſolved to oppoſe the Enemies forces, which was valiantly performed by them, inſomuch that the Enemy could make no entrance all that day, although they played very fiercely againſt the Town with their Ordnance, and at laſt, whileſt the Ordnance were playing againſt one end of the Town, Prince RVPERT with a party of Horſe, advanced to the other end, and made an aſſault againſt it, ſhooting Granadoes to ſet on fire Barnes and thatched houſes, which were at that end, and fired ſome of them, amongſt which was a Stack of Hay, the ſmoke of which fire, by reaſon of the Winde carrying it into the Town, did ſo much annoy the inhabitants of the Town, that they could hardly ſee one another, and knew not which way to turn them, and and thereupon were ſuddainly ſurpriſed by the Cavaleers, who at their firſt entrance laid about them in that inhumain manner, it would grieve the hardeſt heart to think of, for they ſpared neither woman nor child that they met withall, and moſt cruelly murthered a godly Divine and his whole Family, and after quarter was granted, thoſe men which eſcaped with their lives, were miſerably tortured, and uſ•d with worſe cruelty then death, for they were ſtript naked and dragged up and down the ſtreet, terrifying them with moſt heavie oathes, and curſes, holding their naked ſwords and Piſtols to their breaſts, and at laſt drave them i•to the Church, where they were kept in that naked and miſerable condition, four and twenty houres together, without eyther bread or water, there being (as it is reported) about a thouſand of them, which cruelties are hardly to be paraleld by any ſtories in our Engliſh Chronicles.
Before I paſſe any further, I ſhould relate the number of ſuch perſons as were ſlain on both ſides, but in this particuler I ſhall crave favour to be excuſed, if I do not ſo exactly relate the very certainty thereof, it being a thing of more then ordinary difficulty, to give a true definition thereof, but herein I muſt referre my ſelf to the generall brute of the people, which in all probability doth not much vary from the truth, who ſay that before the Cavaleers en•red the Town, the inhabitants loſt not above two hundred men, but the enemy loſt about fifteen hundred.
The priſoners which were taken by the Cavaleers, were pinioned and coupled together, and driven like Cattle to Oxford, without ſhoes or ſtockins, or hats to keep their bare heads from the weather, many of them (as it is•eported) being glad to make hard ſhift for a peece of Mat or Straw to tye about them, to cover their nakedneſſe, and and at their comming near unto Oxford, newes being brought to the town of their neer approach, a great number of people came out to meet them, the priſoners being tyed together with Cords and Match, though moſt of them were of very good worth and quality, and two of them Miniſters, which were in the like manner drawn through the dirt and mire, and ſo were all caried into the Town and impriſoned in two ſeverall Churches, and kept there all night, not being allowed either fire, bread, or water: whereupon a poor woman perceiving the miſerable condition of theſe poor diſtreſſed priſoners, and hearing their lamentable complaint and cry for water, went to fetch them ſome, but being ſeen ſhe was beaten by a Cavaleer; yet the poor woman being inwardly moved with theſe mens miſeries, ſaid ſhe would fetch them water, though ſhe were hanged for it. Some of them that were taken at Ciceſter, and thus carried to Oxford, by reaſon of their cruell uſage, and the wounds they had received, not having any meanes to recover them, nor any Chirurgeon to come at them, are ſince dead.
After they had been thus impriſoned all night in the Churches, the next day they had an Oath tendred unto them, which was as followeth, viz.
The Oath adminiſtred unto all thoſe who were taken Priſoners ly the Cavaleers at Chicheſter.
I A. B. reſting fully aſſured of His Majeſties Princely truth and goodneſſe, do freely and from my heart, promiſe, vow, and proteſt, in the preſence of Almighty God, that I will, to the utmoſt of my power, and with the hazard of my life, maintain and defend the true Proteſtant Religion, eſtabliſhed in the Church of England, His Majeſties ſacred Perſon, his Highneſſe, and lawfull ſucceſſors, His Majeſties juſt power and priviledge, and the juſt power and priviledge of Parliament, againſt the Forces under the Conduct of the Earl of Eſſex, and againſt all other Forces whatſoever, contrary to His Majeſties command. I do beleeve that the raiſing and imploying of forces by His Majeſtie for the purpoſes and cauſes before mentioned, to be moſt juſt and neceſſary, and I will do my utmoſt endeavour to procure and re-eſtabliſh the peace and the quiet of the Kingdome, and that herein all His Majeſties Subiects may fully enjoy their liberty and property according to the law of the land; and I will neither divulge or communicate any thing to the ſaid Earle of Eſſex his Officers, or to any other to hinder or prejudice the deſignes of His Maieſtie in the conduct and imployment of His army: and I do beleeve that the Subiects of England are not obliged by any act of State, Vote, Ordinance, or Declaration, made or to be made, either by the Kings Maieſty ſolely, or by the Lords and Commons ſingly, or joyntly, without his Maieſties expreſſe conſent (ſaving ſuch as have or ſhall be in execution, of or according to ſome known Law-cuſtome of the Realm, or Statute enacted by the King, or Lords and Commons in Parliament:) and J do further proteſt and vow in the preſence of Almighty God, that I will not take or bear armes, but by expreſſe warrant of His Maieſtie, or by authority juſtly derived from His Majeſties immediate warrant.
A Great part of the buſineſſe in Parliament the laſt week, was concerning the propoſitions lately ſent from his Majeſty to the Parliament concerning a treaty, & perticulerly about a Ceſſation of Arms; and the Houſe of Commons conceving it unſafe and a matter of dangerous conſequence to the Kingdom, that there ſhould be a ceſſation of arms only during the treaty, after long debate of the buſineſſe (their being about 200 perſons in the Houſe) it being put to the Queſtion it was carried by the Major voices, that there ſhould be an utter disbanding of all forces, both by the King and Parl. which if his Maj. will gratiouſly be pleaſed to agree unto, the Parl. will make choice of fit and able perſons for the managing of the treaty with thoſe which ſhall be choſen by his Majeſty, and in the mean time, untill things are further agreed upon, they wilbe ready to propound ſuch a way to give his Majeſty ſatisfaction concrening the propoſitions made by his Maieſty, touching his Forts, Caſtles, and Navy, as ſhalbe reſonable, and with ſafety to the Kingdom.