A full and exact RELATION OF THE Horrid murder committed upon the body of Col. Rainsborough, The perſons that did it, and the cauſe thereof.
Alſo the killing of Capt. Layton, and divers others: And a fight neere Pontefract; with the relieving of Scarborough, and a Pinnace taken there.
Likewiſe the Liſt of the names of ſome Members of both Houſes of Parliament, and chiefe Officers of the Army, againſt whom there is a Deſigne to take away their lives.
Certified by Letters to both Houſes of Parliament.
VIZ.
⟨nou: 3d⟩ London: Printed for R. A. 1648.
ACcording to your deſire by the laſt Poſt, I ſhall weekly communicate unto you ſuch Intelligence as is ſtirring in theſe parts; which at preſent may be truely repreſented thus. Sir Henry Cholmley, (with ſome Country Forces) for ſeverall weeks paſt hath laine againſt Pontefract, to block up the enemy in the Caſtle, but wanting ſtrength to keep them in ſo little roome, the Pontefract-men did daily make ſeverall inroads upon the Country, tooke away their Cattle and other goods, brought them without let to the Caſtle, and then exchanged them for ſuch other neceſſaries as they wanted, even with ſome of Sir Henry Cholmleyes owne men; and the Pontefract-men being ſtrong in Horſe, and very deſperate, have made a practice to fall upon our Guards, and into our Quarters; and have done much execution amongſt us: On Tueſday laſt they beat up our Quarters at a village ſix miles from Pontefract, killed Captain Layton, and two2 others, wounded many, and carried away 6. priſoners: they have alſo taken Mr. Clayton, Steward to the Lord Generall, and carryed him wounded into the Caſtle; and many others, which I ſhall not here particularize: yet when thoſe in the Caſtle, and the others which keep the next Guard, are making their markets, they drink one to the other, ſaying, Here is to thee brother Roundhead: and the other replies, I thank thee brother Cavaleer. Sir Arthur Ingram, who was lately taken by the Pontefract Forces, and impriſoned by them in the Caſtle, is gotten off; paying 1500. l. redemption: All this, and much more miſchief having been done, to the intolerable ſufferings and damage of the Country; it is now time to ſeek better to prevent it, and therefore we are ſtrengthening the Forces ſo as to compleat a Siege: Colonell Rainsborough for this purpoſe came into theſe parts by directions from his Excellency, but by reaſon of ſome difference between him and Sir Henry Cholmle•, he took up his Quarters at Doncaſter, intending to ſtay there untill the matter were decided: in the mean while the Devill appearing ſtrong in his inſtruments, they conſult together by a private and baſe way of revenge, to eff•ct that by treachery which they could not otherwaies accompliſh; and as executioners of this bloody deſigne, came three men in the habit of Gentlemen, from Pontefract Caſtle to Colonell Rainesboroughs owne Quarters early in the morning, and pretended they had a Letter for him from Lievtenant-Generall Cromwell, whereupon they were no ſooner gotten in, but they in a ſordid manner ſtabbed him, dragged him to the chamber doore, cut3 his throat, turn'd him down ſtaires, and eſcaped while thoſe of the houſe were either in bed, or ſo much amazed at this horrid murder, that they knew not what they did: And we heare that the malice of that party ſtayeth not at this, nor will be ſatisfied only with this new manner of murdering one that was faithfull to the Parliament, and a Member thereof, but have a further deſigne to take away the lives of at leaſt fourſcore other eminent men, which have been active in the Parliaments ſervice, for the good of their Country, which I pray God to diſcover and prevent, and unite the hearts of his People together, that the wicked One by ſowing his ſeed of diſſention may not gaine advantage againſt his choſen: And ſo I reſt,
I muſt now be a Harbinger to bring ſad newes to you and the reſt of our friends at Wapping, which I am ſure cannot but with me condole the loſſe of our old acquaintance Colonell Rainsborough, who after a long preſervation from the force of the Cannon and open4 hoſtility of the common Enemy, was at the laſt moſt unfortunately murdered in his Chamber, it being done in a baſe and unworthy manner; Some ſay it was to be farther avenged for the death of Sir Charles Lucas, and Sir George Liſle, and thereby think to mitigate the fact; but I will aſſure you they will find it otherwise: for the whole Souldiery with us lay this buſineſſe much to heart, and although the loſſe of ſuch an inſtrument as he, cannot be ſmall: yet are we confident that we have this gain, that the hearts of all the well-affected party in the Kingdome will be the more firme in conjunction with each other; I heare his wife is now in London, I pray God give her ſtrength to take it patiently, which is one generall uſe we are to make of ſuch trialls and afflictions. And as for thoſe that are ſuch implacable enemies to peace, and ſecretly thirſt after the blood of ſuch as would live quietly in the Land, we hope care will be taken to preſerve us from their malice, and to bring thoſe to condigne puniſhment which do juſtly deſerve it, that they may be a terrour to others from running into the like miſchiefs: The enemy in Pontefract Caſtle have about ſixſcore horſe well armed, which oftentimes ſally forth, and do great miſchiefe, and have (as ſome report) fitted themſelves with all things for a twelve moneths ſiege: the weak Leaguer by the new Militia of the Countrey hath ſo waſted the parts adjacent, that what with freequarter and large aſſeſſements, with the ſpoile made by the Enemy, the Inhabitants are very much impoveriſhed; Here hath been levyed for many weekes together the value of 30000. l. per menſem, but we have better hopes5 of thoſe which are now coming to doe the work, the Lievtenant Generalls forces being drawn neer: and truly it is high time, for ſome further courſe to be taken not only againſt this Caſtle, but alſo againſt Scarborough, for the Enemy there have made divers late ſallies forth, and have taken a Pinnace which was come into the Harbour with ſome Proviſions, whereby ſome relief hath been gotten by the Enemy; but another courſe is t•king with them alſo. Thus with my beſt reſpect to your ſelfe, and all our friends, I remain
and divers other Members of the Houſe, and Officers of the Army, whoſe names cannot be here inſerted.
Moved in Parliament, that a Regiment of Horſe and another of Foot come up, and be a Guard for the ſecurity of both Houſes.
(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A84952)
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