The Declaration of Colonel GORING, to the houſe of COMMONS. Together with Maſter HENRY PIERCIES Letter to the Earle of Northumberland, preſented to the Parlament the 16 of Iune 1641.

WHat with my owne innocency, and the violence I hear is againſt me, I find my ſelfe much diſtracted, I will not aske your Counſel, becauſe it may bring prejudice upon you, but I will with all faithfulneſſe and truth tell you what my part hath bin, that at leaſt it may be cleared by you, whatſoever be­comes of me.

When there was 50000 li. deſigned by the Parliament for the Engliſh Army, there was as I take it, a ſudden demand by the Scots at the ſame time of 25000 li. of which there was 15000 li. ready, this they preſſed with much neceſſity, as the Parliament, after an order made, did thinke it fit for them to deduct 10000 pound out of the 50000 li. formerly granted, upon which, the ſouldiers in our hoſt were much ſcandalized, amongſt which I was one, and ſit­ting by Wilmot, and Aſhburnham, Wilmot ſtood up and told them, if that of the Scots would procure money, hee doubted not but the Officers of the Engliſh Army might eaſily doe the like, but the firſt order was reverſed, notwithſtanding, and 10000 li. given to the Scots, this was the cauſe of many diſcourſes, of diſlike amongſt us, and came to this purpoſe, that they were dis-obliged by the Par­liament, and not by the King, this being ſaid often to one another, we did reſolve that Wilmot, Aſhburnham; Pollard, Oneale, and my ſelf,2 to make ſome expreſſions of ſerving the King, in all things he wold command us, that were honourable for him and us, being likewiſe agreeing unto the fundamentall Lawes of the Kingdome, that ſo far we would live and dye with him, this agreed upon with us, not ha­ving any communication with others, that I am coupled now with­all, and further by their joynt conſent, I was to tel his Majeſty thus much from them, but withall I was to order the matter ſo, as the King might apprehend this, as a great ſervice done vnto him, at this time, when his affaires were in ſo ill a condition, and they were moſt confident, that they would engage the whole Army thus far, but further they would undertake nothing, becauſe they would neither infringe the liberties of the ſubiects, or deſtroy the Lawes, to which I and every one conſented, and having their ſence, I drew the heads up in a pa­per, to the which they all approved, when I read it, and then wee did by an oath promiſe one an other to be conſtant and ſecret in all this, and did all of us take that oath together, then I ſaid, Well Sirs, I muſt now be informed what your particular deſires are, that ſo I may be the better able to ſerve you, which they were pleaſed to doe, and ſo I did very faithfully ſerve them therein, as far as I could: this is the truth, and all the truth upon my ſoule. In particular diſ­courſes, after that, we did fall upon the petitioning to the King and Parli­ament for monies, there being ſo great arreares due to us, and ſo much delayes made in the procuring of them, but that was never done.

1. Concerning the Biſhops functions and votes.

2. The not diſbanding of the Iriſh Army, untill the Scots were disban­ded too.

3. The endeavouring to ſettle his Maieſties Revenue to that proportion it was formerly.

And it was reſolved by us all, if the King ſhould require our aſ­ſiſtance in thoſe things, that as far as we could we might contribute thereunto, without breaking the Lawes of the Kingdome. And in caſe the King ſhould be denyed thoſe things, being put to them, wee would not fly from him, al theſe perſons did act and concur in this as well as I, this being all imparted to the King by me from them, I perceived he had bin treated with by others, concerning ſome things of our Army, which not agreed with what was purpoſed3 by me, but inclined a way more ſharpe, and high, not having limits either of honour or Law, I told the King he might be pleaſed to conſider with himſelfe what ſhould be done, which way it was fit for him to hear­ken unto, for us we were reſolved not to depart from our grounds, wee ſhould not be diſpleaſed, whoſoever they were, but the particular of the deſignes, or the perſons we deſired not to know, though it was no hard matter to gueſſe at them. In the end I beleev the danger of the one, the juſtice of the other made the King tell me he would leave all thoughts of other propoſitions but ours, as things not practiceable, but deſired, notwith­ſtanding that Goring and Iermin, who were acquainted with the other pro­ceedings ſhould be admitted amongſt us, I told him I, though the other Gentry would never conſent to it, but I would propoſe it, which I did, and we were all much againſt it; but the King did preſſe it ſo much, as at the laſt it was conſented unto, and Goring and Iermin came to my Chamber, there I was appointed to tell them after they had ſworne to ſecrecy, what we had propoſed, which I did, but before I goe into the debate of the way, I muſt tell you Iermin and Goring were very earneſt Suckling ſhould be admitted, which we did all decline, and was deſired by all our men to be reſolute in it, which I was, and gave many Reaſons: whereupon Maſter Goring made anſwer, he was enggaed with Suckling, his being imployed in the Army, but for his meeting with us, they were contented to paſſe it by. Then we tooke up againe the wayes which were propoſed, which tooke great debate, and theirs differed from ours in violence and height, which we all proteſted againſt, and parted, diſagreeing totally, yet remitted it to be ſpoken of by me and Iermin to the King, which we both did, and the King conſtant to his former Reſolutions told him, theſe wayes were all vaine and fooliſh, and would thinke of them no more, I omit one thing of Maſter Goring, he deſired to know how the chiefe Commanders were to be diſpoſed off, for if he had not a condition worthy of him, he would not go along with us, we made anſwer that no body thought of that, we intended if we were ſent downe to goe all in the ſame capacity we were in, he did not like that by no meanes, and that did worke ſo with Maſter Chidley, that there was a Letter ſent by ſome of the Cōmanders to make him Lieutenant Generall, and when he had ordered this matter at London, and Maſter Chid­ley had his inſtructions, then did he goe to Portſmouth, pretending to be ab­ſent when this was a working, we all deſired my Lord of Eſſex and Holland, that if there were a Generall at Newcaſtle, they were pleaſed to give out a report that I ſhould be Generall of the Horſe, but I proteſt neither to the4 King nor any elſe, did I ever ſo much as think of it, my Lord of Holland was made Generall, and ſo all things were layd aſide, and this is the truth and all the truth I knew of theſe proceedings, and this I will and doe proteſt unto you upon my faith, and Willmat, Aſhburnham, and Oneale, have at ſeve­rall times confeſſed and ſworne, I never ſaid any thing in the buſineſſe, they did not every one agree unto and would juſtifie: this Relation I ſent you rather to informe you of the truth of the matter, that you may the better know to doe me good, but I ſhould thinke my ſelfe very unhappy to be made a betrayer of any body: what concerned the Tower or any thing elſe. I never medled withall, nor never ſpake with Goring, but that night before them all, and I ſaid nothing but what was conſented unto by any party, I, never ſpake one word with Suckling, Carnarvan, Davenant, or any other crea­ture, me think, if my friends and kindred knew the truth and juſtice of the matter, it were no hard matter to ſerve me in ſome meaſure.

Colonell Gorings Declaration on his Examinati­on, concerning the late Conſpiracie againſt the State.

HAving beene told there was an intention to unite the forces of our Army, and to put it into a poſture of being able, if not of purpoſe of being willing to interpoſe in the proceedings of Parliaments,

I hearkend to the propoſitions of ſolliciting a redreſſe, for the miſeries of the Souldiers being the firſt ſtep to this, in reſpect of the preſent neceſ­ſities of it, not any future conſequence of trouble to thoſe, that were to procure our reliefe.

But leſt the manner of asking this or the effects of it, being obtained, might be leſſe juſt, then the thing it ſelf which was deſired, & I might be in­volved their crime that had, further ends, perhaps then meerly the redreſſe of our Armies grievances: I thought it not unſafe to take ſome witneſſe of mine integrity along with me, and ſpoke to a noble Lord the very ſame day when I aſſured him there were ſome Officers of the Army, that were leaſt thought on, that had greateſt zeale to the proceedings of this Houſe, & I thought there would be an occaſion to let him know more of it: within few dayes after, this Maſter Iermin and I being admitted into a Conſulta­tion, where we were tyed to ſecrecy by an Oath, in the company of thoſe Gentlemen I have named in my Depoſitions, where their purpoſe was de­clared to us in ſome Propoſitions, which were to this effect.

1. First putting our Army into a posture to ſerve the King.

2. Secondly ſending a Declaration to the Parliament, containing that no Act of Parliament ſhould be made contrary to any former Act, which was expreſſed that Epiſ­copacie would be kept up as it is now.

3. Thirdly, and that the Kings Revenue ſhould be eſtabliſhed.

This I thought unlawfull for our undertakings, ſince I thought they in­tended to interpoſe the determinations of this Houſe, and it belongs to an Armie, to maintaine, not to contrive Acts of State.

I objected therefore againſt the propoſitions, and preſſed more the fol­lies and difficulties, then the illegalities of them, not onely becauſe I thought reaſon a greater Argument with them then Conſcience, but be­cauſe I am ſo unhappy of the two, 2 be thought a worſe Common-wealth's man, then a Souldier, and in that quality could procure moſt credit to my words, and I endeavoured to ſhew them that as the Deſigne would be im­pious, if their moſt deſperate Counſell had beene followed, ſo it would have beene the weakeſt that ever was undertaken, if it were admitted.

And whereas I am ſaid to have a part in this violent Counſell; till the day before this meeting, I never heard word of it, & knew not when I came to the Roome, whether theirs were not the ſame with the other, this they may witneſſe for me, and that I declared, that I would have to doe with neither, and that I expreſſed a contempt in our meeting in that manner, but I relie upon the Teſtimony of ſome noble Lords of his Majeſties Coun­ſell, and others, how I proteſted againſt all thoſe violent Counſells, even in the birth of them, and with what pitty I looked towards the perſon of his Majeſty, and the whole Kingdome in this buſineſſe.

I appeale alſo to them, and to ſome members of this Houſe, what my carriage was toward theſe Gentlemen, that were embarked in theſe un­dertakings, intending rather to prevent a miſchiefe, by abandoning their Counſells, then to ruine them, by diſcloſing them: but miſtake me not, for had I knowne of any former plot proceeded in, that would endanger or diſturbe the quiet of his Majeſty, or the peace of this Kingdome, I ſhould not have beene contented with declaring mine owne innocencie, nor have ſtayd till the command of this Houſe, or an Oath extorted from me, a diſ­covery: but by a haſty open Declaration, have broken the bonds of amity, and friendſhip, and all former tyes, to preſerve the duty of a Subject, and as freely expoſed the knowledge of all to the view of the world, as I have beene tender in publiſhing theſe purpoſes, even to my neareſt friends, which had weight enough to cruſh nothing but the undertakers of it, and certainely if they had ſtayd where I left them, there was no concluſion at all. It appeares there were two ſeverall intentions digeſted by others, be­fore they were Communicated to me; And I knew not whether my hark­ning to them were a fault, but I am ſure it was no misfortune.