The Copy of a LETTER Sent from his Excellencie, ROBERT EARLE OF ESSEX: to Mr. PYM, A Member of the House of Commons. Also an Order for the printing of Sr Edw. Nicholas his Letter, His Majesties Secretary, to Sir Will. Boswell his Majesties Resident with the States of the united Provinces, whereby the notorious falsities of that Letter may appeare to the world, and how as well forraigne States as the good people of this Kingdome are misled and abused by the false informations of the wicked and malignant Counsellours that are about his Majestie. Read the Marginall Notes. Together with the true Relation of the passages at Sherbourn-Hill, which have relation to the aforesaid Letters.
ORdered by the COMMONS, That this be forthwith Printed and published.
London, Printed by L. N. for E. Husbands and J. Franck and are to be sold at their shops in the Middle-Temple, and next door to the Kings-head in Fleet-street. 1642.
A Copy of a Letter sent from his Excellencie ROBERT Earle of Essex, to Mr. PYM, a Member of the House of Commons.
YOu will finde in Master Secretarie Nicholas Letters, what strange fictions they make concerning this Army, (it is true they did plunder those that were thought Malignant or Papists) but since my comming downe, I heard not the least complaint that way, I have beene in many armies; but never saw any quieter, or freer of disorder. All that I know one souldier (a great many being about him), called to me as I was at Sir Philip Stapletons window in the market place, and told me he had not his 5. [...]. I presently called him up, called for a serjeant, he presently fell upon his knees and asked pardon; at one of the Ports a company being at the guard that wanted a Captain, demanded of me his Leivetenant might be Captaine▪ I presently commanded him to follow me, which he did, fell upon his knees and asked pardon. They have the Articles read, the Advocate saying at the end, God blesse the King and Parliament; they cryed God blesse the Parliament: I never saw any drunk since my comming hither. And I am as confident as I can be of any worldly thing, if they be payed it will be [...] brave army, I confesse there is a defect in some Regiments of the Foot officers; the Foot have a generall muster this day.
Sir Edw: Nicholas his Letter to Sir William Boswell.
SIr, I wrote to you on Munday before our coming away frō Nottingham, to acknowledge the receipt of yours of the eleventh Currant, & to give you part of the newes we had then.
On Tuesday His Majestie marched with his Banner from [Page 2] Nottingham, with five hundred horse and five Regiments of Foot; and twelve peeces of Artillery: The Trained bands met him at about seven miles hence, five hundred whereof offered themselves to attend his Majestie: And being received are billetted with the Army, and the rest are disarmed. Being arrived here His Majestie understood the newes of a second blow given to the E [...]rle of Bedford, by the Lord The falsitie of this Relation is referred to bee discovered by the relation of the truth of that proceeding subscribed by the Earle of Bedford and other officers that were present at the action, where the shamefull defeat the Marquesse of Hartfords forces suffered by a very few of my Lord of Bedfords is truly declared. Marquesse Hertfords forces, whereof two hundred horses and three hundred dragoones, were sent in pursuit of him; and about Yevell met with about a like number. Sir William Balfoures son in a bravado rode out single from his troope, brandishing his sword, as if he would dare somebody to combate with him: Whereof Colonell Lunsford giving notice to young Stowell, telling him there was honour for him, He straight made up: Balfoure discharged his Pistols at some distance, but Stowell reserved his till he might be surer of his marke: Which he did so well, that he fired the others Buffe at his brest; and with a quicke blow with his sword,When this narration was read concerning Captaine Balfour, the Speaker informed that Captaine Balfour that morning was with him to signe a warrant for Post-horses for him to ride towards Sherbourn, and this Relation is so far from truth that yong Stowell ranne away▪ and Captain Balfour returned after he had chased him victoriously. made an end of the Duell and his Adversary, and so returned to his Troope full of the Honour he went for. In the encounter of the two horse-bodies; the Marquesse lost fifteene men, and the Earle above an hundred, to whose assistance a body of two thousand Foot appearing, the Marquesse his forces retreated in very good order.
Sir Iohn Byron with as many Schollers as could get horses, and armes hath left Oxford by his Majesties directions, and is marched to Worcester, where he is to expect the Kings Orders. Meane while the Universitie is discharged, and each man hath provided for himselfe.
His Majestie removes hence to morrow to Vxester, whither the Artillery, and Traine with eight hundred Dragoones, and some Foot advanced yesternight, and more of our horse and foot are following this day. Whither we [Page 3] shall bend our Course from thence, we shall know there, His Majestie now giving out his gifts but overnight. I shall not now trouble you more, than that our Army is in very good heart, and the Earle of Essex his men are very mutinous, saying still that they are all fellow traytors; insomuch as he stirrs not with them out of Northampton. I heare the Parliament hath now lately received a ship or two laden with Armes from Holland, for which I am very sorry; that so ill a Cause should have any countenance, from so neere Allyes. I am sorry now to heare that Portsmouth is rendred. I am
A Relation of the Actions of the PARLIAMENTS Forces, under the Command of the Earle of Bedford, Generall of the Horse, against those which came from Sherbourn unto Babel-hill, neer unto Yerrell, upon Wednesday the seventh of this instant Sept. 1642.
UPon Tuesday the sixt of September, the Parliaments Forces did rise from before Sherbourn, and went that night unto Yerrell, a Towne being foure miles distant from Sherbourn; where we lay on Wednesday to refresh our selves, upon which day it pleased God to give us a great taste of his goodnesse, to the great shame and losse of the enemie: About two of the clock in the afternoone there appeared a great body of their horse and foot upon a great hill within a little mile of the Towne called Babel-hill, and so was it truly to them a Babel of Confusion. Upon which we presently put our selves in Array as well as we could, to make good all the out-wayes, and guard the Magazine, which to doe we found but very few men, and more Pikemen than Musquetiers, for the Musquetiers found themselves to be most imployed upon all occasions, and therfore they principally shifted away, and we sent out to that side where the enemie appeared, three Troops of horse, and some Musquettiers, they standing still at the top of the hill, braving of us, and calling us Rogues and Round-heads, our men went up the hill to charge them, Captaine Aiscogh one way, Captaine Tomson another way a little after him, and Captain Balfour a third, and our Musquetiers after as fast as we could; Aiscogh came up to them first, and charged one of the Troops through and through, and charged the second, but then was glad to [Page 5] wheel about; by that time Tomson came in to him, and upon the sight of him all the enemies horse began to shog a little, and our two Troops coming to charge, they turned and ran away, disbanded and routed, and ours followed upon the execution, and killed many of them, they think about eighteen or twenty, some very well habited, who seemed to be persons of qualitie, and their foot who had played upon our horse and foot comming up the hill, were left to our mercy, our foot and horse killing them, and they running away like dogs▪ He that commanded them was one Bamfield a Serjeant Major, who is taken prisoner, and with him about a score of his common Souldiers, the rest that commanded the foot are beleeved to be slain; amongst them one Hussey a Captain, for his Commission was found in his Pocket, himself clad in plush, Balfours troop was forced to fetch a great compasse, for it is a very high hill, and ill way, who could not come in soon enough; if the night had not come on and a very darke one, we had made a great execution amongst them, for their whole strength of horse was there, five or six Troops and most of their foot, Sir Ralph Hopton was there with his Troop, Captain Digby, and Sir Francis Hawley with theirs, and the Lord Paulet, Sir Iohn Paulet, Sir Iohn Stowell, Sir Thomas Lunsford, Colonell Asburneham, Sir Iohn Barteley, Colonell Lawdy, and Lievtenant Colonell Lunsford were there: we do verily beleeve that some of them are come short of home, for they came in the night before the Moone rose with lanthorns and candles, and fetcht away the bodies of them of qualitie, we onely found the next morning twenty or thirty of our men; there were but five lost in all, and a very few, not above three hurt, all (but one) of the slain, are of Captain Aiscoghs Troop, who hath shewed himself a very valiant yong man; We desire to know what must be done with the prisoners, whom, till we receive order, we will take care shall be safely kept: Thus it hath pleased the good God of Heaven, who is the great God of Battailes to blesse us, whose name we cannot sufficiently magnifie for his goodnesse to us, bringing on the Enemy in their great jollity [Page 5] and strength, to be so shamefully defeated by an handfull of us, and those who were tired out with extraordinary sufferance of watching and cold; Blessed be his Name for it.
This was extracted out of a Letter sent to the Parliament from Dorchester, the tenth of September, Signed by Bedford, Denzill Hollis, Iohn Northcot, George Chudley, Walter Earle, Thomas Wroth, Alexander Popham, Charles Essex, William Strode, Io. Pine, Cle. Walker, Hugh Rogers, Ro. Hartin.