THE TRVE PETITION OF COLONEL HVME, As it was presented to the Lords assembled in the high Court of PARLIAMENT: Being then one of the poore Brethren of that famous Foundation of the Charter House.
Declaring to their Lordships, that if they would be pleased to imploy him for the businesse in Ireland, and let him have but sixscore, or an hundred Instruments of War, which he should give direction for to be made; he would ruine the Rebels all within three Months, or else lose his head.
Likewise he will undertake within three Months, if their Lordships would but give credence to him, to bring in by Sea, being furnished with a compleat Navy, to his Majestie and the Parliament 20. Millions of Money.
London, Printed for Iohn Giles, 1642.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE LORDS AND OTHERS Assembled in the High Court of PARLIAMENT.
The humble Petition of Tobias Hume, one of the poore brethren of that famous Foundation of the Charter House.
I Doe humbly intreat to know why your Lordships doe slight me, as if I were a foole or an Asse: I tell you truely I have been abused to your Lordships by some base fellowes; but if I did know them, I would make them repent it, were they never so great men in your sight; for I can doe the Kings Majesty and my [Page] Countrey better service then the best Souldier or Colonel in this Land, or in all Christendom, which now it is a great wonder unto me, that your Lordships doe suffer so many unskilfull Souldiers to goe over for Ireland, to doe the Kings Majesties service, that are not able to lead a Company, neither doe they know what belongs to a Souldier; and yet for all this, your Lordships leave me out, that am able to doe the Kings Majesty better service then all the Souldiers that are now to be sent over for Ireland: So that if your Lordships please to pay for the making of a hundred or sixe score Instruments of war, which I am to have along with me, if you please to send me for Ireland, and make me Commander of all those men that are now to goe over for Ireland, I will undertake to get in all Ireland in three or foure Months at the farthest, or else if I doe it not, I will give them leave to take off my head, if my Commanders will bee as forward as my selfe, and yet I will doe all things with great discretion. And I doe here protest, I will doe my King and my Countrey most true and faithfull service, and give the first onset upon the Rebells in Ireland, to the honour of all England: and therefore if you will not beleeve me, it is none of my fault, when I speake the truth: But if you will not give me the command of all the souldiers that goe for Ireland at this time, I will not goe for Ireland, but I will goe for another Countrey, where I will have a greater command then all this which I have desired from your Lordships. But I yet live in hope [Page] that you will be pleased to beleeve me, and helpe me that live in great misery, by reason that I have maintained a thousand Souldiers in this City to do the King service in Ireland, and this I have done seven weekes together, which hath made me very poore, so that I have pawned all my best cloathes, and have now no good garment to weare.
And therefore I humbly beseech you all Noble Lords, that you will not suffer me to perish for want of food, for I have not one penny to helpe me at this time to buy me bread, so that I am like to be starved for want of meat and drinke, and did walke into the fields very lately to gather Snailes in the nettles, and brought a bagge of them home to eat, and doe now feed on them for want of other meate, to the great shame of this land, and those that doe not helpe me, but rather command their servants to keepe me out of their gates, and that is the Lord of Essex, and the Lord of Devonshire; but I thanke the good Lord of Pembrooke, and the Lord Keeper, and the Earle of Hartford, and my Lord Major, and some other Knights, as Sir Iohn Worstenholm & others do help me sometimes with a meales meat, but not alwayes, for I eat Snailes and browne bread, and drinke small Beere, and some times water, and this I have thought good to make knowne unto your Lordships, hoping that your Honours will helpe me now with some reliefe, or else I shall be forced presently to runne out of the land to serve another King, and doe him all the great service, which I would rather doe unto my [Page] owne most gracious King, who would not suffer me to want, if I had money to bring me unto his Majesty, for I would doe him true and faithfull service in Ireland, and can doe him very great service; if his Majesty want money, I will undertake to fetch his Majesty home twenty millions of gold and silver in ready coine in the space of twelve or fourteene weecks: If this service bee not worthy of meat and drink, judge you that are grave & wise Lords of the Parliament, for I will make no more Petitions unto your Lordships, for I have made many, but have not got any answer of them, and therefore if your Lordships will neither entertaine me, nor give me money to buy me meat and drinke, I will goe with as much speed as I can into other Countries, rather then I will be starved here. For I protest I cannot endure this misery any longer, for it is worse to mee then when I did eat horse flesh, and bread made of the barke of trees, mingled with hay dust, and this was in Parno in List-land, when we were beleagured by the Polonians: but now to proceed further, I have offered to shew your Lordships my instruments of war, and many other things which I can do fit for the wars, and yet other base fellowes are set forward before me that cannot do the Kings Majesty that great service which I can do him, and therefore I say it is a great shame to al this land, the Lord of Pembrooke, the Lord Craven, and many other Lords and Knights and Gentlemen both in this Country and other Countries beyond [Page] the seas, as Grave Maurice, the Marquesse of Brunningburgh, and lastly the King of Swetheland, they all know that I am an old experienced Souldier, and have done great service in other forraine Countries, as when I was in Russia, I did put thirty thousand to flight, and killed six or seven thousand Polonians by the art of my instruments of warre when I first invented them, and did that great service for the Emperor of Russia; I do hereby tel you truly I am able to do my King and Country the best service of any man in Christendome, and I will maintaine it with my art and skill, and with my sword in the face of all my enemies that do abuse me to the Lords of the Parliament and others, and if I did know them▪ I would fight with them where they dare, and also disgrace them, I speake this, because I doe hear that some of them have disgraced me unto some of the great Lords of the Parliament. Let those souldiers argue with me, and I will make fooles of them all for matter of warre, although they have perswaded the Lords to slight me, and therefore I say againe, they are not able to doe the King that good service which I can doe him, both by sea and land.
And so I humbly take my leave of your Lordships, being very desirous to speake with all the Lords of the Parliament, if they will vouchsafe to speake with me before I goe out of this Land, for I am not able to endure this misery any longer, for [Page] I want money, meate and drinke and cloaths, and therefore I pray your Lordships to pardon my boldnesse, and helpe me with some reliefe if you please, or else I must of necessity goe into other Countries presently, and so I most humbly take my leave for this time, and rest