ON Saturday the fourth of June the Earle of Stamford came to Leicester, where his Lordship issued out his warrants to all the head Constables to summon all the Trained, and desired all the private men within their severall divisions to appeare before him, or his Deputies at the Towne of Leicester on Wednesday following. Afterwards the very same Saturday, came a messenger from Yorke with a writ to the high Sheriffe, to send forth his Majesties Proclamations to the contrary. Notwithstanding the warrants being sent out by the head Constables, the Countrey came in, both Trained Souldi­ers, private men and Voluntiers, farre beyond expectation, who generally declared themselves for the King and Parliament.

But the said Earl, thought fit again the week following to appoint the five companies of the Trained Bands to appeare severally in such convenient places as might be most for their ease, and least chargeable, and thereupon they came.

The first on Tuesday, June the fourteenth, to Broughton-Ash­ley, where appeared above an hundred Voluntiers, and the Trained and private men, all save onely out of one division, the head Con­stable thereof being perswaded by the Parson of the Towne, where he lives, refusing to send out his warrants; and yet out of that division, the Trained Souldiers and private men in many Townes came in without warning.

The second, on Wednesday at Kibworth, where there was a ve­ry good appearance, except some of the Clergy, with above an hundred Voluntiers.

[Page 2]The third, on Thursday at Melton Mowbray, where they made: generall appearance.

The fourth, upon Friday at Ruinborough, where the appearance was very good, considering how many great Papists and ill affe­cted people live thereabouts.

The last, on Munday at the Coptoake, there was a generall ap­pearance of the Trained and private men with two hundred Vo­luntiers at the least. And in every one of these places, very many of the Countrey men came to the said Earle, and desired him to helpe them to armes for their owne defence, and the publicke safety.

And after his returne home from that daies Muster▪ he was ad­vertised that Richard Hawford, Sir Iohn Bale Knight, Iohn [...]ate Es­quire, had prevailed with Mr. Major of Leicester to set a guard up­on the remainder of the Magazine left at that place, and that one of that worthy Gentlemans servants should watch the same, toge­ther with divers desperate fellowes of that Towne; the Earle re­paired thither, accompained with the Lord Ruthen, Sir Arthur Ha­selrig Mr. Thomas Bramour, and divers other Gentlemen of good worth in that County, and commanded the Major to remove away the remainder of the Powder, Match and Bullets, and put it into a place of more strength and safety.

But on Wednesday the fifteenth of June, as the said Earle re­turned from Kibworth, he heard at Leicester that Mr. Henry Ha­stings Esquire, was immediately before come thither from Yorke with a commission of Aray. So the said Earle having first given advertisement thereof to the Parliament, removed very early the next morning a great part of the Magazine from the Towne of Leicester for more security to his owne house. That day being Thursday, Master Hastings caused the under Sheriffe (in the ab­sence of [...] high Sheriffe) to send forth warrants in the high She­riffes name, to the whole County, as well Trained Souldiers, pri­vate men and the Clergy should come to Leicester according to his commission, there to be mustered upon the Wednesday following. [Page 3] In the interim, the said Earle having notice given him from divers persons, of many menacing words cast forth against him, tending to the hazard of his life, and destruction of his house; on Munday the said Earle set a guard about his house of an hundred and fifty of his neighbours, tenants and servants, who hearing the report, came and offered themselves to doe him service, whom he main­tained at his owne charge.

On Tuseday early in the morning a messenger from the high Court of Parliament, did attach the under Sheriffe for sending forth warrants by vertue of the commission of Aray, and with a suf­ficient guard carried him away to the Parliament.

In the afternoone Master Hastings being newly returned againe from Yorke, came to Loughborough, and hearing that the under Sheriffe was gone, sent out againe other warrants himselfe to sum­mon all the Townes neare his abode to come to him at Lough­borough betimes the next morning, & being the Master of certain Cole-mines he caused all his horses belonging to the engines, to be in a readinesse, and there raised about one hundred Collyers out of Darbishire, whom he had armed with Pikes, Muskets and Calivers, and few or none of the Trained Bands comming into him▪ he assembled his friends (many of them Papists & such others as are ill affected towards the proceedings of Parliament) at Lough­borough on Wednesday morning, where, and at Ashby-de-la­zouch he bought up all the powder and old troopers sadles that on the suddain could be got: when all were come in together, he made proclamations that whosoever wanted armes should be furnished from Garradon Abbey, and other Popish places, as is credibly re­potted; and so they marched with drums and colours towards Lei­cester, eight miles distant, himselfe still marching before them when they came neare a Towne.

Within three miles of the Towne of Leicester, he caused pow­der, match and bullets to be delivered to every Musketier, and commanded by a Sergeant that every man should charge with powder and bullet, which was done immediately, and match [Page 4] lighted, and so himselfe marched in the head of them into the Towne of Leicester, and commanded they should not discharge till the word of command was given.

The Earle of Stamford having intelligence of his march by Scouts which he sent abroad, might have laid his ambuscado, and by the advantage of the way have cut them all off, for the said Earle was furnished with about an hundred and fifty Muske­tiers and shot, and twenty good horse well mounted with carabines and pistolls, besides the neighbouring Townes came running in, offering their lives and fortunes at his dispose, and in effect, the whole County ready and willing to have beene raised at his com­mand.

The provocations were great from Mr. Hastings, and his troops consisting of horse as well as pike men and musketiers, who gave out by the way (to the terror of the people that came affrighted and gave intelligence to the said Earle) that they would fetch away the Magazine from him, fire his house, have his heart bloud, and never leave him till they had made him turne up the white of his eyes. Yet the said Earle chose rather to stand upon his guard at home, then to sally out and levie a warre, well weighing with himselfe the misery that might have ensued, not to this County alone, but to the whole Kingdome.

When Mr. Hastings and his company were come into the field, but not in the place where by the warrant he had appointed the Countrey to meet (very few of the Trained Bands obeying that summons) having made a speech, and therein pretended his affe­ction to his Countrey, that he had not a Papist in his company, and that his desire was to avoid the effusion of bloud, he began to read his Commission of Aray.

Thereupon the high Sheriffe caused the Votes of both Houses of Parliament to be read, wherein his Commission was voted ille­gall: So a Messenger from both Houses of Parliament did present­ly attach him as a delinquent, as also some others of the Commissi­oners that were present with him, by vertue of a Warrant from the [Page 5] high Court of Parliament. Then notwithstanding his foresaid Ora­tion, divers of his Company both horse and foot did cock their Match and draw out their Pistolls, and presented them towards the high Sheriffe: Master Hastings and the rest being much danted at the unexpected courage and spirit both of the high Sheriffe and the Messenger, said after they had executed his Majesties Com­mission they would appeare at the Parliament; but the horse pres­sing upon them (consisting chiefly of the foure delinquents their Captaines, Officers, and Servants, with others, Papists and unknown persons, rescued them, and shot at the Messenger, and two Butchers of Leicester throwing Mr. Hastings on horseback, he drew out his Pistolls and marched directly with the rest of his company to his Inne, and shut up the Gates.

The Earle of Stamford hearing of the Rescue, sent fome of his Servants to Leicester, to give command to every man that had any Souldiers in his house to seize their Armes when they were asleep. In the meane while Master Hastings and the rest hearing what men the said Earle had in a readinesse, and apprehending that Mr. Sheriffe might require his aide, did all thereupon very fairely runne away that night at a leven of the clock. So it hapened that all or most of their Armes were seized upon according to the stratagem proposed, and are now remaining at the dispose of the said Earle of Stamford, the which shall bee imployed as both Houses of Parliament please to command.

It is to be remembred that Mr. Hastings had his man at Leicester ready upon the comming downe of the Earle of Stamford to carry him word, and that hee immediatly posted away to Yorke, and brought back with him Proclamations, which he dispersed about the Country, writing himselfe upon the backside in the nature of a warrant that it was to be conveyed from towne to towne, and pub­lished in every place.

That the day before the Country was to come in, that he came himself to Leicester & Master Major and the Aldermen being met in the Towne Hall to advise about the appearance of the trained [Page 6] soulders in the Towne (which Master Major promised on Sater­day before should come in, if the Earl of Stamford would grant him a warrant which was granted) Master Hastings came to the Hall, and sent for Master Major from his brethren, and so changed his resolucion that hee utterly refused to issue out any warrants, for which Master Hastings since hath procured a letter of thanks from the King to the Major.

Notwithstanding the backwardnesse of the Major, about 100. men, many of the Majors Bretheren, and of the Company of the Burrough, with others well affected to the King, Parliament, and Kingdome, and the safety of them, came as volunteers well Armed, and many others offred in a short time to provide them­selves with Armes, to be ready at the next Summons of the Earl of Stamfords to be trained and exercised.

ON Saturday the eighteenth of this instant June, 1642. they received at the rising of the House of Commons their warrants against the severall Delinquents therein named, viz. Henry Hastings Esquire, Sonne to the Right Honourable the Earle of Huntington, Henry Ha­stings of Humerston Esquire, Sir Richard Hawford Knight, Master Pate, Sir John Bale Knight, and Master Gregory the Under-Sheriffe of the County of Leicester.

On Munday the 20 of the said Moneth, they came by eleven of the clocke in the morning to Broadgate, in the said County, to the House of the Right Honourable the Earle of Stamford; where they were informed that his Lordship, together with the Lord Ru­thin, and Sir Arthur Haslerigg, were training of Souldiers at a place called C [...]pt Oake, three myles distant from the Lord Stamfords house, where the said Chambers and Stanforth waited till the eve­ning, when they returned from the Muster, and presently tooke horse as the Lords, Sir Arthur Haslerigg, and others then presently did, and waited on them to the Town of Leicester; where they at­tended the said Lords: and Sir Arthur Haslerigg, who received in­formation that Sir Richard Hawford had prevailed with Thomas Ruddier the Maior there, to set a Guard on the remainder of the [Page] Magazine, and they having sent for the said Maior and Justices of the said Town of Leicester, removed the same from the South-gate, into a strong Tower called Neworks-Gate neere the Town; by the approbation of the said Maior, and Justices who were then present that evening, and the next day they waited for further command from their Lordships, and Sir Arthur Haslerigg; who being at Leicester; where they heard that Master Henry Hastings, sir Richard Hawford, and others, intended to come in a Warlike manner against them the day following being Wednesday, the 23. of the said June, after the Lords, and Sir Arthur Haslerigg had fixed the Votes of both Houses on the In-Gates, where they the said Master Hastings, and the other Delinquents were to lye, and had done what was pos­sible in the businesse for the time present. About nine of the clock in the morning they departed to the Lord Stamfords, leaving the said Chambers, and Stanforth, together with one Thomas Horton, one of the said Sir Arthurs servants at Leicester, to wait on the said High-Sheriffe Archdale Palmer Esquite, to mannage the businesse, as the Sheriffe and they were required.

On the Wednesday aforesaid, about eight of the clock in the mor­ning, the High-Sheriffe came to Leicester, attended on by men Ar­med with swords and javelins to keep the Kings Peace there; that being in an Inne called the Hearon in Leicester; the said Chambers saw a Barrell brought in by a Porter, which he deemed to be Gunpowder, which doubts to satisfie, the Porter was exami­ned: whereupon he confessed, the Barrell was filled with Gun-pow­der, and that it was sent thither by Master Andrew Hawford. Son to the said sir Richard Hawford; which Powder, the High-Sheriffe then seized upon, by power of an Order of the Honorable House of Parliament, Dated the eleventh day of June aforesaid.

That about ten of the clock the said day, one Master Walter Ha­stings mounted on a Bay stone-horse, with a great saddle and Petro­nels, in a Warlike manner Rid into the yard of the said Inne, and with him the Lord Lovelace, and one Master Killegrew (as they were informed) who traversing up and down the said Yard on horse­backe, the said Walter Hastings swore that he would eat up the Lord [Page] Stamford; to which one of the said gentlemen replied, leave one bit for me, or to the same effect; and then the said Ha­stings made a short distracted speech to the people saying: What, my friends and countrymen, ye stand for the King and the Hastings, who have ever been true to the Crown: The people answered, we are all for the King and the Parliament. Then the said Hastings required the said Sheriffe to read His Majesties Proclamation, which (with an oath of God damn him) he the said Hastings swore the Sheriffe had received; Whereunto the Sheriffe modestly replied, it was not true; which done, he the said Hastings departed, and the rest of his company, in an outragious and uncivill manner, swearing and cursing as they rid out of the said Inne.

About two of the clocke of the same day, they the said High-Sheriffe, Chambers, and Stanforth, had intelligence that the said Delinquents, or most of them, with all their Troops and Foot Souldiers, to the number of about 300, were met in a Commou or green, called the Horse Faire neere the said Town, whither they repaired, attended on by the said Sheriff, men on Foot, and found the said Parties there, met some of them on great Horses, with Petronels, and the rest Armed with swords, Muskers, Caleevers, Pikes, and Halberts.

Master Henry Hastings, alighted and told the Sheriffe, and the rest; he was come thither to execute his Majesties Commission of Array, to himselfe and others, then granted for that County, and then tendered to the said Sheriffe two bundels, the one of Proclamations, the other of books, with an imposition on the Sheriffe to read and publish the same; Master Hastings swearing, he was the Kings body and Soul; and the said Sheriffe being often and very uncivilly pressed by the said Master Hastings, to read and publish the said Proclamations, made this answer: I cannot performe His [Page] Majesties single commands, till I have acquainted the Par­liament therewith, nor do any thing contrary to their Votes, I am for the King and for the Parliament, (and if I perish, I perish.) Whereupon the said Chambers produced the last Votes of both Houses concerning the illegality of the Com­missions of Array, and read the same plainly and openly, en­deavouring thereby to let the people hear them so read. And likewise read the last Declaration of both Houses concern­ing the Militia, concluding with these words; God save the King and Parliament: which words the people plausi­bly reiterated (except the said Henry Hastings, who (as be­fore) againe said, he was the Kings body and soule;) and then and there the said Chambers drew forth the Warrants of both Houses, and intreated the peoples silence, read them openly, and called the Delinquents Master Henry Hastings, Sir Rich­ard Hawford, Sir John Bale, Master John Pate, they being then and there present and within hearing (as the said Chambers was informed) requiring them at their utmost perils to yeeld their obedience to the power of the said Warrants; and the said Chambers required the Sheriffe to keepe the Kings peace, and to be aiding and assisting unto him the said Chambers in this due execution of the said Warrants. To prevent and ut­terly hinder the due execution whereof, the said Master Ha­stings began to read the Kings Commission, which being in Latine, and he not being ready therein, did there indevour to comment upon the meaning thereof in English, which being altogether then unable to doe, one Master Edward Palmer the Towne Clarke of Leicester, tooke the said Com­mission out of his hand, saying, it ought to be read, who read it in Latine, to which most of the people gave eare, but an­swered nothing. That done, the said Chambers laid a strict command on the said Sheriffe to have a speciall care of the [Page] said Delinquents, and required them likewise to obey: which words the said Sir Richard Hawford hearing (being very neere to the said Chambers) answered thus, viz. When this his Majesties great businesse is over, then Ile come to you Master Sheriffe, and give such security for my atten­dance on the Parliament as shall be fitting. Master Ha­stings also willed the said Chambers to repaire to the Angell in Leicester, where all the Delinquents (as he said) inten­ded to lodge that night, where he should have civill deport­ment from them; which he much doubted, seeing their ca­riage before in the Field to be so outragious

Immediately after that Master Hastings pretended he would divide the Troopers and Souldiers into foure parts, and call them by their names; but having severed them for his owne advantage, to gaine his Horse, he was (by two rude Butchers, one by name Henry Cotes, as the said Chambers was informed) lifted up into his great Saddle, and a Petronell ready cockt given into his hands, by one of the said Butch­ers. Then the Cavaleers and the rest of the Souldiers joy­ning with the rude multitude, and about foure and twenty Parsons in Canonicall Coats, well horsed, rid all towards the Towne with loud exclamations, a KING, a KING, others, for the KING, for the KING, in a strange and unheard of manner; Captaine Worsley giving the Word of command to the Souldiers, Make ready, Make ready; which as they were providing to doe, a sudden and extraor­dinary aboundance of raine falling, the Souldiers were hin­dred from firing.

Then the said Master Walter Hasting endeavoured to ride over the said Chambers, who to prevent that, got up a high banke, whereon a rude fellow standing strooke him with a club on the breast, and with the violence thereof the said [Page] Chambers fel backward into a ditch, but as soone as his strength served him to recover himselfe, he made all the haste he possi­bly could towards the Towne to escape murthering: then they followed Master Sheriffe, Chambers and Stanforth cry­ing out at the Cap, at the Cap, which was at that time on Chambers his head, and one of the persons endeavoured to ride over the sayd Sheriffe, another of them would have ridden over the said Stanforth, and Master Walter Hastings gave fire at Chambers with one of his Petronels, but the same did not discharge; so they got to the said Inne with much hazard, who afterwards were in forced, for their owne safety, to stand upon their guard; and being very much tyred, were unable that night to doe any further service, except the writing of a Letter, which Chambers did, and recommended the same to the Lord Stamford, and the rest to satisfie what done, and to have further direction what was fitting after to be done therein; which directions about one of the clocke in the mor­ning were, that the said Chambers and Stanforth should by the assistance of the said Sheriffe, and the Major, and Justices of Leicester, use their best power and endeavour to surprize the said Delinquents: But they too sensible of their ill carriage and misdemeanour, privately in the evening had got away, lea­ving the Souldiers behinde them. About two of the clocke the said morning, the said Chambers and Stanforth, with the assistance of the Justices and other Townesmen, with about forty persons more, made severall searches in Innes and other drinking-houses, where they found many souldiers laid in bed, some on the bed, but most of them distempered with drinke; and then seized on their Armes, and caused them to be carried to the Sheriffe in the said Inne, viz. one great Saddle, three Petronels, and about one hundreth Pikes, one Launce, above threescore Muskets and Caleevers, about twenty Swords, [Page] and foure long Peeces about seven foot in length. All which the said Chambers and Stanforth, and others of the Sheriffes men, searching, found charged some with Bullets, some with halfe Bullets, and others with goose shot very deepely and dan­gerously; which amunition being left in the Sheriffes custo­dy, part of them were delivered to some of the traine Band, and the rest presented by the said Chambers to the Lord Stamford.

Then the said Chambers being further informed that Ma­ster Henry Hastings had procured about an hundred and twen­ty Colliers out of Darbishire, to attend him to Leicester; up­on the like search, the said Chambers with Stanforth being ac­companied with the said Justices and Townesmen, found two of them, who confessed they were poore Darbishire Colli­ers, neither trained men, nor men that had at any time before that borne Armes for any other, and that they and their fel­lowes were commanded to come to Leicester in aid of his Ma­jesty, and their Master the said Master Hastings; which said Colliers never appeared before the Sheriffe to demand or re­ceive their Armes, but got privately away: the Major in the whole progresse of this businesse, seemed backward to doe any thing for the Parliament, and as forward to further Master Hastings in the businesse aforesaid. The effect of which procee­dings the said Chambers and Stanforth thought fit humbly to present to the construction and grave consideration of this Ho­norable Assembly; ready alwayes to prostrate themselves and service at your further commands,