A COPIE OF THE KINGS Message sent by the Duke of Lenox.
Also the Copie of a Petition to the KING from the Inhabitants of Somersetshire, to come with him to the Parliament.
A Declaration by the Committee of Dorsetshire, against the Cavaliers in those parts; declaring how sixe French Papists ravished a woman one after another: She having been but three dayes before delivered out of Child-bed.
Also, how a Gentleman at Oxford was cruelly tortured in Irons, and for what they were so cruell towards him.
And how they would have burnt down an Ale-house at the Brill, because the woman refused Farthing tokens; And other cruelties of the Cavaliers, manifested to the Kingdome.
Publissied according to Order of Parliament.
LONDON, Printed by Iane Coe. 1644.
A Declaration of the vile and wicked wayes of the cruell Cavaliers.
AS our cunning Enemies have still laboured to involve these three Kingdomes of England, Scotland and Ireland, into equall misery with Germany and other desolate Countries; that as themselves were falling under the rod of Justice, so we all might pertake of equall calamity with them, and (if possible) hinder the rightfull proceedings in Parliament; which would otherwayes make us happy, by bringing evill actions to just censures, and therefore chuse rather to bring the whole bodies of all the Kingdomes to be destroyed, then they (though rotten and imposthumed Members) be either cut off or lanched: Yet neverthelesse these Jesuiticall Sophisters, have still laboured to mask all their bloody designes, under the white visard and pretence of Peace, like that of France, which was but a Preface to the insuing massacre. I will first present you with a Petition of the malignant Gentry and Freeholders of the County of Somerset, which Petition was given to the King when he was at Sturmister, very fairly drawn thus.
To the Kings most Excellent Majesty. The humble Petition of the Gentry, Freeholders, and others, your Majesties loyall, and Protestant Subjects, of the County of Sommerset.
THat among the many miseries that the present warre hath brought upon them, it hath been a great comfort to them to see your pious inclination to, and continued endeavours for setling Peace again, and had hoped that your Majesties gracious Message to that purpose would have produced that desired effect. But not finding that successe answerable to their expectations, and your Majesty being now upon a march nearer towards London;
They humbly beseech your Majesty, that thoy may have liberty to waite in person upon your Maiesty, and at a nearer distance of place, become Petitioners to the Lords and Commons of Parliament assembled at Westminster, to embrace your Maiesties gracious offers of peace, and put an end to the calamities of this distracted and almost ruined nation, with due care to the preservation of the true Reformed Protestant Religion, your Maiesties Right and honours, the priviledges of Parliament, and your subiects liberties and properties, according to the Lawes of this your Kingdome: And in case they may not obtain so iust a request, they shall hold their lives best spent in assisting your Maiesty to compasse that by the sword, which by any other fair and iust way could not be effected; to which end they desire liberty to put themselves in Armes, and as they alwayes lived, shall reioice to dye,
This Petition being presented to the King, from the Cavalieres and Malignants of the Country, was read, and the Duke of Lenox and Richmond being then by, the King spake thus to the Duke.
It is well knowne that the people of this Countie of Somerset are very Heathenish and ignorant, and yet me thinks they might have had so much sence and reason as to know that to put an end to these Calamities we now groane under, are not by Banding with Priests Jesuites and Friers, Irish Rebels, and Papists against the Representative body of the Kingdome, now sitting in Parliament, who fit there to reforme all the grievances of Kingdome. If we would live in peace and see good dayes, we must ioyne with the Parliament against these Romish Jesuiticall Armie, that so the Protestant Church may bee delivered from their Idolatry: and wickednesse, Jesus Christ may bee be advanced unto his Throne, and the Church and state setled in heaven.
The Kings Speech to the Duke of Lenox and Richmond; in Answer to the Petition.
I Desire you to signifie to the Petitioners, that I do well approve their hearty and loyall affections, and accept the free offer of their service to me, with thanks; and give them free liberty to meet and put themselves in Armes, according to their desire, and waite upon me; and freely do give leave to them to become Petitioners of the Lords and Commons of Parliament assembled at Westminster, for composing the unhappy differences of this poor Kingdome in a peaceable way; and shall be glad to hear the Petitioners, and all other my loyall and well affected Subjects present with me, and be witnesses who is in the fault, if they be not presently restored to an happy peace again. I hereby assuring them, that I will only insert upon the preservation of the true Reformed Protestant Religion, my own known Rights, the Priviledges of Parliament, and my Subjects liberty and property, according to the Lawes of the Kingdome; and shall endeavour to have all these setled, in a full and free Convension of Parliament.
And because I would not have the good intentions of the petitioners frustrated, I wish them to take care to make such propositions, as may be necessary for their Journey, and they shall not fale of my best assistance likewise therein. And I desire the Sherief of this Countie do summon the posse thereof, or any other persons inhabitants of the same, at such time, and in such places, as the Commissioners shall thinke fit, for the advancement of this businesse.
This Message the Duke of Lenox and Richmond delivered to the Commissioners of Aray, who endeavoured to presse and forse all they could to go to joyne with the King, so that the Inhabitants were faine to fly from their dwellings, and the honest Gentlemen, and Freeholders, with what they could safely take with them, were driven to ride into Glostershire, Dorsetshire, and other parts, and some to come to London, to be rid of, and secure themselves, whose houses were soundly plundred in their absence,
And who can be so blinde as not see, that they seek for to destroy this, and in this all Parliaments, secondly to spoyle the Famers City of London, and with them all the rest of Kingdome, which they call Round Heads. There usuall course being to swer they will make the Round-heads bowe to a Crosse.
The poore Hostesse at the Brill, because she told her Bostocke Gueste the last weeke that farthings would not goe, and disired them to give her silver, they kicked her up and downe house, and set fire of the house, and had burnt it down, but that by large rewards, and importunity, they permitted her neighbours to quench it.
And an honest man a prisoner in Oxford said not long since that if he was at London in peace, he did not doubt but through Gods blessing to be able to give to them, who now deny him bread, and for this he was put neck and heeles in Irons three dayes to gether and in Iron fetters a moneth after.
But these are no strange things, for thus do they abuse the King himselfe, for notwitstand all these protestations and shewes of love, and What not to the King, yet at the late fight at Newbery; they all fled from him, to Wallingford, save onely about 20. of his Life Guard; that the King cryed out after them, saying, Will you all leave me, they will take me prisaner, and carry me to the Tower, and they left him in this condition, are not these prety fellowes to be trusted by the King before his Parliement, this was a base dog tricke of them, one would thinke that the King should never trust them againe.
And although there are many axamples more of the unworthy, yea and exceeding barbarous examples of the Kings forces, to honest godly people where they come, and especially by the Papists, and such as are most in esteem and trust amongst them; yet I shall conclude with a most inhumane and beastly action done by some of their beloved French Shouldiers in Dorcetshire, certified under the hands of the Committee in that Countie, and by a Declaration from them, of which here followeth a coppie.
WHereas we are informed of many monstrous outrages in severall townes and parishes, in this Countie, by the French Papists of the Queenes Regiment, and others who are put among us by some ill affected Gentlemen, to assist them in raising forces, and amongst the rest a most horred act, most execrable, and Abominable in the sight of God and man, committed by six of those French Troopers, who forced a woman in a most beastly manner, one after another, three dayes after her delivery from childebed, to the hazard of her life, and have also committed divers others, Rapes, Murthers, and other actions, unfit [Page 6]to be named by us, in sundry places of this countie, we professe to the world our hearty hatred, and detestation of the abominable facts, and doe Resolve by the helpe of Almighty God, to cause justice to be executed upon the offenders, and do hereby declare our resolutions to the uttermost of our indeavours, to drive out of these parts those barbarous Blood-suckers, and inhumane beasts, and all their abettors, their indeavours being to extirpate our Religion and Liberty, and to bring us, and our posterity into perpetuall bondage, and slavery, and by these and such like instruments, to triumph over us at their pleasure, if therefore your zeale to God, your love to Religion, and liberty, your care to have justice executed, and your desires to enjoy your wives children, and estates in peace, shall stir you up to joyn with us in this action, so much concerning the glory of God, and good of your Countrey, we promise to assist you with our lives and fortunes which we intend to demonstrate, by our present taking the field, and whosoever shall joyne with us in a businesse of such importance shall be furnished with Armes and other things needfull for the service. And thus in expectation of your Readinesse,