PRince Ruperts Scouts, upon the tenth of this instant February, approached near the Town of Cicester in the County of Glocester, and newes was brought to the Town, that Prince Rupert himself, Prince Mawrice, the Earl of Carnarvon, the Earl of Northampton, the Lord Digby, and divers other great Commanders, with about seven thou­sand horse and foot, were marching towards Cicester with an intent to make an attempt against it, which Town at that time, was not in so good a posture of defence as for­merly it had been, for that part of their forces were about Malmesbury and other places, which was occasioned by a late assault which was made against Shudly-Castle by the Gloucestershire forces, where they took the Lord Shan­doys and three hundred men prisoners with their Arms and Ammunition, so that there was in Cicester at this time, but eleven hundred men, and five small Peeces of Ordnance. This day there was but little done, only three or foure of Prince Ruperts Scouts were taken Prisoners and caried in­to the Town, but the next day Prince Rupert having brought all his forces together before the Town, began to make an assault against it, whereupon the Townsmen per­ceiving the great strength that was against them, presently [Page]sent to Gloucester, desiring some ayd and assistance from thence, and in the mean time, they resolved to oppose the Enemies forces, which was valiantly performed by them, insomuch that the Enemy could make no entrance all that day, although they played very fiercely against the Town with their Ordnance, and at last, whilest the Ordnance were playing against one end of the Town, Prince RV­PERT with a party of Horse, advanced to the other end, and made an assault against it, shooting Granadoes to set on fire Barnes and thatched houses, which were at that end, and fired some of them, amongst which was a Stack of Hay, the smoke of which fire, by reason of the Winde carrying it into the Town, did so much annoy the inhabitants of the Town, that they could hardly see one another, and knew not which way to turn them, and and thereupon were suddainly surprised by the Cavaleers, who at their first entrance laid about them in that inhu­main manner, it would grieve the hardest heart to think of, for they spared neither woman nor child that they met withall, and most cruelly murthered a godly Divine and his whole Family, and after quarter was granted, those men which escaped with their lives, were miserably tor­tured, and us [...]d with worse cruelty then death, for they were stript naked and dragged up and down the street, ter­rifying them with most heavie oathes, and curses, holding their naked swords and Pistols to their breasts, and at last drave them i [...]to the Church, where they were kept in that naked and miserable condition, four and twenty houres to­gether, without eyther bread or water, there being (as it is reported) about a thousand of them, which cruelties are hardly to be paraleld by any stories in our English Chronicles.

Before I passe any further, I should relate the number of such persons as were slain on both sides, but in this par­ticuler I shall crave favour to be excused, if I do not so exactly relate the very certainty thereof, it being a thing of more then ordinary difficulty, to give a true definition thereof, but herein I must referre my self to the generall brute of the people, which in all probability doth not much vary from the truth, who say that before the Cava­leers en [...]red the Town, the inhabitants lost not above two hundred men, but the enemy lost about fifteen hundred.

The prisoners which were taken by the Cavaleers, were pinioned and coupled together, and driven like Cattle to Oxford, without shoes or stockins, or hats to keep their bare heads from the weather, many of them (as it is [...]e­ported) being glad to make hard shift for a peece of Mat or Straw to tye about them, to cover their nakednesse, and and at their comming near unto Oxford, newes being brought to the town of their neer approach, a great num­ber of people came out to meet them, the prisoners being tyed together with Cords and Match, though most of them were of very good worth and quality, and two of them Mi­nisters, which were in the like manner drawn through the dirt and mire, and so were all caried into the Town and im­prisoned in two severall Churches, and kept there all night, not being allowed either fire, bread, or water: whereupon a poor woman perceiving the miserable condition of these poor distressed prisoners, and hearing their lamentable complaint and cry for water, went to fetch them some, but being seen she was beaten by a Cavaleer; yet the poor woman being inwardly moved with these mens miseries, said she would fetch them water, though she were han­ged for it. Some of them that were taken at Cicester, [Page]and thus carried to Oxford, by reason of their cruell usage, and the wounds they had received, not having any meanes to recover them, nor any Chirurgeon to come at them, are since dead.

After they had been thus imprisoned all night in the Churches, the next day they had an Oath tendred unto them, which was as followeth, viz.

A Great part of the businesse in Parliament the last week, was concerning the propositions lately sent from his Ma­jesty to the Parliament concerning a treaty, & perticulerly about a Cessation of Arms; and the House of Commons conceving it unsafe and a matter of dangerous consequence to the Kingdom, that there should be a cessation of arms only during the treaty, after long debate of the businesse (their being about 200 persons in the House) it being put to the Question it was carried by the Major voices, that there should be an utter disbanding of all forces, both by the King and Parl. which if his Maj. will gratiously be pleased to agree unto, the Parl. will make choice of fit and able persons for the managing of the treaty with those which shall be chosen by his Majesty, and in the mean time, untill things are further agreed upon, they wilbe rea­dy to propound such a way to give his Majesty satisfaction concrening the propositions made by his Maiesty, touching his Forts, Castles, and Navy, as shalbe resonable, and with safety to the Kingdom.