IT will seeme strange (no doubt) to see me in print, my knowne disposition being so contrary to this scribling age; and sure I had not put my selfe upon a Declaration, if in common prudence I could have done otherwise.

I need not tell the world (for it is too well knowne) what malicious lying Pamphlets are printed against mee almost every morning, whereby those busie men strive to render me as odious as they would have me, against whom doubtlesse I had sooner declared, but that I well knew this mutinous lying spirit would be easily convinced, but ne­ver silenced, which, as it ceaseth at no time, so it spares no person. And this was too manifest to me, by those bold, odi­ous and impossible untruths forged against His sacred Maje­stie, their owne King and Soveraigne (and my Gracious and Royall Uncle) who is onely guilty of this, that he is too good to be their King; and to deale clearly, this was it furnished me with sufficient patience, thinking it but reasonable, that I should be slandered as well as His Majestie.

But since it hath pleased my Lord Wharton to tell the whole City of London openly at Guild-hall, and since to tell it all the world in print, that one great cause of their preser­vation at Edge-hill, was the barbarousnesse and inhumanity of [Page 2]Prince Rupert and his Troopers, that we spared neither man, woman, nor child, and the thing which we aime at is pillage and plundering, and the way which we would come by it is murthering and destroying; since such a charge as this comes from such a mouth, I hold my selfe bound in honour to speak and tell that Lord, that as much of his speech as concernes mee, is no truer then the rest of it, which for the most part is as false as any thing that hath been spoken or printed in London these two yeares: and had I knowne his Lordships in­tention, I would have asked his reason either before or now at Keinton, if his Lordship had but stayed so long as to be asked the question.

But me thinke I heare the credulous people say, What? was not the Kings Standard rescued from them by force? were there so many as 20. of our men killed by all the Kings Ca­nons? was not our right wing long under the power of their Canons, so as some 17. shot of Canon shot against them, and yet not a man of ours so much as hurt? Nay, were there not 3000. slaine of the Kings Army, and but 300. of ours? If these abominable untruths (with many more like them in his Lordships speech) be all true, then shall he freely charge me with barbarousnesse and inhumanity; but if these be most grosse falsities (as many thousand worthy Gentlemen will take their oathes they are, then I must professe I am sorry that any Baron of the English Nation should utter such fowl untruths, to deceive the poore abused Citizens of London with false reports, and so slander us. Twas ever my opinion, that no valiant man would speake a knowne untruth; nor can I blame his Lordship or any others faint-heartednesse in so bad a cause as theirs is, which doubtlesse is the reason why such Noblemen and Gentry in His Majesties Army, who hitherto had spent all their daies in peace, could then fight so valiantly ex tempore, not valuing their lives, and forgetting their dearest relations; so as our enemies in their hackney railing Pam­phlets were forced to say, The Cavaliers (to give the Divell his due) fought very valiantly: And indeed, had they not shewed [Page 3]rather too much valour, our enemies had had lesse bottome whereon to sound any untruths, whereof I take this relation to be one of their master-pieces of forgeries, for that they slew as many of ours, as we did of theirs, is as true, as that they beat us at Sherbourne Castle and at Worcester.

Now for barbarousnesse and inhumanity to women and children, wherewith his Lordship and those impudent unpu­nished papers cried daily in the streets do continually slander us, I must here professe, that I take that man to be no Souldier or Gentleman, that will strike (much lesse kill) a woman or a child, if it be in his power to doe the contrary: And I open­ly dare the most valiant and quick-sighted of that lying Fa­ction, to name the time, the person, or the house, where any child or woman lost so much as a haire from their head by me, or any of our souldiers. In a battell, where two Armies fight, many one hath unfortunately killed his dearest friend, very often those whom willingly hee would otherwise have spared; and vvhether any woman or child were killed in this fight is more then I can justly say: I am sorry if there were. I speak not how wilfully barbatous their souldiers were to the Countesse Rivers, to the Lady Lucas in Essex, and likewise to the like persons of quality in Kent, and other places: Whom have wee ever punished for speaking against us, as they most Jewishly whipped to death a Citizen of London, for saying no more then what was included in His Majesties Proclamation. But since they name plundering, whose mo­nies? nay, whose Armes have we taken away, unlesse theirs, who actually had, or at least declared they would use them against His Majesties Army? And for that little cloth bor­rowed for our souldiers (vvherewith their Pamphlets make such a noise) His Majesty by Gods help will see it better paid for, then any thing they have taken upon publick Faith. What house have we ransacked, as they did the Earle of Norhamp­tons? mangling and cutting in pieces rich chaires, beds, stooles and hangings; drinking as much and as long as they were able, then letting the rest run out upon the floore, when as the [Page 4]very Earle of Essex his house at Chartley suffered not the least damage by us. What Churches have we defaced, as they did at Canterbury, Oxford, Worcester, and many other places? whose pockets have vve pickt ever to the value of three pence, under pretence of searching for letters, as they lately did in Glocestershire, and particularly this last week at Windsor and Vxbridge? Is it not their usuall practice first to plunder a mans house of all plate and monies, and then imprison him as a Delinquent, for no other fault, but because he stood loy­all to his Prince; as if it vvere too little to take a mans est [...]te, unlesse also they rob him of his innocence? Have they not now stuffed all the prisons in London vvith Earles, Lords, Bi­shops, Judges and Knights, Masters of Colledges, Lawyers and Gentlemen of all conditions and Countie [...]? for vvhat (God knowes) they themselves know not: insomuch as now they are enforced to find our new prisons for the Knights, Al­dermen, and substantiall Citizens of London, vvho are now thrust in thither only because they are suspected to love their King? Have they not by imprisonment or threats muzzeled the mouthes of the most grave and learnedst Preachers of London? vvitnesse Doctor Featly, Doctor Hayward, Doctor Holdsworth, Master Shute, Master Squire, Master Griffi [...] [...]d many others (for so I am informed these men are) because they preach that vvhich their conscience tells them is the knowne truth. And vvho are countenanced but ignorant and seditions teachers, vvho (like the Masse Priests of old) call mightily on the people for their plate and money for their patrons and themselves? vvho, besides their daily Pulpit treasons, vent such other Divinity, as if Luther vvere living, he vvould blush to call them Protestants: And if this be not cruelty, injustice, and tyranny, let God and posterity judge. Mow for any loosenesse or incivility in our souldiers more then vvhat is incident and common to great Armies, I vvish they vvould not mention it, lest some impartiall readers, who know their courses, understand it to be meant by some of their great Reformers, vvho are that way as notoriously guilty as [Page 5]any: And for my selfe, I appeale to the consciences of those Lords and Gentlemen, vvho are my daily witnesses, and to those people vvheresoever our Army hath been, vvhat they know, or have observed in my carriage, which might not be­come one of my quality, and the son of a King. And whereas they slander us for Popish Cavaliers, I vvish there were no more Papists in their Army then vve have in ours; but to me tis no vvonder with what face they can slander us for men dis-affected to the Protestant Religion, vvhen as their grand Re­formers refuse to come to Church. For His sacred Majesty I have been a frequent vvitnesse here in England (and all the world knowes he never shewed himself otherwise) and there­fore hold it to be my part and duty to tell them, that His Ma­jesty is the most faithfull and best defender of the Protestant Religion of any Christian Prince in Europe, and is so accoun­ted by all the Princes in Christendome. And vvhat a graci­ous supporter hath he been in particular to the Queene of Bo­hemia (my vertuous Royall mother) and to the Prince Ele­ctor, my Royall brother, no man can be ignorant of: if there­fore in common gratitude I do my utmost in defence of His Majesty, and that cause whereof hee hath hitherto been so great and happy a patron; no ingenuous man but must thinke it most reasonable: And for my selfe, the vvorld knows how deeply I have smarted, and vvhat perils I have undergone for the Protestant cause, vvhat stately large promises vvere offe­red me vvould I consent; and vvhat a wretched close impri­sonment vvas threatned, if I refused to change my Religion, vvhen I was captive to the Emperour of Germany, enough to satisfie any man of moderation: But if it be not sufficient, I vvould to God all Englishmen were at union amongst them­selves, then vvith what alacrity vvould I venture my life to serve this Kingdome against those cruell Popish Rebels in Ireland: for though I will never fight in any unrighteous quarrell, yet to defend the King, Religion and Lawes of a Kingdome against subjects, who are up in armes against their Lord and Soveraigne, and such (all good wise men know this [Page 6]and that of Ireland to be) though the pretence looke severall waies; such a cause my conscience tells mee is full of piety and justice: and if it please God to end my daies in it, I shall thinke my last breath spent vvith as much honour and religi­on, as if I were taken off my knees at my prayers. I thinke there is none that take me for a Coward; for sure I feare not the face of any man alive, yet I should repute it the greatest victory in the vvorld to see His Majesty enter London in peace, without shedding one drop of bloud: where, I dare say (God and His Majesty are witnesses I lye not) no Citizen should be plundered of one penny or farthing, whereby that ancient and famous City would manifestly perceive how de­sperately it hath been abused by most strange, false and bot­tomlesse untruths, for which some body (without repentance) must be ashamed at the day of Judgement, if they escape a condigne legall punishment in this world: I therefore con­clude with this open profession (and I am confident our whole Army will say Amen unto it) he that hath any designe against the Protestant Religion, the Lawes of England, or hopes to enrich himselfe by pillaging the City of London, let him be accursed: And so, whether peace or warre, the Lord prosper the worke of their hands who stand for GOD and King CHARLES.