THe cruelty of those insatiate vultures the Cavaliers has been so abundantly testified through most part of this kingdome, that many hundred of poore wretches with daily execrati­ons curse their violence, which has in no place been extended with more rigour then at the two good Townes of Abington and Alisbury, sisters in ca­lamity, only Alisbury appeares the elder, having preceded Abington some dayes in her misfortune. Alisbury a very Sig­nall Towne in Buckingham shire, still loyall to the Common­wealth, whither about some five dayes since, a thousand of the Cavaliers, all Troopers, came Commissary Wilmot [Page 4] being their Commander in chiefe under Count Robert, who was not there in person. Well, thither they came, and billetted themselves for that night in the best Innes, and other houses of quality about the towne, being in­deed indifferent courteously entertain'd by the Inhabitants of Alisbury, more for feare then love, they hoping by their friendly usage to mollifie their savage disposition of their un­welcome guests, who they knew were apt for all mischiefes men durst attempt, caring neither for God nor the Divell, But, as sayes the Poet:

It was impossible to alter the customary proceedings of the Cavaliers, which is resulted into a second nature, their rapine and theft, seeming as individuall to them, as if it were their inseparable essence.

In the morning therefore these violaters of all divine and humane Lawes, began to put in act all their determined pur­poses, and every one to fall upon the house that he was har­boured in, which in most outragious and inhumane manner was exposed a prey to their ravenous appetites, neither the intreaties of men, the teares and prayers of women and chil­dren, being sufficient to perswade remorse into these demi­divells; in an instant you might have seene all that good towne in a confusion and uproare; the money, plate, pewter, brasse, and all things that were of worth or portable, being snapt up by their violence, and all other houshold-stuffe which was not for it's waight or bignesse fit to be carryed away, being spoyl'd and made uselesse; some you might have seen cutting Bedsteads in pieces, some unripping the Beds, and casting abroad and trampling on the feathers that the night before gave ease to their ungracious bodies, divers hewing Tables, and pulling downe the very wanescot which they cast into the Chimney, making that which before was an ornament to the roome, a fire to warme the naked walls: hangings which were not of much worth, running the same [Page 5] destiny, those of Arras they pack'd up, intending to make sale of them with the next opportunity; nor did their barbarous cruelty end here, the very cattell in the stalls and adjoyning yards, as Cowes, and the like, they hough'd, or shot to death with their Carabines and Petronels: divers of them in their beastly and libidinous fury, offering violence to the ho­nest Matrons and beautifull Virgins, but therein they met stout resistance, divers of the women couragiously resisting their attemps, and some sheathing their Knives and Spits in the bowells of these miscreants, more savage then the Turks themselves: the townesmen seeing all things goe thus to ruine, their houses, goods and cattell, nay, their wives and children undone before their faces, and of the train'd bands comming into them from the neighbouring townes and Hamlets, began to pull up their courages and resist the Ca­valiers, who busie about their prey, had no thought of being surprized or assaulted, but they had reckon'd, it seemes, with­out their Hostes, who resolv'd to make them pay part of the reckoning with their lives, falling therefore upon by parties in the severall houses where they were acting their villanies with Musquets, Pikes, Pitchforkes, and what weapons they could possibly get, the Cavaliers amaz'd, and finding it no businesse to be slighted, began to draw together into one bo­dy for the defence of themselves and their unlawfull-gotten purchase of Money and Plate, leaving all the rest, as Brasse, Pewter, and the like; divers also minding their prey they were possess'd of, more then the safty of their companions, got out to their horses, and rid away as fast as they could; so that of a thousand of them not above foure hundred got to­gether into the Market-place, where the townesmen and vil­lagers with their Pikes and Musquets assaulted them so hotly, that they tumbled above a score of them from their horses, their Commanders seeing the service grow hot, and that the Countrey still came in upon them, were cautious of stay­ing any longer in that place, and therefore turn'd faces about, and putting spurres to their horses, fled out of the towne as [Page 6] fast they could, all of them not scaping befitting punishment (if death can be a sufficient punishment for such Monsters) for the men of the towne following them as fast as they could through the streets, discharg'd their Musquets with so good aime, that they slew neere fifty more; thus God in his great mercy delivered that good towne from the fury of those desperate Malignants, and turn'd their mischiefe upon their owne heads; the greatest damage the townesmen re­ceiv'd, being in the losse of their Money and Plate, which in­deed was no great nor considerable summe: the wealthy men of that towne, ever since the arrivall of the Cavaliers in­to the parts thereabouts keeping no Plate at all, or very little in their houses, and no more Mony then what serv'd for their domestique expences; so that the Cavaliers, considering the men they lost, had no great reason to boast of their purchase. While these mischievous Malignants were acting this cruell outrage at Alisbury, other birds of the same feather, chil­dren of Belial, under the command of Count Robert, were performing the like abominable outrages in and about the good towne of Abington, where Prince Robert comming with his Cavaliers, to a Gentlemans house of good quality and much wealth, if I mistake not, the Gentleman was call'd Master Ashcombe, plundred it without all mercy, using the good old Gentleman very despiteously, taking away at least two thousand pounds in money, part of which, as it is re­ported, Prince Robert restored backe to the Gentlemans daughters, for portions, perhaps that bountie being but the hand to some sinister ends hee had upon their chastities. From hence they came into the towne of Abington, sixe miles from Oxford and there billetted themseves, where they had most minde to take up their lodgings, forcing their Land-lords to provide them what dainties their luxuries had most minde to, or that the towne could yeeld them. The poore townesmen willing to please them, as they of Alisbu­ry▪ in hope their courtesie might provoke them to courteous usage, had the same destiny which Alisbury had, the next morning the greedy and insatiate Cavaliers, by the permis­sion [Page 7] at least, if not commission from their Generall, began their accustomed worke of plundring by degrees, that so the misery of the townesmen might the longer last, taking from them at first onely their Money all that they could possible lay hands on, pretending that they wanted their pay from the King, who had no Money, and that it was fit they should be satisfied of some body, none fitter then they, who, as they term'd them, were Malignants and Roundheads. The poore townesmen being unable to make resistance, seem'd willing enough to part with their moneys, thinking they would not offer to deprive them of their goods; but when they had rioted away their coine, losing one to another at Dice, then they fell to ri­fling the houses, all the best furniture and ornaments, ei­ther of Pewter, Brasse, or the like being straight seased on by those that had debauch'd away their money, and carryed to Oxford, and there made sale of: divers of the townesmen stand to compound for their goods, giving them a considerable summe of Money in lieu of them, which they tooke with a thousand dammees, swearing not to meddle with them, but their money was no sooner spent (and it alwayes burn'd in their pockets bottomes, accor­ding to the Proverbe) but presently, not regarding their oaths and hideous protestations, fell presently a rifling againe, some of the owners ransoming their goods twice or thrice from th [...]se thieves, at last were forc'd to part with them in spight of their teeths; the Pewter, Brasse, and such portable mettall commodities being all gone, they proceeded to other houshold stuffe, as Beds and Curtaines, rugs and hangings, and the like: they made spoyle also of Tables, Chayres and Stooles, not leaving any Inhabitant any thing of value in their houses but the houses themselves, which if they could have made sale of or carried away, would not have escaped their all-devou­ring fingers; so that the towne of Abington is in a most distressed estate, plundred by these insatiate Cavaliers, who [Page 8] like a consuming fire destroy all before them wheresoe­ver they come; being indeed, as it was antiently said by the Italians of Attila and his Huns, the very scourges of God for our offences. Heaven deliver all good people from the hands of such prodigies, and send them their deserv'd reward the Gallowes, which, according to the Proverbe, grones for them, and then wee should, no doubt, have a faire accord betweene his Majesty and his high Court of Parliament, which God preserve.