DIfficile est Satyram non scribere: It's pain and grief to an ingenuous Soul to keep silence, and see Apostacy and Parasitical Baseness flourish in the seeming Garments of belyed Truth and Loyalty, to see these lurk undiscovered by the Wise, would make the Tongue of the Stammerer to speak, and the Pen of the Rude and Unlearned to write: And however, the galled will kick, and the most guilty themselves will accuse us, as guilty of the Crime of being Accusers and Informers, this must not deterr or abash us. I wish all Governours would so countenance the just Accu­sations of honest men, that the dishonest might be discoun­tenanced; then should not Vice rise by the ruins of Vertue; for to say truth, Mercy to the bad, is Cruelty to the good: To connive at the faults of publick notorious Offenders, is to justifie them in their wicked actions, which is equally as hainous as to condemn the innocent, for so the Divine Ora­cles tell us, He that justifieth the wicked, and he that con­demneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the [Page 2]Lord: It will not excuse us that we never were of the num­ber; there will be cause enough to condemn us, if we through a fond indulgence wink at them; Parum interest faveasne sceleri, an illud facias, Sen. For my part, had their unwor­thy practices been prejudicial only to my self, I should have been content to have suffered in silence; but who can en­dure to see his Majesty abused, his Bounty frustrated, the Parliaments Charity misimployed, and other truly Loyal Subjects wronged? For certainly, when it pleased his Sa­cred Majesty, at the request of his Parliament, graciously to bestow that considerable summe of 60000 l. upon his truely Loyal, suffering, indigent Officers, it was not his Majesties intention, nor can it enter into the heart of man to think, that it was intended for those that did never serve really under his late Sacred Majesty of ever blessed Memo­ry, as Officers in the late Warr; nor yet for those that, de­serted his service; much less for those that served against him; and yet all of these lay claim to a share thereof, and goe away with recompense, whilest his Majesties constant, loyal, indigent servants, who through all hazards and ex­tremities, have born Arms by the command of his late Majesty, in the defence of the Kings Person, Crown and Dignity, and who have continued faithfull through the whole course of the late Warrs, are exposed to scorn and penury: This is no small abuse to his Majesty, that his Bounty should be frustrate, by falling into their hands to whom it was never intended: Besides, it may prove of dan­gerous consequence, for that his Majesty may hereby mistake his Foes for his Friends, whilest treacherous and undeserving persons receive the reward and character be­longing properly to persons of Loyalty and Honour. And if it be objected, That those persons so obliged by the Kings Bounty, will become faithfull ever hereafter; And there­fore, [Page 3]there can be no danger in mistaking. I answer, That I wish they may prove so; but they must excuse us if we some­what fear, that they who were so unthankful and faithless to that Saint-like King of glorious memory, whose care and burden was so great, whose Piety and Charity did shine so clearly, will ever be truly thankful or faithful to any: Sic notus Ulysses. But this is not all, that his Majesty is thus abused, though it is most intolerable: the Parliament is also abused, in that their Charity is misimployed; and well may they hereby be discouraged from making any re­quest of the like nature for the future: The Kingdom in general is abused and dissatisfied, seeing their Moneys goe the wrong way; and, which is grievous in the eyes of all true Loyalists, the late Warr raised by the Lords and Com­mons, may now stand upon Record to be Lawful, seeing those that ever fought against the King, are joyned in the same qualification of Loyalty with those that only fought for him: And thus his Majesties loyal and indigent servants, that are publickly known to have stood all Extremities of Hazards and Necessities, are discouraged, and utterly out of capacity of doing further service for their King and Coun­trey; whilest the Bread of the Children, who acknowledge, reverence, and obey the King, as the Father both of Church and State, is given to Doggs: What more is left remain­ing to his Majesties poor Sufferers but their Honour, and that they may transmit that fair to Posterity? I shall add my endeavour, by declaring my knowledge concerning the Officers of the Northern Army, wherein I served; and when all those who served faithfully and constantly are known, it will be easie to discern who are counterfeits.

IN the beginning of the Wars and late Rebellion, I was Cornet to Captain Roger Portington, and assoon as I knew how to Command, I raised a Troop of my own, consisting of 90. Horse, which I recruited from time to time, and hath at this day two Leiutenants, Trumpeter, and 38 Souldiers; all times were we faithfully serving his Ma­jesty, through the extremity of the whole War, not one revolting to the Enemy, in the Regiment of Sir William Sa­vill's; after whose death, we continued in the name of Sir George Savil, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Por­tington, and here you shall have a hint of most of the En­gagements our Regiment was in, my self and my Troop ne­ver absent from any.

Upon the Convoy of the Queen Mother at her landing at Barlington to York.

At the fight of Seacroft-Moor, under the Command of the Lord Goring, where we took 800 Prisoners.

At Tankersley-Moor under Sir Philip Byron, where we took 400.

At the Seidge of Leeds.

At the Taking of Rotheram.

At the Taking of Howley-Hall.

At Asherton-Moor, where we took 1600. Prisoners, Co­lonel Heron and Howard slain, and many of our Regiment.

At the taking of Bradford.

At the taking of W nckfield Mannor, Colonel Dalbey slain all under the command of the Marquess of New­castle.

At Harthington in Darbyshire, where we took 300, of which I had the Convey to Chesterfield to Leiutenant Gene­ral Kings Quarters.

At the taking of the Pinnace where my Troop had the [Page 5]guard of two small Guns, through the Isle of Axholm, in which the Earl of Kingstone, and Mr. Nevil was slain.

At the Seidge of Gainsborough where that Person of ho­nour and gallantry Colonel Cavendish was slain, and many others.

At the Seidge of Hull.

At Horn Castle, twice to little purpose, under Lieutenant General Henderson.

At the fatal Battel of Winsby, where Sir Ingram Hopton, Major to our Regiment, was barbarously murthered after quarter given, Captain Vernat, Cornet Roe slain, and scarce one Officer but dangerously wounded, and the first time our Regiment was beaten, under the same conduct.

At taking Leiutenant Colonel Lasseb's, and his Foot, in the Isle of Axholm, with Sir John Mayn, Leiutenant Gregory slain, Officer to Leiutenant Colonel Robert Portington.

At Selby where my Lord Belasses was taken, and at least 300 Horse out of our Regiment.

At the taking of Liverpool, under his Highness Prince Rupert.

At Marston Moor, Lieutenant Buridge commanding my Troop was slain, my self being sent from Liverpool to Westchester, being in a very sad condition, and not rid of some wounds I had formerly received. But recovering, I came to Clythro Castle, where I was most civilly used by Sir Tho. Danyel, which did much add to perfect my full recovery, which no sooner perfected, I went to Appleby in Westmoreland, where I met the Northern Horse with my Lord Langdale, missing of my own Troop, my Lieutenant who was slain, and four of my souldiers.

Now begins the extremity of the War.

At Malpas under my Lord Langdale himself wounded, Colonel Beton, and Cornet Hogson slain, then Colonel Tuke [Page 6]had the command of the Horse into South- Wales.

Against Monmouth after it was surprised, Sir Will. Black­stone dangerously wounded, and my Lieutenant Marsh slain.

At Ledbury under his Highness Prince Rupert.

At the taking Salisbury by my Lord Langdale, after Lud­low thought to have beat up our Quarters, but repulsed by the vigilancy of Sir Francis Anderson, Sir Robert Hilliard, and Captain Sunderland dangerously wounded.

Under the Lord Goring with an intent for Portsmouth.

At Daintrey.

At Melton Moubray Sir John Girlington, Captain Ces­coyne of our Regiment, Captain Hungate, a Reformade in my Troop, all slain.

At the relief of Pontefract Castle, where we took 1500 Prisoners, Mr. Meltham and Leiutenant Higdon slain; all these three engagements in one week performed by the Lord Langdale, and made our Retreat without any loss into Che­shire.

At the relief of Beeston Castle, under his Highness Prince Maurice.

At the relief of Hereford.

At the relief of Douington Castle, where the Northern Horse had the guard of his late Majesty, commanded by his Highness Prince Rupert to Oxford, where I brought up the rear by Abington, without the loss of a man.

At the taking of Leicester, his Majesty present.

At Naisby.

Against the peice Army in Wales with my Lord Ashley.

At the releif of Sir John Winters House, with my Lord Langdale, and Colonel Russel.

At Claerwall, where the Enemy kept a Garrison under ground, under the Lord Langdale, and Colonel Russels.

In the severe march with his Majesty to Doncaster, [Page 7]and so to Huntington, where I had the guard at Gorman­chester, took the Maior of Huntington in a Hogstye, who endeavoured to keep his Majesty out; then into Wales, and to Wroughton-Heath, many gallant persons slain; back in­to Nottinghamshire, where in Worsupp-Park many of us Officers had the happiness to kiss his Majesties hand, and then commanded under the Earl of Bristow, and Lord Langdale for Scotland, to joyn with the Earl of Montross.

At Sherburn Sir Richard Hutton, Colonel Carnaby, Cap­tain Godfrey, who had the Command of Sir John Guther­wicks Troop in our Regiment, all slain, Sir Jorden Crof­land dangerously wounded, after which, I had the command of our Regiment into Scotland.

At Avon in Scotland, where Colonel Brown fell into our Quarters.

At Dumfress, where the Earl of Bristow had his Horses stolen out of stables quartering at the Provosts of the Town.

At Ravenglass, there I was commanded by intreaties by the Earl of Bristol, and Lord Langdale, to return with Sir William Huddlestone, and Sir Horatio Cary, for the Soul­diers of our Regiment mutinied to part with their Officers, and would have sunk the Boat which was to convey them to the Isle of Man; so I consented to hazard my self to save so many Persons of Quality; in our retreat there was not a Co­lour left flying but my own, and in that black night the Ene­my fired all the Beacons in the Countrey round to give us light, the event of which proved sad.

At Worton Sands, where we repulsed the Enemy; Cap­tain Braudling wounded.

At the Seidge of Skipton, and so with Sir William Black-stone, Leiutenant Colonel Carr, and several of the Garrison to Lichfield.

At Slowithold, my Lord Ashley, and Sir Charles Lucas both taken Prisoners, and so to Oxford, where we were in a sad condition; but coming to the Governour, Sir Tho. Glen­ham, with whom I had formerly been acquainted, did give order for us, and the next morning sent for me to attend his late Majesty of ever blessed Memory, to whom I gave the best account I could of the Earl of Bristol, the Lord Lang­dale, and all the Officers that took Boat; and of those that returned out of Scotland to Oxford, I knew but five, Cap­tain Grimston, Captain Braudling, Captain Wilson, Leiute­nant Herman, and my self; his gracious Majesty did charge the Governor to provide for us, and the next day I received five pounds, which was all I ever received, except one weeks pay for my Troop, after the Queen-Mother landed at Bur­lington, and did by the assistance of Sir Thomas Wentworth endure till the Surrender, and came out upon the Arti­cles.

For the second Warr upon the surprise of Pomfret Castle, the Enemy sent several Parties to apprehend us, but having advice of both, the taking of the Castle, and the Enemies intention, Roger Portington, Robert Portington, and my self, all having real and honourable Commands in the first War, raised all the men we could, with whom we forced our way to their assistance, for which services Roger suffered eleven years Imprisonment, and damnified in his estate neer as ma­ny thousand pounds, and we as much as any that adhered to his Majesty, according to our Talent; Robert irrecoverably, as it was supposed, wounded at Willowby, and all of us Pri­soners at the death of Oliver, one at London, another at Hull, and my self at York.

Since his Majesties return, I have been Lieutenant to Sir Godfrey Copley of a Troop of Volunteers in the Regi­ment, and under the Command of his Grace the Duke of [Page 9] Buckingham, where all the best of that part of the Countrey are pleased to ride in, having 70 of the said Troop within two miles where I live, who hath been, are, and I despair not, will be, at the sound of a Trumpet, (having one con­tinually quartered with us) at his Majesties service, as all the rest is.

Thus have I briefly run over the sad Scaene of a direful Tragedy, wherein it may be easily supposed, what miseries I suffered from his Majesties Enemies, and the Kingdoms Subverters; to be plundered of my whole personal Estate, and that considerable, my reall sequestred, and the greatest part of it sold, was no trouble: But to have my Wife and Family turn'd into the open streets at Doncaster, whom none durst harbour; but her own Sister, not living farr remote, having compassion on her, took her home: for which cha­ritable act, her Husband Mr. Wray was imprisoned and se­questred: And at this time, the remainder of my Estate ready to follow the first, having by reason of the fore­mentioned Calamities, contracted so much debt, as other­wise I am not able to discharge, this is a trouble: To be im­prisoned perpetually for his Majesty was no trouble; but being come home for a while by the Mediation of some Friends, to have some Sixteen Gentlemen, my neighbours, come to visit me, all taken Prisoners with me, and suffered very much, this was a trouble: To serve his Majesty faith­fully, this was no trouble; but to be counted disserving, this is a great trouble: To be arraigned at the Assize at York. for serving the King, where the Judge wisht me to thank the Jury, this was no trouble; but to be committed to Newgate, and arraigned for disserving; these all put toge­ther, produce heart-breaking troubles. And if those per­sons who have neither been Active nor Passive for his Ma­jesty, [Page 10]but Neuters rather, and not constant, but rather dis­loyal, shall be rewarded, and such as my self rejected, we must expect recompense in another World, where Astrea dwells. In the Interim, I could wish, that every man that intends to share, or hath shared in his Majesty's Bounty, might make a Narrative of what he hath done or suffered, and where he served in the late Warrs: And then it is my humble Petition, That his Sacred Majesty would be pleased to do Justice, rendring to every man impartially to his merit, since Justice is the Beam of Princely Ballances:

As sayes the Old Rule: