MR. Penruddock, Mr. Grove, with the Commander in Chief and others, had taken up their Quarters at the Falcon Inne, and about ten a clock at night the Collonel possessed the Town with his Forces, and divided his Souldiers to severall stations, and with a party aflaulted the Falcon Inne, where for a time a hot dispute was made, from the House, but at length they sallyed forth and skumished, and cryed Quarter, and some were hurt, and Mr. Grove was taken prisoner, and others endeavoured to escape, and afterwards Mr. Penruddock upon search in the house was taken Prisoner, and convey­ed a Prisoner to the Guard, the Collonel all this while not speaking with them.

Afterwards, the Col. being busie in reducing the Forces in the George Inne, word being brought unto him, that Mr. Penruddock was ta­ken, the Col. sent for him from the Guard, and told him that hee heard that hee was a Commander, and wished him to use his power with them in the George, to yeeld without effusion of any more blood, telling him, that if they would yeeld, hee would give them Quarter, and intercede to the Protector for their lives.

And soon after, the Collonel and Mr. Penruddock went to the George Inne, where all that Mr. Penruddock could say or do, prevailed nothing, they within reviling him, telling him hee had betrayed them, and said that they abhorred his motion, and fired upon him for a farewell.

The Col. afterwards proceeded by force to the reducement of the Inne, and sent to the Mayor of the Town for his assistance, and re­solved to try the utmost extremity by fire and Sword: And all things were prepared and ready for execution, and they from the house discharged a volley of shot, which did some execution, Mr. Mayor being shot in the buttocks, and went home. And this was all that came upon Mr. Penruddocks endeavours.

After some farther procedure, made by the Col. They in the George Inne being reduced to all extremity, they in the Inne desired a par­ley, and that granted, they desired Life, Liberty and Estate, and to keep their monies. The Col. answered, that those conditions were Paramount his power, but that if they would immediately yeeld themselves prisoners, and come forth in the street, he would so inter­cede to the Protector, that they should not bee injured by any power under Heaven, either in Life, Liberty or Estate. Here were the only conditions, and made with those in the George Inne only, nothing at all relating to Mr. Penruddock or Mr. Grove, who were priso­ners long before.

Hereupon 5. persons, viz. Mr. Wake, two of the Mr. Colliers, and two others came out of the George to the Col. and undertooke that 28. men horse and armes would immediately follow them, and so many in the George should be delivered up; and the Col. appoint­ing some of his own men to take an account of the men at the door the 5. persons only came forth, the rest came not to the Col. to the door, but took an opportunity, and escaped out at the back doores: or hid themselves in hay mowes or other places.

The Collonel thus abused, and so free of all treaty; and yet conceiving and finding those 5. persons to bee men of worth and valour, would not take any advantage against them; but continued his resolution to intercede to the Protector for them, which hee did as ef­fectually as hee could, and saved their Lives and Estates, although they were condemned unto death, the Col. using his utmost en­deavours to have had them set at Liberty also, but could not prevail, although his Importunities were great and many on their behalf, as is evident and known.

When Mr. Penruddock heard of this success at the George Inne, and that the Collonel had promised to intercede for the Lives of those 5. Gentlemen: Hee told the Col. that hee ought to be included, because hee had used his endeavour to reduce them, although it took no effect. The Col. replied, that there were no Articles given, only a promise to intercede for those 5 persons, and that as for the rest in the Inne after the said 5 persons came out, they would not stay the result, but had made their escape, and left the said 5 persons to mercy.

Mr. Penruddock insisted still, to have had formal Articles made in writing, for his own advantage, after hee was a Prisoner, never pretending to any before, or to any afterwards, but for using his endeavour to perswade the said surrender, which took no effect. And yet the Col. used all the means hee could to have saved his Life also as a Gent. of great hopes and fortune. But could never bee drawne by him to betray his trust, though tempted with 500. ¹. then with a 1000. ¹. then with his whole Estate, too mean considerations to weigh down truth and honesty.

And whereas it hath been by some alleaged, that the Collonel should say, to some of the Prisoners, that if their General Wagstaffe had been there, hee should have been used as they were, but that now hee was likely to fare worse. It was spoken only to this purpose, that had hee been with them, hee should have had air Quarter as a souldier, but being escaped, hee might bee abused, or miscarry by other hands.

And whereas also it hath been reported, that the Protector should say; that had the Col. gave Articles, hee would have allowed them; The Protector never said any such thing to the Col. but on the contrary, wrote under his hand, that hee would not spare Mr. Penruddock upon any consideration whatsoever, But a ful discovery of the whole design.

These things the Col. can make appear, by the intercourse of Letters betwixt the Protector, Mr. Penruddock and himself, and by suf­ficient witnesses, and Appeals to the Honorable Lords, whether these Interloquatory passages in furore belli, and dark night, can in the least amount to Articles, or whether upon these surmises, the Col. ought in the least to bee clouded or blemished; Hee protesting in the sight of God, that he never signed or sealed any Articles whatsoever, or ever made any promise, than as to those 5. persons as aforesaid.

A more full and exact account of all that passed, hee hopes shortly to present to the view of the world, for the full cleer­ing of his injured innocence, if hee may bee so permitted to do.