I Shall indeavour to give you a birefe and true ac­count of the state of the miserable Towne of Ci­cester, in the County of Glocester, from the first troubles to the taking of it, and doe request you to acquaint those Parliament men you have inte­rest in, what we have suffered for desiring to stand and fall with them; not doubting but they will so resent our sufferings, that they will expedite such succours in­to our County, as may relieve Glocester, and procure some little refresh­ment to the poore Towne of Cicester, and our wasted County adjoy­ning.

Our greatest enemies from the first have beene our owne Countreymen, our first troubles beganne about August last, when the Lord Chandoys (having accepted from the Parliament the charge of being Lord Lieu­tenant of our County, and betraying both his Countrey and his trust) attempted to execute the Commission of Array, and to that purpose summoned all the Gentry of our County to meete his Lord­ship at Cicester, but what entertainment he and his Array-men had there, I presume you know, having heard how the Lord Chandoys hard­ly escaped from being taken prisoner by the Countrey that rose in Armes to resist his illegall Commission, and how the next morning af­ter his escape, the surious people hewed his Lordships Coach in peeces which he had left behinde him, so much they abhorred to be betraied to slavery by one of their owne Countrey.

Hereupon Cicester, (though the Townsmen were a meanes to save the Lord Chandoys life, who else might have beene torne in peeces by some of the inraged Countrey people) was much threatned with fire and sword, and indeed so was the whole Countrey for resisting the [Page] Commission of Array; and it was thought fit by the Deputy Lieute­nants of our County, that a Garrison should be kept in Cicester, it being alwayes feared that that Towne would be the first attempted in the County of Glocester.

Thus we continued in Armes, not doing or suffering much till Ja­nuary, onely the Cavaliers, when they came within twelve miles of us to Burford, were twice beaten out of their Quarters there, by some parties that went out from our Garrison of Cicester, we being very im­patient of such bad neighbours.

On Saturday, the last of December, the Lord Marquesse Hartford, with his Welsh Regiments, and Sir John Beaumont with his forces came up from Worcester to the Towne of Stow in our County, and on Tuesday following marched thence to Burford, where finding his entertainment scanty, his Lordship presently repaired to the King at Oxford, and there advised his Majesty, that unlesse he might have contribution and Quar­ter for his Army in Glocestershire and Wiltshire, (which he affirmed would never be had till the Town of Cicester was taken) they could not long subsist, the stores of all places (where they were masters) being neare spent and exhausted. His Lordship also, with much con­fidence, offered his Majesty that he would take the Towne, if he might be assisted with some great horse and Dragoones: hereupon as he desi­red, a Commission was granted to him and Prince Rupert with two Regiments of horse, and one of Dragoones, and Prince Maurice with all his horse and Dragoones was sent to aid him.

In pursuance whereof, his Lordship with his Army, (as some of their owne reported) to the number of 6000. horse and foote, upon Saturday the seventh of January, about noone, drew up his Forces al­most round about the Towne, and where they made their first stand, they made a pause for above two houres, in which time they onely sent out scouts to view our Guards, & then summoned those in the Town in the name of Marquesse Hartford, Lord Generall of those Forces, by a Trumpet, to deliver up the Towne and Armes to his Lordship, upon promise of his Majesties free pardon for all by-gone offences, with as­surance of safety of their persons and estates; which if it were refused, no mercy might be expected. Before the first Trumpet was dispatched, a second came in the name of Prince Rupert, with the same message in effect; adding onely, That they came to vindicate and maintaine the Kings Rights and Prerogative. The answer returned to both, was the same, and in substance this. We doe heartily acknowledge and professe our selves to be his Majesties loyall and faithfull Subjects, and shall be ever as rea­dy [Page] with our lives and fortunes to maintaine his just Rights and Prerogatives as they were, or the best of his Majesties Subjects; and as we are so, we ought likewise to enjoy his Majesties peace, and the just Rights and Liberties of the Subjects of England, according to the Lawes of the Land, in defence where­of and the true Protestant Religion onely we stand to our Armes, and are re­solved with Gods assistance to defend them with our estates and lives. This an­swer being returned; the enemy kept their stand on all sides untill it beganne to grow darke, and then it pleased God of his meere mercy so to discourage them, that they all retreated to their night Quarters in the Villages round about, where they did eate up all the provision of victuall, and spoyled much Corne and Hay. The next morning they onely shewed themselves before the Towne, and so departed without making one shot at it, Prince Rupert and his Troopes to Oxford, Prince Maurice to his Quarters at Farrington, and Marquesse Hartford and his Forces to Burford, and the Villages adjoyning While they lay before the Towne, our Forces tooke Master John Villiers prisoner, who was Brother to the Lord Grandison, and Captaine of a company of Dra­goones, and is still in prison at Gloeester; when they went away they tooke with them all the horses of the Villages round about us, and did threaten a sudden returne with more force, and as much fury and re­venge as they could send to us with the best Cannon they could bring.

So we waited a fortnight for the returne of the enemy, who we heard was marched into Northamptonshire, and in the meane time our Garrison was increased, and the Towne better fortified on all sides, and we had foure great Iron peeces sent from Bristoll, besides two Brasse peeces we had before from Glocester.

On Thursday, January 26. a party from Cicester of some foure or five hundred great horse and Dragoones, (who were to meete with more strength from Glocester and Tewksbury, marched hence, to besiege Sudely Castle, 14. miles from Cicester, because it was reported, that certainely strong Malignant party was rising in that part of Gloceshrshire; & it was feared that Sudely Castle (the strongest hold in those parts) would be­come a receptacle both of the Malignants Armes and Treasure.

On Friday, our Forces sate downe before it, and after summons assaulted it, and being reinforced from Cicester with 200. choyce Mus­queteers, and one Brasse peece, they tooke the Castle by composition.

On Munday being the 30. day of Jan. Prince Rupert (having the week before fetched a compasse from Oxford by Northamptonshire and War­wickshire, where he plundered some Townes, and tooke away all the Armes and horses of the Countrey, with which he armed and moun­ted [Page] all his men, except a few Pikes to guard his carriages) appeared be­fore the Castle, and most of his men lay all night on the hils. But in re­gard there fell that night a great Snow, the Cavaliers rose from before Sudely, and the next day being Tuesday, they marched towards Cice­ster, and quartered within seven miles of it, almost round about us. And yet this being knowne to our Forces at Sudely Castle (who were the greatest part of our strength) they carried there, (I will not say by whose neglect it was) till the Towne of Cicester was utterly lost.

On Wednesday, Febru. 1. the enemy was reinforced with some fresh Troopes from Oxford, and two whole Culverings, besides foure small Brasse field peeces, and two Morter peeces, and so on Wednes­day night some of them quartered within a mile of the Towne, and gave us Alarm's all that night.

On Thursday morning, Febru. 2. they were discovered some two miles from the Towne, where under a hedge they staied some two houres, till all their Forces drew together into one body, from their severall Quarters in the Villages, and so they divided themselves, Prince Rupert, and the greatest part of the Army drawing neare the Towne on the West and South part: and the Earle of Carnarvon, and his Troops and some other forces, on the North & North part of the Town. About nine or ten of the clocke they came some of them within the command of our Cannon, which plaied at them two or three houres, and often caused them on the West side of the Towne to retreate behinde a little hill, and all that while divers parties of our Musqueteers went out un­der the shelter of hedges and walls, and skirmisht with the enemy.

About twelve a clocke, two or three Regiments of foote being kept in, and forced on by the horse behinde them, beganne a furious assault on the Barton, a great Farme which lay not farre from the Towne Westward, where they were valiantly entertained by some hundred Musqueteers that lay under the Garden wall.

So there continued at the Barton, a very hot fight for some two houres, our men lying under the shelter of the wall, notably giving fire at them, within lesse then Musquet shot, and our Cannon being little more off then Musquet shot, all the while furiously playing point blanke on their whole body, which lay in an open rising field. Here the Welshmen were seene to drop downe apace, but still the horsemen behinde them, cried On, on, and drave them forward till they had got­ten quite under the Garden wall. But before that, the enemy had fired some Barnes and Ricks of Corne and Hay that lay quice behinde those hundred Musqueteers, so that the enemy being at the wall, and breaking [Page] of it downe, and the fire so behinde them, that it tooke away all possi­bility of retreating if they staied any longer, and they being so few, (and yet as many as could be well spared from other Guards) our men were forced out of that worke after two houres valiant resistance of that furious charge of the enemy; during all which time, we lost but one man, who after the Guard was entred, could not finde his way forth through the fire and smoake.

Our men retreating to the second worke, which was hard by, being so hotly pursued by the enemy, fire and smoake, which the wind drave directly upon them; they and the Guards of that worke with­out any resistance made, very disorderly fled into the Towne, and were furiously pursued by the enemy, who without quarter killed those they met withall or overtooke: which so desperately inraged our men, that in the Market place, and from windowes they shot at the enemy almost, an houre together, purposing to sell their lives and liberties as deare as deare as they could.

Whilst the enemy was assaulting the Towne on the West side at the Barton, The Earle of Carnarvon and his Forces, seeing the Barton fired, and our men beaten from their workes, sought to enter it on the North side, where there was a sore charge valiantly received by our men with little losse, who yeelded not, till the enemy, who had entred the Town on the other side, was on their backs. Thus about foure of the clocke the Towne was wholly wonne, and shooting was ended on all sides, and then they tooke prisoners, and fell to plundering that night, al the next day, and on Saturday, wherein they shewed all the barbarous insolencie of a prevailing enemy, and I am confident, they (it seemes being grown more skilfull in mischief) not only acted over, but out-did their former cruelties and spoyle of Braineford and Marleborough; they spa­red not to plunder their best friends; for I can assure you, some of the notorious Malignants was the most notably plundered of all the Towne.

I tremble to write of their Blasphemies, they tauntingly asked some godly people, Where is now your God (you Rounhead rogues?) you praied to the Lord to deliver you, and you see how he hath delivered you, yee Rebels, &c.

The number that the enemy lost, is altogether unknowne, by reason none durst goe forth to see the slaine. Of the Town forces, both towns­men and Countreymen, there were not above twenty kill'd as can yet be learn'd. It is much feared they slew a very godly Minister, who was seene taken by them, and yet cannot be heard of. There lay some of our [Page] men naked foure daies after they were killed, neare the place where the enemy after the taking of the Towne kept his outmost Guard, and none durst bury them.

The number of Prisoners that they tooke and carried to Oxford was betwixt eleven and twelve hundred, amongst which there were some Gentlemen of eminent estates and affections to their Countrey. Two very godly Ministers, divers Commanders, and others, which were ve­ry religious and of good account.

They stript many of the prisoners, most of them of their outmost garments. They were all turned that night into the Church, and though many of them were wounded and weary, yet their friends were not suffered to bring them a cup of water into the Church that night, but what they thrust in at the backside of the Church, having broken the windowes; and the like cruelty I heare was shewed unto them when they lay in Witney Church, in their passage to Oxford.

They tied all the prisoners, Gentlemen, Ministers, and all in Ropes, and made them all goe afoote through the dirt in the streetes and way to Oxford, which in regard of the many horses, was up to their knees sometimes, and in this manner they used a very worthy Gentleman, who had beene very lately high Sheriffe of our County, an aged Gen­tleman, of an infirme health, though of an undaunted courage in this cause.

They shamefully abused the two Ministers, reproachfully imitating their manner of preaching, &c.

The Captaine who tooke the Ministers, upon the earnest solicitati­on of their friends for their releasment, promised them that for fifty or sixty pounds apeece he would release them: which money being pro­cured and paid them, He scoffingly answered, that they might well pay as much more to him for not killing them, as he might have done, and they deserved; and so after that they were more straitly imprisoned, and worse used, and one of their friends that had a free passe promised him into the Towne with the money, had very much adoe to escape killing and imprisoning.

We lost five peeces of Cannon, neare upon 1200. Musquets, and o­ther Armes, 14. Colours, and some Ammunition, for most of our Pow­der and Bullet was sent unto them before they entred the Towne.

The value of the Pillage of the Towne is uncertaine, but very great, to the utter ruine of many hundred families, and besides the burning of some particular mens houses, which were purposely set on fire after the Towne was wonne. The Barton Farme with very much buildings [Page] in it, and all the Corne, Hay, and other goods and Cattle of one Gen­tlemans, which amounted to 3000. pounds and upwards, was burnt to the ground.

On Friday they went into the Countrey, and tooke away all the Horses, Sheepe, Oxen, and other Cattle of the well-affected that inha­bited neare Cicester.

On Saturday, Febru. 4. they tooke away Cloth, Wooll, and Yarne, besides other goods from the Clothiers, about Stroudwaler, to the ut­te [...] und [...]ing, not onely of them and theirs, but of thousands of poore people, whose very livelihood depend on that trade.

Now Sir, before I close up all, I shall give you a hint of what I conceive, besides our sinnes, concurred with the irresistible will of God, to hasten our ruin [...].

• 1. The want of our Horse, which made them confidently brave our men at their very workes, as also the want of Cannoneers, which were at Sudely Castle.
• 2. The slow raising of monies out of the Countrey, which made some of our men, for lacke of pay, to depart the Towne, and left many of the rest heartlesse, and our workes but thinly manned.
• 3. The treachery of our Malignant Gentry round about us, who constantly gave the enemy intelligence, and entertainment in their houses, made provision for their Armies, and some of them appeared in Armes before their neighbour Towne, which they could indure to see both fired and spoyled.