Remarkable Passages from Nottingham, Lichfield, Leicester, and Cambridge: Declaring what the Kings Standard is, and the time and manner of its setting up. Also how Lichfield and Tamworth are disarmed, and the Lord Gray his house disarmed and pillaged by the traiterous Cavaliers. Together with some other Remarkable Occurrents.
A Letter from a Gentleman neere Nottingham, to a friend in London.
I Received your last Letter and Books, for which I thank you, as also D. D. for his. I came on Wednesday night last from the Court at Nottingham, where I saw the King set up his Standard on Munday night before: The manner whereof was this: His Majesty came into the Castle-yard, accompanied with the Prince, Duke, Prince Robert, and Maurice his brother; the Duke of Richmond, and divers other Courtiers and Cavaliers: and finding out the highest pointed hill in the Yard, from whence it might be perspicuous, the Standard was brought in, & there erected: At which all the Courtiers and Spectators flung up their caps, and whooped, crying, God save King Charles, and hang up the Round-heads, and so whooped the King to his lodgings. After which the Standard was thence removed to the highest Tower of the Castle, where it hangs blowing, and so must, till the King advanceth his Camp for ward; then it removes with him. It is a long pole like a May-pole, dyed red, on the upper end whereof hangs a large silke flag, (in forme of a Scutchion) with a Red Crosse, and two Lyon Passants upon two Crownes. The Prince Robert was next day made Generall of the Horse, and had a Ribbon and George delivered him, and so had the Duke of York. And the King made Declaration, that who so would goe that afternoone with Prince Robert against Coventry and Warwick, it should be acceptable service. Whereupon he and divers went away thither, where the King had sent about 600. Horse and Foot a weeke before, who had on Saturday and Sunday last been beaten by the men of Coventry (who keep the Cavaliers out) having slain one, and wounded divers of them, and themselves lost two or three. Warwick Castle keeps them off, where twelve men have been slaine, most of the Kings side. There is no considerable party at Nottingham to doe any thing: Munday and Tuesday very few came in; but there is great expectation of multitudes from Wales and Westmerland. York-shire stands firme. Drums beat about Nottingham for Voluntiers, for the King will be at Lincolne this night, where all the Gentry are summoned to meet him. Troops of Horse are comming to be billeted in our Countie, we feare outrages by them. They commit rapine and spoile already about Nottingham, having ransackt Gentlemens houses, made one Master Needhams owne Cart bring away to Nottingham, bedding, linnen, pewter, butter, bacon, cheese, and other things out of his house. He is accounted a Round-head. So at York, sixteen of them beset a Knights house, (whom the King had dis-Justiced) broke in, sought for the Knight, whom they would have slaine, as themselves declared; but he getting away, (by the help of his servants) they took 70. l. in money, his plate, and divers other things, and so returned. Some of them are apprehended. They give out that Round-heads estates shall be free prize, and indeed against them is the quarrell, whom the Lord I hope will protect. My house is much threatned, and I doe verily expect an assault, for which I have prepared to defend my selfe. We think the Parliaments Forces too slow in comming downe.
An Information from Leicester.
UPon Friday the 26. day of Aug. 1642. the same morning that the Earles of Dorset, Southampton, Sir John Culpepper, and Sir William Vvedall set out from the King with a message to the high Court of Parliament, pretending some willingnesse in His Majesty to have persons chose of both sides to treat about a Peace between His Majesty and the Parliament; Prince Robert, (who hath need enough of the Parliaments help to re-possesse him in his Kingdome, and estates in the Palatinate) together with Master Hastings, and many Cavaliers, went to my Lord Gray the Earle of Stamford his house, from whence they tooke all his Armes, and tooke away and spoiled all his goods, and also the cloathes of his Chaplaine, who was faine to fly for his life: And some chiefe ones asked, Where are the brats, the young children, swearing God damne them they would kill them, that there might be no more of the breed of them: but God stirred up some friends to succour them. They have also disarmed many of the Inhabitants thereabout, and taken away many of their goods, but no doubt their accompt is at hand. Amen Lord.
From Lichfield.
THe Lord Paget and his followers have gathered 3. or 400. of the scum and refuge of the Countrey, and billeted them in Lichfield, a place more plyable to yeeld to wicked mens designes, then most other places, by reason of the Cathedrall, debaucht fellowes that have infected the towne, and the want of powerfull preaching ever since Reformation, where the Cavaliers and their scums have disarmed every man in the towne, (Master Noble, a Parliament man, and the two Bailiffes, and Sheriffes not excepted) and seized upon the Magazine of the City, and exercise their souldiers with their Armes. They also on a sudden surprised Tamworth, a great market towne, and have served them in the like manner: caused Master Blake, a godly Minister to fly, sent Master Black the Schoolmaster to the King, and imprisoned about foure or sixe honest eminent men in the Castle there, because (as they say) they are Round-heads. All which might have been prevented, had that populous towne stood upon her guard, and sent out scouts (as valiant Bermingham doth) For Gods and the Parliaments enemies are stout and couragious, where they are feared, and not opposed; but feeble and cowardly where manfully withstood. Then be couragious, oh England; let us labour and pray for courage; as well as for victory, and God will destroy all those that rise up against his people, (because they are such) reproachfully calling them Round-heads. Even so be it. Amen Lord.
THere is certaine intelligence that the Lord Paget, Aug. 29. Sir Thomas Holt, and many great ones, having gathered together in Lichfield Close or Palace for refuge, hearing that my Lo: Brooks was comming against them, they & all the Cavaliers and souldiers most manfully fled for fear, and so have left the town, but the poore townsmen are cheated of their Arms.
The same day certaine intelligence came to the Parliament of the valiant Northampton-shire mens discomfiting 300. Troopers going from Nottingham to Oxford, intending to pillage Daventrye as they went, but many of them were killed, about forty of them taken prisoners, and the rest fled, God be praised for it.
An extract of a Letter from an honest Scholar of Cambridge, to one in Woodstreet, dated Aug. 30.
SIr, I thanke you for your good intelligence, and for a requitall, take this good news: There came hither 400. Voluntiers, Citizens of London, well armed, last night, who have taken the Earle of Carlile, Doctor Sterne, and other malignants, prisoners, and have also beset most of the Colledges in Towne, for all which, praised be the Lord of Hosts: for now they begin to shake and quiver, that not long since were a terror to others. And take notice of this, as the summe of my late studies, That that side which consists of good religious men, take up Armes at the call of God, (the call of supreme Authority which resides in Parliament, and the call of Necessity is the call of God) for the maintenance of Piety and Learning, of the priviledge of Parliaments, (the old and best Government of England) and propriety of the Subject, and for the safety of the Kings Person, which is now in great danger, having God, all the godly and their prayers on their side, must needs prevaile against that party that is Papisticall and Atheisticall, which opposeth all these, and whose quarrell is chiefly against those that have most of God in them, who they are foolishly pleased to call Round-heads. I wish they would repent and come in before they are confounded. Thus desiring to heare from you by the returne of the Carryer, I rest,
London, Printed for T. Underhill. Sept. 1. 1642.