I Have thought good hereby to acquaint you with our prosperous successe in the North parts of this Kingdome, which is thus. On the 19 of May we set saile out of the Downes with a Convoy of ten Ships for Holland, and arrived safe at Amster­dam the 21, on which day we saild againe for New-Castle Barre, and ten Leagues to the South­ward of New-Castle, we met with 7 or 8 saile of our own men of War, which we sent away from the Downes when we went for Holland, so wee tooke them under our Command and gave them the Co­lours of our Squadron. May the 24 we came right before Tynmouth Barre, and with our Ship stood right in before the Castle, and within shot of it to see if they would shoot at us, but they did not, neither did we at them, the wind then being faire, and West [Page]North-West, we discovered two Ships comming over the Barre, before they were aware of us, and when we were within ken of them, they could not go backe (being much amazed to see our Ships on such a suddaine) but checked into the Shore, thinking to stand to their heeles, but wee firing six pieces of Ordnance at them, made them submit, whereupon they bore up to us, and so wee made them lawfull Prize, upon examination wee found them to be of Lyn, and had carried Corne to Newcastle, for the re­liefe of the Romish Rout, and Anti-Christian crew there, whereupon the Castle was presently in an up­reare, we observing the souldiers running too and againe, expecting still when they would shoot at us, but they did not, being belike iealous of the lower-Townes men, whom they feared would have taken our Part, and doubtlesse they would have done so, had we proceeded on: we came then to an Anchor be­fore the Bar, about Sun set, and that night we had a well-wisher who stole off in a boat, and gave us intelligence of a great Papist that lived about a mile North from the Castle, within halfe a mile off the shoare, the House I knew well, and the owner thereof, one Mr. Cramlington of Newsham, who had made ready halfe a dozen Horses and Men to goe to the Earle of New Castles Army, whereup­on I animated the Captaine to p [...]event his going, and likewise I undertooke to be their guide, so a­bout 12 a Clocke at night, we armed fourescore men, well provided, whom we landed on the shoare, and thence march't up in order unto the House, and pla­cing our Centinels, round about it, we repaired first [Page]to the Stable, thinking to make all sure there, but we found not onely all the Horses gon, but the Gen­tleman himselfe, the day before? after some small opposition, we entred the House, but found no Am­munition at all therein, whereupon our Souldiers plundered it, & so return'd on Ship-board. The next morning we set saile for Barwick, and that day came before the Towne, the Maior and Townes-men were wavering, but upon sight of our ships became firme for the King and Parliament: that night wee set about a hundred souldiers on shore, and marched to Colonell Haggerstons of Haggerston Castle, five miles south of Barwicke, which Castle we present­ly tooke in, and the Colonell and his son Prisoners, having them ab card at this present, to be sent up to the Parliament, by the next first convenient prize we take: we are certainely informed he was raising a Regiment of Horse for the Popish Army, I was of his acquaintance, and likewise knew him to bee one of the most Arch-Papists in those Parts; but my forwardnesse in this service against him, he tooke most unkindly, that I should have my finger in such Pies. Our Plunder there, worth 300 li. was the next morning divided before his face aboard the ship. Leaving Barwicke in a posture of Defence for King & Parliament, & a man of war to ride before the town as they desired, on the 29 of May we set sayle from thence for the Holy-Island, (six miles from Barwick) and summoned the Castle for King and Parliament, but being denyed by the Captaine, we let flye a broad side at it, & were answered again in our own langu­age, the Cann [...]ns thus playing a while on both sides, [Page]and yet no hurt done, we running in with our ships under the Castle, and landing a hundred men they came to a Parley, and yeelded upon condition to have payed unto them a yeares pay due to them from his Majesty, the which we promised to doe; And so the first of June we tooke the impregnable Castle of Holy-Island (which forty men may keepe against foure thousand without any blood) this Castle we have fortified with our owne men, and some of the old Souldiers who refused to fight, wee have now some foureteene sayle this day with us. The generality of the people in and about Newcastle pray for us, & hope that we will freethem from the cruelty they suffer at this time, I hope it will be the first newes you heare from me.

These things are well known for truth, therfore you may be bold to acquaint your friends with them if you please; we have secured Barwick, taken the Holy-Island, Towne and Castle; one of the greatest Souldiers in Northumberland is prisoner with his son a Captaine, plundered the Papists, and struck the Country thereabouts into a Feavor, we take divers prizes, pray for the Comming of the Danes, with whom we are ready to Encoun­ter, chase the Dunkirkers, cherish the commons of Newcastle, fright the Magistrates, and shut up their Haven, the next Newes you heare from me, will be about some service, we expect to performe against Newcastle it selfe and then I will write to you more at large.

I had almost forgot to signifie to you, that this great Colonell whom we have taken had like to have [Page]made an escape away, for at our first entrance into the Castle, he slipt out at a back doore & was moun­ted on horseback, but being espied by the Souldi­ers, they fired foure Muskets at him, kild his Horse dead on the place, shot his man through the boote top, but kild neither of them, both he and his son were newly come from the Earle of Newcastles Army, and were then raysing a Regiment of Horse for his service; that night there was 7. Troops of Horse within two miles of his Castle, which wee knew not of, but I wonder how they could for­beare laughing the next morning, when they came to heare their Colonell snapped up by a Ship, wee had no sooner brought them to our boat, and got all our men and luggage into them, but downe came his Troope to the Sea-side, (our Ship riding a mile and halfe from the shoare) where sitting on Horsebacke, they discharged their Pistols at us, but we being out of thereach of them, fired some of our Muskets againe at them from the Ship, and so we parted.