EXceter, that famous City in the Weſt having moſt nobly for the ſpace of 3 moneths defended themſelves againſt the proud enemy, who had ſo ſtrongly beleaguered the ſaid City of Exceter, that the inhabitants thereof, could neither have relief brought them, by land or water, though many times they ſallied forth againſt their foes, and manfully combated with them; the Enemy being at the leaſt, eight men for one, having alſo continuall ſupplies of Victuall, and Ammunition ſent them from the Corniſh Cavaliers and divers other places, the Citizens together with the conſent of that noble Commander the Earl of Stamford being in great diſtreſſe for want of relief, and Ammunition, having firſt made an agreement with Prince Maurice upon ſeverall Articles, whereby to prevent the reſolute Cavaliers from plundering and pillaging their houſes; the Articles agreed upon I could here relate, but that I have greater mattes to inſiſt upon, and beſides there hath been ſomething already Prinred concerning the ſaid Articles, which were agreed upon between Prince Mavrice and them that were in the City of Exceter: now therefore I hold it a fit and convenient thing to relate unto you the cruell and unlawfull dealings of the Cavaliers, after they had entered into the City.

When by all that reads or heares this book read, may the better underſtand how farre the deſtroying Enemies are from keepinging their promiſes, and how little conſcience they make of their wayes: for it is too well known in all the Weſtern part • , that they which are called Prince Ruperts and Prince Maurice his Cavaliers are moſt of them addicted to ſuch cruelties, that they ſhew themſelves more like Tigers, or ſavage Beare • , then humane men, and ſo they may gain wealth they care not who they have it from, nor how they come by it; as ſhall appeare in this following diſcourſe wherein ſhall be expreſt nothing but what I the Authour of this Newes was an eye witneſſe of, and will maintain it againſt all objections.

The Cavaliers having entered the forenamed City of Exceter uſed the people moſt cruelly and did all the violence they could do to them, onely ſparing their lives; whereby we may perceive how farre they are from keeping their promiſes which they make.

The rude Souldiers would not forbeare upon the leaſt diſcontent given to them to draw their Rapiers upon the Citizens, and wound them, but eſpecially when they are in their cups, they ſwagger roare, ſweare, and domineere, plundering, pillaging, or doing any other kind of wrong; to break ſhops and houſes, they count it as nothing, taking away Boots, Sho ••• , Stockings, Hats, or any other commodities they can lay their hands on, and no Iuſtice dares to reſiſt them, and by this meanes the City is in ſuch a miſerable condition th • t they are even terrified to the death.

The Majeſtrates of the City are fined at extraordinary rates, and when they have payed what the Cavaliers demand, they will force them as they doe in other places to repay it again.

Sir John Berkly by His Majeſties authority was made Governour of the City of Exceter, who is a member of ſuch vile diſpoſition that he favours their wicked deſignes, whereby they become the more audacious: I being a native in rhat country am in a very ſad, and ſorrowfull condition for my friends and neighbours who are Devonſhire men born and bred. O that I could weep teares of bloud for them which by treachery are brought to everlaſting ſlavery.

I grieve the more becauſe I cannot powre forth floods of teares for them. That perfidious Chudley, who not onely loſt his opportunity of Medbury, and taking of Sir Nicholas Sla • i • g. and the reſt of his followers, which by humane reaſon would have made the Corniſh Cavaliers never to have entered into Devonſhire more, but like a double minded wretch, he did not onely joyn with the enemy, but alſo betrayed us into their hands at Stratten, for which piece of Service he was made a Commander amongſt the Cavaliers furthermore to manifeſt hi • treacherous heart againſt u • he with his Rapier wounded Captain Turpine when he was taken priſoner at Topſham; a • ſo an unconſtan member whoſe name is Sir Thomas Heel 〈2… pages missing〉 was by the meanes of Sir Ralph Hopton made Governour of Taveſtock, which lies between Cornwall and Devonſhire, where he kept continuall Gariſon; but on Wedneſday September the nineteenth, Prince Maurice came from Exceter with 1030 Souldiers, with their Carriages, and Waggons, and lay in Totnis, which is ſeven miles from Dartmouth, at which place met him five hundred Souldiers more, both Horſe and Foot which came from Tarrington, and ſo with full reſolution they went to beſiege Dartmouth, and to that purpoſe ſent five hundred Dragoneers to Salcome to ſtop the paſſages of any proviſion coming thither; alſo they ſeiſed on all their Boats, Barks and Horſe, whereby to withold proviſion from them; but the men of Dartmouth behaved themſelves ſo bravely, that they found a piece of hot Service therein.

I do wiſh that Baſtable, Bediford, and Apledore, with Grington, had been of the like reſolution as the Dartmouth men were of then had it been more honour for them, then now it is: and they might have avoided the ſlavery which now they endure, for Dartmouth men have to my knowledge ſworn to fight it out to the laſt man, rather then they will endure ſuch thraldome as Exceter and other places do now enſure, and if the Cavaliers enter there, it ſhall be by the Sword, and yet if they get it that way, it ſhall doe them but little good, neither ſhall they long enjoy the town, for why the Seamen have vowed to bring their ſhips into the Harbour, and to take in the beſt and the moſt part of the Towns mens goods.

The better to manifeſt the inhumanity of rheſe barbarous Cavaliers Gloceſter and Ciceſter by wofull experience can teſtifie.

Ciceſter in Glocesterſhire having three ſeverall times manfully withſtood the furious aſſaults of the Cavaliers, was at laſt taken by them, where they uſed ſuch tyrranny that I verily believe, Pagans and Heathens would not have done the like in their own countreyes, for after they had entered the Town by force, they ſlew all the men that ſtood in oppoſition, and thoſe that kindly laid down their Arms to them and yielded, they like unkind uſurpers carried them away to Oxford Priſon, where never men indured more miſery, this being done they plundered the Town of Gold, Silver, braſſe, Houſhold ſtuffe, Pewier and Lodging, ſo that from the richeſt to the pooreſt, they were all undone, inſomuch that neither rich, nor poore, old, nor young, friend nor foe eſcaped their fury: having acted their inhumane parts at Cicester, not long after they laid ſtrong ſiege againſt Briſtoll, threatning the Citizens, that if they would not ſurrender up the ſame, they would uſe all the extremity they could deviſe to ruine and ſlaughter the people, and that they would not leave one man unſtain that ſought to prevent it and keep them out of the City; notwithſtanding the Majeſtrates and Governour of the City of Briſtoll oftentimes gave them battell, & moſt valiantly repulſed them which when the Cavaliers Comanders perceived, that by foule means they could not prevail, they changed their Satyricall language into another ſpeech, and became as men which had altered their minds, ſending a meſſenger into the City which told them if they would ſurrender it up by fair me • n • s, they ſhould have faire quarter, and that never a man in the City ſhould have one penniworth of wrong, onely 50000 pound to be given them for compoſition; and all their Souldiers to be new apparelled, which indeed had much need, for I think there were never ſo many tattarty mallions ſeen in Briſtoll before: but having entered the City, the beſt meat, the choiceſt wine and cleaneſt lodging ſeemed not good enough to pleaſe theſe tattared Cavaliers, who before wanted all things.

They went in to ſome Cellars where was plenty of wine, and beere, drank what their gormandiſing guts would hold, and let the reſt run about the houſe, with many other antique tricks that they uſed, which I cannot omit to ſpeake of: moreover they breake the Covenant which was made in every reſpect, the very firſt hour that they entered the City and fell to plundring, pillaging, robbing, ſtealing, cutting and ſlaſhing, as if they never had beene brought up to any other practice; ſo that now they that gave them entrance into the City do ſorely repent the barg • an: but now am I conſtrained to breake off my diſcourſe of Briſtoll, which might very well ſerve to fill up a large volume, if I ſhould relate the miſery, and ſlavery that ſome of the people now remaine in which before vſed all the meanes they could to entertaine the Cavaliers into the City of Bristoll.

Which barbarous uſ • ge will gain them nothing but hatred and contempt, and I hope in the concluſion their cruelty will fall upon their own heads, and in the ſnare which they have ſet for others ſhall they themſelves be taken.