Countrey-men wherein Quarter was offered to the whole Town Whereupon the Committee called together all the Commanders and read the Summons unto them and upon debate it was resolved to take the next morning to give an Answer But the Trumpeter was no sooner arrived at the Kings army with this desire but the a Drum was presently dispatched to demand a resolution of the Summons within a quarter of an houre which while they were debating at a Common-hall before any could expresse themselves the Kings cannon from the Battery played and all were commanded to repair to their charge which was done with much courage and resolution And now both sides plyed each other with Cannon and Musquet shot as fast as they could charge and discharge and so continued all day and all night at which time the Enemy prepared to storm at six or seven places At the Newark breach was the fiercest assault the Enemy there comming to push of pike amongst the rest Colonel St. George in a bravery came up to the cannon and was by it shattered into small pieces and with him many more for after the manner of the Turks the Horse forced on the Foot to fight who being played upon by the Musquetires were many of them slaughtered About three of the clock on Saturday was the Town entred the Enemy put many to the sword at their first entrance and dealt also extreme cruelly with the Town plundering all they had and putting many to great ransomes when they had taken away all their monies and gâ—ods There was buried of the Enemy in Leicester 709. as hath been collected by the burials there besides those that have died of hurts since there was above 100. of the Town souldiers slain section 8 The sad posture of our affairs at that time when Leicester was lâ—st discourst upon Vpon the losse of Leicester many discourses were raised each one venting his discontent according as passion byassed his affections Great was the discouragement of the Parliaments friends and as great was the confidence of the Enemy in so much that soon after viz June 8. the King himself in his Letter to the Queen used this expression I may without being too much sanguine affirme That since this Rebellion my affairs were never in so hopefull away But what 's the matrer Was there no Balme in Gilead Was there no Physitian there Had England no Army then Nay had they not two armies to the Enemies one had they not an army of our Brethren the Scots that had Wintred then in the Kingdom consisting of 21000. Had they not a New Model newly raised How fell we then into this low condition I shall endeavour to give a brief account of that business in its relation to this army As it often fals out that the Sun at its first rising is clouded with some smal Mist which after it hath once broken through ensueth a most fair and glorious day So this new army at its first going out seemed to be a little darkned by the sitting down and after rising from before Oxford the Kings increasing his forces and strength in the field and the losse of Leicester And these Vapours gathered into such a Cloud as that they did not a little obscure the first motions of that Army at least the Counsels and Counsellours whereby it was conducted and not so only but portended to its enemies a joyfull to its friends and favourers a sad prognostick of a sore storm ready to poure down upon them which they could not have avoyded but that through the mercifull disposition of the all-seeing GOD privy to the integrity of good mens hearts and actions the victorious Beams of this Rising Sun brake forth so gloriously at Naseby field ithath run its course ever since with such a constant lustre and brightnesse not so much as one Cloud passing over it that it hath dazeled the eyes of all the beholders and turned the scorn of its enemies into bitter envie and their choler into deep and inveterate hatred But how and from whence this Mist arose in the morning of this new Army I now come to shew month June 1645 His Excellencie with the greater part of his Army being recalled and returned out of the West the question then was Whether he should pursue the first designe of besieging Oxford or whether he should follow the King who seemed to bend Northwards On the one side it was considered that the Parliament had in their pay a great Army in the North of 21000 horse and foot of our brethren of Scotland That there were considerable Forces in Lancashire and Cheshire under Sir Will. Brereton which held Chester straitly besieged That in Staffordshire Derbyshire Yorkshire Nottinghamshire Lincolnshire there were also very considerable Forces which might joyn with the Scotish army if there were need and were commanded so to do in case the King marched Northwards besides the party of 2500 Horse and Dragoons under Col. Vermuden which were appointed to joyn with the Scotish army because they seemed only to want a due proportion of horse to engage with the Kings army and upon the appointment of them to that service the Commissioners of Scotland wrote to his Excellency the Earl of Leven to advance and the Committee of both Kingdomes ordered Col. Vermuden with his party to march into Derbyshire to joyn with them which accordingly he did and came to the rendezvouz at the time appointed This provision was held sufficient and more then sufficient in case the King should move Northward not only to check him in any enterprise upon the Towns of the Parliament or relief of Chester Pomfract or Scarborough which were then besieged but also to fight with him to the best advantage if need so required On the other side in case the King should have moved Southward or Westward his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax lying before Oxford was in the most convenient Post to fight with him and to hinder his designes whereby it may appear to him that considers it that our Forces were so disposed by providence at this time that the King had a sufficient Army both before and behinde him to fight with him and as great if not greater then those that after beat and wholly overthrew his Army at Naseby So that a designe could hardly have been laid to greater advantage yet it took not effect for that the Army designed to attend the Kings motions did not advance according to order but instead of marching Southward returned back into Westmerland Sir William Brereton fearing the approach of the Kings Army and seeing no Army ready at hand to balance it raised the siege of Westchester whereupon the King seeing the work done to his hand marched to Leicester and took it also there being no Army to check or controll him CHAP. V. The Army commanded to rise from before Oxford Their severall Marches till the Battel at Naseby with all the particulars thereof fully related VPon the sad news of
Generals desire to give the Parliament an account of the state of the West of England which God had now so happily reduced to their obedience Sunday the 26. The General rested at Andover where he received the newes that Woodstock was surrendred upon Treaty unto Colonel Rainsborow who had gallantly attempted it by storme some few dayes before wherein he received some losse Monday the 27. The General martched to Newbery where the next day he received Intelligence of the Kings being escaped out of Oxford in a disguised manner with his Lock cut off or tyed up at lest his Beard shaved and in the habit of a Serving-man In a distressed time 'T is safe for Kings like poorest men to seem Therfore how much livs he that 's truly poor Safer then Kings Positisque insignibus Aulae Egreditur famuli raptos indutus amictus In dubiis tutum est inopem simulare Tyrāno Quāto igitur mūdi dominis securius aevum Verus pauper agit Luc. Pharsal lib. 8. with a Cloke-bag behind him waiting upon Master John Ashburnham great doubting and questioning there was Whither his Majesty was gone but within few dayes after it was resolved by certaine intelligence that he was received into the Scots Army being first entertained at the Quarters of the French Agent who not long before had been in Oxford It is much to the honour of his Excellencies Army to be mentioned and to the honour of those Officers in particular to whom being then about Woodstock private Overtures were made by some from Court pretending the Kings privity and consent thereto for receiving his Majesty who was minded to cast himselfe upon them but to their great honour be it knowne and published such was their tendernesse and faithfulnesse in that point that conceiving it derogatory to the honour and power of the Parliament for his Majesty to wave that highest Court and addresse himselfe to any others in such a nature therfore inconsistent with their trust and duty being the Servants of the State to owne or entertain any such thing they certified the Parliament thereof and understanding this to be their sense also they absolutely refused to be tampered with concerning that matter The King on the other hand was as little to be wrought upon to addresse himself to his Parliament the issue wherof was that precipitate resolution and disposall of himself as is related before And now O England take up a Lamentation over your King that to all his Errors he should contract such obstinacy and irreconcilable prejudice against his Parliament and that he should be so farre mistaken as while he seeks to avoyd the surmized prejudice and dishonour of referring himselfe to his Parliament to run himselfe on a reall dishonour in seeking a shadow under their Servants Unhappy greatnesse that Priviledges Kings from hearing of their faults plainly as meaner men and splits them on the shelfe of self-willed obstinacy rather then it wil suffer thē to amēd or acknowledge them But t is not my work to Cōment but to relate onely to set a character on the integrity of this Army I have said thus much it may be thought too much nicenesse and scrupulosity in them to refuse such a proffer but whosoever shall consider what is hinted before must approve of their doing if others had done the like they had done but their duty Thursday the 30. His Excellency martched to East-Hondred this day the Duke of Lenox Earle of Lindsay and others came from Oxford to Woodstock and rendred themselves to our Forces there also Sir William Vaughan Sir George Strowd Sir Phillip Mountaine Sir John Cansfield and divers others came in to Commissary-general Ireton with about three hundred Horse after the King had given them the slip much about the same time CHAP. VII The Siege of Oxford the Particulars of the Treaty and surrender thereof with the influence of the fate of Oxford upon the remaining Garrisons OXFORD the King 's royall Garrison the place of the King 's ordinary residence and retreat hath like a Parenthesis included all the Action of this Army between the two Sieges of it being first in intentition and attempt though last in execution and reduction month May 1646 May the 1. Being that day twelve-moneth that this Army first martched into the Field the General with his Army came before Oxford wherein was Prince Rupert Prince Maurice and a great part of the Nobility and Gentry of England with intention to sit downe before it and lay Siege to it The Army was drawne to a Randezvouz between Abington and Garsington the head Quarter was that night at Garsington At the Randezvouz Major-general Skippon who ever since the Battle at Naseby had laine under the cure of his wounds and had suffered divers incisions by reason of a piece of Armour which was lodged in the wound being now by the blessing of God well recovered came to the Army and was received with much joy and many acclamations of the Souldiers May the 2. There was a generall Randezvouz of the Army Horse and Foot upon Burlington-Green and thence the Forces were distributed to severall Quarters to at Heddington Marston and the Townes thereabouts The third of May The General with the Officers of the Army took a survey of Oxford which they found to have received many materiall alterations and additions of advantage since their last being before it though it was alwayes justly accounted a place of great strength yet now it was made incomparably more strong then ever which is very easie to be beleeved if you doe but consider It had been from the beginning of the Warres the King's head Quarter and Garrison his chiefe place of residence and retreat where his Counsel and most of the Nobility that had left the Parliament attended him its place being almost in the Center of the Kingdome gave it no small advantage for the sending out of Parties upon any designe Besides that it was surrounded about with many small Garrisons of the Kings as Radcoat Farrington Wallingford Sherborn-house Borstal which were as so many out-works unto it the scituation of it in reference to the ground it stood upon rendred it very apt for defence being placed betwixt the two Rivers Isis and Charwel upon the west side of it ran severall Branches of the River Isis some of which running close by the Towne wals was a great defence to it upon the East side ran the River Charwel which by making Locks at Clements Bridge they had caused to overflow the Medowes so that round the City to the extent of three parts of it all except the north side that was somewhat higher ground was surrounded with water and absolutely unapproachable To this the Line about the City newly finished they found to be very high having many strong Bulworks so regularly flanking one another that nothing could be more exactly done round about the Line both upon the Bulworks and the Curtin was strongly set with storm-poles
to General Goring about Taunton who received him and the news very gladly and looking upon him as a fit instrument to be imployed to the King then about Leicester and as they supposed intending Northward deal with him as about a businesse of great concernment to carry a Pacquet of Letters from him the Prince and his Councell to the King He with some seeming difficulty suffered himselfe to be perswaded received the Pacquet brought them to his Excellency fair sealed up discovering to him the true state of the Enemies Armies and affairs in the West The Letters from the Lord Goring to the King signifying how that in three weeks time nine dayes whereof was then expired he was confident to master our Forces at Taunton and by consequence to settle the West of England in an absolute posture for his Majesties service and march up with a considerable Army to his assistance advising the King by all means in the mean time to stand upon a defensive posture and not to engage till his forces were joyned with his Majesty Had these Letters bin delivered to the King as they might have bin but for this defeatment in all probability he had declined fighting with us for the present and staid for those additionals which would have been a far greater hazard this intelligence did withall much quicken us to make speed to relieve Taunton yet being so neer Leicester and Leicester in all probability being easily to be made ours considering the fear that they within were possest withall by the losse of the day at Naseby besides the want of men thereby in all likelihood to make good their Works it was resolved first to assay that accordingly Monday Iune 16. about noon the whole Army came before the Town The General sent a Summons to the Lord Hastings to surrender the Garrison with all the Ordnance Arms and Ammunition therein who returned a peremptory answer as if he meant to defend it to the last man whereupon a Councel of War being called it was resolved to storm the place warrants were sent to the hundreds to bring in ladders carts hay straw other things fitting for a storm wherein the country was very forward to give assistance Tuesday Iune 17. great store of ladders were brought in a battery was raised upon which two Demy-Cannon and a whole Culverine taken at Naseby were planted which played upon an old work called the Newark being the very same Guns which the King not many dayes before had used against the same place The Lord Hastings now beginning to perceive his condition was like to be desperate sent a Trumpeter with a Letter to the Generall desiring a parly concerning the surrender of the towne which his Excellency desirous to save blood hearkened unto Commissioners were appointed to treate on our side Colonel Pickering and Colonel Rainsborough Hostages on both sides were given the Treaty begun that evening and held debate till twelve a clock that night and was concluded upon these Articles 1. TThat the Lord Loughborough shall have quarter granted him and have protection for his Person to be safely conveighed to the Garrison of Ashby-de-la-Zouch 2. That all Field Officers Colonels Lieutenant Colonels Serjeants Majors and Captains and Lieutenants of Horse but not of Foot shall march away with their own particular single Horse and Arms with protections for their own Persons 3. That all the rest of the Officers shall be conveyed safely to the Garrison of Lichfield with Staves only and no other weapons in their hand 4. That all common Souldiers have quarter only for their lives and be conveyed to Lichfield without any other weapons save only staves in their hands 5. That before 10 of the clocke the said morning June the 18. the Governour of the Towne and the Lord Loughborough and all the rest of the Officers and Souldiers march out of the Garrison according to the agreement aforesaid 6. That Sir Thomas Fairfax be permitted to enter in at 10 of the clock the said Wednesday morning aforesaid with his Forces and take possession of the Garrison 7. That all the Pieces of Canon great and small now in the Garrison of Leicester be left to Sir Thomas Fairfax 8. That all the Armes and Ammunition now in Leicester be left to Sir Thomas Fairfax save only what is agreed to for the Officers of Horse aforesaid 9. That all the Provisions Colours Bag and Baggage be also left to Sir Thomas Fairfax 10 That all the Horse save onely those excepted for the Officers aforesaid that are in the Garrison of Leicester be delivered up to Sir Thomas Fairfax for the service of the Parliament 11. That all the officers souldiers have quarter for their lives 12. That all the Prisoners of War that are in Leicester at the same time be released and set free to serve the Parliament The Guards and Centinels of the gate-house prison in the Newarke hearing of the conclusion of the Articles about four a clock on Wednesday morning went away from their duty and left their Armes behind them and the prison door open whereupon the prisoners went out and finding the Enemy a plundering they fell a plundering too About seven a clock all their guards were drawn off the souldiers on the Line threw downe their Armes quit their Posts and the gates were opened which gave invitation to divers of our stragling souldiers to get into the Town at the Ports and over the works Complaint hereof being made to his Excellency by some from the Lord Hastings or Loughborow of the violation of the Articles by our souldiers His Excellency sent to the Lord Loughborow to keep all his men upon their guards and if any offered violently to enter the Towne before the time to fire upon them and immediately issued out a Proclamation commanding the punctuall observance of the Articles by his owne souldiers under paine of death But the Lord Hastings instead of standing upon his guard according to the Articles till ten of the clock that morning which he ought to have done whereby he might have prevented that inconveniency which fell out and have performed his Articles in delivering the Towne to his Excellency with the Arms and Ammunition mounted on horse-back in the morning with divers Gentlemen officers and others and left the towne some houres before the time appointed for his marching forth so that when our Commissioners came according to appointment to see the Articles punctually performed they found the Lord Hastings was gone and all the towne in a confusion but the souldiers were commanded off and things were presently settled in good order and about eleven a clock that day the Army entred the towne where we found divers Commanders of note viz. Serjeant-Major-Generall Eyres Colonell Lisle Lieutenant Colonell Mouldsworth Lieutenant Colonell Pemberton Major Naylor Major Trollop besides divers persons of quallity all wounded in the battail There were taken in the towne fourteen peece of Ordnance thirty Colours two thousand Armes five hundred
done they drew their Ladders after them and got over another Work and the House-wall before they could enter In this Sir Hardresse Waller performing his duty with honour and diligence was shot on the Arm but not dangerous We have had little losse Many of the Enemy our men put to the sword and some Officers of quality most of the rest we have prisoners among which the Marquisse and Sir Robert Peak with divers other Officers whom I have ordered to be sent to you we have taken about ten Peece of Ordnance much Ammunition and our Souldiers a good encouragement I humbly offer to have this Place slighted for these reasons It will ask 800 men to man it It is no Frontier The Country is poor about it The place exceedingly ruined by our Batteries and Mortar-peeces and a Fire which fell upon the place since our taking it If you please to take the garrison of Farnham some out of Chichester and a good part of the Foot which were here under D'Albier and make a strong Quarter at Newbury with three or four Troops of Horse I dare be confident it would not only be a curb to Dennington but a Security and Frontier to all these parts and by lying there will make the Trade most secure between Bristol and London for all Carriages And I believe the Gentlemen of Sussex and Hantshire will with more cheerfulnes contribute to maintain a Garrison on the Frontier then in their bowels which will have lesse safety in it Sir I hope not to delay but march towards the West to morrow and to be as diligent as I may in my Expedition thither I must speak my judgement to you That if you intend to have your work carried on Recruits of Foot must be had and a course taken to pay your Army else believe me Sir it may not be able to answer the work you have for it to do I intreated Col. Hamond to wait upon you who was taken by a mistake whilst we lay before this garrison whom God safely delivered to us to our great joy but to his losse of almost all he had which the Enemy took from him The Lord grant that these mercies may be acknowledged with all thankfulnesse God exceedingly abounds in his goodnesse to us and will not be weary untill Righteousnesse and Peace meet and that He hath brought forth a glorious work for the happinesse of this poor Kingdome Wherein desires to serve GOD and You with a faithfull heart Your most humble Servant Oliver Cromwel Basingstoak Octob. 14. 1645. section 9 Mr. Peters Relation to the House of Commons was as followeth Mr. Peters relation supplying divers particulars That he came into Basing-house some time after the Storm on Tuesday the 14. of October 1645. and took a view first of the Works which were many the circumvallation being above a mile compass the old house had stood as it is reported 2 or 300 years a nest of Idolatry the New house surpassing that in beauty and stateliness and either of them fit to make an Emperours court The Rooms before the storm it seems in both houses were all compleatly furnished Provisions for some years rather then moneths 400 quarters of Wheat Bacon divers rooms full containing hundreds of flitches Cheese proportionable with Oatmeal Beef Pork Beer divers cellars full and that very good A Bed in one room furnished that cost 1300. l. Popish books many with Copes and such Utensils that in truth the House stood in its full pride and the Enemy was perswaded that it would be the last peece of ground that would be taken by the Parliament because they had so often foiled our Forces that had formerly appeared before it In the severall rooms and about the house there were slain 74. and only one woman the daughter of Doctor Griffith who by her railing provoked our Souldiers then in heat into a further passion There lay dead upon the ground Major Cuffle a man of great account amongst them and a notorious Papist slain by the hands of Major Harrison that godly and gallant Gentleman and Robinson the Player who a little before the Storm was known to be mocking and scorning the Parliament our Army Eight or nine Gentlewomen of rank running forth together were entertained by the Common souldiers somewhat coursly yet not uncivilly considering the action in hand the plunder of the souldier continued till Tuesday night one Souldier had 120 peeces in Gold for his share others Plate others Jewels amongst the rest one got 3 bags of silver which he being not able to keep his own counsel grew to be common pillage amongst the rest and the fellow had but one half crown left for himself at last Also the Souldiers sold the Wheat to Country people which they held up at good rates a while but afterwards the Market fell and there was some abatements for haste After that they sold the houshold-stuffe whereof there was good store and the Country loaded away many Carts and continued a great while fetching out all manner of houshold-stuffe till they had fetched out all the Stools Chairs and other Lumber all which they sold to the Country people by peece-meale In all these great houses there was not one Iron bar left in al the windows save only what was in the fire before night And the last work of all was the Lead and by Thursday morning they had hardly left one Gutter about the house And what the Souldiers left the Fire took hold on which made more then ordinary haste leaving nothing but bare wals and chimnies in less then 20 houres being occasioned by the neglect of the Enemy in quenching a Fire-ball of ours at first We know not how to give a just account of the number of persons that were within for we have not three hundred prisoners and it may be an hundred slain whose bodies some being covered with rubbish came not to our view only riding to the house on Tuesday night we heard divers crying in Vaults for quarter but our men could neither come to them nor they to us But amongst those that we saw slain one of their Officers lying on the ground seeming so exceeding tall was measured and from his great toe to his crown was 9 foot in length The Marquis being pressed by Mr. Peters arguing with him broke out and said That if the King had no more ground in England but Bazing-house he would adventure as he did and so maintain it to his uttermost meaning with these Papists comforting himself in this disaster That Bazing-house was called Loyalty But he was soon silenced in the question concerning the King and Parliament only hoping that the King might have a day again And thus the Lord was pleased in a few hours to shew us what mortall seed all earthly glory grows upon and how just and righteous the wayes of God are who takes sinners in their own snares and lifteth up the heads of his dispised people This is now
to the many other Garrisons of the Enemy yet unreduced as Worcester Wallingford Ragland Farringdon Borstall with divers others which did all beare up in the existence and being of this and were linked to this as to the Head and Garrison-royall of all the Enemies that like members of one body they could not but live and dye together so as this Cities surrender would shake all the other into a Treaty and the taking in of this would take in the rest being all threded upon one string of dependency Secondly the Negotiations of the King in Forraigne parts for assistance particularly in France as is cleer by the French Agent who received his Majesty first in his Quarters and Negotiated with him at Newcastle and by Ashburnham's dispatch into France notwithstanding the Parliaments demand of him all which put together though we would rather quench then cherish any suspition of such a Neighbour State yet it cannot but be judged well beseeming his Excellency and his Counsell wisely to provide and put cases of things to come and occur and prevent if it may be dangers possible being well assured we deale with an Enemy who hath lost neither Wit Friends Activity nor Resolution to play his Game once more over if he knew at what Card to begin Thirdly the suspitions and jealousies that were kindling towards some in our Brethrens Army upon the sodaine Alarum of his Majesties reception there and some other passages from the North not that the Army did conclude a doubt or suspition of them but rather hasten to be upon such a free and strong interest and disengagement as might sooner put all things into better correspondency while both Armies are fairly at liberty in their owne interests and upon equall bottomes whereby a third designing party I meane the Kings might not work upon the inequality of the other two Temptation and Opportunity being the worst Enemies that honest men have Fourthly the Treaty in Ireland for a peace with those there and to make that peace a way of waâ—tage over for some new supplies into England which though then was but by divine intelligence discerned yet now things are cleerer and more certaine Fiftly the arming the Parliament with a free and unengaged Army as came to passe by the surrender of this City so as now they might treat or capitulate as a Kingdome upon its owne interest and bottome with the more honour and with no more condiscention then love and justice would perswade them surely they that know the difference betwixt a State attended on by a free and entire Army in times of designe and distraction and beginnings of settlement and betwixt a State served by broken Regiments and an engaged Force or Army cannot judge the freeing and disingaging this Army so soon from the attendance of Oxford to a meere attendance upon the State in a time of such high concernments to be lesse then a Counsel both of necessity and of advancement to the Kingdome And now I shall fairly remove some Objections which may be moats in the eyes of some and hinder their discerning the fairnesse of this proceeding First that of permitting excepted persons to goe unpunished but I cannot grant this Objection so farre that they did goe unpunished unlesse all justice and righteousnesse runne downe onely in the blood of the Offender Indeed the State of Israel fought by such Lawes against the Nations as in the case of Agag but how farre such Lawes are rules to the State of Christians who are not under that judiciall policy and speciall precepts I leave to be disputed but surely those six excepted persons went not unpunished they received losse of all one of them an Estate worth an hundred thousand pounds and if yet nothing but life be justice they lost that too I meane their life in this Kingdome being never more to live in this State so as in a manner they are dead to us though not unto themselves nor could their life be so easily come at without the losse of many it may be more deare and precious and had the approaches and storme gone on who can undertake those few those six excepted persons might not have escaped and then how had this assay of justice succeeded surely justice is not all of one colour all purple there is punishment by banishment and confiscation as well as death and suppose after the losse of many an honourable spirit to purchase six men they had been taken and delivered up there are wayes of escape from States as well as Armies For that other Objection of the exemption from the Oath or Covenant for six moneths why should it be a crime to his Excellency now which was none to the Lieutenant-General of the Scots Army who at Carlisle granted that Article To be excepted from any Oath whatsoever as by referring to the said Articles may appear and our General grants but an exemption for six moneths how is it that offences are more fairly interpreted in Scotch then English And it is not amisse to consider Redding once a Garrison of the Enemies yet surrendred upon honourable conditions to the Earle of Essex his Excellency then General Oxford and Redding differing but in three things First Oxford was more considerable and Redding lesse secondly the Delinquents of Redding martched out of the Towne and those of Oxford out of the Kingdome thirdly Redding had but four Barrels of Powder when they capitulated Oxford a plentifull Magazine After all these things I wonder how any can find fault with this Army or Souldiery for dispatch of their work so soon and never till now and now by what Law I know not was it an offence to have Warre soon ended Let me aske what hath this Army done ill in this businesse Hath it not done justice upon Offenders it may be not justice of our very fashion according to such a very patterne of some because they could not conquer just by a rule but as necessity of State and Warre would suffer them Hath this Army by this surrender failed of that plunder and rich spoile they might have had in the storme This was a fault wherein the Souldiery were more conscionable then covetous and me thinks we should easily pardon them in this That they had rather end the Warre to the Kingdomes then their owne advantage Hath this Army by this surrender been more free entire and at liberty to guard both State and Parliament me thinks this should be onely the griefe of our Enemies not of our Friends Hath this Army by this surrender brought in so many other Garrisons as follo in this Story c surely such wayes of fighting as leave the Enemy scarce an interest in the Kingdome is a new kind of failing and an offence not heard of till our times wherein ingratitude and reproaches are by too many thought good pay for greatest services Hath this Army by this surrender and disingagement awed and affrighted the gatherings of new Parties to increase the