of sedition in the City of London by Master Nye Master Goodwin and other Independents in the Plot against Windsor and that also at Aylesbury and the most happy preservation of Nottingham Towne and Castle by loyall and valiant Colonell Hutchinson The long desired and seasonable comming into this Kingdome of our loyall and loving Brethren of Scotland to our assistance with a potent Army to help to re-establish Peace and Truth among us In the harmonious pious and prudent consent of the Commissioners and Estates of both Kingdoms in a most excellent Declaration for the just terror and trouble of our Popish and Atheisticall Adversaries as a condigne punishment of their viperous insolencies And lastly in that most memorable and famous Victory which the Lord graciously vouchsafed to give unto his two faithfull and magnanimous Joshuahs Sir Thomas Fairfax and Sir William Brereton at Namptwich All which admirable Parliamentary mercies being rightly reflected on and seriously considered of with a truly pious and gratefull heart who can choose but sâ—e and say Gods Ark was here also triumphantly over-topping the Worlds waves and winds fiercely raging and swelling And upon the right and religious review thereof who can but in all bounden gratitude with holy David break out into most thankfull expressions of soule and say Ascribe unto the Lord O happy England ascribe unto the Lord glory and strength ascribe unto the Lord the glory due unto his great name worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse For the voice of the Lord is upon the great waters yea the Lord rideth upon many and mighty waters as King for ever And now to proceed About the beginning of this moneth of February came certain advertisement by Letters out of Gloucestershire to London that the ever to be renowned Commander Col. Massey had lately before issued forth with a party of his Souldiers and had fallen upon Sir Henry Talbots quarters at Shepstow where he surprized the said Colonel 3 Captains 3 Lieutenants 3 Irish Reformadoes Serjeant Major Moore besides 60 Common Souldiers with much arms and ammunition And that he had also the week before this sent out a Frigot man'd with his Garrison-souldiers which took a Vessel going with supplies to the Enemies forces at Worcester the Bark was laden with Tobacco and some ammunition which was all brought into Gloucester for his own Souldiers And it was likewise then confirmed that divers parties of his Horse had taken divers Carriers going with severall parcels of Gunpowder and other Military necessaries to the Enemy which he also disposed of to his own better uses Also about the beginning of this instant Febr. came certain intelligence from Sir Iohn Meldrum that brave pious and prudent Commander that whereas a little before some French-men had treacherously betrayed about 20 of Sir Iohn's Souldiers and a Captain of his together with divers well-affected Inhabitants of the Isle of Axholme into the hands of Newcastles Cavaliers Sir Iohn hereupon resolved to go into that Island with a convenient party to repay that affront and to give them their due desert for their said treachery and about the 4. of February Sir Iohn approaching the Isle most valiantly assaulted and took the Royall Fort or chiefe Defence of the said Island which commands all the passages from Newark upon Trent and that he purged the Island of all the Malignants therein and took there about an hundred prisoners most of them men of quality 8 peeces of Ordnance 300 Arms and a Troop of Horse of Newcastles Cormorants together with 5 Hoyes upon the River which were going forth with provision to Newcastles Army Much also about the same time our most pious and prudent Parliamentary Worthies having long and divers times had much debate in both Houses about a resolved Councel of State for the more sure secret transacting and managing of the principall and most weighty affaires in and about all the three Kingdomes of England Scotland and Ireland and having deliberated most seriously both of the persons and power of those that were to be chosen thereunto and after a most wise and discreet regulating thereof so as that they may never commence nor determine a Peace without the House of Commons consent and good liking They at last agreed that all those personages which were nominated by the Lords should be returned without any alteration and so resolved to transmit the businesse to the Lords The names of those that were to be of this Councell are these following The Earle of Northumberland the Earle of Essex the Earle of Warwick the Earle of Manchester the Lord Vicount Say and Seale the Lord Wharton and the Lord Roberts Of the house of Commons Sir Gilbert Gerard Sir William Waller Sir Arthur Haslerigge Sir William Armyne Sir Henry Vane senior Sir Henry Vane junior Sir Philip Stapleton Mr. Crew Mr. St. Iohn Sollicitor Mr. Brown Mr. Glyn Recorder of London Mr. Perpoint and Mr. Wallop And for the State and Kingdome of Scotland the Lord Lowden the Lord Maitland Sir Archibold Johnstone and Mr. Berkley But shortly after namely about the midst of this instant February the Ordinance for the absolute setling of this great Councel of State passed both Houses with a joint concurrence in all particulars both the time of their sitting for three moneths to advise consult order and direct concerning the Recruits regulating and government of the Armies and concerning Treaties and Answers and other the great affairs of the three Kingdoms The names of the persons ye have had their place of meeting was Derby-house in Chanel-row in Westminster This piece of State-policie may by Gods mercy and hath already as we have found by happy experience it hath and doth produce much good to the whole three Kingdomes and is no doubt a mighty terrour and startling to the Enemies God in his mercy go on still to direct them for the best advancement of his glory and the blessed peace and welfare of the three Kingdomes About thâ—5 of this instant came certain intelligence by Letters to London of another mischievous designe plotted against the Town of Southampton most happily discovered and prevented by the wisdom and loyalty next under God of Mr. Peter Murford Serjeant Major to Colonel Norton the most noble and active Governour of the said Town Which Letter containing the exact relation thereof and having in it divers very observable passages I have therefore thought fit for the Readers better and more full content and satisfaction therein here to insert verbatim as it was printed and published by Order and Authority A true Copy of Mr. Murfords Letter touching the discovery of a new Plot against the Town of Southampton by the Kings Cormorants or Cavaliers SIR YOur Letter is come to my hands which I take kindly from you I should desire to exchange lines oftner with you I thank you for your newes I had Letters this day from my Lord
farther and enjoyning them not to ayd his two Houses of Parliament which he said were in actuall rebellion against him c. But praised for ever be our good God by whose gracious providence their hearts were most wisely and resolutely established not to be dasht and daunted therein but they utterly refused to yeeld to either of his demands and commands in both the Letters and sent his Majestie an answer suteable to their Christian dutie and the nature also of such a Message and command and so went on most religiously and resolvedly in the just and warrantable work they had so advisedly undertaken But now to goe on in the manifesting as I promised and setting forth in order the progress of the great work at home by our adversaries designes against the Citie of London and therein the whole Kingdome in that their forementioned grand plot to starve up the Citie by taking from them all the neighbour Countries succours and supplements of all kindes and thus at last hoping to bring it low and according to that old Proverb If you will tame a wanton Colt take away his provender and tame it and make it stoop to their most untaimed wilde and wicked tyranny but yet how our most wise and righteous God crost and confounded this their wicked work and devillish designe And now in the first place I must tell you how the most noble and victorious Earl of Manchester being in Lincolnshire prosecuting his successfull and victorious enterprises in those parts as hath been formerly and fully related having intelligence that the Oxonian-Cormorants were entred into Bedfordshire with purpose to make an inroad into the rest of the associated Eastern-Counties whereof he was made Commander in chief under his Excellencie the Lord Generall His Lordship therefore held it not fit to leave them without relief against such plundering and all-devouring Cormorants and greedie unwelcome guests and was therefore necessitated to grant such a composition to the Lord Widrington Colonell Henderson c. then in the Citie of Lincoln as otherwise he would not that thus he might hasten to the preservation of those his foresaid Counties and so having gotten this Citie as hath been forementioned he presently sent away renowned and victorious Colonell Cromwell with a considerable part of his forces toward Huntington to interrupt the Cormorants pernicious intentions in those parts and about Cambridge but his Excellencie the Parliaments renowned Lord Generall being then at St Albanes with his armie presently sent Messengers to countermaund the brave Colonells resolutions and required him to return again to my Lord of Manchester and to prosecute those intended Services in the North assuring him that by Gods assistance he would take speciall care that the associated Counties should receive no prejudice by the Kings Cormorants which he most nobly made good and accordingly performed For presently after it his Lordship sent a considerable strong partie of horse and foot toward Newport-Pannell against those greedie Cormorants who hearing of their certain and speedie approach made all the haste they were able to flie away from thence for fear of being intrapped in a nooz whereby on a sodain those parts were already fairly and fully cleared from fear of them both at Newport and Bedford too And heerby also Colonell Cromwell being returned to the noble Earl of Manchester his great and noble designes in those parts went on again most successfully and thus by Gods speciall providence and great mercie the Kings Cormorants were doubly disappointed of their late high-built hopes and pernicious purposes For by their intended fortifying of Newport they hoped to have establisht one main branch of the foresaid swelling designe to have starved up the Citie by thus encroaching by degrees into the Eastern-associated Counties and also by their thus coming and nestling by little and little in them they strongly hoped to have drawn and diverted the Earl of Manchester quite out of Lincolnshire and so to have taken him off from the pursuite of his victories in those parts But his Excellencie as I said before most nobly clipt the wing of that high-soaring hope of theirs by marching into those parts to expell the enemie out of them and so the safelier to secure them Thus I say the Lord our good God doubly blest us against this devillish designe of theirs blasting it in the bud stifling it in the birth and very beginning of it and making it abortive to them and giving us great assurance thereby of yet more hopefull advantages as by Gods blessing wee shall have fit and fair opportunities to mention them in their severall succeeding and proper places And now good Reader let mee desire thee heer to make a little stay to strike sail and cast thine anchor of serious recogitation and summarie contemplation into the deep Ocean of all this Moneths many and most rich mercies and Parliamentarie preservations of this Ark of Gods Cause First In the Lords stirring up of the hearts of our Parliamentarie-Worthies to remember the welfare of the poor children of Christs Hospitall and also raising up the affections of the Citizens of London to seal their holy League and Covenant with a large and liberall contributed loan of a great summe of money for our brethren of Scotlands advance unto our help In the most noble Lord Fairfaxes brave victorie against the Earl of Newcastle at Hull and thereby raising the siege thereof In the right noble and victorious Earl of Manchesters renowned victories over the Popish and atheisticall forces in Lincolnshire at Bolenbrook and Horncastle Famous Colonell Massies good service at Tewksbery and that also by the Parliaments Garrison at Warwick-Castle against the Kings forces at Cambden In the Ordinance of Parliament against Spies and intelligencers and farther famous prosecution of the most noble Earl of Manchesters victories in the gaining of the Citie of Lincoln and strong Town of Gainesborough And lastly In the most happie frustrating and defeating of the enemies deep and dangerous designe to starve the Citie of London and so to enforce the conquest of it and in Gods crossing that other great designe of our Oxonian Achitophells to have hindred our honest Brethren of Scotlands resolution to advance forward to our assistance All these rare mercies I say layd together and seriously considered O how can wee choose but be extraordinarily elevated to a high pitch and peg of obliged gratitude to our great and glorious God who hath so powerfully and prudently propped up and protected his thus poor menaced and assaulted Ark securely bearing it up above all the raging and swelling waves and boysterous billowes of fierce and furious adversaries beating and brushing against it with their utmost envie and most malevolent oppositions And therefore I say with holy David to break forth into insulting and triumphant joy in the Lord and say Our hearts are fixed O God our hearts are fixed wee will sing and give praise
Awake up our glorie awake Psalterie and Harp and let us all awake right early thus to blesse and magnifie the Lord. For through our God wee shall doe valiantly and it is he that shall tread down our enemies under our feet But now to goe on About the beginning of this November our most prudent Parliamentarie Statists wisely considering and most circumspectly advising on the inveterate malice and mischievous designes of the Oxonian Atheists against the Parliament and Cities of London and Westminster as hath been foreshewn they therefore past an Ordinance of Parliament wherein they declared that they held it most fit and necessary for the better setling and securing of the state of this distracted and much dilacerated Kingdome that all such Committees as were then nominated in the said Ordinance all Colonells Captaines and other Officers and well-affected persons inhabitants of the Counties of Hampshire the Town and Countie of Southampton Surrey Sussex and Kent shall and may associate themselves and mutually ayd succour support and assist one another in the mutuall defence and preservation of themselves from the inroades and outrages of the Kings Cormâ—rants and have power thereby given them to raise forces of horse and foot to suppress and expell all such forces as are or shall be raised in the said severall Counties to levie war against the Parliament or that shall make any insurrections or shall plunder or destroy any of his Majesties good subjects in those Counties And the Lord Generall the Earl of Eâ—â—ex was thereby desired to grant a Commission to that most valiant and renowned Commander Sir William Waller to command in chief as Serjeant Major Generall of all such forces raised in the said Counties the happie and successfull issues of which said association you shall now shortly have in their succeeding proper places And that the world might see and all Malignants mouthes be stopt if it were possible to doe it the godly and Christian care of this most renowned and pious Parliament not onely at home but abroad also providing for the welfare of forein English Plantations our most prudent and provident Parliamentarie Senators set forth an Ordinance of Parliament whereby that most noble renowned loyall and pious patriot Robert Earl of Warwick was made Governour in chief and Lord high Admirall of all those Islands and Plantations inhabited planted or belonging to any of his Majesties the King of Englands Subjects within the bounds and upon the coasts of America which said Ordinance for the Readers better satisfaction and full content therein I have thought fit heer to insert and interlace An Ordinance of the Lords and Commons assembled in PARLIAMENT Die Jovis Novemb. 2. 1643. VVHereas many thousands of the natives and good Subjects of this Kingdome of England through the oppression of the Prelates and other ill affected Ministers and Officers of State have of late yeeres to their great griefe and miserable hardship been inforced to transplant themselves and their families into severall Islands and other remote and desolate parts of the West-Indies and having there through exceeding great labour and industry with the blessing of God obtained for themselves and their families some competent and convenient meanes of maintenance and subsistance so that they are now in a reasonable well setled and peaceable condition But fearing lest the outragious malice of Papists and other ill-affected persons should reach unto them in their poor and low but as yet peaceable condition and having been informed that there hath been lately procured from His Majesty severall grants under the great Seale for erecting some new Governours and Commanders amongst the said Planters in their aforementioned Plantations Whereupon the said Planters Adventurers Owners of Land in the said forein Plantations have preferred their Petition unto this present Parliament that for the better securing of them and their present Estates there obtained through so much extreame labour and difficulty they might have some such Governours and government as should be approved of and confirmed by the authoritie of both Houses of Parliament Which Petition of theirs the Lords and Commons having taken into consideration and finding it of great importance both to the safety and preservation of the aforesaid Natives and Subjects of this Kingdome as well from all forain invasions and oppressions as from their own intestine distractions and disturbances as also much tending to the honour and advantage of His Majesties Dominions have though fit and doe heerby constitute and ordaine Robert Earle of Warwick Governour in chiefe and Lord high Admirall of all those Islands and other Plantations inhabited planted or belonging to any His Majesties the King of Englands Subjects or which hereafter may be inhabited planted or belonging to them within the bounds and upon the coasts of America And for the more effectuall speedier and easier transaction of this so weighty and important a businesse which concernes the well-being and preservation of so many of the distressed Natives of this and other His Majesties Dominions The Lords and Commons have thought fit that Philip Earle of Pembrook Edward Earl of Manchester William Viscount Say and Seale Philip Lord Wharton John Lord Roberts Members of the House of Peeres Sir Gilbert Gerard Knight and Baronet Sir Arthur Haselrigg Baronet Sir Henry Vane junior Knight Sir Benjamin Rudyer Knight John Pym Oliver Cromwell Dennis Bond Myles Corbet Cornelius Holland Samuel Vassall John Rolls and William Spurstow Esquires Members of the House of Commons shall be Commissioners to joyn in ayd and assistance with the said Earl of Warwick chief Governour and Admirall of the said Plantations which chief Governour together with the said Commissioners or any four of them shall heerby â—avâ— power and authority to provide for order and dispose all things which they shall from time to time finde most fit and advantageous to the well-governing securing strengthning and preserving of the said Plantations and chiefly to the preservation and advancement of the true Protestant Religion amongst the said planters inhabitants and the further enlargement and spreading of the Gospel of Christ amongst those that yet remain there in great and miserable blindnesse and ignorance And for the better advancement of this so great a work It is heerby further ordained by the said Lords and Commons That the aforesaid Governour and Commissioners shall heerby have power and authority upon all weighty important occasions which may concern the good and safety of the aforesaid Planters to call unto their advice and assistance therein any other of the aforesaid Planters Owners of Land or Inhabitants of the said Islands and Plantations which shall then be within twenty miles of the place where the said Commissioners shall then be and shall have power and authority to send for view and make use of all such Records Books and Papers which doe or may concern any of the said Plantations And because the well-setling and establishing of such Officers and Governours as
our loyall and loving Brethren of Scotland's advance into this Kingdome from Barwick toward Newcastle and their taking of Alnwick and Morpeth the two only Towns of defence and strength twixt Barwick and Newcastle That they also took the strong Island of Cocquet with about 200 men and their Arms 7 peeces of Ordnance and other necessary martiall provisions Also that Colonel Gray brother to the Lord Gray of Wark with a Regiment of Horse came in unto the Army of our said brethren of Scotland and most cheerfully took the Covenant That they had rescued a head of cattle which were driven away by the enemy toward Newcastle and that they most honestly restored them to the persons from whom they were taken A notable act of justice and that the Counties of Northumberland and Westmerland most cordially came in and adhered to them About the tenth of this instant certaine letters being intercepted were read in Parliament which came from the Lord Goring to the Lord Digby dated at Paris Feb. 7. 1643. The summe whereof in briefe was this That he hoped this Letter would have better successe to come to the hands of his most blessed sacred Mistresse than his former Letters had That he was in nothing more happy than to be accounted a Trator at London considering his sacred Mistresse had the same badge of honour stamped upon her before him in whose service he professed hee would be ever faithfull to the quicke and was not here think'st thou good Reader a pure and sure slave to Sathan That the same morning he wrote this Letter he was called to sweare to be true to the two Crownes of England and France and afterward was to dine with the King And further specifying what forreine forces armes and ammunition were in preparation to be sent into this Kingdome And said he in this very expression let my Mr. hang me if I do not furnish him with armes ammunition c. And concludes thus that what he writes they may believe to bee as true as Gospell This flashey letter of this old doting shamelesse Traytor full as yee see of blasphemy and Treason and so adjudged by the Parliament they have ordered to be recorded with an other former intercepted Letter of his which will be sufficient evidences to make good their impeachment of high Treason against him See heere then good Reader the good hand of Gods wise and just providence thus to discover the secret and slavish enemies of his Church and people But to goe on Besides those former brave exploits of that pious and prudent Commander Colonell Sir William Constable aforesaid There came certaine intelligence to London much about the middst of this instant February of divers other most valiant performances and victorious atchivements of the Parliaments Forces in severall other places worthy our most thankefull remembrance both to Gods glory and the Instruments deserved praise The first was performed by the brave and active well-deserving Garrison of Pool in Dorsetshire who sallied out and by an Ambuscado their enemies owne late Stratagem against Pool with some little losse not long before they entrapped Colonell Windham and about 7. or 8. score of his Horse and slew his Lieutenant Colonel Barker but the Colonell himselfe with the rest of his men taken as aforesaid they carried Prisoners into Pool A Partie also of Warwick Garrison issuing out toward Stow on the Wold in Gloucestershire tooke a Cavalier Colonell Prisoner and about 30 good Horse with him And heere also I may most justly commemorate diverse brave atchievements of Sir Thomas Fairfax that as famous as pious Commander in Cheshire since his last great Victory at Namptwich who most prosperously pursued his late Victory in those parts took a strong hould called Keel-House Another called Adlinton-House Duddington also belonging to sir Thomas Delves And Crew-House where he tooke an 150. Royalists Prisoners and great store of Armes and Ammunition together with Dorison-House another strong Garrison of the Enemies where he tooke 200. Prisoners with good store of armes and ammunition Darby Forces also having been two dayes before Kings-Mylus a very strong House of the Earle of Huntingtons neere Wildon-Ferrey upon the River of Trent whereinto Colonell Hastings alias Rob-Carryer had put a Garrison of Souldiers who much annoyed that part of the Countrey but the House being very strong their Ordnance did no great execution upon it Whereupon that brave and most couragious and faithfull Patriott Sir Iohn Gell chose 5. men out of each of his Troopes to storme it who made such a desperate assault upon it that they tooke this House with the losse onely of three of his men whence they brought 46. Prisoners with their armes to Darbey but Captaine Daniel and his Lieutenant they sent Prisoners to Nottingham-Castle Lastly that most noble and renouned successefull Patriott of the Northern parts the good Lord Fairfax with his valiant Commander sir William Constable marched toward Whitby a Haven-Town in the farthest part of Yorkeshire with a very considerable Army intending if the Enemy would not deliver up the Town to Storm it For this Whitby was a very strong Garison of the Earle of New-Castles But the Enemie considering in what a condition they were surrendered up the Town to the Lord Fairfax wherein were above 500. Captaines Lieutenants Commanders Officers and Common-souldiers besides at least 20. of the Commission of Array and almost a 1000 Saylers and Inhabitants of the Town all which delivered up the Towne and with it themselves to the said most noble Lords Service together with 40. Vessels greater and lesser in the Haven So this most Honourable Lord with valiant sir William Constable seized on all their Workes Ships Ammunition 500. Armes many Barrels of Powder Match and other traine of Artillery and it was verily beleeved about an hundred pieces of Ordnance in the ships and on the Workes for the use of the Parliament About the 16th of this instant February 1643. an Ordinance of the Lords and Commons in Parliament and instructions agreed upon by them for the taking of the Solemne League and Covenant throughout the whole Kingdome which we have formerly mentioned to have been solemnly taken by both Houses of Parliament and in and about the whole Cities of London and Westminster and the Dominion of Wales was new Printed and published together with a most emphaticall and patheticall â—xhortation made by the Assembly of Divines at the motion and desire of our most pious and prudent Parliamentary Worthies for the more willing and cheerfull taking thereof and for the better and more full satisfaction of all such scruples as might arise thereupon which was ordered to be taken after this manner The minister was first to read the whole Covenant distinctly and audibly in the Pulpit and during the reading thereof the whole congregation to be uncovered and at the end of his reading thereof all to take it standing