to a Charge layd against them by the said Captain Crakanthorp and John Musgrave who alledged that they had sustained loss or damage by those Gentlemen being Justices of the Peace within the said County to the value of two thousand pounds and upwards which Order the said Informers shewed to Captain Dowson and my self then being at London We friendly demanded of them What Injury they had received from William Brisco Esq now high-High-Sheriff of the said County being one of those Gentlemen whom they accused and whom they had Order to summon And finding by their unsatisfactory Answer that a matter of mony would pacifie them and prevent this appearance we acquainted Mr Edward Brisco a Merchant in London and Brother to the said William Brisco Esq of their Intentions so far as by their discourse we could judg of them Mr Edward Brisco was willing to promise a considerable sum of mony though without his Brothers privity hoping he might thereby procure a discharge from the Complainers and withall an engagement under their hands to free his Brother from all future trouble which accordingly was effected and the sum agreed upon viz. 35 l. presented before them upon the sight and promise whereof the Complainers engaged to acquit the said William Brisco from all future troubles assuring us that they would not molest or accuse him directly or indirectly by themselves or others for any injury or offence done or pretended to have been done by him either in particular against them or IN GENERAL AGAINST THE STATE OF WHICH THEY PROTESTED THEY WERE ABLE AND WOVLD ACCVSE HIM IF THEY RECEIVED NOT PRESENT SATISFACTION They on the other side required Bonds besides the present payment of the mony for assurance from the said Edward Brisco Captain Dowson and my self that we would not discover this their Act and Deed to any other least the report thereof should prejudice their proceedings against the rest of the Gentlemen of whom they hoped to receive like satisfaction their engagement for acquiting Mr Brisco together with the mony which then lay upon the Table in a bag He the said Mr Edward Brisco immediately pocketed pretending that he desired to be advised by some Lawyers whether this Engagement of theirs was full and satisfactory or not and so leaving them that had delivered their Engagement and not received their mony he went home and that night shewed the paper to Major Salloway a Member of the House who assured him that he would acquaint the House with it This I am willing to depose upon Oath whensoever I shall be called thereunto Jos Nicholson Minister of Gods Word at Thursby Mr Edward Brisco is now in the City and ready to make Oath of what is expressed in this Certificate Here follows the Release which this Musgrave writ with his own hand Whereas Mr Richard Crakanthorp and John Musgrave Gentlemen have exhibited certain Complaints to the Parliament against William Brisco Esq as well for certain wrongs done to us in particular as also for publique wrongs or dis-service to the Parliament and their adherents and have obtained Summons against him Now these presents are to satisfie all whom it may concern That Edward Brisco Brother of the said William hath payd us thirty five pounds on his Brothers behalf for the wrongs done in consideration whereof we do by these presents promise and covenant to and with the said Edward Brisco that we shall not at any time hereafter prosecute the said William Brisco for the causes aforesaid or any other wrongs by the said William committed against us or other person or persons whatsoever He acknowledged this engagement and discharge to be his own hand-writing before the Commissioners at Goldsmiths-hall very lately Now judg Reader if I may be a little pleasant with thee whether here was not a KNAVE and a KNAVECATCHER well met Take here another Instance and that shall be of his Tyranny cruelty and indeed Barbarism set forth upon the best terms of concealment and that by his own hands in an Apologetical Letter written to Col. Fitch Governor of Carlisle who required an account of a Captain and some Souldiers that were assistant unto him in the execution thereof To his much honored Friend Colonel Fitch Governor of Carlisle these deliver SIR This evening I received a Letter from Captain Place wherein he intimates that he is commanded to bring two of his Soldiers before you to Carlisle upon my Father in Law Mr Vaux his complaint that they took him forth of his bed and carryed him a mile in his shirt and that they took and detained a Horse of his worth 10 l. the Captain was desirous that I should come along with them to give account of the thing so far as I knew and the same related to my Mother and me which very willingly I would have done if I had not been constrained the Audite to morrow by appointment from Mr Pollard the States Receiver I being the States Steward for the Honor of Penrith might neglect that Service but to morrow night I shall be God willing with my Brother Graham at Newbygin and the next day at Newlathes to hold the Leet for my ancient Friend Captain Sikes Purchaser of the Manor of John De Chappels whither if you send upon notice I will wait on you so be I may according to Law be free from Arrests which in that Corporation may causless be layd upon me for vexation as often heretofore hath been done I speak not this that I know or fear any just cause for I never concealed my self and shall be ready to appear gratis at Westminster to any action in the mean time take a short account of what I know there concerning I doubt not but you have heard of the difference betwixt me and Mr Vaux and him and my Mother and how while the late Kings party was Master of this County wickedly he used her and endevored to have starved her for the Committee of this County ordered her 30 l. per annum till she could obtain relief in a legal way which Order he never observed not to speak of his wilful contemning the present Authority refusing to answer any Proces or obey any Order therein for which at my Suit some fourteen days since he was proclaimed by the Sheriff and upon an Order under seal out of the High Court of Chancery for 20 l. 250 l. Arrearages and fourty pounds per annum upon an Attachment by a special Warrant from the Sheriff of this County to me and Thomas Graves and others directed he was arrested The maner was thus before any Souldier was quartered with my Mother we went to Kelbarrow and his chamber door being open and he in bed we peaceably entered and desired him to rise which he refused to do then I told him he was a Prisoner whose Prisoner quoth he I said my prisoner wishing him to rise and put on his clothes I shewed him the Warrant under seal and read it unto him but he said
by parties to York and Newcastle for the service of the State and fetching in of Sequestrations upon contempt of Orders or else we have been upon duty along the Borders near Scotland And I have understood since I came from his Excellency the Lord General Cromwel that in Lieut. Dobsons time being Lieutenant of the Troop before I came the Souldiers paid their quarters and the said Lieut. Dobson having detained in his hands of the Souldiers money near forty pounds the honorable Sir Arthur Haslerig upon notice thereof did cause the said Lieut. Colonel to enter into Bond with security to make good the said sum to those Souldiers to whom it is owing and when he had given good security the said Sir Arthur Haslerig did dismiss him from his Command Dated at Carlile this 3 of Janua 1650. DANIEL FREIND Lieut. to Capt. Cecil Howard and somtime Martial General to his Excellency the L. G. Fairfax By all which you may see if this famous slanderer had quite omitted that foul untruth of Sir Arthurs countenancing and not pâ—â—ishing this Dobson and had abated 1300. l. of his assertion and said he had cheated the Troopers of 50. l. only he had done service to the Prince of this world and obeyed the 〈◊〉 of Liars after the rate of above twenty in the hundred 〈◊〉 had been a more profitable servant unto him then many of his children and servants are though the wages of such work except he leaves it in time will not be very acceptable in the latter end Artic. 5. That the said Sir Arthur Haslerig gave Commission to Edward Brigs to be Lieutenant Colonel for Carlile Garison and made him a Commissioner for the Militia and Ministry in Westmerland a man known disaffected to the present Government and lately cashered for his drunkenness and other miscarriages by the now Lord General Cromwel That the said Sir Arthur gave Commissions to Thomas Craystour Cuthbert Studholm Captain Brown and others to be Captains and Lieutenants in Carlile Garison men known to be disaffected to the present Government profest Enemies to honest men most of them having now layd down their Commissions when they were to march into Scotland and the said Sir Arthur doth countenance none in Cumberland but such as are profest Enemies to the honest party and are for the Scotish Interest 1. This Brigs was the only man when Hamilton came into Westmerland that did raise a Regiment of Foot for the Parliament Service and he hath been always faithful to the Parliament when such as this Accuser have undermined their Interest who having rais'd his Regement as aforesaid Sir A. H. with the advice of the now Lord General Carlile being then rendred by the Scots did put that Regiment into Carlile and made Col. Fitch the Colonel and this Brigs Lieut. Colonel of his own rais'd Regiment 2. Sir A. H. did never hear the least complaint against Leiut. Col. Brigs until of late for which he was brought to a Councel of War and upon proof made of his misdemeanor he was put out As for the rest of this Article it is so notoriously false and scandalous that it is worth no other Answer only it is wish'd that this Master-slanderer of the North had the least tang and savour of that Spirit of Piety and Religion as Mr Thomas Craystour hath if so mens ears had not been abused with such notorious untruths as these are Artic. 6. That by the said Sir Arthur Haslerigs intrusting the Authorities and Militia in the hands of Delinquents and men for the Scottish Interest the well-affected in Cumberland and Bishoprick lie under greater Oppressions then formerly under King and Prelates And the said Sir Arthur is a Protector of Papists and Delinquents forbidding the Subsequestrators and Sollicitors for Sequestration in Bishoprick to Sequester Papists Ordered to be Sequestred of which the Papists and Delinquents do much boast and honest men thereby are much cast down This is general containing whole clusters of the grapes of Sodom as if gathered from a Sodomite himself having in its bowels as much spawn of malice scandal and falsities as so few words are capable of Artic. 7. That Sir Arthur Haslerig hinders and obstructs the ordinary proceedings of Law and Justice in favor of Papists and did take out of the Sheriffs custody Ralph Lampton a notorious Papist and Delinquent being under arrest and formerly arraigned for poysoning his wife with which Lampton the said Sir Arthur is very kind and familiar This Ralph Lampton came to the Committee to make complaint against Mr George Lilburn and Mr George Grey for detaining a very great sum of moneys due to the State and desired a fifth part for his twelve poor Children he being sequestred as a Papist and Delinquent which Case is returned up and now lies before the Commissioners at Goldsmiths Hall the Committee appointed a day of hearing the same while this Mr Lampton was coming according to Order to the Committee he was arrested and as it was informed the Committee by Mr Lilburns procurement hereupon the Committee and not Sir Arthur Haslerig thought fit to secure him from Arrests during his coming unto continuing at and returning from the Committee in prosecution of that complaint onely for as much as it was the Service of the Common-wealth and no more then the Committee had Authority to do and what is practised in all Courts of Justice and Committees of Parliament whatsoever and this was all that the Committee did upon that business and who but a Musgrave would not judg it equitable Artic. 8. That the said Sir Arthur Haslerig procured Ralph Delival Esq a Delinquent in Arms against the Parliament and disaffected to the present Government this last year to be High Sheriff for Northumberland Sir A. H. never heard neither was there ever complaint made unto him that Mr Ralph Delival was a Delinquent in Arms against the Parliament and the truth is he was nominated by another and not by Sir A. H. but if he had done it he would have justified it for he conceives it would have been for the publique Service Artic. 9. That the said Sir Arthur Haslerig contrary to an Act of Parliament suffered Lievtenant Colonel John Jackson a notorious Delinquent and in Arms against the Parliament both in the first and second War a great Plunderer to go and ride up and down the Country with his Arms and against Law put the said Jackson in possession of certain Grounds and Colleries in Bishoprick belonging to men well-affected whom the said Sir Arthur by strong hand dispossessed thereof without Law and the said Sir Arthur Haslerig against the Fundamental Law of the Land most arbitrarily and tyarnnically did by his power take from the now High Sheriff of Bishoprick the said Jacksons goods taken in Execution after Judgment and restored the said goods to the said Jackson contrary to all the Rules of the Law As for this Article wherein this black-mouth'd man in whose tongue and pen the
of Cumberland for the not displasing and putting in certain Commissioners of the Militia for Cumberland who were objected against by Mr Musgrave the Councel declares That it doth not at all appear unto them that Sir Arthur Haslerig hath broken the Trust reposed in him by the Councel or made any failer of promise or engagement to them in any of those particulars but do find that the imputations therein laid as a Charge upon Sir Arthur Haslerig are false and scandalous and do therefore touching the said scandals leave Sir Arthur Haslerig for his due vindication and reparation to take such course as he shall think fit Gualter Frost Secretary The first Article was this 1. That Sir Arthur Haslerig contrary to his Engagement to the Councel of State and Councels of States Declarations upon the Petitioners Exceptions procured lately such in the County of Cumberland to be Iustices of the Peace Commissioners for Sequestrations Commissioners for the Ministry and Commissioners for the Militia there as were known Delinquents and such as are disaffected to the present Government and complying with the Scotish Interest as by the Charge against them hereunto annexed and another Charge against them formerly exhibited to the Councel of State may appear The Charge in this Article you see is declared false and scandalous by the Councel of State which is sufficient to stop the mouth of that calumny therein vented against Sir Arthur Haslerig Artic. 2. That the said Sir Ar. Haslerig being the chief and leading Commissioners for the Ministry at Newcastle approved of such Ministers in Cumberland at Newcastle as refused the Engagement were scandalous and Delinquents and such Ministers as were well-affected without any Charge removed from their Ministry and put them out of their places whereby he discovers his dis-affection to the present Government by upholding and countenancing the Malignant party in Authority and keeping under the Parliaments friends all which this Petitioner is able to prove and further refers himself to the Copies of Letters hereunto annexed the Originals being in the Petitioners hands First Sir A. H. never acted concerning placing or displacing Ministers but in publique and that with the Commissioners of of the four Northern Counties and that upon their appointed days of publique Meeting and also with the assistance of Doctor Jennison Mr Wells Mr Hammond Mr Wolfred Mr Durant with several other godly and well-affected Ministers Secondly Sir A. verily believes that there was never any Minister approved that publiquely refused to take the Engagement and he is very confident that there was not any Minister against whom proof was made of his Delinquency or scandal but was put out Thirdly He doth not know of any one well-affected person that was put out of his living except scandalous ignorant or insufficient as for the Copies of the Letters Sir A. H. conceives they neither concern him nor prove any thing against him Artic. 3. That Sir Arthur Haslerig undertook to the Councel of State to examine the Articles exhibited by the Petitioner to the Councel of State against Mr Charls Howard High Sheriff of Cumberland but neglected the same and came privately into the Country to Naward and there feasted with the said Sheriff who is a dangerous and most notorious Delinquent as appears by the Charge exhibited against him by the Petitioner to the Councel of State The Councel hath declared this also to be false and scandalous and concerning Sir A. H. going to feast with Mr Howard about the latter end of Summer he being commanded to take care of all the Forces that were for the preservation of the Borders and to enter into Scotland upon Carlile side Sir A. H. being in those parts upon that occasion and the City of Carlile infected with the sikness Mr Howards house being next unto the Borders was necessitated to be two nights there and this was his private going into the Country to feast with Mr Howard and if so be to have Articles exhibited against a man by such an Article-maker or Forgerer be sufficient to evidence a man a dangerous and notorious Delinquent the Parliaments best Friends must beware of Musgraves Artic. 4. That the said Sir Arthur Haslerig suffers Captain Howards Troop to lie upon free quarter upon the Country for these four Moneths last past and doth conntenance one Dobson Captain Howards Leiutenant who cheated the Troop of 1350 pound and when complaint was made to Sir Arthur Haslerig he never punished him for the same Captain Howards Troop belongs to the Garison of Carlile and Sir A. H. is confident that the Governor thereof hath not suffered them to live upon free quarter and you may guesse by this at Musgraves tales for whereas he chargeth Sir A. H. for countenancing Dobson in cheating the Troop of 1350. li. and saith when complaint was made to Sir Arthur he never punished him for it the truth is this about September last Complaint being made by Captain Howard against the said Dobson his then Leiutenant for detaining money from some of his Troopers Sir Arthur understanding discontents arising in the Troop forth with gave the said Captain a Warrant all written with his own hand to seize upon his Lieutenants person and all his horses and then also put another able and honest Lieutenant to be in his place and upon further examination finding that there was 39. l. 2. s. and no more due to the Souldiers the Troop being engaged upon the Border service and the Captain and Lieut. Dobson at Newcastle with Sir A. H. the said Dobson was discarged his place and was made to enter into a Bond of 500. l. with one Robert Huntly Merchant in Newcastle an able and sufficient man bound with him the Bond bearing date the 15 of October last that the said Dobson shall answer the same at a Councel of War upon twenty days notice the Troop being upon service as aforesaid and not then at leisure immediately to prosecute and you may the better undersâ—â—â—d the truth of this by the Cirtificate following written by the now Lieutenant of the said Troop These may certifie whom it may concern That ever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 came to be Lieutenant to Capt. Cecil Howards Troop which began the 7 of October last the Troop hath constantly paid their quarters as soon as we received our pay from the honorable Col. Thomas Fitch Governor of Carlile which he was very careful to pay to my Capt. Cecil Howard as soon as it came to his hands by order of the Committee from the Army or otherwise and lest the Country should through want of timely notice go without their money it hath been my care to cause notice to be given to them as soon as the money was to be paid out and I often told the Country that if any man did neglect to pay his quarters my Capt. Howard or my self would see them paid if they did make it known to us And to my knowledg the said Troop hath been upon constant duty
it was this Musgrave And Sir A. doth acknowledg that he never suffered so much disgrace by preferring any man to any place of Trust as he hath received by him for the Commissioners of Goldsmiths-Hall have most justly turned him out of Commissions for his corrupt and wicked actings and that you may see a true character of this John Musgrave his great Zeal for this Commonwealth and against Papists-Delinquents and who is the truer Friend unto Papists and Malignants and more faithful to their Trusts Sir A. H. or this John Musgrave read this ensuing Letter from his Fellow Commissioners of that County For the Worshipful Tho Craister Esq Major of the City of Carlisle haste haste in Newcastle SIR About the 15 day of October Mr Clement Skelton brought in an Order from the Commissioners for Compounding to the Commissioners for Sequestrations in Cumberland to examine the validity of a Deed produced to them touching the clearing of Andrew Huddleston's Estate a Papist in Arms worth 120 l. per annum The said Mr Skelton bringing the said Order before us and the said Deed was demanded wherefore he did not seek his Interest in that Estate before that time the same being under Sequestration for four or five years The said Mr Skelton replyed He could never get a man for his purpose until he met with Mr John Musgrave and being asked How the said Order was got He answered Mr Musgrave knew better then himself whereupon Mr Musgrave was called and at his coming in said 'T is true he had 10 l. to sollicite that business It being replyed He was not sent for to know what he had for so doing but what the Commissioners for Compounding said to the matter in dispute and what he thought of it himself To the first he answered That Mr Winslow did engage to send the said Order and that he conceived if we could not prove the said Skelton to have made away the Estate to the said Huddleston the Deed was valid and so it did behove us to certifie whereupon he withdrew The said Mr Skelton being further asked When he had the aforesaid Estate in possession and what Rent he had received of the said Mr Huddleston He thereupon was silent whereupon we told the said Mr Skelton That if any man went about to conceal a Delinquents Estate that same Act made him liable to Sequestration and further we produced before him the late Committee Book wherein it did appear the said Mr Skelton had farmed the said Estate of the late Committee in the year 1647 and payd the Rent due for the same without claiming any Interest therein whereupon the said Mr Skelton withdrew and never since appeared to claim any Title therein But since the said Mr Andrew Huddleston paying in his Rent due for the same confessed that he had given to Mr John Musgrave himself 10 l. and sent him up to London 5 l. more and about the day aforesaid Mr Musgrave being asked Why he would take 10 l. for solliciting a business of that nature against the State and his Conscience at the very time when he was Commissioner for Sequestrations for the State contrary to his Trust and Oath which he either had or should have taken He replyed He was a Sollicitor as well as a Commissioner and would not forego his Solliciting for being a Commissioner It is to be noted That about the 27 of April 1650. the said Deed was produced before Mr Craister Tho Langhorn and Mr Musgrave then Commissioners for Sequestration The said Commissioners returned the Deed with this Answer That it was to be cleared above whereupon the said Mr Musgrave by his expressions seemed to undertake that business as it appears he did and also at that time spoke in other Delinquents behalf so much as gave occasion to his Fellow-Commissioners to have some Jealousies of his actings and presently after the said Tho Langhorn saw the said Mr Musgrave receive a sum of Mony from the said Mr Huddleston and the said Mr Musgrave went presently after to London and stayd there above three moneths which caused Mr Craister and Tho Langhorn to desire the Commissioners for compounding either to joyn with them such as would act faithfully and fully for the Publick or else excuse them from the service the affairs of Sequestrations speedily requiring diligence and action upon which desire of theirs the said Musgrave was outed and others put in before the said Mr Skeltons Order was examined but Mr Musgrave took his discharge so ill that he did vehemently threaten that the said Tho Langhorn and others should have Lex Talionis and further that Sir Arthur Haslerig to stop his mouth had made him a Commissioner but now being outed his mouth was open To which one replyed It seems a great place will stop your mouth Also at that time he was outed of being Steward of the honor of Penrith and the said Mr Musgrave being poor his Estate not being possible to be made worse we do verily beleeve put him upon printing his Book notwithstanding we desire to forgive him and the Lord to give him Repentance which is all we can offer to you at this time The truth of what is said shall be sufficiently by our selves and others proved We desire you to finish that Letter to the Commissioners above whereof you took Instructions at Carlisle with the tender of our Service to all the honorable persons with you We remain Your Friends and Servants Tho Langhorn Tho Sewell Pearith 6 Januar 1650. Thus have you the several Articles exhibited by this Northern Article-Maker against Sir A. H. with particular Answers thereunto and that you have compleat satisfaction touching Sir A. his innocency in respect unto them all is my perfect presumption I had almost said that a doubt herein all things considered renders the doubtful not so much a man as a Musgrave And although it is beneath a man advanced but one degree in ways of wisdom and discretion to waste his time in setting forth the vileness and baseness of the principles and practices of so worthless a person it being but actum agere he himself having been his own Limbner in this very Pamphlet which he made against Sir A. H. where you may see as in a glass as many ill qualities as can likely croud together in one man yet if you can bear the savor see him anatomized in some few Instances First Observe his covetousness dishonesty and to speak it out his plain knavery in this Instance following in a Certificate under the hand of a Minister and an eye-witness thereof A Certificate from a Minister touching Mr Musgrave's base offering to compound to desist prosecution of an honest man by him accused for a certain sum of Mony About the beginning of February 1648. Captain Crakanthorp and John Musgrave procured an Order from the Committee for Complaints at Westminster to summon several Gentlemen within the County of Cumberland to appear before the said Committee to answer