of the Governour and Garrison of Oxford made their demands which his Excellency sent up to the Parliament by Colonel Rich and Scoutmaster-General Watson two of the Commissioners for the Treaty on his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax part putting off the Treaty till the pleasure of the Parliament were knowne concerning them The heads of some of the principall of them were these Viz. 1. To have liberty to send to the King to know his Majesties pleasure Whether they shall surrender or not 2. That Prince Rupert and Prince Maurice have protection to remaine in any part of this Kingdome to have no Oath â—…posed on them to be at liberty to do as shall seem good unto them at any time hereafter 3. The Governour and all Officers and Souldiers to martch out in as full equipage as any since these Wars with six Guns ten barrels of Powder and to have thirty days time to know the King's pleasure how he will dispose of them 4. The Privy Seale and Great Seale to goe to the King And such as these The House of Commons upon reading of them conceived them so high that they thought not fit so much as to debate them but referd it to the General in what way he thonght fit to prosecute the reducing of that place May 24. or within a day sooner or later was Radcoat house surrendred after it had endured great extremity by our Granadoes one whereof falling on the top of a Tower made fearfull work tearing it into a thousand pieces and sending it severall wayes and at last falling into the Cellar let out all their Beere There were an hundred men in it who were to goe to their severall homes leaving their Armes behind them His Excellency upon the forementioned returne ftom the Parliament prepared Propositions to offer to the Garrison and sent them into Oxford on Saturday May 30. Whereupon at the desire of the Enemy the Treaty which upon their flying so high in their demands had been discontinued if not broken off was renewed againe they being willing to treat upon his Excellencies Propositions submitting therein as themselves said to the â—ate of the Kingdome rather then any way distrusting their owne strength or the Garrisons tenablenesse month June 1646 During this Treaty a Captaine of the Garrison of Oxford was taken in a Fishermans habit carrying Letters to the King from Sir Thomas Glemham and Secretary Nicholas relating the condition of the Garrison and how long probably they could hold out A few dayes before the Treaty ended when the Enemy peceived it was like to succeed they played with their Canon day and night into our Leaguers and Quarters discharging sometimes neer two hundred 〈◊〉 in a day at randome as was conceived rather to spend their Powder then to doe any great execution though they shewed good skill in that they levelled their pieces so as they shot into the Leaguer on Heddington-hill and on that side Lieutenant-Colonel Cotsworth was slaine with a great shot and likewise into the Leaguer on Colonel Rainsboroughe's side where they killed with their shot a Sutler and others in their Tents Our Canon in recompence playd fiercely upon the enemy and much annoyed them in their Works and Colledges till at last a cessation of great shot was agreed to on both sides Upon Saturday June 20. The Treaty for the surrender of Oxford was finished between the Commissioners and concluded upon the ensuing Articles The same morning that the Treaty for Oxford was concluded Farrington Garrison sent also to capitulate the Governour thereof Sir George Lisle being then in Oxford and to be briefe surrendred upon condition to have the benefit of Oxford Articles and so they were included in the same Agreement Articles of Agreement concluded and agreed June 20. by the right honourable Sir Richard Lane Knight Lord Keeper of the great Seal of England Francis Lord Cottington Lord high Treasurer of England William Marquesse of Hertford Edward Earl of Dorset Lord Chamberlain of his Majesties honorable Houshold Thomas Earl of Southampton Francis Earl of Chichester Francis Lord Seymor Sir Edward Nicholas Knight one of his Majesties principall Secretaries of State all of them being of his Majesties most honorable Privy Councel and Sir Thomas Glenham Knight and Governour of Oxford on the one party And his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax Knight General of the Forces raised for the Parliament on the other party for and concerning the rendring of the Garrison of Oxford as followeth THat the Garrison of Oxford with the Castle Forts Mounts and places of Defence whatsoever With all the Ordnance Arms Ammunition and Provisions of War with all Magazines and Stores thereunto belonging exceping what is allowed in the ensuing Articles shall be delivered to the General Sir Thomas Fairfax or whom he shall appoint without wilfull spoyl or embezlement upon Wednesday the 24. of this instant June 1646. at Ten of the Clock in the Morning or thereabouts II. That his Highnesse the Duke of Yorke shall have an honorable Convoy to London where other of his Majesties Children are attended by his Officers and Servants and sitting accommodation for the removall of His Houshold and goods thither And shall have an Honorable provision besitting his Dignity appointed for Him by the Parliament and to remaine there untill His Majesties pleasure be knowne touching His setling there or elswhere and then to be disposed accordingly to any place within fourscore miles of London and shal have such Officers and Servants to continue about him as the Parliament shall approve III. That their Highnesses Prince Rupert and Prince Maurice shall have liberty and Passes for themselves with their Servants Horses Armes and Goods the number of their Horses for them and their Traine not exceeding seventy to repaire to any place within fifty miles of London so it be not within twenty miles of London without leave from the Parliament nor in any Garrison and there to abide for the space of six moneths after the Rendring free from any molestation by imposition of Oaths or otherwise and shall have Passes to goe beyond the Seas at any time within the said six moneths with their said Servants Horses Armes and Goods they engaging themselves upon their Honours not to use the liberty hereby granted in the meane time to any Hostility against the Parliament of England sitting at Westminster or any way wilfully to the prejudice of their Affaires And they are to have the benefit of such the ensuing Articles as may concerne them IV. That the Seales called the Great Seale Privy Seale Signet and the Seales of the Kings Bench Exchequer Court of Wards Dutchy Admiralty and Prerogative as also the Sword of State shall at such time and in the presence of two such persons as the General Sir Thomas Fairfax shall appoint be lockt up in a chest and left in the publick Library and if any of the aforenamed particulars shall not be then accordingly produced the default thereof shall not be charged upon any
no other satisfaction or assurance therein then this That the King hath made some offers to the Parliament and amongst them one concerning the Militia Something to the purpose as you say you have heard but the just certainty what his last overtures are or how far they are advanced to a generall accord I cannot at present certifie I do not heare they have proceeded so farre as to a Treaty And I beleeve that as the Parliament may be discouraged from the way of Treaty by former experiences of the fruitlesnesse thereof and the ill use the same hath been designed or driven unto viz. onely to gaine advantages for Warre without reall intentions for Peace so the late overtures that way are the lesse like to be succesfull by reason of the cleer and certaine discoveries the Parliament have had That his Majesty at the same time was and is labouring by Agents in all parts to draw in Forraigne Forces and especially that the Earle of Glamorgan by Commission from his Majesty had concluded a Peace with the Irish Rebels on tearmes extreamly dishonourable and prejudiciall upon the onely condition of sending over Force under the command of that Lord to invade England whereof I presume you cannot but have heard And though his Majesty did in a Letter to the Parliament disavow any such agreement and pretended he had given order to the Lord Digby for the attainting and impeaching the Earle of Glamorgan of high Treason for what he had done therein yet by late discoveries to the Parliament and especially by Letters intercepted the other day at Padstow from the Lord Digby the Earle of Glamorgan and others to Secretary Nicholas your selfe Sir Edward Hide the Lord Culpepper and others it is most cleer and evident that the arresting of the Earle of Glamorgan was onely for a present colour to salve reputation with the people and continue their delusion till designes were ripe for execution for the same peace is fully concluded with the Rebels the King to have the ayde conditioned upon the same agreement and the Earle of Glamorgan at liberty againe and to command that Force in chiefe Now for the overture of a meeting to treat further about the Propositions I sent though I know nothing materiall that I can adde or alter except in circumstances yet I shall not refuse or decline such a meeting or ought else that probably tends to the saving of blood or further misery to any Provided the meeting be speedily and number of persons not to exceed four or five But my Lord when you consider what I have before related concerning Forraigne supplies which I have reason to think you know beleeve you see what cause I have to be jealous of advantages sought by delayes and not to intermit any time or omit any opportunity to prosecute the service I have in hand And that there may be no colour of your expecting that forbearance on my part which you offer on yours I doe the more hasten back my resolution to you In pursuance whereof I doe not despise nor shall insult upon your present condition I question not nor yet shall I hope be much moved with the resolution of your men I presume not on former successes nor present advantage in fleshly power but desire to trust in God alone whose favour and blessing to this Army above others I doe not account in what is past or expect in future to be for any precedence in merit or goodnesse of ours whereby we should be more pleasing to him then others but from his owne Free grace and goodnesse towards his people whose welfare with the common good of the Kingdome we seek and desire with all faithfulnesse and integrity to pursue And so committing the issue of all to his good pleasure J remaine Your humble Servant THO. FAIRFAX March 9. 1645. Moreover besides the proportion this Answer might beare to the better information of the Lord Hopton his Excellency to satisfie him more fully commanded some of the Regiments to advance this day to Tregny an ill signe of a Cessation and the next day the Army advanced two severall wayes part of it following to Tregny the head Quarter that night another part of it to Probus and those parts But such was the force of the Lord Hopton's imagination upon his owne Souldiers that they instead of asking acted a Cessation when our Forlorne of Horse comming neer theirs not far from Probus they did not endeavour to put themselves in order to receive us nor did they make any tesistance but stood still our men much wondring thereat And what was the cause but a Cessation between the Armies as they beleeved or would seem to beleeve for so soon as our men came neer they cryed A Cessation a Cessation ours cryed No no there was none and much adoe had Commissary-generall Ireton and other Officers to perswade them there was none notwithstanding since they were so possessed and deluded we wisht them to be gone and we would take no advantage of them The Enemy expressing much sorrow that there was not a Cessation as they were informed retired seeming also to be somewhat affected that they had so noble and ingenuous an Enemy that took not this advantage to do them any hurt as we might have done there being no Cessation The Lord Hopton seeing his stratagem would not take but he must beg a Cessation if he would have it and that his men were so startled at the advance of our Army The Lord Hopton sends for a Treaty sent this night about twelve of the clock for a Treaty naming the place Tresillian-Bridge if his Excellency approved of it The Trumpet was returned about three in the morning That the General did hearken to a Treaty and would appoint Commissioners to meet at the place proposed by the Lord Hopton Hereupon Commissioners on both sides were nominated to meet at nine the next day being Tuesday morning March 10. But the General being unwilling to lose time gave Orders for a martch accordingly the Army that Tuesday advanced by breake of day and martched to a Randezvouz within two miles of Truro by ten of the clock where the Lord Hopton's Trumpeter brought a safe Conduct for our Commissioners and they having received the like from us a Cessation was agreed to but withall a Message was sent to the Lord Hopton from the General That he intended to quarter his Army at Truro and Saint Allen that night which he thought fit to give him notice of that none of his Forces might be left in the Towne when our Souldiers entred This much disrelished with the Lord Hopton and his Commissioners that he sent had much reluctancy against it The General upon conference with the Commissioners was content to let them have Saint Allen for their Quarter his Excellency reserving still Truro the prime Quarter to himselfe And here we had the Enemy in a pound so that he had but six miles bredth to break through if
he attempted it And now we having the Passe at Truro the Lord Hopton drew his Forces to quarter more Westward and the Treaty was adjourned till next Morning and a Cessation observed on both Sides Wednesday the 11. The Commissioners on both sides met againe but could not make any great progresse into the Treaty the Cessation was continued for a day longer about one hundred and twenty Musquetteers came in this day with their Armes and Colours flying being of Colonel Trevanian's Regiment also divers Colonels Knights and Gentlemen of quality sent to the General making knowne their desires to be received into the protection of the Parliament which so disheartned Colonel Trevanian then with his Regiment at Perin that late that evening he sent unto his Excellency desiring he might be included in the Treaty with the Lord Hopton and have the same conditions that other Officers were to have These things so operated with the Governour of Saint Mawes Castle a principall Fort that had a great command of the Haven at Falmouth that he sent to the General to be received into favour And although Arrundell the Governour of Pendennis sent to command him to come into the Castle of Pendennis he fearing some evill intended against him refused and persisted in his former desire whereupon the General sent him conditions with a Summons which were accepted and he agreed to surrender By reason of the Cessation our Troopers mixed with the Enemies and upon this bruit abroad though without ground that the Enemies Troopers should lose their Horses they to make some advantage of them coursed good store of their best Horses to our men By twelve of the clock this night all the materiall poynts of the Treaty were concluded matters of circumstance onely remained which yet were so necessary to be concluded in order to the perfecting of the Treaty that the next day was allowed and the Cessation continued for the finishing thereof When the Treaty was fully ended and Hostages appointed the same day Saint Mawes Castle was surrendred and thirteen pieces of Ordnance in it whereof two great Brasse Pieces of about four thousand weight apiece and our Foot were sent to possesse it The Treaty being thus ended with great joy did the Enemies Officers receive our conditions and wisht they had sooner known our intentions towards them Those that seemed most discontented were the common Troopers that were to be dismounted who therefore to mend their conditions had changed away their best Horses for advantage before the disbanding And it is not to be credited how much our Army did get into the Enemies esteem during the Cessation and what sorrowfull expressions many of them did make that they han been so deluded concerning our carriage ingenuously confessing that the civility of our Army had been ever till now concealed from them Officers and Souldiers unanimously desired imployment for Jreland being willing to take the Sacrament Oath for that they proposed or to enter into what other Obligation should be thought fit That as they would never beare Armes against the Parliament in England so that they would not if they were imployed in Jreland by the Parliament desist from pursuing of their commands against the Jrish Rebels upon any countermand or other invitation of the Kings affirming that they had sufficiently smarted already for being enticed by him Saturday was appointed to be the day of disbanding which yet of very necessity was put off till the next day in the meane time one hundred and twenty more of the Enemies Foot with Colours came in and now all things being agreed the Commissioners of both sides supt this night with the General The next day which was appointed for the Disbanding was the Lords day in which the Army would have been glad to have rested but in regard time was precious and the country suffered so much by the Enemies Forces that lay upon them they by good warrant preferred mercy and necessity before sacrifice and the French Regiment under the command of Monsieur Laplane which was to be the first disbanded was that day brought to the place appointed for Disbanding Their Horses were very poore they having before by private contracts put off the best of them There were about three hundred dismounted but they having made their markets before most of their Horses as was but just were turned back upon their owne hands as not worth the twenty shillings an Horse which they were to receive according to the agreement In the space of five dayes more was the work finished and the whole Field force of the Enemy in the West of England disbanded viz. On Monday two Brigades of Horse Tuesday 17. the two Brigades of the Lord Cleveland's and Major-General Web's Wednesday 18. part of the Lord Wentworth's Colonel Bovile's Brigade Lord Hopton's Life-guard and Sir Richard Greenvil's Life-guar'd Thursday two Brigades more of which the Lord Goring's was one and the Princes Life guard Friday 20. the two last Troops of all the Cornish Horse were disbanded The number of Brigades in all that were disbanded were nine viz. the French Brigade consisting of three Regiments The Lord Wentmorth's Brigade consisting of four Regiments Sir James Smith's Brigade consisting of three Regiments The Lord Cleveland's Brigade consisting of four Regiments Major-General Web's of three Regiments The Lord Hopton's Brigade commanded by Colonel Bovile The Lord Goring's Brigade of five Regiments The Princes Life-guard consisting of nine Troops being seven hundred men armed Sir Richard Greenvil's Reformadoes The men that were dismounted are proper and lusty men To the Honourable William Lenthall Esquire SPEAKER of the Honourable House of COMMONS SIR WHilst I lay at Bodman for the necessary refreshment of the Army and to block up the Passages from Bodman to the North and South Sea I sent a Summons with Propositions to Sir Ralph Hopton and the Army under his command A true Copy whereof I have here inclosed being encouraged thereunto by some of the Enemies Officers and Souldiers who came in to me and informed of their inclinablenesse to Conditions and hoping thereby either to bring them to such termes as should be to your advantage or would distract and weaken them and withall understanding by the intercepted Letters I sent you that an Irish Infantry was ready to be shipt for England I thought fit to try all meanes which in probability might break their Body of Cavalry upon the place When I had dispatched these Propositions to the Enemy J advanced upon Monday with all the Army from Bodman towards Truro being then the Enemies head Quarters and to Tregny where I quartered that night Sir RalphHopton sent a Trumpeter to me with a Letter desiring to have Commissioners apointed on both sides to meet at Tresilian-Bridge the next day with power to treat and conclude which I assented to The Treaty accordingly began the Commissioners meeting about four a clock in the Afternoon and J in the meane time advancing the quarters of the Army to Truro and
3 others Lieut. Gen. Cromwel Ear. of Northampton Oxfordshire 500 April 16 1645 Bletchington hous By a party of horse and dragoons 4 houres  150  450 3 Lieut. Gen. Cromwel Col. Windebanke Oxfordshire 72 April 26 1645 neer Farringdon By a party of horse 2 houres 10 40  50 3 Col. Io. Fienes  Berkshire 150 April 27 1645 Bampton-Bush By a party of horse 2 houres  230  200  Lieut. Gen. Cromwel Col. Sir W. Vaughan Oxfordshire 60 May 11 1645 Taunton relieved the first time By part of the Army 54 200 slain in the siege 200  260  Col. Welden General Goring Somersetshire 30 May 22 1645 Oxford foot and horse Routed By a party of horse  3 200  200 1 Adjutant Flemming Capt. Gardiner Oxfordshire 12 May 24 1645 Godstow-house quitted  2 10  30  General Fairfax  Oxfordshire 6 June 1 1645 Gaunt-house yielded 3 2 82  100  Col. Rainsborough  Oxfordshire  June 14 1645 Naseby Battell fought in 2 houres 800 4500 12 and two Mort. pices 8000 112 Gen. Fairfax King Charles Prince Rupert and Prince Maurice Northamptonshire 200 June 18 1645 Leicester town yielded 3 6  14 2600 8 Gen. Fairfax Lord Hastings Leicestershire 300 June 27 1645 Highworth garris yielded 3 houres 4 70  180 2 Gen. Fairfax Major Hen Wiltshire 12 July 3 1645 Taunton Relieved the second time 5 weeks 1000 of the enemies 400  400  Gen. Fairfax Lord Goring Somersetshire 460 July 8 1645 Ilchester garrison quit 1    18  Gen. Fairfax Col. Phelips Somersetshire  July 1645 Ilmore Fight By a party of horse 2 houres 50 200  300 9 Major Gen. Massie Lord Goring Somersetshire 300 July 10 1645 Lamport Battell Lamport Garrison Fought and quit 1 60 1600 2 2500 32 Gen. Fairfax Lord Goring Somersetshire 1200 July 13 1645 Burrough hil fort yielded 4 8 151  200  Col. Okey  Somersetshire  July 23 1645 Bridge water stormed 11 30 1600 44 3000 9 Gen. Fairfax Col. Windham Somersetshire 200 July 30 1645 Bath City yielded 1  140 6 400 2 Col. Rich Sir Thomas Bridges Somersetshire 11 August 4 1645 A Club-Army on Hamilton-hill routed 1 houre 60 400  600 12 Lieut. Gen. Cromwel Master Bravel of Compton Dorsetshire  August 15 1645 Sherburne Castle Battered and stormed 16 200 of ours 340 19 600 2 Gen. Fairfax Sir Lewis Dives Dorsetshire 30 August 20 1645 Nunny Castle yielded 2 5   100  Col. Rainsborough Capt. Turbervile Somersetshire  August 28 1645 Portshotpoint Fo. yielded 6 3  6 140 1 Lieut. Col. Kempson  Somersetshire  Septemb. 10. 1645 Bristol City stormed 18 160 of ours 200 151 6000 8 Gen. Fairfax Prince Rupert Somersetshire and Gloucestershire 20 Septemb. 23 1645 Devizes Castle yielded 7 5  2 400  Gen. Fairfax Sir Charles Lloyde Wiltshire  Septemb. 24 1645 Laicock house yielded 2      Col. Pickering Col. Bovill Wiltshire  Septemb. 25 1645 Barkley Castle stormed 9 40 90 11 500  Col. Rainsborough Sir Charles Lucas Gloucestershire  October 8 1645 Winchester Castle yielded 6 4  7 500  Lieut. Gen. Cromwel Lord Oagle Hantshire  October 14 1645 Basing house stormed 6 40 300 11 500  Leiut Gen. Cromwel Marq. of Winchester Hantshire 80 October 18 1645 Langford house yielded 1      Lieut. Gen. Cromwel Sir Barth Pell Wiltshire  October 20 1645 Tiverton castle stormed 6 4 200 4 400 2 Gen. Fairfax Sir Gilbert Talbot Devonshire 20 January 8 1645 Near Barnstaple quarters beaten up By a party of horse   80  100 2 A Captain of the Plimouth Regiment Sir Allen Apsley Devonshire 80 January 1645 Bowe fight by a party 3 houres  60  100  Sir Hardresse Waller  Devonshire 40 January 9 1645 Bovy-Tracy quarters beaten up By a party of horse and foot  12 60  200 â—one of the K. with C. â— Lieut. Gen. Cromwel Lord Wentworth Devonshire 350 January 16 1645 Plimouth siege raised By the advance of the Army   22 5 left in the works 80  Gen. Fairfax Major Generall Sir John Digby Devonshire  January 19 1645 Dartmouth stormed 7 20 800 106 1600 14 Gen. Fairfax Sir Hugh Pollard Devonshire 60 January 25 1645 Poulderhamcastle yielded 1   2 300  Col. Hamond Sir 〈◊〉 Meredith Devonshire  February 16 1645 Torrington stormed  60 400 80 baâ—… of powd fired 1600 9 Gen Fairfax Lord Hopton Lord Wentworth Lord Capell Devonshire 70 February 24 1645 Engagement of horse near Stratton by a party  12 40  250 4 Col. Butler Major Gen. Web Devonshire 300 February 25 1645 Launceston quitted after dispute 2 houres 3 160  200  Gen. Fairfax  Cornwall 30 February 28 1645 Saltash garrison quitted    3 left in the works   Gen. Fairfax  Cornwall  February 29 1645 Lisard Town quitted    3   Gen. Fairfax  Cornwall  March 3 1645 Mount Edgcomb yielded    5   Gen. Fairfax Col. Edgecombe Cornwall  March 3 1645 Foy Town quitted   60 10 140  Gen. Fairfax  Cornwall  March 1645 Castle-Dennis engagement of horse by a party   100  300  Col. Rich Major Gen. Pert Cornwell 300 March 14 1645 Treaty at Truro Horse disbanded     2000 â—… Colours of horse Gen. Fairfax L. Hopton L. Wentw. Cornwall 4500 disbanded March 16 1645 Exmouth Fort yielded 46   16   Col. Sir Har. Waller Col. Arundell Devonshire  March 16 1645 Dennis Fort yielded    22 200 2 Gen. Fairfax  Cornwall  April 1646 Corfe castle By stratagem and storm 48 11  5   Col. Bingham Major Laurence Dorsetshire  April 13 1646 Excester city yielded 180 100 40 75 1500  Gen. Fairfax Sir Iohn Berkley Devonshire  April 15 1646 S Michaels mount yielded 15   15 400  Col. Hamond Sir Arthur Basset Cornwall  April 20 1646 Barnstaple Town Castle and Fort. yielded 30 20  35 400  Gen. Fairfax Sir Allen Apsley Devonshire  April 1646 Dunster Castle yielded 150 20  6 200  Col. Blagge Col. Windham Somersetshire  April 1646 Woodstock gar yielded 20 40  2   Col. Rainsborough Capt. Fawcet Oxfordshire  May 1646 Salcomb Fort yielded 50   8   Col. Welden Col. Fortescue Devonshire  May 1646 Banbury Castle yielded  8  9 600 8 Col. Whaley Sir William Compton Oxfordshire  May 1646 Radcot Fort yielded 15 6  2 140  Col. Saunderson Col. Palmer Berkshire  June 10 1646 Borstall House yielded 18   5 300  Gen. Fairfax Sir William Compton Buckinghamshire  June 24 1646 Oxford City yielded 55 60  300 2000  Gen. Fairfax The Lords of the privy Councell and Sir Thomas Glemham Oxfordshire  June 24 1646 Farringdon house yielded 55 40  4 500  Sir Robert Pye Sir William Courtney Oxfordshire  July 22 1646 Worcester City yielded  20  25 1500  Col. Rainsborough Col. Washington Worcestershire  July 27 1646 Wallingford cast yielded 65 5  7 800 7 Gen. Fairfax Col. Thomas Blagge Berkshire  August 17 1646 Pendennis castle yielded  17  94 860  Col. Fortescue Col. Arundell and Sir John Digby Cornwall  August 19 1646 Ragland castle yielded  20  23 500  Gen. Fairfax Marq. of Worcester Munmouthshire  Place this Table between folio 334. and 335.
that when the affairs of this Kingdom will possibly dispence with us the Parliament allowing and you accepting of our assistance We shall be most willing if need so require to help and serve you faithfully in your own Kingdom and to engage our selves to suppresse the Enemy there and to establish you again in peace In the mean time we shall endeavour to help you by our prayers and to wrestle with God for one blessing of God upō both Nations between whom besides many other strong relations and engagements We hope the Vnity of Spirit shall be the surest Bond of Peace And this whatever suggestions or jealousies may have been to the contrary we desire you would believe as you shall ever really find to proceed from integrity of heart a sense of your sufferings and a full purpose to answer any call of God to your assistance as become Your Christian friends and servants in the Lord Thomas Fairfax Oliver Cromwel Thomas Hamond Henry Ireton Edward Montague Richard Fortescue Richard Inglesby Iohn Pickering Hardresse Waller William Herbert Robert Hamond Iames Gray Thomas Pride Robert Pye Thomas Rainsborough Thomas Sheffield Charles Fleetwood Ralph Welden Iohn Raymond Leon Wattson Arthur Evelin Richard Dean Thomas Iackson Iohn Desborough Christopher Bethel The report concerning the storm being made unto the Counsell of War and fully agreed unto the Canon baskets were ordered to be filled Seamen and boats sent for Thursday September 4. The weather that had been so extream wet before that many Souldiers and Horses dyed thereby with extream hard duty in that wet season began to alter to the great reviving of the drooping souldier Our great guns played this day from off the new battery against Pryors for t Summons was also prepared to be sent to Prince Rupert and being agreed unto was sent in accordingly which runs in these words For his Highnesse Prince Rupert Sir for the service of the Parliament I have brought their Army before the City of Bristol and do summon you in their names to render it with all the Forts belonging to the same into my hands for their use Having used this plain language as the business requires I wish it may be as effectuall unto you as it is satisfactory to my self that I do a little expostulate with you about the surrender of the same which I confesse is a way not common and which I should not have used but in respect to such a person and to such a place I take into consideration your royal birth and relation to the Crown of England your honour courage the vertues of your person and the strength of that place which you may think your self bound and able to maintain Sir the Crown of England is and will be where it ought to be we fight to maintain it there But the King misled by evill Counsellours or through a seduced heart hath left his Parliament under God the best assurance of his Crown and Family the maintaining of this Schisme is the ground of this unhappy war on your part and what sad effects it hath produced in the three Kingdomes is visible to all men To maintain the rights of the Crown and Kingdom joyntly a principal part whereof is that the King in supream acts is not to be advised by men of whom the Law takes no notice but by his Parliament the great Counsel of the Kingdom in whom as much as man is capable of he hears all his people as it were at once advising him and in which multitude of Councellours lyes his safety and his peoples interest and to see him right in this hath been the constant and faithfull endeavour of the Parliament and to bring these wicked instruments to justice that have misled him is a principal ground of our fighting Sir if God makes this clear to you as he hath to us I doubt not but he will give you a heart to deliver this place notwithstanding all the other considerations of honour courage fidelity c. because of their constancy and use in the present business depends upon the right or wrongfulness of this that hath been said And if upon such condition you shall surrender it and save the losse of blood or hazard the spoiling of such a City it would be an occasion glorious in it self and joyful to us for restoring of you to the endeared affection to the Parliament and people of England the truest friend to your Family it hath in this World But if this be hid from your eyes and through your wilfulness this so great so famous and ancient a City and so full of people be by your putting us to force the same exposed to ruine and the extremities of war which we yet shall in that case as much as possible endeavour to prevent then I appeal to the righteous God to be judge between you and us and to require the wrong And let all England judge whether the burning of its Towns ruining its Cities and destroying its people be a good requital from a person of your Family which hath had the prayers tears purses and blood of its Parliament and people And if you look on either as now divided hath ever had that same party both in Parliaments and amongst the People most zealous for their assistance and restitution which you now oppose and seek to destroy and whose constant grief hath been their desires to serve your Family have been ever hindred or made fruitless by that same party about his Majesty whose counsel you act and whose interest you pursue in this unnaturall war I expect your speedy answer to this Summons with the return of the Bearer this evening and remain Your Highness humble Servant Thomas Fairfax This day about 2000 well affected countreymen who with many more upon treaty with the Lieutenant-General at the beginning of the siege had engaged their assistance to make good the same marched with some 36 Colours in the face of Bristol had quarters assigned them and kept guards Two pieces of Ordnance also were sent unto them for their encouragement it not a little grieving the Enemy within to see the forwardness of the countrey to come to our assistance for which reason and to lay an effectual caution against their revolt it was held fit to make use of those force◠from the countrey rather then for any considerable service could be expected from them The Trumpeter that went in with the Summons was detained all night during which space no sally was made by the Enemy nor no alarm given by us Only the Sea-men and their boats comming up the river to St. Vincents Rock was all the motion this day produced Neither upon Friday September 5. was there any sallying out but all was quiet on both sides and the Trumpeter returned from Prince Rupert with an answer to the Generals Summons in these words Sir I received yours by your Trumpeter I desire to know whether you will give me leave to send a Messenger to the