Reply to a Pamphlet, Title page – Order
COLONELL FIENNES His REPLY to a Pamphlet ENTITVLED, AN ANSWER TO Colonell Nathaniel Fiennes RELATION concerning his Surrender of the City and Caſtle of Briſtol by Clem. Walker.
Which ſaid Anſwer is here Reprinted verbatim.
Ordered to be Printed.
London, Printed for Thomas Vnderhill, 1643.
The Epistle to the Reader.
HAving taken notice of a printed Pamphlet (ſo the Authour himſelfe calleth it) ſet forth in anſwer to a Relation which I made in the Houſe of Commons, concerning my ſurrender of the Caſtle and City of Briſtol (which hath long walked in the darke, and now at length is peeped out, when the Authour might have an excuſe to ſay, that his witneſſes that ſhould juſtifie it are gone away with Sir William Waller.) I earneſtly deſired the Houſe that this buſineſſe of Briſtol might be heard at a Councell of Warre, whereupon it was ordered accordingly, I having formerly deſired the ſame of my L. Generall, who granted my requeſt, but it could not be done till ſuch time as his Army returned to a ſetled Quarter, but now I hope upon the return of his Excellency, the Order of the Houſe of Commons, and a Petition of my ſelfe, and moſt of my chiefe Officers to that purpoſe, this matter ſhall be ſhortly heard at a Councell of Warr, and therfore ſhall content my ſelf with a few Marginall Notes, in anſwer to that lying Pamphlet, referring the full tryall of the truth to a Councell of Warre, till when, I doubt not but every wiſe man will ſuſpend his judgement, and then he ſhall clearly ſee who hath bin the lyar, and who hath bin the Coward.
Nath: Fiennes.
Die Sabbati 25o. September, 1643.
IT is this day Ordered by the Commons aſſembled in Parliament, That it be left to my L. Generall (at the Requeſt and deſire of Collonell Fiennes) to heare and examine the buſines concerning the Surrender of Briſtoll.
H. Elſyng. Cler. Parl. D. Com.
Mr Walkers Epiſtle to the Reader.
Reader,
THough this Anſwer cost but few houres to compoſe it, yet was it a worke of ſome dayes to collect the materialls thereof out of the ſeverall Reports of many principall Gentlemen and Commanders preſent in Briſtol, when it was beſieged; And when this Pamphlet was ready for the Preſſe, I found the Preſse obstructed, whereby I was enforced to keepe it in a monethmonth before I could be delivered of this Birth, Some malicious Iuno ſitting croſſe legged at the labour.
This is a lye, if meant of Col. Fiennes or any of his friends to his knovvledge.
This is the reaſon it commeth out ſo late after the Relation, that it may ſeeme to rub over an old ſore, whoſe ſmart is almoſt paſt. But Truth is a ſluggard that uſes to lie long in bed, after her baſe ſiſter Falſehood is up and stirring: Yet when Truth riſeth, with her ſober conſtant pace, ſhe will ſoone overtake Falſhood, and tread on her heeles. Reader, it is in thy diſcretion that Truth loſe not her grace for want of novelty. Although ſhe come forth with this further diſadvantage, that almost all thoſe Gentlemen and Commanders that ſhould wait upon her juſtification, are going out of Towne with Sir William Waller, yet let Truth be welcome without attendants, without ornaments, it being one of her moſt naturall ornaments to be ſtarke naked.
Thine, Cle. Walker.