Englands Parliamentary Chronicle, Chronicle · Floating text 1 – Letter 3
Conditions wherupon the Surrender of the Town of Newcaſtle, and Fo…es thereof, with all the Ordnance, Ammunition, and other Warlike furniture thereto belonging, were demanded by his Excellency, the Earl of Leven, Lord Generall of the Scottiſh Army; to bee kept by him for the uſe of his Majeſty, and the Parliament of England.
1. THat the Officers and Souldiers who deſire to goe out of Town, ſhall have liberty to paſſe with their Arms, Horſes, bagge and baggage, to what place they pleaſe, the ſame not being already beleaguered, and ſhall have a ſafe convoy thither, it being within forty miles diſtance, and ſhall bee accommodate with draughts in their march.
2. That all Strangers, Reſidents, Sojourners, or Inhabitants, who deſire to goe out of the Town, with the aforeſaid Officers or Souldiers, ſhall have the like liberty, convoy and accommodation.
3. That ſick and hurt Souldiers ſhall have all neceſſary accommodation untill their recovery, and ſhall have a ſafe conduct as aforeſaid.
4. That the Citizens, Burgeſſes and Inhabitants ſhall have their perſons, houſes, families and goods, kept from violence, and ſhall have the ſame free liberty of trade and commerce, as any other Town reduced to the obedience of King and Parliament.
5. That their priviledges, liberties, and juriſdiction, ſhall bee preſerved inviolate, conform to their ancient charters, in manner above writen.
6. If any of the ſaid Citizens, Inhabitants, or others, preſently within the Town, ſhall deſire to goe and live in their Countrey Houſes; they ſhall have protection, and ſafeguard for their perſons and eſtates.
7. That no Billet ſhall bee granted upon any of the Inhabitants without their conſent.
8. The whole Army ſhall not enter the Town, but onelyonly a competent Garriſon.
Signed, LEVEN.
Provided alwayes, that in caſe theſe Conditions above writen bee not accepted, and Hoſtages ſent before eight a clock in the morning, the nineteenth of this inſtant, for ſurrender of the Town, at or before Munday next, they ſhall then bee altogether void, and have no effect.
But in place of accepting the above Conditions, (which the Governour himſelf did afterwards, acknowledge moſt honourable) they not only returned this following Anſwer (whereby their judiciall induration, and obſtinacy may appear) but the Governour likewiſe, the ſame morning, while the Army was in action, ſent out a Letter to my Lord Sinclair, full of mockeries and incivilities; but before that day ended, hee changed his ſtrain, and was reſolved of his ſcruple, whether there was ſuch a man that had the name of Leven.
Anſwer of their three Commiſsioners to the Lord Generall his laſt Letter, with the Articles, Octob. 19.
My Lord,
VVEE received your Letter, wherein you ſay, wee cannot make good that your Commiſſioners demands are againſt either his Majeſties honour, or the welfare of Newcaſtle; Wee will give you but one reaſon amongſt many; whether it bee for his Majeſties honour that the Town of Newcaſtle ſhould be rendred to any of another Nation; nay more, if it bee for the honour of the Engliſh Parliament: and that it is not for our welfare is ſo clear, needs no anſwer. And wheras you ſay, you wonder wee are not aſhamed to be ſo delatory, having demanded a Treaty; We ſay, we wonder you can be ſo forgetfull, knowing we have your Letter to ſhow, that the Treaty was your own motion: but for Anſwer to the reſt, and to your Articles; Wee ſay, the delivery of Newcaſtle is not of ſo ſmall moment, but if you intend as you ſay, time may well bee given till munday for giving anſwer, for in caſe wee ſhould give conſent to let you have this Town, there are divers more Articles then you have ſet down, both fit for us to demand and you to grant. Therefore if you would ſhun effuſion of blood-ſhed, as you profeſſe, forbeare your acts of Hoſtility, untill wee give you Anſwer upon Munday, wherein wee will not faile; otherwiſe wee doubt not but God will require an account at your hands, and beſides, will keep and preſerve us from your fury. So expecting your Anſwer, Wee reſt
Your Friends, Jo. Marlay, Nich. Cole, G. Baker. Newcaſtle, 19. Octob. 1644.
The Letter ſent by the Governor to my Lord Sinclair, Octob. 19
My Lord,
I Have received divers Letters and Warrants ſubſcribed by the name of Leven, but of late can hear of none that have ſeen ſuch a man; beſides, there is ſtrong report hee is dead: therefore to remove all ſcruples, I deſire our Drummer may deliver one Letter to himſelf: thus wiſhing you could think on ſome other courſe to compoſe the differences of theſe ſad diſtracted Kingdomes, than by battering Newcaſtle, and annoying us who never wronged any of you; for if you ſeriouſly conſider, you will finde that theſe courſes will aggravate, and not moderate diſtempers: but I will referre all to your own conſciences, and reſt
Your Friend John Marlay. Newcaſtle 19. Octob.
By theſe former Letters, Anſwers, and Replies, it is more than manifeſt, how perverſly obſtinate the Enemy was, and how carefully and patiently they were ſought after; but ſeeing their obſtinacy deſperate and incurable, it was full time to proceed to action; for the condition of the Army, which had endured much hardſhip, and of the Mines which were alwayes in hazard of diſcovery, as they had formerly deſtroyed ſome ſeven or eight, and the approaching Winter, could not well admit of further delayes; and thereupon, October 19. early in the morning, the Cannon began to play upon the walls from their ſeverall Batteries, while 8 a clock, at which time the Hoſtages ſhould have come out, or otherwiſe they were to expect the extremities of Warre; but ſince none came, the ſervice continued from all the Batteries, and the Regiments were drawn up; ſtanding to their armes, while the breaches were in readineſſe, and the Mines ſprung. About three a clock in the afternoon, the Enemy by their countermines had very neer approached ſome chambers where the powder was lodged for blowing up the walls, which being ſignified to his Excellency, he forthwith ordered, that fire ſhould bee given to theſe two mines endangered▪ and thereafter to maintain the breaches carefully, while the generall aſſault ſhould bee made from all quarters: a little after, the day failing, and the breaches being made, though not ſo large and paſſable as was needfull for ſo deſperate ſervice; the word was given, and the ſign made, to give fire to the reſt of the Mines, and for the Regiments to advance all at once towards the breaches, and thoſe places of the wall which were opened by the mine; but they met with no ſmall oppoſition, and nothing was left undone by the Enemy to repell the fury of the aſſault: They played very hotly and deſperately from the Caſtle upon the breaches, and from the …anking-towers of the walls with ſcattered ſhot; yet the Regiments advanced without any ſhrinking, though the Cannon played from many places upon their full open bodies, ſo that the difficile acceſſe to the breaches, and the mighty advantages of their walls and works within the Town, made a conſiderable loſſe of Souldiers and Officers of good quality; yet notwithſtanding all difficulties and reſiſtances, they acquit themſelves as become a people that conſidered the importance of ſo high a cauſe, and minded nothing but the happineſſe of both Kingdomes; and after two houres very hot diſpute upon the breaches, they found their firſt entry at the mine ſprung on the Weſt ſide of the Town, neer to Cloſe-gate; and after their entry, were furiouſly charged three ſeverall times by the horſe which were in Town, but the charge was gallantly ſuſtained and the place maintained, while the reſerve of that poſt came to aſſiſt: thereafter they marched for the releif of the reſt of the breaches, and ſo the Souldiers gave over and forſook the walls, and the whole body almoſt of the Army entring, they became Maſters of the Town, which taſted of no leſſe mercy and favour after the Victory, than they found valour in obtaining the ſame; for after their entry▪ the Souldiers did quite vaniſh, ſheltring themſelves in houſes, the Inhabitants kept cloſe their doores, the Regiments marched thorow the ſtreets without any inſolency or diſorder, never offering once to rifle a houſe, or cut off either Citizen or Souldier; they were preſently after their entry in peaceable poſſeſſion of all the corners and ſtreets, and on a ſudden, all tumult, feare and noyſe, did ceaſe. Upon the firſt entry, the Governour Lodovick Lyndeſay, ſometime Earl Crawfoord, the Lord Maxwell, Doctor Wiſhart, a man of a dangerous temper, who had ſeaſoned the people both before, and the time of the ſiege with bitter Malignancy, Mr. Gray and Alvay, and others of the perverſe crew, authours of all the evils which might juſtly have falne upon the Town, ſo exceedingly obſtinate, according to the rule of Warre, did all betake themſelves to the Caſtle, whence they caſt over a white flag, and beat a Parlee, but before notice could bee taken thereof, all the ſervice was neer done. The principall houſes of the Town were preſerved from plundering by the Officers; the Common Souldiers that night, after they had long kept their arms without doing any wrong or violence, entred ſome houſes of the meaner ſort, not ſafeguarded, and did a little pillage, and take away the goods out of them, but leſſe than ever any people or Army did in the like caſe, which was the teſtimony of the moſt Malignants and Papiſts themſelves, expreſſing in theſe very words, that no Hiſtory can parallell where leſſe cruelty and inſolency, and more mercy were ſhewn in any Town gained by ſtorm, which ought to bee no ſmall matter of gloriation, when the Enemies are conſtrained to acknowledge, that the wayes and practiſes of thoſe who have often declared the purity of their intentions, are now found out to bee nothing different from their profeſſion; and indeed it were to bee wiſhed that the well-affected in the Kingdom had as great feeling of the advantage given to the cauſe, and the good they received ſince the comming in of that Army to England, as the enemies to the peace and happineſſe of both Nations are ſenſible of the hurt done to them and their deſignes. But to return.
The Town being that ſame night ſecured, and the Guards carefully appointed at the breaches, and by the water-ſide, to watch the eſcape of thoſe who were within, and with ſo much loſſe and paines now caught in the ſnare. Next day thereafter, being the Lords Day, his Excellency did likewiſe enter the Town, and with the Generall, Officers, and others of the Army, did goe to the Church ſtraightway, and gave thanks to God, that hee was pleaſed, even according to the words, and wiſhes of their Enemies, to proſper and bleſſe his People, according to the juſtneſſe of their Cauſe; The Governour, who was lately ſo pertinacious, and high minded, that hee would neither hearken himſelf to any thing which might tend to the preſervation of the Town, but likewiſe publiſhed Proclamations, that none ſhould preſume to ſpeak of any compliance to a ſurrender, did now become a humble ſuiter to the Lord Generall (whom hee thought not to bee in the world that morning) that his Excellence would bee pleaſed to ſuffer him, and thoſe that were with him in the Caſtle, to depart to the Kings next Garriſon, as may appear by the following Letter, wherein you ſee him a humble ſupplicant, though in ſome of his former, a ſcornfull Prophet.
A Letter ſent by Sir John Marlay, ſometimes Governour of Newcaſtle, to his Excellence, from the Caſtle, the day after the Town was taken. Octob. 20.
My Lord,
ALthough you have the fortune of War againſt mee (and that I might I confeſſe have had honourable tearmes from your Excellency:) Yet I hope your Nobleneſſe will not think worſe of mee, for doing my endevours to keep the Town, and to diſcharge the truſt repoſed in mee, having had ſtrong reaſons ſo to doe, as is known to many; And now whereas I am compelled to betake my ſelf to this Caſtle, I ſhall deſire, that I and thoſe with mee, may have our Liberty, and your Licence, to ſtay, or goe out of the Town with your ſafe Paſſe, to his Majeſties next Garriſon, which is not beleaguered, with our Horſes, Piſtolls, and Swords; And to have 14 dayes time to diſpatch our Journey, ſo many as pleaſe to goe. And truely, my Lord, I am yet confident to receive ſo much favour from you, as that you will take ſuch care of mee, as that I ſhall receive no wrong from the ignoble ſpirits of the vulgar ſort; for I doubt no other, I muſt confeſſe, I cannot keep it long from you, yet I am reſolved, rather than to bee a ſpectacle of miſery and diſgrace to any, I will bequeath my ſoule to him that gave it, and then referre my body to bee a ſpectacle to your ſeverity; But upon theſe tearmes aboveſaid, I will deliver it to you, and ſo intreating your Anſwer, I reſt,
Your friend and ſervant, John Marley. From the Caſtle in Newcaſtle, the 21 of Octob. 1644.
For his Excellency, the Earl of Leven, Generall of the Scottiſh Army.
Compare this Letter with that which hee ſent out the day before, then look what a day may produce; And now could there bee any thing more juſt, than to deny favour to a man ſo eminent in all the wayes of Malignancy, ſo wicked an inſtrument; One who had ſo exceedingly provoked the Army, and had ſleighted all gracious offers of Peace? Hee is now overtaken in his ſeaſon, and as God in his Juſtice had decreed, and his Servants foretold, thoſe enemies to the peace of the Kingdom in theſe parts, are overthrown, and were forced to ſurrender the Caſtle, and come out upon mercy; Sir John Marley was committed to his houſe by a ſtrong guard, to defend him from the fury of the incenſed people, for hee is hated, and abhorred of all, and hee brought many Families to ruine. The reſt that were in the Caſtle, have likewiſe in conſtrained humility, ſubmitted themſelves, and are rendred Priſoners, though not many dayes before, theſe peaceable Divines taught the people, that it was more lawfull, one of them to eate another, than to hearken to the Scottiſh Traytors, or comply with them in any ſort.
The Town is now in as good condition, as ever any Town reduced by the extremity of Warre, and thereupon expoſed to the rapine of Souldiers, which oft times is unavoidable. All care was had to preſerve the houſes and goods of the Inhabitants, ſo farre as poſſibly could bee done; and to that effect, many Proclamations made, That no Officer nor Souldier ſhould preſume to trouble nor plunder the houſe of any, under the pain of death. And that better obedience might bee given thereto, and all occaſions of tumults, wrongs and oppreſſions might the better bee avoided, It was Ordered that no Officer, nor Souldier ſhould ſtay in the Town, without ſpeciall Order, but to return to the Leaguer, and his former Quarters; And likewiſe for the further weale and eaſe of the Town, the Quarters of the whole Army, are enlarged, and none ordained to ſtay in Town, but the proper Garriſon.
This is the true Relation of the ſucceſſe of the Scottiſh Army againſt Newcaſtle, whereby it would appear, that God delights to co-operate with his Armies. The beſt uſe that can bee made thereof, and of all other Victories, is, to make them ſteps of advancement for the Reformation begun, and great encouragement to expede the Work in hand, and beat down all difficulties.
A Letter from the Committee at the Scottiſh Army, to the Committee of both Kingdomes.
Right Honourable,
VVEE know not any better uſe you or wee can make of the great ſucceſſe wherewith it hath pleaſed God to bleſſe our attempts againſt this Town, than to make it evident to the world, that Truth and Peace are the utmoſt of our deſires, and deſignes. For this purpoſe, wee muſt unceſſantly renew our former deſires to you, That all other Affaires whatſoever ſet aſide, you will ſo farre take to heart the ſetling of matters of Religion in the Worſhip of God, and Government of his Houſe in this Kingdom, as you may in your own, and our Names, become earneſt ſollicitours with the Aſſembly of Divines, to put that buſineſſe to a period, and with the Parliament, that where the foundation is laid by the Aſſembly, their Authority bee not wanting for the compleating of the Work; no greater incouragem…nt than this can come to the hearts of all thoſe that are ingaged in this Cauſe with you, nor can any meanes bee ſo powerfull, to remove theſe great prejudices raiſed againſt our Cauſe, by the abundance and variety of Sectaries, Separatiſts, and Schiſmaticks living amongſt us, to the great ſcandall of the Goſpel, and profeſſors thereof. This being done, wee may with the greater confidence expect a bleſſing upon our endevours for Peace, for which, as no ſucceſſe can alter our deſires, ſo wee are confident, you are uſing all expedition poſſible, for expediting your Propoſitions thereof, that they may bee diſpatched to his Majeſty, whoſe favourable acceptance is prayed for thereunto, by
Your affectionate Friends, and Servant, Sinclare J. P. D. Newcaſtle 23 Octob. 1644.
See heer, now then (pious and impartiall Reader) whether England hath not moſt juſt cauſe, everlaſtingly to bleſſe the Lord our God, in working thus gloriouſly for us, by theſe our loyall Brethren,What great & moſt juſt cauſe England hath, for ever, to love moſt entirely their faithfull brethren of Scotland. and eternally and moſt entirely to love and embrace them, in our beſt affections, who have not only thus extraordinarily laid out themſelves, and carryed their lives in their hands for us, and expoſed themſelves to ſuch and ſo many marveilous dangers of death and deſtruction: but alſo ſo ſweetly, preciouſly and piouſly declared (as in this their laſt Letter is ſo clear and conſpicuous) their only ayme in all this, and the reſt of their toyles and labour of love, to bee Gods glory, the true Religions and pure Reformations ſplendour, and the juſt Laws and Liberties of Subjects firm and faithfull eſtabliſhment; and whether our moſt wicked and wretched Malignants ſlanderous mouthes are not moſt abundantly ſtopped,Malignants moſt ſlanderous mouths juſtly ſtopped. to Gods eternall glory, and all good mens juſt rejoycing, let all that hear of theſe truths, righteouſly judge. But now to proceed.
About the 25 of this inſtant came certain intelligence, by Letters out of the Weſt to London, that Sir Richard Cholmley (Brother to Apoſtate Sir Hugh Cholmley) with about 2 or 300 Horſe about Colliton, Axmiſter, Bemeſter and other places, on the confines of Dorſetſhire, A brave exploit performed by renowned Col. Seel…y, Governour in Lyme.had driven away many Cattle from thoſe Country people; whereupon brave Colonell Seeley, the moſt renowned Governour of Lyme, having intelligence thereof, drew out a party, who ſoon diſcovering the plunderers, fell upon them, took 56 of them, horſe and armes, reſcued all the plunder they had got, and ſo routed the reſt, that they all fled and diſperſed themſelves ſeverall wayes. Among the priſoners taken, as aforeſaid, were 2 Captaines, and 10 other Commanders and Officers, who were all carryed to Lyme, and all the plundered Cattell were mercifully reſtored to their owners; Cholmley himſelf fled, but was ſhot in his ſhoulder, as was confeſt by the Priſoners taken, and many others of the Enemy ſore wounded.
Much about the ſame time, information being given to the Parliament of intolerable cruelties, and outrageous inſolencies committed by barbarous Iriſh Rebels (Oxfords good ſubjects) and ſome of the very Natives of heatheniſh Wales, The moſt juſt reaſons of an Ordinance of Parliament againſt Iriſh Rebels taken priſoners by Sea or Land, who are to have no quarter granted them.by burning and deſtroying the Corn on the ground, ſtripping all ſorts of both ſexes ſtark naked, ſtigmatizing ſome, half hanging others, and then ſuffering them to live, or rather, to languiſh in that condition, all which was informed, I ſay, by Letters to the Parliament, by divers honeſt inhabitants of thoſe parts, and by ſome of the Committees of the Parliament, at Haverford Weſt, in South-Wales. And further information being given to the Parliament, of one Colonell Mac Mayler, an Iriſh-Rebell, (another of King Charles his good Catholick Subjects) taken priſoner in Yorkeſhire, by the Lord Fairfaxes forces, under the Command of that valiant and faithfull Commander, Colonell Lambert; as alſo the ſad confirmation of ſuch like cruelties of the Iriſh-Rebels at Boulton, and Leverpool, in Lancaſhire, all which being as freſh bleeding wounds, ſtill in the ſad memory of all people, and now at this time moſt ſeriouſly conſidered of, and well weighed by our moſt prudent Parliament; Both Houſes heerupon paſſed an Ordinance of Parliament, requiring all Commanders in Cheif in any part of the Kingdom, to give no Quarter to any Iriſh-Rebell taken by Sea or by Land, in any part of the Kingdom; And becauſe all Souldiers in all parts of the kingdom might take notice hereof, Letters were Ordered to bee ſent down by the Committee of both kingdomes, to all principall Commanders with that Ordinance incloſed in them, for the more certain and exact execution thereof accordingly.
And about the 26 of this inſtant October, the Parliament underſtanding by good intelligence,Certain intelligence brought to London that ours and the Kings forces were within 2 or 3 miles of Newberry, and like to be engaged. that the King and his forces were about Newberry, and Dennington Caſtle, and that ſome part of the Parliaments Army was upon one ſide of Newberry, neer about the place where the fierce battaile was fought between them the laſt year, and that the reſt of our Army was within 2 or 3 miles at fartheſt from Newberry, between the Kings Army and Oxford, and that both the Armies being ſo neer each other, there was like to bee a ſpeedy ingagement between them; The Parliament, therefore, deſired the Aſſembly of Divines at Weſtminſter, on Munday October 28, to turn their other intended buſineſſes and affaires of that day into prayers for a bleſſing on our Armies, which accordingly they did. And the ſame Munday night, Gods providence ſo ordered it, that the Lord Generals Scout-Maſter, Mr. Bedford, came to Town, and brought certain information to the Committee of both Kingdoms, of a brave defeat given by his Excellencies Forces to the Kings Army, neer Dennington-Caſtle, which alſo was confirmed by a Letter directed to the honourable Speaker of the Houſe of Commons, ſent from 3 or 4 Eminent Commanders and Officers in Armes, whoſe names were ſubſcribed thereto; A Copy of which Letter, being a full and complete relation of the fight, I have heer, for the Readers better content and fuller ſatisfaction, inſerted, which was as followeth.