Englands Parliamentary Chronicle, Chronicle · Letter 41 – Floating text 17
To the Right Honourable Sir Thomas Fairfax Knight, Captain Generall of the Forces raiſed by the High Court of Parliament under his Command; and other the renowned Worthies of that Army.
Right Honourable:
WE (though not an acceptable number of a more unacceptable County) having by Gods bleſſing, ſo faire an advantage of giving our due reſpects to your Honour, do with them preſent our perſons alſo; which we moſt unfainedly proteſt have been hitherto by us, moſt unvoluntarily ſeparated, as our former readineſſe and frequent indeavours to advance this ſervice; beſides Impriſonments, Fines, and other moſt miſerable ſufferings, can evidently teſtifie: And therefore we firſt bl…ſſe the great Lord of Hoſts, by whoſe providence you are made ſuch victorious Miniſters of our deliverance from ſuch intollerable bondage; and next to our great and wiſe Councell, by whoſe publique care and commiſſion, we have the happineſſe this day to ſee you Conquerors for the preſervation of our Religion, ſo long violated, and reſtitution of our liberty, ſo long inthralled: Neither may we omit a gratefull acknowledgement of the unexampled valour and vigilance, which have been ſo magnanimouſly exerciſed for the reducing of this unhappy Kingdome from the wofull condition of a bloody war, to ſo fair hopes of an aſſured and moſt happy peace: And now ſince it hath pleaſed God thus to bleſſe us; we preſume not to motion through difference your future care of his Glory and the Common-Wealths good; having ſo many rare examples of your readineſſe to defend both: However, give us leave as a people that to our great grief and miſery have ſo long a time wanted the happie influence and equity of the Law to relieve us, to mention our deſires of their reparation; whereby alſo to diſtinguiſh our ſelves from thoſe which have with an high hand indeavoured to ſubvert them: and as hitherto you have not wanted our Prayers to God for a bleſſing upon your Counſels and Actions So now, your Honour ſhall not want the ready, though weak aſſiſtance, ſo far as the lives and fortunes ſhall extend, of your ſervants and faithfull votaries.
The taking into conſideration this Petition, and the coming in of the perſons afore mentioned; as alſo the riſing of the Inhabitants at Camelford, Ginny-Hill, and other parts in the Eaſt and North of Cornwall for our aſſiſtance; it was held fit to ſummon a Poſſe of five or ſix of the hundreds, to appear at Bodman-Down to morrow being Friday, where ſome will be fitted with Inſtructions, to impart the Generals minde unto them: For to morrow part of the Army advances to Saint Columbe and other parts; the Enemy is retreated from Caſtle Dennis, and laſt night had his Head Quarter about Truro: ſome part of their Forces at S. Allens, and kept Guard neer S. Columb; as our ſtaying here three daies will prove to our advantage in ſetling theſe Eaſtern parts of the Country; So we are confident it will do ſo for the Weſtern; for Gorings Horſe will ſufficiently incline the people to wiſh the coming of this Army for their eaſe and preſervation. The Enemy gave out they would plunder Truro, becauſe the people there already appear for us; but it was anſwered, Whether ſhould they go with their plunder when they had it: Severall of the Princes ſervants have ſent unto the Generall for Paſſes to come in, and to repair to their homes; which I conceive they now ſolicite for, in regard the Prince is gone to Sea: but where he is landed, we yet hear not. Laſt night a Veſſell out of Ireland came into Padſtow, the Townſmen ſeized upon her, and three other Veſſels, going out with plundred Goods, and ſent to our Forces at Ware-Bridge for aſſiſtance, which was this morning accordingly ſent unto thme. A Spie is juſt now come from the Enemies Quarters; moſt of their forces are North of Truro: We ſhall be very neer Truro to morrow night. I beleeve the Generall after one daies advance will ſend a Summons to the Lord Hopton. I take my leave, and reſt
Your moſt faithfull and humble Servant Jo. Ruſhworth. Bodman, March 5. 1645. two in the afternoon.
SInce the writing of my Letter, here is Captaine Farre come from Padſtow, who with Captaine Wogan boarded the Iriſh Veſſel, and with the aſſiſtance of the Townſmen and Townſwomen put them all to the Sword but two, about thirty in all, wicked naturall Iriſh. God hath moſt ſeaſonably brought that Veſſell thither: It enrages the Country againſt the Kings party for bringing in of forraigners. Theſe are but the fore-runners of many thouſands ſpeedily to come over, as by their Packets of great concernment appears: Indeed, of ſo great concernment, conſidering from whom they come, that it is not fit to be lightly mentioned: they were thrown into the Sea, yet recovered; an expreſſe is to come up with them: We have cauſe to bleſſe God for ſuch a mercy. Severall of thoſe Letters ſubſcribed by Glamorgan, Ormond, and Digby, were this day read to Maſter Corriton, Mr. Lower, Mr. Glanvile, Mr. Treviſa, &c. And one of the two Iriſh that had not his throat cut, was brought before them, which hath ſo ſatisfied them of the Kings intentions, and ready preparations to bring in bloody Iriſh Rebels into this Kingdom, that they offer, to the hazard of Life and Eſtate, in perſon to oppoſe them. I will ſay no more till the Letters come: Pardon my haſte.
Bodman, March 5. 1645. ſix at night.
A Summons is gone to Hopton.
Which Summons coming in here moſt fitly by that mention therof and of moſt ſingular excellencie, and worthy to be recorded to poſterity, I have thought convenient and very neceſſarie here to inſert it, the Copy whereof was as followeth:
Sir, through the goodnes of God to his people and his juſt hand againſt their enemies, your forces being red…ced to ſuch condition, as (to my ſenſe, the ſame good hand of God continuing with us, wherin alone we truſt) they are not like either to have ſubſiſtance or ſhelter long where they are,The Summons ſent to Hopton. or to eſcape thence, nor (if they could) have they whither to go for better: I have thought good (for prevention of more bloodſhed, or of further hardſhip or extremity to any, but ſuch whoſe hearts God ſhall harden to their owne deſtruction to ſend you this Summons for your ſelfe and them to lay downe Armes, and withall a tender of ſuch conditions (upon a preſent ſurrender and ingagement, never more to beare Arms againſt the Parliament) as may be better than any thing they can rationally expect by further ſtanding out.
Firſt therefore to the Souldery in Generall, Engliſh and Forrainers, I ſhall grant liberty either to go beyond Sea, or to their homes in England as they pleaſe; and to ſuch Engliſh as ſhall chuſe to live at home, my Protection for the liberty of their perſons, and for the immunity of their eſtates from all plunder or violence of Souldiers, and all to goe their wayes with what they have, ſaving Horſe and Armes.
But of Officers in Commiſſion, and Gentlemen of quality, I ſhall allow them to go with horſe for themſelves and one ſervant or more ſutable to their quality, and with Armes befitting Gentlemen in a condition of Peace. And ſuch Officers as would go… beyond Sea for other ſervice to take with them their Armes and full number of horſes anſwerable to their Offices.
To all Troopers and the inferiour ſort of Horſe Officers [bringing in and delivering up their horſes and armes] twenty ſhillings a man [in lieu of their horſes] to carry them home.
To Engliſh Gentlemen of conſiderable Eſtates, my Paſſe and Recommendation to the Parliament for their moderate compoſition.
Laſtly, for your Selfe (beſides what is before implyed to you in common with others) you may be aſſured of ſuch mediation to the Parliament in your behalfe both from my ſelfe and others, as for one, whom (for perſonall worth and many vertues, but eſpecially for your care of and moderation towards the Country) we honour and eſteeme above any other of your party, whoſe Errour (ſuppoſing you more ſwayed with Principles of Honour and Conſcience than other) we moſt pity and whoſe happineſſe (ſo far as conſiſtent with the publike welfare) we ſhould delight in more than in your leaſt ſuffering.
Theſe things not from any need or other ends than Humane, and Chriſtian] having offered, I leave to your conſideration and theirs whom they concerne, deſiring your and their ſpeedy reſolving, which I pray may be ſuch, as ſhall be moſt for the honour of God, the peace and welfare of this poore Kingdome, and for your and their good ſo far as may ſtand therewith.
And having herein diſcharged (as I conceive) the duty of an honeſt man, a Souldier and a Chriſtian, if God ſhall ſee it good to let your hearts be hardned againſt your own peace, I ſhall (though with ſome regret for that ill which ſhall inſue to any; yet with cheerfullneſſe and rejoycing at the righteous Judgements of God) purſue my charge and truſt for the publique in another way, not doubting of the ſame preſence and bleſſing which God hath hitherto vouchafed in the ſame Cauſe, to the weake endeavours of
Thomas Fairefax. March 5. 1645.
About the 16.A brave defeat given to the Enemy at Saint Culbumbe in Cornwall, and that Garriſon taken them. of this inſtant, we received more certaine intelligence by Letters out of the Weſt, of the ſtill continued good hand of God unto us in Cornwall, and in perticular of a brave defeat given to the Enemie by our forces there at or about Saint Cullumbe and the taking of that Garriſon from the Enemies, which being fully and faithfully ſet forth to the Parliament, by maſter Ruſhworths Letter, I have here thought fit to give the Reader a ſight of the Copy thereof; which was as followeth.