The Taking of All Forts 2, Letter
A LETTER FROM The Earl of WARWICK: RELATING The taking of all the Forts, and 16 Pieces of Ordnance, from the Malignant Corniſhmen, that had before beſieged the City of EXETER.
TOGETHER WITH An Apologie made by an Engliſh Officer of Qualitie, for leaving the Iriſh Wars: Declaring the Deſigne at this time now on foot to reconcile the Engliſh and Iriſh together: And by their joynt Power having expelled the Scotch and Iriſh Proteſtants, to bring their Popiſh Forces againſt the PARLIAMENT.
This is Licenſed, and Entred into the Regiſter Book of the Company of Stationers, according to Order.
LONDON: Printed for John Partridge. July 29. 1643.
A LETTER FROM THE EARL OF WARWICK.
Maſter Smith,
I Have received Yours of the 11. of this MonethMonth, and am now in ſuch haſte, as I cannot ſay much to you: I am here at Topſham Barre, and have begun by Gods bleſſing well yeſterday, having taken all the Forts on both ſides the River, and Sixteen Peece of Ordnance, and now have ſent up ſome ſmall Ships to ſecure the River, with Eight Hundred Land and Sea-men, I hope this day, if the rain hinder not, to give a good puſh to the Buſineſſe I came for; I yeſterday took one of their Companies, Captain White by name, a great Papiſt, and under the Marqueſſe Hertfords Commiſſion, all his Popiſh trinkets about him. I have little Force with me, onelyonly the James, Swift-ſure, Martin, Capt Dicke, 2. Whelps, who are out of Victualls, and Danske alſo, ſo that it is not poſsible for me to ſend to Carrickfergus: Nay, I ſhall be puzzled how to ſend any Ship hence for a Convoy, with Ammunition to Briſtoll, for want of Shipping: Therefore you muſt ſend them from London or Briſtoll.
Captain Batten likewiſe Writes for more Ships, for fear of the Danes, and ſome leſſer ones, to guard that Coaſt, I have none: I pray acquaint the Committee with it, they muſt ſet out more Ships, if they will imploy ſo many, for in my life, I was never ſo put to it for want of Shipping, and there is but three on the Weſt end of the Channelſ, which is much too little.
What our Ships do at Guernſey and Jerſie, I know not: Aſſoon as I have done here, I muſt for the Iſle of Weight, to repleniſh the ſmall Ships with Victualls, and my ſelf. I pray give order that their Victualls meet us there, that are to come to them and to us. Captain Bowen is at Portſmouth ſetting a new Main-Maſt, Somaſter in the Downes, went after the Marmaduke to carry her in to you.
And where you write that the French Merchants deſire a Ship to go from hence to Morlays, to convoy ſome Veſſells they have there laden with Linnen, for this Kingdom, aſſoon as I have diſpatched this Buſineſſe fox Exceſter, I will endeavour to ſend ſome one of thoſe few Ships that are with me, if I can finde any of them ſo well furniſhed with Victualls for ſuch a Voyage.
As touching that buſineſſe of the Hollanders, and my Writing to Trump, I was by their Order to receive an Anſwer from Trump; And if the Committee received not ſatisfaction upon Trumps Letter to me, then I was to Write to Maſter Strickland: You have ſent me the Letter onelyonly in Dutch, which I underſtand not.
I pray excuſe me to my Vice-Admirall, for not Writing to him at this time, and acquaint him. That I have no ſmall Ships for him, for the Lucie and the Samuel, which I purpoſed for him, I ſent them long ſince to the Coaſt of Holland, with Directions when they had done that Service, to repair to him, and if they be not gone to him, you muſt ſpeak to the Committee to ſupply him with ſome ſmall Ships from London, for I have not any.
And ſo having no more for the preſent, being in great haſte, I remain Your aſſured loving friend: Warwicke. Aboard the Swift-ſure at Topſham-Bar, the 19 July 1643.