A declaration of His Excellency the Earle of Leven

A Declaration of his Excellency the Earle of LEVEN, concerning the rising of the Scottish Army from the siege of the City or Hereford.

LLest the mis-representation of our af∣aires at a distance, and the mis-con∣structions of such as want affection, might possibly beget a mis-under∣standing of the reality and sincerity of our ••…••…emions a•••• desires, to be usefull to this Kingdoms, and to im∣prove every opportunity and advan∣tage for advancing the Publike Service; I have thought it necessary to declare and make known the grounds and reasons of the rising of this Army from the liege of Here∣ford: Which are as followeth:

At our first undertaking of this Service we had large promises, for furnishing and providing our Army with Victuall and with all materials necessary for a siege; in both which we have beene exceedingly disappointed. Concerning the first, The Honourable Houses of Parlia∣ment did appoint 200. l. per diem to be assessed upon Here∣fordshire

and the adjacent Counties, to be paid to the In∣fantry of the Army, whereof they never received a far∣thing, but for the most part have beene left to their owne shift, and constrained to eat fruit and the Cornes that were growing upon the ground, and now for these sixe or seven moneths past, have received but one moneths Pay, which was advanced by the City of London.

As the Army hath been much discouraged for want of necessary Provisions for their maintenance, so the Service hath been exceedingly retarded by the want of battering Pieces and Ball, for we had onely from Gloucester three Gunnes of eighteene pound Ball, and to each of them fif∣ty Ball, so that we were forced to send to the Iron Mills to cause more Ball to be cast, which spent a great deale of time; we entertained fifty Miners, and when the Mines were brought to perfection, they were drowned by reason of eight daies continuall raine, the Towne being low in situation; Notwithstanding all which discourage∣ments, after consultation with the generall Officers, Or∣ders were issued upon Munday the first of this instant, to the severall Regiments, to make ready for a Storme against the next morning; but within a few houres after these orders were issued, there came a Messenger from Evesham with intelligence that the Kings Horse, being about 3000. had a Rendezvouze on Broadway and Camb∣den-Hill, and were marching to Worcester: This intelli∣gence was immediately confirmed by Letters from the Committee of Evesham, and from Gloucester, to the Com∣missioners of Parliament, and from Colonell Freeman and Colonell Deverux, (who sent a Copy of a Letter which he had from one of his servants,) some of those Informati∣ons say the Enemy was 7000. others say 6000. and at least

3000. All this could not have made us alter our former resolutions, but at the same time we received a Letter from Lievtenant Generall David Lesley, shewing that he was gone to Scotland with the whole Party of Horse and Dragoones under his command. In this conjuncture we were not a little perplexed how to carry our selves, for when we thought upon all the paines and hazard we had undergone, and the faire probability of our speedy com∣passing the end we proposed therein, we were very desi∣rous to have continued in our resolutions, and the next day to have adventured a storme; but the Enemies For∣ces consisting in Horse and Dragoones, and we having no considerable strength of Horse to interpose betwixt us and their Quarters, which were so neere, that they might easily have assaulted us before our breaches could be made, and so have interrupted us in the midst of the acti∣on; It was generally conceived a very dangerous attempt, for if the Enemies forces should fall upon us before we could enter the Towne, it was the apparant ruine and de∣struction of the Army: And albeit we had been assured to carry the place before the Kings Forces could have come this length, (which by our intelligence we finde was not possible for us to do,) yet having no considerable strength of Horse to oppose the Enemy, all the waies and passages had beene close shut up by their Cavillry, all accommo∣dation of draughts and Provisions of Victuals had beene totally cut of, beside many more inconveniences, from which we knew no way how to be relieved. For preven∣ting of all which, and the preservation of this Army, for the Publike good of both Kingdomes, (which is the mea∣sure of our desires, and the end of all our Actions) after a full debate and serious deliberation, it was resolved by

the Committee of both Kingdomes, residing with this Army, that the Siege should be raised, and thereupon or∣ders were given for drawing off the whole body of the Army to the open Fields, which was accordingly perfor∣med next morning, without any losse upon our side, and the Enemy severall times sallying forth, both with Horse and Boat, were beaten back with the losse of divers, both Officers and Souldiers. These grounds and reasons impartially weighed, will evidence a conjuncture of neces∣sities laid upon us for preferring the safety of the Army to the uncertaine event of a dangerous assault, in the now posture of affaires, when a cruell Enemy is master of the Fields in Scotland, and for these three weeks past, hath robbed, plundered and spoiled the substance of that King∣dome at his pleasure, destroying the Lands and houses of the well affected by fire, and imprisoning their persons, for all which he pretendeth no other quarrell, but the as∣sistance given by us to this Kingdome, which as it was per∣formed with much readinesse and cheerfulnesse, and no lesse expence in the hardest season of the yeare, and when this Kingdome was in its lowest condition: So we are confident to meet with the like kindnesse and cheerfull affection in the day of our calamity, when the Lord is pleased to hide his countenance from us for our sins and provocations against him.

LEVEN.