The yeare of jubile: or, Englands releasment, purchased by Gods immediate assistance, and powerfull aiding of her renowmed Parliament and the forces raised by them

CHAP. III. Sir Thomas Fairfax receiveth the Town of Bathe by composition: A Narration of the Kings entertain∣ment at Huntington, and of the carriage of his Ar∣mie there.

HIS Excellencie the Parliaments Generall, intending the reducement of Bristol, a Town of great concern∣ment, after some dayes easie march, ariving neer Sherborn, and resolving to use all the means of man, not doubting of Gods assistance, to put a period to the sad, and to be bewailed civill war, resolved to send one party to Sher∣born, to block it up, at least til time and ability served to pro∣ceed more violently against it, he therefore appointed Collo∣nel Pickering, a man right valiant and pious, to prosecute the intention as aforesaid.

A Councel of War being called, to consult what designe would be most advantagious, most safe and speedy, for the reducing of Bristol, it was concluded, that the taking of Bathe, which would else be an obstacle, was first most requisite, and if not made a Garison, yet it might serve for a strong Quarter, and be much assistant to their Designe.

The Generall approved the advice, and resolved to prosecute it, and the next day with his whole Army advanced to Wels, where being arived, he heard news very much unexpected, to wit, that their trouble of besieging, or danger of storming the Town of Bath, would not be required, for the Enemy had quitted the place, and unconstrained the reasons these.

The Townsmen not willing to bear Armes, nor yet to har∣bour Souldiers that came from Bristoll, dreading infection, the plague being then and had been before a long time, there very

hot, and raging, the souldiers they had of their own being too few to man the Works, the Governour Sir Thomas Bridges, resolved to quit it, which thing hee had surely done, had there not arived at that present an 100 men from Prince Rupert, with orders willing him to stay and defend the Town. Sir Themas upon probability of quitting it, thought fit to spare his Foot an unnecessary march, and sent two Regiments of Horse, comman∣ded by Col. Rich and two Troops of Dragoons with Col. O∣key, to take a view of the condition of the Town, that he might do as occasion served: They came neere the Towne and were opposed, when they presently Summoned, but the Summons slighted, they resolve to enter by force, the Dragoons encoun∣tring the Enemy on the Bridge, prevailed against them and gained it, and setting on fire the South west gate burnt it down, which the Governour seeing, was willing to surrender, condi∣tionally, that hee and his Officers might have liberty armed to march to Bristoll, which was granted them, and they speedily departed, leaving behind them many souldiers prisoners.

• Twenty barrels of powder,
• Three hundred arms,
• A Tun of match,
• Six Iron Peeces of Ordnance.

Col. Rich and Col. Okey having entred the Town, sent the Generall notice of their prosperous proceedings, and desired him to repair to them, which hee accordingly did, and com∣ming to Bathe, having bestowed some time in setling thereof, and having placed a strong Garison, returned back to Wels.

About this time his Majesty being in a strait, and doubting of the ability to engage with the Parliaments Forces, whom he unworthily and caulesly brandeth with the names of Tray∣tors and Rebels, commeth as in Progresse into Huntington∣shire, though in truth to levy force, and to borrow or to take summes of money, of which he was in much want, and com∣ming to Huntington, a Town notorious for Malignancy, and averinesse to Reformation.

The Major of Huntington, and two Bailiffs of Godman-chester,

a Town neer adjacent, as being wrapt and to congra∣tulate the Kings arrivall, taxed their Towns at ten and fifteen shillings a man, some of them mean men & poor housholders, who were constrained to borrow the money, and to work hard and fast withall, to regain their impaired ability: the Major and Bailiffs and forty three of his Brethren presented his Ma∣sty with a great sum of their extorted money, who, whether misdoubting their fidelity, or some great ones about him splee∣ning them, or what other reason might be, I know not, but sure I am they were constrained, as prisoners to passe in the conduct of the Army, so soon as the King came, Proclamation was made, that no souldier, upon pain of death, should plunder, which peradventure might be a watch-word to warn them thereto; for no sooner was it proclaimed, but souldiers fell to plundering on heaps, carrying out of shops and houses, whole loads of Goods and Wares, and in some houses left nought to adorn them but barewalls, the Townsmen were forced to bil∣let some twenty, some thirty in one house, and to afford both horse and mans meat for twelve pence a day, and to give all the World a true character of them, they knockt off all the Irons from the Prisoners and Fellons in Huntington Goale, many of them condemned for murther, who all took up arms for the King, and is this the mayntaining of the Laws (so fre∣quently protested) and here let the Reader take notice that the Cavaliers and Royall party (Fight neither for God, nor for his Majesty as they pretend) would they else deal so hardly and tyrannically with his Friends, that favour his proceedings, in all parts where they come, as in perticular this Town of Hun∣tington, plundered by them, without distinction or exception of any, carrying with them many known Royallists as Priso∣ners, for that they denied those sums of money, which their un∣conscionable and uncharitable selves demanded, so that it is, or may be apparant, to all not wilfully blind, that they fight to mayntain and uphold, so long as they may, their pleasure and rapine, their debausht and luxurious living, to which they are so accustomed and bewitcht, that they are resolved, with it

their lives shall terminate, but they have but a short time, I trust now the wheels of the Chariots are taken off, so that they march but slowly and in Despair, against GOD.

Notes

• Sherburn Ca∣stle blocked up
• What the Ca∣valiers fight for.