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. V. Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX gaineth the famous City of Bristoll, the Articles of agreement between the Commissioners appointed on the behalfe of the Governour, Prince Rupert and his Excellencie Sir Thomas Fairfax, for the surrendring of the Ci∣ty. Ruperts Entertainment at Oxford.

THe victorious Generall Sir Thomas Fairfax being commanded by the Houses of Parliament, to siege, and God assisting, take the City of Bristoll, out of their Enemies hands, the Generall to command obedience, advanced with his numerous and couragious Army to Bristoll, and what by valour and policy incroached each day neerer and neerer their out-works, and in many places got within Pistoll shot, and had many desperate and hot firings with the Enemy, who often made divers furious, but fruitlesse sallies to their own losse and disadvantage, the strong Port called Portshead Point was taken by assault, to the great discouragement and disheartning of the Enemy: the Generall perceiving the po∣tency of the Foe, and the strength of the works, and knowing to too well the pittilesse and implacable inclination of the Go∣vernour, Prince Rupert, to prevent the inevitable ruine that would else happen on both sides, sent him this Summons, which for the elegancie and excellencie thereof, is worthy to be read by posterity, which was this.

To his Highnesse Prince Rupert.

SIR, For the service of the Parliament, I have brought their Armie before the City of Bristol, and doe summon you in their names, to render it, with all the Forts belonging to the same, to their use.

Having used this plain language at the businesse, Requires I wish it may be effectuall with you, as it is satisfactory to my selfe, that I a little expostulate with you about the same, which I should not have used, but in respect to such a person and such a ploce, I take into consideration your Royall birth, and relati∣on to the Crown of England, your honour, courage, and fide∣lity, and the strength of that place, which you may think your selfe bound and able to maintain.

Sir, the Crown of England is, and will be, where it ought to be, and we fight to maintain it there, But the King mis∣led by evill Counsellors, or through a seduced heart, hath left his Parliament and his people, under God, the best assurance of his Crown and family, the maintaining of this Schisme is the ground of this unhappy war on your part, and what sad effects it hath produced in all the three Kingdoms, is visible to all men to maintain the rights of the Crowne and Kingdome jointly, a principall part whereof is, that the King, in supreme Acts, concerning the whole State, is not to be advised by men of whom the law takes no notice, but by his Parliament, the great Councel of the Kingdom,

In whom, as much as man is capable of, he hears all his peo∣ple, as it were at once advising him, in which multitude of Counsellors lie, his safety, and the peoples interest, and to set him right in this, hath been the constant and faithfull endea∣vour of the Parlioment: Note, and to bring those wicked In∣struments to Justice, that have misled him, is a principal ground of our fighting.

Sir, If God make this clear to you, as he hath to us, I doubt not but he will give you a heart to deliver this place, notwith∣standing, all the other considerations of honour and courage, because of their consistencie, and use in the present businesse, depends upon the right or wrongfulnesse of this that hath been said, and if upon such conviction you shall surrender it, and save the losse of bloud, and hazard of spoyling such a City, it would be an occasion glorious in it selfe, and joyfull to us, for the re∣storing of you to the indeared affection of the Parliament, and

people of England, the truest assurance, under God, to your family.

But if this be hid from your eyes, and through your wilful∣nesse, this so great, so, famous, and ancient a City, and so full of people, be, by your putting us to force the same, exposed to ruine and the extremities of War, which yet we shall in that case, as much as possibly in us lies endeavour to prevent, then I appeal to the righteous God to be Judge between you and us, and to require the wrong, and let all England judge, whether the ruining of its Cities, burning of its Towns, and destroying its people, be a good requitall from a person of your family, which hath had the prayers, tears, and purses, yea, and the blouds of its Parliaments and people, and if you look on either as now divided, hath ever had that same party both in Parlia∣ments and amongst the people, most zealous for their assistance and restitution, which you now appose and seek to destroy, and whose constant griefe hath been their desires to serve your Fa∣mily, have been ever hindred and made fruitlesse, by the same party about His Majesty, whose Counsel you act, and whose interest you pursue in this unnaturall War.

Your Highnesses humble Servant THOMAS FAIRFAX.

THe Prince having received this summons, returned no Answer, but desired he might have leave to send to His Majesty: But Sir Thomas returned answer, that he might not fulfil his desire in that point of sending to His Majesty, and desired a speedy and positive answer, but the Prince desirous to hold the Generall in suspense, and to gain time, hoping of re∣liefe from the King, would not return an answer as was requi∣red, but sent some Propositions to the Generall, the most es∣sentiall whereof were to have exception from sequestration, Cathedrall men to continue, the works to be demolished, and no Garison hereafter, by which the Generall perceiving his aversenesse and policie, and having experience of his wonted

wiles, gave order to storme the Town, the manner of storming was agreed on, which was to be after this manner.

Colonel Welden with his Brigade, Col: Twooldbies, Col: Fortescues, and Col: Herberts Regiment, whose posts were to make good Somersetshire side, was ordered to storme in three places, viz, 200 men in the middle, 200 men on each side, as forlorne hopes to begin the storme, twenty ladders to each place, two men to carry each ladder, and to have five shillings a piece, two Serjeants that attend the service of the ladders, to have twenty shillings a man, each musketteir that follows the ladder to carry a faggot, a Serjeant to command them, and to have the same reward, twelve files of men, with fire, armes, and pikes to follow the ladders to each place where the storme is to be, those to be commanded each by a Captain and Lievte∣nant, the Lievtenant to go before with five files, the Captain to second him with other seven files, the 200 men that are appoin∣ted to second the storm to furnish each party of them, 20 Pioners who are to march in their rear, the 200 men to be commanded each by a field Officer, and the Pioners each by a Serjeant. The manner of the storme being thus contrived, the Generall to in∣courage and animate the Souldiers, saw the Commissioners pay to each of them six shillings, which they accepted very thank∣fully. Tuesday, September 9, at twelve of the clock at night, all the Armie Horse and Foot surrounded the City to fall on, at two of the clock in the morning the storme began and for a while on both sides many fell, the one party striving with their utmost might to enter, and the other to repell them: Major Rainsborough's Brigade that stormed the P••iors Fort, by rea∣son of the unnecessiblenesse of the place spent neer three how∣ers in desperate sight, but at length maugre their enemies they wan it, and entering the fort cut in pieces the Souldiers, gi∣ving no Quarter to Major Price, and became Master of the Town, that Brigade under Collonel Welden fell on on Somer∣setshire side, but their ladders being set to the works proved too short and unserviceable, so they onely gave the enemie a sound

Alarme: The losse of men on Sir Thomas his part, was not in all above forty. Collonel Taylor wounded mortally, Captain Ireton sore wounded: Prince Rupert seeing this, with some force tooke the Castle for shelter, against which the Generall planted his Ordnance, intending to batter, when loe the Prince sent out for a parley, which the Generall accepted, and after some few howers these Articles were produced.

1 THat his Highnesse Prince Rupert, and all Noblemen, Commanders, Officers, Gentle∣men and Souldiers and all other persons whatsoever now residing in the City of Bristoll, the Castle and Forts thereof, shall march out of the said Ci∣ty, Castle and Forts, with Colours, Pikes and Drums, Bag and Baggage, the Prince his Highnesse, all Noble∣men, Gentlemen and Officers in Commission, with their Horse and Arms, and the servants with their horses and swords, and common souldiess, with their swords: the Prince his Life-guard of Horse, with their Horse and Arms, and two hundred and fifty Horse, to be disposed by the Prince, and his Life-guard of Fire-locks, with their Arms, and each of them one pound of Powder, and a proportion of bullet, and that none of the persons that are to march out on this Article, be plundered, searched or molested.

2 That such Officers and Souldiers, as shall be left sick or wounded, in the City, Castle, or Forts, and shall have liberty to stay till their recovery, and then to have safe conduct to go to his Majesty.

3 That the persons above-mentioned, who are to march away have a sufficient convoy provided for them, to any such Garison of the Kings as the Prince shall

name, not exceeding fifty miles from Bristoll, and shall have eight days allowed for their march thither, and shall have free Quarter allowed them by the way.

4 That all the Citizens of Bristoll, all Noblemen, Gentlemen, Clergy-men, and all other persons residing in the said City and Suburbs of the same, shall be saved from all plunder and violence.

5 That in consideration hereof the City of Bristoll, the Castle and all other Forts thereof without any sligh∣ting or defacing thereof, and that all the Arms, Ammu∣nition, and all other provisions of War, except what is before allowed, be delivered up to his Ezcellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, without any diminution or imbezel∣iuent: his Highnesse Prince Rupert then naming to what Army or Garison of the Kings he will march.

6 That sufficient Hostages be given to Sir Tho∣mas Fairfax, such as he shall approve who are to remain with him till the City be surrendred.

7 That upon the delivering of the Town sufficient Hostages be given for the performance of the Articles on both sides.

Signed by us the Commissioners, in the behalf of Prince Rupert,

John Min, William Tillyer, William Vavasor.

Signed by us the Commissioners in the behalf of his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax;

Edward Mountague.

Thomas Rainsborough.

John Pickering.

Turn over all the volumes of Histories, reciting the Battails, besiegings, and gainings of Towns by storme, and see if it be•• recorded in any one place, that so strong a City, manned by so powerfull and numerous an enemie, hath been taken by as∣sault, with the losse of so few, and so small a number of men, as this famous City was: and what is more to be admired, the Prince and his Souldiers were provided within with all sorts of necessaries, accommodated also for the defensive, with forti∣fications of the best sort victuals in abundance, foure score or an hundred run of beer bread sufficient for an hundred thou∣sand men a day, and in a word, all things abling a people to hold out a long siege, but it was the Lord, the Lord God of Hosts, strong and above all, that strengthened the one party, and disheartned the other.

The Prince made choice of Oxford for his refuge Garison, where being arived, he was entertained with slow regreet, the King not vouchsafing to see him, and what was surely to him unlookt for, confined him to his chamber, and it was motioned by some Lords neer his Majesty, that he should be tryed and examined by a Counsell of War, why and upon what termes he so easily surrendred Bristol, some said, fear and timerousness of heart made him yeeld up, others judged that gold had cor∣rupted him, and that he plaid Legerdimain, receiving a sum of money to surrender the Town, but all concluded that through his proper default was occasioned that great and weighty losse, but the King, contrary to the minds and Counsell of his Lords, accepted him again to grace and favour.

The end of the first Book.

Notes

• Sir Thomas layeth siege to Bristoll.
• ☞
• ☞
• Bristoll stor∣med.