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with that nobleness, with that alacrity, with that love to God, king, and parliament, that none of your ancestors before ever shewed more love, nor care, nor zeal, nor performed better, I have only this to say to you, If the times are such, (not that I think there is any great peril in the king's army, now, for we have told you nothing but the truth) yet when you have seen this Letter, you will find there is very good cause for you to crown this work; which must be by following it with the same zeal, love, care, nobleness, and alacrity; which if you do, you may well crown yourselves with the name of a glorious city, and none more."

Here the Letter was read as follows: "To the earl of Cumberland, general of his majesty's Forces in the North: My very good lord; Your lordship's, of the 20th of this month, I have received by Stockdale, and have read it to his majesty; who willed me to signify to your lordship, that he is well pleased with your lordship's continuing of the sheriff in his place, albeit he sent a writ for his discharge. His majesty takes a special notice of your lordship's vigilancy and care in the trust he hath reposed in your lordship, as he hath, by many gracious expressions, declared at several times openly, upon conference of your business in that county. Your lordship's care of my lady duchess of Buckingham is, I assure you, verywell taken by his majesty. Sir Ralph Hopton, and other gentlemen in the West, have raised 10,000 horse and foot, with which they have already disarmed all persons in Cornwall that are disaffected to the king: they have taken Lanceston, and are marching into Devonshire, to disarm the disaffected there, and so intend to come to meet the king at London. There are also in Wales about 6 or 7000 men levied for the king, which are to be under the marquis of Hertford, that will be ready upon all occasions to come to his majesty; but we hope he will not need their help, having given the earl of Essex such a blow, as they will make no haste again to adventure themselves in that cause against God's Anointed. Your &c. Eow. NICHOLAS. Edgscot, Northamp. Oct. 21, 1642." After reading this Letter,:

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The earl of Holland said;-" My lord mayor, and you gentlemen of the city; It is more by obedience than confidence, that I say any thing to you at this time. That which I shall say to you, is to observe on the Relation that this noble lord, hath made in the first part, of it what deliverance God hath sent you, that in a danger (and indeed such as, I am confident, all that were there believed the cause of religion, and liberty, and all lost) you saw what a present turn it had; such a one, as if it did not give us the victory, yet it gave us the advantage, that is, certain; and truly a very great one, especially when it was taken from so unhappy a condition as we were likely to be in; wherein God hath shewed us what a danger might have fallen upon us and certainly it is because every man should consider, in that danger, what he might have suffered,

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and what his cause might have suffered; and by this to give you all warning, that as he hath now begun to deliver you only by his hand, and by his power, he will expect that you will express such a thankfulness to him for it, as now to make his cause your work; and to do it with your hands boldly and with courage.For by this Letter that you have heard read now, you see what is threatened against you? the least that you must expect as to this great army of the king's is, that certainly, by the disposition of those that command it, and have great power in it, they intend you no less (and that is to be believed) than the destroying of the city and your persons, and the preying upon your fortunes. This is not all; for you see if this doth not prevail, or be not powerful enough, an army must come from the West; you see the preparation of another in the North; from all parts of the kingdom the sword is drawn against you and truly, having those ill intentions that they certainly have, it is the wisest course they can take; for in your city is the strength of the kingdom indeed: it is not only the life but the soul of it: if they can destroy you here, the rest of the kingdom must all submit and yield; and, in that yielding, must give over the maintenance of all that is most dear to them."

Then lord Say and Sele made the following speech: "My lord and gentlemen, It cannot be doubted by what you have heard but that the intentions of these malignant, mischievous counsellors, and these men of desperate fortunes that they have gathered to them, and into whose hands they have put our king, are, that this rich and glorious city should be delivered up as a prey, as a reward, to them for their treason against the kingdom and the parliament; that your lives should satisfy their malice; your wives, your daughters their lust; and religion itself, the dearest thing of all others to us, should be made merchandize of to invite Papists, to invite foreigners.-Notwithstanding their intentions, let no man's heart be discouraged: you have power enough in your hands to bring all this wickedness upon their own heads, through God's blessing: if you will use your hands, if you will hold them up to serve your God, to defend the true reli gion of Almighty God, to defend your lives, to defend this kingdom and the parliament, you need not fear any thing that can be done by this broken army; nor fear those things that are here written in this Letter, Dor those things that are falsely buzzed abroad by a Malignant Party in your city, to amaze you. There is no fear of danger, but in security, in sitting still; and therefore if you will be stirred up (as I cannot doubt, cannot imagine but you will) to do what every man, both by the law of God, and by the law of nature in this case, will be induced to do, through God's blessing, you shall both honour God, maintain the true religion, save this kingdom, save the parliament, and crown your good beginnings that God hath pleased to

rage you to go on: be not therefore daunted; let not malignant parties, that go up and down, and would go about to inform you that there are these fears and these dangers, let them not, I say, make you be wanting to yourselves; fear them not at all. I shall conclude with this which the good king said, Up and be doing, and the Lord be with you."

Then the Lord Wharton spoke again;"Gentlemen, I shall trouble you but with a word or two; the one is upon part of that Narrative which I began withal; wherein, truly, I take myself to be very beholding to that gentleman that spoke after me, that he did not forget to inform you of the extraordinary blessing that God bestowed upon the courage of honest, pious, and religious men; for, truly, there was very few that did any extraordinary service, but such as had a mark of religion upon them. That which I omitted to tell you was this, That one great cause of our preservation, and of the success of that day, was the barbarousness and inhumanity of prince Rupert and his troops; who, while we were a-fighting, not only pillaged the baggage, (which was a poor employment!) but most barbarously killed the country men that came in with their teems, and women and children that were with them This I think comes not amiss to tell you, because you may see what is the thing they aim at, which is pillage, and baggage, and plouder ing; and the way which they would come by it is murdering and destroying: and therefore i will come in very properly, to encourage you to that work, which the two noble lords have well opened to you, which is the standing upor your defence."

shew himself unto us in.-This is not now a time for men to think with themselves, that they will be in their shops to get a little money: this is a time to do what you do in common dangers; let every man take his weapons in his hand, let him offer himself willingly to serve. his God, and to maintain true religion. You may remember what God saith by the prophet, My heart is set upon those people that are willing to offer themselves willingly upon the high places: let every man therefore shut up his shop, let him take his musket, let him of for himself readily and willingly; let him not think with himself, Who shall pay me? but rather think this, I will come forth to save the kingdom, to serve my God, to maintain his true religion, to save the parliament, to save this noble city; and when this danger is overcome, I will trust the state that they will have a regard unto whatsoever may be fit, either for my reparation in any loss, or for my reward. Do as you do in common dangers, as when there is a house on fire; men ask not who shall pay them their day's wages; but every man comes forth of his doors; helps to quench the fire; brings a bucket, if he has one; borrows one of his neighbour, if he has not: when the fire is quenched then the city will regard to repair any man that has suffered all day. That do you; every oue bring forth his arms, if he has any; if he has none, let him borrow them of his neighbour, or he shall be armed by the state; let every man arm himself and his apprentices, and come forth with boldness, and with courage, and with chearfulness, and doubt not but God will assist you; for this is God's cause; and that should be your encouragement: they are Papists, they The Earl of Holland concluded thus:-"M are Atheists, that come to destroy you: they lord mayor and gentlemen; It is but a word of come indeed, in the first and principal aim, to two that I shall say to you, for the shutting up destroy religion: Papists are invited; they have of this business. The danger hath been repre commissions, are these the men that should sented to you, we must desire you likewise defend the Protestant religion, when they are consider how near it moves, so that you must Papists and Recusants? If you shall come resolve and act both together. We concere forth, God will go forth with you, he will fight this army will be at Oxford as this night, unt for you, he will save you; but how? He will is within such a distance as, within three days. not save you without yourselves. You may they may march to London. It is very necessary remember what was said, 'Curse ye Meroz, for you to provide against this, as a danger that because they came not out to help the Lord may be very suddenly upon you, if they should against the Mighty.' He needs not your help, chance to march before our army; and with suca but he will use your service, that he may bless an advantage as to break up bridges, or anys y such you; and therefore let every man be encou- thing as may hinder our army to move present raged, let him shew his readiness, let him shewly and suddenly after them. Consider how his forwardness. Remember what the Scripture saith, Hear, O Israel, God is with you so long as ye are with him. The lord will be with you in this cause, for it is his cause; but then you must shew yourselves ready to be with him. But I need not use these speeches to those that have expressed, already, so much affection as you have done; I shall only encou

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open you are to this danger, if you provide not presently for it: therefore, as we have given you reasons, and indeed as you may take almost from your own reasons, to defend your selves, it will be very necessary for you to look upon this as a danger, that will not allow the loss of an hour in providing against it: and that is all I shall say unto you."

END OF VOLUME II.

PRINTED BY T. CURSON HANSArd, peterborough court, FLEET-STREET,

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