A LETTER Sent from a GENTLEMAN TO Mr. HENRY MARTIN Esquire, a Member of the House of Commons, from Worcester this 19 of Octob. 1642.  
Who was employed by his excellence to deliver a Letter to the Earl of Dorset, with the Votes of both Houses of Parliament concerning a Petition to be delivered to his majesty.  
Showing The desperate Resolution of the cavaliers, who swear they will neither give nor take Quarter.  

Ordered by the Commons that this Letter be forthwith printed and published.  
Hen: Elsing Celric. Parl. D. Com.   
LONDON, Printed by L. Norton, for E, Husbands and John Frank, and are to be sold next door unto the King's Head in Fleetstreet.  
Anno Dom. MDCXLII.   

A LETTER Sent from a GENTLEMAN TO Mr. HENRY PERKINS Esquire, a Member of the House of Commons from Worcester this 19, of Octob. 1642,  
Honoured Sir,  
I Received commands to present from his Excellence a letter to the Earl of Dorset at Court, which was then said to be at Sturbridge, fifteen miles hence, with the votes of both Houses of Parliament concerning a Petition to be delivered to his Majesty, whither repairing on Sunday last, I found there many of the cavaliers who command their horse: upon my coming thither, I caused the Trumpet sent with me to sound thrice, but finding no guard, I advanced into the town, and demanded of such ragged people as I found there for an officer to convey me to Prince Robert, and I told them I had a message to deliver to him from his Excellence, of which those kind of people not taking notice, I went further into the town, and called to a Gentleman desiring him I might be brought to the place where the Prince was, which the Gentleman (who I after found was the Lord Caff) directed me to, upon my approach thither, I alighted with the Trumpot, and demanded to speak with the Prince, but before I could be admitted to him, I was by Commissary Wilmot conveyed to his own chamber and being, asked if I had letters, I replied I had, and told him to whom, and upon what occasion the letters he willed me to deliver to him, and tartly said he must have those I had, whereupon I delivered the letter to him which was sealed, he then left me in the custody of an officer or two, who used me fairly, and stayed with me in the chamber till his return, which was shortly, and then took me with him ro the Prince, to whom in presence of general Ruthen, and Commissary Wilmot, I declared the message I had in charge, to which his highness gave a fair answer, but withal told me I was by the law of arms a prisoner, for that I came into the town without leave procured by a Trumpet, and brought letters through the Army which was sealed: I told his highness, for the first, I conceived I had not broken the law of arms, for that the Trumpet sounded thrice, there was no court of guard, or other watch kept about the town, neither would any take cognisance of my business with the Prince, (though I entreated it of divers) till I was in the town, which gave me cause to believe his highness was not there: For the second it was business from the Parliament, therefore not unfit to be sealed, the rather for that the like course had within few days been held before in the very same business, and it found acceptation which presidented this; the answer not satisfying under the name of an officer to keep me company, I was returned to Commissary Wilmot's chamber, where I was entertained with convenient respect, though no way suitable to the business of that day: the Trumpet was put into a chamber close by, and there they endeavoured to seduce him from his service, to become a Trumpet to the King, from about eleven a clock in the forenoon, till one next morning I was kept in the chamber, a strong court of Guard being set at the street door of the house where I lay, there came several officers to me, and took liberty to speak of his Excellence, most of the Lords here, and both Houses of Parliament in most high and approbious language, of these the prime were Major Oneale, Major Hutchison, Mr. William Murry, captain Chapman, Captnine mountain, and some others: after supper commissary Wilinot came to me with colonel Hastiugs, Sir Thomas Byrom newly knighted, he commands Prince Charles his Troop, Mr. William Murry, Mr. Dudley Smith, and a Scotch commander, who I remember not, they fell upon me with high discourse, and told me I was the greatest enemy the King had in these parts of the country where I lived. which I would in time know the King was sensible off: and they wondered I durst come thither, that and my being an officer of the Army considered (both which rendered me a man regardless either of the King's power and favour) I told them I was as good a subject as the best of them, I wished better to, and prayed more for, and would much more truly serve his Majrsty than the best of them which upon all occasions I would be ready to make good, for my coming thither, it was not as an officer, nor as a man relating to the Army, but as a messenger sent to the Earl of Dorset, in the business of the Parliament, for my boldness, if it were any to come so sent, it was God and my innocency which encouraged and would protect me against whomsoever: they told me they admired (some things considered which they pretended I was endued with,) I should be so blinded to appear in such a business against my King, and act the part of a traitor as all my partakers did: I desired they would forbear such language, and replied upon them in short, that I had done nothing but what my judgement and conscience had dictated to me, and that upon such mature deliberation with my own thoughts, and conference with others of approved judgements, that by the help of God I would stand or fall to the way I had engaged for, which was so far from treason, or a thought of ill to his Majesty in me or any else whose way I went, that I feared not all the ruin of our oppressors, which if done, his Majesty would clearly see his own mistake, both of them and us, and such of them as scaped the sword, he would refer to justice, that it might appear wherein he erred and misbelieved of us, was through them, but I entreated we might not talk any more of that business, it being a point too tender: whereupon they fell to other discourse, told me what great things they had done at Worcester the 23. of September last, and there slain hundreds of our men and converted (as they called it) Colon. Sands both which I answered according to what I saw and knew. First, colonel had declared, fully his heart and words, he then spoke to the world; and secondly, there was but twenty five slain on both sides, which lay upon the place, Major Douglas, and a Cornet of theirs, the Lord Beamonds brother died within a day or two after, and four of their part, one whereof they buried, and carried three with them dead, and a third part of the twenty five men slain upon the place was theirs, and the hurt men were near upon as of theirs as ours, some of them more ingenuous than the rest confessed the death of the last four, but wondered how it was known. I told them the Major of Woster discovered, that though he was so much theirs, he forgot to show himself a Christian or a man, they replied, all men were false they thought; but now they had taken a good course with those about the King; for they had locked up his majesty's ears and tongue from the Lords at Court, who they say said were both treacherous and cowardly, as the L. Dorset and others, and they swore [with their ancient boldness and untruth] that the Lord Dorset and others of them about his Majesty did discover and betray the King's intentions to our side, but now of late he had learned to keep his counsels from them: I told them they had forgot to speak of their valour at Southam and Manchester; to the first, they swore hard they lost but three men; to the second, one of them answered who had been upon that service, that they had lost more there then at all other places; but they laid the fault upon the Earl of Darby, who they said was both a fool and a Coward; and swore heartily they hoped he would never come up to them.  
From this Discourse they passed on to jeer and revile our Lords as well in Parliament as here our Officers in the Army (I eannot forget those base speeches they spoke against the Earl of Holland, though I abhor to write them in particular) which was answered as it came, and returned with what sharpness my own weakness and the present condition I was in would admit of. When each man had spent his powder, and had his Bout at me, and received his answer, I had my dispatch from Commissary Wilmot (who talked as if he had Commission for it) with an answer to the Letter I brought (the Prince being rather willing to send it to the Court, then trouble me with the carriage of it) and the next morning I had leave with a respective Farewell to depatt till our next meeting, which I hope will be about Dunsmore Heath, and not long too. In the interim I thought fit to offer these to your view, if happily any advantage may come to the Cause hereby, I wholly leave it to the wisdom of yourself and those to whom you shall think to impart them, whether you make them public or no, the truth of them I will make good when I shall be called, and will ever rest;  
Woster, Octob. 9 1642. Your most humble servant; LIONEL COPLEY.