A DECLARATION, Of the Besieged Soldiers in the City of Colchester, and their resolution concerning the surrendering of the said City.  
Also the planting two demi-Canon against it, and the battering down part of Saint Mary's Church.  
And how a Party of the Lord Cepel's Shavers issued forth of Buttolphs-gate, and set upon our Pioners, and took some prisoners, and hewed one of our men to pieces with their Sythes.  
Moreover the taking of divers horse from underneath the Walls, and the kill of one of their Commanders.  
Together with a true Relation of the proceed betwixt the Scots and Major General Lambert, and the last news from Portsmouth.  
LONDON Printed, An. Dom. 1648.   

The last news from Colchester, Yarmouth, Scarborough; and other parts.  
WE Are credibly informed from Colchester, that there hath been little or no action, these three or four days; the 29. of July a trumpeter came forth, who reporteth that the Town is much straitened for want of provisions, yet saith the Soldiers are very cheerful since they heard the Prince of Wales was at Yarmouth, and drink his health in a cup of cold water, and a very good shift too, hoping ere long to have better drink.  
The Council of War agreed to shoot in papers with arrows, to undeceive the Soldiery. The Lord General hath sent several summons to the Town, in one of which he offered, that all private Soldiers & persons of that rank laying down arms, & engaging not to bear arms any more against the Parliament, should have liberty and passes to go to their several homes, and there quietly to abide. The Officers and Gentlemen of quality, should have liberty, and passes to go beyond the Seas with Equipage be fitting their qualities, engaging not to returns into this Kingdom without leave from the Parliament. And all persons to have quarters, and be free from plunder, or violence of the Soldier; this being rejected; and scornfully retorted by the Lords Norwich, Capell, and Sir Charles Lucas: The General yet offered to make good the same conditions to so many as should truly accept thereof, except those three persons themselves, which hath accordingly been performed with advantage to all such as have come off.  
He hath lately summoned them again to surrender the Town, and the Officers to render themselves to the mercy, and the rest only to future obedience of the Parliament. This also hath been rejected with scorn; nevertherlesser understanding that the Lords, Goring, Capell, and Sir Charles Lucas, and some Officers of their Council, have concealed these overtures both from the Soldiers and Townsmen, and from many of the Officers, and that they have given out, as it they had good conditions offered to themselves▪ if they would render up the Soldiers, and perceiving that the Townsmen and Soldiers have been deluded by them, and their chief Agents, with daily expectation of relief, while there is none at all towards them: The General is willing to make good the same conditions to so many as shall timely accept thereof, except the Lords, Goring, Capell, and Sir Charles Lucas, with the Lord Loughborough, Colonel Far, Colonel Laurence, and Captain Lynn; and except all such soldiers as have been in the Army since the siege, and are gone into the Town.  
Our forces also gave an Alarm to them in Colchester, the great Guns played round the Leaguer, and the foot with Volleys, in the mean time Colonel Rainsborough was acting his design in cutting off a sluice, to divert the water, and firing the middle Mill, the first took good effect, but the second little, the fire not burning above half a quarter of an hour, and then extinguished, the foot went up to the neck in water to storm the Fort where the Mill was, effected it speedily, with the loss of three men, and ten wounded, besides one drowned going over the River. The enemy drew down two or three small parties of Horse, who faced but durst not engage, the Soldiers had not time to bring away the prisoners in the Fort, and therefore put them all to the sword. They within took the Alarm hot supposing a storm, but when they found it otherwise, they fired but little, beating their Kettles in scorn, and aferwards their D●ums in defiance of them.  
Divers of the Besiegers being busied in making of a line through Maudlin street, some of the Lord chapels Regiment of shavers sallied out of Buttolph's Gate upon them, with Pistols and Sythes, and our workmen being gotten within Musket shot of the foresaid gate; they immediately surprised three of them, one of which they hewed most fearfully with one of their Sythes; the rest hasting to our guard, were sudda nly rescued, and there began a short dispute between them, but our forces fired so fast upon them, that they forced them to retreat, and killed a Gentleman in Scarlet, who we suppose to be some eminent Commander.  
The Suffolk side are a closing up their line, and about bout Tuesday will have finished it; finished it; which when they have performed, his Excellency may spare a considerable number of horse and foot, if there should be a good occasion.  
The two demi-Cannon which were lately sent down were mounted against St. Mary's Church, and after a few shots, brought down a great part of the Steeple, and the Ordnance mounted therein, which falling upon the Leads, brought down most of it with them, in which the Ordnance is buried. A party of ours endeavoured to fetch in some of their horse, which grazed near the Town walls, but immediately there issued forth a party of theirs, betwixt whom there began some dispute, wherein was little or no hurt done, but our men retreating the besiegers had opportunity to remove their horse, at a farther distance, where they remain with more security.  
The Soldiers of this Garrison are very resolute and gallant-spirited, and not to be frighted with every blast of wind, as their actions have made manifest to the world, there is not so great want of provision as is reported, for they have plenty of bread & water, with which the Soldiery are very well contented; and so long as that lasteth declare they will never desist the service or leave the Town.  
The Soldiers in Portsmouth are much discontented, but the Seamen more; being much wrought upon by the Royal party, who have instructions from others abroad; the Sea men must appear, and act the design, for which purpose about 300 came ashore, and in the midst of the Town declare for King Charles: this puts the Governor and the other of South-Sea-Castle to a stand, the Alarm is given to the Soldiery, the Seamen stand still till 300. were bodied, upon whose advance the Sea men retreat, the Soldiers pursue, but not with violence, or offering to fire; they get the Seamen out of the Gates which being shut, all was pacified: the Plot took not with the discontented Soldiery, as pre-supposed, but the Sea men threaten a revenge.  
From Scarborough we are certified; that discontents and jealousies of many there, have been very great, occasioned by some hint of the Governor's Treachery, which was suspected many ways, 1. By turning out Capt. Lawson, a faithful honest man, that long served in that Garrison. 2. By countenancing all disaffected persons therein, and discountenancing the rest. 3. By procuring a ship for carrying away his malignant Kinsman, and other Cavaliers with him, and giving great entertainment to the King's Party, with whom he was very frequent. 4. By expressing some ill placed words, which tended to a deep construction of his royal affections. The jealousies are now confirmed by the Governot, Col. B●in●ons declaring, which is for the King and Prince Charles, his discontents, rather than hopes of a reward, prompts him to a desperate adventure, having had no pay, either for himself; or Soldiers for many months together; and though his Declaration be rash, yet he admits of none of the Royal party to enter; and if an overture of Indemnity, with a considerable sum for himself and Soldiers were made, the difference might be composed in all probability.  
From the North it is by post, affirmed that Lieutenant General Cromwell's horse, consisting of 30. odd Troops joined with Major General Lambert the 27 which no sooner came near the Major General's further quarters, but fell upon action with a small party, with which they resolved to try the Scots Scouts, who forced them to retreat within 2 miles of Appleby, where their main guard was, the Scots advance not, nor hath the Major General given ground this 10. days and upwards, no Action between them, only the Scouts sometimes dispute it. The Major General increases daily, his number consists of nine thousand, and with the foot of the Lieutenant General with other forces (joined with him in Nottingham, Leicester, and Derby shire; which will compleat-5000) his Army will be very numerous, and more offensive than defensive. The Letters seized this day in two ships bound for Scotland, and brought to the Committee at Derby house, will discover much Roguery, when reported to morrow to the house; the arms are seized on, and the ships secured till further▪ order. Lieutenant General Cromwell is to be for certain to morrow night at Nottingham, from whence he speedily advances after he hath joined with other forces of those parts. The great additional Army of Scots Marching into England, appear to be no otherwise then a Regiment of 600. poor Scots that are come to take possession of Berwick, who say all is their own on this side Trent.  
FINIS.