An Exact RELATION Of the bloody and barbarous Massacre at Bolton in the Moors in Lancashire, May 28. BY Prince Rupert: BEING PENNED BY AN eyewitness, admirably preserved by the Gracious and mighty hand of God in that day of Trouble.  
Published according to Order.  
LONDON, Printed by R. W. for Christopher Meredith, August 22. 1644.   

AN Exact Relation of the bloody and barbarous Massacre at Bolton in Lancashire, May 28. By PRINCE RUPERT.  Penned by an eyewitness, admirably preserved by the gracious and mighty hand of God, in that day of Trouble. 
AFter those two fatal and prodigious fountains of our sad Counties misery, viz. our sinful security, in too much resting upon our own strength on the one side, and our woeful and ruin-threatening divisions on the other, had long portended, and God's Ministers had often warned us of that sad calamity, which then we feared not, nor believed, but now smart under. It pleased the just and wise hand of heaven, at last, to awake our dead spirits by that sad alarm of War, and to cause that black cloud which hung over our heads to be dissolved, and first to be poured down in a bitter shower of blood upon that Spectacle of sorrow and amazement, poor sighing, and solitary Bolton: That England may see and be ashamed that she hath not long since spewed out such Monsters, as are bred in her own bowels; and that all may take it to heart, that there hath been no more zeal in us for the Cause, Servants, Gospel, and glory of the Lord of Hosts, so much aimed at, and by tongues set on fire of hell, so vilified as in this relation may further appear.  
On Tuesday May 28. this sad Town being almost destitute of men, Ammunition, or other means of defence, was in the morning relieved by that noble cordial Commander, Col. Righ●e, and certainly if some other aid desig●●d for our help had come in time, there had been a good account rendered of that town's preservation, and the enemy's discouragement; but that God, which intended not our deliverance, used not the means; yet in all there was about 2000 Soldiers, and 500 Clubman; a company sufficient if the security of the inhabitants had not hindered their better fortifying of the same: about two of the clock in the afternoon, the enemy was discovered about a mile off, and they made their approaches to the Town on the More, South West from the Town, their number was guessed, and by themselves after confessed to be about 12000. they appeared at first like a wood or cloud, and presently were cast into several bodies, divers Scouts approached to discover the way for their entrance with most advantage.  
Our Commanders were very courageous, and our soldiers very hardy, and both resolved to stand to it, and in the first encounter gave them about half an hours sharp entertainment, were close in discharge as the enemies confessed after, and repulsed them bravely to the enemies great loss, and discouragement, and in their retreat, cut them down before them in great abundance, and they fell like leaves from the Tree, in a winter's morning.  
Then was a breathing, or rather a new preparative for a fresh encounter, which was gallantly performed on both sides, wherein the worthy colonel Rigby, and his commander's Captain Willougby, Captain Bootle, and the rest, did notable service: But alas, what could naked men do against horse, in an unfortified place, besides it is conceived that a Townsman was their convoy to bring them on through a place called the private acre, sfor a great reward, and then when once the horse was got into the Town, there could be no resistance almost made, but every man left to shift for himself.  
At their entrance, before, behind, to the right, and left, nothing heard, but kill dead, kill dead was the word, in the Town killing all before them without any respect, without the Town by their horsemen, pursuing the poor amazed people, killing, stripping, and spoiling all they could meet with, nothing regarding the doleful cries of women or children, but some they slashed as they were calling for quarter, others when they had given quarter, many hailed out of their houses to have their brains dashed out in the streets, those that were not dead in the streets already, pistoled slashed, brained, or trodden under their horses feet, with many insolent blasphemous oaths curses and challenges to heaven itself (no doubt) hastening the filling up of their cup, and bringing that swift destruction upon them, which they shortly after tasted of, (and blessed, blessed ever be the great and just God for it) with many taunts, and cruel mockings, as see what your prayers are come too? where is all your days of humiliation? we have humbled you now; O that we had that old Rogue Horrocks that preaches in his grey cloak; but I forbear many sad things, which might be inserted, the usage of children crying for their Fathers, of women crying out for their husbands, some of them brought on purpose to be slain before their wife's faces; the rending, tearing, and turning of people naked, the robbing, and spoiling of all the people of all things that they could carry: All which this author being an eye witness of, and a sharer in who though quarter was given him by a soldier that found him out, in hopes of getting his money; yet had like to have been several times killed after for his money, which others had gotten before, and doubtless had been slain if a Commander had not appointed to carry him to the Prince, yet he that carried him, forced him to go and to borrow twenty shillings more, else he would leave him in the streets again, and that was present death.  
The relator upon his own knowledge, and good information, further adds some particular instances of their then matchless cruelty, by which as (ex ungue Leonem) you may judge and abhor them and their actions, and the Lord grant England at last an open eye and due sense of her own misery, by this sad spectacle and woeful example of Bolton.  
First, The massacring, dismembering, cutting of dying or dead bodies, and boasting, with all new coined oaths, swearing how many roundheads this sword, or they had killed that day, some eight, some six, some more or less; arms, legs, yea the brains themselves lying distant from their heads, bodies, and other parts.  
Their treading under horse feet, and prancing over half dying poor Christians, who were so besmeared, and tumbled in dirt and blood, that scarce any thing of man remained in the cruel beastly actor, or woeful sufferer, but only proportion of men in both, the one being become so far below the nature of a man in acting, the other cast below the condition of the most miserable of men in suffering such unheard of things.  
Their violent pursuit of their bloody victory in the town, and four or five miles out of the town in out houses, fields, high ways, and woods, killing, destroying, and spoiling all they could reach, and crying out, where is your Roundheads God now, he was with you at Warrington, Wigan, Manchester, and other places, and hath he forsaken you Roundheads of Bolton now? Sure he is turned Cavalier, &c.  
Their bragging how many wives they that day had made widows, and children fatherless, mercilessly casting off all pity, in so much as if any is they were tumbling in the dirt or ditches, did but lift up their heads and cry Quarter, for the Lord Jesus sake Quarter, all the mercy they showed them, was to cry out to others, or to say, God damn, i'll give this or that strong Roundheaded Rogue one blow more to send him quickly to the devil.  
William Boulton was fetched out of his Chamber with scorn, saying, they had found a praying Saint, and fetched him to kill him before his wife's face, who being great with child and ready to be delivered, fell on him to have saved him; but they pulled her off, without compassion, and bade him call on his God to save him whilst they cut him in pieces.  
James Syddall lying wounded and dying, was heard by one of them to give a groan (after they had thought him long before to be dead) and presently one discharged his pistol at his heart, but it would not enter, the other he prepared after, and that took effect, and after boasted, what an act he had done, saying, yonder lies one of the strongest Roundheads that ever I met withal, for one of my Pistols discharged at his heart would not enter, but I think I sent him to the devil, with a vengeance with the other.  
Katherine Saddon an aged woman of 72. years old run with a sword to the very heart, because she had no money to give, and some others killed out right, after they were mortally wounded, because they stirred, or answered not greedy unjust desires.  
Elizabeth Horrocks, a woman of good quality, after that they had killed her husband, took her in a rope, and dragged her up and down, after that they had robbed and spoiled her of all she had, and threatened to hang her, unless she would tell them of her Plate and money, who was yet wonderfully preserved, their inhuman using of her, and barbarous usage of some other maids, and wives in the Town in private places, in fields, and in Woods, the Trees, the timber, and the stones, we hope will one day be a witness against them, for some of them being distracted at this day.  
Alice Greg the reverend late Minister of Bolton's widow stripped to her smock, nay she having two smocks on, they took one of them, and left her scarce old rags to cover her nakedness.  
But the principal stain of all this their cruelty, as is reported, was set off by that Strange Earl his ignoble, nay base killing of valiant Captain Bootle after quarter given, besides whom, and Capt. Horrocke, we lost no Commander of note: but they lost (as is confessed) a Colonel, a Lieutenant Colonel, and divers other Commanders, and persons of good quality; whether their loss or ours was greater for soldiers, is somewhat questionable, so many of ours escaped, and so many of theirs were buried by them, partly in obscure places, and a great many of note by them lie buried in the chancel of the Church: Of their and our side, it is conceived there was slain about 1200. or 1500. in all. Only this one thing more they may boast of in their bloody zeal, For the worst of Causes that ever was defended by English spirits, that they left almost threescore poor widows husbandless, and hundreds of poor Children fatherless, and a sweet godly place, a nest of owls, and a den of Dragons, almost without inhabitant, only a few women and children are the remnant left, without bit to eat, bed to lie on almost, or a cup to drink in, or any means of subsistence in the world: So that we may well conclude with Jeremiah, Iam. 1. 12. Was ever sorrow like to my sorrow, Is it nothing to you, O ye that pass by? &c.  
Oh England! Oh Heaven! Oh Earth! Bear witness of our calamity: Oh London! And all ye places yet freed from our sorrows, think on the day of your peace with thankfulness; of our trembling and trouble with compassion: And oh all ye Christians and people of the Land! Let bleeding, dying, undone Bolton bespeak one thing at the hands of all sorts. Take heed of security, and your own divisions, lay aside your own ends, spirits, interests, engagements, dissensions, and distractions; and first labour to carry on God's work, in the subduing of these cursed Edomites, and Amalekites, devoted unto destruction by the hand of heaven, or else look with Bolton, to taste of the same cup of trembling, which the Lord, the God of Hosts in his due time take out of all our hands, and fill up with the measure of our bloody enemies sins, the measure of their plagues, which the just God will in due time return upon them for this and all their cruelty; That King, Parliament, and People may once more rejoice in the due settlement of truth and peace in our days, and glory may still dwell in our Land; Which God grant for Christ's sake, Amen.  
FINIS.