THE EXAMINATION AND CONFESSION OF captain Lilbourne and captain Viviers, Who were taken at Brainford by his majesty's Forces, and had their trial at Oxford, on Saturday the tenth of this instant December, before the Lord Heath, other Lords of his majesty's privy council being present, who were judged as Ring leaders of the roundheads, to lose their lives on wednesday, being the 14. day of this month. Being sent in a letter from Mr. Daniel Felton, a scholar of Trinity college, to one Mr. Tho. Harris in Lincoln Inness Fields. Also many persuasions and strong inducements whereby his majesty doth make known and declare upon good grounds how much it concerns the good of this kingdom, to incline to an accommodation of peace, much desired (as his majesty conceives) of all his loyal subjects.  
London printed for T. Wright. 1642.   

True Intelligence from OXFORD. WHEREIN IS fully DISCOVERED the manner of the Indictment of captain Lilborne, and captain Vivers, who were to suffer as guilty of high Treason, Decemb. 14. 1642.  
SIR,  
I Had long time a desire to salute you with my Letters, and my Love, and having been debarred the intercourse of Carriers, I hope we shall now enjoy one another more often by our Letters, his majesty having this day made Proclamation; That Carriers shall pass again from place to place, and to be secured from all danger. There came intelligence this morning to Oxford, That there is a good inclination in many of the Citizens of London for peace, and that many thousands of them have Petitioned to the Parliament for the fame, and that they were much opposed the last Monday in their Guild-hall, and many of them imprisoned. It hath wrought a great impression here in Oxford, and it is made all our discourse. I must beseech you that you would so much oblige me, as to send me word with what possible speed you can the true intelligence of it; and in answer of so great a courtesy, I will be careful to dispatch unto you all news worthy your observance and relation here in Oxford: And in the first rank must acquaint you, that the sentence of Death is passed against the two captains that were taken prisoners by his majesty's Army in Brainford: They were tried for their lives before the Lord chief justice Sir Robert Heath, and were indicted as guilty of High Treason, for that being subiecty both unto his majesty, they took up rebellious arms against him. They pleaded for their lives very boldly, especially captain Lilborne, who being but a man of low fortunes, hath arose to the degree of a captain, by the boldness of his spirit. He spoke much for himself, and alleged he much wondered at the proceedings of the Charge against him, the Law passing upon him as he had been a Felon, and not a soldier that he honoured his majesty as much as any there present, and that the preservation of his sacred person was as tender to him, that he was so far from taking up arms against his King, that the only end he made in all this service, was by the loss of his blood to procure safety to his majesty, and peace unto the kingdom, by endeavouring what in him lay to pluck him from the hands of those who infused bad counsel into his sacred ears. Notwithstanding all this, the jury passed upon him, and found him guilty of high treason, the sentence of death was pronounced against him by the L. Heath: this is the day of his execution, in my next letter I will at full acquaint you with the manner of it: in the mean time I must beseech you to certify us with the proceedings of your citizen's Petition for peace, which will be very welcome news unto us all, especially unto him who is,  
Sir, Your most humble servant, WILLIAM FELTON.   

Strong Inducemen● whereby his majesty doth make known how much it concerns the good of this kingdom to incline to peace, &c.  
GOD looking from Heaven, and beholding the miserable estate of this Nation, which he in justice for the delinquency of sin had punished with civil war, doth begin to pity us again, and to show that mercy is the direct attribute of his essence, he will soften the hearts of men to receive an accommodation of peace, that the sword may no longer cut down the youth and most generous spirits of this Land. There hath been blood enough, and too much already spent in a private quarrel, which by Plebeian wits was never hitherto well understood; and Kenton field will be remembered by posterity with much grief, since so many therein did lose their fathers, husbands, brothers, nay the blood of all sorts of kindred was mingled together, and could not be distinguished. And what was the cause of this unnatural battle? why the common people were led on by ungrounded opinions, and pay, to cut the throats of their brethren, the Protestant was exposed to fight in maintaining the unlearned humorous conceits of the Brownists and other Sectaries, being villianous people, and such as have been the great disturbers of the commonwealth; they endeavoured the fall of the true Religion, and to bring in new Doctrines, which with much impudence they brayed out in Convinticles, and had followers enough, equal to themselves for weak heads, and shallow understandings.  
The city and country carried up their fancies with all the strength they could make, and applauding new inventions, grateful to nature, they began to despise the Church, and Clergy, nay the Common prayer, as things ancient, and not fit for service. Hereupon soldiers, ready to maintain any cause, flocked together, and being ready (for pay) to justify any quarrel, a great battle was fought at Kenton, with much loss on both sides, and pity it was that so many of the Nobility and Gentry should be lost in such a battle, where so much cruelty was acted in so short a time. But though men prove more fierce than tigers, and ready to sheathe their swords in one another's bodies, yet the hand of God can stay their hands when they are lifted up in greatest fury; and when his good pleasure is, he can both persuade and command a peace, and the war cannot pass beyond the bounds which his his divine providence hath appointed, but as for other hopes to see peace, he will make us beholding to his divine bounty. For now after these furious passages of a civil war, he doth make some hearts to fall off from the prosecuting this destroying work of ruin, by maintaining war within this land, which must needs eat up the fruits thereof, and bring it to a despised and wretched poverty, other nations with pleasure looking upon our calamities. And since it is a principle, that all things must move from some beginning to an end, the city hath begun to bring about this great desired work of peace, and to set a mark upon such as do oppose the common vote of the people, and do cry up war, transported by their violent faction; they have therefore devised a way to distinguish such as be desirous of peace, from the other who are either cold to embrace it, or refrain to oppose it.  
But indeed who can oppose the inscrutable works of God, plotted by many secret ways, to manifest his glory; therefore if he will this work of peace shall with a swift motion go forward in despite of all opposition, let all the heads round about this city, conspire to slack and stay those intended propositions to the Parliament for peace, let the waves of tumult make the ship of the Church and commonwealth work to the Haven of safety, yet at last it shall conquer the tempest of ignorance, of scandal and envy, raised by those mouths of ignorance, that blow such violent cross winds to cast it away.  
Behold the King with his sceptre is ready to oppose these waves, to compose this storm, and shall any date to be movers and disturbers of this calm of happy peace? No, stand now for God, the King, the Parliament, and peace: You have now many good & great causes, united in one, then let your hearts stand firm in contrariety to those Vipers, that would ear a passage out of their mother's Wombs; those empty clouds of ignorance, that hover about till they are driven away by the clear Sun shine of the gospel. Your City is wise, and full of grave Senators, that can with clear judgements look into the Ambition and bloody thoughts of all Sects; therefore, now if your hearts be inclinable to peace, persuade yourselves (as indeed it is) that nothing can be more acceptable to God, your King and country, than a well grounded peace. Would you have this land, the ancient seat of plenty and prosperity, embrace peace? or if you desire to see the King in his peaceable Throne again, and enjoy all happiness under his gracious reign, embrace peace: Or do you wish for the peace and quietness of your consciences, of the Church and State, embrace and most willingly yield to peace. But what need we doubt it, for if your wisdom fail not, you will with all cheerfulness seek this peace so much opposed, if calamities may come within the view of of your understanding, there's sorrow, grief, blood, loss, violence, murder, and all the miseries of war daily extant and acted, and can there be happiness in this? is there music in the groans of dying men? is it joy to see tears standing in the eyes of this father, this husband, this mother and that brother, for the death of their comfort in their several relations. Then you may roundly conclude, that war is to be preferred to peace, murder and slaughter before life and safety, and the kingdom's ruin before the general good of the kingdom. But if the contrary be true, (as all wise men do acknowledge) then down with those ambitious, irreligious people, that cry down peace, and let all other people pray and endeavour for peace between the King and all his true hearted subjects.  
FINIS.