A COPY OF THE KING'S Message sent by the Duke of Lenox.  
Also the Copy of a Petition to the KING from the Inhabitants of Somersetshire, to come with him to the Parliament.  
A Declaration by the Committee of Dorsetshire, against the Cavaliers in those parts; declaring how six French Papists ravished a woman one after another: She having been but three days before delivered out of Childbed.  
Also, how a Gentleman at Oxford was cruelly tortured in Irons, and for what they were so cruel towards him.  
And how they would have burnt down an Alehouse at the Brill, because the woman refused Farthing tokens; And other cruelties of the Cavaliers, manifested to the Kingdom.   depiction of Cavalier atrocities 
Publissied according to Order of Parliament.  
LONDON, Printed by jane Coe. 1644.   

A Declaration of the vile and wicked ways of the cruel Cavaliers.  
AS our cunning Enemies have still laboured to involve these three Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, into equal misery with Germany and other desolate Countries; that as themselves were falling under the rod of Justice, so we all might partake of equal calamity with them, and (if possible) hinder the rightful proceed in Parliament; which would otherways make us happy, by bringing evil actions to just censures, and therefore choose rather to bring the whole bodies of all the Kingdoms to be destroyed, than they (though rotten and imposthumed Members) be either cut off or launched: Yet nevertheless these Jesuitical Sophisters, have still laboured to mask all their bloody designs, under the white vizard and pretence of Peace, like that of France, which was but a Preface to the ensuing massacre. I will first present you with a Petition of the malignant Gentry and Freeholders of the County of Somerset, which Petition was given to the King when he was at Sturmister, very fairly drawn thus.  
To the Kings most Excellent Majesty. The humble Petition of the Gentry, Freeholders, and others, your Majesty's loyal, and Protestant Subjects, of the County of Somerset.  
Most humbly showeth:  
THat among the many miseries that the present war hath brought upon them, it hath been a great comfort to them to see your pious inclination to, and continued endeavours for settling Peace again, and had hoped that your Majesty's gracious Message to that purpose would have produced that desired effect. But not finding that success answerable to their expectations, and your Majesty being now upon a march nearer towards London;  
They humbly beseech your Majesty, that thoy may have liberty to wait in person upon your Majesty, and at a nearer distance of place, become Petitioners to the Lords and Commons of Parliament assembled at Westminster, to embrace your Majesty's gracious offers of peace, and put an end to the calamities of this distracted and almost ruined nation, with due care to the preservation of the true Reformed Protestant Religion, your Majesty's Right and honours, the privileges of Parliament, and your subject's liberties and properties, according to the Laws of this your Kingdom: And in case they may not obtain so just a request, they shall hold their lives best spent in assisting your Majesty to compass that by the sword, which by any other fair and just way could not be effected; to which end they desire liberty to put themselves in Arms, and as they always lived, shall rejoice to die,  
Your Majesty's most loyal and faithful Subjects.  
This Petition being presented to the King, from the Cavalieres and Malignants of the Country, was read, and the Duke of Lenox and Richmond being then by, the King spoke thus to the Duke.  
It is well known that the people of this County of Somerset are very Heathenish and ignorant, and yet me thinks they might have had so much sense and reason as to know that to put an end to these Calamities we now groan under, are not by Banding with Priests Jesuits and Friars, Irish Rebels, and Papists against the Representative body of the Kingdom, now sitting in Parliament, who fit there to reform all the grievances of Kingdom. If we would live in peace and see good days, we must join with the Parliament against these Romish Jesuitical Army, that so the Protestant Church may be delivered from their Idolatry: and wickedness, Jesus Christ may be be advanced unto his Throne, and the Church and state settled in heaven.  
The King's Speech to the Duke of Lenox and Richmond; in Answer to the Petition.  
My Lord,  
I Desire you to signify to the Petitioners, that I do well approve their hearty and loyal affections, and accept the free offer of their service to me, with thanks; and give them free liberty to meet and put themselves in Arms, according to their desire, and wait upon me; and freely do give leave to them to become Petitioners of the Lords and Commons of Parliament assembled at Westminster, for composing the unhappy differences of this poor Kingdom in a peaceable way; and shall be glad to hear the Petitioners, and all other my loyal and well affected Subjects present with me, and be witnesses who is in the fault, if they be not presently restored to an happy peace again. I hereby assuring them, that I will only insert upon the preservation of the true Reformed Protestant Religion, my own known Rights, the Privileges of Parliament, and my Subjects liberty and property, according to the Laws of the Kingdom; and shall endeavour to have all these settled, in a full and free Convension of Parliament.  
And because I would not have the good intentions of the petitioners frustrated, I wish them to take care to make such propositions, as may be necessary for their Journey, and they shall not fale of my best assistance likewise therein. And I desire the Sherief of this County do summon the posse thereof, or any other persons inhabitants of the same, at such time, and in such places, as the Commissioners shall think fit, for the advancement of this business.  
This Message the Duke of Lenox and Richmond delivered to the Commissioners of Array, who endeavoured to press and force all they could to go to join with the King, so that the Inhabitants were feign to fly from their dwellings, and the honest Gentlemen, and Freeholders, with what they could safely take with them, were driven to ride into Glostershire, Dorsetshire, and other parts, and some to come to London, to be rid of, and secure themselves, whose houses were sound plundered in their absence,  
And who can be so blind as not see, that they seek for to destroy this, and in this all Parliaments, secondly to spoil the Famers City of London, and with them all the rest of Kingdom, which they call Round Heads. There usual course being to swear they will make the Roundheads bow to a Cross.  
The poor Hostess at the Brill, because she told her Bostocke Guest the last week that farthings would not go, and disired them to give her silver, they kicked her up and down house, and set fire of the house, and had burnt it down, but that by large rewards, and importunity, they permitted her neighbours to quench it.  
And an honest man a prisoner in Oxford said not long since that if he was at London in peace, he did not doubt but through God's blessing to be able to give to them, who now deny him bread, and for this he was put neck and heels in Irons three days to gether and in Iron fetters a month after.  
But these are no strange things, for thus do they abuse the King himself, for notwitstand all these protestations and shows of love, and What not to the King, yet at the late fight at Newberry; they all fled from him, to Wallingford, save only about 20. of his Life Guard; that the King cried out after them, saying, Will you all leave me, they will take me prisaner, and carry me to the Tower, and they left him in this condition, are not these pretty fellows to be trusted by the King before his Parliement, this was a base dog trick of them, one would think that the King should never trust them again.  
And although there are many axamples more of the unworthy, yea and exceeding barbarous examples of the King's forces, to honest godly people where they come, and especially by the Papists, and such as are most in esteem and trust amongst them; yet I shall conclude with a most inhuman and beastly action done by some of their beloved French Shoulders in Dorcetshire, certified under the hands of the Committee in that County, and by a Declaration from them, of which here followeth a copy.  
At the standing Committee of the County of Dorset, 24. October, 1644. Countrymen friends and neighbours.  
WHereas we are informed of many monstrous outrages in several towns and parishes, in this County, by the French Papists of the Queen's Regiment, and others who are put among us by some ill affected Gentlemen, to assist them in raising forces, and amongst the rest a most horrid act, most execrable, and Abominable in the sight of God and man, committed by six of those French Troopers, who forced a woman in a most beastly manner, one after another, three days after her delivery from childbed, to the hazard of her life, and have also committed divers others, Rapes, Murders, and other actions, unfit to be named by us, in sundry places of this county, we profess to the world our hearty hatred, and detestation of the abominable facts, and do Resolve by the help of Almighty God, to cause justice to be executed upon the offenders, and do hereby declare our resolutions to the uttermost of our endeavours, to drive out of these parts those barbarous Bloodsuckers, and inhuman beasts, and all their abettors, their endeavours being to extirpate our Religion and Liberty, and to bring us, and our posterity into perpetual bondage, and slavery, and by these and such like instruments, to triumph over us at their pleasure, if therefore your zeal to God, your love to Religion, and liberty, your care to have justice executed, and your desires to enjoy your wives children, and estates in peace, shall stir you up to join with us in this action, so much concerning the glory of God, and good of your Country, we promise to assist you with our lives and fortunes which we intent to demonstrate, by our present taking the field, and whosoever shall join with us in a business of such importance shall be furnished with Arms and other things needful for the service. And thus in expectation of your Readiness,  
we hearty remain: Your loving friends. Subscribed by Anthony Ashley Cooper, and the rest of the Committee.  
FINIS.