THE DISPLAYING OF THE LIFE-GUARDS COLOURS, OR A true Narrative of the late actings of his Excellency's Lifeguard, since their Order for Marching up to London to be Disbanded:  
Wherein Are contained his Excellency's Order for their Marching up to London. Their Remonstrance in reference to their Solemn Engagement. Their proposals in order to Disbanding. Their Declaration discovering their Reasons of Seizing upon and Securing their Standard.  
With a vindication of divers Gentlemen employed by them. And divers other things giving Light to each of them.  
Now Published to give satisfaction, and to prevent misapprehensions concerning the proceed of the Gentlemen of the Lifeguard of his Excellency Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX.  
Magna est veritas & praevalebit  
LONDON, Printed in the Year, 1648.   

THE DISPLAYING Of the Life-Guards COLOURS.  
THe Stir-rups, by which many have mounted into the Saddle of Authority and power, and the stalking horses whereby they have deceived well minded people have been specious pretences of their great desires after the public good; their actings only have discovered them to be feigned pretenders, and men pretending public good, for their private advantage, which being brought forth, the pangs of their travel cease, unless to confirm themselves as nails in sure places.  
There hath been of late a design, (pardon the word) to disband part of the Army, and that (if you will believe it) for the Kingdom's good; of which company his Excellency's Lifeguard must have the honour to be Frontiers, for reasons best known to their lovers. Wherefore an Order issued out from his Excellency in January last for their marching from their quarters in Hertford-shire unto London, to be disbanded there. The Copy of which Order here follows.  
A Copy of his Excellency's Order for the Life-Guards coming to London to be disbanded.  
WHereas the Parliament hath ordained and appointed the forces under your command, being my Lifeguard, to be disbanded, and have taken orders that the said Lifeguard or forces to be disband●●it ●●cept such as have been entertained since the sixth of August last (who are to be discharged without money) shall before disbanding have their accounts stated, receive two months pay in hand, and Dibenturs for the remainder, and those to be registered, and by several Ordinances secured; those Arrears by good and viable security to be hereafter paid, or that they shall be agreed with all for their whole arrears by a gross sum in hand; and have authorited Commissioners to see these things done.  
These are to require you upon notice from their Commissioners entrusted with that service, you with the said forces under your command do readily comply and give due obedience in all things requisite for the effectual and speedy dispatch of that service, and the disbanding the said forces under your command, according to the said resolutions and directions of Parliament. The said service being of great concernment to the public and the ease of the Country. The Parliament and myself expect all due observance heerin: And for so doing this shall be your Warrant, under my hand and seal at Windsor the 28. of January 1647.  
THOMAS FAIRFAX.  
To Captain Cromwell or to Cap. Lieu. Ellis, or other Officers in chief present with my Lifeguard.  
In obedience to which Order the Troop marched under the conduct of their Officers to Barnet near London, and after into the City. Where some of the Gentlemen calling to mind their solemn engagement with the Army, not to disband nor divide, nor to suffer themselves to be disbanded nor divided; and perceiving a necessity of submitting to his Excellency, thought by a Remonstrance so to free themselves from their engagement that they might with safety of conscience suffer themselves to be disbanded. Which Remonstrance was February the 6. presented to his Excellency. The Copy whereof here ensues.  
An humble Remonstrance to his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, from the Gentlemen of his Excellency's LIFEGUARD.  
Most noble General,  
WE Gentlemen of your Excellency's Lifeguard formerly with your Excellency's concurrence (being moved by the unquestionable dictates of reason, and Parliamentary Declarations, to endeavour this Kingdoms and our own preservation; against the desperate designs of unnatural persons, tending to this Kingdoms and our own destruction) 
* Army's Book Declar. p. 23.26.  have disputed the Commands of Parliament, and entered into a Solemn Engagement, not to disband nor divide, nor to suffer ourselves to be disbanded, nor divided, till full and equal satisfaction be given to ours and others just desire, and security sufficiently provided for us, and others adhering to us; in regard of actions done in the late War, and things Agitated in our late endeavours of procuring and promoting our Country's happiness: in expectation of which satisfaction, and security, we have a long time traveled with great desire, and have been hitherto frustrated, to our no small grief, either through weakness, unskilfulness, or unfaithfulness of our Midwives, or the prevalent practices of our Bloodthirsty enemies.  
And now understanding by your Excellency's Order, the resolution both of the Parliament, and your Excellency to disband us; we are enforced, humbly to Remonstrate to your Excellency, as followeth.  
That although we are willing and desirous, for the Country's ease to disband; and in all Lawful things to be obedient to your Excellency's Command: yet we cannot give our consent to be disbanded at present, without great dishonour to your Excellency, and ourselves, and unfaithfulness to the Kingdom, Parliament and Army.  
First, Because by consenting to disband, we shall make ourselves betrayers of our Trust, and destroyers of our faith in our Solemn Engagement, whereby we Engaged not to disband nor divide, nor to suffer ourselves to be disbanded nor divided, till enjoyment of full and equal satisfaction ●nd security, which as yet is not visible to our ●ight 〈◊〉 neither are we informed from that Council, 
* A.B.D. pag. 26.  which we wi●● the whole Army Erected, and in whose determination we promited to acquiese, that there is any such satisfaction or security, and therefore cannot with safety of conscience voluntarily disband, nor willingly ●u●●er ourselves to be disbanded.  
Also because by disbanding, we shall for present discourage the hearts, and weaken the hands of our dear Fellow-soldiers: and shall (in all probability) make way for their sudden disbanding by parcels, and so render them (as well as ourselves) uncapable of acting for their own and the Kingdom's welfare; From which evil, we desire to keep our hands clean; lest theirs and the people's just cries ascend into the ears of the most High against us.  
Lastly (to mention no more) our present disbanding will not ease the Country, (unless for present) but introduce greater burdens, than they have yet borne (it being the way for present to weaken, and in all probability suddenly to destroy the Army, the Hedge of their safety) which we desire may not, but fear will be the effect of it.  
We shall not now speak much of the proposed way, and terms of our disbanding, they being not the end of this Remonstrance: although we conceive the way dishonourable, we being appointed the first to disband, as if your Excellency's Lifeguard were most hurtful, or least useful in the whole Army: and the terms both dishonourable and unreasonable, there being provided at disbanding for those of us, to whom something is promised, 
* A.B.D. p. 67.  less than those received at disbanding, who deserted the Army; and for others of us, who were invited by public Declarations, and admitted by special Orders from your Excellency to ride amongst us, there is nothing provided at disbanding, because not listed within the Hundred before the Sixth of August; 
A.B.D. p. 38.  notwithstanding promises made to them of full and equal satisfaction with others, and their dangerous adventures, and excessive expenses in joining with us, to procure the same common end, Liberty and Safety.  
Now if your Excellency shall proceed in your resolution to disband us, we cannot, we shall not re●st; but shall leave this as a witness to the whole Kingdom of our willingness to appear faithful, and that we are not guilty of procuring those miseries, that may light on the Country, as consequences of disbanding.  
In conclu●ion, may it please your Excellency to honour us so fare, as to take this paper into your Excellencies serious consideration; and to return an answer, which we humbly expect. Now the God of wisdom in a●l things direct your Excellency, that you may still continue a glorious Instrument of much good to this poor Kingdom, which is the prayer of,  
Your Excellencies most humble Servants ready to live and die with your Excellency, in procuring, and promoting, Common Liberty, and Safety.  
After the General had received this Remonstrance and taken it into consideration, his Excellency returned this answer to M. John Knowles (who was appointed to present if) That there were two things he observed in it:  
First, that the Gentlemen did conceive, that they should by a willing disbanding break their engagement with the Army.  
Secondly, that they thought it dishonourable to be disbanded first. To the first, his Excellency replied (as M. Knowles related) That he conceived that the end of their engagement would not be broken by disbanding, seeing satisfaction and security were provided, and disbanding would be an ease to the Country.  
To which he answered to his Excellency, That the Gentlemen did conceive, that by a willing disbanding they should destroy the engagement, full satisfaction and security being not visible to them, and they having received no information thereof from that Council, which was constituted by the Army to determine what is, and to declare when there is full satisfaction and security; in whose determinations and declarations only they were bound to acquiesse. And further he said, That the end of the gentlemen's remonstrating was, so to free themselves from the engagement, That they might without hurt to their consciences readily disband at the command of his Excellency. Other things he reported, the mentioning whereof may here well be omitted.  
The Gentlemen having by this Remonstrance both freed themselves from their en●agement, and received more certain knowledge of his Excellency's resolution to disband them, they began to consider of honest and just terms of disbanding, which they represented to the General in their proposals, wherein not being was desired by them but what his Excellency in his Order had promised to them; The truth whereof the Copy here annexed will manifest and clearly discover.  
To his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax General.  
THe humble proposals of your Excellency's Lifeguard. How great our diligence hath been in obedience to your Excellency's commands, our deportment hitherto and hereafter (we hope) hath and shall sufficiently speak. And that we do not tolerate any unruly spirit amongst us, to the disturbing of the Army or Kingdom. We shall likewise declare (and though we cannot but judge) that our present disbanding is a detriment to our honour and other things which we may justly plead. Yet we do resolve to obey when we shall receive a command thereunto, not doubting but all those things shall be made good unto us, which were agreed upon by your excellency with your General Council of War and the Commissioners of Parliament at Windsor, the denial of which will be an impediment to our present disbanding, for the removing of which hindrances; We humbly offer these things following to your Excellencies most serious consideration.  
That we may have our Accounts as well veterane as new audited and Registered by the Committee of the Army (or by such as they shall appoint) and visible security given to us according to the Agreement.  
That we may be continued in pay and Quarters assigned us, until our Debenturs are perfected, and such visible security given.  
That we (or such of us as shall desire it) may be compounded with and paid off in gross, and trusties appointed for that purpose.  
These things we humbly conceive are consonant unto the above mentioned Agreement, and of great concernment to ourselves and the whole Soldiery, how unspeakable our trouble and prejudice will be to wait for them after we shall be Disbanded. The dreadful former examples of others, and our present expensive abode in the City, compelleth us humbly to present to your Excellencies most sad contemplation, And we hope it will not resent ill with your Excellency, if we shall refuse willingly to Disband until they are performed: After which we shall readily show our obedience, when we shall receive a Command thereunto from your Excellency.  
These just Proposals humbly presented to his Excellency, procured for them only a referring (for their satisfaction) to the Committee of Lords and Commons for the Army, to whom t●e Gentlemen made their address, and received an answer which tended b●th to their dishonour and disadvantage. The Committee telling them that they were Disbanded long since, and that they must wait upon their own charges for their Debenturs.  
The Gentlemen considering how dishonourable it was to them to be Disbanded li●e a Cashiered and ill deserving Company, not received so much as thanks for their Service, and knowing how chargeable 'tis to wait on Committees, and believing that if they should submit to this hard usage, others of the Soldiery to ●e Disbanded (who were less able to bear it) would meet with as hard (if not harder) dealing at their Disbanding, resolved once more to ma●e their address to his Excellency, desiring to know of his Excellency what they should do? Who told them that he wondered they did not disperse themselves. They further desired to know what they should do with their Colours? His Excellency told them, they might bring them to him, or dispose of them as they would.  
N●w the Gentlemen ill resenting their friends carriages towards them, they deserving beetter at their hands, were so provoked that divers of them resolved to seize on the Standard, which accordingly they did, and marched with honest intentions out of the City unto Knightsbridge, where they stayed till they received an Order from his Excellency to appear before him and his Council at Whitehal, Febr. 24. where they in obedience to his excellency's Order, waited to know his Excellency's pleasure with them, and presented to his Excellency and his Council a Declaration, whereby they Remonstrated their Reason of their action in seizing upon, and securing their Colours. A Copy whereof here followeth.  
The Declaration.  
WE the Gentlemen of his Excellency's Lifeguard being brought to L●ndon by an Order under his Excellency's hand and ●eal for the receiving of these several Particulars, therein mentioned before disbanding, That two Months Pay be received, Accounts in general audited and registered, visible Security given, those that will compound for their Arrears in gross, the Act of Indemnity confirmed, and all these things ●e●s●●●ed before Disbanding.  
We therefore the aforesaid Gentlemen, do declare to the Parliament, General, Army, and the whole Kingdom, That we have indeed received two Months Pay, and a Promise that the Debentures of this Army should be perfected, and brought within the Security above mentioned; but we desire the World to take notice, that our entertainment until disbanding, the auditing and securing of our old Accounts, and the exact fulfilling of the general Warrant, are denied; upon which, for the Generals and our own honour, and the clearing of the just right of the whole Soldiery, we have been enforced to secure our Standard in our own hands, with no other intent, sinister end, or desire of standing (which we all in general protest against) but only that when the General's honour in fulfilling his Warrant shall be vindicated, our persons and Arrears secured, and the Army shall acquit us from all our former Engagements to and with them; then we say, these things being accomplished, we shall (as men of honour and honesty) in the open field with our Officers heading of us which will speak a Disbanding, not a cashiering, either deliver up our Colours to the General, or otherwise, honourably dispose of them, as becomes Soldiers. Nor can we think it consistant with our Honours to dissolve privately, and without punctual order in a City, when we have always stood by our Colours in the field, where we first received them, and shall again leave them.  
We also do believe that the whole World will deem we act but the parts of men of honour and honesty, if we shall not willingly suffer the just Rights and honour of our General, ourselves, and all the Soldiery to be detained from us without making it manifest, that we are sensible of so great an injury offered to them and us, and of the prejudice we shall unavoidably entail upon all that shall disband after us.  
These things following are the sum of our desires.  
That the sum of our Accounts both old and new be audited and secured, those (that please) compounded with in gross, (that our Pay go on with the Army, until the day when by punctual order from the General we shall be in the field disbanded, and at that time each man's Debentur together with his particular Discharge may he delivered to him, that the general's Order which says, [These things above mentioned aught to be performed before disbanding] may be cleared, fulfilled, his reputation vindicated, for putting in that word [before disbanded] without which the interest of the whole Soldiery will be injured, theirs and our Expectations frustrated, both they and we enforced to that tedious and expensive attendance upon Committees which the former sad Experience of others hath made us seek with all possible means to avoid.  
We shall not in the least measure aggravate the actings of that Counsel (hoping that they hereafter may learn to do better) but shall yield a brief and true Relation of general Passages, to give light to those that desire satisfaction concerning the Life-guards late Transactings. The Gentlemen being convened at White-Hall (the place where the Counsel sat) three of them, to wit, M. Clarke, M. ●iggs, M. Thirkill, were one by one called into the Counsel, where their Accusations were Interrogatories, and their persons for real or pretended Crimes made Prisoners, two whereof (M. Clarke, M. Thirkill) underwent a close imprisonment. And all the Gentlemen of the Lifeguard had till nine a clock at night the King's Palace for their Prison, they being denied egress t●ll that time to go about their necessary occasions. The forementioned Declaration was sent into the Counsel by the hands of four Gentlemen entrusted for that purpose. The Counsel would scarce vouchsafe to the Lifeguard so much honour as to read the presented Paper. The Gentlemen sent in were coursely handled, and c●used to testify under their hands that they came in the name of the Troop; and so were dismissed (as Prisoners upon Perroll) with the whole Troop, and ordered to appear on the morrow by nine of the clock. Who being come together, sent into the Counsel a Vindication of these Gentlemen who were employed by the greatest part of the Gentlemen and suspected by the Counsel as Pretended Representatives. The Copy of which Vindication here follows.  
We the Gentlemen of his Excellency's Lifeguard, whose names are here under-written, did desire and appoint (and do own it as our own act) M. Clerk, Captain Bigg▪ M. Burleigh, M. Lee, M. Bouchir and Maj. Cain, in our Names to deliver unto his Excellency and the Counsel of War that our Declaration and those our summary desires which they did accordingly the last night present as . In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our hands this five and twentieth of February, Anno Domini 1647.  
We further humbly desire this honourable Counsel of War to take notice, that in point of takng our Colours into our own custody, or the concealing of them. We do own as an act which we all approve of, consent to, and hold ourselves equally to be engaged in the owning of that act as the act of the whole Troop. And expect that their sufferings who are at present confined may not exceed our own.  
This is subscribed by the Gentlemen of his Excel. Lifeguard.  
This Vindication was subscribed by many who had no han● in seizing upon and securing the Standard, to which Subscription they were induced for the good of those Gentlemen (Men of desert) who were in great danger for it, if the Council were in earnest, and acted not merely from policy, to affright the Gentlemen, and keep in awe the whole Soldiery, that they might not for future dare appear opposers of their arbitrary Power. The Council having knowledge to what place the Standard was conveyed, sent (Febr. 25.) a Troop of Horse to the Lamb on Snow-hill, where they found it and conducted it, to the General's Quarters in Queenes-street, where it remains. The Soldiers who were employed in that Service hath professed since their ignorance of that undertaking. After the Colours were if the General's possession, the Council or some of them proceeded to the condemnation of M. Clarke, who was sentenced to be shot to death for a Crime (so called) exceeding heinous, in the Coun●els aggravating circumstances of it, were naturally united to it. This night after the Council risen, there was a great distemper in Colonel Riches Regiment, when they heard of the Sentence that passed against M. Clarke, who came the same night to Whitehall, (whe●● the Prisoner was) were permitted to send three in to see the condemned Gentleman, and had a promise from the Lieutenant Colonel of tha● Garrison, that the Prisoner in the morning should be forthcoming, which Soldiers professed that they were moved to that action from this consideration, th●t M. Clarke stood not only for his own and the Life-●uards, but al●●●●●●e Rights of the whole Soldiery: and further they profess, that th●●●●●●ld not suffer one hair of his head to perish. The Gentlemen of his Excel Lifeguard, after the Sentence of Death given out met together to consu●● what was to ●e 〈◊〉, the end of their Debate was not to act in, nor encourage ●t●ers to any tumultuous wa●, but to address themselves by way of Petition to his Excellency, that the Sentence m●●ht be recalled, and the condemned Gentleman with themselves se●●●●●●a●m●●●●e notwithstanding their former actings. According to which ●●te●●●●nati●n d●vers Gentlemen wer●●●pointed to draw up a Petition for the ends of ●●-m●●●●●●ed▪ The Copy of t●e Petition drawn up by the Gentlemen entrusted for that purpose here ensues.  
To his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, General: The humble Petition of your Excellency's Lifeguard,  
Sheweth,  
THat whereas it hath been the late unhappiness of your Petitioners for to do or seem to countenance the doing of some things which have been ill resented by your Excel. and your honourable Council of War▪ as courses tending to mutiny or receding from your Excellency's command, the thoughts of which we desire to abhor, and our denial of the desires of many tending thereunto, we hope, will speak on our behalf, and that M. Will. Clarke having taken some course for which your Excellency with your honourable Council of War have conceived him worthy of death, and accordingly have adjudged him to die, the innocency of whose intentions we cannot but have high thoughts of, though his behaviour or our own, so fare as capable of a bad construction, we shall not desire to justify, being rather willing to condemn ourselves for the Peace of the Kingdom, than to disturb it, by justifying of ourselves.  
We therefore humbly pray, that your Excellency will be pleased to take the dying condition of the said M. William Clerk into your tender consideration, and that you will be pleased not to take an advantage from his fault to take away his life, but graciously to pardon the same, or what ever we or any of us have done so fare as its unjust and so offensive, we humbly desire your Excellency to pass by and sursease any further proceed, whereby your Excellency's mercy will not only give a new life to the Gentleman petitioned for, but also make the lives of your Petitioners much more comfortable, and oblige them humbly to pray, etc.  
Some at the Council being privately made acquainted with this Petition, ●ll resented it, notwithstanding e●ch line is with moderation and humility sufficiently adorned; and discouraged them from presenting it, telling them that it would but increase the fire kindled in the breasts of divers in the Council against them. Upon which was a demur amongst the Gentlemen in reference to the Petition; but in the interim a Colonel one of the Cou●cel proffered his service to the Gentlemen (although their adversary) to frame a Petition for them; which accordingly he did; and it was presented to the General by two Gentlemen without Subscriptions, the Council would not accept it, unless the Gentlemen would subscribe it, which if denied, the Gentleman condemned was threatened with an immediate Execution of his Sentence. Part of the Troop were brought up and kept in a chamber, where some were (not from the dictates of their reason, but) through the greatness of their affection to the condemned Gentleman, enforced to subscribe that Petition, whilst others of them protested against it. This Petition being presented, the subscribing Gentlemen were called into the Council, and his Excellency pardoned the condemned Gentlemen, readmitted the Troop into his favour, and promised them satisfaction to their just desires.  
Now having ended this true Discovery. Had there nothing here presented itself to the view of the world by way of excuse in their low descension by way of Petition, yet if their former Papers which were  should be compared with that Petition (if ever it should present itself unto the view of the world) it would be accounted but illegitimate: for who can think that so many Gentlemen of known valour and integrity against their professed Enemies should ever be brought to so low a condescension by their pretended friends? but in some cases a pretended friend may do more mischief than an open enemy, Lupus in veste agnina maxime nocet.  
Let this be considered which before was omitted, this Gentleman was condemned for being pretendedly guilty under two Articles. First, for Mutiny, in taking the Colours, who was therein but equally concerned with the rest, and so it had been but partiality to condemn one for all, when all were equally concerned in the same act. Actor enim & accessarius a●que peccant; itaque candem poenam mercuntur. Second, Was ●●s disobedience to superior Officers? And what was that his not answering to Interrogatories, which they were pleased to put to him? This offence was obedience to the Law, which hath Nemo seipsum prodet, for its Maxim.  
Let no Soldier or Commoner from the event of these men's actings be deterred from endeavouring their Country's freedom, seeing event doth not always teach trut●, and is always a teacher of fools; Verum est, eventum stultorum esse magistrum.  
FINIS.