DIVERS Remarkable Passages OF GOD'S GOOD PROVIDENCE in the wonderful preservation and deliverance of John Harington Esqu. Mr. Robert Ram Minister, Mr. William Sclater, and Sergeant Horn, all of Spalding in the County of Lincoln, who were taken prisoners by the Cavaliers of Croyland and kept there the space of five weeks.  
But are now lately rescued by the Parliaments Forces, the Town taken with little loss, the forenamed prisoners set at liberty, and many of their adversaries taken in the same Net they laid for others.  
Whereunto is annexed a Copy of a Letter sent by Mr. Ram to Croyland, which they pretended to be the cause of that their madness against him.  
LONDON, Printed for I. Wright in the Old-baily, june 3. 1643.   

UPon Saturday the 25 of March being Lady day early in the morning, Captain Tho. Stiles, and Captain Cromwell, Mr. Wil Styles the Minister of Croyland with about 80 or 90 men came to the Town of Spalding, which at that time was utterly unfurnished of men and Arms, whereof they had intelligence the evening before, by some of our malignant & treacherous neighbours. Near break of the day they beset the house of M Ram, Minister of the Town, where they took J. Harrington Esq and the said M. Ram, and in a violent and uncivil manner carried them away to Croyland, at the entering whereof all the people of the town generally were gathered together to see and triumph over their prisoners, which put us in mind of Sampsons' entertainment when he was taken by the Philistims. Some others of our Town they took the same time, but released all save Edw. Horn, one of Capt. Escorts' Sergeants; so we three were kept together under strong guard, and about ten days after one M. Wil Slater of Spalding, a man of 66 year: of age was taken by some of their Scouts & made prisoner with us; our usage for diet and lodging was indifferent good all the time of our imprisonment, which was five weeks; but some insolenoys we were forced now and then to endure. Capt. Styles one day quarrelled with us for praying together, and for bad us to do so, saying, we should pray every man for himself, threatening to take away the Bible from us, saying, it was not fit for Traitors to have the Bible, and by no means would permit us to have Pen, Ink, or Paper, though Mr. Ram did earnestly sue to him for them, and protested that he would write nothing but what they should see or hear if they pleased. After we had continued there near 3 weeks, on thursday the 13 of April some companies of our friends advanced towards our relief, whereupon about 8 a clock that night we were all carried down to the Bulwark, on the North side of the Town, where we continued amongst the rude Soldiers and Townsmen till after midnight: but by reason our Forces fell not on that night, we were carried into an Alehouse, where we continued till day light, and then were had to our lodgings: but when our Companies approached nearer the Town, than we were all brought forth again, and another prisoner one Daniel Pegg of Deeping added to us, and carried to that part of the Town, where the first onset was given, being all of us fast pynioned and made to stand in an open place, where the Cannon began to play; but before the assault, a drummer was sent with a summons to the Town, at whom they shot divers times before his entrance, whom they also detained and kept as a prisoner till the Town was taken, contrary to the law of Arms. A while after we were all five of us set upon the top of the Brest-worke (according as we had been often threatened before) where we stood by the space of three hours, our friends shooting fiercely at us for a great part of that time, before they knew us; Cap. Harrington took one of his soldier's musket's, charging it with Pistoll-powder, and himself made three shot at his own father, he and all the rest of the Soldiers on that side supposing we had been Croylanders that stood there to brave them: when our friends perceived who we were, they left firing upon us, and began to play more to the right hand of us, whither M. Ram and Sergeant Horn were presently removed, which caused our party to hold their hands, so that little more was done on that side of the Town that day. Indeed their works were very strong and well lined with Musketeers who were backed with store of Hassock-knives, long Scythes, & such like fennish weapons, and besides without their works was a great water, both broad & deep, which encompassed all that side of the Town, by reason whereof our small Forces could do no good at that time, neither could they approach nearer without great hazard and loss. The Minister of the Town M. Styles was very active all the time of the fight on the West side, where he commanded in chief, running from place to place, & if fearful oaths be the character of a good Soldier, he may well pass Muster, which made us not so much marvel at the abominable swearing which we continually heard almost from every mouth, yea, even when the Bullets flew thickest. But as the fury of the assault began to abate in those parts, so did it increase on the North side, whither presently Mr. Ram and Sergeant Horn were posted, and there set upon the Bulwarks for our friends on that side to play upon, who plied us with great and small shot for a great while together, supposing M. Ram had been the vapouring Parson of the Town: many of our dear and worthy friends have since told us how many times they shot at us with their own hands and how hearty they desired to dispatch us, but the Lord of hosts, that numbereth the hairs of our heads, so guided the Bullets that of the multitudes that flew about our ears, and many of them within half Musket-shot, not one of them had power to touch us, blessed be the Name of our God. After we had continued 3 hours more upon the North-work, our forces began to retreat, and then were we taken down, and guarded to our lodging, Mr. Harrington also, & the two other prisoners which had continued all the while on the West-work were bringing up to us, but the Forces on the north side began to fire again, whereupon they were carried back by a base fellow of the Town to those works, and then our forces on both sides retreated. Upon this great victory, as the Croylanders vaunted, one Mr. jackson a Minister in the Town drew the people into the Church where he read certain Collects by way of thankfulness for their good success: the most part of the night following was spent in drinking, revelling, and railing upon the Parliament and roundheads, as if they had offered some extraordinary Sacrifice to Bacchus, in so much that there was scarce a sober ma● to be found amongst them: and since we are fallen into the mention of M. Jackson, we cannot well omit some passages of his: he was formerly a great incendiary in another place some ten miles from Croyland, where he stirred up the people in a dangerous and rebellious manner to take up Arms against the Parliament, and drew many of good estates into action under the command of Captain Welby, but God was pleased to rout that company without much loss of blood; upon the defeat there, Mr. jackson and others sheltered themselves at Croyland, where, what by preaching, and what by private persuading, he was a chief instrument in stirring up the people of Croyland to take up Arms and commit such outrages as they did. The last Sabbath that we were prisoners there he preached, and in his Sermon did mightily encourage the people to play the men, commending them highly for their courage and valour in the former encounter, and persuaded them by many arguments to go on in their resolution, saying, That the cause was Gods, and that he had fought for them, and would do so still, and that all the good people of the land prayed for them; he said also, that these holy Stones pray for you, these holy Books pray for you, which your enemies tear in pieces to light Tobacco withal, the holy Vestments pray for you, that holy Table prays for you, which they in many places make an Hors-rack, yea the Saints in Heaven pray for you; but of this enough, and too much. To proceed with our relation, we heard no more of our friends coming to relieve us till Tuesday the 25. of April, and then the Town was assaulted on three sides by part of the Regiments of those noble Gentlemen, Colonel Sir Miles Hobert, Colonel Sir Anthony Irby, and Colonel Cromwell: when the Forces advanced somewhat near the Town, Master Ram was again called for and brought out of his lodging, and carried with all speed to the North Bulwark, and there being very straight pinioned, he was laid within the Work upon the wet ground, where he lay for the space of five hours, often entreating that he might be set upon the Bulwark, by reason of the extreme numbness of his limbs, & his extraaordinary weariness with lying so long in that posture; but they would not suffer him, the with reason we conceive was, for that our friends threatened to give quarter if any of us were again set upon the Bulwarks. That Tuesday proved a very wet and windy day, and so continued till Thursday morning, that most of our Companies were forced to quit their moorish rotten quarters and to retreat, only some small parties on the West and South held them in exercise day and night most part of that time, though the weather was very extreme, and they had no shelter to defend themselves from it. On Thursday in the afternoon all the Companies were drawn down upon the three approaches or banks, by which the Town only is accessible by land, who so plied the Croylanders upon every quarter that their hearts began to fail, divers of them stealing away into the Coverts and moorish grounds on the east side of the Town, which they call ●on, so famous for fish and fowl, and many more that night followed their fellows. On Friday morning those few that remained set the best face they could upon so bad a business, and seemed as if they would fight it out to a man; but before day light they moved for a Treaty, which being granted, they sent their unreasonable Propositions, which being torn asunder and scorned, our men advanced and entered the Town without any opposition; some of the chief Actors got away, yet some were taken in the Town, and many more since in many places of the Country about; Captain Styles, Lieutenant Auburne of Lyn, Thomas Bower a Scrivener of London, Master Jackson the Minister of Fleet, Master William Balder, and some three or four more are now prisoners at Colchester and Ipswich: some aer committed to the provost Martial at Spalding. Of Croyland, only one was slain, and one hurt. Of our men were killed five, & some eighteen or twenty wounded, whereof some are since dead, their wounds being incurable by reason of their poisoned Bullets; ten champt Bullets were found in one man's pocket, some of their Muskets being drawn by our men had such Bullets in them, and abundance of the same sort found by our soldiers. The principal man we lost, was Master Nicholas Norwood, a Gentleman exceeding active and zealous in this and other services; he died of a shot in the shoulder some five or fix days after, was much lamented by all that knew him and his forwardness in the public cause. Thus it pleased the Lord to deliver us out of our imprisonment, and miraculously to preserve those that were appointed to die, for which we desire to bless his Name for ever, and blessed be the Lord for raising up so many noble Gentlemen & worthy friends, not only of our Neighbours in the Counties round about us, but of other parts far distant from us, who with wonderful courage and resolution engaged themselves to relieve us, or to die in the place.  


John Harrington.  
Robert Ram.  
William Slater.  
Edward Horn.     

A Copy of the Letter sent by Master Ram to Croyland, which they pretended to be the cause of their madness against him.  
AS one that truly d●sires your peace and welfare, I adventure once more to write unto y●u; My business at this time is to entreat you to accept of the advice of a friend, who though but a slander by, perhaps sees more than you that play the game: I beseech you consider how dangerously you run the hazard both of your lives and fortunes in this course you take. Do you think that to take up Arms, to make Bulwarks and Fortifications without Commission, to disobey all Warrants and Commands, are not very high contempts? Can you imagine that the Parliament, or the Committee at Lincoln will endure such affronts? Or can you hope to defend yourselves against such Forces as may easily and speedily be raised against you? Surely your numbers and your preparations are not so great, but that a small power may prevail against you; neither is your Town so inaccessible, but that it may be approached many ways; a piece of Ordnance will soon command and batter down your houses at two or three mile's distance, besides, it is possible in a very short time to famish your Town by cutting off all supplies of Corn and other provision: perhaps you expect some Forces from other parts that will come in to your aid; perhaps they which have so promised, you will not or cannot be so good as their word, or if they be, surely Croyland is not able to receive, at least to maintain any considerable number of men. Good Neighbours, think seriously on these things, and do not desperately ruin yourselves and your posterity, but hearken timely to the Counsel of Peace. I know your plea is, that you stand but upon your ●wne guard, and defence of yourselves and estates, so pleaded C. W. so pleaded Grand so plead all that stand out against the Parliament; but the Parliament allows not of such a plea, neither will it endure to be so contemned. Assure yourselves that if the Forces at Lyn, Cambridge, Northhampton, Nottingham, Lincoln, Boston, and Spalding, be able to reduce you to the Parliaments Obedience and Justice, you will not long escape them; my counsel therefore is, that you will play the parts of wise men, lay down your Arms and submit yourselves, listen not to them that advise you to stand out, they will be the first that will forsake you; let those that are named in the last Warrant present themselves to the Committee without delay, it will be the best days work that ever they did; and if they will be pleased to make use of me, I will do them the best service I can, not doubting but that I shall obtain their peace upon fair terms. Thus beseeching the God of peace to incline your hearts to these motions of peace, I rest  
Your faithful friend Robert Ram. Spalding Jan. 31. 1642.  
FINIS.