AN ORDINANCE OF THE Lords and Commons ASSEMBLED IN PARLIAMENT, For Thursday next to be a day of Thanksgiving within the Lines of Communication. And throughout the whole kingdom the 27. of this instant June, for the great VICTORY. Obtained against the King's Forces, ne'er Knasby in Northamptonshire the fourteenth of this instant June. And Ordered to be forthwith printed and Published. Hen. Elsing, Cler. Parl. Dom. Com.  
Together with two exact Relations of the said Victory The one from lieutenant general Cromwell to the Speaker of the house of Commons. The other from a gallant Gentleman of public employment in that service, who relates all the particulars of the whole day, & what persons on both sides were taken, wounded, and killed  
London Printed for Ed. Husband June the 17. 1645.   

SIR,  
BEing Commanded by you to this service, I think myself bound to acquaint you with the good hand of God towards us and you, we marched yesterday, after the King, who went before us from Daintry to Harborough, and quartered about six miles from him, he drew out to meet us, both Armies engaged, we after three hours' fight (very doubtful) at last routed his Army, killed and took about five thousand, very many Officers, but of what quality we yet know not; We took also two hundred Carriages, all he had, and all his Guns, being twelve in number, whereof two were Demy-cannons, two Demy-Culverins, and I think the rest were Sacres. We pursued the enemy from three miles short of Harborough to nine beyond, even to the sight of Leicester, whether the King fled; Sir, this is no other but the hand of God, to him alone be the glory, wherein none are to share with him. The general served you with all faithfulness and honour, and the best commendation I can give him, is, I dare say he attributes all to God, and had rather perish then assume it to himself, which is an honest, and a thriving way, yet as much bravery may be given to him in this Action, as to a man.  
Harborough 14 of June, 1645. O. Cromwell.   

The copy of a Letter sent from a Gentleman of public employment in the late service near Knaseby.  
BOth Armies were drawn in Ba●talia in a great field near Knaseby by ten in the morning, each wing of both sides charged other, with that eagerness, that they had not patience to shoot of one piece of Ordnance, our dragoons begun the battle Flancking the right wing of the enemy's Horse as they charged our left wing of Horse, the Foot charged not each other till they were within twelve paces one of another, and could not charge above twice, but were at push of Pike, the enemy's Foot gave a little back, and so did some few of ours, and then the right wing of our Horse (wherein the general was in person) charged in the flank of the blue regiment of the enemy's Foot, who stood to it, till the last man, abundance of them slain, and all the rest surrounded, wounded, and taken, these (the hope of their Infantry) being lost, Horse and Foot gave back, we advanced on after them in order our Horse flancking▪ our Foot, and after one charge more, became Masters of all their Infantry, and took about three thousand prisoners, the enemy's Horse ran a pace, but still our Horse, though one would have beaten ten, (such a fear was the Enemy possessed with all) would not pursue in heat but take the Foot to flank them, the King cried out, face about once and give one charge and recover the day, our Men Horse and Foot came on with that courage, that before ever we gave fire they faced about and ran clee●e away, and happy was he that was best mounted, and lieutenant general Cromwell; pursued with the Horse after them on a Curre●●e about twelve or thirteen miles, within two or three miles of Leicester, and having taken eight pieces of Ordnance in the field, whereof two were demi-canon, one whole culverin, took all the rest of their Ordnance and their Carriages, Bag and Baggage▪ abundance of Coaches, and rich Plunder, Carts with boats and great store of biscuit and Cheese, (a seasonable refreshment for our soldiers that had marched so hard, and the night before had not a bit of Bread to a regiment for their refreshment,) the Foot and the train Marched this night to harbour (Four miles) where our head quarter is. Time will not give me leave to enlarge myself on particulars otherwise it were worth your knowledge and fit to be had in memory, I shall not attribute more to one Commander then to another, for indeed they did as gallantly, as ever men on earth could do, and so did the enemy's foot, which before the battle we least valued, Rupert and Maurice (having at least two thousand Horse more than ours that charged, were so well received by our men though our left wing gave back a little as their hearts were broke at the first▪ that which made our Horse so terrible to them, was the thickness of our reserves and their orderly and timely coming on, not one failing to come on in turn; About the beginning, the day was doubtful, but blessed be the name of our God, in one half hour the field was won and the Enemy gone, to God alone be the praise, it becomes not me to say any thing of my generals, Major generals, or lieutenant general Cr●mwells carriage in this battle, I leave it to all men, on the place to relate it, who cannot but admire their valour, and thus hath the Lord gone along with this new moulded Army, so much contemned by many & left as sheep to the slaughter by others, but from the beginning I was confident, a blessing from heaven did attend this Army, there were in it so many pious men, men of integrity, hating vice, fighting not out of ambitiousness or by ends, but aiming at God's glory and the preservation of Religion, & Liberty, and the destruction of the Enemy which was never in so fair a way as now is, if people's hearts would yet be moved to redeem themselves from slavery and all join as one man, If this advantage be improved (as what a wearied out and tired Army is able to do, will be done) with the blessing of God, and an addition of some fresh horse, ours being worn off their legs, the Enemy in all probability will not this Summer get head again, and I hope in the Lord, never more considerable in the field, some observations I had in the time of battle in the carriage of things, that one great encouragement to the common soldier to fall on, was the rich Plunder the enemy had (their purses also being full of Money, the Plunder of poor Leicestershire, God turned to be one means of their ruin, and indeed our soldiers got plenty, the Irish women Prince R●p●rt brought on the field (wives of the bloody Rebels in Ireland (his Majesties dearly beloved subjects) our soldiers would grant no quarter too, about 100 slain of them, and most of the rest of the whores that attended that wicked Army are marked in the face or nose, with a slash or cut. I viewed the dead bodies, from the battle to Harborough, truly I estimate them not to be above 700, together with those slain in the fields running away, but in pursuit between Harborough and Leicester, and by towns, conceived about 300 more slain, abundance wounded, persons of great note fell, one with a star and a red cross on his coat, conceived to be the D●ke of Lenox four Lords came mortally wounded to Harborough, but durst not stay, we took all the foot Colours in the field, the Kings own Colours, with the lion and crown, with this Motto, Dieu & mon droit; The Queen's Colours, and the Prince's Colours, and the Duke of York's Standard; We got the Plunder of the King's Coach, his Cabinet, &c. The enemy's word was, Queen Mary, ours. God is our strength, and so he was indeed. They had bean stalks in their hats, we nothing; some of ours of their own accord had white linen, or paper in their hats. A party of theirs that broke through the left wing of Horse, came quite behind the rear to our train, the Leader of them being a person somewhat in habit like the general, in a red Mountero, as the general had, he came as a friend; our Commander of the guard of the Tra●ne went with his hat in his hand, and asked him how the day went thinking it had been the general; The Cavalier whom we since heard was Rupert, asked him and the rest, if they would have quarter, they cried no, Gave fire and instantly beat them off; It was a happy deliverance, we had slain on our part none above a captain I yet hear of, and in all not 250. to my best judgement, and I viewed the ground where the bodies lay, the honest and valiant Major general wounded colonel Butler, colonel Francis Major Horton, captain Potter, one of the Commons of Parliament, colonel Ireton, and some other Officers of note wounded; The Provost Martial saith, he hath in all about four thousand Prisoners, whereof above 400. are Officers, four colonels, 12 lieutenant colonels, many Majors, 60. Captains, besides lieutenants and ensigns. The soldiers have already brought in to the general, above 40. Standards and Colours, he gives each man a reward, Sir Jacob Ashley's Coach was taken with great store of Plunder, also some Letter, of Nicholas the liar, wherein he hath this expression in his Letter to the King, That the Parliament had given particular Direction to the general to kill the King, and to give him no quarter, the rest of his stories are like this; we took 5000. Arms on the field, but the soldiers were so greedy of Plunder and pursuing the enemy, that the country got some of them. Sir Jacob Ashley was near taking, we got the Cap of his head; The Army is marching toward Leicester, and will not give the Enemy time to rally; our Horse are close in the rear of them, colonel Rossiter came seasonable to the engagement, and charged where the general was, and is still in pursuit of the enemy, I could say more had I time to sleep, I rest yours, &c.  
Harborough, June 15. two in the morning.  
We took one Colours of Horse, with a pair of horns, Come Cuckolds, was the Motto; as soon as our men had it in possession, they held the horns and Motto towards the Enemy, and so charged them.  
langdels' Brigade ran away basely, and lost the King the day.   

Die Lunae Iunii 16. 1645.  
ORdered by the Lords and Commons in Parliament, That Thursday next shall be set apart for a day of public Thanksgiving to Almighty God, in all the Churches and chapels within the Cities of London and Westminster, and Lines of Communication, and weekly bills of mortality, For the Great, & Glorious Victory obtained by the Parliaments Army under the Command of Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX, against the Forces of the KING. And M. Martial and M. Vines be desired to preach at Christ-Church, before the Parliament. And that the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and common-council do meet the Parliament there. And it is further Ordered, That Friday being the twenty seventh day of this instant June, be set apart for a public day of Thanksgiving for this Victory in all the Churches and chapels in the several Counties of the kingdom under the power of the Parliament.  
Henry Elsing Cler. Parl. Dom Com.   
FINIS.