M. Speaker, I Humbly Desire you to discharge your Public Trust to the Nation, and tender this to the trusties in Parliament, Sir, I am in so doing Your Servant William Bray. THE FOX'S Craft Discovered; in destroying the PEOPLE'S best Friends, who stand in their Prerogative way for Perfect Peace and Freedom. As it will appear by their usage, not only of Captain Bray, but also of his Troop, that raised themselves at their own cost, and have continued in many hazards, but now must be dispersed with the reward of thr●ats or Imprisonment, or be pressed to serve under one of the Foxes new Creatures. Whereunto i● annexed, A Congratulatory LETTER▪ To the Promoters of a Large PETITION of the 11th September, for discovering their Apprehensions to prevent our New Slavery. By John Naylier Quartermaster, Richard Ell●good, and John Marshal, appointed by the Troop for the … ing the●e things. April 2 Printed in the first year of the People's pretended Freedom, but intended Slavery, 1649. Certain PASSAGES BETWEEN Some Members of Parliament, and the Presenters of the following Petition. OF all the expectations of men, the most Justifiable expectation of Justice is the greatest misery to men, when frustrate; but we whose Names are here subscribed, have most wickedly, partially and unjustly been frustrate of our Expectations, as we expected Justice to ourselves, and the Nation in general, being without reason shown us, dismissed of the Conduct of those our Officers, which we are all of us, with many more, certain of their Integrity, but with Resolution to address ourselves to the Parliament, as the only help, under God, that we knew of to do us Justice, we were discouraged several ways, which made us desist from any further hoping to get any Justice done us. First, when we had sent some of our men to London with our Desires, which was the Seventeenth of this instant March. 1648. with resolution to have delivered this Petition to the Parliament the 19 coming to the Parliament door, we found our Captain committed to Windsor Castle, for appealing to the House, against some deal with him by one that was inferior to that Supreme Authority, which was the amazement of our Spirits to see that just right of the People so trampled upon, and gave us (as we thought) great cause of fear, lest we should be served the same sauce with our Petition, we knowing the honesty and integrity of our Captain; but yet howsoever, on the 21. of this present, one of those which we entrusted, went into the House upon the r sing of the House, and delivered our Petition to the Speaker, who looking upon it, and finding Captain Brays name in the Title of the Petition, he began to make slight of it, ask the Party that delivered it, whether it were in behalf of Captain Bray, or not? Who answered, It was in behalf of the Troop, and Captain Bray beside; when he heard it was in the Troops name, and saw the subscriptions of our hands, he did vouchsafe to read some part of it, and commended some of the former part of it to be very honest, Colonel Harrison standing by in the House, did alone seem to be the most pitiful to us, in relation to the hard measure that was cited in it, measured to us, but Commissary General Ireton told our Soldier, That whereas it touched upon an Ordinance for no deduction for Freequarter for those raised for this summer's service, he told the Soldier again, That that Ordinance did not extend to Forces of the County of Kent, which was very strange to us, but the Commissary General told the Soldier, That there was care taken for us to serve in the Army under a new Captain, but the Soldier told him again, That we would serve under no other Captain then Captain Bray; but Alderman Permington then replied, That it seemed we would not obey the General; the Soldier asked him, when we ever disobeyed any of the General's just Commands? whereupon the Alderman seemed to catch some advantage of the Soldier, and asked him, Whether he thought the General would command any unjust things? who made him answer, That he should not catch him, for he did not say he did; but in fine of all, we finding that we had beard the sense of so many eminent men in the House, we were discouraged to trouble them any more with our Petition; for the Speaker told our Soldier, That he looked for some such stuff in the tail of the Petition, as he looked upon in the end of it, which you may here see; but yet having read as much of our Petition as he thought fit, he thrust it into the hands of our Soldier again, and so left him, but yet these our entrusted men weighted at their door that afternoon again, but could not get our Petition into the House to the Speaker, although the Seargeant courteously went and asked the Speaker. Whether he should bring it in, or not. Now we desire all honest Censciencious men to judge, Whether we are not unworthily dealt withal, for all our integrity to the Nation, as our Petition, (which we have made public here will show) for we must either at last all of us leave our employment in the Army, or at least break this Troop, which is one of the most Unanimousest Troops in the ARMY, (as it stood under Captain Bray; for the setting up or purify of justice in the Nation. To the SUPREME AUTHORITY of the Nation, the PEOPLE'S Representatives, assembled in Parliament. The humble Petition of Captain William Brays Troop, of the Regiment of Colonel John reynol. Shows, THat whereas your petitioners, having through the sad apprehensions of the power of a prevailing party, both amongst you, and in all the Counsels of the Nation, Many of us laid down Arms, in the latter end of Forty Seven, & in the beginning of Forty Eight, being about their particular Employments, but seeing with grief of heart, the Nation, and ourselves immediately brought to Slavery by the aforesaid prevailing party, insomuch, that when we saw them appearing in the Field in Arms, than we and others thought it high time to begin to gird our Swords to us again, and in a way, without precedent, to raise you a Regiment, consisting of Seven Troops of Horse, at our, and their Costs and Charges, which is such a thing, that we cannot tell that ever you had the like done for you before; But yet we did cheerfully, notwithstanding the present Charge, and danger thereof, because we found an Inclination in those of greatest power in Marshal Affairs, to employ such men in Commission over us, which we knew had ventured very hard, even almost to blood for the attainment of that which now this honourable House hath declared; Viz. That the People under God, are the Original of all just Power, but when we had engaged under the afore said Officers, several times God still giving Victory, insomuch that those, ours and the Nations enemies were subdued, and then began our old Machiavellian Adversaries to set to work again, and abominably to Apestatize and back-slide from Principles of Righteousness, peace, and settlement of this Nation, and to endanger it so, as to bring a flood of misery and Injustice upon it; whereupon, we, when we were di miss from the County of Kent, we have stood upon the account of Justice. Righteousness and Safety to this Honourable House, and the people that entrusted them, but now finding that the General hath given our Troop away from Captain Bray, to another Man which we know not, nor never had any experience or ground of confidence in, and by these actings, your Petitioner, are merely discouraged to act as Soldiers in this Regiment any longer, we having just cause to suspect that our Captain is slighted merely for his integrity to the Justice of this Honourable House, and the people that entrusted them, and because he will not prostrate his Conscience to the lust and will of men without reason. THerefore our request to this Honourable House is, that since you have Voted that there should be no deductons for Freequarter for those that engaged for the late Summer's service, but it is so with us; May it please this Honourable House, notwithstanding our good affections and security that we had full deduction of half our pay, while we served in the County for Freequarter, therefore we desire this Honourable House to Order the payment of the said Deduction from the Committee of Kent, according to the former Vote of this Honourable House; And further, that you will be pleased to weigh the premises, and consider us with righteous and just satisfaction toward our great expense, danger, hazard & loss of time, which we have undergone for the people's just satisfaction, we having not had one penny of pay near upon six Months, to the utterimpoverishing of us, and the sad Oppression of the Country, and besides many horses lost amongst us, whilst we stood upon the account of Juctice, that so we may not be made the only object of misery in this first year of freedom, which will but open the mouths of men to asperse and dishonour you, for we are very willing at these unrighteous discouragements to lay down our Arms, at this casting out of our Captain; only we desire this Honourable House to consider us likewise in some measure toward all this near upon six Month's time; And we desire also that this Honourable House will put us in a way of satisfaction for former Arrears, before we dismiss or disperse. Also we desire you seriously to weigh and consider an Address presented to this Honourable House the 26. of Febr. 1648. by the hand of Lieu. Col. john Lilburne, & many others of the Nations and our friends, that were Presenters, promoters, and approvers of the large Petition of Septem. the 11. 1648. the aforesaid Address being the lively portraiture of our apprehensions, it being high time to insist upon Laws of settlement, Peace & Justice, before we shall be willing to engage in any other Nation, in the war of Ireland; the unsettlement in Justice, Apostasy, Deceit, and neglect, here having been the cause of the Misery to the Souldery and People there; Further we desire this Honourable House to consider of a late Sentence passed against a Member of our Regiment, with several other men of several other Regiments by the Counsel of War; and to consider whether the said SENTENCE be consistent to the just Rights, which we have spent our bloods for, or not, we conceiving all ourselves sentenced in their sentence; And we further desire this honourable House, so to regulate the Articles of War, that they may be suitable to freeborn English men, and that likewise the same principles & laws may govern our Officers (both Superiors & Inferiors) which shall govern us; which way of Order we account to be most consistent to the pe ple s dear purchased Rights. We hope this Honourable House will take these ruff and unpollished lines in the charitablest construction, it being no part of our Principles to speak any other language than the plainness of our hearts. And your Petitioners shall daily pray, etc. Wil●iam Haslup, Lieutenant, Christ●. Chesman, Cornet, john Naylier Quartermaster, Corporals: Austin Whitney, Rob. Harbison, Joh. Wright, Rob. Painter. Fran. Hasl●lup, Wil Bastin. john Lethe, Tho. Grimos, john Hardey, Gilbert Games, Rich. Hill. Rich. Sanders, Rob. Harrison, Tho. Richards, Val. Stephenson, Ed. Avery, Hen. Bugbey, Io. Bastin, Ant. Bastin. joseph Pepitt, Io. Martial. Ed. Bastin, Will. Scott, Sam. Ga●er, Sam. Howlt, Fran. Lee, Dan. King. Tho. Satchell, Tob. Robbinson, Rich. Robbins, George Betten, George Spooner, Tho. Anderton, joh. Fran●on, joh. Allin, Rob. Abbit. Will. B●●●●●, Christo. Booth. james Trigg, Wil Smith, Hum. Budds, Rob. Partridge, Sam. Mowbray, Will. Howell, john Parr, Io. Lasey. Ios. Rastall, Thomas Li●●ell. Tho. Flafer, joh. Washburne, joh. Cornelius, David Chemi●, Wil Sidwel. Tho. Roe, Rich. Ellegood, Nicho. Westwood, Ha●●●ball Dawson, Jer. Stephenson, Hen. Philpott, Ed. Taylor. Will. Haddock, 〈◊〉 Bence, Will. Gilbert. John Ellington, Att. Boothe, Wi. Morden, Jo●. Mutlow, Rob. Ba●gey, Joh. Price, Ralph Phillips Joh. Eluins, joh. B●●g●●. To our much honoured and trusty Friends, the Petitioners of the Eleventh of Septem. This present. in London. DEear Friends, you are the reviving of our Spirits, to see that you have not yet made shipwreck of your Integrity in these times of Apostasy, we acknowledge that you have given gr●at encouragement to us, to act something against the new Chai●● of the Nation; and we desire likewise, that you will accept of so●● small encouragement from us, viz. That we have seen your late Address of Febr. the 26. 1648. and do readily and cheerfully, comply with it in every Circumstance thereof, and have likewise so fare taken notice of it to the supreme Authority of the Nation, the People Assembled in Parliament; Therefore▪ Dear Friend, We desire that you will likewise weigh and consider our Friends, that have presented our Apprehensions in a Letter to the General, and to join with us in our endeavours for their enlargement (if you account that which they did just) and full and ample, reparation of their injuries suffered in the public Cause of the people, and that further both you and we do continue faithful one to another, i● our old just principles; for be you assured that we are ready to lay down our lives, (if God shall call for them in our) Capassitie for the Nations just and full Rights, and therein rest satisfied, knowing that you are involved in the same common Cause of the English People, with your Faithful Friends for justice. FINIS.