AN IMPARTIAL NARRATION OF THE MANAGEMENT OF THE LATE KENTISH PETITION.  
July 21 LONDON. Printed in the Year, 1648.   

HONI SOIT QVI MAL lY PENSE  royal blazon or coat of arms  
AN Jmpartial Narration of the Management of the late Kentish Petition.  
ALthough the late Kentish Petition failed in its main aim and intent which was Peace, yet because it procured strange consequences in reference to the whole Kingdom, and there hath been raised many and several reports of the Management of that affair in the carrying on of their just Petition (which way of Address is undoubtedly the Birthright of the Subjects of England, and once lost, must be succeeded with slavery and Tyranny, both hateful to the English nation;) I shall faithfully and impartially relate the beginning, progress, and conclusion of that affair as far as I know, or from credible persons could learn the particulars thereof.  
First, that it was the intent of the Country to carry up that Petition without Arms, or the least warlike appearance, is Notoriously known to all that know any thing in that business, and the peaceable entrance of the Petitioners into that action: But that which caused them to appear in that warlike posture, was the Printed Declaration with most of the Deputy-Lieutenants hands to them commanded to be read in Churches throughout the whole County, calling the petitions Seditious Papers, which tended to the raising seditions and tumults within the said County, and the endeavouring the promoting thereof Seditious practices; the least of which was most contrary to their thoughts, who aimed at nothing more than to preserve their and the whole Kingdom's Birthright, in presenting their just desires in a most peaceable and usual manner; had not the aforesaid Declarations with other scattered expressions by some in Authority, of hanging some in every parish that durst adventure to go up with the Petition; And the raisiing of several Troops of Horse (which upon good grounds was conceived) to make good those declarations and expressions (not again to be exampled by any Committee in the Kingdom) caused the extremely and justly aggrieved and incensed Petitioners to take up Arms for their own defence and preservation of themselves from the sad and bloody example of their next neighbours the Surrey-men; so freshly bleeding in their memories: Thus far for their taking up Arms; Next for the progress of the Petitioners in pursuance of their Petition; They met together upon Boxley-Heath on Tuseday May the thirtieth, intending the same day for Black-Heath, and ten Gentlemen with ten Yeomen to have gone from thence with the Petition to the Parliament, in the behalf of all the rest: But an Order coming from both Houses at that instant to them, that the Houses would receive none of their Petition, but had referred it and them to the Lord General Fairfax, who was at that very instant (strange and unexpected to them) drawn up at Black-Heath in a Warlike posture with about four thousand Horse and Foot with other forces on their March for his recruit; It was thought fit to apply themselves to the General for his mediation to the Houses that their Petition might be received; which he refused to do, and choosing the contrary to pursue them as Rebels: And the Kentish Forces not being complete in their Field-Officers and others, and some other accommodations necessary, which in so short time could not be put into so fitting an equipage as was required for an Army, forced presently to fight, concluded forthwith to retreat their unmembred body within the River of Med-way; which accordingly they did, for its more safe modelizing, and their standing on their just defence: But the General finding them in green Council, and knowing his own advantage in timely pursuing them, before they were regulated, neglects no time but follows them to Maidstone, Alsford, Trasum, and Farley-bridge, the chief passes of those parts; which being kept by too small Parties, for the encountering with the General's old Soldiers: On Thursday night following, he fell to storming of Maidstone, which was so well maintained by part of a Regiment of Trained-bands (who made it good) that divers times they repulsed the Enemy out of the Town to their great loss; and disputed it with them at least six hours, expecting relief from General Goring, who had newly received that Title from the Gentlemen then at Rochester, where the main body of the Kentish Army than lay; but General Goring either conceiving it too late, or having some other design which was conceived of more moment (I know not) marching the next day the other way to Black-Heath, and from thence crossing the water into Essex, and sending no relief to those poor men, (which by their enemies own confession did so gallantly considering their number and condition) they were forced at last, being overpowered with Horse and Foot all at one time, to submit themselves prisoners, and surrender the Town to the mercy of the Enemy; which in all likelihood had been made good and defended from all the power and strength of the Adverse party, had but one fourth part of the body then at Rochester marched to their relief: And after all this diaster, had but the whole body advanced down to the Town, they had in all probability recovered it, redeemed their Prisoners, and made good that place against any visible power of the enemies; by reason of which advancing of their new General the contrary way, the Kentish Gentry and Soldiers were so discontented that they might not March to the rescue of their friends, (and not knowing the General's design for such actions of his) as that divers of them on a sudden dispersed every way to shift for themselves, crying out they were betrayed; so that the General carried not over into Essex above fifteen hundred of all their forces; the rest scattered, except twelve hundred Horse and Foot, who retreated to Canterbury to make good that place, the three Castles of Sandown, Deal, and Weymor; and the Town of Sandwich, but for want of men, Ammunition; and Provision to make good all, leaving the three Castles well man'd and provided, Sandwich besides the wanting of Fortfications and provisions, being very averse to a concurrence with the County, in respect of a great part of the Town within, by reason of the faction of the people, which was much increased by the setting up of an impostor and counterfeit Prince; so that many families must of necessity have been expulsed the Town, or secured; and would have required longer time, and the greatest part of the Forces then in Arms, before it could be made teneable; and Canterbury being then the seat of the whole Action, which must have been left with all the Country thereabout by this enterprise to the mercy and spoil of the Enemy) they were forced to make one body of all their numbers within Canterbury, there resolving to try their fortunes; to which place the General made with all his strength he had in that County, which was about four thousand Horse and Foot viz. Colonel Riches, and Colonel Hewsons' Regiments of Horse and Foot sent to relieve Dover-Castle, and after that, he had Command to make good the East side of the Town; and then Commissary Ireton's Regiment of Horse, and some other broken Regiments of Horse, with Colonel Baxsters' Regiment of Foot, and part of other broken Regiments of Foot, (which in all made up the aforesaid numbers of the General's Forces) beside some Additionall Forces the Deputy-Lieutenants of the County had by this time got together and were in their daily increase; all which were designed for the reducing of Canterbury, and were within two hours March of the same on the West side: And therefore to speak a little in Vindication of those Gentlemen who there Acted, because I have heard several & some false reports of their proceed; as that they surrendered the Town to fifteen hundred, when three thousand were in it; which is very false; for their Enemy's numbers it is most certain, themselves confessing it; into their numbers must be reckoned women and children to make up the sum of three thousand, for they had not above thirteen hundred fight men when the Enemy came nigh, and they continually lessening by the running away of the Soldiers; and many that stayed, began to grow discontented for want of pay, and the Town neither teneable nor provided with victuals; for last Christmas-Gamboll had burnt up their gates, and made divers breaches in their walls which were not yet reedyfyed; and no hopes of relief from their General my Lord of Norwich, (who was at that instant in Essex, and necessitated to provide for himself) nor from any others that might timely do it. It is true indeed, fifteen hundred only of the Enemy's Forces entered the Town, the most of the Forces after the Articles agreed on, being Commanded several ways, the greatest part into Essex, the rest to Sandwich, and to make good their siege against Weymor-Castle: So that all these things truly considered, that the Petition being only for peace, and the raising of Arms only for their just defence in the delivering thereof; and no thoughts then of a settled or continued war, till all the Forces Raised by the Kentish Gentlemen were thus scattered and dispersed, which was then certainly too late to think upon, in that their Enemy's Forces were then so near them, all relief so far from them, the Town, by reason of its former defects so untenable, and by reason of its compass requiring so many to guard it, and their own Forces so unproportionably few to defend it, their money and provision spent, so that upon necessity they must maintain the Soldiers upon plundering the provision of the Town; which, was too so scant, as was not able to maintain so many persons but a very little while, and the Country not ready to bring in any more; the rich booty in it beside, which would have been an encouragement to their Soldiary, a discouragement to the other, especially the Town Forces; whose whole estates were most in danger: So that these things thus certainly standing, in my opinion you will find that those Gentlemen who there acted, did as much as possibly in them lay for their Countries and their own defence as long as there was any hope of life in that action, and stayed it out to the last when others deserted it, and perhaps hereby in a Condition rather to take then to make, Articles: To which (though much prejudicial to themselves and their own benefit) yet out of the deep sense and feeling of that Rapine and spoil which would inevitably have fallen upon Rich and poor without exception by the Army, they were now willing to agree that they might (though 'twere through their own loss) preserve the Town.  
The Yeomanry, and poor Labourers from further plundering which must of necessity have ensued, and yet the issue and conclusion of their best advantages in that Condition they were in within a very short time in all humane probability must have proved successless and fruitless. And this I am assured, by the strict enquiry I have made into that affair is the whole truth of it, so as I much wonder to hear such Calumny raised by strangers, and especially by some of their own members, tending to the disparagement of those Gentlemen, and dis-uniting the Gentry of the County in affection not to be cemented again, in all likelihood for any Future action of the like nature.  
FINIS.