An Addition to the Relation of some Passages about the English-Irish-Army, before they came to the siege at NAMPTWICH. Wherein are set down the Occurrences at Hawarden Castle. Done for the satisfaction of some Gentlemen, and upon their request. Published by Authority. Job 20. 4; 5. Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed on the earth; that the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite lasts but for a moment. Psal. 60. 12. Through God shall we do valiantly; for he it is that shall tread down our enemies. LONDON, Printed for Robert Bostocke, dwelling at the Sign of the Kings-Head in Paul's Churchyard. 1643. To the Commanders, Gentlemen, Ministers, Soldiers, and Inhabitants in the Garrison of Namptwich. GIve me leave to grasp you within one Dedication, whom God hath joined in the co-participation of the same mercies. You may look upon your late deliverance and victory, as upon the liberal return of millions of prayers. I need not recall the expression. Besides those scarce numerable you had nearer home; greater distance of place did not put you out of the reach of thousands more. There were those that could not compose themselves to rest at night; before they had vented some breath in sighs to God for you, and their eyes were no sooner open in the morning, but they were directed to Heaven for you; Heaven had no quiet, nor God any rest, till you were delivered. Me thinks the mercy itself, had you no other information, would tell you there was wrestling with God for the procurement of it. That God should bury your bullets in their bodies, who would have sheathed their swords in yours, and give you their Ordnance and Ammunition, who were so bold in their demands of yours; 'tis a goodness beyond your largest hopes. Had there been but a raising of the siege alone it would (I believe) have abundantly satisfied the most 〈◊〉 desire of yourselves or your well-willers. How should you take up the expression of Ezra, now thou hast given us such a deliverance as this, should we again break thy Commandments. Y●u may, nay you will have need of God again; therefore let h●m not hear an oath amongst you, nor see any more iniquity in the Camp. 'tis true, you were valiant; but who made you so? and you played the men for your people, and for the City of your God; but who helped you to do so? was it not God? I am confident you will not deny it. You have seen how powerful and trusty He is, and that He is a present help in time of trouble. Being (unexpectedly) tasked with the composure of this Relation, to draw it up out of what intelligence was to be had, by them to whom the care of it was put over by a sacred Authority; I was loath it should come to your hands without some testimony of my respects to you. I hope your memory will not need the help of this mean record of the Lords mercy to you; yet your wont favour makes me to promise myself these poor papers acceptance, which you may please to receive from Your servant to pray and do for you to his power, P. J. A Relation of Occurrences at Hawarden-Castle, betwixt the Parliaments Forces, under the command of Sir Thomas Middleton, Major General of North-wales, and the English-Irish Army then newly come over. AFter the Parliaments Forces had made their way into Wales, by forcing their passage at Holt Bridge, and were possessed of Holt and Wrexam, with all the Countries of Denbighshire and Flint near about those places, the English-Irish Army came over and landed at Mostyn. They stayed not long there; but marched up to the Castle of Hawarden, and because they had intelligence it was unprovided for necessaries for a siege by some of our false friends, they (for expedition sake) hastened a party to us; who (our horse having too suddenly disserted us) were in the Town adjoining to the Castle when we thought them further off, and there surprised our Major (Commander in chief) and took him prisoner, some soldiers they basely slew when they could make no resistance against them being then unarmed men; then they sent us a summons by word of mouth by a Trumpet, to which we returned this answer, which though set down in the former relation cannot be spared hence, because of dependency of what follows upon it. GENTLEMEN, WE are hearty sorry that you have made such an exchange of Enemies to leave Irish to fall upon English, and Papists to fall upon Protestants; we had hoped the blood of that noble Gentleman Sir Simon Harcourt, and the many thousands of Protestants who have fallen by the fury of those bloody monsters of Ireland, could not have been so soon forgotten. What course the Court of England runs, how destructive to the Protestants, and favourable to the Papists you cannot but know with us, by sad experience; And therefore we desire (before you pass further) your thoughts may make a pause; lest you find that God of the Protestants against you, whom you have hitherto found miraculously for you▪ We fear the loss of our Religion, more than the loss of our dearest blood; do not, we beseech you, desire us to betray it & ourselves. We hope your second thoughts may take off the edge of your former Resolutions: However, we are resolved to make good our trust, and put our lives into the hands of that God, who can, and we hope will secure them more than our walls or weapons. Novemb. 21. 1643. John Warren. Alex. Ellot. The Reply of Lieutenant Colonel Marrow. GENT. IT is not for to hear you preach that I am sent here for, but in His Majesty's name to demand the Castle for His Majesty's use, as your allegiance binds you to be true to him, and not to inveigle those innocent souls that are within with you; so I desire your resolution if you will deliver the Castle or no. Our Answer. SIR, We have cause to suspect your disaffection to preaching, in regard we find you thus employed. If there be innocent souls here, God will require their blood of them that shed it. We can keep our allegiance and the Castle too, and therefore you may take your answer, as it was in English plain enough before. We can say no more, but Gods will be done. When the body of the Irish Army (whereof we had but a party before) drew up before the Castle we received this summons. To the Commander in chief, in the Castle of Hawarden. FOr to avoid the effusion of Christian blood, especially Protestant's, which you profess yourselves, we must require you in His Majesty's name to surrender to the King's use (whose sworn servants we are) this Castle, now in your custodies, we promising upon our reputations, to admit you such honourable quarter as is fit for Soldiers, either to give or take, and that we have your immediate answer; but if we find you obstinate, and that you draw blood from us, we shall revenge it in the same manner as we did the blood of Sir Simon Harcourt, which you in your letter put us in mind on, presuming we have forgot it, which was of above 300. persons in Karrickmayne, not one soul was left alive. November 22. 1643. Mic. Ernly. Ric. Gibson. We are not ignorant of your wants nor of the small hopes you can have of any relief, that can disturb or hinder our proceed. The Answer to Sir Michael Ernly and Colonel gibson's summons. GENT. WHen we need your mercy expect us to seek it, but as yet we do not, and hope we never shall do; were our necessities fare greater than they are, we would bear them, and we know we have friends to relieve us, able to equal fare more strength than we can yet see come against us. Whatever old wives may tell you our provision will outreach your patience of a siege; however since we find not that peaceableness with you we expected, we shall by God's help keep off your threatened revenge, we are loath to shed the blood of any of our Countrymen; but better they bleed then the Kingdom perish, and they must be the Authors of their own ruin if they set upon us, we must still retain our old resolutions, and when we lose our lives, you may gain the Castle. The next day came in the Lord Capell, with some additional Forces, and sent us this summons following. The Lord Capulets summons. Whereas the Castle of Hawarden hath been summoned by Sir Michael Ernly for to be by you surrendered for his Majesty's use, which you have refused to perform, contrary to your duty and allegiance; I being now come to join my Forces, with those in his Majesty's service, here, being by your own Messenger whom I have taken, well assured of your wants and necessities; do summon and require of you the said Castle presently to deliver into my hand, for his Majesty's use; with this assurance, that if you do speedily obey this summons, you shall have liberty to departed with your lives; so if you shall hold out until by force or other means I gain the same, or you be enforced to quit it, I shall afford no quarter to any one person among you: Hereof I expect your immediate answer. Dated the 24. of Novemb. Ar. Capell. The Answer to the Lord Capulets summons. My Lord, ALL this a do might be spared: our greatest want will be of Ink and Paper to answer your demands, if you multiply Parles: if you continue the Siedg, we shall drive that fancy of our necessities out of your head: the Messenger (we are assured) could acquaint you with no want of ours, unless you force him to say what you please. Sir, spare your paper and use your weapons, and we will use ours, and make good the Castle were your forces ten times more than they are. Quarter we have been told over and over again, we shall have none, but when it comes to that need, we will sell our lives dearly by the help of God. Captain Sandfords' Summons. Gentlemen, I Presume you very well know or have heard of my condition and disposition, and that I neither give nor take quarter, I am now with my firelocks (who never yet neglected opportunity to correct Rebels) ready to use you as I have done the Irish, but loath I am to spill my Countrymens' blood; wherefore by these I advise you to your fealty and obedience towards. His Majesty, and show yourselves faithful Subjects by delivering the Castle into my hands for His Majesty's use. In so doing you shall be received into mercy, etc. Otherwise if you put me to the least trouble or loss of blood to force you, expect no quarter for man, woman or child. I hear you have some of our late Irish Army in your company, they very well know me, and that my firelocks use not to parley. Be not unadvised, but think of your liberty, for I vow all hopes of relief is taken from you, and our intents are, not to starve you, but to batter and storm you, and then hang you all, and follow the rest of that Rebel crew. I am now no bread and cheese Rogue, but as ever a loyalist, and will ever be whilst I can write or name I expect your speedy answer this tuesday night at Broadlane Hall, where I am now your near neighbour. Thomas Sandford. The superscription of this letter, To the Officer commanding in Chief at Harden-Castle, & his consorts there. This we counted unworthy any other answer than laughter and contempt. Captain Sandfords' other Message. Gentlemen, I Admire your obstinacy, thus long to refuse mercy. I send you this, not by way of Parley, but to tell you, no relief can (or dare approach you; and that your Masters, who left you there, are so dispersed, that neither the one or the other are) or will be (before you starve) able to help you, or send you secure. I have entertained two honest Welshmen, that three nights since ran away from you to do His Majesty true service under my command and this night I apprehended one Thomas Platt, who as he said made an escape to prevent starving, by them all I am certified of your misery, if you like your present condition, remain where you are and feast your bodies with your boiled corn, and glad your souls with a draught of your unwholesome water. I would not advise you to entertain a better condition, because I take you to be men desperately disposed, and not capable of comfort; only this to answer your question of my not being a Soldier, by to morrow I doubt not but to have a mine ready to remove you (through the Air) from your present possession, to a habitation that shall answer your desert. Pray Gentlemen mis-censure me not, for I am no bragadocio, but real in thought, word and deed towards His Majesty, and my words and actions were framed in one mould; yet Christianity invites me to pity you, and once more to summon you to your fealty, and to render yourselves and the Castle into (if not my custody) the possession of Colonel Davies or Colonel Mostyn, who do command now in chief in this our Leaguer. Once more neglect not your lives and (as you may deserve) Liberty; I am confident of your men, that if they may but hear my last and this letter read publicly, they will throw your incendiary over the walls, and I doubt not but some The Captain of the Regiment. of you will do that duty to save him hanging, and then deliver the Castle, and thereby purchase your pardons; Gentlemen the Lorenzo Capell is very gracious, and you have kind mediators here. This from your near neighbour, From my trenches, this Decemb. 1. 1643. Thomas Sandford. If you please to be informed that Relief cannot come to you, send out one of your Sergeants, who shall have a Pass to and from Wrexam, of the truth to inform you. The superscription of this Letter, For the Officer in Chief now in the Castle of Harden, and to his Associates there. Our Answer. SIR, big words will not take Castle, where men have ●he possession of them. We will not believe our friends are so dispersed upon your testimony, but must accept of your proffer of one of our own, to go instead of Wrexsam to Holt, and thence to satisfy us of the estate of matters; your mines we fear much what as your words, that is, just nothing at all. The Soldiers have heard your last and this, which made them mirth. We desire you will sit by and let the Commanders in chief treat. The Incendiary you talk of slights, your loud slanders and threats, and knows, that if you doom him to a halter, a better of your own will be found out to meet with the like censure, our food is better than such as your halfe-starved Soldiers can get, and their drink and ours are much alike. If we find ourselves neglected by our friends, we shall the more suddenly and easily surrender, but never but upon honourable terms, we will rather turn carcases than slaves, and die honourable, rather than live to shame; we desire we may have a Sergeant of yours for one of our own, who is to go upon this employment, we desire to know whether things may stand as they do during the parley, or whether we shall on both sides follow our work. His Reply. Gent. YOur letter we have perused, and only two lines therein we think fit to be answered, and in a word thus we resolve; your Sergeant shall have liberty to inquire after your hopes, and a Sergeant of ours shall rest with you till he come back, but upon this condition that he shall return within four and twenty hours, in the mean time take your course by way of hostility, for our men cannot be idle, neither must we sleep till you have received your reward due unto you. Thomas Sandford Captain of the Firelocks. When we upon the return of our Sergeant understood the departure of our friends out of the Country, so that there was no expectance of relief, and our Soldiers were impatient of longer wants, having had but one meal a day from the first day of the siege, we were necessitated to send this message. To the Commander in chief in Hawarden, and the rest of the Gentlemen there. Gent. WE understand our friends have removed from the Holt, and that is all our intelligencer could know, being so narrowly observed; but whether they make any preparation for our relief we know not. Our condition cannot be so bad as theirs in Holt Castle was, yet (blessed be God) we are able to continue such a time wherein there might be a strange turn of things again on our side, however if we may have these following propositions granted, we shall surrender the Castle. 1 That there may be a mutual exchange of prisoners since we entered this Country, which we believe will not be found disproportionable. 2 That we may have honourable quarter, to march away bag and baggage, with our Colours flying, and match lighted, and all the Arms and Ammunition in the Castle. 3 That we may have a safe convoy to the next Garrison we shall make choice of in Cheshire or Shrop shire. 4 That we may have such carriages as may be for our use. Your refusal or delay of the grant of these propositions will but create further troubles to yourselves, for we tell you once more, we will either departed, or die honourably. To the Commanders in chief in Hawarden Castle. Gent. I Have received your propositions, and if you please to deliver up the Castle upon these conditions following, well, if otherwise, etc. 1 I will give you fair quarter for your lives, only those that have formerly served the King, and revolted from him, shall refer themselves to my mercy. 2 I will admit of no Colours, Arms or Ammunition to be carried out of the Castle, only such as are Officers shall march with their swords; for other baggage I will permit none to pass. 3 You shall have a safe Convoy to Namptwich or Wem, or any other Garrison within two days march. 4 If you will deliver the Castle to morrow by nine of the clock, I shall punctually perform all these conditions, if you refuse, I will deny all further treaty. Mich. Ernly. The Answer. SIr, we must be driven to far greater necessities before our soldiers will part with their Arms; We little thought of so strange Return of those reasonable Propositions we sent: We desire you will be pleased to make a review of them, and let us find more satisfaction, or otherwise we call God to witness, we will make you keep a cold Christmas, and then make spoil of that we can here, and so die in the throng of our enemies, if they stand in our ways. Sir, we will be used like Soldiers, or else our Arms shall fail us, if your after thoughts afford more reason, we shall be glad; but if otherwise, we shall not care if you spare your Treaty. The next Morning Sir Mich. sent to speak with some of us, whereupon Captain Ellot, and the Chaplain of the Regiment went to him: he told them he was to go back to Chester, and desired to draw the matter to some agreement: Whereupon, they wished him to propose such honourable terms as they might yield to, and see the faces of their friends without blushing after; he said he would, and thereupon said he would allow half Arms, two Colours of three; to march away with one flying, & the other furled up: Also two Trunks to the two Captains, of what they would make choice of in the Castle, provided, It should be at his choice to let them pass, or give 20 l. for them: 1 Trunk of Books for the Chaplain of the Regiment; All the Horses in the Castle save one, which Sir Mich. should choose out of them, a Convoy to Wem or Namptwich. These propositions they refused, and so broke off, and returned to the Castle. There they called the soldiers together, and told them they would not offer that dishonour to the meanest soldier, as to yield he should march without Arms. But some of the soldiers impatient of further wants, which were like to grow upon them, said they would call for quarter over the Castlewall, if we came not to agreement: Whereupon we were glad to condescend (though far against the mind of some) to Sir Michael's propositions, which he swore should be punctually performed. The next Morn we were to departed the Castle, where the Captain's Trunks were rifled, as soon as they were brought out of the Castle-gate, and the soldiers disarmed, and all within the gentlemen's view, who were at the agreement, only the Chaplain had 8 l. composition for his Trunk. These things would be strange (if any thing be strange amongst them) and what through flatteries and violence to our men, we got not a fourth part of them out of that Country. These do may discover (if others did not) the temper of the men, and help to raise our thankfulness to that God who hath delivered us from them. You have here only a paper-scuffle, and indeed there was little else betwixt us. Thus was much ink spilt, but little blood, they not adventuring an assault, and we only issuing once out of the Castle, at which time we beat off one of their Guards, and took a Drum, 2 Halberds, 2 Muskets, and some Wallets of provision which they outran. Sometimes they would about 10 or 11 a clock at night give us a volley of shot under the Castlewall; but being answered, they hasted home to their Burrowes or Earth-workes again: We slew and wounded about 12 of them, and they killed one of ours, and wounded another. Thus have you the relation of this matter, which was once thrown by, but is now fetched abroad by such who must not be denied it. Upon the victory at Namptwich, one of their Commanders being taken prisoner, seeing their Colours carried before them, said, We were not wont thus to follow our Colours, to whom a Gentleman replied, you were wont to fight against Papists. FINIS.