THE DECLARATION OF Sir MARMADUKE LANGDALE KNIGHT, Colonel-General:  
AND Of the Gentlemen, and other loyal Subjects now in Action for His Majesty's Service in the Northern Parts.  
Printed in the Year 1648.   

THE DECLARATION OF Sir Marmaduke Langdale Knight, Golonel-Generall;  
And of the Gentlemen, and other Loyal Subjects now in action for His Majesty's Service in the Northern parts.  
WHereas we are entered into this present Engagement, that our real intentions may not be mis-judged, but the integrity and candour of them may be apparent to the whole Kingdom, we have thought it necessary to publish this Declaration, together with the reasons and grounds of our present Actions, and what we only aim at and expect from our endeavours herein. And first we shall begin with the true Motives that have put us upon this War; which are, That after the Forces raised by his Majesty's Commissions were disbanded, and the Scotch Army quietly marched away into their own Kingdom, and when it might justly have been expected that the two Houses of Parliament should have proceeded according to their many Declarations towards settling Religion, and a sound and wel-grounded Peace, restoring the King's Majesty to his Throne, just Rights, and his full freedom, and to the glory and splendour of his royal Ancestors; that the Queen and Prince might have been invited to return, and all Armies disbanded, the people eased of Excise, Freequarter, and all intolerable burdens and pressures: Contrary to their expectations, the Schismatical Army under the Command of Sir Thomas Fairfax first refused to disband, seized on the Person of his Majesty against his will, carried him up and down, until he was forced to fly for his life, and since that time his sacred Person hath been barbarously and tyranously imprisoned, and such Bills and Propositions offered unto him, as would pull down the glory of the Crown, and leave the Subjects so ashamed as will render us a Nation servile, and scorn of the world; and to these Propositions the Kingdom of Scotland were so far from giving their consent, that before the sending of them they made their Protestation against them: which this whole Kingdom hath reason to look upon as an action that manifested their eminent Loyalty towards his Majesty, and that had right regard to the happiness and peace of this Kingdom. His Majesty is, and long hath been a close prisoner, and inhumanely denied that freedom which is allowed to most notorious Murderers and Malefactors, the comfort of his Royal Consort and Children; and without the assistance of his loyal Subjects, destitute of any hope of enlargement or relief; and certainly it should inflame our Loyalties herein, knowing what mean respects, nay barbarous violence hath been offered to his sacred Person by the Governor of the Isle of Wight; and yet we hear not that he hath had any check for it, but must believe we are well dealt with that he hath not received public thanks for it. And doubtless these men have dealt the same measure to the whole Kingdom, there being neither Justice nor Law found amongst us; but all our lives and estates being in the Arbitrary power of such Judicatures and Committees as have palpably intended the improving of their fortunes and lives, by unlawful power to tyrannise over us. And that which they have most-pretended to be a Noli me tangere, Privilege of Parliament, they have so much abased and suffered to be violated, as no time or story of the Nation can parallel.  
Having thus briefly laid down these our unsupportable sufferings, which are known to be apparently true, and much more numerous than here we express them; we shall now offer what may be Remedies to these great evils; and what may reinstate us in that happiness and glory that we have formerly enjoyed, and for which we declare that we are entered into this present Engagement.  

1. That his Majesty may be restored to this Ancient Royal Rights.  
2. That we may enjoy a free Parliament, to settle all differences in Church and Commonwealth.  
3. That all Armies may be disbanded, the people eased of Excise, Freequarter, and all other burdens and pressures.  
4. That the known Laws of the Land may freely flourish amongst us, which are the only security of the Subjects Propriety.  
5. That the Union betwixt the Kingdoms of England and Scotland may be preserved according to the Act of Pacification.   
These are the things which we shall purfue, and for this end we desire the assistance of all our fellow Subjects: And we profess that we shall make no distinction of persons, in relation to the former differences betwixt the King and the two Houses, but shall cordially and cheerfully embrace their joining with us in the prosecution of these ends, and shall endeavour the payment of all such Arrears as are due to all such Officers and Soldiers on either side as shall join with us; and an Act of Oblivion for all acts done since the beginning of the Parliament to all parties.  
Lastly, We shall give just satisfaction to all our fellow-Subjects, that we take not up arms without the Authority of Law; for we have derived all our Commissions from his Highness the Prince of Wales, etc. And we shall manifest to all the world, that all our actions shall aim at the Peace and Happiness of this miserable distracted Kingdom; and that in prosecution of this War we shall severely punish all under our Command that shall use any plunder, or offer any violence to those that give us their assistance for so pious and just a work. And we hope, that possessing ourselves of the Towns of Barwick and Carlisle will be thought very just and necessary, when we do upon great cercertainty and assurance let the Kingdom know, that if our Forces had not surprised those Towns at that instant of time, they would have been immediately possessed by those that are the troublers of the Kingdom's Peace and Happiness.  
FINIS.