Mr. PETERS MESSAGE Delivered in Both Houses, TO THE LORDS and COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT; FROM Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX. WITH, The Narration of the Taking OF DARTMOUTH.  
AND A List of the Names of the chief Officers and Gentlemen, and the colours, Arms, Ordnance, Powder, and other Ammunition and purchase; and the several Victories of the Army, and their scattering of the Enemy to several places.  
With other proceedings concerning Prince Charles, and other passages of great concernment.  
This Narration of Mr. Hugh Peters, Minister of Gods Word, commanded to be printed, is published according to Order, to prevent false Copies.  
London, Printed by Jane Coe. 164●.   

IF I were to breath out my last, in one wish for this Kingdom, it should be this; that since we have seen the difference of men, and Gods going forth with his faithful & chosen ones; we would at last in all places, change our accounts, and not ●et the cyphers before the Figures, which hath been usual; if we set faithfulness, and honesty, ●fter the empty cyphers of honour, friends and estate, a man under that reckoning is but one: but if we set the Figure before the ●iphers, and give true worth its due, and let those cyphers follow the Figures, wee shall find one good man to be a thousand: through want of this kind of Arethmatick, the air is fill ▪ d with complaints from all parts. For it is certain, that good men may save a Nation, when good laws cannot; the good Lord give Us the enjoyment of both, and make great Men good Men, and good Men great.  
Jan. 25. Yours, HVGH PETERS.   

Mr. Peters Message delivered in both the Houses, to the Lords and Commons in Parliament, from Sir Thomas Fairfax. With the Narration of the Taking Dartmouth. And a List of the chief Officers and Gentlemen, and the colours, arms, &c.  
MR. Peters, upon Wednesday last in the morning, took his journey from Dartmouth and came to London, Friday, at eight of the Clock in the morning; bringing with him, from the general, a Letter to the House of Lords, and another to the House of Commons; both letters referring to his relation of particulars, concerning the West, who being called into the House of Commons, was required by the Speaker so to do; and in his relation applied himself to these special heads. First, to some pieces of Gods providence, he took notice of Secondly, to the State of the Enemy. And Thirdly, to the condition of the Army, and his discourse was as followeth.  

MAy it please this honourable House, to take notice, when our Army lay on the East side of Exeter ▪ our way seemed doubtful to us, and therfore, had no means to attend upon, but council or Providence, the former of which did not lead us Westward; our Army being sickly, the Winter violent, our men ill clothed, but the Lord who hath wrought all our works for us, partly from the report of the Enemies approaching, and partly from the necessity of seeking better quarters; drew us where we are, and since that time, have given into our hands near 1000. of the Enemies Horse, and cast a panic fear upon them, or Magormisabibe, that they are a terror to themselves, for upon the advance of a party from Credi●on, they fled, and six of colonel Okeys dragoons, put 500. of the Horse from their Post, at which time, they fled from Plymouth, leaving their Guns, arms, and Ammunition behind them; we marched to Totnee●; having our design upon Dartmouth, where we found very good quarters, and this is very remarkable, by the Testimony of many; that before we came near Dartmouth, in seven weeks there had been little or no Fish taken upon that cost: but now there was so many mullits ▪ taken, as comfortably supplied our Army, which continueth to this time.  
It is also observable; that in the storming the town, though all things did not answer the appointments in the council; yet there w●s no confusion or miscarrige, and this I must add, that we had faire weather to a minute till the town was taken: and then it rained.  
It was taken without much blood-shed, we lost but two men, that we hear of; what we took there, the following list will manifest; in which service, that gallant colonel Hammond who first entred, and his mayor, mayor Sanders; with the other worthies, colonel Fortiscue and his Regiment, colonel Lambert and his, and Lieutenant colonel Pride, and his, had the chiefest shar●, and did like themselves; It is the mercy of God in giving this town; that already appears to those that know it, and will more hereafter to those that are ignorant, where ten strong works ●nd Forts, with one hundred and three pieces mounted upon them, and manned, might be thought sufficient to maintain that town and harbour, against a very potent Army.  
Secondly, for the condition of the Enemy, the Lord hath scat●ered them like chaff before the wind; they fly when none per 〈…〉 s them; they are broken, and divided in their Councells, some of them would force the Prince into France, some few about him, are of his own mind, rather to stay here, and put it to a hazard; some of the chief Gentlem●n of Cornwall, begin to look back upon their error, Greenefield sometimes drags some numbers of poor people to L●unceston, to make an appearance; who soon make their escape again, and hid themselves; God seems to distrain for his glory, and make his enemies confess; surely the Lord is God, the Lord is God; to conclude, when I look upon the face of things in the West, the Enemies work resembles an ill plaid-game, at chess( only I crave leave for the Leavity of speech) where not to speak any thing of giving the check, to the fury of some: I hope I may say the Bishops are thrown into the bag, but I am sure the Knights, rooks, and pawns, are shifting from place to place; being driven into a narrow corner, witness the Courtiers we have taken lately; some on shore, and some on Sea, bound for France; I must conclude, that the complexion of your affairs in those parts, is very promising.  
Thirdly and lastly, to return to your Army: I shall take boldness to let you know, the good and evil of it, two things will commend them, above any Army I have known, viz. their unity, and activity; I have not known the least breach among them, in the least to distracted or retard your affairs, though their judgements may differ in many particulars; I remember a great Prince once asked in the meridian of the King of Swedens success, how he did to manage his work, and maintain his war ▪ it was answered, by the council of Oxenstern, and the love of his people; I can say, your Army is under a blessed conduct, their Councells Godly, and faithful, more love I have not seen, which I believe may spring from this Roote; that through grace, we make godliness our interest, and not opinion, th●●●hich we wish were the Spirit of the kingdom; though we●●●scribe to none, many there be who loose a real interest t●●●intaine a floating fancy. We could desire, that the choler that we find in this City; yea that black choler: I had almost said, that black coat choler were spent, upon the ignorance and profaneness of the Country.  
One thing there is most singular in this your Army, that whereas Souldiers usually spend, and make forfiture even of the civility ▪ they bring into other Armies; here men grow religious, and more spiritual thriving, then in any place of the kingdom, that I may a little change the old verse, and say, Multâ fides pietasque vivis, quae hac castrâ sequntur, yea, for myself; though I have been ●ong a learner, and sometime an unworthy teacher of others, yet have more then an ordinary cause to bless God, for being a member of this Army, in reference to my spiri●uals; that I can unfeignedly say to it ▪ Te●úm vivere amem, ●● lubens mori●r. Let me ad this, that the civilities of this Army, a●d the d●baucheries of the Enemies, have much promoted your co●quests.  
For the evil of the Army, it is not without its sin, yea Army sins ▪ though not counte●a●ced by the authority there exercised; there wants are( maynly cloths) much aggravated by this tedious Winter, that however the Committee of the Army and their Noble, and painful cheerman have much obliged us: yet through what obstructions we know, not, not o●e suite of clothes is come unto them, what their marches have been, and in what Seasons ▪ what Guards, & what Posts they have kept & in what distances; we leave to others to judge: I only say. I wish those may be clothed, whose ●aked bodies have even clothed the K●ngdome.  
And now I take leave to present you with some bunches of Grapes, brought from the Canaanites quarters, for a taste; I have brought you divers colours taken in Town and Country, amongst the rest, the Kings first own colours ▪ which he first advanced at York against the Parliament; and this I show as a piece of their soldiery.  
I have brought you a piece of their policy, as you may red in these bundles of Letters, I found in the Governours House at Dartmouth, some of the Princes, some of ●uperts, some Gorings, some Culpeppers; together with their Commissions by Sea and Land.  
And for a taste of their Piety, I present you with a mass book, and an Altar, which I took from the engineer of Dartmouth, who is a D 〈…〉 mass Priest.  
And lastly, I have some of their persons to present unto you ▪ committed unto me by our general, viz. The Earl of Newport, and Baron Den●ams son; who was useful to us in the delivering up of the Castle and Fort, on Tuesday last.  
And now my most humble and earnest request unto this Honourable House is, that the longing expectation of our Noble general, and his council about him, may be satisfied, in the speedy recruiting of this Army ▪ for which I might use many Arguments, but that I am commanded from those I come, not to be a trumpeter of their praises, though I conceive it but the discharge of my duty, to say that such an unparalleled general, and active Army, by whom the Lord hath given you a great measure of heaped up mercies should not be denied that, wherein the good of the State is more concerned then their own, could the common soldier be paid Weekly, and your Army recruited to the establishment, and one thing more done, which is, a true new modeling of your Navy, with fitting men and fitting Ships rightly employed, of which I have presented a pattern to some worthies of this House, I make no doubt but( through Gods blessing upon this Honourable House) thus recruited, this Army thus established and paid, this Navy so modelized, you might throw the Gauntlet to the proudest Nation, near●r hand, or farther off. Which that you may be enabled to do by the powerful presence of the eternal God, I shall desire, that the due of Heaven may fall upon all your councils, and for your own souls that they may flourish like a Green herb, and watered Garden.    

Prisoners taken at Dartmouth, Jan. 19. 1645.  

SIr Hugh Pollard Baron, governor.  
Earl Newport.  
Col. Seymour.  
Mr. Denham, B●●. Denhams son.  
Lieutenant-collonel Nich. Coddrington.  
Lieutenant-collonel Bluet.  
Lieutenant-col. Tho. Wankland.  
mayor Francis F●l●ord.  
mayor Hooper.  
[ mayor Pollard, slain.]  
Captain Robert Pollard.  
Captain Andrew Woodley.  
Captain Andrew samson.  
Captain Robert Duke.  
Captain Alexand. Powsell.  
Captain Thomas Coffin.  
Captain John Bluet.  
Captain John Ford.  
Captain Anthony start.  
Captain George Downing.  
Captain Arthur Haughton.  
Captain Robert Conway.  
Captain Nicholas Reynolds.  
Captain William Reynolds.  
Captain Roger Lea.  
Captain own Philips.  
Lieutenant John King.  
Lieutenant Lewis Pollard.  
Lieutenant Roger Hunt.  
Lieutenant William Duncalfe.  
Lieutenant Charles Rigand.  
Lieutenant William Eston.  
Lieutenant Francis Rea.  
Lieutenant Nicholas Labully.  
Lieutenant John Stanner.  
Lieutenant Robert Johnson.  
Lieutenant George Drew.  
Lieutenant Sam. Williams.  
Lieutenant Alexander Hinlay.  
Lieutenant John Searle.  
ensign John Garret.  
ensign John Richard.  
ensign John Upton.  
ensign John red.  
ensign Robert Dodge.  
ensign Arthur Waggin.  
ensign Thomas Vickering.  
ensign John Fitz-James.  
ensign Edward Covine.  
Cornet Lamot, &c. Others not brought in.  
Mr. Reynolds, Gentlem. of arms. Many Country Gentlemen.  
Mr. George Huckmore.  
Mr. Reynolds, signior.  
Mr. Rich. Stukely.  
Mr. Carew Stukely.  
Mr. Reynolds, junior.  
Mr. Hooper, &c.  
Many inferior Officers.  
Prisoners in all about 600.  
All the common soldiers set at liberty.  
Many Barrels of Powders.  
1000. Arms, besides broken ones.  
Two men of war.  
Ships in all about 30.  
100. Horses.  
The particulars not yet delivered.  
Of Ordnance about 100. pieces already taken notice of, besides what are in ships, and other places. In all near 200.    


Mr. Peters delivered to the Parliament.  
8. Horse colours.  
5. Foot colours.  
7. Standards of Foot colours left in the Army.  
1. colours, with the Kings own picture ▪ and a sword in one hand, and a book in the other, was not brought off from the Ship, in which Mr. Peters came by Sea.    
FINIS.