A TRUE RELATION Of Prince RUPERTS Barbarous Cruelty against the Town of Brumingham, To which place on Monday Apr. 3. 1643. he marched with 2000 horse and foot, 4 Drakes, and 2 Sakers; where after two hours' fight (being twice beaten off by the Townsmen, in all but 140 Musqueteers) he entered, put divers to the Sword, and burnt about 80 Houses to ashes, suffering no man to carry away his goods, or quench the fire, and making no difference between friend or foe; yet by God's providence the greatest loss fell on the Malignants of the Town.  
And of the Cavaliers were slain divers chief Commanders, and men of great quality, amongst whom was the Earl of Denbigh, the Lord john Stewart: and as themselves report the Lord Digby.  
LONDON, Printed for john Wright in the Old-baily, April 12. 1643.   

SIR,  
THough I can write you but the same lamentation which I believe you have already heard; yet I cannot be silent to acquaint you of the truth as near as I can: If Coventrey how sent us what help it might, I believe the Enemy durst not have assaulted us, but in regard they had been in danger of cutting off by the way, in case they had been sent, I must excuse them, though it be to our own suffering. We with the Captains were sensible, that if the Cavaliers came, we were not likely to withstand them, they being near 1500. and we not above 150. Musketeers, with a Troop of Horse of Captain Greaves, which did no good, but in their flight, as hereafter you will hear; but in regard the general desire of the Town, especially of those that bore Arms, would have them stand it out, and not march away with their Arms, as we might in time, and that both they, and the malignant would have reviled, and cursed the Captains and Magistrates of the Town if, they had left them, made the Captains and better sort content to stay and try the issue, rather than be so perpetually reproached: And though the same fall hard on one side in losing the Town and some Arms, and about 80. Houses burnt to ashes, with all that therein was, and some fifteen men, and two women lost their lives; yet their gain was nothing at all, yea, they count it great loss, and curse the tune that ever they meddled with us, for I believe they lost as many ordinary men as we, besides three men of great quality, which they much lament, whereof two of them were Lords, as we have great cause to think, the one the Earl of Denby that's sure, the other Lord we something doubt of his name, but we hear by divers of the Cavaliers it is Digby, sure we are he is wounded; and it is as sure that some of their Colonels say it was a man of greater rank, and more considerable than Denby; the other a chief Commander: Denby pursued Captain Greaves Troop some two miles out of Town being at their heels, before our Troop departed, among whom I went away, and Captain Greaves observing his tune betwixt two woods faced about, and charged the pursuers most valiantly, as they themselves confess, and drove them bacl again: in which charge Denby was slain immediately, and the rest fled, and so we escaped with safety, only Captain Greaves twelved one shot in the face, and a cut in the Arm, but not mortal; in the pursuit of that Troop God made away for all our Soldiers, saving some two or three, to escape most with their Arms, which they threw away and hid in Pits and Ditches as they could, whereof the most, I think, the Cavaléeres found not, and not one Captain or Officer was hurt or taken prisoner, nor any considerable man, but most poor fellows, and Malignants, because they could mere with no better, and all are released saving two of the best, though of no great quality, some redeemed themselves for 2d. 12d. and 8ds, apiece, and some one or two for 20s. Prince Rubert being enraged that he should take never a prisoner of so great a company, and of those not to raise 20●. when he himself had undergon so great a loss, and of those that were slain of our side were most poor malignants, some three young men of ordinary quality that bore Arms, and john Carier, and that in their flight; for but one was slain, and one lightly shot in the flesh; in the entrance for pillage they spared none, friend or for they lighted of, yet for the most part those that did most against them escaped best, the same I may say of the fire, though they intended to burn the Town utterly, as may be known by their laying lighted Match, with Powder, and other combustible matter at the other end, which fired in divers places, and divers was found out and prevented, so that we may truly say, that the flames, sword, vi●ledgers, but especially the prison, made a difference betwixt those that feared God, and those that fear him not. But this is remarkable in their vileness, that all these Houses saving too were fired in their cold blood, at their departure, wherein they endeavoured to fire all, and in the flames they would not suffer the people to carry out their good, or to quench it, triumphingly with reproaches rejoyeth that the Wind flood right to consume the Town, at which present the Lord caused the Winds to turn, which was a token of his notice of their insultation. For pillage I hear but of little I lost, having obscured the things I had of any value; and for fire, God did marveliously prevent, both to me and many others, whereat the malignants are so enraged that they have since pulled down my Mill, and pretend that Prince Rupert so commanded, and threaten to pull down my House and divers others, which I think they dare not, left they build it up again, the County having sent them admonition of their insolency. Prince Rupert with Hasting, kept their Readervow this day, within two miles of Lichfield, as we credibly hear; what their design is we know not, I believe they can do no good at Lichfield: I hope their cruelty in our sufferings will provoke this unwilling kingdom to jealously for the Parliament. I pray you wheen you have read this, show it to Mr. B. and Mr. E. not only to acquaint them with the news, but of my being in health, with all my Company, where in I have great cause to rejoice in the Lord, and so I rest,  
Your loving Friend, R. P. Coventry, April 8. 1643.   

SIR,  
BEing by my promise engaged unto you, I am now to make relation of a most barbarous massacree of our townsmen of Bermingham, and of the enraged cruelty of Prince Rupert and his inhuman Cavaliers: Sir, thus it was, about three of the clock one monday in the afternoon, he had with near two thousand horse and foot, four Drakes and two Sakers, set against the town, playing with his Ordnance, and endeavouring to force his way, with foot and horse, were twice beaten off with our Musqueteers at the entrance of Derrington at which many of their men fell, the town's men held them in play above an hour, we had not above one hundred and forty muskets and having many entrances into the town they were many to few, Coventry men had with drawn their forces three days before, all but Captain Castledownes Dragooneers, a Troop of horse of Master Perkes commanded by Captain Greaves being in the town, not fit for that service, made escape when the adversaries began to encompass the town, and force the ways over the meadows, and fired the Town in two places, and so by encompassing them that did defend the outwork, caused them to draw inward, to other works, there in Digboth, which work they defended to the adversaries loss, but being the enemy broke in at the Millone they were forced to leave that work also, and so put to shift for themselves, with breaking through houses, over garden ways, escaped, over hedges and boggy meadows, and hiding their arms, saved most of them, the enemy killed none as I here in fight unless some three or four, Mr. Carter, and Samuel Elsmore. being of them some with their arms defended themselves stoutly till death, they pursued the rest in fields and lanes, cutting and most barbarously mangling naked men to the number of fifteen men one woman, another being shot, and many hurt, many men sore wounded, and Mr. Tillam the Surgeon standing in his door to entertain them, was most cruelly shot, having his leg and thighbones broken, they pillaged the Town generally, there own friends sped worst, and one tuesday morning set fire in divers places of the Town, and have burnt near a hundred dwellings the Welsh end, Dale end, and More street end, Humphrey Rans, the Bell, and divers houses thereabout, many other fires they kindled, but they did not burn, they left kindled matches with gunpowder also in other places intending nothing less than utterly to destroy the Town, but by God's providence, they whose hurt they chiefly intended by God's hand is much prevented, the Cavaliers lie about Clanke beyond Wosall, are joined with Hastings forces, and intent to set on the Close at Lichfield, where I fear not but they will have enough; your Father's house stands, but hath lost much, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Porters, and mine be safe, but are threatened to be pulled down, and they pretend Prince rupert's warrant, but however it's their envy that God's overruling providence hath turned the mischief so much on the heads of those that might with their timely help have preventid this mischief; I am much grieved at the loss of your brother, and many other friends, three being my honest workmen, whose lives I would I had redeemed with mine estate, The Cavaliers have lost thirty men at least, of which there be three or four chief men Earls and Lords, I believe you have heard them named the Earl of Denby, the Lord john Stewart, some say the Lord Digby, thirty are said to be buried and many carried away wounded, this did so much enrage them, that they appeared more like Devils than men, lamenting more their loss, then boasting of their gain, which was much in goods and in money, its thought above two thousand pound, thirteen hundred being taken from Mr. Peake, Mr. jennens, lost much, the which men if they had parted with little before, our fortification had been such as they could not have entered, which went on well for the time. So wishing you to have comfort in our God, who is able to turn the rage of men to his praise, and sweeten this bitter cup by some other comfort, I conclude and rest.  
Yours to Command, R. G.  
I could wish I might hear how the City stands affected with our loss, for a little relief from them, might much comfort many poor people, which have lost all and are left well ●●●e naked and harbourless: it would much encourage all to stand out in the cause, that are but indifferent, a help to ease the better party of the burden of the which will be otherways too great for us; I would move some friends if you think fit, I have already put on the work of contribution in this City.  
FINIS.