A REMONSTRANCE TO VINDICATE HIS EXCELLENCE ROBERT EARL OF ESSEX From some false Aspersions cast upon His PROCEED.  
To the 17. of August. 1643.  
Printed for T. W. 1643.   

THE rash and injurious speeches, which some misunderstanding people have let fall concerning the actions of our noble General have drawn from us, with no less justice than necessity, this short and true vindication. Though his Excellence, secure in his own worth and conscience, would forgive such calumnies, and that in the noblest way of forgiveness, to take no notice at all of them: yet we who are privy to all passages, whom it concerns in Justice to satisfy the world, and whom it more behoves to vindicate than it can do any man to calumniate, cannot be guilty of so great a neglect, as not endeavouring to make the truth appear. And since it is proved by frequent experience, that the grounds of all jealousies and suspicions, which people ignorant of the present actions are apt to conceive against any man, are usually raised from some precedent demeanours of the same person: let it not be thought amiss, if we digress a little from the present narration, in showing what his Excellence has formerly been, and how little cause can arise from thence for any man to suspect his truth, valour, or discretion. It will not be denied that my Lord of Essex was esteemed as loyal a servant to the Royal Family, as true a Patriot to all interests of England, and as constant an adventurer in the maintenance of the reformed Religion (and it has pleased God to put England of late years into that condition, that the greatest advancement of her temporal interest is by protection of the reformed Religion) as any Nobleman whatsoever, as by his former free services for the Palatinate, Holland, etc. may plainly appear; in which not only his Majesty but the Queen of Bohemia will be pleased to acknowledge his fidelity, ready always, though never obliged by the Court, nor waiting upon his Majesty in that way, to serve him truly in all warlike and honourable employments; and in the late businesses of Cales and Scotland, though he commanded not in chief, and little was done; yet what was best done, was done by him, as the wisest which were there will acknowledge. So that it may seem his Majesty made choice of his service as a man of unquestionable fidelity to his Country; and the representative body of the Kingdom now chose him as a man of undoubted loyalty to his Sovereign; those two virtues being inseparable in the breast of a noble Englishman; & which his Excellence professes that in his conscience he believes this present Parliament never intended to disjoin. Upon this the Parliament in this extreme and sad necessity chose him their General, with a Commission as large and absolute as ever was granted; it being conceived that a more narrow Commission was not worthy to engage him in so dangerous an enterprise, nor of power sufficient to enable him to the accomplishment of great designs. Which was the practice (to compare it with elder times) of that sovereign Senate of Rome; who in times of most imminent danger, waving her usual government in war by Consuls, chose a Dictator, putting the sole and independent command of the Soldiery upon one man for a limited time; it being observed by wisest authors, that too straight a limitation of Generals in their power has been destructive to their best designs; for which not only the old petty States of Greece have been blamed, but great Carthage which was able to contest with Rome herself, and in later times the Spaniards (as wise as they think their Counsels) have lost much by it. Therefore in a plain narration we shall endeavour to show that his Excellence has not been wanting in any performance, unless disobedience to his power, want of necessary pay for his Soldiers, or too frequent interpositions of another power have sometimes hindered his real intentions. At our march from Windsor (where the necessity of the season, and the safeguard of the City had long detained the body of our Army) the Soldiers were much in arrere, which was willingly forborn till the State should be better able, upon promise of constant pay for the future. We came to Reading, lay 16. days before it; no money came; upon the Treaty his Excellence sent the Conditions to the Parliament, who liked it, and the Soldiers to forbear plundering were promised 12. shillings a man, besides their pay, but their pay could not be had, although his Excellence after 8. day's expectation made a journey himself to London for it; in the mean time, by reason of that infected town a great sickness and mortality fell upon the Army; notwithstanding his Excellence by the advice of his Council of War, intended to march thence for better air; but such a general mutiny was raised for want of money, that his Excellence, though with much courage, & just severity, he began to suppress it, was advised by his Council of War to desist for fear of a general defection, till money might come from the City. Notwithstanding upon this discontent, his Excellence removing to Cawsham house (which he did to prevent the infection) many of them did disband and go away. The day following his Excellence coming thither received intelligence of the defeat of the Devon forces under the command of the Earl of Stanford, at Stretton in Cornwall, and that P. Maurice and Marquis Harford were designed that way. Whereupon he sent an express with order to Sir William Waller, forthwith to march with his forces to join with the forces of Devon, and the other Western Countries to prevent the joining of the enemy's forces; and withal writ to the Governor of Bristol to assist Sir W. Waller with such horse and foot as he could conveniently spare out of his garrison. And that nothing might be wanting for the safety of the Western Country, which any way lay in his Excellences power, (well knowing them to be of greatest consequence) at a Council of War it was fully debated, put to the question, and resolved that a strong party of horse and foot should then be sent after P. Maurice to fall upon him before he should join with Hoptons' forces, and the body of the Army to have remained thereabouts till a Fort had been raised upon Kennets mouth to have secured the river, and commanded the town; but that design was not executed, partly because it was then pressed that the moving of the whole Army would better satisfy the City, and would be of greater concernment to march toward Oxford, to meet with the auxiliary forces of the associated Counties, & partly by reason of Sir William Waller his own Letter, which assured my Lord General that he would presently obey his commands, and march into the West, which notwithstanding was not done; for Sir William marched to Worcester, and went not toward the West; whereas had they marched thither, they might have been furnished with money better (those Counties being rich and well affected to us) than in judgement could be expected at Worcester, which was a fortified Garrison town; nor were Horse and Dragoones proper or probable to prevail against it. However Sir William Waller not certifying his Excellence of the altering his purpose, the reasons of it, or of his march to Worcester, till after he was engaged in his March, he relied wholly upon his marching to the West. But by that occasion necre 20. days were spent ere he marched toward the West, in which time the forces of P. Maurice, marquis Harford, and Hopton joined together. The Lord General (it being much urged as a thing of absolute necessity to move with the whole army toward Oxford, for pleasing of the City, from whom otherwise we were to expect no money) did, though much against judgement, proceed in that design, and marched to Thame with the whole army to meet with the associate forces of the Counties. Upon his coming thither he found neither his own forces, nor those new forces of that number that was expected and promised, there being not above 1000 Dragoons and foot at most, which came up to us. At Thame the hand of God in an extreme increase of sickness (hundreds in a day falling desperately i'll) and by strong unseasonableness of weather, and great rain continuing 14. days, the place being upon a flat, clayie, and moist ground, made it impossible to advance from that quarter. In which time the army was by sickness, and departure away of most of the auxiliary forces, brought to a number utterly unable to attempt the former design without certain ruin; the situation of Oxford upon the river of Thames considered, it being impossible to block up the town without a double number to what his Excellence then had. Yet as soon as the rain ceased, and the waters abated, to make the ways passable, intelligence being given that P. Rupert had drawn out his horse & foot toward Buckingham, & intended there to give battle, having brought thither, as was reported his Canon, called in the Country, and made open profession before them, that upon his honour he would fight with our forces, though they were 10. for 1. the Lo: General marched with all speed towards Buckingham to fight with the Enemy, whose shows of bravery, and desires of sighting quickly came to nothing; for when the Lo: General marched within two miles of Buckingham, intelligence was given that they had all in a disorderly manner quitted the town, left their provisions behind them, horsed their foot, and were marched away the night before. His Excellence then knowing it was not possible for him with his train of Artillery, and foot to follow the enemy to any advantage, or by those forces he had to hinder P. Rupert from joining with the Queen, desisted from his march to Buckingham, sending into the town a party of horse to quarter there that night, and to bring away the enemy's provision; he himself with the rest of his Army marched to great Brickhill, a place most convenient to lie between the Enemy and London, to defend the associate Counties, to assist or join with the forces of the Lo: Grace of Grooby, Sir John Meldrum, and Colonel Crumwel, to whom his Excellence had given many strict commands to have fought with the Queen's forces, and stopped her passage up to the King, for which design they had a competent force; but notwithstanding it was not done, nor were such opportunities as were offered taken to have fallen upon the enemy; but the Queen and P. Rupert were suffered to join with all their forces. (yet the Lo: Grace of Grooby came afterwards readily with his forces to his Excellence.) About this time came intelligence of good success which Sir William Waller had upon the enemy in the West, taken some of their Canon, forced them to retreat, and had pursued them to the Devises, of which his Excellence on Tuesday night following the defeat received a Letter from Sir William Waller, dated on the Monday, confirming the truth of it; which was seconded with further intelligence that Sir W. waller's forces had routed more of the Enemy's horse, and beat a convoy of Ammunition sent from Oxford by the Lo: Craford, and that the Lo: Wilmot upon news thereof, who was with 2. Regiments of horse going after the Lo: Craford, retreated to Oxford, and that the enemy had but 1200. foot left in the Western Counties, which were got into the Devises, and offered to quit that town upon fair conditions, Sir William Waller having a victorious and very considerable army before it. Now the case standing thus, the fear of the Western parts was changed into joy and thankfulness for victory and success, his Excellence having out of his great care and circumspection written to Sir William Waller in these words:  
I Would have you fight with the marquis of Hartford, if possibly you may, not upon unequal terms; if not, to march up after him, and to hinder and trouble him in the Rear as much as in you lies, and so join with this Army; otherwise if the King send any supply of force to the Enemy there, (if I have notice thereof) I shall take all possible care to supply you accordingly.  
No information at all was given him of any such forces, nor received he any other Letter from Sir William Waller (saving one Letter from Sir Arthur Hazelrick dated on the Monday at noon, and one other on the Wednesday, desiring his Excellence to take care of the forces at Oxford) during the time that he lay before the Devises, but still supposed him to proceed prosperously against the enemy; until the sad news of his being routed was rumoured, & by himself written to his Excellence, which was upon the Thursday, not above 48. hours after he received the Letter of his victory (scarce time enough to have rid post betwixt his Excellences army and Sir William waller's) in which Letter Sir William Waller assured his Excellence he had lost but 100 men, and some arms, which he doubted not suddenly to rally, and resolved the next day to take the field, not desiring any assistance or supply from his Excellence in either of his Letters. Notwithstanding which, Sir William Waller (though the care and safety of the Western Countries were committed to him) contrary to his Excellences expectation, consent or knowledge, left the West to take care of itself, marched to Warwick, and from thence sent a Letter by an express to his Excellence, signifying the imminent danger of the West, especially of Bristol and Gloucester, unless his Excellence did speedily advance, and that he was ready at Warwick with his Might (his own expression in his Letter) which was affirmed by the messenger to be 2000) to assist him. The Lo: General presently upon receipt of this intelligence, though there was no money to pay the Soldiers, and the Army then on its march another way, commanded that the Army should march toward the West, and by advice of the Council of War sent order to Sir William Waller to meet ten miles towards Brackley, intending the next day after all the forces should have met at some convenient place of Rendezvous, and so have proceeded to relieve the West, if it were possible, either by falling upon Oxford, or marching on to Bristol, as should be advised.  
But Sir William Waller before the receipt of his Excellences Order was marched to Northampton, a contrary way, and sent Colonel Popham, and Col: Car to signify that his force was inconfiderable, not above 400. horse (strangely shrunk, if, as is said, he mustered 2000 at Bristol after his defeat,) that he had a desire to lay down his Commission, and go to London. And the day following he came to his Excellence, and assured him that his horse, which was all the strength he had, was so inconsiderable, that a Corporal with an ordinary squadron of horse would rout them all, and desired he might go to London, where he heard there would presently be new forces and money raised to set him out again. This strange news quashed the design for relief of the West, his Excellences army being shrunk through the continual increase of violent sickness, want of pay, clothing, and other necessaries to such a number as is not requisite to name, that he could not proceed further, lest his army might be engaged to the utter ruin of it, and danger of the Kingdom, since Colonel Crumwels', and the other forces of those associate Counties were neither willing, nor could with safety be commanded so far from their own Countries. This notwithstanding his Excellence before Bristol was lost, offered that if the Parliament would send him three thousand foot, and five hundred horse to recrewt his army, he would march to relieve it; under which number, considering the present weakness of his army, he could neither hope to achieve any thing, nor with safety convey his great Artillery. We should extend this discourse to too great a length, if we should specify the several engagements, which from time to time have been made to him that he should be supplied with money and other necessaries, and the often failings, only that he hath not yet received from the State for his army since the beginning 600000. pounds; besides, at his coming to Kingston last, the soldiers were then promised 5. week's pay, and ; yet after they had stayed a fortnight longer, only a weeks pay was sent to them at Kingston, whereupon, there being so long before promised six weeks, they disbanded to the number of above a thousand, saying openly they would be no more fooled with promises.  
By what misfortune Sir William Waller lost that strong army, we think it not our part to make any relation; but refer the Reader to what relation his own Commanders will make of it. This brief narration had no other end than to inform those people in the truth of proceed, who might through ignorance have been too apt to have thrown undeserved aspersions upon our noble General, and restrain those which have already done it, from wronging themselves any more hereafter: And has extended no farther than the necessity of that required; which a judicious Reader will by the language easily perceive, expressing only what impediments have sometimes crossed his real and honourable designs, and that without any bitterness of contestation, or invectives, conceiving that such things are too much unmanly, and too fare below that pen whose subject is so noble as the vindication of such a man. We will only insert what we have heard his Excellence still profess; that notwithstanding his true intentions & unwearied endeavours to serve his Country have unjustly met with so many misunderstandings (less injuries than those having made other persons of quality desert the cause which they had chosen, though such lose plants could never be well and honourably rooted) it shall no whit discourage him, much less divert him from that, in which his conscience to God, & dear affection to his native Country have once engaged him, but that for the future (hoping that the Parliament will afford him just and necessary accommodations) his life and fortunes shall not be spared when the cause shall require an adventure of them; hoping that God will bless his endeavours and his Country esteem of them as they deserve, since Fame, though it be not the chief end which a wise man shoots at in his undertake, yet it is such a reward as a noble mind cannot easily contemn.  
FINIS.