PRINCE RUPERT HIS DECLARATION.   printer's or publisher's device 
OXFORD, Printed by LEONARD LICHFIELD, Printer to the University. 1642.   

PRINCE RUPERT HIS DECLARATION.  
IT will seem strange (not doubt) to see me in print, my known disposition being so contrary to this scribbling age; and sure I had not put myself upon a Declaration, if in common prudence I could have done otherwise.  
I need not tell the world (for it is too well known) what malicious lying Pamphlets are printed against me almost every morning, whereby those busy men strive to render me as odious as they would have me, against whom doubtless I had sooner declared, but that I well knew this mutinous lying spirit would be easily convinced, but never silenced, which, as it ceaseth at no time, so it spares no person. And this was too manifest to me, by those bold, odious and impossible untruths forged against His sacred Majesty, their own King and Sovereign (and my Gracious and Royal Uncle) who is only guilty of this, that he is too good to be their King; and to deal clearly, this was it furnished me with sufficient patience, thinking it but reasonable, that I should be slandered as well as His Majesty.  
But since it hath pleased my Lord Wharton to tell the whole City of London openly at Guildhall, and since to tell it all the world in print, that one great cause of their preservation at Edge-hill, was the barbarousness and inhumanity of Prince Rupert and his Troopers, that we spared neither man, woman, nor child, and the thing which we aim at is pillage and plundering, and the way which we would come by it is murdering and destroying; since such a charge as this comes from such a mouth, I hold myself bound in honour to speak and tell that Lord, that as much of his speech as concerns me, is no truer than the rest of it, which for the most part is as false as any thing that hath been spoken or printed in London these two years: and had I known his Lordship's intention, I would have asked his reason either before or now at Keinton, if his Lordship had but stayed so long as to be asked the question.  
But me think I hear the credulous people say, What? was not the King's Standard rescued from them by force? were there so many as 20. of our men killed by all the King's Canons? was not our right wing long under the power of their Canons, so as some 17. shot of Canon shot against them, and yet not a man of ours so much as hurt? Nay, were there not 3000. slain of the King's Army, and but 300. of ours? If these abominable untruths (with many more like them in his Lordship's speech) be all true, then shall he freely charge me with barbarousness and inhumanity; but if these be most gross falsities (as many thousand worthy Gentlemen will take their oaths they are, than I must profess I am sorry that any Baron of the English Nation should utter such fowl untruths, to deceive the poor abused Citizens of London with false reports, and so slander us. 'twas ever my opinion, that no valiant man would speak a known untruth; nor can I blame his Lordship or any others faintheartedness in so bad a cause as theirs is, which doubtless is the reason why such Noblemen and Gentry in His Majesty's Army, who hitherto had spent all their days in peace, could then fight so valiantly ex tempore, not valuing their lives, and forgetting their dearest relations; so as our enemies in their hackney railing Pamphlets were forced to say, The Cavaliers (to give the Devil his due) fought very valiantly: And indeed, had they not showed rather too much valour, our enemies had had less bottom whereon to sound any untruths, whereof I take this relation to be one of their masterpieces of forgeries, for that they slew as many of ours, as we did of theirs, is as true, as that they beat us at Sherbourne Castle and at Worcester.  
Now for barbarousness and inhumanity to women and children, wherewith his Lordship and those impudent unpunished papers cried daily in the streets do continually slander us, I must here profess, that I take that man to be no Soldier or Gentleman, that will strike (much less kill) a woman or a child, if it be in his power to do the contrary: And I openly dare the most valiant and quicksighted of that lying Faction, to name the time, the person, or the house, where any child or woman lost so much as a hair from their head by me, or any of our soldiers. In a battle, where two Armies fight, many one hath unfortunately killed his dearest friend, very often those whom willingly he would otherwise have spared; and whether any woman or child were killed in this fight is more than I can justly say: I am sorry if there were. I speak not how wilfully barbatous their soldiers were to the Countess Rivers, to the Lady Lucas in Essex, and likewise to the like persons of quality in Kent, and other places: Whom have we ever punished for speaking against us, as they most Jewishly whipped to death a Citizen of London, for saying no more than what was included in His Majesty's Proclamation. But since they name plundering, whose moneys? nay, whose Arms have we taken away, unless theirs, who actually had, or at least declared they would use them against His Majesty's Army? And for that little cloth borrowed for our soldiers (wherewith their Pamphlets make such a noise) His Majesty by God's help will see it better paid for, than any thing they have taken upon public Faith. What house have we ransacked, as they did the Earl of Norhamptons'? mangling and cutting in pieces rich chairs, beds, stools and hang; drinking as much and as long as they were able, then letting the rest run out upon the floor, when as the very Earl of Essex his house at Chartley suffered not the least damage by us. What Churches have we defaced, as they did at Canterbury, Oxford, Worcester, and many other places? whose pockets have we picked ever to the value of three pence, under pretence of searching for letters, as they lately did in Glocestershire, and particularly this last week at Windsor and Uxbridge? Is it not their usual practice first to plunder a man's house of all plate and moneys, and then imprison him as a Delinquent, for no other fault, but because he stood loyal to his Prince; as if it were too little to take a man's estate, unless also they rob him of his innocence? Have they not now stuffed all the prisons in London with Earls, Lords, Bishops, Judges and Knights, Masters of Colleges, Lawyers and Gentlemen of all conditions and Counties? for what (God knows) they themselves know not: insomuch as now they are enforced to find our new prisons for the Knights, aldermans, and substantial Citizens of London, who are now thrust in thither only because they are suspected to love their King? Have they not by imprisonment or threats muzzeled the mouths of the most grave and learnedst Preachers of London? witness Doctor Featly, Doctor Hayward, Doctor Holdsworth, Master Shute, Master Squire, Master Griffi●● ●●d many others (for so I am informed these men are) because they preach that which their conscience tells them is the known truth. And who are countenanced but ignorant and seditions teachers, who (like the Mass Priests of old) call mightily on the people for their plate and money for their patrons and themselves? who, besides their daily Pulpit treasons, vent such other Divinity, as if Luther were living, he would blush to call them Protestants: And if this be not cruelty, injustice, and tyranny, let God and posterity judge. Mow for any looseness or incivility in our soldiers more than what is incident and common to great Armies, I wish they would not mention it, lest some impartial readers, who know their courses, understand it to be meant by some of their great Reformers, who are that way as notoriously guilty as any: And for myself, I appeal to the consciences of those Lords and Gentlemen, who are my daily witnesses, and to those people wheresoever our Army hath been, what they know, or have observed in my carriage, which might not become one of my quality, and the son of a King. And whereas they slander us for Popish Cavaliers, I wish there were no more Papists in their Army then we have in ours; but to me 'tis no wonder with what face they can slander us for men dis-affected to the Protestant Religion, when as their grand Reformers refuse to come to Church. For His sacred Majesty I have been a frequent witness here in England (and all the world knows he never shown himself otherwise) and therefore hold it to be my part and duty to tell them, that His Majesty is the most faithful and best defender of the Protestant Religion of any Christian Prince in Europe, and is so accounted by all the Princes in Christendom. And what a gracious supporter hath he been in particular to the Queen of Bohemia (my virtuous Royal mother) and to the Prince Elector, my Royal brother, no man can be ignorant of: if therefore in common gratitude I do my utmost in defence of His Majesty, and that cause whereof he hath hitherto been so great and happy a patron; no ingenuous man but must think it most reasonable: And for myself, the world knows how deeply I have smarted, and what perils I have undergone for the Protestant cause, what stately large promises were offered me would I consent; and what a wretched close imprisonment was threatened, if I refused to change my Religion, when I was captive to the Emperor of Germany, enough to satisfy any man of moderation: But if it be not sufficient, I would to God all Englishmen were at union amongst themselves, then with what alacrity would I venture my life to serve this Kingdom against those cruel Popish Rebels in Ireland: for though I will never fight in any unrighteous quarrel, yet to defend the King, Religion and Laws of a Kingdom against subjects, who are up in arms against their Lord and Sovereign, and such (all good wise men know this and that of Ireland to be) though the pretence look several ways; such a cause my conscience tells me is full of piety and justice: and if it please God to end my days in it, I shall think my last breath spent with as much honour and religion, as if I were taken off my knees at my prayers. I think there is none that take me for a Coward; for sure I fear not the face of any man alive, yet I should repute it the greatest victory in the world to see His Majesty enter London in peace, without shedding one drop of blood: where, I dare say (God and His Majesty are witnesses I lie not) no Citizen should be plundered of one penny or farthing, whereby that ancient and famous City would manifestly perceive how desperately it hath been abused by most strange, false and bottomless untruths, for which some body (without repentance) must be ashamed at the day of Judgement, if they escape a condign legal punishment in this world: I therefore conclude with this open profession (and I am confident our whole Army will say Amen unto it) he that hath any design against the Protestant Religion, the Laws of England, or hopes to enrich himself by pillaging the City of London, let him be accursed: And so, whether peace or war, the Lord prosper the work of their hands who stand for GOD and King CHARLES.  
RUPERT.