A RELATION OF THE TAKING OF CICESTER IN THE COUNTY OF GLOUCESTER, On Thursday, Febru. 2. 1642.  
By 7000. of the Cavaliers, under the command of Prince Rupert, Prince Maurice, the Earls of Northampton, Carnarvan, Denbigh, and Cleveland, the Lord Digby, Lord Andevour, Lord Wentworth, Lord Taffe, Lord Dillon, Lieutenant General Willmot, Sir John Byron, Colonel Gerrard, Colonel Kyrke, Colonel Dutton, and Captain Legge, and divers others.  
Sent to a friend in London, by one who was present at, and some days after the taking of it.  
Published because of the many false reports that were in Print concerning that business.  
Feb: 20th Printed at London, 1642.   

A Realtion of the taking of CICESTER, in the County of GLOUCESTER, on Thursday, February 2. 1642.  
SIR,  
I Shall endeavour to give you a birefe and true account of the state of the miserable Town of Cicester, in the County of Gloucester, from the first troubles to the taking of it, and do request you to acquaint those Parliament men you have interest in, what we have suffered for desiring to stand and fall with them; not doubting but they will so resent our sufferings, that they will expedite such succours into our County, as may relieve Gloucester, and procure some little refreshment to the poor Town of Cicester, and our wasted County adjoining.  
Our greatest enemies from the first have been our own Countrymen, our first troubles began about August last, when the Lord Chandoys (having accepted from the Parliament the charge of being Lord Lieutenant of our County, and betraying both his Country and his trust) attempted to execute the Commission of Array, and to that purpose summoned all the Gentry of our County to meet his Lordship at Cicester, but what entertainment he and his Array-men had there, I presume you know, having heard how the Lord Chandoys hardly escaped from being taken prisoner by the Country that risen in Arms to resist his illegal Commission, and how the next morning after his escape, the surious people hewed his Lordship's Coach in pieces which he had left behind him, so much they abhorred to be betrayed to slavery by one of their own Country.  
Hereupon Cicester, (though the Townsmen were a means to save the Lord Chandoys life, who else might have been torn in pieces by some of the enraged Country people) was much threatened with fire and sword, and indeed so was the whole Country for resisting the Commission of Array; and it was thought fit by the Deputy Lieutenants of our County, that a Garrison should be kept in Cicester, it being always feared that that Town would be the first attempted in the County of Gloucester.  
Thus we continued in Arms, not doing or suffering much till January, only the Cavaliers, when they came within twelve miles of us to Burford, were twice beaten out of their Quarters there, by some parties that went out from our Garrison of Cicester, we being very impatient of such bad neighbours.  
On Saturday, the last of December, the Lord marquis Hartford, with his Welsh Regiments, and Sir John Beaumond with his forces came up from Worcester to the Town of Stow in our County, and on Tuesday following marched thence to Burford, where finding his entertainment scanty, his Lordship presently repaired to the King at Oxford, and there advised his Majesty, that unless he might have contribution and Quarter for his Army in Glocestershire and Wiltshire, (which he affirmed would never be had till the Town of Cicester was taken) they could not long subsist, the stores of all places (where they were masters) being near spent and exhausted. His Lordship also, with much confidence, offered his Majesty that he would take the Town, if he might be assisted with some great horse and Dragoones: hereupon as he desired, a Commission was granted to him and Prince Rupert with two Regiments of horse, and one of Dragoones, and Prince Maurice with all his horse and Dragoones was sent to aid him.  
In pursuance whereof, his Lordship with his Army, (as some of their own reported) to the number of 6000. horse and foot, upon Saturday the seventh of January, about noon, drew up his Forces almost round about the Town, and where they made their first stand, they made a pause for above two hours, in which time they only sent out scouts to view our Guards, & then summoned those in the Town in the name of marquis Hartford, Lord General of those Forces, by a Trumpet, to deliver up the Town and Arms to his Lordship, upon promise of his Majesty's free pardon for all bygone offences, with assurance of safety of their persons and estates; which if it were refused, no mercy might be expected. Before the first Trumpet was dispatched, a second came in the name of Prince Rupert, with the same message in effect; adding only, That they came to vindicate and maintain the King's Rights and Prerogative. The answer returned to both, was the same, and in substance this. We do hearty acknowledge and profess ourselves to be his Majesty's loyal and faithful Subjects, and shall be ever as ready with our lives and fortunes to maintain his just Rights and Prerogatives as they were, or the best of his Majesty's Subjects; and as we are so, we ought likewise to enjoy his Majesty's peace, and the just Rights and Liberties of the Subjects of England, according to the Laws of the Land, in defence whereof and the true Protestant Religion only we stand to our Arms, and are resolved with God's assistance to defend them with our estates and lives. This answer being returned; the enemy kept their stand on all sides until it began to grow dark, and then it pleased God of his mere mercy so to discourage them, that they all retreated to their night Quarters in the Villages round about, where they did eat up all the provision of victual, and spoilt much Corn and Hay. The next morning they only shown themselves before the Town, and so departed without making one shot at it, Prince Rupert and his Troops to Oxford, Prince Maurice to his Quarters at Farrington, and marquis Hartford and his Forces to Burford, and the Villages adjoining While they lay before the Town, our Forces took Master John Villiers prisoner, who was Brother to the Lord Grandison, and Captain of a company of Dragoones, and is still in prison at Gloeester; when they went away they took with them all the horses of the Villages round about us, and did threaten a sudden return with more force, and as much fury and revenge as they could send to us with the best Cannon they could bring.  
So we waited a fortnight for the return of the enemy, who we heard was marched into Northamptonshire, and in the mean time our Garrison was increased, and the Town better fortified on all sides, and we had four great Iron pieces sent from Bristol, besides two Brass pieces we had before from Gloucester.  
On Thursday, January 26. a party from Cicester of some four or five hundred great horse and Dragoones, (who were to meet with more strength from Gloucester and Tewksbury, marched hence, to besiege Sudely Castle, 14. miles from Cicester, because it was reported, that certainly strong Malignant party was rising in that part of Gloceshrshire; & it was feared that Sudely Castle (the strongest hold in those parts) would become a receptacle both of the Malignants Arms and Treasure.  
On Friday, our Forces sat down before it, and after summons assaulted it, and being reinforced from Cicester with 200. choice Musqueteers, and one Brass piece, they took the Castle by composition.  
On Monday being the 30. day of Jan. Prince Rupert (having the week before fetched a compass from Oxford by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire, where he plundered some Towns, and took away all the Arms and horses of the Country, with which he armed and mounted all his men, except a few Pikes to guard his carriages) appeared before the Castle, and most of his men lay all night on the hills. But in regard there fell that night a great Snow, the Cavaliers risen from before Sudely, and the next day being Tuesday, they marched towards Cicester, and quartered within seven miles of it, almost round about us. And yet this being known to our Forces at Sudely Castle (who were the greatest part of our strength) they carried there, (I will not say by whose neglect it was) till the Town of Cicester was utterly lost.  
On Wednesday, Febru. 1. the enemy was reinforced with some fresh Troops from Oxford, and two whole Culverings, besides four small Brass field pieces, and two Mortar pieces, and so on Wednesday night some of them quartered within a mile of the Town, and gave us Alarms all that night.  
On Thursday morning, Febru. 2. they were discovered some two miles from the Town, where under a hedge they stayed some two hours, till all their Forces drew together into one body, from their several Quarters in the Villages, and so they divided themselves, Prince Rupert, and the greatest part of the Army drawing near the Town on the West and South part: and the Earl of Carnarvan, and his Troops and some other forces, on the North & North part of the Town. About nine or ten of the clock they came some of them within the command of our Cannon, which played at them two or three hours, and often caused them on the West side of the Town to retreat behind a little hill, and all that while divers parties of our Musqueteers went out under the shelter of hedges and walls, and skirmisht with the enemy.  
About twelve a clock, two or three Regiments of foot being kept in, and forced on by the horse behind them, began a furious assault on the Barton, a great Farm which lay not fare from the Town Westward, where they were valiantly entertained by some hundred Musqueteers that lay under the Garden wall.  
So there continued at the Barton, a very hot fight for some two hours, our men lying under the shelter of the wall, notably giving fire at them, within less than Musket shot, and our Cannon being little more off than Musket shot, all the while furiously playing point blank on their whole body, which lay in an open rising field. Here the Welshmen were seen to drop down apace, but still the horsemen behind them, cried On, on, and drove them forward till they had gotten quite under the Garden wall. But before that, the enemy had fired some Barns and Ricks of Corn and Hay that lay quice behind those hundred Musqueteers, so that the enemy being at the wall, and breaking of it down, and the fire so behind them, that it took away all possibility of retreating if they stayed any longer, and they being so few, (and yet as many as could be well spared from other Guards) our men were forced out of that work after two hours valiant resistance of that furious charge of the enemy; during all which time, we lost but one man, who after the Guard was entered, could not find his way forth through the fire and smoke.  
Our men retreating to the second work, which was hard by, being so hotly pursued by the enemy, fire and smoke, which the wind drove directly upon them; they and the Guards of that work without any resistance made, very disorderly fled into the Town, and were furiously pursued by the enemy, who without quarter killed those they met withal or overtook: which so desperately enraged our men, that in the Market place, and from windows they shot at the enemy almost, an hour together, purposing to sell their lives and liberties as dear as dear as they could.  
Whilst the enemy was assaulting the Town on the West side at the Barton, The Earl of Carnarvan and his Forces, seeing the Barton fired, and our men beaten from their works, sought to enter it on the North side, where there was a sore charge valiantly received by our men with little loss, who yielded not, till the enemy, who had entered the Town on the other side, was on their backs. Thus about four of the clock the Town was wholly won, and shooting was ended on all sides, and then they took prisoners, and fell to plundering that night, all the next day, and on Saturday, wherein they shown all the barbarous insolency of a prevailing enemy, and I am confident, they (it seems being grown more skilful in mischief) not only acted over, but outdid their former cruelties and spoil of Brainford and Marleborough; they spared not to plunder their best friends; for I can assure you, some of the notorious Malignants was the most notably plundered of all the Town.  
I tremble to write of their Blasphemies, they tauntingly asked some godly people, Where is now your God (you Rounhead rogues?) you prayed to the Lord to deliver you, and you see how he hath delivered you, ye Rebels, etc.  
The number that the enemy lost, is altogether unknown, by reason none durst go forth to see the slain. Of the Town forces, both townsmen and Countrymen, there were not above twenty killed as can yet be learned. It is much feared they slew a very godly Minister, who was seen taken by them, and yet cannot be heard of. There lay some of our men naked four days after they were killed, near the place where the enemy after the taking of the Town kept his outmost Guard, and none durst bury them.  
The number of Prisoners that they took and carried to Oxford was betwixt eleven and twelve hundred, amongst which there were some Gentlemen of eminent estates and affections to their Country. Two very godly Ministers, divers Commanders, and others, which were very religious and of good account.  
They stripped many of the prisoners, most of them of their outmost garments. They were all turned that night into the Church, and though many of them were wounded and weary, yet their friends were not suffered to bring them a cup of water into the Church that night, but what they thrust in at the backside of the Church, having broken the windows; and the like cruelty I hear was showed unto them when they lay in Witney Church, in their passage to Oxford.  
They tied all the prisoners, Gentlemen, Ministers, and all in Ropes, and made them all go afoot through the dirt in the streets and way to Oxford, which in regard of the many horses, was up to their knees sometimes, and in this manner they used a very worthy Gentleman, who had been very lately high Sheriff of our County, an aged Gentleman, of an infirm health, though of an undaunted courage in this cause.  
They shamefully abused the two Ministers, reproachfully imitating their manner of preaching, etc.  
The Captain who took the Ministers, upon the earnest solicitation of their friends for their releasement, promised them that for fifty or sixty pounds apiece he would release them: which money being procured and paid them, He scoffingly answered, that they might well pay as much more to him for not killing them, as he might have done, and they deserved; and so after that they were more straight imprisoned, and worse used, and one of their friends that had a free pass promised him into the Town with the money, had very much ado to escape killing and imprisoning.  
We lost five pieces of Cannon, near upon 1200. Muskets, and other Arms, 14. Colours, and some Ammunition, for most of our Powder and Bullet was sent unto them before they entered the Town.  
The value of the Pillage of the Town is uncertain, but very great, to the utter ruin of many hundred families, and besides the burning of some particular men's houses, which were purposely set on fire after the Town was won. The Barton Farm with very much buildings in it, and all the Corn, Hay, and other goods and Cattle of one Gentlemen, which amounted to 3000. pounds and upwards, was burnt to the ground.  
On Friday they went into the Country, and took away all the Horses, Sheep, Oxen, and other Cattle of the well-affected that inhabited near Cicester.  
On Saturday, Febru. 4. they took away Cloth, Wool, and Yarn, besides other goods from the Clothiers, about Stroudwaler, to the utter und●ing, not only of them and theirs, but of thousands of poor people, whose very livelihood depend on that trade.  
Now Sir, before I close up all, I shall give you a hint of what I conceive, besides our sins, concurred with the irresistible will of God, to hasten our ruin●.  

1. The want of our Horse, which made them confidently brave our men at their very works, as also the want of Cannoneers, which were at Sudely Castle.  
2. The slow raising of moneys out of the Country, which made some of our men, for lack of pay, to departed the Town, and left many of the rest heartless, and our works but thinly manned.  
3. The treachery of our Malignant Gentry round about us, who constantly gave the enemy intelligence, and entertainment in their houses, made provision for their Armies, and some of them appeared in Arms before their neighbour Town, which they could endure to see both fired and spoilt.    

It is Ordered this eighteenth day of February 1642. by the Committee of the House of Comm●ns in Parliament concerning Printing, that this Book entitled A Relation of the taking of Cicester, be Printed by Michael Spark signior.  
John White.   
FINIS.