Remarkable Passages from Nottingham, Lichfield, Leicester, and Cambridge: Declaring what the King's Standard is, and the time and manner of its setting up. Also how Lichfield and Tamworth are disarmed, and the Lord Grace his house disarmed and pillaged by the traitorous Cavaliers. Together with some other Remarkable Occurrents. A Letter from a Gentleman near Nottingham, to a friend in London. I Received your last Letter and Books, for which I thank you, as also D. D. for his. I came on Wednesday night last from the Court at Nottingham, where I saw the King set up his Standard on Monday night before: The manner whereof was this: His Majesty came into the Castle-yard, accompanied with the Prince, Duke, Prince Robert, and Maurice his brother; the Duke of Richmond, and divers other Courtiers and Cavaliers: and finding out the highest pointed hill in the Yard, from whence it might be perspicuous, the Standard was brought in, & there erected: At which all the Courtiers and Spectators fling up their caps, and whooped, crying, God save King Charles, and hang up the Roundheads, and so whooped the King to his lodgings. After which the Standard was thence removed to the highest Tower of the Castle, where it hangs blowing, and so must, till the King advanceth his Camp for ward; than it removes with him. It is a long pole like a Maypole, died red, on the upper end whereof hangs a large silk flag, (in form of a Scutcheon) with a Red Cross, and two Lion Passants upon two Crowns. The Prince Robert was next day made General of the Horse, and had a Ribbon and George delivered him, and so had the Duke of York. And the King made Declaration, that who so would go that afternoon with Prince Robert against Coventry and Warwick, it should be acceptable service. Whereupon he and divers went away thither, where the King had sent about 600. Horse and Foot a week before, who had on Saturday and Sunday last been beaten by the men of Coventry (who keep the Cavaliers out) having slain one, and wounded divers of them, and themselves lost two or three. Warwick Castle keeps them off, where twelve men have been slain, most of the King's side. There is no considerable party at Nottingham to do any thing: Monday and Tuesday very few came in; but there is great expectation of multitudes from Wales and Westmoreland. Yorkshire stands firm. Drums beat about Nottingham for Volunteers, for the King will be at Lincoln this night, where all the Gentry are summoned to meet him. Troops of Horse are coming to be billeted in our County, we fear outrages by them. They commit rapine and spoil already about Nottingham, having ransacked gentlemen's houses, made one Master needham's own Cart bring away to Nottingham, bedding, linen, pewter, butter, bacon, cheese, and other things out of his house. He is accounted a Round-head. So at York, sixteen of them beset a Knight's house, (whom the King had dis-Justiced) broke in, sought for the Knight, whom they would have slain, as themselves declared; but he getting away, (by the help of his servants) they took 70. l. in money, his plate, and divers other things, and so returned. Some of them are apprehended. They give out that Roundheads estates shall be free prize, and indeed against them is the quarrel, whom the Lord I hope will protect. My house is much threatened, and I do verily expect an assault, for which I have prepared to defend myself. We think the Parliaments Forces too slow in coming down. An Information from Leicester. UPon Friday the 26. day of Aug. 1642. the same morning that the Earls of Dorset, Southampton, Sir John Culpepper, and Sir William Wedall set out from the King with a message to the high Court of Parliament, pretending some willingness in His Majesty to have persons chose of both sides to treat about a Peace between His Majesty and the Parliament; Prince Robert, (who hath need enough of the Parliaments help to repossess him in his Kingdom, and estates in the Palatinate) together with Master Hastings, and many Cavaliers, went to my Lord Grace the Earl of Stamford his house, from whence they took all his Arms, and took away and spoiled all his goods, and also the of his Chaplain, who was feign to fly for his life: And some chief ones asked, Where are the brats, the young children, swearing God damn them they would kill them, that there might be no more of the breed of them: but God stirred up some friends to secure them. They have also disarmed many of the Inhabitants thereabout, and taken away many of their goods, but no doubt their account is at hand. Amen Lord. From Lichfield. THe Lord Paget and his followers have gathered 3. or 400. of the scum and refuge of the Country, and billeted them in Lichfield, a place more pliable to yield to wicked men's designs, then most other places, by reason of the Cathedral, debauched fellows that have infected the town, and the want of powerful preaching ever since Reformation, where the Cavaliers and their scums have disarmed every man in the town, (Master Noble, a Parliament man, and the two Bailiffs, and Sheriffs not excepted) and seized upon the Magazine of the City, and exercise their soldiers with their Arms. They also on a sudden surprised Tamworth, a great market town, and have served them in the like manner: caused Master Blake, a godly Minister to fly, sent Master Black the Schoolmaster to the King, and imprisoned about four or six honest eminent men in the Castle there, because (as they say) they are Roundheads. All which might have been prevented, had that populous town stood upon her guard, and sent out scouts (as valiant Bermingham doth) For Gods and the Parliaments enemies are stout and courageous, where they are feared, and not opposed; but feeble and cowardly where manfully withstood. Then be courageous, oh England; let us labour and pray for courage; as well as for victory, and God will destroy all those that rise up against his people, (because they are such) reproachfully calling them Roundheads. Even so be it. Amen Lord. THere is certain intelligence that the Lord Paget, Aug. 29. Sir Thomas Holt, and many great ones, having gathered together in Lichfield Close or Palace for refuge, hearing that my Lo: Brooks was coming against them, they & all the Cavaliers and soldiers most manfully fled for fear, and so have left the town, but the poor townsmen are cheated of their Arms. The same day certain intelligence came to the Parliament of the valiant Northamptonshire mens discomfiting 300. Troopers going from Nottingham to Oxford, intending to pillage Daventrye as they went, but many of them were killed, about forty of them taken prisoners, and the rest fled, God be praised for it. An extract of a Letter from an honest Scholar of Cambridge, to one in Woodstreet, dated Aug. 30. SIr, I thank you for your good intelligence, and for a requital, take this good news: There came hither 400. Volunteers, Citizens of London, well armed, last night, who have taken the Earl of Carlisle, Doctor Sterne, and other malignants, prisoners, and have also beset most of the Colleges in Town, for all which, praised be the Lord of Hosts: for now they begin to shake and quiver, that not long since were a terror to others. And take notice of this, as the sum of my late studies, That that side which consists of good religious men, take up Arms at the call of God, (the call of supreme Authority which resides in Parliament, and the call of Necessity is the call of God) for the maintenance of Piety and Learning, of the privilege of Parliaments, (the old and best Government of England) and propriety of the Subject, and for the safety of the King's Person, which is now in great danger, having God, all the godly and their prayers on their side, must needs prevail against that party that is Papistical and Atheistical, which opposeth all these, and whose quarrel is chief against those that have most of God in them, who they are foolishly pleased to call Roundheads. I wish they would repent and come in before they are confounded. Thus desiring to hear from you by the return of the Carrier, I rest, Aug. ●0. Yours. London, Printed for T. Underhill. Sept. 1. 1642.