A LEARNED SPEECH SPOKEN TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE EARL OF ESSEX, UPON His departure from Northampton to Worcester, concerning the present expedition.  
By that learned and religious Divine, and Minister of GOD'S Word, M. Thomas Springham.  
ALSO A true Relation of the present proceed of his Excellency and his Army in their march from Northampton to Worcester, to meet with the KING'S Majesty.  
Printed for Tho. Cook. Septemb. 27. 1642.   

A SPEECH Spoken to the EARL OF ESSEX, upon his departure from Northampton: BY M. Thomas Springham, Minister of GOD'S Word.  
GREAT SIR,  
I Do not come about with my small taper to set forth the glory of our midday Sun: It were high folly in me, if I did strive to add more lustre to you our Star new risen from the East. I come, and I may boldly say, all good people come, to pour forth their glad hearts at your approaching. You cannot but know, and I cannot but speak, the dark mists of misery we a long time have been wrapped in: night spread her wings over us, and would have soon suffocated the life we enjoyed, had not your Name, before your Presence, like the daybreak, shined in our hearts, and expelled those mists that dwelled upon us. Our past sorrows do not a little contribute to the activity of our joys, that our Lord shines here: grief and sorrow have not lasted for an age; and though Nocte pluit tota (yet) redeunt spectacula manè: sorrow lasteth for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. I need not speak the hearts of Israel, my Lord sees and reads them in their faces: they dare boldly adventure to pass over Scylla, or Charybdis, or enter into the Cyclops cave, having you, their Joshua, to march on before them: and not only the mighty men of valour love and admire you, but also as my Lord seethe, the great affection of the whole people is bend on you, as well here, as in that great City, the Phoenix of the world, from whence you came, now burning in the flames of her affection towards you. From you all jointly look for safety, well-being, nay being itself. You are the Planet that must give life unto us by your sweet influence. Suffer not those Comets to reign over us that threaten to pour forth their malignity into all our quarters, from whom save us, or we perish. Pardon what danger our fears make, it is not in any distrust to our Lord. But lest I seem to others to forget what most ought to be intended here, and they say to me,  2 Sam. 19.10. Why speak you not a word of bringing the King back? 
Then let not my Lord be angry if I add one word:  2 Sam. 19.41. Go with the men of Israel to the King, and say unto the King, Why have our brethren, the men of Judah, stolen thee away? and have brought the King and his household, and all David's men with him? 2 Sam. 19.43. Go, for ye have ten parts in the King, and ye have more right in David then they, 
And I, though the meanest and worst of all the Prophets (yet not false one) do bid my Lord go forth and prosper.   

The Copy of a Letter which was sent with the foregoing speech, showing the truth of it, directed to M. William Piggot dwelling in Crutched Friars in London.  
SIR,  
I thought, the last letter I sent you would be the last I should send from Northhamton; for, we expected daily when we should march forwards: I should not have troubled you at this time if I had not this token to send you, a thing of much value in the judgement of all the auditors; it is a Speech this morning spoken by that learned and religious Teacher M. Thomas Springam before his Excellency on a mistake, he thinking (and we all thought no less) my Lord would have departed at that time, because he commanded his whole Army to be drawn up in a body, which he did only to see the full streugth thereof. By much entreaty I procured this Speech from M. Springam; it is his own hand writing, and I shall entreat you to reserve a copy of it (if you part with it) for me, if it please God to send me a safe return: for none hath a copy of it, because the Gentleman (this bearer) was in such haste, that he could not stay tiil it could be copied out: As soon as he had ended his Speech, the people gave a great shout and my Lord gave him (and all) thanks for there courteous entertainment, and said, their courtesy was such unto him as that he would not leave them as yet, this is all worth the writing at this present, when I have any thing else worth the writing, you shall not fail to hear from me, till which I rest,  
Your true friend and Cousin, Nathanael Warters.  
There were Letters read in the House of Commons upon the 22. of September, declaring that the Queen is coming for England, and intends to be here within fifteen days, for which purpose three or four ships are providing to come with her, and it is supposed that she will bring over some store of Ammunition, with many Cavaliers. It is reported that the King's Majesty is coming away from Shrewsbury towards Worcester, and on Thursday a Post came to the House with Letters from the Earl of Essex, intimating that his Excellency had received intelligence by a Letter from M. Fines, that Prince Robert was near unto Worcester with about five hundred horse, with whom M. Fines had had a skirmish, at which skirmish four of M. Fines his men were slain, and eight of Prince Roberts; and withal, that Prince Robert had burned and fired divers houses thereabouts, whereupon his Excellency on Thursday about twelve of the clock marched with his Forces from Warwick towards Worcester, consisting of four and twenty thousand Horse and Foot, it being reported that His Majesty was gone thither, and that Prince Robert and his Forces were marched thither: in which Letter also his Excellency showeth the reasons which moved him to march towards Worcester, which was well approved of by the Parliament, some Eortifications being making, and divers Pieces of Ordnance already brought into the said City. Upon Thursday also the Petition to His Majesty, together with the Instructions to his Excellency the Earl of Essex for the ordering of his Army, and how far he should hive commission to encounter with the enemy, and the Proclamation for pardon to all such as within ten days should come in and lay down their arms, excepting some persons therein by them named: all which were fully agreed upon (and dispatched to be sent to his Excellency) by both Houses of Parliament.  
FINIS.