A true and certain RELATION Of His Majesty's sad CONDITION IN HURST-CASTLE, in Hamp-shire.  
With the Manner how He was taken out of His Bed on Saturday night l●st, to the amazement of the Inhabitants there: With th● imprisoning of Captain Cook, who was appointed Governor by the Inhabitants, in stead of Colonel Hammond. Also, the sad-condition of the Mayor and Aldermen of Newport for their Allegiance to His Majesty. This being done without the knowledge of the Parliament, with other remarkable Passage.  
Printed in the Year 1648.   

A LETTER FROM THE ISLE OF WIGHT.  
Noble Dick:  
NOva rerum facies here no Planet reigns in the Isle of Wight but the Moon, my heart is at least a stone ligher since my last of the 28 of November, our case is altered (God be th●n●ed) with Ploydons. Wednesday the 29 of the last whether of his own moving (which all inclines unto) or by the advice of others it is not known: the King sent for the Major and Brethren of Newport, with other chief of the To●n declared unto them before the Parliaments Commissioners what he had granted for the content of his people, and how he had quite for some time decested himself of the very essence of authority, and received nought but the shadow to give satisfaction unto his two Houses in all their proposals put up to him, (and therein referred them unto the Commissioners there present who confirmed the same) that not withstanding all this he was like to be used as they saw, (and for aught he knew as bad, nay fare worse than before, (seeing the General had of his own Head as fare as he could learn, sent those three (I writ of) to order and dispose of His Person, according to their private instruction of the said men, or perhaps of one that His Majesty had reason to dislike worse than he, (Cromwell) and therefore as His liege people he requested their help and assistance to preserve Him from undeserued bondage, to which his Majesty thought they were bound to do, not only by the law of God, but by the virtue of the oath of Allegiance, Supremacy, Protestation, and Covenant, at the hearing of this, the Mayor and his assistants after reverence on their knees; protested unto the King, that seeing His Majesty and his Parliament were agreed, that they would defend him both in honour & safety with lives, bodies, and fortunes, and that during his Majesty's pleasure and his Parliaments for his above there, and that they trusted that he should shortly find the main Inhabitants of the Isle of the same opinion, which accordingly fallen out, for on Thursday towards noon I think almost all the people came to the Town, and with open acclamations made good the same. Nay, one Wilckes a Brewer at the Greybound told Mayor Bolfe, That if he or any else attempted to restrain, guard or keep the King there, (or other wise than He pleased) that it were better for them to be a keeping of Sheep [in the Garden before the King's face] his Majesty was much taken with the sober bluntness of this Fellow, so that GOD be blessed His Majesty hath the solace the Island can afford him now with promise of protection, till such time as His Parliament shall think fit to send for him to London in honour. His Majesty likewise hath past his Kingly word to them not to put himself out of their trust & protection, save with their knowledge.  
Colonel Ewer and his two collaterals have leisure to return, or if they like otherwise to fish in the Island for aught they need trouble themselves about attending the King after their gaped for wish, the special charge of waiting upon His Majesty is by the general vote and agreement of all the Island conferred on one Captain Cook, Martial of Colonel Hammonds regiment, an honest-heartie true Trojan, and an old Blade that of my conscience loves the King wonderful well, and is right joyful of the credit, and opportunity in any way to serve or obey His Majesty, the Island have so good an opinion of him that they have made him as it were Commander in chief over them till it shall please the Parliament to take further order for a Governor.  
In faith I do verily believe the Inhabitants of the Island to be between seven or eight thousand fight men, an Every completely armed.  
The Parliament, Garrisons here do let them take their own way, some being better content with it than others, but all willing to strike to necessity, for I do judge the mere soldiery of the Army at this present remaining in the Island to be about five or six hundred or near thereupon, if the Inhabitants of the Island stand upon it, the places of landing are of that advantage to them, and so disadvantagoeus to the approachers, that they are able to keep out a very considerable force for a good time.  
Here came hither Thursday night last of Pinnaces & Frigates to the number of 9 from my Lord of Warwick, who declares for the King and Parliament, and is apppointed as we hear to carry His Majesty to London by Sea, as also we are given to understand by some of his Officers that come a shore, that the agreement betwixt the Prince and his Lordship is in a fair advance and that His Highness will be content to surrender him the Ships upon assurance, and engagement to keep them for the King and Parliament, according to the tenure of the Treaty.  
And that the Masters and Captains of them with other Officers may have benefit of the Pardon, Acts of Oblivion and Indemnity, and continve their places upon security of their faithfulness, and obedience for hereafter, according to the Articles of the Treaty.  
But his Lordship must pardon His Majesty if he choose rather to stay in the Island, as we are plainly here informed; for hither came one of His Majesty's Scalding-House that dwells at Windsor on Thursday last who having Officers of the Lord Generals, of great quality qua●●●●red in hi● house, and did avouch to us that the general resolu●ion of the Army was within very few days to march for London, and to order and alter matters not only in the City but even at Westminster likewise, and spoke large words, not only concerning His Majesty's Person but His Life.  
GOD in mercy defend Him, for surely the hand of wickedness is very high, the billows of contemptious pride swells beyond measure. Yet God cannot a hook into this and a sway, that when he pleaseth, man's necessity being often time God's opportunity.  
But as touching Mrs Parliament it is universally thought that the Army will purge there, and therefore gave them a taste of its Remonstrance. First, to open her passages, that she may go to it the better.  
Some think that the Army will phlebotomise her, which if it doth and stops not bleeding before good blood, I am afraid they will not leave her so much good blood in the body as will go into an egg shell: questionless her long vitase adventaria, hath contracted not only crudity, but many ill and p●ccant humours. One said that at the reading of the Remonstrance in the House they throng together as sheep that had been run at by the wolf. She hath long lain in, long kept her chamber, been a long time troublesome, so that her very friends (even toiled out) do wish her speedy mending or ending. She is prayed for on sea and land, in the Island and Continent, town and Country, yea over all the four roads of England, (that God would take her to his mercy, she hoped for some restorative by the Treaty, but it is said, that the General saith it is too easy a potion for her, and that he must give her some stronger physic, for certain he intends by clyster to draw away her costiveness of Presbytery, and to put her it to a temperament of soluble Independency.  
Oh me, how these two factions of Presbytery and Independency have squared it a long time, the one up, the other down, like two well buckets hanging and drawing one another, but now it seems Independency is minded to dally no longer, but still to be aloft, and let Presbytery for ever keep in the well; chacun chose son tour c'est le ieu du monde: cras mihi, hodie tibi, a dog will have a day.  
Yours to command, George Vaughan.   

Gentle Reader:  
Thou must not wonder in this changeable world, that what was most true one day is false the next for since the date of this Letter written by a Personage of honour out of the Island; and which hates falsehood as much as baseness, the condition of all things is strangely altered there: some additional forces on a sudden arriving to the furtherance and aid of Colonel Ewer in his design. His Majesty Saturday at night wonderful late, or Sunday morning extreme early, was seized in his chamber, yea in bed, compelled to make ready strait, put into a catch, and forthwith p●ssed over to Hurst-Castle, in Hampshire, standing up●n the Sands, his condition there is most sad and dismal, being kept close prisoner, and having not any either of his own Servants or acquaintance about him, and by the appointment and order of the Army, only the Parliament no way visibly intermeddling or apppoving it; and that after he had condescended unto and offered further to ratify whatsoever had been requested of him.  
Captain Cook who by the appointment of the inhabitants of the Isle▪ Thursday last had the guard of His Majesty is kept prisoner▪ and the Major and Aldermen for their forwardness showed toward the maintaining of him in the island in danger to be further questioned about it.   
FINIS.