LONDON'S Love to her neighbours in general and in particular to the six associated Counties, namely Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridge, Hartford, and Bedford.  
Wherein is plainly laid open the danger which is like immediately to fall upon them, unless they with firm resolution stand to their Arms to withstand the bloodthirsty Cavaliers.  Parliament 
For Religion, Laws and Liberties we'll strive,   depiction of a heart atop two hands shaking Commonalty 
with heart and hand, and purse, whilst we remain alive.   roundheads armed with sword, musket, and holding a money bag face cavaliers shaking hand, while a man reads from a book 
Printed by john Hammond, 1643.   


To the true Religious, and well affected, Inhabitants of the six associated Counties, whose loving hearts, and liberal hands, have not been slack in setting forth and sending at every needful occasion both men, money, and furniture.  
FOR this so good a purpose as to with stand the bloody and unhuman Cavaliers, which are now swarming up and down our Kingdom like so many devouring Drones, which continually life lurking to rob the provident Bees of that sweere honey which they with much care and pains have been a long time getting together.  
experience hath often taught us this Lesson that he is truly wise that can beware by other men's harms: another's saying is this how that he that is warned is half armed, which two sentences may fitly serve in these desperate and dangerous time to encourage every man to look well into his own estate, and to strive disligently whereby to prevent all evil occasions, which otherwise may pull down mischief and calamities on our heads.  
Therefore the better to avoid the terrable usage of the destroying enemy I will endeavour myself to rouse up your drooping hearts, to resist the plundering foe, be showing you the misery which is like in a seven fold manner to seize upon you unless you prove valiant courageous and resolute in your actions.  
See therefore that you play the men and behave yourselves brauly e●or now your Religion, your Liberties, your Goods, yea and your Lives, and all is laid at stake as shall plainly appear by what is past; now therefore is the time to stand up for the truth: if you let slip this opportunity you may bid farewell to your Liberties for ever.  
Although the Cavaliers says and swears damn them and sink them, they fight for Religion we have no cause to believe them, and this we may well be sure of one thing they mean us no good, when every day they are preparing all manner of bloody engines to destroy us.  
Let them profess what they will I shall never think them our friends that have provided Granades to set our houses on fire, and after to enter our Cities and Towns, perforce, and then to rob, pillage, and plunder, steal, and murder, all that they can lay hands on.  
Yet there are some that say O would the Cavaliers were here, we are sure they will do us no harm; but alas if they had felt but one small part of the cruel usage that Bristol men, and Exeter men, have felt, those I say which do now wish the Cavaliers nearest to them, would surely wish them farthest from them.  
For if the Cavaliers once get the upper hand of your Cities, Towns, and Houses, you may well bid farewell Religion, farewell Laws, farewell the Liberties of us poor Protestants for ever.  
For why, they speak neither for one nor other but all goes to wrack and ruin; where they come there is no difference made between them that let them in, and them that kept them out, for what they can catch and carry away they say is their own by Law.  
Now let them that take their parts so highly behold their deal, and then judge whether the Cavaliers are fit men to be let come in, to a City or County, or not.  
I have here no long time limited me, in this one sheet of Paper, to express the cruelty of the Cavaliers, yet some few passages of theirs shall herein be related, understand this beloved friends & neighbours, he that writes these lines to you hath not only seen, but also felt the heavy blows and bloody hands, & now doth bar the bloody marks of them which may serve as a witness to testify of their cruelty and unhuman deal.  
I saw them cut, wound, and mangle Gentlemen of good worth and quality, and yet they promised both me and them fair quarter,  
I felt the punishment of hunger, and cold in prison being fast fettered in Iron Chains with my hands, neck, and my heels bound fast together.  
A punishment seldom heard of for poor Prisoners▪ especially for Captains, yet this and more I endure: besides I saw them strip men, women, and children naked out of . I saw the people go with bleeding bodies and fainting hearts, whilst their houses were fired to the ground, and their goods consumed.  
I saw men carried Captives away, whilst their wives, children, and famlies went weeping, wailing and wring their hands up and down the streets, having no place wherein to put their heads: these bloody usages and many more have I beheld although by God's great providence my life is yet preserved.  
All these were doleful fights to behoed yet have I not told you the worst, I have not told you of their ravishing of women, nor killing of maids which by them was done in Staffordsheire and other Ceuntries: yet are all those cruelties nothing in regard to what they threaten against London, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridge, Hartford, and Bedfordshoire if they can gain what they aim at: for this they make bargans they knew 'twas you that first sought to prevent them to their purposes, they knew 'twas you that set forward your hands to hinder their pretences, they knew 'twas your moneys that maintaned wars against them, they knew 'twas you that were first movers in the way of reformation, they knew that you oppose I Bishops and Revenues, and they knew 'twas you that caused the Grand Malignant to lose his heads.  
And therefore they say and swear that you shall be sure to cast of the deepest cup of their fury, I pray God they may never live to have their wills in such a bloody way.  
Thus you see my dear friends what mighty enemies you have & how resolute they are in their proceed, they are grown so insolet that they grievously oppress all Countries where ever they become, and daily brings them into slavery, some of them being Irish Cavaliers, some Vallouns some Blackmoores, and others which name themselves to be of the Queen's Army, they do more harms then any of the rest.  
Rouse up your spirits therefore you noble minded Citizens and Countrymen, ●ye no longer under the burden of oppession be valiant and courageous: show yourselves like men, and let it not be said that you suffered such a crew once to set foot in your Countries, take sword in hand and fight valiantly against them that seek the utter ruin and destruction of you and all that belong unto you, fight I say for King and Parliament, Laws, Liberties, and Rights, and for your 〈◊〉 enlargements, lest another day you repent the neglection of your opportunity, Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk, 'tis you that are most threatened it behoves you therefore to look to yourselves for if the boasting enemies be let to have their wills their's no more mercy to be found then is in the teeth of a mad Dog.  
Then may you as many other Countries have done before, even see the perpetual downfall one of another, and so become a prey to the merciless enemy.  
Consider this I pray you; for your own sakes, would it not grieve your hearts, to departed from your soft beds, and to be carried away to some loathsome prison where is nothing but hunger and cold chains, and irons, bloody stripes, and all manner of cruelties used: would it not grieve you, to see your goods, cattles, and all that you enjoy taken violently from you: would it not pierce your tender hearts to see your wives abused, your daughters ravished, and your chilrens turned out of the doors. An children! what torment will it be to you to see your loving Parents thus barbarously dealt withal? it wounds my heart to think what will become of you: your homes will be the streets, the blocks your beds, water your drink, and your food will be what you can beg of the merciless enemy.  
This is like to be your usage if the tyrannical enemy once gets possession of your estates for so have they dealt by the famous Cities of Bristol; Exeter, and all the Western parts Gloucester only excepted: and had not Gloucester manfully withstood them having God on their sides, they had utterly been overthrown, and brought in slavery as other famous Cities and countries have been, therefore my friends, let Gloster be your precedent, who courageously defended themselves by day and night, for many woeful days and nights together, yet such was the valour of the inhabitants of the City of Gloucester, having almost spent all their victual and ammunition, and but few men left to strengthen the City in regard of the great number of the enemy which daily increased.  
Two hundred valiant hearted wowen of the City magnanimously took up arms, namely, both Pike and Musket, and kept true watch at the Courts of Guard, and so relieved their wearied husbands, and so by that means the City was preserved from the fury of the Cavaliers, till such time the noble Lord General the Earl of Essex came with his warlike bands of Soldiers for the relief of the City of Gloucester, which when the Cavaliers perceived they broke the siege and fled from thence, with all the speed that they could make.  
Now beloved friends, know this, our case is in a manner as Glocesters' men's case was▪ and although they are not as yet come so near as they were Gloucester, yet they have vowed they will be with us before we are ware of them: therefore as I said before, it is very meet and needful that we provide and make ready every day for their coming: and yet let us not altogether depend upon our own strength, for it is the mighty God of Heaven that must stand for us, or else we are all in a miserable case thus have I told you I can testify by experience, and also warrant, by the example of others to strive to prevent your destroying enemies.  
Now I pray to the true God of all consolation to preserve you from the hand, of the persecutiers Amen.  
Your servant till Death. Captain John Williams.   

Now let us therefore, consider if such virtue, such Religion, such courageous hearts remained in women, much more doth it belong to men, to stand in defence against the enemies of the Gospel and true Religion.  
Therefore I would advertise you all in general to take up arms in this so good and lawful a cause.  
Let not your hearts droop, though Bristol, Exeter, and some other parts be overturned by the domineering Cavaliers, for we have a warlike navy of ships at Sea, & many strong Forts by Land, besides we have two noble Generals, as the Earl of Warwick by Sea and the Earl of Essex by land, which will fight it out for the Gospel's sake, till the last drop of blood be spent, rather than let the enemies of Christ subdue us.  
Masters, Servants, Apprentices, all sorts of men; rich and poor, that are able to bear arms, I desire you to stand up for true Religion, and those that are not able to bear arms, let them show their bounty and liberality in sending money, and maintenance, to the setting forward of those that are ready, able and willing to go in this most noble and religious design.  
And let us strive to remove drunkards, swearers, and scoffers at Religion, and such vile persons, for those men that break covenant with God, will surely break covenant with you, if occasion be offered, which is not unattempted till now: when you have removed disorder, set yourselves in order, put yourselves every one into a posture of defence, fit for war, get every company Captains, let every man list himself, and get as good arms as he can.  
That so if an onset should be given every man may be ready to do something and fight in some order: look to your works make them strong both in Cities and Countries where you come, get men of Judgement, to view them and let them not be slighted for they be the best safeguards you have, lose them and then the Cities and Towns where you are be lost, for the Enemy worketh by policy, have a watchful eye over them that you trust, see that they be Religious, and well grounded men, I speak boldly and plainly after cour ountry manner, because I knew upon this City especially depends immediately the safety of our Laws, our Liberties, our Lives, our Religion, our Parliament; most noble Citizens as you tender these things, so show it in your reasons contending for these things, wives put on your husbands to love themselves, you and their children, and as they love you, and would have you safe, so let them use a means to keep you safe to rise in a body, and fight against these cursed men that intent nothing but our destruction, up quickly, and be doing, for the cause and the love of heaven, the mover of all hearts, stir you up to the work, and prosper you in it, that we may see an happy end of this unhappy War, and this shall not only be the prayer, but as hitherto it hath, so always it shall be to the utmost indeavoar of your poor servant,   
FINIS.   

This Book is Printed according to Order.