ARTICLES Exhibited against CLONELL Edward King, FOR HIS Insolences and Misdemeanours in the County of LINCOLN, to the Honourable, the House of Commons in August 1644. BY Master Mussenden, Master Wolley, and divers others of the Cmmittee of LINCOLN. London Printed 1644. 〈…〉 Articles exhibited, Against Colonel EDWRD KING, for his Insolences and Misdemeanours in the County of LINCOLN, to the Honourable, the house of Commons, in August 1644. by Mr. Mussenden, Mr. Wolley, and divers others of the Committee of Lincoln. IMprimis, That to the Great discragement of the County he doth openly declare, his slighting of all men's good affections to the Parliaments service, by expressing that he va●ueth not, that men should do the Parliament service voluntarily, but than he would by his power force them to serve. II. That he doth pay those great sums of money raised by him out of the Country only to whom he pleaseth, against all Equity and Justice, notwithstanding my Lord Manchesters' Order to the contrary. III. That he hath publicly declared his slighting the Ordinance of Parliament, and done very many Tyrannical and arbitrary Actions, by imprisoning divers of ●ersons at his pleasure, and exacting great sums of money, at such time when necessitin could be no plea, with many other particulars. iv When he was before Newarke he sent for a Captain, who kept Crowland, who obeyed his command, yet sent word to him of the danger that town was in, and therefore desired his second pleasure, which was, that he should march, who accordingly did, the Gentlemen of the Country fearing the Enemy procured Major Ireton to send 100 Musketeers to keep Crowland, which he hearing of, took ill that without order from him, any should come into his Liberties, and commanded them to be gone, who accordingly departed; the Enemy presently surprised the Town, and those few that he had left in it, by which means he betrayed the Town unto the Enemy, which was not regained without much charge, hazard, and loss of many men's lives. 5 That he gives protections for securing both person and goods, to those who are professed enemies to the Parliament. 6 That he employeth such Officers, as are altogether unfit for the Country's service, 7 That he doth most grossly and unworthily affront and abuse the well-affected Gentry of the Country. 8 That he doth encourage desperate Malignants and animateth them against the well affected. 9 That he and his Officers have imprisoned men well affected to the Parliament, and caused their houses, chests, truneks, etc. to be searched for pewter, brass, and linen, and threatened that they would make it cost one of them his whole estate, and that one of his Officers would not take three hundred pounds for his own satisfaction. 10 That at the siege before Newark, such provision as the Country had voluntarily and freely sent in to Col. King's quarters at Winthorp, for the maintenance of the soldiers, his Officers would not deliver without money, although they had not pay, to the extreme oppression and discouragement of the Country. 11 That he sent three warrants to Capt. Bushey at Tattershall, to take away a great quantity of wool, which wa● bought by Mr. Rawson one of the Committee, and paid for with hit own money, and so the said Rawson is likely to los● his estate, although he hath been a sufferer both for Church and Commonwealth this twenty years, and hath made him a Malignant, both in his words and letters, as much as in him did lie. 12 That when the Enemy took Grantham, they being beaten from one part of the town, wheeled about to fall upon the other side, at a place called Spittle-gate, which Major Sarvill being then Major of the Town perceiving, commanded Col. King being then Capt. of a Company there, to march with his Company to defend that place, Colonel King answered, that he scorned to be commanded by him, and rather than he would be commanded by him, he would take his Company and let the Enemy into the Town, and he delayed so long before he would go, that the Enemy was entered at the said Port before he came thither, by which means he betrayed that Town. 13 That when Commissary James had brought in certain sheep from a malignant for the relief of the siege at Newark, being then in great want, Colonel King caused the said sheep to be restored to the malignant, and told the Commissary that he deserved to be hanged, with divers other threatening and reviling speeches; notwithstanding he had order from Sir john Meldrum and the Committee for the taking of them. 14 That Colonel King havidg promised the Lord of Manchester to raise a great number of Horse and Foot, the said King, as did appear, not knowing how to raise so great a number, did to the great discouragement of the Country, take this course; In the first place he cashiered Major Syler, with him three hundred Volunteers, which served on their own charge, who with the Townsmen had always defended the Town of Boston, that he might press them to serve under him for pay; and secondly, he did seize upon and detain four or five of the Foot Companies belonging to the Lord Willoughby, and did cashier some of the Captains, because they refused to forsake my Lord to serve under him. XV. That the Troopers of Colonel Cromwell which were lost at Coleby and Waddington, were treacherously or ignorantly betrayed by Colonel King. XVI. That to the great discouragement of the Country he doth oppose and quarrel with such as have been most serviceable to the Country, and such in whom the power of Religion is most eminent (viz.) Lieutenant General Cromwell, Mr Ram and others, and that he imprisoned divers other very godly men, and that for exercising the very power of Godliness, which he did in a very scornful and vile manner, and still continueth an utter enemy to such men, as namely Lieutenant Colonel Berry, Major Lilborne, Captain Chambridge and others. XVII. That to the great discontent and discouragement of the Country, he and his Officers did quarrel with, and slight the Committee at Lincoln, which was settled by Ordinance of Parliament, who were men of the best estates quality and Integrity, and such as were especially commended to serve the Country; and publicly vilifying them, and their actions, and assuming their power without any Authority. XVIII. That before this war began he was an open and public persecutor and scoffer of Religious men. XIX That he is a man of a turbulent and factious spirit, of mean condition and estate for so absolute a command, that he hath received vast sums of money amounting to about 20000 l much of which he hath levied in an illegal and obscure way, and issued out accordingly, for which it is desired he may give a speedy Account, and likewise of the rest of his actins. XX. That in a factious and seditious manner he did employ some agents to deliver blue Ribbons to such as would stand for him, and show themselves his friends, to the great terror and discontent of the Country, and the hazard of raising a dangerous mutiny. XXI. That he kept about twenty men to wait on him whom he called his life guard, to whom he gave extraordinary pay, though they were exempted from all duty, except it were to wait upon him advance his reputation, and awe and affright the Country. XXII. That he did awe and gain the Country wholly after him and that he might with better colour domineer, falsely style himself Lieutenant General of the County of Lincoln. Articles against Colonel King, presented to the Commit of the House of Peres, by Mr. Smith, of Lincolnshire, Sep. 1644. IMprimis, That the said Colonel King hath at sundry times openly contemned and slighed several Ordinaces of the Lords and Commons now in Parliament Assembled, to the great discouragement of the Committee and other Officers of Parliament, within the County of Lincoln, and to the manifest retarding of the public service, (viz.) The Ordinance for the King, Queen, and Prince's Revenue, with divers others. II. That the said Colonel King hath not only heretofore been a violent persecutor of able Ministers, as Mr. Hinshley, and other godly and well disposed people, for not conforming to Ceremonies, but hath persevered therein, & in a tyrannical manner since his command from the Right Honor. the E. of Manchester, imprisoned divers religious and godly people in prisons, and a Dungeon without any fit accommodations, calling them, Brownists, Anabaptists, Witches, Conjurers and Devils, or words to th●t effect, threatening them that he would ship them away, and seize their estates, only for Christian meetings, which he said was worse than the sin of Witchcraft, and hath very much abused able and godly divines, as Mr. Ram of Spalding, and others that spoke well of them to him, in their behalf, and hath often declared that he would root all such of his Regiment, which he hath done by arbitrary and ungodly ways and practices. III. That he hath divers times summoned the Country to be and appear before him and his Officers, which metings he termed Courts and therein showed himself most intolerable imperious and insolent and hath therein done very many tyrannical and Arbitrary actions, Fining divers persons (as Mr. Wallet, Mr. Hargrave, and others we●l affected) grievously, and insupportably in the said pretended Court, for small or no offence, and hath sent his agents, Officers & soldiers who have levien the said fines upon their goods. iv That he hath received vast sums of money much of which he hath raised by unjust and illegal ways, and wilfully neglecting the preservation of the County, hath done very little or no service with it (before the unhappy Siege at Newarke) save his defending the town of Boston, which before he commanded there, was as well defended by voluntires, with little or no charge to the County, which volunteers were Cashired by him, to the great damage of the Country. V That in a proud and insolent manner, he hath exceeded the limits of his Commission, granted him from the righ● Honourable the Earl of Manchester, by assuming to himself the title o●●enenerall of the County, and raising men and horses at his pleasure throughot the whole County, and keeping at the Country's charge about twenty men to wait on him, which he called his lifeguard, and usually called the Country's forces is Army, and doth direct his letters to his Father with title of right honourable VI That there hath been divers blue ribbons dispersed in the Country by him or his Agents, to such as would show themselves for him, and procure of set their hands to petitions for the restoring him to his former commands, and those who have refused to set their hands contrary to their consciences, have been threatened, ●nd evil entreated by his said Agents, and he himself did tell Mr. Tilson and others of the Committee at Boston, in a threatening manner, when they would not obey his unwarrantabe desires and commands, that trove Blue was a good colour, which hath hazarded the raising of a dangerous mutining among the Souldiedrs and Country men. FINIS.