INSTRUCTIONS Agreed upon By the LORDS and COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT, FOR The Deputy lieutenants for the County of 〈◇〉 decorative woodcut LONDON, Printed by R. O. and G. D. for Henry Overton, 1642. WHereas it doth appear to the Lords and Commons now assembled in Parliament, that the King seduced by wicked counsel, hath raised war against his Parliament, and other his good subjects, and hath drawn together great Troops of Papists, and other ill affencted persons, and sent out Commissions for the levying of others to the great hazard of Religion and the public peace of the kingdom: You shall therefore take special cares that the Ordinance concerning the Militia be forthwith put in execution, through the said County of 〈◇〉 and for that purpose you or any three of you shall have power and authority to arm train and put in readiness, all and every the Inhabitants of that county, fitting for the Warres, as well of the trained bands as other volunteers both horse and foot, and them under the command of such colonels, lieutenant colonels▪ Sergeant Majors, Captames and other Officers, as you or any three of you shall nominate and appoint to lead and conduct as well against all foreign forces that shall in hostile manner invade the said County, as for the resisting and oppressing of all such other forces as shall be there raised, to the disturbance of the peace of that county, and the sheriff of that county and all other Officers▪ are hereby enjoined to assist you and every of you therein, and if any person whatsoever shall levy or endeavour to levy, or Billet any Souldiers or to draw or keep together the trained bands, or other armed forces of the said county, or any other forces by colour or pretence of any Commission or Warrant from his majesty under the great seal or otherwise, without order or consent of both houses of Parliament: you are to make known to the trained bands and other Inhabitants of the said county, that those who shall appear upon any such Warrant, or obey any such Commission, shall be held disturbers of the public peace, and those who shall not appear upon any such warrant or commission, or do any thing in execution thereof, shall be protected by both houses of Parliament: And you, or any one or more of you, shall in the name, and by the authority of both Houses of Parliament require and command all persons to forbear the execution of such commission or warrant. And the same to be delivered up to you, or any of you▪ to be sent to the Speaker of the House of Commons: And you, or any three or more of you, are hereby required, to draw together such of the trained bands, and other forces of the said county, as shall be expedient for the suppressing of all such assemblies, and for the apprehending of all or any person or persons, as shall( after admonition and command by you▪ or any of you made unto them to forbear the execution of any such Commission or Warrant, or the calling, or gathering, or keeping together of any such forces or assemblies still persist in doing the same; and likewise such as shall bear arms by colour of any warrant or commission from his majesty under the great seal, or otherwise, without order or consent of both Houses of Parliament; and also such disaffected persons as shall be found raising any parties or factions against the Parliament, to be sent up hither to answer such their offences as to Law and Justice shall appertain; And you, or any one or more of you the abovesaid members of the House of Commons, shall in the name of the Lords and Commons require the sheriff of the said county to publish throughout the same, the Declaration commanded to be published by both Houses of Parliament. 2 You are required to suppress all persons whatsoever, who shall levy any souldiers, or draw together any of the trained bands by colour or pretence of any Commission from his majesty under the great seal or otherwise. And you and any one or more of you shall stay, search, and examine, or cause to be stayed, preached and examined all suspicious persons and carriages, and to search and cause to be preached all suspicious places, and shall seize upon all Horses arms, Amuniton, Money, Plate, or other provision whatsoever raised or provided under pretence of his Majesties service for the fomenting or maintaining any such unnatural or unlawful war against his people. 3. You or any three or more of you, shall observe and execute the Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament, of the 8th of August last past, for the suppression of Rebellion and commotion raised by the marquis of Hertford, in the county of Somerset, and other western Counties, and by the earl of Northampton and others, in the Counties of Leicester, warwick, Northampton and other adjoining parts, and of any other Rebellion or commotion raised, or that shall be raised by any other person or persons within the said county, 4. You or any three or more of you shall conduct and led all such forces of horse and foot, as shall be appointed by the Lord general, the earl of Essex, for the service, and shall fight with kill and slay all such as shall by force oppose you in the execution of that Ordnance: And all other assistants, aiders and abetters, and you shall levy such other forces of horse and foot, as his Excellence shall by his Commission give you power to levy under such colonels▪ Commanders, and other Officers, as shall be by him appointed or directed, and you shall pursue the said Traytors and Rebels in the said county, or in any other Counties or places of the Kingdom, in which they shall retire themselves, all which forces so to be raised, shall have the same pay as the rest of the army is to have, and you shall defend and protect his Majesties Subjects, from violence and oppression by the illegal Commission of Array, or otherwise▪ and you shall hinder and forbid the execution of that illegal Commission: And in all places to the uttermost of your power, endeavour to preserve and restore the peace of the kingdom. 5. You or any three or more of you, shall take from the said Rebells and Traytors, all such arms, Ordnance and ammunition as they have taken from his Majesties Subjects and restore the same to the owners. 6. You, or any one, or more of you, shall take care that such resolutions and Orders of both Houses, as have been or shall be delivered, or sent down unto you or any of you, be put in execution, and shall require the several Sheriffes, and Justices of the Peace, and all other his Majesties Officers and Subiects of the said County, to bee aiding and assisting unto you and every of you, for that purpose you shall declare unto all men. That it hath ever been, and still shall bee the care and endeavour of the Parliament, to provide for his Majesties safety, and that they do not, nor ever did know of any evil intended against his Majesties person, which might move him to require any extraordinary Guard, that his greatest safety is in the affections, and fidelity of his Subjects, and in the advice and counsel of his Parliament, and his greatest danger in with-drawing himself from them, so that under colour of doing him service, disaffected and malignant persons, obnoxious to Justice, for their great enormities have raised forces, which they labour to increase, to the disturbance and hazard of the kingdom. 7. You, and every of you, the members of the House of Commons and any one or more of you, shall endeavour to clear the proceedings of Parliament, from all imputations and aspersions, and shall from time to time certify us of all things which you conceive necessary for the present service. And that we may have a speedy account of it, and that our directions to you, as well as your advertisements to us: may have clear and speedy passage, you and every of you shall lay a strict charge upon all Postmasters and messengers, that they do not suffer any letters or other dispatches, to or from the Parliament to be intercepted or stayed, and if any shall presume to make stay of any such dispatches, you and every of you shall direct the Postmasters, and Messengers to repair to the Justices of the Peace, Constables and all other Officers for their aid and assistance who are hereby required to take special care that there be no such interruption. 8. You, or any one, or more of you, are hereby authorised and required to disarm all Popish Recusants, and other dangerous and ill affencted persons, as well clergy men as others, as have testified or shall testify their ill dispositions, to the state of the kingdom, and all such arms, and all other arms formerly taken from Popish Recusants, shall be employed by you for the defence of the County. 9. You, or any two or more of you, shall take care that none of the Recusants arms or other ammunition of the said County shall be taken or carried out of the same, upon any pretence or command whatsoever, without warrant from both Houses of Parliament: And you or any two or more of you, shall give order and directions to the Sheriffes of the said county, Justices of Peace, and other Officers, to require and command all Popish Recusants, in the said county, to confine themselves to their dwellings, according to the statute in that case provided, and if any Recusant shall bee found to transgress herein, you and every of you, shall cause the Justices of the Peace forthwith to bind them to their good behaviour, and upon refusal or neglect to give security, accordingly to commit them to prison, and further to proceed against them according to the Law. 10. You, or any three or more of you, shall also in the name of both Houses of Parliament, require all such persons, who have in their custody, any part of the public Magazines of the county, to deliver the same to you, or some of you, to be disposed of, and employed for the defence of the said County, and in case of refusal, you are hereby authorised to seize, take and carry away, and dispose of the same, for the purposes aforesaid. 11. And you, or any three or more of you, are likewise to give charge from both Houses of Parliament, to all Captaines Lieutenants, and other Officers for the Militia, that they shall be observant to such directions, as they shall from time to time receive from the Lord Lieutenant of the said county or his Deputies or any of them for due performance of any the commands of the said Houses. 12. You; or any one, or more of you; shall resist, and repel and are hereby authorised; to resist and repel by the power of the said county, and by all other ways and means all such force and violence: as shall bee raised or brought by any person or persons, to the hindrance or disturbance▪ of this present service; or for the arresting or seizing, of the persons of you, or any of you, or of any others, which shall be employed in the performance of the Ordinances, Instructions, and commands, of both Houses of Parliament, for any thing done in execution hereof. And the several Sheriffs and Justices of Peace of the said County; and other Officers and Subjects, are hereby enjoined; to bee aiding and assisting to you and every of you, for the better and more speedy execution of the premises. 13. You, or any three or more of you, shall hereby with the consent of two of the members of the House of Commons aforenamed, have power and Authority to fortify any part or place of the said county, in such manner and sort, as you or any of you with the consent of two of the members of the House of Commons aforenamed, shall think fit for the safety of the said county, and for the more security of the same, shall set forth several Guards, and forces in all such places and towns of the said County, as you, or any of you, with the consent of any two of the members of the House of Commons aforenamed, shall think it requisite and to cause the Beacons within the said county, to be watched guarded, and fired, as occasion shall require. 14. You, and every of you, shall observe and execute, all such further directions and Instructions, as you shall from time to time receive from both Houses of Parliament, as likewise from the Committee of Lords and Commons, appointed to take care for the safety of the Kingdom, and whatsoever you shall do therein, or any other Person in aid or assistance of you, it shall be accepted as a good and necessary service to the kingdom, and for theirs and your so doing they and you shall bee defended and protected, by the authority of Parliament: And this resolution of the Lords and Commons to protect those that shall obey and further their commands, you shall publish and declare upon all occasions, for the better encouragement of the Subjects of this kingdom in that behalf. 15. You and every of you shall take care to put in execution the Propositions and Orders made by the Lords and Commons now assembled in Parliament, for the bringing in of money and plate to maintain Horse, men and arms, for the preservation of the public peace, and for the defence of the King and both Houses of Parliament; as also other instructions and additions for Deputy Lieutenants which are Members of the House of Commons, and other Lieutenants of several Counties concerning the last Propositions, according to a Declaration of the said Lords and Commons made thereupon, and that you or any three, or more of you, shall or may call together, the Inhabitants of the County, at such times and places as you shall think fit, and propound to them what Horsemen and arms they will find and maintain, or what money they will contribute for the defence of that County, of which moneys you shall appoint receivers and Treasurers, and with forces, and all other forces that shall be raised in that County by the authority of the Lords and Commons in Parliament, and their Officers, you or any three or more of you, shall lead conduct and employ for the defence of the said County, and of the moneys arising out of the said contribution, within your county; You or the mayor part of you shall have power to issue forth such sum or sums of money upon account, as you shall find requisite for the providing of arms and ammunition for the defence and security of the said county, as also for the paying of such Souldiers as shall be levied and employed for the purpose aforesaid. 16. You or any three or more of you, shall or may in the absence of the Lieutenants of the County, make and appoint such Captaines and other Officers as shall be requisite for the service and defence of that County, and to remove them out of their places, and to make others from time to time as you shall think fit for that purpose. 17. You or any two or more of you, shall or may require strong watches and wards to be set by the Constables or such other person as you shall think meet in all convenient places in that county for the peace and safety thereof. 18. You or the greater part of you whereof two to be Members of the House of Commons may join in association with the adjacent County; for the mutual defence each of others Counties. 19. You or any one or more of you, shall or may apprehended all such persons as shall oppose you, or refuse to obey you in the premises, and to sand him or them in safe custody up to the Parliament, or the Committee of Parliament, for the defence of the kingdom, to be proceeded with according to Justice. John Brown clear. Parliamentorum Henry Flsyng clear. Par D. come.