The Parliaments Scouts Discovery
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The Parliaments Scouts Discovery: 9–16 June 1643
The Parliaments Scouts Discovery: or Certain Information from Both Armies, and Other Parts of the Kingdome
As it is accounted in the judgment of those that are most judicious in military designes, that it is the Office and duty of all those that are imployed as Scouts (in ranging abroad) to make a true discovery of such accidents as in their knowledge are true, and may tend to the prejudice of that party by which they are imployed, if they should be kept secret; and as true information of the secret plots and designes of the enemy, are requisite to be imported to the Army, for the better preventing of such dangers and inconveniences which might otherwise ensue: for it is conceived to bee no lesse requisite, that those things which are undoubtedly true, and of generall concernment to the whole State and Kingdome (of whom the Army is but a part) should be communicated also, without whose assistance the other can have no substance or being, the consideration whereof hath invited mee to present to the publicke view these particulars following.
First, (to omit many other things which have already been put forth in print) the towne of Redding, which was a place that the Kings forces did professe as much favour and friendship unto, as to any place in this Kingdome, were forced to contribute so much money by Taxations and other Disbursements, which together with the Cloth, and other commodities that they took away by force, amounts to at least seventeen thousand pounds; in which summe, (nor any part thereof) they are not dealt so fairly with (although that was but for a colour) as Prince Rupert dealt with Banbury after his Souldiers had plundered and pillaged the whole towne, for hee gave them Bills to receive the same againe from his Majesty; but here was not so much as an acknowledgement of any debt, although they had forced this towne for the most part, to take their illegall oath, that they should not take up Armes against them.
And because a Scout doth seldome stay long in one place, you must not expect every particular passage: for my ambition is to commit to memory those passages which are of greatest weight, and most authenticke.
The next place we come unto is Newelme Park, neer unto Wallingford, unto which place his Excellency, the Earle of Essex (within ten dayes after he had taken Redding) sent about foure troops of Horse, and one Regiment of Foot, where we had a small encounter with some of the Kings forces, and tooke two of their Scouts prisoners, and we kept the enemy with almost continuall Alarms, there being as neer as we could learn, about fifteen hundred men in the Towne and Castle, who have very strongly fortified themselves. We received intelligence also by divers of the countrey people, that the Kings forces about Oxford and Abington, are nothing so great in number as the generall report goes that they are, and that there is great plenty of Horse, which they have gotten by pillaging and plundering every Countrey where they have come, yet they want Riders, there being for the most part, but thirty in a Troop, and when they muster before his Majesty, they force the countrey people to appeare in Armes, and informe him that they are twenty thousand strong in Horse, when they are but eight thousand strong, and so abuse his Majesty by misinformations.
It is said, there is great expectation of more forces to come thither from Sir Ralph Hopton out of the West, but wee hope the plot between the Marquesse of Hartford and him, is now discovered, and so their joyning with their Forces together, will be prevented: for not long since, there was one of the Jesuiticall faction was taken for a spy neere Excester, who presently upon his being apprehended, was seen to clap something into his mouth and swallow it; and being searched, there could nothing be found about him, yet was he carried to Excester to be examined, that it might better appeare what he was. Another was taken at the same time, going from the Lord Hopton to the Marquesse of Hartford, who having a paper rolled up very small, much like unto one of the Lots in the Lottery, conveyed it suddenly into his mouth, and would have done as the other did before him, but not have so nimble a swallow as the Jesuit, before he could get it downe, it was by violence taken out of his mouth, and by that means brought to light. We hear that Sir Roger Twisden was taken the last weeke in Sussex, with many papers subtilly conveyed into Nutshels.
I shall now returne again towards Redding, and give some account of the advancing of the Parliaments Army from thence towards Oxford, it being a very brave Army, and the severall Regiments very well recented: and it is affirmed by many understanding Gentlemen, that have been conversant both in this and other Armies, that there never went out into the Field braver spirited Gentlemen, full of resolution and courage, and the common Souldiers under very good command. And in this place I cannot omit one thing, which is a certaine truth, and which I am sure cannot bee paralelled in the Kings Army, which is this, that in one Regiment there bee ten Captaines, which (out of the observation of those that have long knowne their conversation) never sore an oath in their lives, unlesse they were legally called before a Magistrate. And although there be a great number of Gentlemen and Souldiers in the Army, that deserve the like commendation, yet that which I mentioned before, is observed to bee in Colonell Hampdens Regiment.
His Excellencie the Lord General, marched from the Lord Cravons house neere Redding, to Nettlebed; and from thence to Stoken-church, and so to Tetsworth, and from thence to Tame, which is ten miles on this side Oxford, where hee lay on Sunday last at the Lord Wainmans house, and many of his Forces advanced neere to Wheatley, which is within foure miles of Oxford. And it is certified by those that came from Oxford, that they begin to be in a great distresse and feare there, because of the Lord Generall advancing so neere unto them. Their expectation of the Forces from the Lord Hopton, as yet is frustrate. And some that are come from Oxford, doe assure us of the certainty of Colonell Taffes going over into Ireland,<ref>Presumably the Irish peer, Lord Taaffe</ref> to bring an Army of Rebels over into England, of which it is reported two hundred are already landed at Westchester, which may receive the more credit, for that the Papist and Malignant Cavaliers give forth in speeches openly, that the Irish are not rebels, for they say that they fight for the King, and therefore they are not Rebels but may as well come to aid his Majesty in these warres, as the Papists in England.
The Cavaliers at Oxford are much disheartned since they heard their fine designe against the Citie & Parl. is discovered, and lay much blame upon the conspirators for confessing thereof, saying, it hath more prejudiced them then the finding out of the plot it selfe: for if it had not been so clearly discovered by their own examinations, it was carried with so much secrecie, that the depth thereof could never have been knowne, and they might have found out means to colour it, by keeping a day of thanksgiving at Oxford, as there was when the bloody plot for the betraying of Bristoll to P. Rupert was discovered: But we see, God will not that such treacherous designed should bee hid; for though they be hatched and contrived inn never such thick and black darknes, yet he brings them to light for his own glory and his peoples good, and notwithstanding they endeavoured to corrupt mens judgements, perswading them that there was a plot by the Parliaments forces against P. Rupert, and the Kings forces at Bristoll (whereas the plot was by them against the Parliaments Forces) whereby they sought to turn the matter against the innocent party, which was the plot of the Jesuits, and the rest of the conspirators in the Gunpowder-treason, yet it pleased God so to bring the matter to light, even by the examinations of the conspirators, that it clearly appeared what the plot was, and who were the actors therein, for which Yeomans<ref>Robert Yeomans</ref> and Butcher<ref>George Bouchier</ref> were since executed. And now seeing that there is no man so ignorant, but may plainly perceive, that all these plots and conspiracies compared with the rising of all the Papists in England, and the bringing over of forraigne Forces, are but so many degrees or gradations to effect & bring to passe the great plot which hath been so long in hand, for the introducing of Popery into this Kingdome. Me thinkes that now the whole Kingdome that bear the name of Protestants, should joyne together by all the wayes and meanes possible, yea and to assist the Parliament. O let it not be said in France, nor published in the Low countries, that the Papists doe more for their dirty gods, then Protestants for the true God the great Jehovah.
This puts me in minde of the great forwardnesse of the County of Buck. for at a generall Muster there about the time that the Lord Generall advanced from Redding towards Oxford, the whole County did Generally come in from 16 to 90 and declared they would venture their lives and fortunes in this cause, and there likewise apeared at the same time a thousand horse for the Lord Generals service, the whole number of people that appeared at that time at Ailsbury were at least twenty thousand.
One thing more within my knowledge which hitherto hath not beene Communicated, comes in this place to my memory, which is this, not long since when Prince Maurice his forces were last at Broadway in Worcestershire, they seized upon a very honest Gentleman named Mr. Stevenes (who the last Summer had his Reekes of corne set on fire by the Kings forces) whom they would hang up in the midst of the Towne, to be a terror to those that they call Roundheads, and although nothing was laid to his charge, and his wife and Children entreated upon their knees to spare his life, yet those hard hearted wretches would not heare them, but it pleased God to save him out of the mouth of those Lions in a wonderfull manner, for when they were actually about to put this wicked practice in execution there came a Collonell of their owne, Turverfeild, by name, which came that way by meere accident not being in the Towne being nor haveing any command of Souldiers there and passing by seeing them about an inhuman businesse he would not suffer them to doe it, saying he would complaine to his Majesty if they offered him more violence &c. by which meanes he was secured from them, for which his Gentilnesse deserves commendations, though he be a Papist.
Part of the Lord Generalls forces being designed to march over a Wheatly Bridg towards Shottover which hill is within 3 miles of Oxford, fortified by the Enemy, and another party towards Fosthil and Islip, I shall at this time breake off with this discourse for it will not suite with this improper fraction of time to enter into any more cravenperticulers, and therefore shall referre my selfe to the next fittest season to give you an account of such matters as fall out worthy of your knowledge.
London, printed for Bernard Alsop. 1643.
Source: British Library, E.106[16]
Search tags: Abingdon (Abington), Aylesbury (Ailsbury), Buckinghamshire (County of Buck), Chester (Westchester), ? Colonel Turbervile (Turverfeild), Earl of Essex (Earle of Essex), Ewelme (Newelme Park), Exeter (Excester), Forest Hill Oxford (Fosthil), George Bouchier (Butcher), Hertford, Lord Craven (Lord Cravon), ? Lord Taaffe (Colonell Taffe), Lord Wenman (Lord Wainman), Marquess of Hertford (Marquesse of Hartford), Reading (Redding), Shotover (Shottover), Stokenchurch (Stoken-church, Thame (Tame), Wheatley Bridge (Wheatly Bridg)
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