UPon Saturday the 25 of March being Lady day early in the morning, Captaine Tho. Stiles, and Captaine Cromwell, Mr. Wil. Styles the Minister of Croyland with about 80 or 90 men came to the Town of Spalding, which at that time was utterly unfurnished of men and Armes, whereof they had intelligence the evening before, by some of our malignant & treacherous neigh­bours. Neer breake of the day they beset the house of M Ram, Mi­nister of the Town, where they tooke J. Harrington Esq and the said M. Ram, and in a violent and uncivill manner carried them a­way to Croyland, at the entering whereof all the people of the town generally were gathered together to see and triumph over their prisoners, which put us in mind of Sampsons entertainment when he was taken by the Philistims. Some others of our Town they took the same time, but released all save Edw. Horne, one of Capt. Escorts Serjeants; so we three were kept together under strong guard, and about ten daies after one M. Wil. Slater of Spalding, a man of 66 yeer: of age was taken by some of their Scouts & made prisoner with us; our usage for dyet and lodging was indifferent good all the time of our imprisonment, which was five weekes; but some insolenoies we were forced now and then to endure. Capt. Styles one day quarrelled with us for praying together, and for bad us to do so, saying, we should pray every man for himselfe, threat­ning to take away the Bible from us, saying, it was not fit for Tray­tors to have the Bible, and by no means would permit us to have Pen, Inke, or Paper, though Mr. Ram did earnestly sue to him for them, and protested that he would write nothing but what they should see or heare if they pleased. After we had continued there neere 3 weeks, on thursday the 13 of April some companies of our friends advanced towards our reliefe, whereupon about 8 a clock that night we were all carried down to the Bulwark, on the North side of the Town, where we continued amongst the rude Souldi­ers and Townsmen till after midnight: but by reason our Forces fell not on that night, we were carried into an Alehouse, where we [Page]continued till day light, and then were had to our lodgings: but when our Companies approached neerer the Town, then we were all brought forth againe, and another prisoner one Daniel Pegg of Deeping added to us, and carried to that part of the Town, where the first onset was given, being all of us fast pynioned and made to stand in an open place, where the Cannon began to play; but be­fore the assault, a drummer was sent with a summons to the Town, at whom they shot divers times before his entrance, whom they al­so deteined and kept as a prisoner till the Town was taken, con­trary to the law of Armes. A while after we were all five of us set upon the top of the Brest-worke (according as we had been often threatned before) where we stood by the space of three houres, our friends shooting fiercely at us for a great part of that time, before they knew us; Cap. Harrington tooke one of his souldiers mu [...]kets, charging it with Pistoll-powder, and himselfe made three shot at his own father, he and all the rest of the Souldiers on that side sup­posing we had been Croylanders that stood there to brave them: when our friends perceived who we were, they left firing upon us, and began to play more to the right hand of us, whither M. Ram and Serjeant Horne were presently removed, which caused our party to hold their hands, so that little more was done on that side of the Town that day. Indeed their workes were very strong and well lined with Musketiers who were backed with store of Has­sock-knives, long Sithes, & such like fennish weapons, and besides without their works was a great water, both broad & deep, which encompassed all that side of the Town, by reason whereof our small Forces could doe no good at that time, neith [...]r could they approach neerer without great hazzard and losse. The Minister of the Town M. Styles was very active all the time of the fight on the West side, where he commanded in chiefe, running from place to place, & if fearefull oathes be the character of a good Souldier, he may wel passe Muster, which made us not so much marvell at the abhominable swearing which we continually heard almost from every mouth, yea, even when the Bullets flew thickest. But as the fury of the assault began to abate in those parts, so did it increase on the North side, whither presently Mr. Ram and Serjeant Horne [Page]were posted, and there set upon the Bulwarks for our friends on that side to play upon, who plied us with great and small shot for a great while together, supposing M. Ram had been the vapouring Parson of the Town: many of our deare and worthy friends have since told us how many times they shot at us with their own hands and how heartily they desired to dispatch us, but the Lord of hosts, that numbreth the hairs of our heads, so guided the Bullets that of the multitudes that flew about our eares, and many of them with­in halfe Musket-shot, not one of them had power to touch us, bles­sed be the Name of our God. After we had continued 3 houres more upon the North-work, our forces began to retreat, and then were we taken down, and guarded to our lodging, Mr. Harrington also, & the two other prisoners which had continued all the while on the West-vvork vvere bringing up to us, but the Forces on the north side began to fire again, vvhereupon they were carried back by a base fellow of the Town to those vvorks, and then our forces on both sides retreated. Upon this great victory, as the Croylanders vaunted, one Mr. Iackson a Minister in the Town drew the people into the Church where he read certain Collects by way of thank­fulnesse for their good successe: the most part of the night follow­ing was spent in drinking, revelling, and rayling upon the Parlia­ment and round-heads, as if they had offered some extraordinary Sacrifice to Bacchus, in so much that there was scarce a sober ma [...] to be found amongst them: and since we are fallen into the menti­on of M. Jackson, we cannot well omit some passages of his: he was formerly a great incendiary in another place some ten miles from Croyland, where he stirred up the people in a dangerous and rebel­lious manner to take up Armes against the Parliament, and drew many of good estates into action under the command of Captain Welby, but God was pleased to rout that company without much losse of blood; upon the defeat there, Mr. Iackson and others shel­tered themselves at Croyland, where, what by preaching, and what by private perswading, he was a chiefe instrument in stir­ring up the people of Croyland to take up Armes and commit such outrages as they did. The last Sabbath that we were pri­soners there he preached, and in his Sermon did mightily [Page]encourage the people to play the men, commending them highly for their courage and valour in the former incoun­ter, and perswaded them by many arguments to goe on in their resolution, saying, That the cause was Gods, and that hee had fought for them, and would doe so still, and that all the good peo­ple of the land prayed for them; hee said also, that these holy Stones pray for you, these holy Books pray for you, which your enemies teare in pieces to light Tobacco withall, the holy Vest­ments pray for you, that holy Table prayes for you, which they in many places make an Hors-rack, yea the Saints in Heaven pray for you; but of this enough, and too much. To proceed with our re­lation, we heard no more of our friends comming to relieve us till Tuesday the 25. of April, and then the Towne was assaulted on three sides by part of the Regiments of those noble Gentlemen, Colonell Sir Miles Hobert, Colonel Sir Anthony Irby, and Colonell Cromwell: when the Forces advanced somewhat neer the Towne, Master Ram was again called for and brought out of his lodging, and carried with all speed to the North Bulwark, and there being very straitly pinioned, he was laid within the Work upon the wet ground, where he lay for the space of five hours, often intreat­ing that he might be set upon the Bulwark, by reason of the [...]x­tream numnesse of his limbs, & his extraaordinary wearines with lying so long in that posture; but they would not suffer him, the with reason we conceive was, for that our friends threatned to give quarter if any of us were again set upon the Bulwarks. That Tuesday proved a very wet and windy day, and so continued till Thursday morning, that most of our Companies were forced to quit their moorish rotten quarters and to retreat, onely some small parties on the West and South held them in exercise day and night most part of that time, though the weather was very extream, and they had no shelter to defend themselves from it. On Thursday in the afternoon all the Companies were drawne down upon the three approaches or banks, by which the Town only is accessible by land, who so plyed the Croylanders upon every quarter that their hearts began to faile, divers of them stea­ling away into the Coverts and moorish grounds on the east side [Page]of the Town, which they call [...]on, so famous for fish and fowl, and many more that night followed their fellows. On Friday mor­ning those few that remained set the best face they could upon so bad a businesse, and seemed as if they would fight it out to a man; but before day light they moved for a Treaty, which being gran­ted, they sent their unreasonable Propositions, which being torn asunder and scorned, our men advanced and entred the Town without any opposition; some of the chiefe Actors got away, yet some were taken in the Towne, and many more since in ma­ny places of the Country about; Captain Styles, Lieutenant Au­burne of Lyn, Thomas Bowre a Scrivener of London, Master Jackson the Minister of Fleete, Master William Balder, and some three or foure more are now prisoners at Colchester and Ipswich: some aer committed to the provost Marshall at Spalding. Of Croyland, onely one was slain, and one hurt. Of our men were killed five, & some eighteen or twenty wounded, whereof some are since dead, their wounds being incurable by reason of their poisoned Bullets; ten champt Bullets were found in one mans pocket, some of their Muskets being drawn by our men had such Bullets in them, and abundance of the same sort found by our souldiers. The principall man we lost, was Master Nicholas Norwood, a Gentleman exceeding active and zealous in this and other services; he died of a shot in the shoulder some five or fixe dayes after, was much lamented by all that knew him and his forwardnesse in the publike cause. Thus it pleased the Lord to deliver us out of our imprisonment, and miraculously to preserve those that were appointed to die, for which we desire to blesse his Name for ever, and blessed be the Lord for raising up so many noble Gentlemen & worthy friends, not onely of our Neighbours in the Counties round about us, but of other parts far distant from us, who with wonderfull cou­rage and resolution ingaged themselves to relieve us, or to die in the place.

AS one that truly d [...]sires your peace and welfare, I adventure once more to write unto y [...]u; My busines at this time is to intreat you to accept of the ad­vice of a friend, who though but a stander by, perhaps sees more then you that play the game: I beseech you consider how dangerously you run the hazard both of your lives and fortunes in this course you take. Doe you thinke that to take up Arms, to make Bulwarks and Fortifications without Commission, to disobey all Warrants and Commands, are not very high contempts? Can you imagine that the Parliament, or the Committee at Lincolne will endure such affronts? Or can you hope to defend your selves against such Forces as may easily and speedily be raised against you? Surely your numbers and your preparations are not so great, but that a small power may prevaile against you; neither is your Towne so inaccessible, but that it may be approached many wayes; a piece of Ordnance will soone com­mand and batt [...]r down your houses at two or three miles distance, besides, it is possible in a very short time to famish your Towne by cutting off all supplies of Corne and other provision: perhaps you expect some Forces from other parts that will come in to your aid; perhaps they which have so promised, you will not or cannot be so good as their word, or if they be, surely Croyland is not able to receive, at least to maintain any considerable number of men. Good Neighbours, think seriously on these things, and do not desperately ruine your selves and your posterity, but hearken timely to the Counsell of Peace. I know your plea is, that you stand but upon your [...]wne guard, and defence of your selves and estates, so pleaded C. W. so pleaded Grand so plead all that stand out against the Parliament; but the Parliament al­lows not of such a plea, neither will it endure to be so contemned. Assure your selves that if the Forces at Lyn, Cambridge, Northhampton, Nottingham, Lincoln, Boston, and Spalding, be able to reduce you to the Parliaments Obedience and Justice, you will not long escape them; my counsell therefore is, that you will play the parts of wise men, lay down your Armes and submit your selves, listen not to them that advise you to stand out, they will be the first that will forsake you; let those that are named in the last Warrant present themselves to the Committee without delay, it will be the best dayes worke that ever they did; and if they will be pleased to make use of me, I will doe them the best service I can, not doubting but that I shall obtaine their peace upon faire termes. Thus beseeching the God of peace to incline your hearts to these motions of peace, I rest