A TRVE NARRATIVE CONCERNING THE ARmies preservation of the Kings Majesties Person BY WHICH IT DOTH APPEARE that the Army doth intend the Good Life Propriety and Liberty of all the Commons of England and not the destruction of them Printed by order from the Army for the taking off those aspertions which hath been cast upon them for that action LONDON Printed for John Benson and are to be sold at his shop in Chancery Laine neare the Rowles 1647. A true impartiall Narration conceruing the Armies preservation of the King by which it doth appear that the Army doth intend the Good Life Property and Liberty of all the Commons of England FEllow Commoners considering with our selves how variously those men will report that endeavour to carrie on their designs though it be to the ruine and the destruction of others who are their Fellow-Commoners and have as just a right and propriety to the liberties and freedomes of the Nation as themselves considering also how misinformation may seduce you and draw you away from the knowing of things in their true unmixt nature and consequently from acting and walking accordingly so that not only our selves may be drawn by such misrepresentations of things into unexpressible extraordinary sadnesses miseries and calamities but also you into perpetuall irrecoverable servitude and bondage even in a moment of time before you or we are aware of And also considering that certain of the House of Commons have sold the record of Magna Charta which doth demonstrate the Subjects rights liberties and proprieties for 100000 l. so that it might never be used again as we can we hope evidently prove so that by it you may see their designe Therefore we who have fought for you in the sight of the Sun and for your liberties and proprieties as well as our owne and have been faithfull to you in the apprehensions of all rationall men and those that will not lie against their own souls or walk contrary to the Testimony of their own Consciences cannot choose but with reciprocall tendernesse present unto you truly briefly and clearly without partiality the nature of the businesse concerning the Kings Maiesty and us at Holdenby Iune the 4. 1647. On Wednesday Coronet Ioyce went to the bowling green where his Maiestie was at bowls within a mile of Holdenby the cause of the Coronets being there was to prevent the Kings being conveyed away in a secret manner which was iustly suspected to be done by some that were with his Maiesty Coronet Ioyce an appointed agent by the Army observing a sudden alteration in perswading the King to goe to my Lord Spencers to bowls when the King had resolved before to goe two miles further and at the Kings taking horse Colonel Graves and a Scottish Lord whispered and were more then ordinary earnest in their privacie which did occasion jealousie at that opportunity After the King had been at bowls one houre Graves questioned a Soldier and asked him from whence he came The Soldiers answer was from Oxford and that he had been lately with the Army Then Graves asked if the Army was not contented with the Ordinanee of Indempnitie and the votes of Parliament the Soldier answered No and that it would in no way secure them and gave Graves a reason because many of their fellow Soldiers and those that acted for the Parliament were molested notwithstanding it what a sad thing will it be to consider that the Soldery shall tast of the Parliament Iudges cruelty notwithstanding their good services and the preserving of the heads of some men in the Parliam And therefore judge how much below the light of nature these men live how much they exercise themselves in tyranny when they will not do good unto those that do good unto them Then Graves asked him more newes and said he need not be afraid But he said he was not afraid of him or any man in the Kingdom for he had done nothing that he knew of to make him afraid he further said he would deal ingeniously with him and tell him the truth in any thing he should aske him Then Graves asked if he did not hear of a party of horse he answered he did more then heart of a party for he saw them the day before within thirty miles of Holdendy this made Graves tremble as if he had been guilty of something he had done or intended to do otherwise why should he afterwards and the Scottish Lord his Confederate have run away when no man intended to doe them the least hurt in the world But the Scotsh Lord went to London hath notoriously wronged the King and the party also that did secure his Majesties person for the peace and safety of the kingdom as was declared at large before a thousand witnesses so that by it you may see the design of a cunning Scot what such will do to get money end honour even against King and people Further for the security of the Kings person the party marched towards Holdenby and when they came to the House the Commissioners sent one Cap. Middleton to know of us what we came for what we would have who commanded answer was made him All did command and yet were under command Then Captain Middleton replyed if you have any thing to doe here the Commissioners would know what it is and desired that they would send into the Commissioners one or more to certifie what was the intent of comming thither Whereupon Cor. Ioyce by unanimous consent of the party went in to the Commissioners and told them the truth of their comming thither which was to secure his Maj. person and to protect them there being a secret design as they were informed to to convey or steal away the King to raise another Army to suppresse this under his Excellency S. Tho. Fairfax Likewise he said he knew no other way to keep this Kingdom from blood or another war but by the present security of the Kings person that he may be no more misled and if he were that the Kingdom were utterly undone for ever If this be all said the Commissioners it is well done But after it Coronet Ioyce spake more to the Commissioners and told them he did humbly conceive that there were some who did delay justice and seek only to disband the Army who were raised for the defence of the just rights proprieties and liberties of the Subject and the bringing of all unjust men to condigne punishment such who did endeavour to subvert the fundamentall lawes of the Kingdom and he said he did believe that there were some who did endeavour to pull down King and people and to set up themselves and who they were the Commissioners and the world may judge and see by their actions Whereupon he tooke his leave of the Commissioners for a while lest the King should be disturbed in his Bed-chamber Then Major Gen. Brown went to the King did assure his Majestie
of the truth of the businesse and desired his Majestie not to be troubled for no hurt would come unto him for they were all civill Gentlemen and that his Majestie should find it so After this was done the Coronet went to the Commissioners again and desired them to give him Orders he being willing to obey them because they were appointed by the Parliament to be there to that end Then Maior Generall Browne said Come again by and by and we will give you Orders in the meane time set your Guard and place your Centinells which directions of his we followed told him and the rest of the Commissioners it they would give us orders I would obey them provided they were just and for the security of the Kings person All this being done it grew towards noon After that Coronet Ioyce desired the soldiers to mount to horse and told them they should all goe to quarters at which word of command all was done the said Coronet was to give in a relation to the Commissioners of his comming and the grounds in writing did but because of the multiplicity of business could not give it in that form as otherwise he might if he had hâ—d time All this being done al was quiet in the said present security of his Majestie untill tidings came that Graves was gone quite away and thereupon it was supposed he was and thought himselfe also guilty or else he would have stayed but none could tell what was become of him and some of his damming blades did say and swear they would fetch a party which party could not be from the Army but must be from some other place and therefore to prevent disturbance and blood and for the peace sake of the Kingdome all declared unanimously that they thought it most convenient to secure the King in another place from such persons as should cunningly or desparately take him away contrary to order which was endeavoured very earnestly as we are informed by some that are enemies to the peace of the kingdome and the prosperity of the Army But another cause of jealousie was not knowing the resolutions of those who quartered soldiers and pretended for Ireland And further to give all satisfaction to the whole kingdom and to the real effecting of a business of such concernment the soldiers sent Coronet Ioyce to the Commissioners at ten of the clock at night who desired the Commissi to let the King know he would speak with him some of the Commissioners being unwilling held the Coronet in discourse about halfe an houre untill the King was asleep in his bed yet notwithstanding the said Coronet could not be contented till he had spoken with the King it being the only way and meanes to prevent trouble for the future and blood that might come upon the face of the Kingdome and therefore the said Cor. judged it in his own conscience requisite to speak with him at that opportunity and therefore he offered the Commissioners to go with them with as much gentlenesse and tendernesse as he could to tell his Majestie something for his and the Kingdoms good which was to take him from thence ther being a secret design to steal and convey away his Majesties person to side with some who pretend justice and deceive the Kingdom and obstruct the relief of poor distressed Ireland intending to break the Army in pieces now under the command of Sir Thomas Fairfax our Generall and to raise another Army to carry on their design and that all rationall men may see it by the actions of some men as Stapleton Glinn Green Earle and others who said It s now come to that that they must sink us or we must sink them Much more was spoken by the said Coron But this in brief he was willing to let all passe without giving a relation untill be heard that the Scottish Lord had falsely told the Parliament of our proceedings with the King who saw or heard it not for he was not within a mile of the Court when all these forementioned passages were for the Scottish Lord as we are informed reported that the King was taken away against his will For although the King told Coronet Ioyce before the Commissioners he was unwilling to goe with us yet he said That such reasons might be produced that might prevaile with him and then he did protest nothing should stay him but he would goe whether the Commissioners would yea or no. And reasons were given accordingly which did prevail with his Majesty to promise to go the next morning and he gave a confirmation of his willingnesse by saying to the Coronet He should be the more willing to go if the Coronet would promise him some things which he should propound The Coronet said He would if they were just and warrantable in his understanding and desired his Majesty that he might hear the things Then his Majesty spake before the Commissioners said Master Joyce We have this to propound unto you May it please your Majesty we are willing to hear said Coronet Joyce but are sorry we have disturbed you out of your sleep but the King said No matter no matter if you mean us no hurt and then spake viz. If you wil promise Us that We shal have no hurt saying You may take away Our life if you wil having the sword in your hands This answer the Coronet made That the Parliament had declared to preserve his Majesties person and that they being the Parliaments Army should not but endeavour the same onely they did desire to secure him from being taken away lest he should be set at the head of another Army and so this Kingdome involved into danger And all this was said in answer to his Majesties first Proposition The second was That he would not be forced to any thing against his conscience by us He answered that he would be unwilling to force any man against his conscience much lesse his Majesty and also said That he hoped he was sensible of those that did endeavour to force men against their consciences Observe none will oppose this Army but guilty consciences and they will fly in our facâ—â— or raise an Army against us and yet delayed to do justice or settle the kingdome for which they were sent and did endeavour to disband or break this Army in pieces who sought nothing but justice as will appear hereafter to all the world Pray God it may said the King Thirdly He demanded whether yea or no he should have his servants with him and whether he should be provided for like a man in his place and that he had been courteously used by those Commissioners that were with him as ever he was by any The Coronet answered That he should endeavour as farre as in him lay to shew him all just and due respect And that he might be no otherwise attended on then before the Coronet desired the Commissioners of Parliament to go with the King and
discharge that trust imposed on them the soldiery of the Army would assist them so long as they were just and honest Then said the King We wil willingly go along with you if the souldiers wil confirm what you have promised me the King beleeving we had said nothing but what we would stand to All this being spoken at ten or eleven at night And when the King had done propounding these questions to the Coronet he gave his word to be ready by six the next morning to hear if the souldiers would confirm what he had promised and if they would he would willingly go with us for it was so bad an aire that he could never be so well as he had been and if he were once gone he would be unwilling to come back again to that place any more many other reasons he had which he gave not According to his promise he came in the morning at six of the clock where he found all the soldiers ready mounted to march with him but before he would march he desired to speak the same things to the souldiers which he spake over night to the Coronet to see if they would confirm what he said and had promised which they did with one consent and before the souldiers the King was pleased to ask the Coronet What Commission he had to secure his Person then said the Coronet If the Parliament had ever made an order that the army should not have secured the Kings Person we should not have dared to do what we had done But we being informed his Majesty was to be conveyed away which if not prevented might have caused another warre and involved the whole kingdome in bloud again this was the onely cause of our securing the Kings Person This answer did not satisfie the King but he asked What Commission he had for doing that he did he told his Majesty the soldiery of the Army or else he should not have dared to have done what he had and conceived it to be the only way to bring peace to England and Justice with Mercy which is the thing which all honest men do desire and none wil hinder but some guilty Consciences who by their wil seek to destroy both King and people to set up themselves Yet the King was not satisfied with this but asked Whether we had nothing in writing from Sir Thomas Fairfax our General to do what we did the Coronet desired the King he would not ask him such Questions for he did conceive he had sufficiently answered him before then said the King I pray M. Joyce deal ingenuously with me and tel me what Commission you have The Coronets answer was Here is my Commission Where said the King He answered Here his Majesty again asked Where He answered Behind me and desired his Majesty that that might satisfie him whereupon the King smiled and said It is as fair a Commission and as wel writen as he had seen a Commission written in his life A company of handsome proper Gentle men as he had seen a great while But what if we should yet refuse to go with you I hope you would not force me I am your King and you ought not to lay violent hands on your King for We do acknowledg none to be above Us here but God Then said M. Joyce Our desires are not to force your Majesty but have humbly increated your Majesty to go with us and not only your self but the Commissioners and to this end that the Commissioners might discharge that trust imposed on them as honest members of Parliament Thou spake one of the Commissioners of Parliament and shewed us a paper what was therein we saw not they all spake to us in order the last that spake as we remember was Major General Brown who said the Commissioners had an order of Parliament to look to the King at Holdenby and if he had strength we should have had his life before we should have brought the King away Indeed said the Coronet you speak like a faithful and gallant man but he knew wel enough he had not strength and therefore he spake so boldly Major G. Brown said further But since it is so We must do what you wil have us being not able to resist you Then spake Coronet Joyce further We came not to have the blood of any man but for peace and did hope should manifest it to all the world for he sought peace with all men as much as in him lieth and further he said They were servants to the Parliament and Kingdome and had served them faithfully ever since the beginning of this war or else more heads had been cut off before this time and if the souldiers had been ordered not to secure his Majesty they would not have dared to have done it because they were servants to the State as wel as the Commissioners they did what they did to keep the Kingdom from blood and a second war which if not prevented might unhappily have come upon us suddenly as you may see is the endeavour of some men who pretend to be the Kings and Kingdoms best friends After this the King was going away but turned and said Now Gentlemen for the place you intend to have me to M. Joyce answered If it please your Majesty to Oxford The King replyed That is no good aire M. Joyce said Then to Cambridg The King did not like that but said he liked New market It was an aire that did very wel agree with him And it was granted by M. Joyce he should go thither Then the King asked M. Joyce How far he intended to ride that night And M. Joyce answered and said As far as your Majesty can conveniently ride The King smiling said We can ride as far as you or any man there but he concluded to talk of that and his accommodation privately and so he courteously took his leave of the company and was going and one whispered him and he turned back and heard the Commissioners speak to the company thus in order First my Lord Mountague spake and said Gentlemen we are intrusted by both Houses shewing in his hand a paper the authority they had and desire to know whether all the party do agree to what M. Joyce had said And they cryed All All. And he having spoke low Sir John Cook seconded him with a loud voyce and added That as the Parliament had intrusted them had he but Forces to withstand the party he would have done it with his life and M. Crew said the same And Major G. Brown spake last to the same purpose but added something more then the rest saying It was not the first time that he had been in the head of a party and that they knew not the Law and he durst affirm that scarce two in the company although they cryed All All knew what the Gentleman had delivered to the King And therefore he said with a loud voyce All that are willing the King shall stay with us the Commissioners of Parliament let them speak And all the party cryed None None then said he we have done Only the souldiers said We understand well enough what we do Now let all the world judge what is done and who is in fault and who they are that seek warr and no peace nor justice FINIS One word more Fellow-Comâ—â—â—ers DEar Friends and Fellow-Commoners We the Souldiery under his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax do desire to speak one word to you All that so you may see and know our very hearts so far as we know them our selves And that our earnest desires are for Peace in this our Native Land and Kingdome and being more sensible then many thousands are how destructive another War wil be if not our utter ruine and undoing The words we shal speak to you are to prevent Warr and to find out those that have of late sent that Scottish Lord who went from Holmby to London and from thence into France and another Scotch Lord into Scotland all this to bring another Army to England and we shall be able to make it appear to you hereafter who are the chief Actors therein Dear Friends and Fellow-Commoners let us not be like those who have set their hands to the Plough and look back but let it appear to all the World we are against another Warre and for Peace Mercy and Justice without delay Now look about you and be not deluded any longer lest the Scot sell the King for more money and others oppresse the Kingdome and put the Kingdoms Treasure into their own pockets or send it out of our Kingdome as if they were preparing to go after for fear they should be found out This we speak that so you may have a care of this Glorious Kingdome your Shipping being now in those mens hands who have done you most wrong and if not looked after by you may suddenly let in a forrein Enemy to overrun you all and ravish your Wives and rost your Children alive as those bloudy minded men in Ireland have done and this will be our case if you awake not suddenly We have done a word to the wise is sufficient and rest Yours and the Kingdomes faithful servants till death for Englands Liberty against Tiranny c.