'Letter from York when the King was There (13 September 1640)'

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1640 OF the bitternes of warre But by the way. I will giue you a littel tast of the bitternesse of warr and that done by our owne Souldiers in this our owne Land: I will impart vnto you. Some Part of a Letter (that Came from Yoarke when our King was theire)

My deare frendes. I am soe bound to you that I Cannot but wright a few words to Sertisfie you how it faires with vs at Yoarke and their abouts Wee haue no lesse then two & twentythirty thousand horse and foote at Yoarke and within sixe miles such Spoyle made of Corne & Hay & Grasse & Fruite and Trees as is Lamentabel to behold, Sure these are those days foretold [tha]t Tyrants shall abound, For God seuere Curse hath euer most fearefull { } and Ravishings For Most fearefull Blasphemies: horrable Thefts, and most Barbaros and vnhedious Adultries & Rauishings Shure these are a People distinated to destroction. for Gods seuere Curse hath euer attended such men And yet for all our misery this is not the Least that wee haue not one to tell vs how long, nor Yett that Pittys vs in our sad Condition: bvt diuers Punished for not ioyning with them & not Lending a hand to Curse & Sware, I the wrighter sertisfie you of this that you may be more thankfull for your Peace & Liberty. and more petyfull to vs in this great misery, The King stay still at Yoarke and the Lord Leftenant keeps with him very Closse Yester day he had a grate parly with the knites & Gentry of the North to supply the King with mony, but was withstood that vext him very Sore. The Country grones vnder [th]e heauie burdens of Ship mony: Bilitting of Solgers and now setting forth their traine bands with a months pay in euery mans purse[s] besides many partickelare greuiances that many Suffer vnder And our Ministers are Commanded now to Posses their people after Sermon of the ell Carrage of the Rebelles

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1640 Of the bitternesse of warr And how grasiously his Maigsty hath dealt with them from time to time and to exhort their people to dutifull Obeydience. and to beware of haueing any thing to doe with those Rebels: And one Docter Marsh Minister of Hullefax Preached before the King yesterday such a Ser mon against false prophets, and sayd their ware many of them gone to new England and he doubted they were all such. and would also in [th]e end Proue various like the other. We exspect the Lords from [th]e South very Shortly, the Lorde keepe vs from a mutany, for all Sorts Complaine and wee are fare out of the good old way of bareing one anothers burdens, I might say more, but this I doe to giue you a smit of our Condistion. not doubting but you will Ply the throne of grace where we hartily desier to meete you. and all that wayt for the day of our deliuerance: not onely our present mesery but especially from the body of death and the wayt that presseth downe Now to God wee desier to Leaue you and yours and rest

Your unsained

From Yoarke [th]e XIII of Septem[ber] 1640

This Letter did Come Where I was at a priuat Fast at that time Giu Him

Also the Scots are Pitched betwene Durham and New Cassell and we here they intend to be at Yoarke the twenty forth of this month if not before they send as farr as Northollerton & Bedell for prouison of Corne and Cattell. but pay wee haue very honestly

Now What doe I wright out this Letter for But to shew forth Gods grate mercy & Patience in this also but to giue you a littel taste of itt

First see their dishonour vnto God in their Blasphemies, Swearing and Cursing and if any did not so then they should be called Puritens or Rebels and so their fellows would be ready to Punish them. and wrong them in what they Could Oh see Gods grate Patience in forbaring and his the Lords grate marcy in Spr Sparing vs

Secondly Oh see & Behold the bitter fruite fruite of warre in penery and want for it makes a losse and a spoyel of all both both fruites trees & grounds I did heare that there ware those that ware worth fiue hundred pound a yeara yeere would gladly haue sould it all forr92v 1640 Of the bitternesse of warr all for a hungdred pound and haue giuen vp the right tittle of it and their is such Spoyle of ground thought that it is thought [tha]t some will not recouer it againe this many yeeres

Thirdly none Could scarse inioy his owne house for loging of Solgers and grate wronge done to many weomen & mayds, most horrable thefts, I did heere Creditably that our Soulgers would get blwe iakets and apparel themselues Like Scots and so a Company of them goe together to our houses or viliages & robe & Pilleg them

Forthly this ads to misery when as wee know no end nor how Long it will Last

Fiftly Oh then Considier how the enemies. & flatterers & des semeller to be about our King stiring him to goe against thes deare Children of God & the Kings faithfull Subiects and his true Subiects that are gone to New England

Sixtly Consider the Country groning vnder [th]e heauy burden of Shipmony. billiting of Solgers & setting forth traine bands with a months Pay in euery mans Purse

Seuenthly See againe how they Command the Ministers to Possesse the the People with Wronges and Slanders against [th]e Kings best Subiects and Cales them Rebels

Left margin: 8 Lastly Behold the Slanders that are Layd One the Scots how they robe & take things from them without Pay when as they Pay very honestly

Oh now behold and Consider of this grate marcy of God in deliuering vs out of this grate misery and Causing Warr to Cease