British Library, Additional MS 21935
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 & twenty
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
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
burdens of Ship mony: Bilitting of Solgers and now setting forth
their traine bands with a months pay in euery mans purse
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
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
end Proue various like the other. We exspect the Lords from
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
This Letter did Come Where I was at a priuat Fast at that time iu 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 year
and their is such Spoyle of ground thought that it is thought
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
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
Kings best Subiects and Cales them Rebels
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