A True Relation of Prince Rvpert's Barbarous Cruelly against the Towne of Brumingham, to which place on Monday Apr. 3, 1643, he marcht with 2000 horse and foot, 4 Drakes, and 2 Sakers; where after two houres fight (being twice beaten off by the Townsmen, in all but 140 Musqueteers) he entered, put divers to the Sword, and burnt about 80 Houses to ashes, suffering no man to carry away his goods, or quench the fire, and making no difference between friend or foe; yet by God's providence the greatest losse fell on the malignants of the Town.
And of the Cavaliers were slaine divers chiefe Commanders, and men of great quality, amongst whom was the Earle of Denbigh, the Lord John Stewart: and as themselves report, the Lord Digby.
Sir,
Though I can write you but the same lamentation which I believe you have already heard, yet I cannot be silent to acquaint you of the truth as neere as I can; If Coventrey had sent us what helpe it might, I beleeve the enemy durst not have assaulted us, but in regard they had been in danger of cutting off by the way, in case they had been sent, I must excuse them, though it be to our owne suffering. We with the Captaines were sensible, that if the Cavaliers came, we were not likely to withstand them, they being neere 1500, and we not above 150 Musketiers, with a Troope of Horse of Captaine Greaves, which did no good but in their flight, as hereafter you will heare; but in regard the generall desire of the Towne, especially of those that bore Armes, would have them stand it out, and not march away with their Armes, as we might in time, and that both they, and the malignant would have reviled, and curst the Captaines and Majestrates of the Towne if they had left them, made the Captaines and better sort content to stay and trie the issue, rather then be so perpetually reproacht. And though the same fall hard on our side in loosing the Towne and some Armes, and about 80 Houses burnt to ashes, with all that therein was, and some fifteen men, and two women lost their lives, yet their gaine was nothing at all, yea, they count it greate losse and curse the time that ever they medled with us, for I believe they lost as many ordinary men as we, besides three men of great quality which they much lament, whereof two of them were Lords, as we have great cause to thinke, the one the Earle of Denby that's sure, the other Lord we something doubt of his name, but we heare by divers of the Cavaliers it is Digby, sure we are he is wounded; and it is as sure that some of their Collonels say it was a man of greater ranke, and more considerable then Denby; the other a chiefe Commander; Denby pursued Captaine Greaves Troope some two Miles out of Towne being at their heeles, before our Troope departed, "among whom I went away, and Captaine Greaves observing his Time betwixt two woods faced about, and charged the pursuers most valiantly as they themselves confesse, and drove them backe againe: in which charge Denby was slaine immediately, and the rest fled, and so we escaped with safety; onely Captaine Greaves received one shot in the face, and a cut in the Arme, but not mortall; in the pursuit of that troope God made a way for all our souldiers, saving some two or three, to escape most with their armes, which they threw away and hid in pits and ditches as they could, whereof the most, I thinke, the cavaleeres found not, and not one Captaine or Officer was hurt or taken prisoner, nor any considerable man, but most poore fellowes, and malignants, because they could meet with no better, and all are released saving two of the best, though of no great quality, some redeemed themselves for 2d. 12d. and 8d. apiece, and some one or two for 20s. Prince Rupert being enraged that he should take never a prisoner of so great a company, and of those not to raise 20/. when he himselfe had undergon so great a losse; and of those that were slaine [of our side were most poore malignants, some three young men of ordinary quality that bare Armes, and John Carter, and that in their flight; for but one was slaine,] and one lightly shot in the flesh; in the entrance for pillage they spared none, friend or foe they lighted of, yet for the most part those that did most against them escaped best, the same I may say of the fire, though they intended to burne the Towne utterly, as may be known by their laying lighted match, with powder, and other combustible matter at the other end, which fired in divers places, and divers was found out and prevented, so that we may truely say, that the flames, sword, pilledgers, but especially the prison, made a difference betwixt those that feared God, and those that fear him not.