PART I. Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. be the Common Soldiers. Two of the mat violent Sectaries in each Regiment are chofen by the Common Soldiers, by the Name of Agitators, to reprefent the rell in thefe great Affairs. All their together made a Council,ofwhich Col. f amei Berry was the Prelident, that they might be ufèd, ruled and diffolved at pleafire. No man that knew them will doubt whether this was done by Cramsbeli's and Íretm'i Direction. This Council of Agitators take not only the Parliaments Work upon themfelves, but much more : They draw up a Paper called The Agreement of she People, as the Model or Formof a New Commonwealth. They have their own Printer, and publilh abundance of wild Pamphlets, as changeable as the Moon; the thing contrived was an Heretical Democracy. When Cromwell had awhile permitted them thus to play themfelves, partly to pleafe them, and confirm Chet» to him, and chiefly toufe them in his demolifhing Work, at lair he feemeth to bd fo much for Order and Government , as to blame them for their Diforder, Pre fimption andHeadinefs, as if they bad done it without his Content. This em- boldeneth the Parliament (not to Carfare themas Rebels, but) torebuke them and prohibit them, and claimtheir own Superiority : And while the Parliament and the Agitatorsare contending, a Letter is fecretly fent to Col. Whalley, to intimate thatthe Agitators bad a defign fuddenly to furprtze and murder the King.. Some think that thiswas fent from a real Friend ; but molt think it was contrived by Cromwell to affright the King out of the Land, or into fome.defp% ce Courlé which might give them Advantage againit him. Collonel Whalley fheweth the Letter to the King, which pit him into much fear of Leh ill'governed Hands: fo that he fecretly got Horfes and fliptaway towards the Sea with twoof his Con- ' fidents only ; who coming to theSea near Southampton, fount] that they were dif- appointed of theVeffel expasted to tranfport them ì and fo were fain to pafs over into the Ifle of Wight, and there to commit his Malefty to the Truft of Collonel. Robert Hammond who was Governor of a Caille there : A Day or two all were amazed to think what was become of the King ; and then a Letterfrom the King to the Houle acquainted them that he wasfain to fly thither from the Cruelty of the Agitators, who, as he wasinformed thought to murder him;, and urging them to treat aboutthe ending all thefe Troubles. But here Cromwell had theKing in a Pinfold, and was more fecureof him thanbefore. g 90. TheParliament and the Scots, and all that were loyal and foberminded abhorred thefe traiterous Proceedings of Cromwell and the leáarian Army; but law it a Matter of great difficulty to refill them : but the Confcience of theirOath of Allegiance and Covenant, told them that they were bound to hazard their Lives in the attempt. The three.Commanders for the Parliament in'Pembrook{birerailed anArmy againff them, viz. Major General Longhorn, Collonel Powel, and Collonel Poyer : The. Scott railed a great Army under the Command of the Duke of Hamilton: The Kentifh Men rote under theCommand of the Lord Goring and.others ; and theEf -. fen Men under Sir Charles Lucas: But God's time was not come, and the Spirit of Pride and Sthilin mull be known to the Worldby its EffeEts, Duke Hamilton's Army was early routed in Laneaflrire, and he taken, and the fcattered Parts pur- fued till they came to nothing : Langborn with the Pembrookfhire Men was totally routed by Collonel Horton, and all the chief Commanders being taken Prifoners, it fell to Collonel Poyer's Lot to be fhm to Death : The Kentifh Men were drivenout of Kent into EQéx, being foiled at Maidflone r And in Colche/ler they endured a longand grievous Siege, and yielding at fall, SirCharles Lucas, and another or two were fhot to Death, and thus all the Succors of the King were defeated. g 9 r. Never to this time, when Cromwell had taught his Agitators to govern, andcould noteafily unteach it them again, there arofe a :arty who adhered to the Principles of their [agreement of the People] which fuiteci not with his Deligns And to make them odious he denominated themLevellers, as ifthey intended to level Menof all .Qualities and Eflates ; while he difcountenanced them, he difcon- tented them ; and being dilcontented, they endeavoured to difcontent the Army; and at lair appointed a Randezvouz at Burford to make Head againft him. But. Cromwell ( whole Diligence and Difpatch was a great Caleof his Succeffes) had prefently his Brother Desborough, and force other Regiments ready to .furprife them there in their Quarters, before they could get their Numbers together : So that about r çoo being fcattered and taken, and force (lain, the Levellers War was crate in the Egg, and Tbompfon ( one of Captain Pitchford's Corporals aforemen- tioned) who became their chief Leader, was purfued near Wielingborougb in Nortbamptonfhire, and there flain while he defendedhitnfp1L Sgt. Ar
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