Strange, true, and lamentable NEWS FROM EXETER, And other parts of the Western countries showing how cruelly the resolute Cavaliers have dealt with the inhabitants since the departure of that Right Noble Commander the Earl of Stamford Now Sir john Berkly is chief Governor of Exeter placed there by His Majesty, Testified under the hand of William Warren Citizen of London living in Thread Needle street, an eye witness thereof.  
Devonshire.  
Have pity upon me, Have pity upon me O my friends, for the hand of God hath touched me  job 19, verse 2●.  figurative representation of the biblical passage alluded to in this illustration, composed of a kneeling woman begging for mercy 
Octob: 11th LONDON Printed by John Hammond Anno. Dom. 1643.   

The tyranny of the Cavaliers to the inhabitants of the City of Exeter.  
Exeter, that famous City in the West having most nobly for the space of 3 months defended themselves against the proud enemy, who had so strongly beleaguered the said City of Exeter, that the inhabitants thereof, could neither have relief brought them, by land or water, though many times they sallied forth against their foes, and manfully combated with them; the Enemy being at the least, eight men for one, having also continual supplies of Victual, and Ammunition sent them from the Cornish Cavaliers and divers other places, the Citizens together with the consent of that noble Commander the Earl of Stamford being in great distress for want of relief, and Ammunition, having first made an agreement with Prince Maurice upon several Articles, whereby to prevent the resolute Cavaliers from plundering and pillaging their houses; the Articles agreed upon I could here relate, but that I have greater mats to insist upon, and besides there hath been something already Prinred concerning the said Articles, which were agreed upon between Prince Maurice and them that were in the City of Exeter: now therefore I hold it a fit and convenient thing to relate unto you the cruel and unlawful deal of the Cavaliers, after they had entered into the City.  
When by all that reads or hears this book read, may the better understand how fare the destroying Enemies are from keepinging their promises, and how little conscience they make of their ways: for it is too well known in all the Western part●, that they which are called Prince rupert's and Prince Maurice his Cavaliers are most of them addicted to such cruelties, that they show themselves more like Tigers, or savage Beare●, then humane men, and so they may gain wealth they care not who they have it from, nor how they come by it; as shall appear in this following discourse wherein shall be expressed nothing but what I the Author of this News was an eye witness of, and will maintain it against all objections.  
The Cavaliers having entered the forenamed City of Exeter used the people most cruelly and did all the violence they could do to them, only sparing their lives; whereby we may perceive how fare they are from keeping their promises which they make.  
The rude Soldiers would not forbear upon the least discontent given to them to draw their Rapiers upon the Citizens, and wound them, but especially when they are in their cups, they swagger roar, swear, and domineer, plundering, pillaging, or doing any other kind of wrong; to break shops and houses, they count it as nothing, taking away Boots, Sho●●●, Stockings, Hats, or any other commodities they can lay their hands on, and no justice dares to resist them, and by this means the City is in such a miserable condition th●t they are even terrified to the death.  
The Magistrates of the City are fined at extraordinary rates, and when they have paid what the Cavaliers demand, they will force them as they do in other places to repay it again.  
Sir John Berkly by His Majesty's authority was made Governor of the City of Exeter, who is a member of such vile disposition that he favours their wicked designs, whereby they become the more audacious: I being a native in that country am in a very sad, and sorrowful condition for my friends and neighbours who are Devonshire men born and bred. O that I could weep tears of blood for them which by treachery are brought to everlasting slavery.  
I grieve the more because I cannot pour forth floods of tears for them. That perfidious Chudley, who not only lost his opportunity of Medbury, and taking of Sir Nicholas Sla●i●g. and the rest of his followers, which by humane reason would have made the Cornish Cavaliers never to have entered into Devonshire more, but like a double minded wretch, he did not only join with the enemy, but also betrayed us into their hands at Stratten, for which piece of Service he was made a Commander amongst the Cavaliers furthermore to manifest hi● treacherous heart against u● he with his Rapier wounded Captain Turpine when he was taken prisoner at Topsham; also an unconstan member whose name is Sir Thomas Heel was by the means of Sir Ralph Hopton made Governor of Tavestock, which lies between Cornwall and Devonshire, where he kept continual Garrison; but on Wednesday September the nineteenth, Prince Maurice came from Exeter with 1030 Soldiers, with their Carriages, and Wagons, and lay in Totnis, which is seven miles from Dartmouth, at which place met him five hundred Soldiers more, both Horse and Foot which came from Tarrington, and so with full resolution they went to besiege Dartmouth, and to that purpose sent five hundred Dragoneers to Salcome to stop the passages of any provision coming thither; also they seized on all their Boats, Barks and Horse, whereby to withhold provision from them; but the men of Dartmouth behaved themselves so bravely, that they found a piece of hot Service therein.  
I do wish that Bastable, Bediford, and Apledore, with Grington, had been of the like resolution as the Dartmouth men were of than had it been more honour for them, than now it is: and they might have avoided the slavery which now they endure, for Dartmouth men have to my knowledge sworn to fight it out to the last man, rather than they will endure such thraldom as Exeter and other places do now ensure, and if the Cavaliers enter there, it shall be by the Sword, and yet if they get it that way, it shall do them but little good, neither shall they long enjoy the town, for why the Seamen have vowed to bring their ships into the Harbour, and to take in the best and the most part of the Towns men's goods.  
The better to manifest the inhumanity of rhese barbarous Cavaliers Gloucester and Cicester by woeful experience can testify.  
Cicester in Glocestershire having three several times manfully withstood the furious assaults of the Cavaliers, was at last taken by them, where they used such tyranny that I verily believe, Pagans and Heathens would not have done the like in their own countries, for after they had entered the Town by force, they slew all the men that stood in opposition, and those that kindly laid down their Arms to them and yielded, they like unkind usurpers carried them away to Oxford Prison, where never men endured more misery, this being done they plundered the Town of Gold, Silver, brass, Household stuff, Pewier and Lodging, so that from the richest to the poorest, they were all undone, insomuch that neither rich, nor poor, old, nor young, friend nor foe escaped their fury: having acted their inhuman parts at Cicester, not long after they laid strong siege against Bristol, threatening the Citizens, that if they would not surrender up the same, they would use all the extremity they could devise to ruin and slaughter the people, and that they would not leave one man unstain that sought to prevent it and keep them out of the City; notwithstanding the Magistrates and Governor of the City of Bristol oftentimes gave them battle, & most valiantly repulsed them which when the Cavaliers Commanders perceived, that by foul means they could not prevail, they changed their Satirical language into another speech, and became as men which had altered their minds, sending a messenger into the City which told them if they would surrender it up by fair me●n●s, they should have fair quarter, and that never a man in the City should have one pennyworth of wrong, only 50000 pound to be given them for composition; and all their Soldiers to be new apparelled, which indeed had much need, for I think there were never so many tattarty mallions seen in Bristol before: but having entered the City, the best meat, the choicest wine and cleanest lodging seemed not good enough to please these tattared Cavaliers, who before wanted all things.  
They went in to some Cellars where was plenty of wine, and beer, drank what their gormandising guts would hold, and let the rest run about the house, with many other antique tricks that they used, which I cannot omit to speak of: moreover they break the Covenant which was made in every respect, the very first hour that they entered the City and fell to plundering, pillaging, robbing, stealing, cutting and slashing, as if they never had been brought up to any other practice; so that now they that gave them entrance into the City do sorely repent the barg●an: but now am I constrained to break off my discourse of Bristol, which might very well serve to fill up a large volume, if I should relate the misery, and slavery that some of the people now remain in which before used all the means they could to entertain the Cavaliers into the City of Bristol.  
Which barbarous usage will gain them nothing but hatred and contempt, and I hope in the conclusion their cruelty will fall upon their own heads, and in the snare which they have set for others shall they themselves be taken.  
We need not go fare to prove the cruelty of these ravening wolves; for no further than Hartly Row they took divers poor people and put them into a Pond stark naked, up to the knees in dirt, all a vehement cold night, and drove them the next morning before them, calling them Round-headed Citizens, Parliawent Rogues, and Parliament dogs: they likewise took divers poor horest men, who because they said they were for King and Parliament, they most inhumanely cut off their ears, and gave them besides thirty wounds apiece; and not content with this butchery took them, and threw them on a dunghill, with these most unchristian scoffs, saying let the dogs lick them. They took divers others flying from them, and fastened cords to their f●et, and dragged them up and down the streets, and when they were weary in sporting themselves after this savage manner, they discharged every man three Pistols apiece at them saying, let us trouble ourselves no more with these dogs, and so discharged them of their torments and l●ves together.  
These cruel inhuman beasts in the likeness of men kill cattles great with young. Likewise when they come where provision is, they feed their Horses with Wheat, trampling more under their feet, than they eat.   
FINIS.  

This Book is Printed according to Order.   

 depiction of a man tied to a post and beign flogged, presumably to illustrate the cruelty of the Cavaliers to the inhabitants of the western counties