I Have not time to write any large discourse , the news is not so good but you may heare enough of it ; yet rather then let you be abused with falacies , I will give you the summe of all briefly . After the taking the Ordnance from the Spanish ship , we carried them all safe to the Castle of Lancaster , within few dayes after the Earl of Darbie advanced towards us , all the Papists rising wholly with him . Our Major having notice of it , sent to Boulton and Manchester for relief for us : Mr. Ashton undertook the charge , and advanced as farre as Garston , and hearing that the Enemie fled upon his coming , he returned to Preston . Whereupon the Earl re-advanced towards us ; and after some two houres hard fight , with the great slaughter of our Enemie , ( for we could at several times see two or three of their Colours fall at once , and bodies lye on heaps ) they dispersed themselves among the hedges , and at the back of the houses , and set the Town on fire . This inforced our men to retire to the Castle ; whereupon the Enemie entred the Town , and killed man , woman , and children with all barbarous crueltie , dragging poore people from their houses , and cutting their throats with Butchers knives : they set fire round the Town and departed . We had no victuals in the Castle , the Well there was presently drunk drie : but we issued out again into the burned Town , took divers of the Enemies there remaining prisoners , and out of the store yet unburned , we victualled our selves for a good time . Thus we lay two or three houres , the Enemie encompassing us on all sides but ( we were without any feare of danger ) at last the Major Generall and Master Ashton came to relieve us , they drew all the strength of Preston and adjacent parts with them ; the Earl lying at Ellwell they drew to Cokeram , and so passed by him to us : the Earle who was no way able to have fought with them , took this opportunitie of the Town of Prestons weaknesse , and fell back upon it , and took it that night . Master Hopwood and Peter Shaw were there taken , and yet escaped again : I know not the losse there they received , I am sure it was over much ; at my going post I left my Armour , Clothes , and an hundred Muskets there , these are lost , I having nothing left . Vpon notice the Earl was marched towards Preston , Sargeant Major Sparrow , and Master Ashton followed him ; he had the Town before they came : and as we are certainly informed , all this crueltie arises from the Earle of Darbie , who hath taken all the great Papists into his Counsell , who before were not admitted , who have put him upon this cruell massacre , and all rise with him as one man , and if it be in their power will not leave a true Protestant in these parts . If God and good people do not look upon us , which God grant they may , this Countrey will be open for the Queene to passe with her forces , who hath alreadie sent 1100 to Shipton , toward Blagborne , being in haste I cannot inlarge : But rest ,