Coventry August the 30th 1642
Noble Sir
as time permits I desire to acquaint you with the passages of my pilgramage my last unto you was from Coventry August the 26th which place is still our quarter a City invironed with a wall coequall if not excedinge that of London for breadth and height the compase of it is neare 3 miles all of free stone it hath 4 stronge gates stronge battlements stored with towers bulwarkes courts of guard and other nessessaries this City hath magnificent churches and stately streetes with in it ther are also severall sweete and pleasant springes of water built of freestone very large suffitient to supply many thousand men this City gates are guarded day and night with 400 armed men and no man entreth in or out but opon examination it is also very sweetly Cituate
Thursday august the 26th our soildiers pillaged a malignant fellowes house in this City and the Lord brooke immediately proclaimed that whosoever should for the future offend in that kind should have Martiall law this day commaund was given that all soildiers should attend their colors every morne by sixe of the clock to march into the feild to practise which is done accordingly
Fryday severall of our soildiers both horse and foote sallyed out of the City unto the Lord Dunsmores parke and brought from thence greate store of Venison which is as good as ever I tasted and ever since they make it their dayly practise so that venison is almost as common with us as beefe with you this day our horsemen sallyed out as their dayly custome is and brought in with them two Cavaleeres and with them an old base preist the parson of Sowe neare us and led him rediculously about the City unto the cheife Commaunders this day I againe meet with Davy your horseman and both horse and man are in good case
Saturday I met with your auntient maide servant Lydea with her father and her brethren who all wept for joy when they saw mee an officer in this Deseigne for the day wee marched into Coventry the Rebels had command to pillage Anstey the habitation of her father and Bromagam the place of her and her husbands dwellinge both which are but 3 miles from Coventry she hath bin maried 3 yeares and presents her service unto you and my mistris and your children her father invited mee and 20 of the cheife of my company to dinner at Anstey but time would not suffer us to accept it This day a whore which had followed our Campe from London was taken by the soildiers and first led about the City then set in the pillory after in the cage then duckt in a river and at the last banisht the City
Sunday morne the Lord of Essex his Chaplaine Master Kemme the Coopers sonne preched unto us and this was the first sermon we heard since wee came from Alisbury but before he had ended his first prayer newes was brought in to the Church unto our Commaunders that Noneaton some sixe miles from us was fired by the enemy and forthwith our Generall and severall Captaine issued forth but I and many others stayed untill sermon was ended after which wee were commaunded to march forth with all speede namely my Captaine with Captaine Beacon and Captaine Francis of our regiment and of other regiments in all to the number of 1000 foote and one troope of horse but before wee came at them they ran all away not havinge done much harme wherupon wee returned to Coventry againe with a commaund to be ready in armes by five in the morninge next upon paine of death our men are very corragious and that they may so continue wee desire accordinge to promise a supply of faithfull able ministers which wee excedingly want this morninge wee are marchinge forth to persue the rebels and that we may obtaine victory we againe desire your earnest and constant prayers Thus with my humble service to your selfe and my Mistris and also unto all Your Children and also my love to all my fellow servants whether with you or from you for the present in extreame hast I rest but not to remaine till death
Your humble Lovinge and thanckfull servant
Nehemiah Wharton
I pray present my most humble service unto Master Molloyne and Master William Willingham and my Aunt Master Hawkins Master Rudduck Master Kinsman Master Watson and the rest of my lovinge frends and acquaintance
I humbly intreate you favorably to accept these rude lines for I want time either to write or compose them in a more comely forme I earnestly desire to heare of the occurrences of London
To his much Honored Frend Master George Willingham at the Golden Anchor in Saint Swethins Lane Marchant