: the indirect practices of some malicious and These were Ireton, Fleetwood, IIarrison, with many other officers in the army, who were about this time elected into the house of comnons, in the room of such as were dead, or ad been expelled for adhering to the king; whereby they most effectually set aside their Self-denying Ordinance, and soon after gained majority against the Presbyterian party in Parliament. sudden disbanding the army by pieces; which resolutions being taken, and to be executed before full and equal satisfaction be given to the whole army in any of the grievances; before effectual performance of that satisfaction in part, which the preceding votes seemed to promise, as to some of the grievances; and before any consideration at all of some others most material; (as by the results of a general Council of War on Saturday, May 29, was in general declared, and is now more fully remon strated in particulars, by a Representation thereof agreed upon by us all) we cannot but look upon the said resolutions of disbanding us in such manner, as proceeding from the same malicious and mischievous principles and intentions, and from the like indirect practices of the same persons, abusing the parliament and us, as the former proceedings against us beforementioned did; and not without cruel and bloody purposes, (as some of them have not stuck to declare or intimate) after the body of the army should be disbanded, or the soldiers divided from their officers; then to question, proceed against, and execute their malicious intentions upon, all such particular officers and soldiers in the army, as had appeared to act in the premises in behalf of the army:And whereas, upon a late Petition to the General from the Agitators in behalf of the soldiery, grounded upon the preceding considerations, relating to the said Resolutions of disbanding, the said general council of war (to prevent the danger and inconveniences of these disturbances, or tumultuous actings or confluences, which the dissatisfactions and jealousies, thereupon also grounded, were like suddenly to have produced in the army) did advise the general first to contract the quarters of the army, and then to draw the same to an orderly rendezvous for satisfaction of all; and that his excellency would immediately send up to move and desire the parliament to suspend any present proceedings upon the said resolutions of disbanding, to resume the consideration of the grievances and desires scat up from the army, and not to disband it in pieces before just and equal satisfaction given to the whole-And whereas some of the regiments appointed for disbanding, upon notice thereof have withdrawn themselves from their quarters adjacent to their appointed rendezvous and drawing towards the head-quarters; and the rest contracted their quarters by order, according to the said advice of the council of war: we, the officers and soldiers of the several regiments, hereafter named, are now met at a general rendezvous; and the regiments appointed as aforesaid to be disbanded have not appeared, nor can appear; but are rather resolved not to appear at the seal and respective rendezvous, appointed as aforesaid for their disbanding and divers other things have been done by several other parties or members of the army, neces sarily relating to the good and concernment of the whole in these affairs.-Now, forasinuch as we know not how far the unalice, injustice, and tyrannical principles of our enemies, that have already prevailed so far to abuse the parliament and army, as is aforementioned in the past proceedings against the army, may farther prevail to the danger or prejudice of ourselves, or any officers or soldiers of the army, or other persons that have appeared to act any thing in the behalf of the army; or how far the same may farther prevail to the danger or prejudice of the kingdom, in raising a new war or otherwise: therefore, for the better prevention of all such dangers, prejudices, or other inconveniences that may ensue; and withal for the better satisfaction of the parliament and kingdom concerning our desires of conforming to the authority of the one, and providing for the good and quiet of the other, in the present affair of disbanding; and for a more assured way whereby that affair may come to a certain issue, (to which purposes we herein humbly implore the continued presence and assistance of God, the righteous judge of all) the officers and soldiers of the army subscribing hereunto, do hereby declare, agree, and promise, to and with each other, and to and with the parliament and kingdom, as followeth :-First, That we shall chearfully and readily disband, when thereunto required by the parliament; or else shall many of us be willing, if desired, to engage in further services either in England or Ireland; having first such satisfaction to the army, in relation to our Grievances and Desires heretofore presented, and such security that we ourselves, when disbanded and in the condition of private men, or other the free-born people of England (to whom the consequence of our case does equally extend) shall not remain subject to the like oppression, injury, or abuse, as in the premises hath been attempted, and put upon us while an army, by the same men's continuance in the same credit and power (especially if as our judges) who have in these past proceedings against the army so far prevailed to abuse the parliament and us, and to endanger the kingdom; and also such security, that we ourselves, or any members of the army, or others who have appeared to act any thing in behalf of the army, in relation to the premises before recited, shall not, after disbanding, be any way questioned, prosecuted, troubled, or prejudiced, for any thing so acted, or for the entering into, or necessary prosecution of, this present agree ment: We say, having first such satisfaction and securities in these things, as shall be agreed unto by a council, to consist of those general officers of the army, who have concurred with the army in the premises, with two commission-officers and two soldiers to be chosen for each regiment, who have concurred, or shall concur, with us in the premises and in this agreement; or by the major part of such of them who shall meet in Council for that purpose, when they shall be thereunto called by the general. Secondly, That without such satisfaction and security as aforesaid, we shall not willingly disband or divide, or suffer ourselves to be disbanded or divided. And whereas we also find many strange things suggested, or suspected, to our great prejudice, concerning dangerous principles, interests, and designs i this army; (as overthrowing of magistracy, the suppressing or hindering of Presbyter Government and establishing of Independent, or upholding of a general licentiousness under pretence of liberty of conscience, and many such things) we shall very shortly tender to the parliament a vindication of the army from all such scandals, to clear our principles in relation thereunto: and, in the mean time, we do dis avow and disclaim all purpose or designs, in our late or present proceedings, to advance or insist upon any such interest; neither would we, if we might and could, advance e set up any one particular party or interest a the kingdom, though imagined never so much our own; but should much rather study to provide, as far as may be within our sphere a power, for such an establishment of comme and equal right, freedom, and safety to the whole, as all might equally partake of, that do not (by denying the same to others, & otherwise) render themselves incapable there of." A Letter from General Fairfax and the Army to the City of London.] June 11, p. m. deputation from the City waited on the m houses, and presented them with the following copy of a Letter they had received from General and principal Officers of the Army, with their Desires thereupon; which we gi from the Lords Journals: To the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, Alder men and Common-Council of the Cay of London. "Right Hon. and worthy Friends; Having by our Letters and other Addresses presented by our General to the honourable house commons, endeavoured to give satisfaction the clearness of our just Demands; and als in Papers published by us remonstrated the Grounds of our Proceedings in prosecution thereof; all which having been exposed to public view, we are confident have come your hands, and at least received a charitable construction from you: the sum of all which our Desires as Soldiers, are no other than desire of satisfaction to our demands as soldiers, and reparation upon those who have, the utmost, improved all opportunities and advantages, by false suggestions, misrepresenta tions, and otherwise for the destruction of the army, with a perpetual blot of ignominy up it; which we should not value, if it singly c cerned our own particulars, being ready deny ourselves in this, as we have done in other cases for the kingdom's good; but, under this pretence, finding no less involved in it th the overthrow of the privileges both of parisment and people; wherein, rather that they shall fail in their designs, or we not receive a the eyes of all good men what is just, do e deavour to engage the kingdom in a new war and this singly by them who, when the truth assurance, that if you appear not against us in these our just desires, to assist that wicked party that would embroil us and the kingdom, neither we nor our soldiers shall give you the least offence: we come not to do any act to prejudice the being of parliaments, or to the hurt of this, in order to the present settlement of the kingdom: we seek the good of all, and we shall here wait, or remove to a farther distance there to abide, if once we be assured that a speedy settlement of things be in hand, until they be accomplished; which done, we shall be most ready, either all of us, or so many of the army as the parliament think rit, to disband or go for Ireland and although you may suppose that a rich city may seen an enticing bait to poor hungry soldiers to venture far to gain the wealth thereof; yet, if not provoked by you, we do profess, rather than any such evil should fall out, the soldiers shall make their way through our blood to effect it: and we can say this for most of them, for your better assurance, that they so little value their pay in comparison of higher concernments to a public good, that rather than they will be unrighted in the matter of their honesty and integrity, which hath suffered by the men they aim at, and desire justice upon; or want the settlement of the kingdom's Peace and theirs, with their fellow-subjects Liberties, they will lose all: this may be a strong assurance to you that it is not your wealth they seek, but the things tending in common to your and their welfare, that they would attain: you shall do like fellow-subjects and brethren, if that you solicit the parliament for them on their behalf. fthese things shall be made appear, will be bund the authors of those evils that are feared, shaving no other way to protect themselves om question and punishment, but by putting he kingdom into blood, under pretences of the onour of, and their love to, the parliament; if that were dearer to them than us; or as they had given greater proof of their faithlness to it than we. But we perceive that, nder these veils and pretences, they seek to aterest their design in the city of London, as that city ought to make good their miscariages, and should prefer a few self-secking en before the welfare of the public; and in leed we have found these men so active to ccomplish their designs, and to have such apt nstruments for their turn in that city, that we ave cause to suspect they may engage many herein, upon mistakes which are easily swalowed in times of such prejudices against those hat have given (we speak it without vanity) he most public testimony of their good affecions to the public, and to that city in partiular.--For the thing we insist upon as Englishnen, and surely our being soldiers hath not tript us of that interest, although our maliious enemies would have it so we desire a Settlement of the Peace of the kingdom, and of the Liberties of the subject, according to he Votes and Declarations of parliament; which, before we took up arms, were, by the parliament, used as arguments and inducements to invite us and divers of our dear friends out; some of which have lost their lives in this war; which being, by God's blessing finished, we think we have as much right to demand, and desire to see, a happy settlement, as we have to our money and the other common interest of soldiers, which we have insisted upon. We find also the ingenuous and honest people, in almost all the parts of the kingdom where we come, full of the sense of ruin and misery, if the army should be disbanded before the peace of the kingdom, and those other things before-mentioned, have a full and perfect settlement.-We have said before, and profess it now, we desire no Alteration of the Civil Government. We desire not to intermeddle with, or in the least to interrupt, the| settling of the Presbyterian Government; ner do we seek to open a way to licentious Liberty, under pretence of obtaining ease for tender consciences. We profess, as ever, in these The DESIRES of the City of London in Conthings, when the State have once made a setsequence of the foregoing Letter. Com mune Council. tent. in Camera Guild. tlement, we have nothing to say but to submit or suffer; only we could wish that every good Civit. London 11 Die Junii, 1647. citizen, and every man that walks peticeably "Forasmuch as this Court of Cominon in a blameless conversation, and is beneficial Council hath received a Letter, bearing date to the commonwealth, may have liberty and the 10th of this instant June, subscribed by encouragement, it being according to the just his Excellency sir Tho. Fairfax, and other compolicy of all states, and even to justice itself.manders of the Army, signifying, for reasons These, in brief, are our Desires and the things for which we stand, beyond which we shall not go; and for the obtaining of these things we are drawing near your city; professing sincerely from our hearts we intend no evil towards you; declaring with all confidence and VOL. III. If after all this ́ you, or a considerable part of you, be seduced to take up arms in opposition to, or hinderance of, these our just undertakings, we hope, by this brotherly premonition, to the sincerity whereof we call God to witness, we have freed ourselves from all that ruin which may befal your great and populous city, having hereby washed our hands thereof We rest your affectionate friends to serve you, THOMAS FAIRFAX, OLIVER CROMWELL, ROB. HAMMOND, THO. HAMMOND, HARDRE'S WALLER, NATH. RICH, Tho. Pride, HENRY IRETON, ROBERT LILBURNE, JOHN DEsborough, Tuo. RAINSBOROUGH, JOHN LAMBERT, THO. HARRISON. Royston, June 10, 1617.” therem expressed, the drawing the army near the city; the which, in this dear time, hay occasion great scarcity of provisions therein; which we hope is not the meaning, nor will be the matter of contentment to the said army for prevention of which this court doth humbly 2 R pray, if it may seem good to the hon. houses, to send to his excellency the general not to quarter the Army, nor any part thereof, within 25 miles of this city, hoping there shall be no just cause given them to do otherwise; and that it may please the houses to give to this court such further directions in this weighty business as, in their grave wisdoms, shall seem meet." The Parliament require the General not to advance within 40 Miles of London.] After reading the foregoing Letter from the general to the lord mayor, and the city's Desires thereupon, in the house of lords, the messengers that presented them were called in again, and the Speaker gave them this Answer:-" That the lords receive daily expressions of the fidelity of the city of London, for which their lordships return them thanks; and will speedily send a Letter to sir Tho. Fairfax, not to quarter the Army within 30 miles of the city; and their lordships will speedily give them advice in relation to the whole business." But afterwards, at the desire of the commons, the distance was extended to 40 miles; and both houses agreed to send the following Letter accordingly to sir Tho. Fairfax, signed by their respective Speakers: "Sir; The houses having this day received information from their commissioners, of the advance of the Army near the city of London, thereby threatening danger to the parliament and city; they have commanded us, in their names, to require you so to dispose your motions and quarters, that no part of the army may quarter within 40 miles of London; that so the dangerous consequences, which may arise by a fact so highly prejudicial to the kingdom, may be timely prevented. We rest, &c." Petition from the Counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, to the General, against disbanding the Army.] June 12. A Letter from the earl of Nottingham, at Royston, was read, with some Papers inclosed: For the Right Hon. the Earl of MANCHESTER, Speaker of the House of Peers. "My lord; Since the resolution taken by this committee last night, to send two of our number to London, we do find that every hour | doth administer unto us fresh occasion of address unto you. This morning we having been to hear a sermon at Royston, where the general and his officers were, we did observe, upon our return home, many persons, ministers and others, about 100 in number, on horseback, styling themselves the peaceable and well-affected Inhabitants of the county of Norfolk; who, meeting the General in the street, one of the said persons, in the name of all the rest, presented a Petition to him, after some time spent in a speech to his excellency. This morning, also, information came unto us that, the last night a Letter was sent to the city of London, signed by the General and divers of the chief officers, declaring the intentions of the Army to come unto the city; which, so soon as we had notice of, and were able to re cover copies of them, it was the resolution of this committee that both houses should be acquainted therewith; and I have accordingly here inclosed sent the copies of them. The printed copies of the Votes and Resolutions of both Houses, sent down unto us, we shall codeavour to see distributed, the best we can, to the several regiments; though we find them to go off but slowly. Your, &c. C. Notting ham. Royston, June 11." The Letter from the Army to the City, mentioned in the above, we have already given: the Petition was in these words: To his Excellency sir THO. FAIRfas, Kut Captain-General of the Parliament's Forces: The HUMBLE PETITION of the peaceable and well-affected Inhabitants of the Counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, together with the City and County of Norwich, earnestly endesvouring after the Prosperity of the Parliament and the Peace of the king dom; "Sheweth, That whereas your excellency has been appointed commander in chief over those free commons of England, that hara been invited by the parliament to stand up defence of themselves and fellow subjects in time of imminent danger, against all arbitrary government, tyranny, and oppression; and that the parliament has, by divers Declarations, Remonstrances, and Protestations, engaged themselves, both to God and the kingdom, to endeavour to the utmost to maintain the antient government of this kingdom, and to pr serve the Rights and Liberties of the subjects, and to lay hold of the first opportunity of pro curing a safe and well-grounded Peace; notwithstanding all which, there is now an appear ance of a most horrrid design to ruin the native Liberties of the subject whereby discontents are fomented in the hearts of the people, and the kingdom like to be divided into factions, to the imminent danger of embroiling us yet again in blood: and from the policy of the com plotters of this design, we humbly conceive, have already proceeded those sad obstructions of our free Addresses to the parliament, in re presenting our Grievances and making humble offers to their wisdom of just remedies; which have imposed this necessity upon us humbly to implore your excellency's assistance to mediate with the parliament, in the behalf of us and al the free commons of England, for the speedy and peaceable establishment of those our native liberties, which have now cost the kingdom such vast expence of blood and treasure: that all obstructions that lay in the way to hinder the Addresses of the free subjects of England to the parliament, in representing their Grie vances, fears, doubts, and jealousies, as also offers of remedy, might be so speedily re moved, as that a firm peace and union might be yet again enjoyed in our distracted king dom, according to the intentions of the parlia ment, the frequently declared engagements of the army, and the ardent expectation of all the well-affected of the kingdom. And your petiHoners shall ever pray.” This Petition was subscribed by about 1400 the inhabitants. After reading the foregoing Petition, the ords ordered that a Letter should be written the commissioners, to let them signify to the Army that the parliament is in a way of ettling the Peace of the kingdom; and that it is desired they should declare what the great design mentioned therein is, with the particuars of the matters and persons, else they must take it as a reflection upon the whole house. The Speaker was ordered to draw up a Letter this purpose, and report it to the house. They also resolved that all the lords shall be served with an order to attend on Monday the 14th instant, about the great affairs of the kingdom; and all such who have had leave to be absent to be recalled. Sir Tho. Fairfax's Letter, advising that the Army is marching to St. Alban's.] June 12. p.m. A Letter from sir Tho. Fairfax was read, addressed to the earl of Mancester, Speaker of the house of peers. Sir Tho. Fairfax sends to the Parliament Petitions from several Counties in favour of the Army.] June 13. Being Sunday, both houses sat again to do business; when another Letter from sir Tho. Fairfax, addressed to the Speaker of the house of peers, was read, with two Petitions inclosed; the one from Norfolk, the other from Essex, to mediate with the parliament for settling of Peace: "My lord; St. Albans, June 12, 1647. Having had these inclosed Petitions, in the names of the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, directed and delivered to me by the hand of several inhabitants of the said counties, together with their desire, through my mediation, to have their Grievances contained therein humbly presented to the honourable houses of parliament; I assured them that I would, with all convenient speed, make them known unto you, and also use my uttermost endeavours for the speedy obtaining their just requests; and therefore, conceiving it my duty, I thought fit to tender them to your lordships; not doubting but that, according to the encourage. ment I have given them, you will please to consider and redress them therein as speedily as your other affairs will permit. I remain &c. T. FAIRFAX. St. Albans, June 12." The Petition from Essex, herein mentioned, we omit, because that from Norfolk and Suffolk, given before, is of the same tenor; as were several more from different counties, all praying sir Tho. Fairfax not to disbanded the Army till the general Grievances should be rcdressed.* "My lord; The letter from both houses, concerning the disposing of quarters of the Army, so as no part may be within 40 miles of London, I received but this morning between 9 and 10 o'clock: the Orders for removing to new quarters about St. Alban's were given out yesterday, without any appointment of rendezvous for this day, so as the several regiments are already upon their march, in several ways, from their last quarters to their new, and it is not now possible to stop them. The quarters June 15. On notice of a nearer approach now asigned, the nearest to London, are 20 miles of the Army, the commons sent to desire the distant; and of the reasons pressing me to this Committee of the Militia of London to double motion, besides what my last letter to yourself their guards about the houses, to prevent any does express, I have given the commissioners interruption or disturbance. Ordered, also, here a further account, to which I refer you, That halberts, half-pikes, and other arms, be since now the disposing of the quarters cannot brought into the outward rooms forthwith, as at present be otherwise. I shall, for the bet-if they expected an immediate storm. ter ordering of the Army, be this night at St. Albans, appointed before for the head quarters; where I shall wait your further resolutions ou Monday. I shall, by the next, give your lordship an account of several Petitions I have received from some counties. I remain Your &c. THO. FAIRFAX," The Parliament resolve that the King le brought to Richmond] June 15. p. m. The commons sent up the following Votes for the lords concurrence, in relation to the Removal of the King; which were agreed to, and ordered to be sent to sir Tho. Fairfax; viz. "Ordered, That the General be required to deliver up the Person of the King to such persons a both houses shall appoint; to be placed at Richmond under such a guard, and in such manner, as they think fit; to the intent that the Propositions agreed upon by both king. doms may be speedily presented to his majes the shops were also shut up, but in a day or two opened again, and all things were quiet in the city." * Mr. Whitlocke here observes, "That it was strange to see how several counties, with the citizens of London, began to make all their ap plication to the General and Army, omitting the parliament; all looked upon the Army in the chief place, and were afraid of doing any thing contrary to them." |