A Copy of a Letter ſent from a Gen­tleman in Carisbrooke Caſtle to an Honourable perſon at Weſtminſter.

I Received yours of the 15^th. and re­turne you all thankes for your Intel­ligence, which imports the haſtning, if not the precipitation of a Treaty, to which I wiſhes good an end as is ex­pected from it by the common voyce of the Peo­ple, who being not the beſt Judges of things, haſtily embrace and declare, and countenance that which firſt makes it ſelfe obvious and pleaſing to the fancy.

But indeed Sir, (for you are one with whom I dare bee free) Men of the moſt honeſty and judge­ment can by no meanes give way to any ſuch ex­pectation, but rather conceive, nay feare that the4 drift of a Perſonall Treaty, is one of the deſignes of the olde Serpent among us, and that which if obtained, is meerely to put the KING in a capacity to Ast for Himſelfe; or in caſe that faile, to make way for His eſcape. And verily Sir, if you thoroughly conſider it, the former is not wholly free from Iealouſie. Eor if you pleaſe to remember a part of one of the KINGS Letters which Hee intended to have ſent into Scotland by Haliburton: Hee there deſires Duke Hamilton to PROMOTE the buſineſſe for a PERSO­NALL TREATY as faſt as Hee can, and when that is done Hee will play His part Himſelfe.

Now I beſeech you Sir, if the KING really intended a Treaty, and a faire correſpondency with His People, what needed all theſe packings and ſhufflings, and why may Hee not Fairely and Ho­nourably comply with His PARLIAMENT without any further Deluſions. Not to ſay any thing of the Bragges of many of His owne Party (who pretend to be deepely acquainted with His Intereſt) that that is the beſt and hopefulleſt Pro­ject that ever they had, and that which hath alſo thriven the beſt. Nay they ſticke not to ſay that if they once come to a Treaty, they have done the3 Buſineſſe, and that They will never bee able to looke him in the face, as who ſhould ſay, ſtanding for our Lawes and Liberties, was ſo great and unpardonable an errour.

But indeed we have juſtly cauſe to feare an Eſcape; For not to mention the olde At­tempt, the Engines whereof ſhould have beene thoſe baſe and unworthy fellowes, Osborn and Dowcet, who thought by the falſe tranſlation of the guilt to another, to have becom'd innocent. It is alſo knowne how Aſhburnham and Legge lurked in ſecret pla­ces near the Iſle, & were once taken, which doubtleſſe was not without ſome expecta­tion of a Deſigne, which now ſeemes to bee more fairely carried on; For theſe very per­ſons Hee demands for Attendants, as alſo Titus and Firebrace, men as experimented in theſe occaſions, and ſuch as hee was, by no meanes forced to nominate, ſince he might have had the choyſe of many other more unblemiſh'd and unſpotted reputations. Nay among theſe there may be Dowcet too, an Alien noted with breach of Truſt, and one4 that was ſo neerely concern'd in his former intended Eſcape.

And truly 'tis a wonder that Dowcet (one whom hee had formerly ſo much truſted) was not ſummon'd to this employment: But I wonder what the King meanes by ſending for ſo many riding ſuits, and ſo many horſes ſent to him, unleſſe thete were ſtrong hints of ſuch a Deſigne. But they will object that He hath paſs'd. His Royall word not to depart within twenty dayes after the Treaty: But I pray why may not Hee doe here as He did at Hampton-Court, ſlip away, or elſe make a pretence of a new Deſigne upon Him, as that was fain'd about Rolph, when He was to eſcape from the Iſle of Wight. But me­thinks all true Engliſh-men ſhould take heed of being lull'd with this Plot; For otherwiſe why ſhould the Malignants have driven at it all this time? which may argue there is a dee­per plot in it then we yet know, or elſe it is to make the Parliament odious, in caſe that His Majeſtie be ſtubborne and breake off the Treaty, and all that odium be caſt on the5 Parliament, and new Tumults be prepared a­gainſt next Summer, as they may well ex­pect them, if they continue this indiſcreet lenity they have formerly uſed. But 'tis ho­ped they will now grow ſomewhat wifer, for by that wholſome ſeverity exerciſed up­on Lucas and Liſle, the Parliament begin to declare, that they will make uſe of their juſtice as well as their mercy. I deſire you Sir remember my buſineſſe concerning &c. For at this preſſing opportunity ſpeed is ve­ry needfull. I kiſt the hands of your ſweete Lady, to whom with your ſelfe I wiſh the conſummation of your owne wiſhes, and reſt,