The laſt NEWES From COULCHESTER.

ACcording to my promiſe, I ſhall continue to give you the certain intelligence from hence: in my laſt I acquainted you of the Enemies quitting Sir Harbottle Grimſtons houſe and of our firing the Court of Guard by the Almshouſes, which was on Tueſday laſt. On Wedneſday the enemy lay very ſtill in the town, the Suffolk Forces went on to intrench and put themſelvs as faſt as they could out of danger, ſome of the Lord Generals horſe and foot do aſſiſt them for that it is thought thoſe in the town will rather fal up­on their quarters then of the old ſouldiers; and by this means wee hold a good correſpondency together, and keep the enemy in awe, they having made but one fally forth that way as yet, and then were well beaten in again. Wedneſday night about 600. of our men in the dead of the night, caſt up another Work neere the town, the beſieged perceived it, yet made not any ſalley forth, nor gave the aſsaylants one ſhot till a­bout ſix in the morning, at which time they ſent out ſome great ſhot, but our men were then in a good condition, and not much to be annoyed, and all the execution which was then made, was the killing of two horſes on our ſide, and one man; ſo wee have made good the Worke, and have alſo plained and made even the high-way, for the more facile bring­ing up our train, which before for the roughneſſe and narrowneſse of the paſſage threatned difficulty, and diſadvantage to us. Our horſeguard at Chelm­ford have brought in ſome perſons which are ſuſ­pected to be going with intelligence from London to Goring, and confeſsed going back, that they had a purpoſe to go into the town, but could not find an opportunity, far it was beſieged cloſe on all ſides: Many eſcape out of the town to us, which proteſt they are in great ſtraights, and that they cannot hold out long, their hay is ſpent, and corne growes ſcarce, our Morter piece is comming up to us, and then we want not neceſſaries whereby to make them yeeld, if famine doth not compell them to it ſhortly, The Lord Generall is exceeding deſirous to ſave the town, there being a great many well-affected godly perſons that have eſtates there, come out to him, and others in the town which cannot get out, And indeed it could not be imagined (conſidering the former report that this whole County was a­gainſt us) that wee ſhould have found ſo much friendſhip amongſt them, as we muſt acknowledge we find from them, who voluntarily aſſiſt us with three Regiments of the County, and their hearts ready to bring proviſions to our quarters upon all occaſions.

The town of Chelmsford ſent a Preſent to the Lord Generall, of two Kegs of Sturgeon, two freſh Salmond, a Veniſon, a dozen of Pullets, with great ſtore of Fowle, a Veſsel of Wine, with other Neceſsaries, ſo much a Vinegar to make ſawce.

From the Leaguer before Colcheſter,29. June, 1648.

Another Letter from before the Leaguer at Colcheſter

SInce my laſt of the 29 of June being Thurſday laſt, there hath happened theſe enſuing paſſages between us, and the forces in the Towne: On Thurſday in the afternoon was expected that they would make a ſally forth as they uſe to doe (like Birds in a Cage they ſtruggle the more) whereupon we laid an ambuſcado in the hedges, and faced the town with a party of horſe, at length there was a party ſallied forth, which was ſaid to be commanded by the Lo. Digby, upon this ap­proach our horſe retreated, as if they had feared by reaſon of their number, to give them a charge, here­upon the Enemie purſued, and after our horſe had re­treated behind their Ambuſcapo, they faced about in a body, ſtanding as if they were reſolved to rec•eie a charge, which the ſalliers forth were reſolved to give, and to that end came on with great violence; but when they came where we had placed our ambuſhment, our men galled them very ſore, and our horſe came up and charged them repulſed the enemy, killed divers of them on the place, took a Leiu. Col. and divers others Priſoners, and purſued the Enemy to the Walls of the City

We have almoſt finiſhed our new work neer the Almeſ-houſes, and have placed a Gariſon in Grimſton. and in another houſe neer the ſubburbs: In the town they are making of hand-mills, and boaſt that they are victualled for a moneth, yet confeſſe their allowances are very ſhort already, and are in want of Horſe meate, when our great peices and the Mortar-peice comes•rom Windſore, which we daily expect, you will hear for more action. Sir, I remain,

A Letter from Weſtminster, to the Army before Colcheſter.

I Have receiv'd daily intellegence of your proceedings at the Leaguer, and ſhall take an occaſion to com­municate unto you ſuch newes ar we have here, and that which is remarkable in the firſt place is, that the Parl. referred the buſines concerning the K. and a perſo­nal treaty, to a Committee to conſider of, and report, a­bout which buſines the ſaid Committee met on Thurſ­day laſt, and drew up certain particulars to be recom­mended to the Houſes; one of the particulars thought fit by them to be repreſented to the approbation of the Houſe was, That forthwith there might be a perſonall trerty with his Majeſtie, 2 That the Bills formerly in debate to be preſented to his Majeſty for the royall aſſent before a treaty were began, might not be tendred to his Majeſty before the treaty begun

Theſe and ſome other things were reported to the houſe by the ſaid Committee on Friday, and after ſome debate thereon, the further conſideration of ſome parti­culers thereofy was referred to another day, viz his Majeſties cōming out of the Iſle of Wight, & to which of his houſes he ſhould comewithin ten or twelve miles of London, of which you wil hear more ſhortly.

By Letters out of Lincoln-ſhire it is advertized that that Col: Overton having notice that the Enemy from Pomfret caſtle had gotten into the Iſle of Axom he ſent 200 of his men in boats over the water at Eyres mouth and upon their approach the Enemy al fled and made what ſhift they could to get awar, ſo that that place is regained without the loſſe of any blood which we hereof.

Upon M•▪ Osburns teſtimony in that buſineſſe con­cerning the King the Lords ordered, Maj. Rolfe to be committed to ſafe cuſtody, but the meſſenger, which had the order could, not at preſent light on him, and yeſterday it was certified that he was at his lodging in Biſhopsgate-ſtreet, and ſome teſtimony was given that he was not well in health, and the removing his perſon to a cloſe place might indanger his life, whereupon their Lordſhips, order'd that three or four able Chirur­gians, go to him, and take a view of his grief and certify concerning the ſame which they did accordingly, and came this day to the houſe to make report thereof, which was to this purpoſe, that the ſaid Major Rolf had been long ill of an ague, and had a humour fallen downe into one of his: hips, which cauſed a humour and ſwelling there, but thought it no danger of death, leaving the diſpoſall of his perſon to their Lordſhips conſiderations, he already being in cuſtody.

Before I leave this ſubject, I cannot but inform you of a great abuſe and ſcandale, which is put upon Maj. Gen. Skippon, and having been openly reported, and ſome Libells printed, that this Major Rolf is his Son in Law, and endeavours are thereby to caſt an aſperſion upon that Gent. where as in truth this man, though of the name, is not the perſon, neither as I heard, was he e­ver a member of this Army, but was a ſhooe-maker in Black-fryers; which is all at the preſent from,