A Letter from his Excellencie Sir Thomas Fairfax, ſent to both Houſes of Parlia­ment, concerning the Kings being brought from Holdenby towards the Army.

BY my laſt of Fryday the 4. inſtant, I gave you ac­count of what I underſtood from Holmby concer­ning the undertaking of ſome Souldiers on Wedneſday laſt to ſecure the King from being ſecretly conveyed a­way, and that Col. Graves being therupon ſecretly ſlipt away, I had ſent Col. Whalley with his Regiment to attend the Comiſſioners, and take charge of the guards there. On Satturday morning being at a Randezvouze beyond Newmarket, and advancing the Army this way in order quarter about Cambridge, I received ad­vertiſement, That the Souldiers of Holmby had upon Fryday morning (with his Majeſties conſent) brought him away from thence, together with your Commiſſi­oners. That they lay at Hinchingbrook neare Hunting­don on Friday night, and would bee at Newmarket that day; The ground of this remove was alleadged to be an apprehenſion in the Souldiers, of ſome Forces ga­thering towards that place ſuddenly to fall upon them and force the King out of their hands, to withſtand which, they thought they might be too weake (having then no notice of Col. Whaleyes coming with his Re­giment) upon this immediatly I ſent after C. Whaley to advertiſe him thereof, with order to direct his courſe towards Huntingdon, and (where ere he met his Maje­ſty and the Commiſſioners) to deſire, that they would come on no further this way, but rather to returne, and ſuffer him to guard them back.

And to prevent any danger imaginable therein, I ſent off from the Rendezvouze two Regiments of Horſe more, to march after Col. Whalley towards Hunting­don, and ſo on towards Holdenby, to be aſſiſtant to him in the Guards about his Majeſty if it ſhould bee found needfull.

And thus I held on the motion of the reſt of the Ar­my this way.

Towards Evening (after the Quarters of the Armie were aſſigned, and taken up hereabouts, and the Regi­ments marching off towards their ſeverall Quarters, I underſtood from Colonel Whalley, that meeting the King and your Commiſſioners upon their way from Huntington towards Newmarket, about foure miles ſhort of Cambridge, they had forborn to come on any further; but his Majeſtie being not willing to returne back for Holmby, they had taken up his Quarter for pre­ſent at Sir Iohn Cuts houſe at Childerley, being the next houſe of any conveniencie to the place where hee met them.

Hereupon I ſent thither Sir Hardres Waller, and Col. Lambert, to informe the Commiſſioners of my coming to Cambridge, and the Armies quartering hereabouts, & to deſire, that they would think of returning backe with his Majeſtie to Holdenby, and (becauſe there might be many inconveniencies in delay) that they would not make any ſtay where they were, but remove backe that way next morning (though it were the Lords Day) the Commiſſioners refuſed to act or meddle any otherwiſe in diſpoſing the King, then by their Anſwer to mee, (whereof I have ſent you a Copie here incloſed) you ſee. And his Majeſtie declares himſelfe very anwilling to go back to Holmby. I have thus given you a true and faithfull account, how his Majeſtie came to the place where he is, and how the Quarters of the Army have fallen out to be ſo neare him.

what ever (by the concurrence of events to make it thus) may be ſuſpected of deſigne therein. This is the exact truth of the buſineſſe, and I can clearly profeſſe, (as in the preſence of God) for my ſelfe, and dare be confident of the ſame for all the Officers about me, and body of the Army, that this remove of his Majeſtie from Holmby was without any deſigne, knowledge, or privity thereof on our parts, and a thing altogether un­expected to us untill the notice of it came upon the Ran­dezvouz as before; neither the Randezvouz or coming hither to quarter with the Army from any purpoſe, or with any expectation to be ſo neere His Maj. as it hap­pens. But the effect is ſo farr meerly providentiall, and (to us) accidentall, but the caſe being as it is (your Commiſſioners refuſing to intermeddle as before, and the King to go back) I have placed and ſhall continue a­bout his Majeſty ſuch a Guard of truſty men, and un­der ſuch Command, Collonel Whalley being chiefe in the charge) as I may be reſponſall for to the Parliament and Kingdome, (ſo farre as can reaſonably be expected from me) by the bleſſing of God to ſecure his Majeſties perſon from danger, and prevent any attempts of ſuch as may deſigne, (by that advantage of his Perſon) the beſt to raiſe any new warre in this Kingdome. And tru­ly (Sir,) to prevent any ſuch miſchiefe as it is my owne moſt earneſt and humble deſire, ſo I finde it to be the unanimous deſire and ſtudy of the Army, that a firme peace in this Kingdome may be ſetled, and the liberties of the people cleared and ſe­cured accordingly, to the many Declarations by which we were invited and induced to ingage in the late war: and the Parliaments effectuall and ſpeedy application to theſe two things (I find) would conduce more fully and ſurely to a chearefull and unanimous disbanding; And yet (what ever may be ſuggeſted or ſuſpected) I do certainly find (and dare aſſure you, you may depend upon it) That the ſence of the Army is moſt cleer from any purpoſe, or inclination, to oppoſe the ſetling of Presbyterie, or to have the Independant Government ſet up, or to up-hold a licentiouſneſſe in Religion, or to meddle with any ſuch thing to the advancement of a­ny particular party or intereſt whatſoever, but to leave all ſuch particular matters to the wiſdome of the Par­liament.

I ſhall by the next ſend you a full Account of the proceeding and unanimous reſolutions of the Army at the late Randezvouze (being not at preſent prepared ſo fully to do it as is fit) The letter from both Houſes I have received but this night, the Quarters of the Army being lately altered before, will make the Heath neere Newmarket leſſe convenient for a Randezvouze, yet I ſhall take order (according to the deſire of the Houſes) to have a Randezvouze either there or nor fame of on Wedneſday next, I remain

I Shal according to my duty, and the de­ſires of the Houſes, doe my utmoſt to keepe the Army in good order, to which I find it abſolutely neceſsary, that there bee ſome pay preſently ſent down.