A Copy of a Letter from his Excellencie Sir Thomas Fairfax to the Right Honourable, the Earl of Mancheſter.

YOur Lordſhips Letter of the 28. I received yeſterday, with the Votes of both Houſes incloſed therein. Before the receipt thereof, I had called the Officers unto a generall Councel of War, to aw•ſe concerning the better tranſaction of the buſineſſe, and prev•ntion of all inconveniencies there­upon; and when they were in conſultation, I communicated your Lordſhips Letter, (and the Votes therewith ſent) unto them. After much time ſpent in debate thereof, this incloſed was delivered unto me by the Officers, as the Reſult of the Councell of War; which being of very great concernment, I held it my duty to haſten unto your Lordſhips. It is no ſmall griefe of heart unto me, that there ſhould be any diſſatisfact­ions betwixt the Parliament and the Army, and that the late V••s did not give ſatisfaction. I beſeech God to direct your Lordſhips to proceed with wiſdome, that things may be de­termined in love, and this poore Kingdome free from further diſtraction; which is the earneſt deſire of

For the ri•ht Honourable the Earl of Ma•c•eſter, Speaker of the Houſe of Peers, pro tempore.

HAving called the Officers of the Army to St. Edmunds Bu­ry, I communicated unto them yeſterday the Votes of both Houſes, and a Letter of the Houſe of Peeres ſent therewith, con­cerning the disbanding of the Army; After long conſultation had thereof, this encloſed was delivered unto me, as the Reſult of the Councell of Warre (where the Officers were very many and unanimous) which being of importance, I held it my duty to ha­ſten the ſame unto you, being much perplexed in my thoughts that diſ-ſatisfactions betwixt the Parliament and the Army ſhould rather increaſe, then leſſen; I intreat you, that there may bee wayes of love and compoſure thought upon, I ſhall doe my endea­uours, though I am forct to yeeld to ſomething out of order, to keepe the Army from diſorder, or worſe inconveniencies, I de­ſire you to take ſome ſpeedy reſolution for the compoſing of things, whereby the Kingdome may bee happy in a timely deliverance from further diſtraction: for the effecting whereof, I could bee conte•t to be a ſacrifice, as the laſt ſervice you can have from

For the Honourable William Lenthal Eſquire, Speaker of the honoura­ble Houſe of Commons.

To his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax Knight, Commander in Chiefe of the Parliaments Forces.The Opinion and humble Adviſe of the Councell of Warre, con­vened at Bury, Saterday 29. May. 1647. In relation to the Votes of Parliament, communicated to us by your Excellency and the deſirs of our advice thereof.

1. THat upon the reports come to all quarters of the Army concerning the Votes and proceedings of the Houſe May 21. As alſo of thoſe on Tueſday, May 25. we find the ge­nerallity of the Army (as we are our ſelves) much unſatisfied in the one, and ſomething amazed and ſtartled at the•ther, the firſt Votes (of Friday) comming much ſhort of ſatisfaction as to the grievances of the Army then reported to the Houſe and not taking any notice at all of ſome that were moſt materiall, & the latter (of Tueſday) importing a reſolution ſuddenly to diſ­band the Army by peace-meale, before equall ſatisfaction be given to the whole in any of the grievances, or ſo much as any conſideration had of ſome others moſt materiall: And alſo be­fore any effectuall performance of that ſatisfaction with the Votes of Friday ſeemed to promiſe as to ſome of the grievan­ces, all which we ſhall be readie (upon a little time given us) to repreſent to your Excellency, more diſtinctly and in par­ticular.

2. That the ſaid diſtraction, and the iealouſies occaſioned up­pon the ſame proceeding, as we feare, and ſome effects alrea­dy appearing doe find, may unhappily produce dangerous diſturbances and tumultuous actings amongſt ſeverall parts of the Army, as they now lie diſperſed and remote from the Head quarters, eſpecially amongſt thoſe Regiments whoſe prin­cipall Officers, by neglecting or diſſerting their Soldiers in in their neceſſary concernments or iuſt grievances, have diſob­leiged their Soldiers, and loſt their intereſt with them in ſo much as ſuch Officers are in ſome ſort forced to withdraw from their charges, and can ſcarce with ſafety come at them, & to prevent the inconveniencies or ill conſequences which ſuch diſturbed or tumultuous actings might produce either to the countrys where the Army quarters or to the kingdom,6 We humbly adviſe your Excellency without delay, to draw the Arm (or at leaſt thoſe parts thereof that are not fixt to certain Quarters upon particular du•y) unto a cloſer poſture of Quarters, ſo as each Regiment, Troop, and Company, may lye under the view, and over-ſight of their reſpective Offi­cers that are left with them, and all of them under a near•r view of, and correſpondencie wi•h the Head-quarter, which may thus have a readier influence upon all, for the better preſerving of good Order, and prevention of inconvenien­ci•s, and in ſuch poſture for the Countries eaſe, to remove and ſhift the whole Quarter one a week at leaſt, till up•n fur­ther ſa•isfaction,••e Army may be quie•ly, and orderly diſ­banded.

3. That upon the ſame diſſa•i•faction and jealouſies we find an extream earneſtn•l, and violent properſ••among the ſouldiers to a general Randezvorz ▪ and we veril•believe, that the fi•ſt at•empt to d•b•nd any one Re••ment, b•fore equall ſatisfaction to all, and aſſura•ce againſt th•ſe things they have cauſe to fear, wil〈◊〉them all to draw toge­ther and Randezvouz of themſelves, as it were upon in Al­larme. And to prevent the into ve•••nc•s or il conſequen­ces bo•h to theſe Countries and〈◊〉Kingdom, of any ſuch tumultuous or confuſed draw•ng to a Randezvouz without order, we humbly adviſe your Excelle•cy wi•hout delay, af­ter the contracting of quarters, to order a g•n•ral Randez­vouze for thoſe parts of the Army, whoſe quar•ers ſhal b•ſo contracted: And this we adviſe and d•ſire the rather becauſe of the ſcandalous ſuggeſtions of ſome, importi•g as if the late diſcontents appearing in the Army, and the repreſentations of grievances from the Army, were not really in or from the body of the Souldiery, but a m•ere deluſion or appearance made by the contrivance and artifice of ſome factious Offi­cers, or other perſons in the Army, the tru•h and falſhood whereof, as alſo the true temper and diſpoſition of the Army, your Excellencie, and all other, may moſt clearly diſcover••y ſuch a generall Randezvouz (without the delay or trou­••e of going to every Regimen a part as they now lye) the••my may more certainly underſtand what they may ex­pect7 from the Parliament, and both Parliament and King­dome what to judge and truſt to, concerning the Army, and to that purpoſe at ſuch a Randezvouz, wee ſha•l (wee hope through the grace of God) diſcharge our〈◊〉to the Parlia­ment and Kingdome, as well as to your Excellencie and the Armie, and demonſtra•e that the good and quiet of the king­dome, is much dearer to us then any particular concernment of our own. Theſe two laſt things we humbly adviſe and de­ſire may be done without delay, or that otherwiſe me may be held acquitted from all inconveniencies that may enſue in our ſeveral charges.

4. Since (beſides the d•ſſatisfaction to the Army hitherto, in the points of grievances, and the defect of aſſurance, as to ſeve•all of theſe things promiſed for our ſatisfaction, and be­ſides the jealouſies occaſioned upon the Votes of Tueſday laſt and a•l held conſequences which may follow in proceeding thereupon) That courſe of disbanding the Army by piece­••••e before the ſatisfaction intended, be performed equally to the whole, ſeemes ſomething ſtrange and unuſuall (not pra­ctiſed in disbanding of other Armies, as Major Gen. Maſſies Brig•de, he Scots Army &c. or uſed that we have heard of, by any States towards any Army that was ever accounted faithfull; We humbly deſire your Excellencie by an effectu­all Letter to move the Parliament for this, as that which we humbly offer & do beg at thē, both for their own honor, in re­la•ion to wha•future Armies they may have occaſion to im­ploy, for the reputation of your Excellencie, and this Armie, aſ well as for its better ſatisfaction, and as they render the good and aſſured quie•of his Kingdome, or the effectuall re­liefe and ſaving of Ireland, That they would be pleaſed to re­ſume the conſidera•ion of things voted on Tueſday laſt, and to ſuſpend any preſent proceeding thereupon; as alſo to re­ſume the grievances of the Army, together with the things propoſed in the concluſion of the Narrative from the Offi­cer, and to give ſatisfaction, or at leaſt ſome reſolution to each of them,•nd that they would not think it fit to put that temptation, thoſe jealouſies, and that diſhonour upon the Ar­mie ▪

8Whereas, what wee here deſire your Excellency to move may be ſaid, if admitted into conſideration, to tend to delay the reliefe of Ireland.

1. We find moſt clearly, that the great hopes ſuggeſted to the Parliament, of the ſupply of that ſervice in that way at preſent intended, will prove as to any further expectation out of this Army, but vain and deluſive, as the loud noyſe of ſo many powerfull Officers, with 50 Companies of Foot, & ten of horſe, ſo long ſince ingaged for that ſervice have alrea­dy proved, and if herein our judgment be not credited, wee have yet diſcharged our duty to the Parliament, and both Kingdomes in declaring it.

2. We cannot but for our owne, and the Armies further diſcharge, and clearing, declare, That if the Parliament had not been abuſed by many of thoſe they have employed, and intruſted for the promotion of that ſervice, and had not been by ſuch mens falſe informations, or miſrepreſentations con­cerning the Army, or otherwiſe diverted from the conſide­ration of or from giving reaſonable ſatisfaction to the Army in theſe things propoſed by the generality of the Officers at the firſt meeting at Walden in March laſt, in order to that ſervice, and had not by like miſchievous practiſes of ſuch in­cendiaries been ſince then moved and drawn to ſuch things, and in ſuch a ſeries and ſucceſſion, as have conduced to mul­tiply diſcontents, diſobligations, and provocations upon the Army, (wee ſay had it not beene for ſuch perſons and ſuch things) we are confident might have had (if they had plea­ſed) an Army entire, and ready formed under their old Of­ficers, and Conduct, to have engaged for that ſervice, having found a juſt conſideration for the ſervices paſt, and aſſurance of pay and ſubſiſtence in that to come.