A LETTER FROM The Major and Aldermen of the Ci­ty of Rochester, to Sir Thomas Fairfaxes Officers, to keep their Forces from comming thither.

THE marching of ſome of Sir Thomas Fairfaxes Forces into this County is a great griefe to the diſaffected party whoſe deſignes therby are like to be utterly fruſtrate. The laſt weeke Colonel Hew­ſons Regiament of foote containing about fourteene hundred men, marched into Canterbury without any manner of oppoſition, neither indeed could there be any, for before their comming, upon appeaſing of the late mutiny on the 24. of December laſt the gates of the City were burnt downe, to prevent the deſigne of thoſe which endeavoured to bring the whole City into a confuſion, and would have kept it by force a­gainſt the Parliaments forces, For which Sir William Manwood. Mr. Norwood, J. Baker, Tho. Annis and2 above forty others were taken into cuſtody and are ſince ſent from Canterbury to Leeds Caſtle for better〈…〉th••gs••••…ue〈◊〉p••c••n〈…〉, a••the Soul­ders behave themſelves very civilly, moſt of them being quartered in Innes and Victualling houſes. At nine of the clock at night a Drum is beaten through the City, and if afterwards any of the Souldiers are found out of their quarters or any way diſordered they are committed to cuſtody of the Marſhall〈◊〉have puniſhment.

On Saturday laſt Lieutenant Colonel〈◊〉(Lieu­tenant Colonell to Colonel〈◊〉with about five hundred of that Regi•ment marched from Canterbury to Sandwich, but before they came quite at the Town the Mayor and Aldermen met them and ſhewed great reſpect to them, and the Mayor ſpak to the Officers and declared the good affection of their Towne in generall to the Parliament, and the Army, and af­ter ſome further diſcourſe the Officers accompanied the Mayor and Aldermen into the〈◊〉and at their earneſt requeſt dined with them, in the meane while the private Souldiers and ſome of the inferior Officers ſtayed about halfe a mile from the town, to whom the Mayor cauſed to be ſent two Hogs-heads of ſtrong beere, and great ſtore of bread and cheeſe and other victualls, and towards night they were drawn to another place to quarter, and afterwards returned backe again to Canterbury, where they〈◊〉but one nights ſtay, for although the reſt of the••••ent remaine here, yet theſe five hundred men has Orders not to ſtay but to march away againe toward3〈◊〉〈…〉with a Letter to Lieutenant Colo. J•bbs and the reſt of the Officers, from the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Rocheſter, ſignifying unto them, That whereas they h〈…〉what they〈…〉Their〈…〉Rocheſter It was not the intent of that Ci­ty to ſhew the leaſt oppoſition thereunto, ſetting forth their good affection towards His Excellency Sir Tho­mas Fairfax and the forces〈…〉, but for that it had plea•ed God, the very day〈◊〉, to lay his hand on〈…〉City they d••…­ed for prevention of any further infection in the Ci­ty or the indangering the Army, that they would for­beare to quarter in that Towne. To which the Of­ficers returned[?]〈…〉to the Mayor and Al­dermen〈…〉they could not〈◊〉from the orders they had, which were to come to Rocheſter, And on Thurſday about foure a clocke in the after­noone they marched into the City where they were friendly••••rtained and particular quarters appoint­ed du〈…〉in which buſineſſe the diſcreete care of the Officers of the Army and the Conſtables of the Towne is obſervable, For as the poore were altoge­ther eaſed for were not the rich over burdened, neither were there above foure or five houſes which had Tickets to billet above one Souldier in a houſe, ſo that when there came but one where they expected two or three, repining thoughts vaniſhed, and the Soulders were made welcome there, and nothing ſeemed to ſad the hearts of the people but the dying of two of the towne that night of the ſickneſſe, and4 ſome others infected therewith, which in­deed proved to be ſuch a terror to the Coun­try people that the market was very ſmall there on Friday laſt.

There is one thing more which I had al­moſt forgotten, and that is this, Colonell Rainsboroughs Regiament is marched to Do­ver, and we heare that the Governour of the Caſtle (Captaine Boys) offers to reſigne His commiſſion if His Excellency require it.

In the meane while hee ſupplicates for pay for the Souldiers under His command, and having done long ſervice in that Caſtle, So I reſt,

THis evening as I was ſealing up of my Letters came a Poſt to Towne which brings newes that Sir Lewis Dives is eſcaped out of the Kings Bench, and is gone into France or the Ile of Jerſey, & he reports further that he gave ſome great affront to his keepers ▪ Here was alſo a great report that the King was coming from the Ile of Wight towards London, But by other intelligence from Weſt­minſter which ſeemes to carry farre more weight, it is ſaid that nothing of that nature hath hitherto beene moved in the Houſe, which gives me aſſurance that the other re­port is altogether groundleſſe, and fained and onely raiſed by ſuch as would have it ſo. This is all which he hath at preſent to accommodate his friend who ſtill remaines.

THE Commiſſioners which went down into Hampſhire to try Captain Burley and others, which were chiefe Actors in the late mutiney in the〈◊〉of Wycke (and had a〈…〉4〈1 page duplicate〉5〈1 page duplicate〉6〈…〉ments Commiſſioners came away, which carryed the foure Bills to his Majeſty return to London〈…〉and this day report was made thereof to the Houſe, to this effect.

That the ſaid〈…〉before the ſaid Commiſſioners, and Indicted of high Treaſon, to which Indightment, he pleaded not guilty, and ſo putting himſelf upon the triall of the Country, he was found guilty by the Grand Jury, which are the repreſentative body of the Iſle of Wyght. and County of Hampſhire, and after verdict was brought in, the Judges gave ſentence (according to Law) that the ſaid Captain Burley ſhould be hang'd, drawn and quartered:

Two others were alſo indighted, and were found guilty of a Ryot, for which they were deeply fi•ed, ſome others which were more principall actors in the buſineſſe have made an eſcape.

There was alſo this day read in the Houſe of Commo••a Declaration from the Grand Jury of the Iſle of Wyght, and County of Hampſhire, to this purpoſe:

Wee the Grand-Jury men of the Country of Hampſhire being called to give our Verdicts concerning Captain B•rley and others; doe Declare according to our conſciences, that the deſigne to carry away the King, was with an intent to ingage the Kingdome in a new warre and to bring a gene­rall ruine and diſtruction on the ſame. And therfore we fur­ther declare that we do approve of the ſaid Votes concern­ing the King, and their proceedings againſt ſuch as ſhall a­ny wayes oppoſe or diſobey the Orders of Parliament, in ſettling the peace of the Kingdome and the rights and li­berties of the Subject in perſuance wherof we will live and dye in defence and maintenance of both houſes of Parli­ament.