TO HIS EXCELLENCY Sir Thomas Fairfax Knight, Captaine Generall of all the Forces in ENGLAND and WALES.The humble acknowledgement and Congratulation of thouſands of young men and Apprentices, in and about the City of London.

THe extremities of this Nation grow­ing great (the Enemies thereof be­ing ſtrong, and confident of ſuc­ceſſe) and the viſible meanes of our deliverance broken, and almoſt totally conſumed, then it pleaſed the good hand of heaven to call forth your Excel­lency, and thoſe worthies with you (your faith­full Commanders, Officers, and Souldiers,) to ſave this poore and diſtreſſed Kingdome, and although at firſt your ſtrength was ſmall, your encourage­ments few, and your enemies many and powerfull, yet with all thankfulneſſe we acknowledge, you2 were not deterred thereby; but over looking all, (eying that Almighty power, by whoſe providence you were ſet a part for ſo great a worke) you marched out in his might, and became proſpe­rous; your enemies fell before you, their armies were vanquiſhed, their ſtrong holds ſurrendred to you, and the joyfull day of Englands peace, and longed for deliverance not onely dawned, but ſhowne forth upon us; theſe clouds of feares, of ruine, of ſlavery, and oppreſſion (which had till then beſet us) began to ſcatter, and in our hopes and expectations were vaniſhing quite away.

And when, againe, our reſtleſſe enemies (ſeeing their open force could not prevaile) betook them­ſelves to helliſh policy, and under the face of friends and actions for common good, had laid ſurer (as they hoped) the foundations of their own boundleſſe power and greatneſſe, the reſtau­ration of their former tyranny, and the finall ruine of our Lawes and Liberties; and for that purpoſe had contrived the diſbanding (and that with diſ­grace) of your Excellencies Army, as the onely ob­ſtacle in the way of their Deſignes; then it pleaſed our good God againe to appeare, and your Excel­lency, with your faithfull Commanders, Officers, and victorious Army, with their induſtrious Ad­jutators, became (we gratefully acknowledge) hap­py inſtruments in his hand, to diſcover and oppoſe thoſe wicked Deſignes; whereby the dying hopes of this diſtreſſed Nation againe revived, ere long to ſee a happy ſettlement of its peace and free­dome.

And when againe, our malitious enemies had ſcattered their poyſon in this great Citty, expect­ing the venome thereof would diffuſe it ſelfe, not onely here, but from hence (as from the heart) into all the parts of this Kingdome, and had there­by ſo far prevailed, as to force the Parliament in­to a compliance with them, to engage many of the Grandees, and ſome of the Youngmen of this City to prepare and act for a new war, and in op­poſition of your Excellency, to joyne themſelves in a dangerous Bond and engagement, and (ha­ving forcibly gotten the power and Militia of this City into their hands) liſted and armed many vile and diſſolute perſons, Reformadoes and renegado ſouldiers, and by their hands had begun the tra­gedy of Warre and bloodſhed in this City, at the Guildhall thereof upon peaceable and unarmed men, and threatned the ſpeedy ruine of the well­affected therein, who would not joyne with them in their barbarous and deſtructive practices. Then againe we do with all thankfulneſſe acknowledge) that your Excellency with your renowned Army, became a bleſſing unto this City and Kingdome, and with incredible ſpeed (drawing together from parts greatly remote each from other) came ſea­ſonably to the helpe and deliverance of this City, (then with all its might acting towards its own ru­ine) and ſetling the Parliament of England, who by the tumults raiſed, and encouraged from that City, was diſperſed, and forced to quit the Hou­ſes, and depart thence, to your Excellency for protection.

All which your moſt worthy ſervices for your native country, as we cannot but with all joy and thankefulneſſe acknowledge, ſo we doubt not, but the memoriall of them will be a crown of glory and honour upon your head, and upon the heads of your faithfull commanders and ſouldiers to all poſterity.

And although we could not (as we would ma­nifeſt our hearts in a viſible acting for you in this late time of need, yet let your Excellency be plea­ſed to accept of our refuſals to joyne or comply with any thing bearing a face of oppoſition to you, (notwithſtanding the threats of death for ſo doing) as an undoubted teſtimony of our reſolution, to live and die with your Excellency and your army, in ſetling his Majeſties rights, the Parliaments priviledges, and the peace and freedome of this Nation, the which we doe ſtill retaine, and ſhall further manifeſt, as God ſhall give an oppertunity, and your Excellency require it at our hands.

I Have received your congratula­tion of the late endeavours of this Army, and great ſucceſſes with which God hath bleſt us againſt the open and ſecret Enemies to the intereſt of this Kingdome, manifeſting with many cordiall expreſſions your good reſentment of our late procee­dings in proſecution of thoſe publique ends, for the accompliſhment whereof you have not onely declined and refuſed compliance with the Kingdomes Enemys, but have freely tendered a joynt adventure of your ſelves with us when occaſion ſhall require: All which I cannot but gladly receive with a thankefull accep­tance, returning the like acknoweldgement of your good and honeſt offer, as you did of our endea­vours, and doe deſire that you will continue ſtill in your ſeverall places the promotion and purſuance of thoſe publique ends afore-mentioned, and I doubt not but the ſame Divine providence that hath been our guide hitherto will ſtill direct us and all honeſt men going hand in hand with us toward an happy6 concluſion of our preſent troubles and diſtractions, and ſetling of the King, Parliament, and Kingdom in ſafe••, peace, and freedome.