1A LETTER From Lieut. Generall CRUMWEL To the Citizens of London. Concerning the Kings Majeſty, the Parliament, the City, Army, and Kingdome.
HEre hath lately been called a Generall Councell of Officers, conſiſting of the Northerne Brigade, whoſe reſults acquieſſe and tend•hiefly to the ſafety and preſervation of your Honourable City, and to the welfare and tranquility of our2 Engliſh Nation; as appeares by the moſt excellent demonſtration of Lieu. Gen. Cromwell, at the Councell table, in preſence of divers Colonels, Lieut. Colonels, Majors, and Captains, who declared, That he was willing to wade through all troubles and difficulties, for preſervation of the peace and tranquility of this bleeding Kingdom, and would ſacrifice his life for the peace and liberty of the ſubject, and for diſſipating the diſmall cloud of Malignancy, which threatens ruine to all the well-affected within the Nation.
And for the better propagating of the ſaid work, the ſaid Lieutenant Generall (our worthy and ever honored Patriot) hath declared his ardent and zeafous affection to his Excellency the Lord Generall; proteſting, That he will live and dye with him, for the obtaining and faciliating the juſt Demands and Deſires of the Army, ſpecified in their late Remonſtrance, and that he doth moſt really and freely coucur with them, for the ſpeedy executing of impartiall Juſtice upon all Offenders whatſoever; intimating, that he doth verily believe they are things which God puts into the harts both of Officers and Souldiers, and that the great Jehovah of Heaven is pleaſed to manifeſt his preſence unto them, in purſuing and proſecuting ſo pious•e worke, ſo much tending to the honour of his holy Name and the peace and tranquility of all his people on Earth; which declaratory expreſſions, have prefented to his Excellency the Lord Gen. Fairfax, and
Signed O. CRUMWEL.
Knottingſley neer Pontefract2. Decemb. 1648.
A Meſſage from the King concerning the Army.
HIs Majeſty having ſeriouſly peruſed the Remonſtrance of the Army, findes it to be of ſo high a nature, that Hee cannot but ſtand amaz'd at the ſence, ſcope, and method thereof, and doth declare, That He ſhould rather ſacrifice His life, for His People, and a good Couſcience, than be guilty of the Engagement of modelling and establiſhing a new Governmen; but withall remonſtrates, That He approves of their Propoſals for rectifying the Law, and purging the abuſes and errous thereof, for the eaſe and liberty of His people, deſiring that all their Reſults and Conſultations may redound to the honour of theſe bleeding Nations, &c.
And his Majeſty hath further declared, that (notwithſtanding the preſent diſtractions, and diſſolving of the Treaty, yet) He deſires from His very heart and ſoule that the peace of His Kingdomes may bee ſpeedily eſtabliſhed, and the liberty of the Subject preſerved und unviolated, whatſoever becomes of Him, &c.
Col. Ewers uſeth his Majeſty with much civility and reſpect, and the deportment of the Soldiery taketh deep impreſſion in his Majeſties heart, which cauſeth a great change and alteration in his Majeſties Royall Breaſt, and it is hoped few dayes will produce a convincement from his Majeſty of all his former errours.
Divers ſhipping lye hovering upon this Coaſt, and it is ſuppoſed they would fain attempt a deſigne for reſcuing the King from the power and protection of the Army, but ſtrong Guards are placed, and much vigilancy uſed for the defence and ſafety of this Iſland.
Newport•Decemb. 1648.
4A Declaration of the proceedings in Parliament, concerning the KING.
BOth Houſes having received a Letter from the Lord Generall Fairfax, for the gaining to ſuch ends as have been propoſed in the Armies late Remonſtrance, and preſſing them to the preſent apprehenſion of the dangerous Juncture of affaires; the Commons began to conſult upon the ſame, whoſe debates ſor'd up, and flew exceeding high; ſome moving that his Excellencies Commiſſion might be made null and taken from him; Others, that the Army might be required to retreat 40 miles from London, and others moved, that the City might be put into a poſture of War; but Sheriff Brown ſtood up, and made an excellent Speech, declaring, That there was nothing to be expected from the City, and that for his part he would indeavour the preſervation of the peace thereof, and to keepe a right understanding between his Excellency, the City, and Army. And Mr Pryn declared his ſenſe and reſolution touching the Army, cyting many preſidents, that many have been voted traytors for diſobeying auth•rity of Parliament, but for his part he would not ſay that any were ſuch. After ſome diſputation and debate thereon, the Houſe voted that a Declaratory Letter ſhould be preſented to the Generall, a coyy whereof followeth,
May it pleaſe your Excellency,
THe Houſe taking notice by your Letter of the 30. of Novem. touching the preſent motion and deſigne of the army,•a•e commanded me to let you know, that upon mature deliberate judging, that it may be dangerous both to the City and army; it is their pleaſure that you•move not the army near London; and to the end the country may not be burthened with free quarter, nor the army want their due ſupport, they have commanded me to acquaint you, that they have ſignified their pleaſure to the Lord Major, Aldermen, and common councell, that they forthwith provide the ſum of 40000. l. or ſo much thereof as they can poſſibly raiſe at preſent, and pay the ſame to the Treaſurers at wars, to be forthwith ſent unto you for our army, which being all have in command, I remain
Your humble ſervant, VVil. Lenthal Speaker.
His Maieſties Declaration upon his coming into Wiltſhire.
MY Lords, You are come to take your leave of me, and I believe we ſhall ſcarce ever ſee each other again: but Gods will be done, I thank God I have made my peace with him, and ſhall without fear undergoe what he ſhall be pleaſed to ſuffer men to do unto me. My Lords, you cannot but know, that in my fall and ruine, you ſee your own, and that alſo neer to you; I pray God ſend you better friends then I have found. I am fully infoamed of the whole cariage of the plot againſt me and mine; and nothing ſo much afflicts me, as the ſence and feeling I have of the ſufferings of my Subjects, and the miſerice that hang over my three Kingdomr, drawn upon them by thoſe who (upon pretences of good) violently purſue their own intereſts and ends. His Maj having thus declared himſelf, the Comm•ſſioners kiſſed his Maj. hand, and took their leave. And on Friday morning laſt, his Mai. was guarded by a troope of horſe from the Iſle of VVight, to Hurſt Caſtle in VViltſhire, where he is now ſecured, Cap. Mild•ay, cap. Ioyner, cap. VVeston, Mr. Herbert, Mr. Cutchſide, Mr. Reding and Mr. Lewen, being appointed Attendants for his Maiesties perſon.
6SIR, Since his Majeſties comming to this Caſtle, he hath been uſed with much civility and reſpect, and (according to our information from one of his Majeſties attendants) hath ſent a letter to his Son the Prince of Wales, to advertize him of the Armies removing his perſon from the Iſle of Wight, to Hurſt Caſtle upon the conſines of Wiltſhire, requiring him to uſe his utmoſt endeavours for a good accommodation and correſpondency between the two Navies, and to mediate with his Lordſhip for a mutuall reconciliation between his Maieſty, the Parliament, and the Army. And by the ſame intelligencer, it is further intimated, That the King hath likewiſe ſent a letter to both houſes of Parliament, advertizing them of his preſent condition ſince his preſent confinement to the ſaid Caſtle, deſiring them to proceed in a Parliamentary way, in reference to their rights and priviledges, and to indeavour a right underſtanding between his Excellency, the Parliament, City, and Army. Which letters are ſaid to be tranſmitted from his Maieſty.
Hurſt CastleDecemb. 6. 1648.
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