SIR Thomas Fairfaxes taking of Dennis Ca­ſtle & Felford Haven, &c.

THE French and Walloons who dis­banded on the Lords day laſt were to ſtay at the next port Towne un­till Shipps might bee procured for their tranſportation, all the reſt of the Engliſh, both Commanders and Souldiers had Paſſes, either to goe out of the Land, or repaire unto their owne Countreyes, and places of dwelling: the reſt disbanded day by day, and marched out of this coun­trey Eaſtward, and the Gentlemen of the Countrey un­to their owne houſes; This day the two laſt Brigades did lay downe their armes and march away. There were nine Brigades of them, and it is verily beleeved that they were about five thouſand horſe and foote. The Fort on the Eaſt ſide of the Harbour of Faymouth, and right over againſt Pendennis Caſtle is yeelded up by Bow­than4 (that was the Lieutenant thereof) unto the General five dayes ſince, who hath placed a very ſtrong Garriſon in it, it lyeth neare the mouth of the Harbour, and much lower then Pendennis Caſtle, and is more fit ſeated for the commanding of that Harbour. Yeſterday laſt being the 18th of this moneth, Dennis Caſtle, being a Fort made by Sir Richard Vivian at the charge of the Country, at the mouth of Felford Haven, being ſcituated on a Pena Inſula, much after the manner of Pendennis Caſtle, was yeelded up into the hands of the Generall by thoſe that had the command thereof. This Caſtle and Harbour li­eth a league to the Weſt of Pendennis, full in ſight of the Caſtle. The Harbour is a very ſafe and deepe Harbour, the greateſt ſhip in the Kingdome may ride a floate in it at low water, it will prove to be of very great uſe to us, for the taking in of Pendennis, by meanes that our ſhips lying there, may prevent (by the helpe of St. Mawes) the conjunction of any ſhips for the reliefe thereof: I went with the Generall and the Committee to receive the poſſeſſion of this Fort, and in the way the Generall went unto Arwinkle, Sir Peter Killegrew's houſe, where and in the Village of Pennicomquicke we had quarted two Regiments for the blocking up of Pendennis Caſtle on the land ſide. The day before the Generall ſent thither thoſe two Regiments, the enemie in the Caſtle ſet on fire Sir Peters houſe, and burned a great part there of downe to the ground, and would have done the like with Pen­nicomequicke, had not our mens unexpected comming prevented them in the Caſtle, and the man of War that hath 40. pieces of Ordnance in him, which lyeth a ground on the North ſide of the Fort let us paſſe very quietly through Pennicomquicke, and to Arwinkle, which lyes within halfe musket ſhot of the enemies Out-workes, but is blinded by the houſes and trees, ſo that they cannot ſee thoſe that are on the other fide of the houſe: but when we came off, and were paſt Pennicomequicke, and advan­ced5 into an open field in our way backe to Perin, the ſhip that lay on the North ſide of the Caſtle let flye at us, but their ſhot (by Gods mercy) did us no harme, though the bullets flew very neer us, and one grazed not farre from mee, which wee found, and was a bullet of ſome 12 l. weight. As ſoon as the Generall came to Perin he cauſed a ſummons to be drawn up, and ſent it by his Drum-Major unto the Governour of the Caſtle, requiring him to yeeld it unto him for the uſe of the Parliament, u­ſing divers reaſons to perſwade him thereunto; But Arundell of Treverſe who is the Governour thereof, gave him a peremptory denyall, ſaying, that hee was 70. yeares old, and could not have many dayes to live, and therefore would not in his old years blemiſh his ho­nour in ſurrendring thereof, and would be rather found buried in the ruines thereof, then commit ſo vilde a Treaſon, (or words to that effect.) Queſtionleſſe the place is very ſtrong, as well by its naturall ſcituation, (it being almoſt an Iſland, and ſeated on a riſing hill) as by Art and great induſtry; and it is victualled (as they ſay) for nine or ten moneths, and they have in it a­bout one thouſand, or twelve hundred men, all deſpe­rate perſons, and good ſouldiers; and they have pow­der and ſhot great ſtore, and at leaſt eighty great Guns mounted, beſides forty in the ſhip which lies on the North ſide of the Caſtle. Therefore the Generall reſolves to block it up very cloſe both by Land and Sea: which he may the better doe, in regard that we have Denis Ca­ſtle, and the Haven of Helford on the weſt, and St. Maws on the eaſt; and for that, if we draw a Line thwart the narrow necke of Land, a little on this fide Arwinkle houſe, which is not above Muſquet ſhot over: Pendenis Caſtle will remaine unto them but as a cloſe and ſure priſon, and ſo in the end the belly will conquer them, without ſtriking of a ſtroake. Here are in this Fort ma­ny very conſiderable men, and the moſt deſparate Per­ſons6 and the violenteſt enemies that the Parliament hath in this kingdome; and the Country reports, they have a very great maſſe of wealth in this Caſtle, for this was ever a place the enemy did much confide in; and therefore without queſtion it cannot chuſe but bee very rich: I verily beleeve that if the Workes were once per­fected for blocking of them up, two thouſand good foote would keepe them in, that they ſhould not be able to break forth to annoy the Countrey. Penicomquicke, and Peryne will be able to entertaine that number very well, ſo that the Souldiers be well payed, that ſo they may be able to pay for their Billets, The countrey is extreamly impoveriſhed, and I feare that Bread and all other proviſions will grow very ſcarce, and ſo conſe­quently very deare; for there is already no Hay or Oats to be gotten here, and fleſh growes very deare. The ene­my hath fortified the Mount where the Marqueſſe of Hamilton is kept. Eighty Souldiers that ſhould have gone into the Mount, came this day with their Arms, and tendred their ſervice to the Generall at Truro. The Ge­nerall intends to ſend a Regiment to Marketſene to block up the Mount, and to keep them from Ranging abroad; They ſay the Mount is a place neither ſtrong, nor well victualled, and therfore cannot hold out long. This laſt night one of the ſhips which came down with Sir George Askew, fell into the Harbour of Falmouth, on St. Mawes fide, and notwithſtanding both the Block-houſe, and the Bulwarke at the poynt of Pendenis ſhot very furiouſ­ly at her, yet ſhe came very ſafely into the Harbour, and ſo paſſed upon the Tide, to a place in the Harbour called Mawpaſſe paſſage, where a Frigot of Dunkerks had runne her ſelfe a ground and came in on purpoſe to aſſiſt Pen­dennis Caſtle, ſhe had in her 26. pieces of Ordnance, and though our men entered her, yet ſhe ſtood very ſtoutly to her defence, yet at laſt we maſterd her, and tooke all the men out of her, and put in her about fifty men of7 our owne, and ſo intend to make her a Man of Warre to ſerve the State, and ſhe may prove very uſefull, for ſhe is an exceeding good ſailer, and will bee good againſt our enemies Navigable ſhips, that ſo we may take them.

Sir, moſt of the great Malignants of the Countrey (unleſſe thoſe that are in Pendennis and the Mount) are come in; If you alone do not take ſome ſpeedy courſe to remove them out of the County, untill the County bee fully ſetled, I feare it will not bee long before we ſhall have new troubles here. Thus with the tenderneſſe of my beſt love and ſervice I reſt,