I Received commands to present from his Excellence a letter to the Earle of Dorset at Court, which was then sayd to be at Sturbridge, fifteene miles hence, with the votes of both Houses of Parliament con­cerning a Petition to bee delivered to his Majesty, whither repairing on Sunday last, I found there many of the Cavalliers who command their horse: upon my comming thither, I caused the Trumpet sent with me to sound thrice, but finding no guard, I advanced into the Towne, and demanded of such ragged people as I found [Page 2] there for an officer to convay me to Prince Robert, and I told them I had a message to deliver to him from his Ex­cellence, of which those kinde of people not taking no­tice, I went further into the Towne, and called to a Gen­tleman desiring him I might bee brought to the place where the Prince was, which the Gentleman (who I after found was the Lord Caff) directed me to, upon my ap­proach thither, I alighted with the Trumpot, and deman­ded to speake with the Prince, but before I could be ad­mitted to him, I was by Commissary Wilmot conveyed to his owne chamber and being, asked if I had letters, I repli­ed I had, and told him to whom, and upon what occasion the letters he willed me to deliver to him, and tartly sayd he must have those I had, whereupon I delivered the let­ter to him which was sealed, he then left me in the custo­dy of an officer or two, who used me fairely, and stayed with me in the chamber till his returne, which was short­ly, and then tooke me with him ro the Prince, to whom in presence of Generall Ruthen, and Commissary Wilmot, I declared the message I had in charge, to which his High­nesse gave a faire answere, but withall told me I was by the law of Armes a prisoner, for that I came into the town without leave procured by a Trumpet, and brought letters through the Army which was sealed: I told his Highnesse, sor the first, I conceived I had not broken the law of Armes, for that the Trumpet sounded thrice, there was no court of guard, or other watch kept about the towne, neither would any take cognisance of my busines with the Prince, (though I intreated it of divers) till I was in the towne, which gave me cause to believe his Highnes was not there: For the second it was businesse from the Parliament, therefore not unfit to be sealed, the rather for that the like course had within few daies been held before [Page 3] in the very same businesse, and it found acceptation which presidented rhis; the answere not satisfying under the name of an officer to keepe me company, I was returned to Commissary Wilmots chamber, where I was entertai­ned with convenient respect, though no way sutable to the businesse of that day: the Trumpet was put into a cham­ber close by, and there they indeavoured to seduce him from his service, to become a Trumpet to the King, from about eleven a clock in the forenoone, till one next mor­ning I was kept in the chamber, a strong court of Guard being set at the streete doore of the house where I lay, there came severall officers to me, and tooke liberty to speake of his Excellence, most of the Lords here, and both Houses of Parliament in most high and approbious lan­guage, of these the prime were Major Oneale, Major Hut­chison, Mr. William Murry, Capiaine Chapman, Captnine Mountaine, and some others: after supper Commissarie Wilinot came to me with Collonell Hastiugs, Sir Thomas Byrom newly knighted, he commands Prince Charles his Troop, Mr. William Murry, Mr. Dudly Smith, and a Scotch commander, who I remember not, they fell upon mee with high discourse, and told me I was the greatest enemy the King had in these parts of the country where I lived. which I would in time know the King was sensible off: and they wondred I durst come thither, that and my be­ing an officer of the Army considered (both which ren­dred me a man regardlesse either of the Kings power and favour) I told them I was as good a subject as the best of them, I wisht better to, and praied more for, and would much more truely serve his Majrsty then the best of them which upon all occasions I would be ready to make good, for my comming thither, it was not as an officer, nor as a man relating to the Army, but as a messenger sent to the [Page 4] Earle of Dorset, in the businesse of the Parliament, for my boldnesse, if it were any to come so sent, it was God and my inocency which encouraged and would protect me against whomsoever:they told me they admired (some things considered which they pretended I was indued with,) I should be so blinded to appeare in such a busi­nesse against my King, and act the part of a traitor as all my partakers did: I desired they would forbear such lan­guage, and replyed upon them in short, that I had done no­thing but what my iudgement and conscience had dicta­ted to me, and that upon such mature deliberation with my owne thoughts, and conference with others of appro­ved judgements, that by the helpe of God I would stand or fall to the way I had engaged for, which was so farre from treason, or a thought of ill to his Majesty in me or any else whose way I went, that I feared not all the ruine of our oppressors, which if done, his Majesty would clear­ly see his own mistake, both of them and us, and such of them as scaped the sword, hee would referre to justice, that it might appeare wherein hee erred and misbelieved of us, was through them, but I intreated wee might not talke any more of that businesse, it being a point too ten­der: whereupon they fell to other discourse, told me what great things they had done at Worcester the 23. of September last, and there slaine hundreds of our men and converted (as they called it) Colon. Sands both which I answered according to what I saw and knew. First, Col­lonell had declared, fully his heart and words, hee then spoke to the world; and secondly, there was but twenty five slaine on both sides, which lay upon the place, Major Douglas, and a Cornet of theirs, the Lord Beamonds bro­ther dyed within a day or two after, and foure of their part, one whereof they buried, and carried three with [Page 5] them dead, and a third part of the twenty five men slaine upon the place was theirs, and the hurt men were neere upon as of theirs as ours, some of them more ingenuous then the rest confessed the death of the last foure, but wondered how it was knowne. I told them the Major of Woster discovered, that though he was so much theirs, he forgot to shew himselfe a Christian or a man, they re­plied, all men were false they thought; but now they had taken a good course with those about the King; for they had lockt up his Majesties eares and tongue from the Lords at Court, who they say said were both treache­rous and cowardly, as the L. Dorset and others, and they swore [with their ancient boldnes and untruth] that the Lord Dorset and others of them about his Majesty did discover and betray the Kings intensions to our side, but now of late hee had learnt to keepe his Councels from them: I told them they had forgot to speake of their va­lour at Southam and Manchester; to the first, they swore hard they lost but three men; to the second, one of them answered who had beene upon that service, that they had lost more there then at all other places; but they laid the fault upon the Earle of Darby, who they said was both a foole and a Coward; and swore hartily they hoped hee would never come up to them.

From this Discourse they passed on to ieere and revile our Lords as well in Parliament as here our Officers in the Army (I eannot forget those base speeches they spoke against the Earle of Holland, though I abhor to write them in particular) which was answered as it came, and returned with what sharpnesse my owne weaknesse and the present condition I was in would admit of. When each man had spent his powder, and had his Bout at me, and received his answer, I had my dispatch from Com­missary [Page 6] Wilmot (who talked as if he had Commission for it) with an answere to the Letter I brought (the Prince being rather willing to send it to the Court, then trouble me with the carriage of it) and the next morning I had leave with a respective Farewell to depatt till our next meeting, which I hope will be about Dunsmore Heath, and not long too. In the interim I thought fit to of­fer these to your view, if happily any advantage may come to the Cause hereby, I wholly leave it to the wis­dome of your selfe and those to whom you shall think to impart them, whether you make them publique or no, the truth of them I will make good when I shall be cal­led, and will ever rest;