IT is moſt neceſſary that I continue my Relation to you, of the ſtate and condition of the affairs in this Country, that they may be made knowne to both Houſes, and Proviſion made for ſuccours to be ſent us, which have hitherto come very ſlowly, though they have made large expreſſions of their care, we have beene long deſtitute of money to pay the Army, and to ſupply that want, I have uſed all poſſible induſtry, by taking up money upon Exchange, and by calling upon the Country to ſupply me for the preſent upon the publique Faith: The want of money doth ſo perplex that part of the Army here, as I imagine, the Houſe will not expect any conſiderable matter to be done by us, though God be thanked the Forces I ſend from hence and are rayſed by the Country with other places, are daily acting ſomething to advance the publique ſervice, as in the Northriding where Sir Hugh Cholmley hath carried himſelfe very bravely, giving ſeverall defeates to the Enemy nere Malton, and on monday the 16. of this moneth, joyning his Forces to Sir Mathew Boynton, they fell upon Colonell Slingsby at Gisbrowgh, where they defeated him and 600. Horſe and Foot with him, that had done much ſpoyle in the Northriding, they wounded and tooke Colonell Slingsby himſelfe, with 140. other Priſoners, kil'd a great many, and recovered 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 200. Armes with the place; amongſt the Priſoners taken by Sir Hugh Cholmley at Malton, and here at Gisbrowgh, it is found that a great number are Papiſts, and indeed the ſtrength of the Enemies will be found to conſiſt much of Papiſts & Popiſh affected, the Earle of New-caſtle, granting his Commiſſions for rayſing men to Papiſts for the moſt part, I have heard of late of Commiſſions granted to twelve Recuſants of theſe parts, whoſe names I ſend encloſed, •• t is not to be doubted he walkes the ſame wayes in other places as well as here, which courſes have ſo advanced Popery as I heare, that in Yorke where many Recuſants are ſetled, Maſſe is ordinarily ſayd in every ſtreet, and ſuch affronts offered to the Proteſtants and their Miniſtery, as few dare reſort to Church, and in other parts of the Country I am informed, that for many miles together the religious Miniſtery, are all either fled or impriſoned▪ which perſecutions, if they be not timely repreſſed, will extirpe or much depreſſe the Proteſtant Religion in theſe parts, about Bradford and Hallifax, God hath bleſſed my Son and thoſe ſmall Forces with good ſucceſſe againſt the Enemy in ſeverall light skirmiſhes, and on monday was ſeven night, he ſeized on the Lord Saviles houſe at Howley, and put about 100. Muſquetiers into it, and on tueſday I ſent Sir William Fairfax, and his Officers with ſome armes, to raiſe his Regiment in thoſe parts, and for his convoy I ſent what horſe and Dragooners I could ſpare from hence, directing them to ſtay with my Son to aſſiſt him in his deſigne againſt Leeds, and yeſternight I received Letters from him, wherein he relates to me, that on monday laſt he drew his Forces out of Bradford, and marched to Leeds, where Sir William Savill commanded in chiefe, my ſon firſt ſummoned them by a Trumpet to yeeld, which being refuſed, the Aſſault began, wherein his men carryed themſelves with great Reſolution, the Towne being fortyfied on all ſides, furniſhed with two braſſe Sakers, and manned with 1500. Souldiers, yet they forced an Entry in two houres fight, there being not loſt on both ſides above 40. men, but he tooke 4. colours, 500. Priſoners (of which 6 are Commanders) and with the Priſoners they tooke many Armes, the Sakers and all the Munition they had, which was not much; On our part we loſt 13. men, and Capt. Briggs, and Capt. Lee, both ſore wounded, and I perceive that in this exploit Sir William Fairfax, Sir Thomas Norcliffe, and Sarjeant major Forbes, with the reſt of the Commanders carryed themſelves very gallantly, the people doe obſerve that Sir William Savill, and the chiefe Commanders, on the other ſide ſoone after the fight began, fled by ſecret wayes towards Pomfret, and their men after them by degrees, but by the way Serjeant major 〈◊〉 was drowned croſſing the River, and Sir William Savill very narrowly eſcaped the like fate. After Leeds was thus won, my Son writes that hee intended to have marched to Wakefield, where Sir George Wentworth commanded, but was prevented therin by the enemies fears, who hearing he had taken Leeds, fled all away from Wakefield to Pontefract, and left the Towne, ſo he hath ſent ſome Forces to inveſt and keepe that place: Thus hath God bleſſed their endeavours on that ſide, and now I am told that Capt. Hotham and Sir John Savill, are gone up yeſterday with ſome Forces into thoſe parts, but upon what deſigne I know not, yeſterday morning I had ſome intelligence, that the moſt part of the Forces were marched the day before out of Doncaſter, ſo I have ſent 〈◊〉 Serjeant major Generall with ſix companies of 〈◊〉 to inveſt that place, and to leave ſome Forces to keepe it untill more ſtrength come to us, out of the Southerne Counties, which if they could be haſtened hither might very much advance the cauſe, & cruſh their Popiſh forces before they be ſupplyed by the Queens comming, or their party in Scotland, of which ther is ſōe expectation, I deſire you wil make known to the houſe the great extremities that are put upon me, & that a certain courſe may be ſetled for ſupplying us with Money for the entertainment of the army, inſuch ſeaſon, as our men may be encouraged in the ſervice, and not fall into a way of plundering for want of pay, my Sonne upon the taking of Leeds, though he entered it by force, yet he reſtrayned his Army from pillaging, ſo I have ordered that the Malignants in lieu of the ſpoyle, chalenged to be due unto the Soldiers, ſhall give them a Moneths entertainement, which I hope will content both Parties, yeſternight Intelligence was brought to me, that the Earle of New-Caſtle hath drawne downe all his Forces from the South-Parts of York-ſhire, thoſe onely excepted that keepe the Caſtle at Pomfret, for yeſterday he marched from Sherborne, to Yorke, with 36 Colours, • Pieces of of Canon, and 43 other carriages, the certaine cauſe I doe not yet know, but ſuppoſe it is to meet the Armes and Munition comming from New-Caſtle, or to prepare for the Queenes Entertainement at Yorke, which is much ſpoken of, I ſhall carry a vigilant eye upon his deſignes, and endeavour to prevent them, ſo farre as can hee expected from the forces under the command of▪