A LETTER Of November the 16th:
From an eminent Officer in the Army at Edenburgh to a friend at London, declaring the true number of the horse and foot now under General Monck, and their unanimons Resolution to adventure all for the support of Magistracie and Ministrie, the Rights of the People, and Priviledges of Parliament; all which are now endeavoured to be subverted by that part of the Army under Colonel Lambert and others about London.
Printed in the Year 1659.
MY Lord General Monck not knowing if his Letter to your Brother, came safe to him, commanded me to remember his service to you. We are here, the LORD be praised, all of a piece, resolv'd to venture all for the establishment of the Ordinances of Magistracie and Ministrie: some time since his Lordship sent to acquaint such of the horse that were not free to act, That they should have liberty to goe whither they would, and about 55. of Twisleton's Regiment, most of Capt. Davies Troop, and 24. of his own Regiment of horse, went away. We shall march somewhat more then six thousand good Foot, and two thousand horse, and leave our Garrisons well enough supplied. Yesterday the Nobility and Gentry of the Scottish Nation met at Edenburgh, and have engaged to live peaceably upon our marchaway, they have offered large assistance of men, but my Lord Generall meddles not with any of them, four of the County [Page 4] troops of Northumberland are come in to us, and three more had come but they were suppress'd by contrary orders from Newcastle: But we doubt not, by that time we get a few daies into England, recruits both from the Army and Countrey will come in unto us, for we have certain intelligence that their men are much divided, and many of the most pious Officers lay down their Commissions, and few but Anabaptists and those that are profest enemies to Ministrie engage against us, except the nine whose Commissions were taken away by the Parliament, and some of them are of that judgement also. We hear at London they speak strangely of us for securing Colonel Cobbet and some other seditious Officers that went about to divide us here, whom they call sober godly men. As for Cobbet, I know not how my Lord could doe otherwise, he being one that came to command his Regiment after the Parliament had made his Commission void, and being one of the most active in their interruption; and likewise his Lordship had certain intelligence that he came to Scotland to secure his person if he could not draw him to join with those at London in their wicked practises: but as for the other Officers, after they were at first secured to prevent their disturbance of the peace of this Army, as many of them as were free to own the Parliaments Authority from whence they received their [Page 5] Commissions, were admitted to their Commands, and the rest have their pay continued to them: but truly, as for their sobriety, I think few in Bedlam were lesse wild in all honest principles, and the best marks of Godlinesse we could observe in them, were hatred, violence, emulation, strife, sedition, heresies, envyings, revileings and such like: and notwithstanding all their pretences for the Good Old Cause, and the Godly interest, their whole endeavour hath been to ingrosse all power to themselves: and most of the Officers in England, and Ireland, and Scotland of late put in, were all of that judgement; and all that were for Magistracie and Ministrie, reviled and call'd Priest-ridden, and the like; and I am confident, not any but of these sort will oppose us: Major General Morgan came in to us the 6th instant, he brought a letter from my Lord Lambert to mediate for peace, but hearing my Lord General and our Officers (upon an earnest desire of my Lord Fleetwood) had sent up three of our number, Commissioners to endeavour to beget a good understanding betwixt us & our brethren; he wrote a letter to my Lord Lambert by Colonel Talbot, wherein he told him, if the Treaty succeeded not, he desired to be excused if he acted in his station where his command lay, and he is at present with his Regiment, putting it into good order, it being lately chang'd from Dragoons to [Page 6] be Horse; since his coming to us Lieut. Colonel Ledger a Yorkshire Gentleman that was Lieutenant Col. of Flanders Regiments now at York, hath laid down his Commission, declaring, he cannot with conscience act against us, & we have a rumor that Col. Samuel Clark his Col. hath done the like, and many more will do so or better, of whose names it is not safe to write at this time. The Regiments that march'd from London were very unruly in their march, Duckenfield's men would not indure him at the head of them, and cried out they would have a Parliament, and Salmons men were very rude upon the Countrey in free Quarter and violencies. My Lord Gen. has been so good an husband for us, that we are all paid, and have enough for December and Ianuary; and we shall march with much chearfulnesse. All true English men, that think no hazard too much for the Vindication of Magistracy and Ministry, the liberties of the people, and priviledges of Parliament. I presume by this time our Commissioners know what to trust to, their time is almost expired, and if they cannot make a good accommodation we should be glad to see them here, that we may doe our duties in this our generation to save the Nations from confusion in civil and spiritual liberties, which vvere never so near subversion as novv; Indeed if they at London had ever yet stuck to any declaration they ever emitted, one might [Page 7] expect something from them▪ but at a Committee of Officers at Whitehall, about the 24th of Octob. (of which we have here certain notice from and of them;) They being in debate about Tythes and Ministers maintenance, one of them (a Colonel) said he was both against Ministers & their maintenance also, but yet the time was not come to take them away, and therefore they should declare at large, are these the Co [...]nsels of Saints? Truly I must tell you with grief of heart, we are certainly inform'd here, That the Officers at Wallingford House never meet in a day of Prayer, but the hearts of sober Godly people are afflicted at it, finding all those devotions but the Forerunners to some grievous mischiefs in perpetration. How can my Lord Fleetwood acquit himself of the private engagement he made in the Parliament the day before he acted in their interruption, and how can Sydenham be freed from the publick Engagement and Profession he made, and with what conscience can Salway Act to model Governments, that was so severe against all things done in these yeares from the first interruption in 53. Upon the 5. of this moneth Captain Dean the Treasurer brought us a letter from the Officers at Whitehal, which was sent as an answer to ours from Linlithgowe dated the 22. of October, & dispers'd many copies of it to seduce the Souldiers, so that assoon as our Officers [Page 8] had framed an Answer to it, my Lord General caused both their Letter and our Answer to be Printed, and I have sent them to you here inclosed, and I desire you would get them Printed if you can, for I think they are well worth publick view.
I was commanded by my L. Monck to write to you, and to give you this brief Account of our Affairs, I hope you will pardon this boldnesse of