IN the distresse wherein I doe remaine, it doth bring great comfort unto me to heare of the continuance of your health, and of the good successe of His Majesties Armes, there is no happier newes that can arrive to turne my fetters into free­dome, or my sorrowes into hopes, or which can prefer them sooner into the absolute possession of joy. In this apprehension (mee thinks) I am not the per­son which I was, and the more close my body is restrained, the more enlarged and noble is my mind. This is the hap­pinesse which I have gained by the solitude of my thral­dome, and whiles my enemies have endeavoured to afflict me, they have befriended me: In this only I have just reason to lament, that I cannot enjoy that immediate influence from His Majesties aspects which you doe, and I have those his incomparable vertues in contemplation only, which you really doe behold and daily doe derive from them more [Page 2] glory, by the full observation of their admirable working. His Majesty like unto Him whose second he is, gives restlesse Demonstrations of Religion, Justice, Prudence, and Mode­ration unto all; and constant in His owne goodnesse, offers mercy unto those whose swords have taught Him to be mercilesse: And by a high example of wonderfull pietie to avoid the effusion of their owne bloud, the King stoopes un­to His Subjects, and the Conquerour unto the conquer'd. I would willingly fall a martyr in this cause, and I am sorry that I have not lost my life rather then my liberty for the justice of it. I have a long time beene detain'd a prisoner, (for who can charg me of any other crime?) my adversaries would make the world beleeve, that they do me some great favour when they leave it to my free election, whether I will be so, or no. Do they beleeve that any is so in love with fetters that he would not change them for his freedome, were the conditions equall and proportionable to them? Some of my freinds have told me, and would perswade me to a beliefe, that my liberty may be gained: It may be gained peradventure indeed, but how? As from Merchants that value it at so high a rate that my fidelity, honour, and all that is deare unto a noble mind, must be the price to purchase it. If I refuse what they propound, the losse of goods, of lands, and by the length of my restraint, peradventure the losse of life it selfe must be the price that shall pay my ransome. This is a hard choice; it is in my power to be a freeman they do alleadge: but how? if I will be a slave, fall off from the ex­ample of my noble Father, and Predecessors, who laid the foundation of their first honours on their loyalties and their obedience to their Prince▪ If I will abandon His Majesties service in the warr, and enter into a new covenant and Pro­testation with them to take up Armes on their side, as if trea­son were nothing unlesse I made it Sacramentall. I have al­ready [Page 3] given my faith unto my Prince, (upon whose head this Crowne is by the law of Nature and of Nations justly fallen) shall I falsifie that faith, and joine unrighteous hands with theirs to trouble the peace and the splendor of it, Heaven forbid? But they alleadge againe; that in this cause of theirs, Religion, the priviledges of Parliament, the Liberty of the Subject, and glorious hopes and shewes are pretended. Dare not all Rebels cloake their purposes with such goodly titles? Hath not His Majesty, in whom alone the cheife power doth consist, given many and strong assu­rances to maintaine the same? hath He not taken Protesta­tions too sacred to be profaned by the jealousies, or miscon­structions of any whatsoever? that He will preserve the Protestant Religion in that forme and purity, as it was in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth, and His Father of blessed Me­morie? Hath He not with true zeale and justice, complained of the great scorne and disregard, that is cast upon the Ser­vice of God in the Booke of Common Prayer? and that while Religion is pretended to be reformed it is destroyed? Truely (my Lord) they are much deceived who think that Religion and rebellion can be companions, or that God will favour their attempts that strike at himselfe through the Princes sides. In that very word the King, there is such a Deity inclosed, that who wounds them wounds the Divine Nature. Why then should the sword be so rashly drawne un­der so holy a vaile? was Religion ever built on bloud? 'Tis true indeed, the bloud of the martyrs hath bin the foundati­on of the Church. But (my Lord) we must know againe that it is not their bloud, but their Cause that made them martyrs; and that the best Martyrs were so far from oppo­sing the authority of Princes, that they willingly did submit their lives to their commands. I can never read that they made any one insurrection to oppose their Prince, or any in­feriour Authorities derived from Him. Tertullian and St. [Page 4] Hierome (to whom I am beholding to my imprisonment for our best acquaintance) doth informe me, that in those an­cient times of elabourate Persecution, when invention lived almost altogether on the bloud of Christians, and cruelty grew witty to torment them, that they only contended a­gainst them in the Prayers for their conversion, and in the holy examples of a virtuous life, whereby they so much multiplied, that in few years the army of the Christians were the best protection and Lifeguard of their Emperours, although Heathens; And thus the Primitive Christians did ever propagate the Gospel with no other then their owne bloud, which at all times they did shed, not only to God, but to their owne Princes although Pagans, but never a­gainst them. As the Devill was the first Rebell, so Iudas was the first traytor amongst the Apostles, and shall we rank our selves with such hated Examples of Disloyalty and Treacherie. But were the cause good? Are the armes of the Parliament to be preferred to the Army of His Majesty? are they able to contend with Him? when have we fought with them, but they have beene beaten? At the battel of Keinton where my Father lost his life, and my selfe my liberty, (although in my owne particulars, I have small reason to speake of the successe of that day) yet I believe in that field was tried to the uttermost what the courage or the numbers of our Ad­versaries could performe. We observe that His Majesty with His Armie still kept the field, and I would it had beene my happinesse to have kept it with Him, or to have sealed there the obligation of my Loyalty with the dearest bloud I have. We shall finde the forces of our Adversaries, or ra­ther the reliques of their forces to retreate with what speed they could to this place of safety, where they made my selfe and some other captives the excuses of their coming, when indeed their owne necessities were the cheife occa­sions that did induce them to it, whiles the Army of His [Page 5] Majesty unfollowed by the enemie, in a secure march was making up towards Lòndon. I will passe over the fight before neare unto Worcester, & the defeat given them after neare unto Brainceford. We shall find that victory hath beene carefull alwayes to attend the sound of His Majesties drums and His Cannons, and with broad wings to cover his head in the day of battel, and at the end of every fight to be seene to pearch again and to rest her selfe on the safe crest of His glo­rious helmet: we find His Majesties Armies to increase daily both in number & in courage, whiles their expectations, and aid from Scotland, move not at all, or very slowly forward. They have no new places to resort unto for succour. To look for it in the Netherlands is in vaine, the English Regiments you know are there wholy devoted to His Majesties ser­vice, and a league betwixt both Princes is cemented by a strong tie of Marriage: To depend upon any forraigne as­sistances were to build new Castles in the aire, and besides wheresoever they shall addresse themselves, they shall find that who appear disloyall to one King, will be distastefull to all Kings. Their persons and their cause, will be there no lesse odious then their religion. It is easie to beginne, but let them observe the event of such ill-grounded warr. We have seene with horror the miseries that attend it, as the firing of houses, wasting of goods, famine, Rapes, Ruine of towns and cities, and the unjust Libertie usurped, lost in an instant, and for ever. The respects of wife, children and blood, are ties which by nature man doth hold most deare. If we pitty not our selves, let us not forget them that are so precious unto us, Kings have strong hands to put bits in the most stubborne mouthes: if they cannot relish gentle subiection, how will they digest slaverie? I would advise them therefore, not to put back this blessed Arme that stretcheth out to receive thē when the sword hath made more havock, and all is wilder­nesse, they will then beg for that they now refuse. For my [Page 6] part (my Lord) I am in their powers, and if it should fall in­to their hands, I know not how this free speech of a prisoner would be taken by them. Howsoever they dispose of me, I will never distayne my Ancestours, nor leave that foule title of a traitor, as an inheritance to my Posterity: they may when they please take my head from my shoulders, but never my heart from my Soveraigne. All my hopes are anchored on God, and the good successe of His Majesties Armes, and on the Justice of His cause, for which my prayers shall never be wanting. Through the sad misfortune and melancholly of my bondage, I have now exchanged the practice of a souldi­er for pensive solitude, and the sloth of contemplation; wherein I receive the more delight, that I have the more leisure to observe and collect the activenesse of your spirit, the action of your vertues, and the brave Spheare in whom they move: which might puzzle a farre better Mathemati­cian then my selfe. I have the leisure to peruse and contem­plate sometimes on those excellent speeches, delivered by the Lord Digby, and the Lord Falkland, men of admittable faculty, and who can conquer with their pea, as well as with their swords: and I do congratulate the happinesse of Oxford that in their ages, doth now againe enjoy those wits which in their infancies she did nourish. I looke on the advancing of my Lord of Newcastles Forces with a great deale of hope, & beleeve as he marcheth by, he will do us the good office, as to make it his complement to wish his friends so happy as to keepe him company in his approach to His Majestie: Assureing you that nothing under Heaven, can convey a more absolute content unto my heart, then to be so happy as to kisse againe His Majesties hand, and to expresse my selfe to be,