I Cannot but be obli­ged unto you for your continuall fa­vours towards me and my son Robert at Lincolns Inne: I have understood by your Letters the forwardnesse of the City of London, and [Page 2]the strength of men, ordnance, and other implements of implements of engines in all places, for the resisting of His Majesties Forces. I confess possession is it points of the Law, so their managing the city with strength is a sure ground of resistance, but I believe to little purpose; for on tuesday I rid to Oxford, and through thousands of His Majesties Army, which exceeds the number of your relation, and having spent the day in the city, I came late to my home at Newberie, and there was no injury offe­red me by the way, or had forceably taken from me the value of a point, though it hath been related that neither horsmen nor footmen, waggon or carrier can travell a­bout their occasions, but the soldiers make them their prey: I can assure you they are kept in good order, without doing pillage, as is related. And to come to my former discourse, when I came to Oxford, I saw at the least fifty burials following one ano­ther, and in an houres respit as many more, [...]hich I conceived were the corps of some [...]at at were slaine in the last fight. After this [Page 3]I came to my Inne at the Katherine-Wheel, and I chanced upon Secretary Nicholas, with whom I drank my part of a pint of wine, and entring into discourse, I gathe­red, that neither the King or his Nephew have any intent to come to London, but that they will passe the river at Henley, and so march into Sussex and Kent, and from thence into Essex, where his Maiesty is as­sured of a great party, if not for the present in those Easterne parts, that then it is his Maiesties pleasure to goe to Salisbury and Southampton, where he expects great aid from Hopton, Stowell, and others in the West Countrey. M. Secretary Nicholas told me, that Sir John Killagrew came with a message from the Parliament to pe­tition His Maiesty that the Earles of Pem­broke and Northumberland might have admittance to parley concerning a treatie of peace, and that his Maiesty was graci­ously pleased to accept thereof, provided that none before excepted in his Maiesties Declaration dated the twelfth of August, presume to trouble his Maiesty upon paine [Page 4]of death, and that the Commissioners ex­ceed not above 20. at the most. He certi­fied me likewise, that his Majesties Forces are a great many more then some of your Pamphlets made mention. I cannot but believe of a greater number, for they were billeted full ten miles in length, and three miles in breadth, you may judge how they were dispersed; for at Wallingford there lay a thousand souldiers, at Twiford and Ockingham a thousand; and on tuesday night last they were both pillaged, as also Reding hath been pillaged of at least five thousand yards of cloth, besides other things of worth; which happened by the false-heartednesse of each other in the said towne, and none else, as I can heare of about us: diverse Troupes of horse and Foot-companies are billeted at Thetcham, Wellington, and about, besides great store at Newberie, and many pettie Villages thereabouts, and the souldiers at Oxford and Abbington. Prince Robert hath sent a partie to Windsore to demand the towne and Castle, but the messengers had a re­pulse, [Page 5]and were told by the Parliaments Forces which were billeted there, that the Prince should win it and weare it: and thus much I can assure you; for I had it from the Secretaries own mouth.

There is one maine thing which I have omitted, and that is, the multitude of War­rants which have issued forth under the command of Prince Robert to all places within twenty miles of his Army, it runs in the nature of Generall Lesley his War­rants at his entring of New-Castle, com­manding all men to provide and bring to his Army all manner of food and suste­nance for his souldiers reliefe, as also that the countrey provide both horse and men for the assisting of him in the said warre, and that all those that wil not assist him, to pay a contribution of money for their re­fusall.

And this is the effect of the said War­rants, as I can rightly understand. Plate and money is brought to his Majesty in a­bundance, and the Coyners of his treasure [Page 6]carried upon wheeles, and coyne money travelling. It is a most excellent inventi­on of Leniell His Majesties Engineere, whom we thought to have beene cut off in the last fight at Kinton. And so I wish you and yours health, leaving you to Gods protection, and rest,