THe Rebels are possessed with such an admirable dexte­rity of spreading abroad petty defeats, for Glorious Victories, and use such an extraordinary vigilance to In­tercept, and Bury, all those Letters which may present the Truth without disguise: That though the last Action upon August the second, be scarcely worth the Royall notice, yet their swelling Relations may convey it to your Majesties knowledge in such a multiplying Glasse, as to deliver a Camisadoe for a Bat­tell, and the trifling successe of it for a memorably compleat Victory.

I shall therefore deliver your Majesty a most exact accompt of that dayes emergencies, in which I had rather exceed to the Re­bells advantage, then by an unseasonable flattering your Majesty with a pretended Prosperity, divert your Princely thoughts and care, from strengthning our hands with such Forraign strength as may be procured to your Majesties Service: It being an undoub­ted Maxim, that the securing this Kingdome, will (by Gods blessing) speedily reduce the other two out of the Jawes of those Barbarous Rebells, to your most Just, and naturall Obedi­ence.

On Wednesday at night, August the first, it was Resolved by a Councell of Warre, (the Results whereof, Sir Robert Welch is to present your Majesty in Duplicate) That Baggohrath should im­mediately be Possessed, and Fortified. The accomplishment whereof, could not but extreamly strengthen the Rebells in their Provision, who, though by the Addition of Force out of Eng­land, they were growne something Numerous; yet in our ap­prehensions, were become capable of hastning the Famine to its full groweth amongst them. Nor did their number so much adde to our feares, as it wasted from their owne Provision: To the acceleration of which wast, the possession of this place would have been considerable; since (by thus Pin-folding them up) their Horse, and Cattell, must have been totally deprived of all ima­ginable subsistance.

The consequents arising from the Fortifying of this place, the Rebels apprehended to be of no lesse danger to them, then we decreed it of advantage to us; and therefore Sallyed out with all the strength of Horse and Foot they could possibly make to beat us thence: To facilitate the which, and the more to amuse us, a Report was spread in my Army, (through their artifice) That Cromwell himselfe, was Landed in the Night, and that the whole English Power of the transported Rebells would that day be upon our Shoulders: Which, though I looked upon as a Lie, (& a leisure to have searched, would quickly have discovered the Author:) yet I could not undeceive the Souldiery, who were wholly possessed with it: more especially, those I had sent to Baggohrath, upon the eruption of the necessitated Rebel, did con­clude it for a Truth indisputable.

This proposition of their Mindes being extream prejudiciall upon the instant of Engagement, the better part of the Army Commanded to other places, or not come up. The Lord Inchi­quin himselfe, being gone into Munster with a considerable Bo­dy of the Horse, and twelve thousand I expected from Clan­rickard; and the Lord of Ards not yet come up, I resolved to call those Commanded Forces off from Baggohrath; and in or­der thereunto, gave Command to the Earl of Fingall, Sir Wil­liam Vaughan, and my Brother, to bring them off without enga­ging at all the Enemy.

But the Rebels advancing with an extraordinary expedition, (enforced by necessity, and now encouraged by our declining the engagement) fell with a confident speed upon our Rear, where Sir William Vaughan, and Sir Edmund Varney, making a vigorous resistance, had the honour to Sacrifice their Lives in your Majesties Quarrell: My Lord of Fingall, and my Brother (over-venturously voluntiering it) after some Wounds, were en­forced to become their Prisoners; the rest of the Commanded Party full of amazement and prepossession, defended themselves rather out of despaire of Life, then hope of Victory; which be­ing perceived by the Rebell, (highly animated with a prosperous beginning) all, or most of the Commanded Foot, being in num­ber about twelve hundred, were either slain, or taken. The Horse, with inconsiderable losse, drew off to their advancing seconds.

This was performed with such speed, that the Seconds I had [Page 3]sent forth after necessity of Engagement, were not able to come up to their Relief; and the Violent Rebell was so flushed with this Victory, that (growing eager to pursue his Fortune) he would needs charge those succours: which by the signall Valour, and Bravery of the two Lords, Castle-haven and Taffe, turned so little to their advantage, that about 500. of their Horse left their triumphant Riders upon the place, and the rest making a swift Retreat with their Foot into the City, of my 200. Men before ta­ken Prisoners were recovered: which, with eight of their Horse-Colours taken, may very well serve to bring the Victory to a new Dispute, what ever they may hereupon write to the con­trary, to haule Cromwells unwilling Souldiery to the relief of their loud Necessities.

At the present, Sir, We will not any more commit any thing to Fortune, by attempting to Block them up, (otherwise then on this side) till a full conjuncture with the Forces which Clan­rickard, Inchiquin, and Ards, are Marching up with towards us: which we resolve upon so much the rather, as resting assuredly confident, that Providence hath designed this particular place for the seat of Warre in this Kingdome, in regard Cromwell, with the remaining division of his Army, (the treacherously intended delivery of Corke being happily prevented) cannot be of any con­siderable power to Land in any other part to our disadvan­tage.

In this Paper, Sir, I have given your Majesty an entire, and exact account of every thing worth your Princely knowledge, which may have passed in the late Action of August the second. Of which, though the Rebells, who reckon Deliveries for Con­quest, may, peradventure, unseasonably triumph in the Gazets: They have no other true Ground then what is included in this Narration. The Bearer whereof, Sir Robert Welch, hath in Com­mission to satisfie all such Scruples as may appear justly questi­onable: who furthermore, is to assure your Majesty, that the Army under my Command, hath recovered so much Spirit, and Ardour against the most Barbarous Rebell, That Cromwell at his arrivall, will find an Enemy fully possessed with a generous desire of Revenge, Honour, and Liberty, of a more high, and noble Courage, then his mercenary Souldiery can ever be Principled into, whose Conscience clogged with a guilty violation of all [Page 4]Lawes, both Divine and Humane, must at one instant drive him into a Cowardly despaire, and infuse a glorious confidence of Victory into all the honest Soules of your Majesties Party in Generall. And particularly, Sir, into the Bosome of

REsolved, That a Party of twelve hundred Foot, and five hun­dred Horse be drawn out of His Excellencies Army, to possesse themselves of Baggohrath, and Fortifie it.

Resolved, That eight hundred of the prepared Pioneers be com­manded to attend the said Party, that the place may be Fortified with all Expedition.

Resolved, That the Foot of this Party be commanded by Adjutant Generall Searle, and the Horse by Col: Matthewes, who are to at­tend His Excellency for Orders.

Resolved, That the Earl of Castle-haven, and the Lord Taff, draw out two thousand selected Horse with Lieu. Colonell Gerards Fuiseers of His Excellencies Life-guard, to second the said Party, in case the Rebells attempt to interrupt them.

Resolved, That (the Castle being made good) a running Trench be drawn from thence to the Water-side to disturb all future Landing.

Resolved, That the running Trench being perfected, a Fort shall be raised at the end thereof, and six Peeces of Ordnance mounted thereupon, to Command the water passages.

Resolved, That a Coppy of these Results be recommended to his Highnesse Prince Rupert, who is Humbly desired by the Councell of Warre to furnish out two of the nimblest sort of his Frigots, which may serve for Avisoes and give seasonable Intelligence to his Excl­lency accordingly of the Rebells Course upon the Marine.

This is an exact Copy.

THe Gentleman who hath vouchsafed the delivery of this Letter to your Hands, Professeth himselfe a great Servant of your Lordships and highly addicted to the advance of the Royall Interest; and though his unfortunate weaknesse hereto­fore had made him so clouded to the eyes of his understanding, as to render him Incapable of perceiving those artifices by which the Grandees of the Present Faction have ascended to their Noone of Greatnesse, yet (that Philme being at Present taken off, he with great detestation abhors the very Memory of their actions, and to shew himselfe willing to satisfie for former mistakes) offers to undeergoe any Hazard to testifie the sincerity of his Conversion.

By him therefore as by a Person lesse abnoxious to suspi­cion, I have chosen to send you my Lord of Ormonds Letter to his Majestie about the Late fight betwixt Colonel Jones and him, and take leave to assure your Lordship that it is a most Perfect Copie.

August the 22 stylo novo. Sir Robert Welih came to Saint Germins from his Excellency, with an exact Narrative of that action: and since that Time severall expresses are come to his Majestie and other Great ones of the Court, from the Earle of Castle-Haven, the Lord Tasse, and the Lord Byron, all which render his Excellencies relation so full of exactnesse truth, and Ingenuity, That his Majestie is so absolutely confirmed in the re­lation, That all the Tempests of your Pamphlets, and Thunder of Thanksgiving cannot shake us from an acquiescence in that Narrative.

The French Kings magnificent reception into Paris, hath I doubt not more filled your gazets, then the returne of Provence to his most Christian Majesties obedience, or the Possibility of an utter Ruine to the Rebells of Burdeaux by the Gallant D'Espernon, Or the hopefull spring of a Peace at Cambray (easily to be collected from the Duke de Longevills this Letters) That which more Particulary acceeds to the English Interest is the Visit of the Lord de Hante-Rive from his Eminency Da Ma­zarini. The substance of whose Message (though all be here Buried [Page 6]in a deep gulf of silence, yet by observing a more then usuall Gaye­tie in the aspects of the Greatest Privadoes) gives (us of the next Orbe) just occasion to hope that a Tempest is preparing here which may in no long series of time humble all your Grandees at Westminster, and make your counsell of State apprehend White-Hall subject to Earthquakes.

One thing I am obliged to tell you, though something our of order of time, which is, when the Prince de Conde came to Present his Baise-mains to his Majestie, my curiosity (drawing neerer, unperceived, then their Privacies might have allowed me) gave me the opportunitie of hearing these words at their departure fall from the Prince of Conde to his Majestie: Sire Consolez vous, [...]royez pour chose asseuree, que quant a vos enemis nous leur Mar­cherons sur le Ventre tous deuz ensemble, ilsne nous eschapperent pas Le Roy l'a dit, son Altisse Royale l'a Promis.

Sir, Comfort your selfe, and believe it for a thing assured, that for what concernes your Enemies, we two together wil March over their Bellies: they shall not escape us, the King has said it, His Royall Highnesse has promised it.

Whether Montrosse is designed to strengthen Ormond in Ire­land, or to fall upon the North of Scotland, is not knowne: Counsels are more obscure here then at Westminster. But by an expresse dated the first of August, from Lubeck we are Certified, That eighteen hundred of his Horse are shipped at Lubeck, the Foot are to be Received from Denmarke, in number Ten thou­sand, I shall give your Lordship a more particular accompt with the next Conveniency.

His Majestie hath expressed himselfe very favourable in the Reception of Mr. G. and Mr. Ar. upon your Recom­mendation, and omits no opportunity to testifie what high esteeme you retaine in his Opinion. Your Lordship will be Pleased to Pardon my abrupt ending, I am at the instant called away, and have onely the Leisure to Tell your Lordship that I am in all numbers of gratitude,