FRyday the 12 of Sept. my Lord Gene­ral drew near to the City of London and my Lord Mayor, and Aldermen, Sheriffs, and Recorder met about 10 of the clock in the forenoon at Guild­hall in their Scarlet robes, and with a dozen coaches [Page 2]went forth to meet his Excellency, a little beyond Acton, unto whom Mr. Recorder made a congratu­latory speech in behalf of the whole City, he was also met on the way by many Lords, the Speaker of Parliament and Members of the Councel of State as allo many thousands of Citizens both horse and foot (yet the Train-bands went not forth) which filled the ways and places best scituate for beholders four or five miles together. First, came his Life­guard being a Company of as gallant Gent. as you have seen mounted, heroick, and valiant; after them a Troop of Col. Rows horse belonging to the City, next unto them a great number of Common­ers and Gent. of quality, then his Excellency and the Speaker of Parliament came in a coach by them­selves, and by estimation at least three hundred coa­ches close after one another.

At Hide. Park corner near Knights-bridge stood to receive him the blew Regiment of Voluntiers lately raised, and from thence to Piccadilly was placed Col. Bark steads Regiment of red-coats, the great guns were also drawn out of St. Jameses, and about the time that his Excellency came to Cha­ring-crosse they went off one after another once over which they had no sooner done, but there was a gal­lant volley of shot given by the souldiers that brake the air, and with a mighty shout of the people ec­choed again to the earth, with order in the manner aforesaid with great and small shot, and hallowing of the people was observed and done four severall times over.

As the Generall passed by, the people all along as he went put off their hats, and had reciprocal res­pects return'd from him again; his Excellency chose rather to come in as privately as he could in a coach then openly on horseback, to avoid the popularity and applauses of the people, desiring rather that the good he doth to this Common-wealth may be heard and felt then seen, that the people should at­tribute or ascribe too much unto him, who desires to carry on the work of the Lord in all meeknesse and humility.

The last night the Scots, Highlands, or Redshanks, about 4000 in number lay on Hampstead heath, four miles from London, and this day they were with a guard brought by Highgate on the back-side of Islington to Kingsland, and from thence to Milin-green, they were suffered to receive such charity as people would give them, and had a cart load or two of bisket carrying after them, which is better food then heretofore they carried in their Oatrueal-bag. The next day being Saturday they were brought in at Algate, and so marched through cheap-side, Fleet-street and the Strand, and likewise through West­minster. For the most part they were very sturdy surley knaves, keep them under, and they may serve for nasty stinking vassals, I leave to every indiffe­rent person that hath beheld them to judge what a condition they had been in if such a generation as this had prevailed and become their masters, or cut their throats, of which they made themselves so sure many of them brought their wives and berns in with them, yet were many of our Scotified Citizens so [Page 4]pittifull unto them, that as they passed through the City they made them (though prisoners at mercy) masters of more money and good white-bread then some of them ever see in their lives, they marched this night into Tuttle fields, some Irish are amongst them, and most of them are habited much after that fashion, the English that were at the battel are se­vered out by themselves; they are not yet come, but are coming up.

The English Lords and Scots with other eminent Commanders, are carried to Windsor and other places for security, till the Parliament take further order, the Parliament hath appointed Thursday the 2 of Octob. to be set apart as a day of solemn thanks­giving to be observed over all the 3 Nations of Eng­land, Scotland, and Ireland. It is not yet known of a­ny certainty where the Scots King is, if he be not al­ready gotten away into the Isle of man, its thought he lies sculking about in some private corners with Hind his guide. Major Gen. Harrison, Col. Lilburn, Lievt. Gen, Fleetwood, and most of my Lord Generals horse are active in gathering up of such as escaped at the fight and are dispierced, the Maj. Gen. is advan­ced after a party of the enemies horse, with whom were Middleton, and David Lesley, which went to­wards Lancashire. And you are to observe this by the way, that much about the same time that my Lord Gen. came to London, viz. on Fryday about 5 of the clock, there came Letters which advertized that Lievt. Gen. Lesley, Maj. Gen. Middleton with ma­ny other officers of note, & about 600 private soul­diers are taken prisoners at a town called Middleton [Page 5]in Lancashire; it is also reported that D. Hambleton and Massey (who were taken prisoners) are dead, but I leave the certainty thereof to further relations.

We also understand that the town of Middleton (which proves fatal to him of that name) is on the further part of all Lancashire toward the sea, and if the enemy had had any-time to stay without being pursued, its likely they had some hopes of getting over into the Isle of Man; these are those Scots which were at Sandbatch about a week since, and killed 6 or 7 of the country people which caused the rest to rise.

There is now taken a tall young Gentleman which there was some thoughts at first to be the Scots King but it proves otherways, since the escape of this party of Scots Northwards, we hear that Sir Wil. Hart and others of quality are taken; besides, those before spoken of, and near 20 that were taken prisoners at their coming over Warrington-bridge, and carried to Chester, are already tried by a Coun­cel of war, and have received (at the least) sentence to be shot to death.

And truly there is great cause that we should blesse God, and sing aloud of his praises for the great and seasonable deliverance we have now had in making bare his glorious arm against such as had lifted up their hands and decreed amongst them­selves against the lives and estates of us and our chil­dren. Let us therefore be ever mindful of his works and the wonderous things which hee hath done for us.