THe Paper ſent to me incloſed in the Letter from your Lordſhips and Sir Charles Lucas of the 19. inſtant, ſeems in the firſt part of it ſo drawn as that I could not well underſtand it, what kind of Treaty, or for what Peace it meant: But the latter part under-written by your Lordſhips, and Sir Charles Lucas, ſeems to explain your own meaning, ſo as you meant a Treaty betwixt the Armies for the generall peace of the Kingdome, and not otherwiſe for your ſelves, or your Garriſon: And to the Contents of it in that ſenſe I can only ſay, That ſuch a Treaty, and for ſuch a Peace is not the proper work of my ſelf, or the Army, but theirs that have mployed us. But if the Engliſh be to make way for Conditions to your Garriſon, I ſhall (without the trouble of a Treaty) let you know what your ſelves, and thoſe under you may expect from me (which for the reſtoring of quiet to this County, and the Kingdom without more bloud-ſhed) and for the ſaving of ſo eminent a Towne from the chance of War, I ſhall offer) viZ. That if your ſelves, and the reſt with you in Colcheſter, ſhall within 24 houres after notice hereof lay down Armes, the common Soldiers, and men of that rank, ſhall have liberty to depart to their ſeverall Homes, and there quietly to remaine, ſubmitting to the Authority of Parliament, (and this I ſhall make good however to ſo many of that ſort reſpectively as ſhall accept thereof, and do accordingly) your ſelves and the Officers and Gentlemen engaged with you in the Towne ſhall have liberty and Paſſes to go beyond Sea with equipage befitting their qualities (engaging themſelves not to returne into this Kingdome without leave from the Parliament.) And all of both ſorts with the Inhabitants of the Towne ſhall be free from plunder or violence of the Soldiery (their Armes, Ammunition, and furniture of warre within the Towne, and alſo their Horſes, imployed in military ſervice (except ſuch Horſes and Swords as ſhall be thought fit to be allowed to Captains or ſuperiour Officers and Gentlemen of quality for their removall) being firſt delivered up without imbeazlement in an orderly manner as ſhall be further ſet down, and the Forces under my command, or ſuch as I ſhall appoint, being admitted a peaceable entrance into the Towne. I deſire the Committee of Parliament now in your hands (who by their ſubſcriptions to part of the Paper, and by your ſending of it as from them, or at their requeſt, are concern'd to know what my Anſwer is) may be acquainted herewith, and indeed if it be concealed from any that are concern'd in it, The blame thereof from God and man is like to fall on their Heads, who ſhall be the Authours of ſuch concealment.

WE have received yours of the 20. which takes notice of the Paper of the 19. ſubſcribed by the Committee, and of our permiſſion to have it delivered to you. You have very juſtly apprehended our intentions to be the publique peace of the Kingdome, And we again own that ſenſe, and no other, as befitting the duty of Engliſh-men. And we do believe if both Armies were accorded in ſuch an endeavour it were the moſt pious, eaſie and honourable action wherein they could be ingaged. But why you have taken occaſion by that act of ours to offer Conditions in particular to us, we underſtand not, nor can it be ſuppoſed without ſtraining, and offering violence to our manner of proceedings. Thoſe Conditions you proffer to the Officers and Souldiers on our part, we do hereby make offer of to the Officers and Souldiers on your part. We ſhall in this occaſion deal frankly and plainly; we doe not without evident reaſon conceive our ſelves to be in a condition able to entertain all the force you can make, and thereby to give courage and opportunity to all truehearted Engliſh-men to recover their antient and known Lawes; Or if you ſhall adventure to attaque us, we doubt not but by the mercy and aſſiſtance of Almighty God to give you ſuch a repulſe as ſhall give teſtimony of our force and courage, And at how high a rate we value the generall peace of the Kingdome. You do with more then uſuall earneſtneſſe deſire that your Anſwer ſhould be communicated to the Committee, and whom elſe it may concern. We apprehend you chiefly intend the Inhabitants of Colcheſter; we were very unworthy perſons if any ſhould exceed us in our care for this good Towne, And we doubt not but God will recompence the kindneſſe we have received from them, and that he hath a reward in ſtore for them, ſuitable to the Loyalty and Fidelity they have hitherto manifeſted toward the KING, and known Lawes of the Kingdome. And becauſe you apprehend it ſo important, and neceſſary to divulge the proceedings in this affaire, we will therefore put it into your power; And therefore we deſire your Lordſhip to cauſe the Paper ſigned by the Committee (of the 19.) and our Anſwer ſubſigned, the Anſwer of your Lordſhip to us of the 20. and this our Reply of the 21. to be all printed, and as many of the prints as you ſhall ſend to us, we will diſperſe in Colcheſter, and thoſe parts of the Country under our power, and to each perſon of the Committee, one.