A LETTER OF The Confederate Welch-men to His Highnesse the Prince OF WALES
WE hope our Declaration which we have now sent unto your Highnesse, will give you ample satisfaction as well of our integrity heretofore, as of our intentiōs for the future to serve your Royall Father, and your Self, as farre as we are able to make you both great and glorious as the Parliament promised, and we ever intended, and did till of [Page 2]late, conceive that they did so too, but as soon as we cleerly saw that they went clean contrary wayes, we addressed our selves to his Majesty, and had a promise to have speedy directions from him, which we have not yet had; the reason whereof, as we conceive, is because of the close restraint upon him, in regard whereof we do now apply our selves unto your Highnesse.
We have sent some Propositions, which wee hope will seem reasonable to your Highnesse, and to confirme us in our endeavours, and that your Highnesse will please to sign them and some instructions concerning our wants and supplies, to which we hope your Highnesse will please to give us a speedy answer, that so we may go on the more cheerfully to restore your Royall Father to his greatnesse, that he may long reign over us, and when it shall please God to give him a Kingdome of glory in Heaven, to leave all His Kingdoms on Earth, to you his Successour in peace and happinesse, which shall ever be the prayer of.
Propositions sent by the Confederate VVelch to his Highnesse the Prince of Wales.
I. THat his Highnesse the Prince of Wales will be pleased to own them for his Army, and to be their Generall, and if he please, to come hither in person, if not to appoint.
II. That they may have an Act of Oblivion and indempnity, and a generall pardon for all things heretofore done by them during this war, and to be freed from suits in law, by particular persons for any thing by them done, touching, or in relation to the war.
III. That they may be paid all such arrears as shal appear to be due to them at this time, and for which the Parliament hath promised to give them Debenters, and a reasonable time and course to be appointed for the payment thereof, and for their future pay.
That they may continue in such Offices and places as now they have, until they be preferred to greater.
Instructions to carry on the work.
TO take course for Armes and Ammunition
To send Commissioners.
To keep intelligence and correspondency with the Prince, and to have a character to write to him by, and to receive Letters from him.
To consider what correspondency and intelligence they shall have with the Scots and Irish, and other parts of England and North-wales, and to what particular persons they shall make their addresses.
How they may have intelligence from London, parliament, and Army.
To know their proceedings from time to time, and make addresses therein.
To have Ships and Men of Warre sent down into these parts.
To send some men of experience to advise and assist them upon all occasions.
To consider what Officers and Commanders shall bee sent hither, wherein particular care is to be taken, and not to send any that may give offence to the souldiers or Country here.
To take care to raise men and money, and that the persons that receive the money may be men of trust, and that they may either give good security or an Oath, or both to employ it as shall be directed; and that if it be mis-imployed, he shall give notice of it to the Prince, or such as he shall appoint to that purpose.
That there may be some of the Country, and some of the Army, and some from the Prince that may joyn together in raising of mony, and quartering of Souldiers in such a way as may least offend the Country.
To provide for Proclamations of Pardon for all such as shall adhere to them.
This Plot was secretly carryed on by a great party of Gentlemen and others, who privatly got subscriptions of hands, and had taken an Oath of secresie to be faithfull each to other in the pursuance of this their Design; and to give the better gloss to their intended business they drew up a Declaration in the Name of the subscribers to this effect. viz.
A Declaration of divers Gentlemen and others in the Prineipality of Wales.
WE who have subscribed our names do declare, That we will use our utmost endeavours to bring the King to a personall Treaty with his Parliament, with freedom, honour; & safety; to the end that the just Prerogative of the King, priviledges of Parliament, lawes of the Land, Liberties of the people, may be all maintained and preserved in their proper bounds, and the Protestant Religion as it now stands established by the Law of the Land restored throughout the Kingdom, with such regard to be had of tender consciences as shall be allowed of by Act of Parliament.
It is an old proverb and a true one, delay breeds danger, which our Northern counties finds too true, and if this former mentioned design be not prevented may prove as dangerous to the Counties in Wales.
It was long rumoured, that the Scots were raising an Army to come against England though few believed it, or sought to prevent it, which now to late they repent, and have found it to their cost, no report but a truth, and though the well-affected would not take time by the fore lock, yet the Royalists did, for they immediatly seized on Pomfract Castle withall the Arms and Ammuntion therein, & began to imbody a strong party in the North, to joyn with the Scots, which the other neglecting, is the cause that the Scots come forward with much expedition and successe.
For they have seized on Carlisle, Barwick and Appleby, & divers other places▪ and are now on their march to Bernard castle notwithstanding Maj. Gen. Lamberts opposition, who hath endeavoured, as much as possible could be to retard their march, but for want of moneyes, which is the sinewes of war, and supplies of men, he is forced to retreat.
On Wednesday, the 17 of July, a party of our horse being at Wentbridg, and thinking themselves very secure, took up their quarters; every one making what provision he could, for himself and his horse, but the enemy at Pomfract having notice thereof by their spies, drew forth a party and suddainly fell upon our men in their quarters, where they found some sleeping, others drinking, and none of them in a posture of defence or able to dispute the businesse: they tooke about eighty common Souldiers, two Captaines and divers other Officers.
From Colchester our last intelligence informeth us, his Excellency commanded forth a party of his Forces, to fire [Page]on of the enemies Windmils which stood neer the walls of the said city, who having fitted themselves with hand Granado'e, and other matterialls fitting for that purpose, made their approach, which the enemy perceiving, provided to resist them and defend themselves, between whom began a very hot despute, but our men prevailed so far, that they had their design in firing the said mill, and hoping it would take good effect they retreated, which the enemy were very joyfull of, for by that meanes they had good opportunity, to quench the fire which in short space they did, to their comfort and our grief.
In this conflict there were many kild and wounded on both sides, what the enemies losse was we cannot as yet learn, on our side we lost not above 6 or 7 men, and about 11 were slightly wounded.
Those in the town are very free of Ammunition of late which we perceive by their superfluous shooting, in the town, whereby we are perswaded that they are in a better condition then we expected, and are likely to hold out yet at the least a moneth longer.