WE received yours bearing date the twenty sixth of this instant, wee returne you and Master Lloyd hearty thankes for your care and paines for us, the Letter you speak of sent per Major Elliot, we feare is miscarried, for wee heare not of it, wee are glad of your hopes of money, wherein if you and wee are disappointed, it will indanger not only our own Brigade, but also the whole worke of North-Wales, that now through Gods blessing upon the active and vigilant endeavours of our Ge­nerall, and the Forces under his command is re­duced into a very hopefull condition. We have closely besieged Holt Castle, Denbigh, Carnarvan and Flynt, all places of exceeding great strength, our Forces are so many, that all the Countries under our command, can hardly afford us pro­vision; we are put to use our utmost skill to get maintenance this way, then you may judge how hard it is with us for want of pay, with­out [Page 4]which our Souldiers will not continue pati­ently to goe on in their hard and difficult duty that hitherto they have undergone, harder then which we dare boldly say, hath not been in any place since these Wars, and besides many of our Souldiers with us are auxiliaries from Lancashire, who are most unreasonable men if they are dis­appointed of their pay, of which they have had many promises from our hopes of the [...]oool▪ or­dained for that service, wee see by Your Letter so much sence of our condition in you, that wee need not pres you to more then confidently we may expect you will endeavour to act for us, we pray you to hasten away the ammunition, and let us weekly heare from you by Chester Post, and we having taken care of conveyance of our Let­ters from and to that place, so that we shall keep constant correspondence with you.

For newes, We acquaint you above with the severall siedges wee are ingaged upon, each of them hath enforced much care and resolution, being all places of very great strength, well man­ned and victualled, they have made many sallies, but ever all of them repulsed with losse, especi­ally Carnarvan, which siedge was layd wast, and is managed by our Generall himselfe, the Com­mander [Page 5]in chiefe, each siedges have made works suitable to the condition of the places, our hopes must bee of starving, not storming any of them, De [...]bigh wee laid siedge too soone as wee took Ruthin, which now is 6. weekes since, its Governour is a verie wilfull man, he hath verie nigh five hundred able fighting men in it, it hath in its situation all the advantages for strength that any Castle can have, there are many Gentrie in it, and some riches in it, but it would do well, that as they are notoriously refrectorie, so they may bee made notoriously exemplary, by the Iustice of the Parliament upon them and their estates according to their demerits, the Countries have improved their interests and many other wayes have bin used, but all inef­fectuall, their hearts are as hard as the very foun­dation of the Castle it selfe, being an unpierce­able rock: there are Mounts raised round about it, and approaches for battering of a Tower cal­led the Goblings Tower: hoping thereby to de­prive them of the benefit of a Well in that Tower which can we attaine, we may then soone expect the Castle through want of water, they having but one well more which is usual­ly as it is reported dry in Iune or Iuly every sum­mer. [Page 6] Carnarvan, that siedge the Generall himselfel ay although with exceeding difficulty, the enemy (if not full as many, yet very nigh and as good men as England hath any) had as many men as the Generall, yet notwithstanding he at his first aproach to the town, beat in the enemy from their Ambushes that they had laine, as also out of the Suburbs, and from a Rock of very great concernment without any considerable losse at all, the Enemie made since that sidge which hath bin now very nigh one month, two despe­perate sallies, at the first they lost slaine and ta­ken prisoners seven or eight, and we but one shoots at the second, 17. whereof one taken, a Lieutenant, and one or two Lieutenants and foure more, our Lieutenant Generall was in danger at the sallie, had not the Countrie appea­red cordially & that generally the sige cold never continued thus long, Mr. Glyn M. Recorder his brother, Bart. Williams and some others are much assisting, they have formerly gotten in re­liefe by Sea, but we have gotten so many Boats and Ships, that we hope they now dispaire of a­ny more reliefe that way, they are in great want of water, this day the Generall gives them a se­cond summons, God grant it may take effect.

Yesterday went Commissioners Col. Roger Pope, Col. Iohn Iones, and Edwards Esquier to Ang­lesey with Propositions from our Generall for the surrender of that Iland to him for the Parlia­ment, he formerly had summoned it, and after two or three weeks consideration, they desired to treate either by Commissioners or propositions, the Generall therefore sent both, we heare since that they have turned out all strangers, and refuse to afford any reliefe to Carnarvan, we ex­pect an Answer within few dayes: Flint Castle two dayes after the siedge was layed, 46. of the Enemies horse broke away, but all come in or are gone to their homes 16 came into us to Ha­wardin, about ten went into Cheshire, and the rest being Welshmen are gone to their homes, there is no hold in all Northwales free from a siedge, but Conway, Haclacke, & Ruthland Castls, of which also you will heare something very shortly.

Holt hath bin be sieged ever since the taking of Chester, it is a very strong place, starving is the only hopefull way that we can use against that place. Sir, you may perceive wee neither have bin nor are idle, we hope the Lord will con­tinue to blesse our endeavours, for which we begge your prayers, we rest Sir,