A FULL RELATION OF The Proceedings at the Rendezvouz of that Brigade of the Army that was held in Corkbush field in Hartford Parish on Monday last.
AND A LETTER from the Speaker of the Honorable House of Commons to Sir Thomas Fairfax, concerning the said Rendezvouz.
With a PAPER, Entituled, Englands Freedoms, and Soldiers Rights.
ALSO A Petition to his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, of divers Officers and Soldiers of the Army under his Command.
Together with a Declaration against the Proceedings of the new Agents.
Imprimatur
London, Printed for Laurence Chapman, November 16. 1647.
To his Excellency Sir Tho: Fairfax.
THis house received several desires from you, in behalf of the Army under your Command, which they took into present consideration; but by the Kings withdrawing from Hampton Court, were interrupted in that debate. For the moneths pay, they have endeavoured the complying with it, and doubt not, but it may be speedily effected; for the Arrears, they are resolved to give a full and sufficient security; and are very sensible of those expressions of the Army, wherein they declare their resolutions (upon a constant pay) to make it death to take any thing from any inhabitant of this kingdom; and remembring that the Rendezvouz of the Army beginneth on Monday next, They have commanded me to make known unto you (and desire you would make it known to the Soldiers) that they will forthwith proceed upon those desires of the Army, which by reason of this accident (for the present) they could not finish; and make such provision for them, both for the present for their Arrears, and their future constant pay, as may let them cleerly see, the care they have of them, and the value they put upon their past services; resting confident of their complyance and submission to the Commands and Directions of Parliament; not having more in command, I remain,
THis day (according to appointment) the Rendezvouz of the first Brigade of the Army was held in Corkbush field in Hartford Parish, between Hartford and Ware; Hartford being the Head quarters Saturday and Sonday, the General went from thence to the Rendezvouz; where according to order there met, of Horse, The Generals Regiment, Col: Fleetwoods, Col: Riches, and Col: Twistletons; of Foot, The Generals, Col: Hamonds, and Col: Prides: And besides these, upon the seducements of the new Agents, Col: Harrisons, and Col: Lilburns Regiments: The General expressed himself very gallantly and faithfully at the Head of every Regiment, to live and dye with them for those particulars which were contained in a Remonstrance read to every Regiment: And notwithstanding the endeavors of Major Scot and others; to animate the Soldiers to stand to the Paper called The Agreement of the People, they generally by many acclamations declared their Affections and Resolutions to adhere to the General; and as many as could in the short time they had allowed, signed an Agreement drawn up for that purpose, concerning their being ready from time to time to observe such Orders as they should receive from the General and Councel of the Army, I had sent you the copy of this Agreement, and His Excellencies [Page 5] Remonstrance, but that I was so straitned in time I could not: I shou'd have acquainted you before, That upon the Generals coming into the field, Col: Eyres, Major Scot, and others, were observed to be insinuating divers seditious Principles into the Soldiers, and incensing them against the General and General Officers: Upon which Order was given for the Commitment of Col: Eyre and others into the Marshals hands; and Major Scot committed to the custody of Lieutenant Chillenden, and sent up to the Parliament: Some inferior persons were likewise committed, for dispersing sundry scandalous and factious Papers, as The Agreement of the People, &c. among the private Soldiers: And finding that those persons who pretend most for the Freedom of People had dispersed divers of those Papers amongst Col: Lilburns Regiment of Foot (the most mutinous Regiment in the Army) strict Command was given for them to tear them and cast them away; which was done: and Captain Lieut: Bray (who was the onely Officer above a Lieutenant left among them, the rest being driven away by the mutinous Soldiers, and one of them wounded) was taken from the Head of that Regiment, and committed to custody; it being alleaged, That he had led on the Soldiers to that Rendezvouz contrary to Orders. And afterwards a Councel of War being called in the field, divers Mutiniers for example sake were drawn forth, three of them were tryed and condemned to death, and one of them (whose turn it fell to by lot) was shot to death at the Head of the Regiment, and others are in hold to be tryed. [Page 6] The Soldiers of this Regiment crying out, That they were abused by their Officers, and being told by the Lieutenant General, That they should have Justice against them, were very much satisfied, sensible of their error, and promised conformity to the Generals Commands for the future. Col: Rainsbrough and some others presented this enclosed Petition, and The Agreement of the People, to His Excellency at his first coming: Col: Harrisons Regiment, who had them in their Hats with this Motto on the outside in capital Letters, Englands Freedoms, and Soldiers Rights, when they understood their error, tore them out of their Hats, and expressed their Resolution to be obedient to His Excellencies commands. Lieut: Col: John Lilburn came this day to Ware; but things not succeeding at the Rendezvouz according to expectation, came not further. Sir, As I cannot but rejoyce in this days Unity, in relation to the Peace of the Kingdom; so, I hope, That the issue will tend to the benefit thereof; and that the General and Officers of the Army will do as much for the real Freedom of the People, as the other do pretend; and how good soever their Intentions may be, nothing but confusion at present appears in their Endeavors. In much haste I rest,
Englands Freedoms and Soldiers Rights; An Agreement of the People, for a firm and present Peace, upon Grounds of Common Right.
HAving by our late labors and hazards made it appear to the world at how high a rate we value our just Freedom, & having so far owned our cause, as to deliver the enemies thereof into our hands: We do now hold our selves bound in mutual duty to each other, to take the best care we can for the future, to avoid both the danger of returning into a slavish condition, and the chargeable remedy of another War: for as it cannot be imagined that so many of our Countrey men would have opposed us in this quarrel, if they had understood their own good; so may we safely promise to our selves, that when our common Rights and Liberties shall be cleared, their endeavors will be disappointed, that seek to make themselves our Masters: since therefore our former oppressions, and scarce yet ended troubles have been occasioned, either by want of frequent National meetings in Counsel, or by rendring those meetings ineffectual; We are fully agreed and resolved, to provide that hereafter our Representatives be neither left to an uncertainty for the time, nor made useless to the ends for which they are intended: In order whereunto we Declare,
1. That the people of England being at this day very unequally distributed, by Counties, Cities, and Burroughs, for the Election of their Deputies in [Page 8] Parliament, ought to be more indifferently proportioned, according to the number of the Inhabitants: the circumstances whereof, for number, place, and maner, are to be set down before the end of this present Parliament.
2. That to prevent the many inconveniencies, apparently arising, from the long continuance of the same persons in authority, this present Parliament be dissolved upon the last day of September, which shall be in the year of our Lord, 1648.
3. That the People do of course chuse themselves a Parliament once in two years. viz. upon the first Thursday in every second March, after the maner as shall be prescribed before the end of this Parliament, to begin to sit upon the first Thursday in April following at Westminster, or such other place as shall be appointed from time to time by the preceding Representatives; and to continue till the last day of September then next ensuing, and no longer.
4. That the power of this, and all future Representatives of this Nation, is inferior only to theirs who chuse them, and doth extend without the consent or concurrence of any other person or persons; to the Enacting, Altering, and repealing of Laws; to the erecting and abolishing of Offices and Courts; to the appointing, removing, and calling to account Magistrates, and Officers of all degrees; to the making War and Peace, to the treating with forraign States; and generally, to whatsoever is not expresly, or implyedly reserved by the Represented to themselves, which are as followeth;
1. THat matters of Religion, and the ways of Gods Worship, are not at all intrusted by us to any humane power, because therein we cannot remit or exceed a tittle of what our Consciences dictate to be the minde of God, without wilful sin: neverthelesse the publike way of instructing the Nation (so it be not compulsive) is referred to their discretion.
2. That the matter of Impresting and constraining any of us to serve in the Wars, is against our Freedom, and therefore we do not allow it in our Representatives; the rather, because money (the sinews of War) being always at their disposal, they can never want numbers of men apt enough to engage in any just Cause.
3. That after the dissolution of this present Parliament, no person be at any time questioned for any thing said or done, in reference to the late publike differences, otherwise then in execution of the Judgements of the present Representatives, or House of Commons.
4. That in all Laws, made, or to be made, every person may be bound alike; and that no Tenure, Estate, Charter, Degree, Birth, or Place, do confer [Page 10] any exemption from the ordinary course of legal proceedings, whereunto others are subjected.
5. That as the Laws ought to be equal, so they must be good, and not evidently destructive to the safety and well-being of the People.
These things we declare to be our Native Rights, and therefore are agreed and resolved to maintain them with our utmost possibilities, against all opposition whatsoever; being compelled thereunto, not onely by the examples of our Ancestours, whose blood was often spilt in vain for the recovery of their Freedoms, suffering themselves, through fraudulent Accommodations, to be still deluded of the fruit of their Victories; but also by our own woful experience, who having long expected, and dearly earned the establishment of these certain Rules of Government, are yet made to depend, for the settlement of our Peace and Freedom, upon Him that intended our Bondage, and brought a cruel War upon us.
FOrasmuch as our condition with the Armie in May and June last occasioned us to make choice of Agitators for transaction of our businesse with, and representation of our grievances to the Generall, and by him to the Parliament, for the keeping of a mutuall correspondencie and unanimous compliance amongst us, for the cleering of all misprisions and misapprehensions that might any way retard the firm establishment of a lasting Peace in this unhappy Kingdom, as also in order and relation to the providing compleat satisfaction for the Souldiery: Notwithstanding upon severall informations that those formerly imployed by us did more consult their own advancement then the Publick settled, we were induced about the 19 of October last to make choice of two new Agitators for a Regiment; not in the least manner intending that they should presume to usurp authority over the General, the Councell of Warre, the old Agitators over the Kingdom, or over us, as to appoint [Page 12] Conventions at their own pleasure, and there to compose and publish in print to the world strange and unheard of Fancies, and frame Ideas of their own brain, and bring them to us to father. But the authority that we derived upon them, was onely to act according to our first engaged principles, with the consent and advice of the Generall, the Councel of War, and the Agitators first elected, to cleer those things that seemed dubious unto us, to prevent misinformations, to endeavour to facilitate things that appeared difficult, to make us intelligent Subjects what progresse had been made in order to our first ingagement and representations to the Parliament, and to improve their best assistance to remove such obstructions as did any way impede the just and legall proceedings of the Army. And whereas they have contrary to the trust reposed in them, contrary to the end for which they were selected and chosen, and indeed, contrary to good subjects, cast off all allegeance and obedience (as we conceive) to all present visible Authority in the Kingdom, and have betaken themselves to a new framed Citie of Refuge, have declared that [Page 13] they will insist in that way positively against all opposition whatsoever, have endeavoured to incense the Nation that the Armie's intentions, Declarations, and Remonstrances have been but to gull and mislead the people, and have rejected all terms of correspondency with those formerly entrusted and employed by us; and all this acted printed, and published before any antecedaneous notice thereof given, or consent had from their respective Regiments. Therefore we do declare to the said pretended Agitators, and to all the world, that we are so far from countenancing their preposterous proceedings, as that hereby we testifie our utter dislike to it: And do hereby recall any pretended authority that the said Agitators make claim to from us, and likewise do require them to return to their severall and respective Troops, and not to persist any farther by vertue of any colourable pretence whatsoever; wee being fully resolved to adhere to the former Mutuall Agreement of the Army, and not to act in a distinct way from the Generall Councel of Warr, and those Agitators formerly entrusted by us, much lesse in opposition [Page 14] to them; but to comply with them in all such things as may conduce to the speedy redresse of the publick distractions of the Kingdom, and the bringing to perfection our just desires contained and specified in the Ingagements and severall Declarations of the Army, and will make choice of such men as shall be appointed to communicate their utmost endeavours in the assistance of the Generall and Councell of War, in such a way as may best conduce to the Bene esse of the Nation.
To his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax our noble Generall.
The humble Petition of many Officers and Souldiers under his command.
THat in Judgement and conscience we engaged in the warr against the King under your Excellencyes command, to preserve and vindicate the freedoms of our native Country, and of the Parliament in order thereunto.
That by the blessing of God all those our Enemies are falne or fled before us.
That for the same Ends, and for our own Rights, for our service, we were forced to hazzard our selves in disputing the Parliaments commands, and those our Opposers have been likewise subdued.
That the Countyes have petitioned your Excellency to procure the long expected settelment of their freedomes.
That we have waited many Monethes for the securing to us, and all the free borne people, their native Rights, and for our Indempnity, and Arreares as Souldiers; and our Hearts bleed to see our Country consume under continued Distractions and heavy Oppressions.
[Page 16]That we see no hope of Indempnity for us and our Assistants; nor settling the foundations of freedome, but by entring into this Agreement which wee herewith offer to your Excellency desiring your concurrence therein.
That we have seene and felt the sad Consequences of being divided and scattered before our native freedomes were settled, and our Arreares secured, and such a way established for constant pay, that we may know where to receive it monthly without faile.
That we are bound in conscience from the sense of our duty to our native Country, and in mercy to our selves, to keepe together with our swords in our hands, to maintaine these our freedomes, for which the Parliament first invited us to take Armes, to see our Arreares and pay secured, and our deere Country freed from its intollerable Burdens.
May it therefore please your Excellency to go on in owning and leading us in maintaining of this our Cause, to the righteousnesse whereof God hath born such cleare witnesse: And in the prosecution of these things wee humbly desire to live and dye under your Excellencyes conduct.