Give me leave to use this compella­tion of you who lives in the midst of so many changes and changlings. Suffer me also to entreat you to afford me a little of your patience (if it be not all spent) till you have perused and pon­dered these few lines, expressing the conditi­on of our affaires here, and then pronounce your sentence.

Master Hatcher and his Company with the Treatie, and the Money, came to Leith road November 21. so long a time it pleased God to keep him on Sea, and thereby by ex­ercise our patience.

The publicke Orders to the Shyres con­cerning the generall Randevous (which is ap­pointed to be upon the 29. of December at Hairlaw, a place foure miles from Berwicke) were exped upon the fourth day after the arrival of the Ship, which was Novemb. 25.

The neerest Regements are appointed to march presently towards the borders, there to quarter and exercise themselves, and to meet with the Cavaleeres, if any of them shall appeare till the day of Randevous.

Consider with your selfe, what time you will allow for sending the Orders to the Shires, to call the Committees of the severall Shires, to bring together the Souldiers to their Colours, and to march as farre as Bar­wicke, from which some of the Regiments are no lesse then a hundred miles distant; af­ter you have impartially considered these and other such necessary duties and distracti­ons, you will not condemne us of delayes or slacknesse.

Ireland hath also bred us at this time, much trouble and hinderance, for upon the very day of Master Hatcher his arivall, Commissi­oners came from Ireland, expressing the un­supporable [Page] sufferings of our Irish Army: One of them swore to my selfe, that being present at a Parade, he did see a whole Re­giment, whereof scarcely one hundred had either stockings or shooes, but all bare-leg­ged and bare-footed in this season of the yeere; and yet poore soules, they are ready to take the Covenant, and to spend their lives against the Cessation, if they had ne­cessaries for their lives furnished unto them.

Our Councels were tossed betwixt two extremities, upon the one hand to bring them away, was to give up that Kingdome into the hands of Papists and Rebels; to suffer the poore Protestants there either to be driven forth, and to come upon us for re­liefe, or their throats to be cut by their bar­barity, which hath destroyed so many alrea­dy; and to make the Rebels strong and uni­ted for invading these two Kingdomes. Up­on the other hand, to keepe them there, and to feed them with promises, and really to starve them, as we have done for a long time were to fall in the like barbarity.

In this perplexity, we have beene forced to dispatch from Air 4000 bolls of meall, [Page] which we had provided for the Western Re­giments, and are providing other necessaries to be sent unto the with diligence. This hath bin an unexpected & untimeous, but a neces­sary diversion of our councels from the great businesse. And hath taken up a great part of our time, which the English Comissioners here doe know; and the wise there cannot but ac­knowledge.

The act of publike faith is also concluded, and sent up that there be nothingwanting on our part: No sooner did the Committee of the convention of Estates resolve upon the day of generall randevous, but the Commissi­oners of the generall assembly in their meet­ing at Edenbrugh, have appointed a publike fast and humiliation for a blessing from Hea­ven upon our expedition, which is to be so­lemly kept in the Army, & in all the Kirks of the Kingdome Jan. 7. being the Lords day, and the wednesday following according to the warning sent to all the Presbitaries and the particular causes expressed therein, which I have herewith sent unto you.

Thus have we revolved with our prayers and endeavours to joyne in the cause of God and to wait for his blessing for successe.