THough I have written thrice to the Com­missioners for the affaires of Ireland since my comming from London to give them account of my stay at Court, and that I have also written severall Letters to some particular friends in hope that thereby the truth might be knowne, and my selfe [...]ightly understood. Yet because these Letters peradven­ture may have miscarried, and lest I should incurre the censure of the Parliament for negligence or slacknesse in that service to which I have been designed, I will truly & as briefly as I can relate to your Lordship how I have be­haved [Page] my selfe and if your Lordship please you may Communicate it to the House of Peeres, as in your iudgment and favour to me you shall thinke fit, and I hope it will appeare that as I have bin very impatient of this delay, so I have not wanted diligence in the Soli­citation of my dispatch,

When I came to Yorke I told the King that I was come thither to receive his Maiesties Commandments and Instructions for that imployment: which he had done me the honour to confer upon me, and I did humbly be­seech him that I might not be stayed at Court because the Parliament did desire my speedy repair into Jreland, and that this service as I conceived did require it at least that some governour (if I were not thought worthy of it) should be presently sent into that Kingdome; the King told me he would thinke of it; but I must confesse I did not find his Majesty so ready to dispatch me as I hoped and expected. From that time I did not faile to beseech his Maiesty to send me away, upon every opor­tunity I had of speaking to him, and I thinke there pas­sed not a day, that I did not desire the Secretaries of State and some other persons about the King, to put his Ma­iesty in mind of me, and to hasten my dismission: and diverse times I made it my Petition to the King, that he would dispatch me, or declare his intention that hee would not let me goe at all.

The King said my instructions should be drawn, and that he would give Order to Master Secretary Nicholas to doe it as speedily as he could, in expectation whereof, I stayed about three weekes, till the King came from Yorke, when his Majesty appoynted me to follow him to Nottingham, and there I should have my expeditions, I obey'd his Maj. and came after him to this Town, where [Page] I have attended ever since, perpetually soliciting to bee dispatched, and beseeching his Majesty that I might either goe to my imployment, or have his leave to retire my selfe to my owne house and private condition, that if he were unwilling to trust me in an imployment of so great importance, I did beseech him that I might be no bur­then to his thoughts, and that he would be so gracious as to let me know his resolution, for I conceived my self to be under a heavy censure, both of the Parliament and of the whole Kingdome, whilst possibly they might thinke it my fault that I was so long absent from that charge which I had undertaken. It is to no purpose to tell you e­very passage, but this I professe to your Lordship, that if it bad beene to save the lives of all my Friends, and of my selfe, I could not have done more for my dispatch, neverthelesse I have not beene able to advance it one step, nor have I seene any token to make me hope to have it quickly till this morning, when Master Secretary Ni­cholas gave me a draught of my instructions to peruse, and so I hope that betweene this and monday I shall have done that part, and I will doe the best I can in procuring some other things, without which I know not how I shall be able to doe any acceptable service in that King­dome; your Lordship knowes I am a servant, and I could not run away if I would, or at least it had beene to lit­tle purpose though I should have adventured to doe so undecent and so undutifull an action. Therefore I hope it will be beleeved that I have not beene too blame.

Now with your Lordships leave, I shall trouble you with another perticular, wherein perhaps I suffer in the opinion of them that knew not what hath passed, though I be as innocent as a new borne Child, [...]y I have opposed it as much as I had power to doe, so the King [Page] being informed at Yorke by some officious persons, that there were certain draught horses provided to be sent into Jreland, his Majesty told me that he must needs have them for his owne use, I did humbly beseech him not to take them away from his owne service in Jreland, for which they were bought, and in which they were to bee impolyed, and besides what I said my selfe, I made means by others to save the horses, so as I heard no more of it till I came hither, but then his Majesty told me a­gaine, that he must needs have those horses, and would have me send for them, I represented to his Majesty the in­considerablenesse of those few horses, and that the Parli­ament might take it very ill, in regard that the horses were bought with their money for the service of the poor Kingdom of Ireland, therfore I did beseech him not to take them, or however that he would secure me from being an instrument in that which I conceived would much hurt his affaires, and that I being trusted by the Parliament, I could neither doe it my selfe, nor consent that any other should doe that which was a breach of trust, and a great diservice, even to his Majesty himselfe, notwithstanding this the King sent unto me by Master Endimion Porter, and Sir George Hay, at severall times to the like purpose, but I returned the same answer, adding this also, that I could not doe it and be an honest man to his service, though it be true that the King said he would restore the horses, or pay for them, but for all this, it pleased his Majesty to imploy one Erington that served me, and gave him a warrant to fetch the horses, Erington told me of it, I forbad him as far as I could to doe it, and told him that if he did it, he must not looke to have any thing more to doe with me for ever, and further that I made no doubt but the Parliament would hang him for [Page] stealing their horses. This and more I said to Erington, in the presence of James Battiere my Secretary, who will witnes it, & conceiving it to be an unjust thing in it self, displeasing to the Parliament, and hurtfull to the Kings service, I protested against it, though Erington said, his Master had commanded him upon his allegiance to exe­cute the warrant, but indeed I told him that I did not be­leeve him, nor could thinke that his Majesty would com­mand a Subject upon his allegiance to take away other mens Horses, this I thought sufficient, but it seemes I was deceived, for Erington without my consent or know­ledge, went from Nottingham towards Chester, as I heard afterwards, and I have never seene him since, nor heard from him, what he hath done I doe not know, but I sent to Chester that the horses should be presently shipt away, and I caused my Secretary to write to Master Hawkins, to take care that neither Erington nor any body for him, should receive any more money of Master Loftus, or his Deputy, to provide the rest of the horses, for as yet I thinke there hath bin only 1600 li. issued to buy 200. of the 600. horses allowed by the Parliament, and of that 1600 li. I will doe the best I can to get a good account, whereof the Parliament God willing shall be informed with my best care and diligence, truly my Lord I do the best I can to serve my Country, they that wiser may doe more, but of any thing contrary to the duty of an honest man, the Parliament upon strict examination shall never find me guilty, for the reputation of honesty and fideli­ty is (and I can say no more) as deare unto me, as your esteeming me