THE Almighty Creator of the World who hath Created all things, and amongst the rest of things, the Heart of mankind; (which particular part of his Creation, he hath reserved the knowledge of to him­self only) puts me upon a Manifestation of the present sad thoughts of my heart, to all those men of the world, (that this may concern) for there is in my apprehension, no other way for man to make his fellow Creatures acquainted with the thoughts of his heart, then verbally by words expressing himself, or by his Pen to make known to others what he is inwardly fil'd withal; [Page 4]therefore finding my self very much pressed in Spirit, by the unjust dealings of those men, which have pretended to the highest Principles of Justice; I have thought good to ease my present trouble, by this course of writing, although but a poor ease to my mind, as in relation to my satisfaction.

Therefore as a Narrative of the Cause of my present trouble of mind, I shall here lay down the Cause, as in the presence of God, which shall judge both me and the Causers thereof.

WHen in the latter end of Forty seven, and in the be­ginning of Forty eight, there was such a general Apostasie from Principles of Justice, that we were almost over-run by those Enemies of the Nation (the Cavaliers) that (those which had engaged for the Nation, were become the scorn of most men) then I say, we began to fix our eyes upon those men which had contended highest for the Nations free­dome, that we might engage under such men once again, to try whether God would prosper us in venturing to bring down those the peoples profest Enemies; when looking curiously about us, we found out Captain Reynolds, a man much looked upon by the honest party, for one that had stood and contended (with suffering) for our Birth-right; and then finding that he was in imployment to raise Men and Horses for the Kingdoms Service, as Major to a Regiment in Kent, under the Command of Sir Michael Levesey, we then I say, began cheerfully to engage with him, conceiving that God had thrown a great advantage into our hands: But fur­ther, when I my self with many others came to hear that there was a Commission to be given to Captain William Bray, to Command a Troop in the aforesaid Regiment; we were most of us filled with Comfort, that such men, that were so excellently Principled, should now after their sufferings, come to be trusted with Commands; Whereupon with a great deal of cheerfulness we engaged with Captain Bray, and al­though there was never any such president before, we at our own proper cost did raise a Regiment of Seven Troops to en­gage [Page 5]against the Common enemy, when afterwards we did engage several times cheerfully, not looking upon the many breaches of promise which we found, both from some of those that were highest in our esteem upon the account of Ju­stice, and others likewise which we less trusted too; but wa­ved. Capitulating when things of publick concernment called for our engagement; although we had large experience be­fore how many were usually flattered in time of emergency, and slighted with a Supernumary slighting (when the Rod was from the back of those Fools that did it) but with cheer­fulness we went on, looking only at the power of God then present amongst us to Conquer; and did, although blame worthy for so doing, Acquiesce in those men whom we con­fided in to be of our and the honest parties Principles: But now behold the Mapp of our misery drawing up, for when the great and our good God had prospered us with Victory for all our last Summers Service, and that we had served them faithfully all the Summer through; now began the ene­mies of our and the Kingdoms peace to work their wits how they should bring us into ignominy, which they first con­trived by infusing into the Committee, that some of us, espe­cially Captain Bray's Troop, were Levellers, and men that were of dangerous Principles to the quiet of the Nation; whereupon they presently bethink themselves of shutting their hands of us first, with another Troop which had a great many men of honest Principles in it, (although led by an acquiessing Captain) now we that had no sinister intents in us, but were meerly upon the account of Justice to the Na­tion, did quietly march away out of Kent, to be led like sheep to the slaughter, or that which is worse, to be the tools or instruments to make one ambitious man great, that for­merly had pretended nothing as his Interest but Salus populi suprema Lex, and all the Principles of Justice that can be thought upon; I say, then at our dismission from the County of Kents Service, it was pretended to us by our Major Rey­nolds, that we should march into Hartfordshire there to quar­ter until we saw what became of the Treaty then with the [Page 6]King in the Isle of Wight, which we thought would be over within a matter of three weeks; when that being ended, we should either not need to stand at all, in respect of the present and speedy execution of justice; or if there were need, we should stand upon the same account with the rest of the Army under the Lord Fairfax: But having waited the aforesaid time and longer, we then received an Order from the Major, to march toward Pontefract, and to take Peter­borough in the way, there to make an Hault until the Major should come up to us; which Command we obeyed, moving to and fro, because we would not be more burthensome to the Countrey then needs must; But alass, all this while we were mistaken, for he (who we thought would have proved so faithful to us, and in us to the Common-wealth) was a jugling, by entertaining a motion from the Committee of Darby­house to transport us for Ireland, as if we had stood upon a Mercenary account, to have engaged upon any Design that might make him a Colonel, or yeild us money; (and to the end that we should juggle as well as he, he sent us down an Order that we should propound Irish terms to the Troops, and with such as would entertain the said terms, to march to Southam in Warwickshire in order to a further march to­ward Ireland) but when we saw his Order, we did so far a­bominate his juggling designe, that we never so much as propounded it, although it had been easie to have perswaded some of his Creatures with us in high Command to have done it.

But when the upshot came, that the Souldiery could no longer acquiesce, but that they would by the Consent of Captain Bray, who alone stood with them (without any Captain in the Regiment) I say, when they would no lon­ger rest to burthen the Country with Free quarter, without knowing what ground it was upon; they chose them men as Agents to meet, and to consider about it, when in all the several meetings they found still an opposition in his Creature Captains. to any other thing then an acquiessing in what the said Major Reynolds could do; by which means we most basely [Page 7]deceived the expectation of all our honest friends, who ex­pected that we would not be the last that should declare for the peoples Rights, knowing our former approved forward­ness; but by the means of such men of the highest places a­mongst us, we were forced to a silence in standing for, or de­claring for the Peoples Rights, untill we were anticipated by the Armies general Remonstrance, and so justly judged by our honest friends for men of low and cowardly spirits, and so lost our selves in the account of honest men, that I fear many of them give us up for final Apostates, although they have no reason, save our being over-ruled, by the flattering villany of Reynolds, to judge so of us.

But at the last it came to this, That through the mighty importunity of those that were Friends to our Old Princi­ples, viz. Justice; we at last got an Address concluded upon, to be delivered to the Lord Fairfax: And the three Troups then under Reynolds, upon the Account of Justice, did chuse them out men as Agents, to deliver the aforesaid Address: For mark, then we had no Mercenary Troups amongst us, but we were entangled with Mercenary Apostate Officers of Reynolds his own Creatures, that made all our endeavors (as to publike concernment) void and frustrate for a great while together: But at last we had gotten an Address consented to, that might render us to stand upon the pure account of Ju­stice: which time I my self with others were appointed to come to London with the aforesaid Address; when coming toward Windsor, we found a great part of the Army by Or­der that day to Rendezvous upon Hounsloe-Heath in order to their march into London; but that night the Armies Head­quarters being kept at Hamersmith, we staid there to speak with Major Reynolds, to hear what satisfaction he would give us for our being led up and down the Land, upon what ac­count we knew not as in relation to his intentions, because as I have said before, we stood meerly upon the account of Ju­stice to this Nation, and he was bargaining to sell us to the Committee of Darby-house for Four pounds a man and Horse, and compleat Arms, for the Service of Ireland; (for [Page 8]so his own Order sent down to us to propound to the men specifies in words:) But he made Answer again, That he thought that we had more wit then so to think that he had any intent for Ireland, but meerly was using his wits to keep honest men together for the good of the Nations Interest: But then I asked him, Why he cold Livetenant Spilman, a honest man, That his intentions was really for Ireland according to his pretences? He made me Answer again, That he had given private intimations to all the Officers of the Troops, That he never intended any such thing as a Commanding of men into Ireland; but that he, what he was then doing, was meerly to hold Correspondency with Darby-house Committee for a time, until he should have opportunity to provide for honest men: The belief of which, he the easier fastened upon us, because we reflected upon his former Contendings for the Nations just Rights, but the sequel will shew both the Levity of our over Credulity, and the wickedness of his Apostasie; for the very next morning, viz. the same morning that the Army marched into the City, he came to a house in Hamersmith where Capt. Bray, my self, and others quartered that night; I say he came to us by four of the Clock in the morning, and told us, That now he had got Orders for our Receiving into the Army, and that he had then an Order for one of us to March away to the Troops, to Com­mand them to March out of Ox­ford-shire where they then were, to march into Hampshire in Order to the safe guarding of the King then being in Hurst Castle; which Or­der, together with His violence against those he had jugled with, viz. The Committee of Darby-house, that he said at Hamersmith, That he hoped to have his Bond of Six thousand pounds from them before night, which was that morning the Ar­my marched into London, or else he hoped to cut the throates of some of that Committee, &c. the imploy­ment designed to us, begot in us a respective belief of his in­tegrity to his former principles, and an acquiescency in his future Care for us. But when we had staid in Hampshire, be­ing sometime upon the particular Gaurd of the King, I say, [Page 9]when we had staid a great while there, both until, and after the King was fetcht away, without any Care taken for pay for us, that so we might, as the rest of the Army did, pay our quarters, and not be so burthensome to the Country; we at last were written to by Reynolds, That he had Established Six Troops into the Army, which he pretended still was his greatest Care to provide for honest men, so as to keep them together.

But yet his great promises, compared with his slight per­formances, wrought a continual suspition again in the Troops, that he was rather a Juggler then a real Friend to the Nation.

Yet notwithstanding, upon his further Order we marched into Worcester-shire, where by the way, we met with two other Troops, that had been upon his Juggle of the Four pounds a man for Ireland; and there, what with the mens hatred and detestation of his double dealing, and the op­pression of the Country, together with their own poverty, they had reduced one of the aforesaid Troops to a very small Company of men, and their Troop made up again of such as they could get, of any principles whatsoever; and these men we were fain to joyn withal, and they to have the Command in Cheif over us in Worcester-shire, which made us not to suspect without cause, that we should meet with such dealings as indeed now we have found.

For after we had lain upon the Country without provisi­on of pay made for us a great while, to the peoples sad op­pression, we began again to stir, to Petition the House of Commons, being the more induced thereunto by Captain Bray's being snatched from us without any thing laid to his Charge; which actions we had many reasons to beleeve was by a strong influence of Reynolds upon those that put another in his Command.

But when it was endeavoured all that possible could be, to draw the whole Regiment to a Conjunction in the afore­said Petition, we found so many acquiessing Officers and Souldiers, to stand against it, that Captain Bray's own [Page 10]Troop were fain to do it singly of themselves; and they were so sensible of their being abused by Reynolds his jugling, that it produced this succeeding Letter to be sent to him, in the name, and with the Subscriptions of Captain Bray's Troop.

[Page 12] THis Letter being Subscribed by Captain Brays Troop, whose names are Subscribed; but when I came to Lon­don with others that the Troop intrusted, we were perswaded by our Friends not to Print this Letter to the publick veiw of the world, because they did suppose Reynolds was not yet an absolute Apostate: But at my going down again to my Co­lours, I found enough of him to conclude him an A­postate.

For, in the time that we were at London, there came down a Lievtenant, pretending himself to be in Commission under one Ayres, who told Captain Brays men, That the said Ayres was to have that Troop: which men being startied, and wondring that Captain Bray should be taken from them without first shewing them a Reason; and besides that, they were Commanded to deliver up their Colours to a man they never saw, and he not there then neither: The said Troop were Resolved to maintain their Colours like Souldiers, and not to be affronted as they were Commoners, but to deny the Surrender of their Colours until they were satisfied in the aforesaid premises: Whereupon they marched presently a­way to another Division of the Regiment then being in Shropshire, under the Command of one Captain Chaplain, whom they solicited to stand for them in the obtaining of Justice; but the best entertainment they found from the said Chaplain was, That he denied to give them any Order for Quarter; and more then that, he forwarned the Country to give them any Quarter; so that instead of protecting them until Justice were done upon them, he inforced them to Re­solve to lye in a Field neer Welch-Felton in Shropshire, until the people of the Town came courteously out to them, and invited them into their houses, and gave them Quarters in their own Charity; telling them, That they wondered to see such Souldiers as they were, that were so patient in their abuses.

But now Reynolds the new-made Colonel, that he might get them again into his clutches, made fair weather to cer­tain [Page 13]of the Troop that went to him, and sent an Order to them that they should come back to a Regiment Rendezvous which he had appointed to be at Keynton in Warwick-shire, defiring them that they would be sure to be all at the said Meeting, that so he might see all his honest Pree Commoners, (for that was his own expression) by which we thought he would have proved loving to us according to his former pro­fessed Principles, which we were the rather induced to be­leeve, because he gave us an Order under his own hand, for quartering neer the Regiment, promising us, That he would protect us from any harm that any body should offer to us: Moreover, telling us, That if any Order should come to him, (or to any other that he could heat of) he would be sure to give us notice of it; (which were apparent signs to us, that his hea [...] [...]s upright towards us,) but now mark what fell from him at the said Rendezvous, he there gave us leave to propound our Greivances, which for order sake we did by the mouth of tvvo Souldiers chosen out by general Consent, vvhere vve desired, That according to the Generals Order, the Troop as it stood, intire under Captain Bray, might be delivered into the hands of the nevv Captain Ayres. vvith our ovvn Colours, vvhich he granted to us; But vvhile vve vvere making our Muster-Rovvls to that purpose, he and the nevv Captain had so jugled, that he fell from that Order of his ovvn again, and Mustered a nevv Troop of men that had been many of them in Pay in other places, vvhile vve ser­ved six Months vvithout one penny of Pay; and so these nevv men come novv to reap the fruits of our Labours. And I am informed, That he hath sent up vvord, That his Regiment hath unanimously engaged for Ireland: You may judge, for he propounded such Terms to his own Troop, desiring them to signifie their forwardness by holding up their Hats or their Hands; but I could not see one man hold up either Hatt or Hand but himself and some Officers that follovved him about the Field; at length he Commanded his Colours to march out, and those that excepted of Irish terms to follovv the Colours, and then indeed there vvas one man of his ovvn [Page 14]Troop that did dravv out after his Colours upon that ac­count. Novv you may see vvhat it is for a Troop or Regi­ment to be unanimous in his Sence; and for the Majors Troop, they vvere so unanimous, that he vvas fain to dravv out a Party of Captain Ayres his nevv men to Guard their Colours; for he hath so discontented the Regiment by ta­king avvay most of the cheifest Principled men that vvere their Officers, that I can see but fevv of the oldest Souldiers of the Regiment that do not conclude him an Apostatized Knave: And for my own part, being with him at Banbury, the last time I saw him, Charging him with a thing that he had promised but the day before, and he told me himself, That his Promises were sealed with Butter; which indeed I found by woful experience.

Now Reader do but judge what hope [...] have of good from such men in Cheif Command, that make no more of their word, then to profess openly, That they are not bound by their word. They talke much of Jesuites, and strange nick-names else that they have for men of honest Principles, but judge whether this do not resemble (Garnett by name) a profest Jesuit, who being told. That King James would find out Papists by His Oath of Allegiance being imposed upon them: Garnett made Answer again, That King James should know, That the Oath of Allegiance was subject to a Paper Dispensation. Thus have I Desciphered to thee, the Apostasie of this man, meerly to that end, That other ho­nest men may not for the future, be liable to be deceived by him, as I, and many other honest men have been.