THe Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, taking into conside­ration the great danger and mani­fold inconveniences which might happ [...] to the whole Kingdome, if Sir Ral [...] Hopton and the other Malignants th [...] take part with him, should in that rebelli­ous manner as they have already begun, [Page 2] contin [...]e [...]o raise more Force in the Coun­ty, and commit such outrages as they have done, in plundering and disarming those who stand well-affected to the King and Parliament in that County, have thought it necessary to nominate the Earle of Pem­broke to be Generall for the Westerne parts of the Kingdome, a Person of honour, power, fidelity and undaunted courage, whose affection to this cause is such, that he hath in a publike manner declared his willingnesse to obey the commands of both Houses of Parliament, in adventuring his life and fortunes in this cause, which so much conduceth to the honour and good of the King, the preservation of the Privi­ledges of Parliament, the maintenance of Religion, and the generall peace and safety of the whole Kingdome. His Lordship hath sufficiently declared his resolution & good affection to the publike good in his late Speech at Guild-Hall, intimating, that he had ever so good a heart to this busi­nesse, that he was resolved to live and die in it.

[Page 3]The Counties of which he is made Ge­nerall are these: viz. Wiltshire, Somerset­shire, Hampshire, Dorsetshire, Devonshire, Cornwall, and the Isle of Wight, and hath the like power with the Lord Generall the Earle of Essex, and is to disarme the mali­gnants and ill-affected parties of those Counties, and to quarter on their estates for the service of the Common-wealth.

After the late battell betwixt Banbury, and Stratford upon Avon, betweene the Earl of Essex, and the Kings Forces, where­in many were slaine on both sides, and di­verse eminent men of the Kings Party ta­ken prisoners, as the Earl of Lindsey Lord chiefe Generall of His Majesties Forces, the Lord Willoughby of Eresby his sonne, Sir Edmund Stradling, Colonell Vavasor, Colonell Lunsford, and divers more, his Excellency remaining Master of the field, marched with his Forces to Warwick, and is come safe thither, and hath laid his pri­soners in the Castle, but the Earle of Lind­sey, who was sorely wounded when he was taken prisoner, in the said battell, is since dead.

[Page 4]There was a Priests lately taken at Clarkenwell, who had a Letter found about him full of treachery against the King and Parliament, wherein are discovered their policy used for the subversion of the Pro­testant Religion, the substance of it was as followeth in the vere words of the Let­ter found about him.

We have now many strings to our bow, and have strongly fortified our faction, and we have added two bulwarks more. For when K. JAMES was very violent against Arminianisme, and interrupted with his pestilent wit and deep learning our strong designes in Holland, and was a great friend to that old rebellious heretick the Prince of Orange; now we have planted the so­veraigne drug of Arminianisme, which we hope will purge the Protestants from their heresie, and will flourish and bear fruit in due season.

But to return again to our main fabrick: In the first place we take into consideration the Kings honour & present necessity, and we shew how the King may free himselfe [Page 5] from his wardship as Lewis the 11. did; and for his great splendor and lustre, he may raise vast summes, and not be beholden to his subjects, which is by way of imposition and Excise: we instance the Low-Coun­treyes, and shew what a masse of money they raise to pay their armies both by sea and land meerly out of Excise.

Then our Church Catholikes proceed to shew the means how to settle this Excise which must be by an Army of horse and foot; for we have made it sure: they shall be Forraigners, and Germans, vvho vvill eat up the Kings revenues, and spoile the countreys vvheresoever they come, though they be vvell paid; vvhat havock vvill they make then vvhen they have no pay. If the countrey be too hard for the souldiers, they must consequently outrage, vvhich is e­qually advantagious to us.

There are three Troupes of horse gone out of Lincolne-shire into Yorkshire for the aid of the Lord Fairfax and Captaine Hotham, against the Earle of Cumberland and his Cavaliers: Captaine Hotham hath [Page 6] made good Cawood Castle and Selby, and is now to joyne his Forces with the Lord Fairfax, who hath raised great store of men for the defence of the King & Parliament. There is a Lieutenant Colonell and a Ser­jeant Major of the Kings Party taken in Buckinghamshire, and brought up to the Parliament and committed to safe custody.

Both Houses of Parliament have passed an Ordinance for the present setting forth to sea of ten ships for a winter guard for Iteland, and that for all the prizes they shall take, a third part be divided amongst the Commanders and Saylors in the Ship for their better encouragement; besides the Parliament have also granted Letters of Surprisall to other Merchants, to take the Rebels ships, or any others that shall offer to assist them.