IN answer to yours of the 24, instant. Our friends in the Common-Councell are brave and especially our best Ingineers, the two Aldermen, the one for Logicke and solid Reason, the other for sweete Rhetoricke excels all the City, and gaines many a fleg­matick Common-Councell Man to his party.

Vpon Mr. Allines and Colonell V [...]ns Message from the House of Commons (which they performed with great vigour and hight of spirit) the Common Councell began to sink and were at a lowe eb: and I could have wished our friends had for­borne to send the second time those weake Aldermen, as Pen­nington who is rather peevish then sprightfull, (besides the House remitting the 3000l. his kinsman the great Delinquents [Page 3] Iohn Pennington lest in his hands which he concealed, and so became a Delinquent himselfe) he was by the Ordinance to pay it double: and the House gave him over and above 3000l. this was so partiall and gross:, that our very friends cry shame of it: and it is a great scandall to our party: for Alderman Atkins, he is ridiculous and the scorn and by word, and cliped Alder­man.

We have discovered that the Apprentices have their severall Agitators, so have the Saylors, Watermen, Carmen, Porters, Butchers: and the Ringleaders of all these are the Reforma­does. I could here wish our friends in the Army had not so of­ten insisted to the Parliament to have them put out of London by Ordinance: for some of them said openly, the Army are af­fraid of us, therefore we will continue in the City: Besides for our obedience to the Parliament, and relinquishing the Rebelli­ous mutineers, we are called desertors of the Army, and are voted to be disbanded; and one day (say they) the House was ready to vote down Sir Thoma's Commission and Declaration, and the rest of those Officers Traitors which summoned the Ci­ty: and afterwards the case was altered, aud the same Traytors accused the 11 Members.

The Reformadoes laugh at our charge against the 11. Mem­bers, for (say they) it is against law for an Army to accuse any man, because they cannot make reparation in case their accusa­tion prove false. But we have intelligence that the Reforma­does and some others will bring in a Charge against 6. Lords, and 30 Comminers: and that they wil not proceed in generals, but in particulars, and the prosecutors intend to proceed le­gally and set their names to the charge; some they will accuse of high Treason, others of high crimes: and the least crimes are that they have given the publike treasure to themselves being feoffees in trust for the publike, contrary to the fundamentall lawes of the Realme: whereby the souldery is unpaid, and the publike faith unsatisfied, contrary to their severall Declarations and Ordinances; and no doubt but this will pay all the arrears of the Commanders and Souldiers about the towne. They re­solve never to leave the Houses, till some be sequestred as soone [Page 4] as prooffe is made: and they are for purging the House as well as we, and will put out many (as they brag) by the same votes they will make it serve as a trap to catch our own party. I con­fesse I like not their oth ex officio▪ for it is against our principles the liberty of the subject.

They are resolved to inforce the House to revoake Sir Thoma's Commission, and to send immediately for the King (otherwise we suspect from some extraordinary intelligencer we have) that they will get some of our best friends of both Houses into the Tower of London, and to guard it with Reformadoes, Appren­tices, Seamen, Watermen, Porters, &c. And for certaine they are all linck'd together by a damnable covenant. They say wee are all for our selves, and to that end keep up an Army to inslave the kingdome, and have forced both Houses the 60000l. a moneth, which was intended for Ireland, and converted to their own use, and will make the King as Duke of Venice, and and make 31. of themselves Grandies and Conservators of the Peace. I am sorry our friends have issued their designes so fast,

And they scorne at our Colonells, and say all the Army can make is not 2000l. Land per annum. And that each Regiment, will be worth 1000l. per annum. As Pride the Dray-man, Hu­son the poore Shomaker, Okey the Brewers Clark, Whaley not worth a groat before these times. Harrison, an Atturnies boy the other day, Rich a Coward, Fleetwood a Coward, L. G. Ha­mond a notorious Coward. These are great scandals, and I pray get them amended.

They say also that Colonell Tho. Hammond, Rainsburough Lilburn, Sir Hardres Waller, were poore, and turned Jndepen­dents and Anabaptists to please Crumwell; Ireton they say was a Parsons son, that he is proud, wilfull, and revengfull. For our Atlas, brave Crum. they say he was a Brewers son at Ely, and called the Town Bull, and he is much talked of for Colo. Lam­berts wife: I would our freind Lilburn would leave his scurrili­ty and personating, it becomes not our profession which is sanctity and gravity, and his freedome of writing, causes all these aspertions. And now the Presbiterians are vext, they spit [Page 5] and skratch like somany gib Cats. We heare there are divers Lawyers of their Counsell, and that the Presbiterian Citizens makes a generall purse to carry on the forenamed Charge with Gravity. They intend to fall foule one my LORD Say for the losse at Oxford, and leaving the plate there, and sending mony to the King, and correspondency at Oxford with Cotting­ton and some others. They will revive the businesse of the losse of Bristow and Banbury by Nathaniel and John Fines. In a word, either they will force the Parliament to rise confusedly, then where are we? or it they adjourne, they are but a Committee that can conclude nothing. We heare the Soliceter, our wise L. G. Crumwell, Jreton, and young Sr. Henry Vaine, Eveling of Wilts, and 4 Lords are for joyning with the King. And some great ones of the Kings party have undertaken it; but we fear the Queen, the French Embassador, and the Scots. And wee have intelligence some Citizens meet often with them, and that they promise if they will make good London, they have an Ar­my of 20000 foote. 6000 horses, and 2000 Dragones which are ready, and that Montrosse, Kilketto, the Stewards, the Gur­dons, and all the Kings party will rise as one man, and will bee content (so they be pardoned for what is past, which is grant­ed) that they will take and fight for the endes of the Covenant especially to establish the King on his Throne, according to the Apprentices Petition.

Wee find the Kings party generally falls from us, because (say they) you do nothing for the King but carry him up and down like a vagabond farther from us, and they suspect you will im­prison him in Pomfret Castle: you must do some popular thing speedily, offer the King his own conditions, I meane such as are for safety. We heare the Agitators grow peremtory, and clash with the Counsell of War. That they are all for parity and a Republick, and that they give out the Counsell of war is above them.

Take heed you intertain not too many Souldiers from London, nor of the Kings party, for they will deceave you: and beware of that beggerly Scot, Master Walter Steward, and my Lord Oradiell Carnewayh, they will sell you at the last to those which [Page 6] will bid most, and if the Scots comes, they will bee as so many spies upon you.

The Scotts are very Iocuand, and tis thought (by some who have good Intelligence) that the King hath signed a Declaration under hand, wherein he declares himselfe a Prisoner, and that his Parliament is in the like condition: that the Army is the Gaoler, that he will declare the first opportunity that is offered, for a free Parliament. In a word we are in a straight: for at pre­sent I was certainly informed that the Presbyterian faction will secure the principall Members of both Houses and of our best friends in the Tower, and there they shall remaine as Hostiges untill the King be at safety at his house at White-Hall, and that Sir Thomas Fairfax Commission shall be voted downe, and if he doe not obey, that a Declaration be set forth to the Kingdome, to proclaime him and his Officers which shall not obey Traytors: and that the severall Counties give no free Quarter, nor pay no Taxes. And that they resolve to pay the common Souldiers all there Arreares both Horse and foot, and ease the Kingdom of all burdens, especially Committees.

That the five Members of the Army shall bee proclaimed Traytors, and have Articles drawne up by all against them.

Tis whispered the Lawyers will make all those which con­nived at Ioyoes plundering the King Traitors.

We heare that the City hath Agitators in all the Counties to associate with them, and that they send to all their friends, the leaders of the Declaration: Kent are much troubled their Com­mittee is going down, it will be a great blow to out party. You must be couragious and storme London presently, otherwise we are all undone: And threaten to plunder the Rich, which will worke more upon them then Reason.

All my hope is they dare not defend their owne, nor run such a hassard: and in your Declaration set forth, that all that are neutrall shall not be plundered, hope and feare are the predomi­nent Passions of the rich. What you doe you must doe spee­dily, and give out you are bringing the King to London: and counterfeit the Kings hand to a Declaration.

[Page 7] Young Sir Henry Vaine hath more tricks in his buget, I feare witty Henry Martin, and deep Will. Wallin soment this humour too much in the Agitators: and there are many of our friends in Parliament, some are more against▪the Person of the King then Monarchy, as old Sir Henry Vaine, who hates the King, but loves tyranny with his soule: for he was ever of the Spanish faction, so doth Sir Henry Mildmay, Sir Arthur Hasele­ricke (but hee is taken off, for hee shall bee Governour to the Prince of Wales) Master Gurdon, Master Denis Bond, they have prayed publikely, that all the bloudshed in England and Ire­land may light upon the King and his posterity.

Master Wever, Master Scot, Mr. Challiner, Master Miles Corbet Master Renoldes, Mr. Cornelius Holland, Master John Blackestone Alderman Hoyle, and Sir William Allansan, are all Antimonan­chicall, so is Master Westrow, Sir Gilbert Pickering. Sir Henry Ha­mon, and 40. more at the least, for this is our strongest party in number: though not for wisdome and power, for one of our richest and best friends, Master William Perpoint (who hath car­ryed on the great designe, with as much secresie, industry and gravity as any of our Party is for closing with the King: My advise is to joyn with the King only to save stakes, for he grows daily in the Affection of the People, and there are Pestilent books daily writ, especially in Law Points, which are not for our turne: if we prosper, we must reform the Lawyers as well as the Parliament or Devines, for they grow sawcy, I feare you have too many of the Kings party in the Army, trust not to them, for they look through our designes, and incourages their party in London to joyne in the last Petition: for your Army drawing up neer London, I feare you have lost your time, for they are able to draw 40000. men on the workes, and the Reforma­does are grownd to an edge against you and will put you to in­tollerable duty, or else hazard the beating up of your Quarters. If you get a repulse at London, you will sinke daily in your Re­putations, and the Counties will rise upon you, if the City plyes you with sallyes; Besides look to your Reare, for a friend tells me for certaine that the Scottish Commissioners, some lead­ing Citizens and the leaders of the Reformadoes are ingaged in [Page 8] a secret Oath. I heare Sir William Belfore and Dolbeere are very active, and have shrewd Pates and knowes the Constitution of our Army.

They jeere and give out that all our Commanders will pre­serve their sacred Persons, especially Crumwell and Jreton, they are wise and fitter for direction, the brave Hardy Generall must fight himselfe as he did at Naseby, and Crumwell must direct, and look to the Reare, and the last Reserve. We want brave Res­siter, I heare he is too much of the Presbyterian faction. Our Re­ligion is the best, and that cannot but make our Cause good: but wee are much scandolised with covetousnesse, ambition and ly­ing, but these are but the infirmities of perticular men, not of the godly party of the Army.

We are much murmured at by the people, that wee send not reliefe for Ireland, being in such extremity: I wish well to Ire­land, but I love the Welth of England better, we have been very neere to have all England in our possession. This base Irreligious City hath been a rub in our way: but I hope they shall pay for it with Interest: for I hope you will inrich the poore Saints (which is there proper inheritance) with the Treasure of Vse­rors and cheating Citizens. Let mee heare at large and often from you, and twise a week you shall have an answer. Farewell deare Brother.

You must prosper, for you have the Prayers of the Communi­on of Saints.