ON Saturday morning 17 Instant at ten of the clock, Mr. Scot, Col. Okey, and Mr. John Streater, Comp­troller of the Ordnance, arrived on Board the Bristoll, Captain Deakint being Commander of the Ships Riding at an Anchor in Tilbary-Hope; half an hour af­ter, on Board the same Ship, arrived Sir Henry Vain, Major Sa [...] ­loway, Mr. Courtney, and Mr. Thankfull Owen: Captain Deaki [...] about two of the Clock commanded the Drake Frigot to weigh Anchor, and set sail either to meet Vice-Admiral Lawson, who then was thought to ride with the Fleet in Margarets Rode; [Page 4] or was sailing towards the Hope: The Gentlemen before mentioned went on Board the Drake Frigat; and after four hours sailing, she met the Fleet: The Gentlemen went on board the James to the Vice-Admiral. Sir Hen. Vain endeavoured to perswade the Vice-Admiral. Sir Hen. Vain endeavoured to perswade the Vice-Admirall to come to an Anchor in the place where he met him: The Vice-Admiral refused, and came to an Anchor at 8. in the Evening a little below Graves-End.

Nothing passed that Night worth the taking Notice of; but on the Sabbath-day the 18. Instant, about two in the Afternoon, the Vice-Admiral called a Council of War, there being present the Gentlemen before mentioned; the three first in behalf of the Parliament; and the latter as Mediators between the Ar­my and the Fleet; unto whose ayd came Colonel Salmon, and Col. Barrow.

The Vice Admirall began, expressing in an excellent Dis­course the Reasons and Grounds of the Fleets coming in to the River, and their declaring their Resolutions to endeavour the Restoring of the Parliament to the Exercise of their Authority, they judging them the onely means to Restore Peace and Set­tlement unto these distressed Nations, almost ruined with Changes, decay and losse of Trade occasioned thereby, and the like. After which, he caused the Declaration of the Fleet to be read, together with his Letter to the late Lieutenant Generall Fleetwood, and the Letter to the Lord Mayor, Court of Alder­men, and Common-Councell of London: After which, the Vice-Admirall gave a Narrative of Colonel Barrow's Negotia­tions with him in the Downes; as also what past between him, Col. White, and Captain Kingdom, which was to this purpose, viz. they desired him to forbear Declaring, especially in be­half of the Parliament: Likewise, That if he should offer to come out of the Downes, Charls Stuart would immediately Transport Men over to England, who had (as they a [...]edged) [...] Sayl at Ostend, which were ready.

To which the Vice-Admirall answered; As to the first, He was Resolved, with the whole Fleet, to Declare, and with their Lives and Fortunes to pursue it in all points as become English­men, in order to the Restoration of their Liberties: To the Se­cond; He had Intelligence from Ostend, That there were no Ships [Page 5] ready, but some small Pickeroons; and that he should leave at Dunkink and the Coast of Flanders sufficient Force to attend their Motion. And moreover, he should leave 3. or 4. small Fri­gats in the Downes (as he hath) that should be enough to secure England from any present Danger, that any preparations that were on foot at present could threaten; as also, that he was certain Charls Stuart had no other Forces ready, nor could not in any reasonable time, if He had Ships. Colonel Salmon endeavou­red to perswade the Vice-Admiral, and the Council of War, to send five or six more Frigats to the Downes, but could not pre­vail; They were Resolved to keep Intire, and rather look after the Enemy in the heart of their Country, then those in the Extream Parts: Colonel Salmon and Colonel Barrow fell both of them upon the Parliament, alleadging that they had not done any good to the Nation: to which, it was Replyed, That the Reasons were, for that the Army had alwayes bin the Obstruction and Hinderance, by their Imposing upon the Parliament such things as not onely hindered the Good which they ought in Duty to have done to their Country, but also forced and over-awed Them to do those things that gave offence and dislike to the Peo­ple in General; to which, Barrow and Salmon Replyed, That then, if they stood in the dislike of the People, it was Expedient and Rational to compose All to call a Free Parliament, or ano­ther Parliament under Qualifications, rather then that Parlia­ment: Unto which it was Answered, That the Parliament was the onely Visible Power of the Nation, and that it is really in beeing by Act of Parliament; and that if they should not meet, and devolve the Supream Power over to succession of Parliaments, they must receive their Parliaments, whether Free or Limited by Qualifications, from the power of a Com­mittee of Safety, who received their power from the Army, who have nothing to do with giving of Laws to the Nation; and, That it was the Duty of every man to oppose and hinder the carrying on of any such pernitious Designs, which tended to nothing less then the Converting the Supream Power of the Nation into the Hands of the Army: For that if they should submit to have a Free Parliament, then if they did but harp up­on the string of Charls Stuart, they would Dissolve Them, and [Page 6] plead that Parliaments would not do the Work, and that God had a mind to lay aside that Idol of the People, Parliaments, so it would fall into the Hands of a refin'd Interest, the Army; and if that the Parliament, Elected by the Authority of the Army, should not fall upon a Single Person, in Design to prevent them of their Design against Parliaments: Yet, what would they do when they shall be Over-ruled by the 2 [...] Conservators, whose Judgment and Interest must be put into the Ballance with the Judgment and Interest of the Publick. To the last, it was Re­plyed by the Madiators, That the Conservators might possibly be layed aside; To which it was answered, That in the room of them, the General Council of the Army would undertake that matter: It was Replyed by the Mediators, That the Army had reason so to do, to see that what they had Fought for, should not be lost at a Breath; unto which was answered, That the Parlia­ment were oblidged in an higher Nature than the Army, to pre­vent that; besides, That the Parliament could not do it, in re­gard that what was Fought for, was the publick Interest, and the Parliament must necessarily adhere to the publick Interest. That the Army never intended other, then to fortifie its Self against the publick Interest, by setting it Self up as a distinct Corporati­on over the People and publick Interest; the which, was appa­rent by their present Practises, and therefore it was necessary that the Army should be brought under the Civil Power, above which it had Exalted it Self for several years last past: And that although they promised to sit under that which they now should set Up; all the World knoweth they might pull down what they set up, notwithstanding their Promise; for the World knoweth that yet no Promise, Covenant, Engagement, or De­claration ever held Them. Therefore it is necessary to oppose Them, since They strike at All, especially, when that their pre­sent offer of a Parliament, Free, or Qualified, tendeth to nothing but to avoid the present Emergency, of what is threatened by Generall MONCK and Vice-Admiral LAWSON, and the other Forces of the Commonwealth, who (no doubt) with the blessing of the Al­mighty, will bring Them to Account for all heir Horrid Per­juries, Breach of Trust, Blastings and Abusing of the Nation, [Page 7] by pretending the securing of the Cause, the refined Interest, and the People of God, when nothing was more Destructive there­unto, then their present Proceedings, which doth overthrow and endanger all together; and destroy the Trade and Navigati­on, obstructing of Justice, and discomposing the Harmony of Government, to the dishonour of God, and disquiet of th [...]se Nations: Besides, there is nothing less to be expected from Them; Nay, some of Them have boasted, that so soon as this Danger is over they will bridle this Nation well enough with­out Parliaments; therefore the People are to have a care they be not taken by the snare of their specious Pretences, since it is certain, no Parliament can be called that knoweth better how to rid the Nation of these unquiet and dangerous Persons: Moreover, it was largely discoursed and proved, that this Par­liament ever did what they could possible (in their sitting before Cromwell's Interruption) to shake of the Yoke of the Army, that thereby they might arrive at the work of Setling the Nation upon the just and honourable Basis of true Freedom, such as might consist with the Preservation of Publique Interest: The like they did at their last Sitting, it is evident to the whole World, They made it appear, that they did not intend longer to lend their Authority to be a Mask to the Armies Tyranny: Besides, It was made appear, that when they were admitted the last time to the Exercise of their Authority, it was to no other end than to be a Shield to defend the Ring-leaders of mischief in the Army; For some small time, to colour their Act of turn­ing out Richard and his Parliament, untill they should find an Occasion or fit Opportunity to turn them our again, so that they might arrive at what they aimed at, viz. The Tyrannizing over the Nation: Nay, in their Private Cabals, there are some of them have advised rather to choose a Free Parliament, than a Parliament that shall be chosen with Qualifications, in regard they should have Opportunity administred sooner for their tur­ning out.

There were many more particulars discoursed of; but my memory, together with my time, preventeth me of giving You the particulars: But, let me assure You, they were the best that ever I heard, in so much that they concurring with the Judg­ment [Page 8] and Resolution of the honest and gallant Sea-Comman­ders, 4 or 5 of the dissenting Commanders that stood out at the first were convinced, and signed the Declaration, before the faces of the Mediators. Sir, There being nothing of Action at the present, I forbear to give You any further Account, in regard that what they intend further is under consideration in order to Action; the which no doubt will produce another face upon things, if the Wallingfordians shall still persist in their Folly and Madnesse, against which and Them God in his providence will witness, to the deliverance of these almost destroyed Nations; in which work, it is the Duty of every English-man to assist, that Posterity may be happy under a Succession of Parliamentary Authority, derived from a Civil, rather than a Military Foun­tain, from whence floweth nothing but Absoluteness, Pride, and unlimited, arbitrary, and Tyrannical Streams.

Sir, I do not question but You will contribute your aid in this Work, and endeavour to undeceive the Nation of the Pre­tence of the Army, in calling a Parliament together; with the Danger of receiving a Parliament from an Army, in which the Nation doth no less than grant the Army to be the Supream Authority: Besides, when it is Their Design in Calling them, for no other End than to levy Mony, to hold You and your Posterity in Slavery and Bonds not easily to be shaken off.