VVHereas by order of the late Lord Ma­jor and Commissioners, a precept came to the Deputy and Common-councell men of the Ward of Walbrook, requiring them to call tr their assistance, such able persons as they shall think meet, to assess upon the Inhabitants of their Ward, the sum of 50. l. which was in arrears of the 4. former assesments of the 12, 10, 6, & 4 months, for the L. Gen. Fairfax his army, the Common counsell men in obedience to that precept, did call to assistance 8. other persons Inhabitants in their Ward, for the more equal rating and assessing of the aforesaid sum, and af­ter long and serious consultation and debate, did finde that the reall estates, viz, the Rents of houses had not [Page]been rated at all, or not considerable in those 4 assesse­ments; did therefore adjudge it, to be just to lay some considerable part of the 500. l. upon the aforesaid Rents, and they also finding that the Assessors in those 4 assesments, had exceeding overrated the poor people of small estates, and also had exceedingly under rated themselves, and the men of great Estates in the Ward. The now Common councell men finding this great partiality and inequality, did judge it just before God, and all just men, to lay the greatest part of that which remained and not laid on the real estates, upon those of great estates that had bin so much under-rated, that if the rich men had bin rated, proportionably to those of small estates, there would have bin little or none of those arrears, judging it very unjust and contrary to Gods command, to add oppression to oppression, also contrary to the true intent and meaning of the Ordinan­ces of parl. Having taken this course for the more spe­dy getting in of the aforesaid arrears, & also to prevent future arrears, did finish the books, and according to order sent them in. But upon the complaint of some of the Ward, together with such of the Comoncoun­cel as were assessors of those unequal assesments, to the Lord Mayor and Commis. We the now assessors were sent for before them, and notwithstanding we made it clear to the commis. that we had so assessed it as was most agreeable to Gods command to take of heavy burdens, & to relieve the oppressed, which we also de­clared was the true intent and meaning of the Ordi. of parl. & also discharge our trust; yet were we overaw­ed and commanded to take the book & alter it, to take off from the rich, and to lay it on such as wee knew to be over-rated before, and yet had paid which we judg­ed unreasonable, we also told the Aldermen, that their [Page 3]evill example in rating themselves so low in every assesment did occasion that no rich men in any Ward, would be rated proportionably to the estates, & did plead & do sin plead that an Alderman was but so much, & should they be rated equal­ly with, or more then an Ald. We also told them that we did expect that as it was their duty, so they would have given us in command all the assessors of every Ward in London, to have considered such as had bin over-rated to have eased them, & also such as had been under-rated, to have laid the more on them. This was much stood upon, and by some answred with bitter expressions, and angry countenances; but our conclusi­ons was with them thus. That we did hope in the sincerity of our hearts we had obeyed Gods command, in taking off hea­vy burdens, and in relieving of some of the oppressed, and let­ting others that were more oppressed go free, and that if they (the Commissioners) did say those burdens on again, the sin should lie at their doors, and they should answer for it, we had discharged our trust. We know it to be just, that he that is worth 1000. l. should be rated ten times so much as hee that is worth 100. l. and so proportionably from the least estate to the greatest, and he that hath the greatest estate hath the grea­test advantage by this Rule of proportion, and if the Wards men be wise in their elections of common-councell men, let them look upon such as are godly, wise men, of the middle rank of men, and make choice of such men they will find wil act most and best for them and the publique. What injustice, unequality; and oppression hath bin used and exercised upon the poor and men of small estates in all former assesments the like hath been in a great measure in every Ward in levying men and armes to attend their Captains and Commanders in the Trayned Bands, as an Alderman, or great rich man to send three men and peradventure sends but one, it may be none at all; when a poor man of small estate shall go forth, and find his own armes; this is also a great injustice and op­pression.

Other Letters from Holland say. That the Scots Com­missioners have had audience with the Prince, they presen­ted Letters vnto their declared King, upon the knee, and said that was their endeared affection that moved them to that posture of obedience and loyalty: they tell their King he knew Scotlands mind by some sent before, and they de­sire to treat about it, but first Montrosse must depart, they bewayled the death of his late Royall Father, vttering ma­ny inveterate expressions against the causers of it: as yet no treaty hath been, nor answer given, and though it was declared, by their declared King to them, at the delivery thereof, that within few days he would return a satis­factory answer; yet he now seems to vary, determining to take some respite of time in consultation thereon, and desires likewise to take the advice of the States Generall; and to that end hath given Sir Edward Hide directions to bring in a Declaration, to be presented to the said Councell, the sum and abstract whereof fol­loweth.

That he desires a treaty with some of the States Ge­nerall, in reference to the present transaction of affairs, touching his remove from the Hague to the Kingdom of France, before he take his journey for Ireland.

2 That the chief motives of his inducement hereun­to, are, by reason of the distractions breaking out anew in the Kingdom of Scotland; which divisions causeth him to despair in the safety of his person, &c. But these conjecturations in all probability will soon be frustra­ted, for we conceive he will make his abode here, as the best center of his affairs, and that some of the States may possibly be advisers, in giving assistance to his re­sultations, in case his Councell be not over violent to to the contrary.

Sir, Col. Laighton is designed for Holland, with Let­ters from the Lord Seaforths brother to their young titular King, inviting him to Sea, and to give commissi­on to Montrosse to be Lieut. Generall, which wil soon cause the increase of a potent Army in those parts, the Lord Plustarty being already very numerous, and hath declared for Charles the second, remonstrating the grounds and reasons of his present engagement, and stirring up the people to joyn with them therein, but its probable their design may be frustrated, for there are two thousand Horse and eleven thousand Foot rai­sed of the new Establishment by the Estates, who are resolved not to act or comply with them, for the inve­sting of the declared King upon their tearms or prin­ciples. Some great Batteries are raising neer the Cliffs of Leith, and the Fortications about the said town goe on apace. Here is some whispering of the neere ap­proach of a period to all differences and disputes at the Hague, and that the young King and the Commis­sioners are upon a conclusion for peace, which gives popular satisfaction to many in this City.