HIs Excellency Sir Thomas Fair­fax having a tender and deepe sense of severall difficulties and dangers which were like to en­sue, and of the evill and treache­rous dealings of the publike E­nemies to the Peace of this Sy­on, against the Parliament, Ar­my, and Kingdomes peace and welfare; having a long time sought and endeavoured to breake those silver Cords of Amity, which hath been so unani­mously knit together, betwixt the hearts of our re­nowned Generall, and the whole Kingdome; and fin­ding that all their wicked stratagems, and Hell-bred Devices could not take effect, they began to bethinke themselves of a new Project (which indeed was a most [Page]horrid and desperate one) and that was their great activenesse in sending and dispiersing of their severall Agents throughout many Counties within this King­dome; to the end, that they might use their utmost en­deavours to seduce the People, and to make his Ex­cellency and the Army odious unto them, by defa­ming their just and honourable Endeavours, with most false and scandalous aspersions, and all under this Mask and Pretence, that the Generall and Army sought their own private ends, more then the good & welfare of this languishing Kingdom, with many more such like untruths and false aspersions, and that there was a design in hand for bringing his Majesty to Lon­don, and restoring of the Kingdom to their just rights and liberties.

All which delusions could not prevaile to withdraw the hearts of the People from his Excellency, but were resolved to live and dye with him in the Armies just Cause and Engagement, &c.

His Excellency, and the Councell of the Army, ha­ving seriously considered the wicked practises & evill designes of these men, and the great ruine that might befall this Kingdome, if not timely prevented, thought requisite (for satisfaction of the whole Kingdom) to Declare as followeth, and to represent these ensuing Proposals to the view of the whole world, viz. ‘I. THat when (by the blessing of God) all things were com­posed & the Kingdom reduced to a peaceable condition, there were crosse workings by a prevalent party, roobstruct and pervert justice, and oppresse the peaceable and well af­fected people of the Kingdome and by holding forth preten­ces of Uniformity, oppressed the people, and to further their [Page]designes raised jealousies, and to further their designes got a power into their hands of a publike influence, whereby they had the advantage to raise a new warre and make disturban­ces in the Common wealth, and the impeached Members continued about London very active therein and the new Mi­litia joyned with them in [...]sting of Reformadoes, & others, by which meanes the Speakers and many fa [...]thfull Members of b [...]th Houses were forced away, after which some Mem­bers remaining chose new Speakers, that they might act ac­cording to their own ends and that the proceedings & votes of the major part of them during the absence of the Spea­ker, intended to the carrying on of a treasonable Engage­ment.’

After which, all of them concentring (as in other things, so especially) in this, viz. To have the King brought up to London without delay, or any neerer ap­proach of the Army. To which his Excellency pro­pounds, as followeth:

• I. That had the King come up to Londen (as they have so oft desired and attempted) it is apparent they inten­ded and would have made use of it, rather to lay the stronger foundations of a new war, then any way to settle thereby a safe and well-grounded Peace.
• II. And since they could not rationally expect so casie an obtaining of the Kings Person to London, upon any pretence whatsoever, yet it is evident, that they could intend nothing thereby, but a more plaudible pretence and foundation of quarrell against this Army, where­by to engage or incline to their assistancethe Kings Party, and such others who might bee catcht with the apprehension thereof, as a speedy way to Peace (the thing so generally longed for) and by such assistance [Page]gained, the better to ruine this Army, and those faith­full Members of Parliament who retired to it.
• III. Thirdly, For our parts wee shall reioyce as much as any, to see the King brought backe, to his Parliament, and that not so much in place, as in affection and agreement, on such sound terms and grounds as may render both him and the Kingdom, safe, quiet, and happy, and shall be as ready as any to bring his Ma­jesty to London, when his being there may be likely to produce (not greater Disturbances or Distractions, but a Peace indeed, and that such as may not be shaped and moulded on­ly to the private advantages of a particular party or faction, but bottom'd chiefly on grounds of common and publike safety.
• IV. That if (without regard to these conside­rations) we would have brought his Majesty with us to London in our late advance thither (which our Enemies could not hinder or prejudice us in) we had no cause to doubt, but (as to men) wee might have had all the ad­vantages, which our Adversaries promised to themselves thereby, added to the strength & [Page]intrest of the Army, and have inverted the disadvantages upon them that they intended against vs thereby, so as his Majesties coming to London might have beene much to their preiudice and our advantage, if we had regar­ded only our own particulars.
• V. That we have not minded nor bin acting our own workes and interests, but the king­domes, and every honest mans in it.

For all which, it is propounded and desired, that the chiefe Actors of the late Designe may forthwith bee brought to tryall; and it is further declared, as follo­weth, viz.

That if any of those Members, who during the ab­sence of the speakers and the rest of the Members of both Houses (forced away by the tumultuous violence aforesaid) did sit and Vote in the pretended Houses then continuing at Westminster shall here­after intrude themselves to sit in Parliament (before they shall have given satisfaction to the respective Houses, wherefore they are concerning the grounds of their said sitting at Westminster, during the absence of the said speakers, and shall have acquited them­selves by sufficient evidence, that they did not procure or give their consent unto any of those pretended Votes, Orders, or Ordinances tending to the raising, and levying of a Warre (as is be [...]ore declared) or for the King [...] coming forthwith to London) we can­not [Page]any longer suffer the same, but shall doe that Right to the speakers, and Members of both Houses who were driven away to us, and to our selves with them, (all whom the said other Members have in­deavoured in an hostile manner, most unjustly to de­stroy,) and also to the Kingdome, which the endea­voured to imbroyle in a new Warre,) as to take some speedy, and effectuall course whereby to restraine them, from being their own, and ours, and the King­domes Judges in those things wherein they have made themselves parties, by this meanes to make way that both they, and others that are guilty, and parties to the aforesaid treasonable, and dectructive practises, and proceedings against the Freedome of Parliament, and peace of the Kingdome may be brought to condigne punishment (and and that at a Judgement of a Free Parliament, consisting (duly, and pro perly) of such Members of both Houses respectively, who stand cleare from such apparent, and treasonable breach of their trust, as is before expressed.

The Army are perfecting of a modell by way of Propositions to be confirmed by King and Parliament for setling a firme Peace, they are the substance of their former Propositions.