ALthough I have but little to ac­quaint you with since my last, yet because I would omit no opportunity of letting you un­derstand our condition, I have directed these to your hands; providence hath so ordered it, that through exceeding unseaso­nablenes of the weather in these parts, and the continued expectation of assistance out of Lan­cashire, [Page 2] we have done little but secured our owne quarters at this Towne, which are now eaten up; to morrow or next day we advance towards Carlisle: the Lancashire▪ Foot and Horse (so they are called here) comming up to us as we expect, they are now but 16. miles from us, their number 2000. Horse and Foot; our Head▪quarters I presume will be about Ber­wick bridge three miles from Carlisle, it being judged the best place to enforce the enemy without the Towne to an ingagement or a flight, whose numbers are not above halfe so many as reported, all not exceeding 3000. in the field in these parts; some part of their Horse are advanced into Northumberland to Marpeth, between Anwicke and Newcastle; if our advance to Berwicke bridge doe not cause their retreat, ours setled there we intend to send after them. Many dayly come out of Scotland to us, both English and Scottish, but few Olive branches brought by either; the tydings sad relating to honesty, or honest men, some Ministers already executed, more impri­soned, all that indeavour to oppose or obstruct the present furious proceedings of the now [Page 3] prevalent party, are by power given to a Com­mittee for that purpose to bee secured, their goods to be confiscated. Their oath is fra­med and urged already upon the Nobility and Peers, but none other; upon it Lowden the Chancellour, and Louthian, Warriston, and severall other Lords and Gentlemen are fled, but not knowne whether. Orders are issued out to all Ports to make stop of them; there was a purpose of the honest Gentlemen, and others well affected to honesty, in the West part of that Kingdome, to have embodyed to the number of 10000. but prevented by the advance of Leivtenant Generall Middleton thi­ther, so as not above the number of 1500. got together, those he summoned and willed to re­turn to their homes; this drew off most, yet fea­ring it was but a design to catch their persons, resolved to outbid all adventures, and would ot stir, 300. of these Leivtenant Middleton for­ced to a water side, that they must either yeeld or fight, the latter of which they chose & did it w ^th much courage, that they beat off his Horse, and put them to a rout and flight, thereby got opportunity to secure themselves in Galloway a [Page 4] garrison of Argiles, 500. more being all that stayd of the 1500. which had been old Souldiers, got into a Bog for their own preser­vation, which was after beset by the Horse, but as yet wee know not what is become of them. Argile hath been sent to by the now late Com­mittee of Estates, to know the reason why his two Regiments now with him yeeld not obe­dience to the commands of the present officers of the Army; he replyed he would examine it, and shortly return them an accompt or a reason of it. Middleton, Bartlett, Ʋrry, (not Colonel Ʋrry) Gibbs of Essex, these all have accepted of Commands under the Generall Hamilton. Old Leven, David Lish [...]y, Holbourne, Carr a Collonel at Plimouth; Leivtenant Colonell Carr Leivte­nant Colonell to Middleton, and severall, yea most of the Officers formerly imployed by themselves, and we in England have refused. Honest men say, never was there such a sad per­secu [...]ion in that Kingdome, yet God hath ex­ceedingly emboldened the spirits of the Mini­stry and others to withstand them, as if delive­rance were behind the Curtaine for them; all confesse, no visible helpe to them but by this [Page 5] Army, or part of its suddain advance into that Kingdome, which how God may please in his wise providence to order I cannot tell; much hath God been pleased to teach them of a spi­rit of forbearance towards such as they dee­med Brethren, confessing their error in their rigid pressing to a conformity. I am almost perswaded in my owne heart, God hath a de­signe in this to unite the spirirs of the Saints in both Nations each to other, by making them see a need of one another. It made my heart almost to bleed, to hear some of them confesse it was a wise dispensation of the Almighty, that they who had it in purpose, and indeavour to persecute others, should first taste of that cup, yea from the hands of such which they thought to have made instrumentall for the o­ther, and that God should so order it, that those whom they judged could not upon prudentiall grounds be suffred to cohabit with them, or be so much as their neighbours, should now be­come the onely visible safety, or hopes of such under God to them. I have done with this; I have no further to acquaint you with, but the [Page 6] increase of the enemy about Pomfret, and their late indeavours to surprize Nottingham, Yorke, Hempsley, and Bolton Castles.