MY Lord, since the departure of Collonell [...]o­ring (from whose happier expr [...]ssions I doubt not but you have received the humble acknow­ledgements, and assurances of my service to your Honour) we have here but little newes, is worthy your Honours observance. His friends with what strength they can produce are making their best dispatches to second him. We have our hearts in England, though our bodies be in Holland, and our bodies are making what speed they can to overtake our hearts. The eyes of the Princes of Christendome are looking on you, and know not well what to resolve upon, but stand a while at gaze, and wait on the events that doe attend you. We heard of some defeats were given you, but we dare not be such cowards to your Honour and your cause as to believe it, especially since At [...] hath credibly informed us that in spight of winter and opposition you have cut your way through your thickest enemies, and with gallant resolution and successe do increase in numbers, as you adv [...]ce mo [...]e neare unto his Majesty. If you could dispence with so much honor, as to forbear your hand a little from your sword and take your penne into it, it would bring great satisfaction to us to understand the newes betwixt Oxford and London, a [...]d to be informed therein from a person of your eminence a [...]d authority. The affairs move here in the same condition as they doe with you, and are almost sick of the same distempers. The Prince hath kept a private Christmas at [...]eda, and though he hath been oft invited to the Hague, he cannot be induced to take his journey to it, and thinks hims [...]lf safer gar­isoned in his ow [...] town then befriended in the Queens Court. [Page] Count Ernests Sonne hath been much wrought upon, with what friends and strength he could make to assist his Majesty of England, but being not to be perswaded thereunto, he told the Prince of Ora [...]ge very resolutely, that he would not adventure his [...]onour, nor his life in that quarrell, nor lose a drop of bloud among parricidiall swords, and gave the Prince who still importuned him to that service such bold and unre­spective words, that the Prince forgetting all moderation with his closed hand struck him on the cheek, who not enduring the indignity betook himself unto his sword, and making a full thrust against the Prince had desperately endangered his life had not the vigilance, and fidelity of some that stood by pre­vented the mischief which was pointing at his life. There was also since that one Gray an English man, and a souldier some­times in Collonell Culpepers Regiment, who suffered justly the strappado for speaking scandalous, and traiterous words a­gainst the Queen of England, and did not blush to affirm and compare her to the late Queen of France her Mother, saying, that in this respect she was like unto her, and wheresoever she came, that division, warre and ruine did attend her, ascribing the difference betwixt the Prince of Orange and the States to her residing amongst them. I could willingly write out the o­ther houre, and inlarge my service to your honour, but I know [...]n these active times you look on men, and not on papers, and having not the leasure to peruse them, I should rather torment you, then delight you: I should therefore be a very bad sub­ject and sinne against his Majesty and the common good, should I withold you any longer from your great imploy­ment which cannot have a more able supporter then your self, nor a more faithfull votary then he who is my Lord,

THE distempers of these times are great, con­trary windes and mindes blowing from all the corners of the Christian world▪ I doe by the opportunity of the first Bark committed to the winde and Seas, acquaint you with our distra­ctions equall in many respects unto yours. We have heard of much dangerous opposition against your King, and it is our wonder, that you should turn your countrey into an Anarchy, and rend power from the King to invest your selves with Democraticall Diade [...]es: while they labour to keep the free li­berty of the Estates of Holland, they would maintaine their old Rights, and keep the Prince of Orange onely titular, and depending upon their will, limiting his power to bee subor­dinate to popular Regality, a solecisme and contradiction in nature; your affairs move upon the same hinge. But the Prince of Orange that is a knowne Souldier, and hath deserved much of the Estates, will not brooke this opposition; but finding that the common people esteeme Princes and Souldiers only in the field, and doe forget their brave service, accounting them for service, only their servants, and then prove ungrate­full: Besides, a Prince incensed can endure no vulgar weak­nesse, strong onely in base thoughts and contempt of Princi­palities, as your plebeians are in England. From these mo­tives much disturbance is like to proceed: For when vulgar strength and Principality meet, they are like torrents, that mutually oppose one another. These growing evils are nou­rished by malignants, as you have; some declare themselves for the Prince, some for the States: and I know not whether they have learned the Art of opposing Princes, by adhering to your Parliament; but beleeve it, we fore-see what horri­ble [Page] mischiefes the Fates have plotted against us, and what blood must be drawne from our owne veines, or rather vani­ties, pride and ambition, and competition for prerogative, drawing us on to murther one another, as you (according to intelligence given us) did at Kenton battell: Our hopes are weake concerning any pacification; but our feares are great that the Low-countries have seen their best and most flouri­shing daies: for warre doth shut up all trading and commerce; and where it doth once enter, it destroyes whole kingdomes, it brings in wretched misery, and all sorts of ineffable cala­mity. What passionate words can declare the bleeding state of a kingdome distracted by civill warre? Our daily intelli­gence of your affaires, doth make great impressions of feare in us, that our disagreement between the Prince of Orange and the States, will at last (as your contention in England did) break out into a civill warre. In regard of the firme league be­tween England and Holland, and the good service our coun­trey hath done unto that Kingdome, by frustrating the con­tinuall designes of many Spanish Fleets, and sinking their tal­lest ships in the mercilesse seas, I perswade me, that the report of these growing dissentions amongst us, will make some be­gin to compare your present state with ours. Prerogatives claimed on both sides, doth thrust us on to fight, and our great power flatters us, that we have both right unto that which we pretend. The Prince and the States are united and separated, as the King and Parliament are in England, by the affection of the people, and I fear that this our division can bring nothing but ruine. Ioyne with us therefore in your prayers, that it would please God to settle and compose the distracted con­dition of your Kingdome, to establish your King in peace, and the generall affection of his subiects, and vanquish all his ene­mies [Page] in his owne Army; and that our countrey looking on your calamity, may clearly behold it selfe, and what wee shall be if we fall out about words. It is a strong peece of the Di­vels subtilty, to provoke nature to shedding of blood, let the cause be never so good, his ends are close and private, and de­struction of kingdomes is that whereat his malice doth chief­ly aime. But we hope ambition shall not make us butcher and murther one another, as you have done: And since some part of Englands strength must needs live and dye with Hollands happinesse, let your prayers beseech heaven for peace in both countries, to prevent our warre, and set a period to yours.