UPon the 11. day of this moneth Prince Robert began to declare his Resolution to the Kings most excellent Majesty, and the rest of the Nobles that are now attend­ing upon his royall Person, which was to this effect: That he had information by Letters from Holland, that his roy­all [Page 2]much discontented and troubled in mind for his residence [...] very desirous that, hee should take his leave of his royall Uncle, the King of England, and to come to the Hague in Holland, whereby she might impart her minde unto him: he being willing to fulfil his Mothers desires, and sorry for his first coming over, declared his resolution to His Majesty, that hee was now resolved to leave England, desi­ring His Majesty not to be displeased thereat; and that according to the ut­most of his power, he would endeavour to send over such able Commanders as should finish what he had begun.

His Excellency the Earle of Esser having left a strong garison at Worcester and all other places which he thought might prove prejudiciall to his Army, if that the malignant Party should take them into their possession, and having secvred these places, hee, advanced with his whole Army towards Shrowsbury, [Page 3]where the Kings Majesty hath set down his resolution to meet wich his Excel­lency and his whole Army: but the weather being somwhat vehement, in­somuch as his Excellency could not march with his whole army fast enough towards Shrewsbury, therefore hee sent Colonell Hollis, Colonell Hamp­den, and divers other Officers with three thousand horse and Foot before, by rea­son of the information which he had newly received, that some of the Parlia­ments Forces that lay neere unto the said towne of Shrewsbury were in great di­stresse, because the Kings Army were al­most gathered to a head, and lay within five miles of the said towne, and there­fore expected they should suddenly have a battell with them, and not being able to encounter with them, because the Ca­valiers did far exceed them in number, therefore forth with they dispatched Let­ters to the Lord Generall, desiring speedy aid from his Excellency, and according [Page 4]to their desires, he sent the aforenamed Eosses, which no sooner arrived there, but immediately they had a battell with the Cavaliers, being in number about seven thousand Horse and Foer, which were under the command of the Earle of Lindsey, and the Earle of Westmer­land, and our Forces were not above four thousand at the most: having joy­ned themselves in battell with the ene­my, continuing for the space of three houres, the enemy retreated with the losse of fifty men, and twenty three on our side.

From Bridgnorth there is informati­on by divers letters that the Lord Wil­loughby of Parham hath joyned his Forces with his Excellency the Earle of Essex, and are in their march towards Shrewsbury, and by the way they found great opposition at Bridgnorth (which is a towne about twelve miles distant from Shrewbury) by Prince Robert and divers olders of the malignant Party, [Page 5]whereupon there soone increased many dangers, and the inveterate malice of the Cavaliers there burst out, and began to give out many scoffing speeches against our souldiers, but they not brooking of such scandalous words, desired leave of their Officers to discharge against them; but at the first they seemed somwhat un­willing, and would not condescend thereunto, untill they understood the pleasure of the Lord Generall; but after some consultation thereof, they sell to it pell mell, and in the space of five hours seventy of the Cavaliers were slaine, and divers taken prisoners, with very little losse on our party: wherupon the ene­my sounded a parley, and at the said par­ley it was concluded on, that a set day should be appointed for the meeting of both Armies.

There are 340. souldiers come out of Herefordshire to his Excellency for the service of the King and Parliament, and that the city of Hereford had sent to his [Page 6]Excellency, signifying their good affecti­on to the Parliament, and their desire to have that city secured against the Cava­liers, which they much feared would come, there being a malignant party in the city, those that were well-affection, durst not shew their forwardnesse so much as they would, whereupon his Excellency sent one thousand foot, and foure troupes of horse to disarme the malignants, and to settle that City in a good posture of defence, and likewise ordered that a sufficient garrison should be left there for the safety and peace of those parts.

Sir William Balfoure is gone to joyne his Forces with the L. Generall, and the Scots Commanders that profered their service to the Parliament, are gone to his Excellency and entred into their placed