I Acknowledge with all humble thankfulness, the favour of the Honourable House of Commons, in trusting me with your Service in these parts, and hold it my duty, not one­ly to perform that trust to the uttermost of my power in action, but also upon all occa­sions to represent unto you the state of the Affairs here; in pursuance whereof, I have now dispatched Mr. Fogg my Chaplain with some Letters which I met withal here, who also can acquaint you with the cause and particular occur­rents since my coming hither, and will readily return unto me what further Commands you shall please to lay upon me. The main end of my coming hither was, to finde out the Lord St. Pauls Forces, and to prevent his conjunction with the Lord Ashley; but perceiving him to decline me, and to retreat to Fanrust, being a Pass into Carnarvanshire, where I am credibly informed he is now with his Forces: I have chosen rather to stay here, then to advance any further toward him, he being Master of that Pass, and so may se­cure himself: If I should march up to him, my being here I hope will keep him from either joyning with Ashley, or any way annoy the Leaguer before Chester; and withal, I am certainly informed that this Castle is in a low condition, wanting both Ammunition and Fewel. The Governour be­fore my coming hither, being gone to Conway for a supply of Powder, hoping that in case I be not called away upon other occasions toward Chester, unto which all my designes shalbe subservient. I hope by Gods blessing not to make any long work of it.

HAving received intelligence of your being at Worcester, and a dispatch now going to His Majesty, I hold it my duty to acquaint Your Highnesse with a report brought hi­ther, or perhaps framed here, That your intention is to come into this Kingdom, a thing so unprobable, that I can give no credit unto it; yet I hold it my duty as well to His Ma­jesty as Your Highnesse, to inform you, That as yet there is no Peace concluded here, and that thorough an accident lately faln out (wherein the Earl of Glamorgan hath a part) His Majesties Affairs here, and all His Servants, are not one­ly upon very great uncertainty, but in apparant and continual danger of surprise and distresse, as well by the Irish as by the Covenanters in the North, and other parts of this Kingdom, all which is now advertised to His Majesty, and therefore if any such intention of Your Highnesse coming into this Kingdom should be (which I take to be impossible) I humbly offer, whether Your Highnesse may not hold it fit to expect His Majesties further pleasure, which He may declare upon the knowledge He will receive of the state of Things here, by the dispatch that goes herewith before any such danger­ous adventure of Your Highnesse Person, as You must in such case undergo in Your coming, and during Your High­nesse abode here. I humbly beseech Your Highnesse to par­don the impertinence of this first addresse to Your Highnesse from

I Thank you for this, and all other courtesies; be pleased to read, and then to Seal this inclosed, and you shall there­by understand, all I am able to say of this great businesse, which God Almighty prosper.

Col. Butler, who will be with you at or before this Letter, will import all the News of Ireland: He is a servant in or­dinary of the Queens. And so beseeching God to blesse you, I remain, Noble Governour,

MAster Doctor, I thank you for your Letter, and will satisfie the Bearer: And I beseech you to return these Letter, to the Noble Governour, The Duke of York, to be sent him, as soon as may well be; for in Ireland they will not be gain-said, but that he is at Ludlow. The Boat stayeth, I thank you good Doctor, and am

YOur Lordships Letter of the 12. of January, I received late at night, the 24 of the same moneth. I have commu­nicated to the Lord Byron, the Lord Marquesse of Ormond [Page 6]his Letter of the 12. of Decemb. and by this time (not sooner) the Lord Byrons Answer is at Dublin, which I sent by his Lordships Chaplain. It implyed some fears of holding out Chester, thus long: Col. Butler tells me even now, that the men and shipping are still ready in Ireland, though retarded hitherto by reason of this distraction; which sithence Tues­day last, is so composed, that the Earl of Glamorgan is out upon Bayl of six or eight Noble men, whereof the Lord Marquesse of Clenrickard is one. From the Lord Lieutenant I have received no Answer in writing as yet (though my Letters to his Excellency were many sithence the first of January) nor from the Lord Digby any more to the purpose, then this enclosed.

There is, Noble Lord, no relyings upon these Irish Forces for this Service, though if they come, they shall be carefully transposed to such a Rendezvouz, as I shall hear is most fit­ting for the passage of your Lordships Army: And for that end, your Lordship shall surely be punctually informed of their landing, and condition.

In the mean time, it is fit your Lordship should under­stand, that under Colonel Gilbert Byron, the Lord of St. Paul is in these parts in the head of 600 (as he saith) but I beleeve of 500 Horse and Foot, good men and well Armed, to be directed and imployed by your Lordship. Next that, that Lieut. Col. Roger Morton is landed with a peece of a Regi­ment (some 160 as Col. Butler tells me) of the Lord Digbies rais'd in Ireland of English, and some Lorainneses, and he will be able to make it up 200 upon his own credit (a Commissi­oner of Array and Peace in this County) and will be, after a day or two his refreshment, at your Lordships dispose.

I conceive your Lordship will receive better Information then I can give you, of the Forces that our Garrisons are able to afford, from the worthy Governour of Cherb. But I have it from good and knowing hands, that the Armed and [Page 7]Fighting men in Chester are above 4000, whereof many may issue forth. I pray God heartily (as I have cause) to blesse and prosper your Lordships honourable designe: and desire your Lordship to esteem of me, as of one, who hath long loved your Lordship, and may truely write myself,

I have imported your Lordships Letter, and Sir John Wats to Col. Gilbert Byron, to be sent to Chester.

I Give you very many humble thanks for your obliging Letter by Master Moor: I have likewise sent yours to the Marquesse of Ormond; and I am glad to finde there, that you do not take the Alarm at my Lord of Glamorgans com­mitment so hot, as upon it to despair of the relief of Chester; which, though it hath been somewhat retarded by it, yet I make little question now, but it will go on speedily and ef­fectually: And of this I desire you to certifie my L. Byron,

I Send you herewith another copy of the Articles taken in the Bi­shop of Tuam's Pocket, because we finde that many of our Letters do miscarry; and we are not in case to send expresses till the Ship with the Money come to us: Her stay is a very great prejudice to the Service; for if she had been here, we had prevailed with the British to send a 1000 men into Connaught, and you will perceive by the in­closed from the President there, what he would expect to do if he had them. We thought it was of concernment, to let the good party at Dublin see how they were bought and sold; and therefore sent some Copies of the inclosed Articles to them, who made such an uproar: [Page 8]That the Lord Digby disclaimed the thing, and said, The King would not yeeld to them to save his Crown, and his life; and that if any such thing were gotten, it was procured surrepticiously; and therefore ac­cused the Earl of Glamorgan of Treason, and accordingly he was committed the 26 of the last to the Castle of Dublin. This in all ap­pearance was done to pacifie the people; for a friend writes that he might have been released of his close imprisonment within two dayes after, if he would have acknowledged that he proceeded in it without Warrant, but he justifies the Act, and so remains a prisoner.

I have written to you several times, that the Derry cannot be secured till there be some power to displace Malignant Captains of that Regi­ment; and if the Scotch Commissioners should now come, the Ordi­nance is expired the third of this Moneth. I hope you are providing of a Deputy, who may easily cure all the distempers of this Army.

I wrote to you formetly, that I was going into Connaught, and had been gone before this, but the Frost and Snow was so great, that I could not well travel. This day, God pleased, I begin my journey, and do hope, God assisting, to make it useful to the publike.

I beleeve a long Letter will be troublesome to you, and therefore I will not detain you longer from reading the President of Connaughts, which hath in it very good news: And so conclude my self to be

We shall endeavour to get 1000 to go in to Connaught, though the Money be not come.