NOva rerum facies here no Planet raignes in the Isle of Wight but the Moone, my heart is at least a stone ligher since my last of the 28 of November, our cafe is altered (God be th [...]n [...]ed) with Ploydons. Wednesday the 29 of the last whether of his owne moving (which all in­clines unto) or by the advice of others it is not knowne: the King sent for the Major and Brethren of Newport, with other chiefe of the To [...]n declared unto them before the Parliaments Commissioners what hee had granted for the content of his people, and how hee had quite for some time decested him­selfe of the very essence of authority, and received nought but the shadow to give satisfaction unto his two Houses in all their proposalls put up to him, (and therein referred them unto the Commissioners there present who confirmed the same) that not withstanding all this he was like to be used as they saw, (and for ought he knew as bad, nay farre worse then before, (seeing the Generall had of his owne Head as farre as he could learne, sent those three (I writ of) to order and dispose of His Person, [Page 6] according to their private instruction of the said men, or perhaps of one that His Maiesty had reason to dis­like worse then hee, (Cromwell) and therefore as His leige people he requested their helpe and assistance to preserve Him from undeserued bondage, to which his Maiesty thought they were bound to do, not onely by the law of God, but by the vertue of the oath of Alle­giance, Supremacie, Protestation, and Covenant, at the hearing of this, the Maior and his assistants after reve­rence on their knees; protested unto the King, that see­ing His Majesty and his Parliament were agreed, that they would defend him both in honour & safty with lives, bodies, and fortunes, and that during his Majesties plea­sure and his Parliaments for his above there, and that they trusted that he should shortly find the maine Inhabi­tants of the Isle of the same opinion, which accordingly fell out, for on Thursday towards noone I think almost all the people came to the Towne, and with open ac­clamations made good the same. Nay, one Wilckes a Brewer at the Greybound told Maior Bolfe, That if hee or any else attempted to restraine, guard or keep the King there, (or other wise then He pleased) that it were better for them to be a keeping of Sheep [in the Garden before the Kings face] his Maiesty was much taken with the so­ber bluntnesse of this Fellow, so that GOD be blessed His Maiesty hath the solace the Island can afford him now with promise of protection, till such time as His Parliament shall thinke fit to send for him to London in honour. His Maiesty likewise hath past his Kingly word to them not to put himselfe out of their trust & protection, save with their knowledge.

[Page 7] Colonell Ewer and his two collaterals have leasure to return, or if they like otherwise to fish in the Island for ought they need trouble themselves about attend­ing the King after their gap'd for wish, the speciall charge of waiting upon His Maiesty is by the generall vote and agreement of all the Island conferred on one Captaine Cooke, Marshall of Colonell Hammonds re­giment, an honest-heartie true Troian, and an old Blade that of my conscience loves the King wonder­full well, and is right ioyfull of the credit, and oper­tunitie in any way to serue or obey His Maiesty, the Island have so good an opinion of him that they have made him as it were Commander in chiefe over them till it shall please the Parliament to take further or­der for a Governour.

In faith I doe verily beleeve the Inhabitants of the Island to be betweene seven or eight thousand fight­ing men, an Every compleatly arm'd.

The Parliament, Garisons here doe let them take their owne way, some being better content with it than others, but all willing to strike to necessity, for I doe iudge the meere Souldierie of the Armie at this present remaining in the Island to be about five or six hundred or neare thereupon, if the Inhabitants of the Island stand upon it, the places of landing are of that advantage to them, and so disadvantagoeus to the ap­proachers, that they are able to keep out a very con­siderable force for a good time.

Here came hither Thursday night last of Pinaces & Frigats to the number of 9. from my Lord of Warwick, [Page 6] [...] [Page 7] [...] [Page 6] [...] [Page 7] [...] [Page 6] who declares for the King and Parliament, and is ap­poynted as we heare to carry His Maiesty to London by Sea, as also we are given to understand by some of his Officers that come a shore, that the agreement be­twixt the Prince and his Lordship is in a fair advance and that His Highnesse will be content to surrender him the Ships upon assureance, and engagement to keepe them for the King and Parliament, according to the tenure of the Treaty.

And that the Masters and Captaines of them with other Officers may have benefit of the Pardon, Acts of Oblivion and Indempnity, and continve their pla­ces upon security of their faithfulnesse, and obedience for hereafter, according to the Articles of the Trea­tie.

But his Lordship must pardon His Maiesty if hee chuse rather to stay in the Island, as wee are plainly here informed; for hither came one of His Maiesties Scalding-House that dwells at Windsor on Thursday last who having Officers of the Lord Generalls, of great qualitie qua [...]red in hi [...] house, and did avouch to us that the generall resolu [...]ion of the Army was with­in very few dayes to march for London, and to order and alter matters not onely in the Citie but even at Westminster likewise, and spake large words, not onely concerning His Maiesties Person but His Life.

GOD in mercy defend Him, for surely the hand of wickednesse is very high, the billowes of contempti­ous pride swells beyond measure. Yet God cannot a hooke into this and a sway, that when hee pleaseth, mans necessitie being often time Gods opertunitie.

[Page 7] But as touching Mrs Parliament it is universally thought that the Army will purge there, and there­fore gave them a taste of its Remonstrance. First, to o­pen her passages, that she may go to it the better.

Some think that the Army will phlebotomise her, which if it doth and stops not bleeding before good blood, I am afraid they will not leave her so much good blood in the body as will go into an egge shell: questionlesse her long vitase adventaria, hath contra­cted not onely cr [...]dity, but many ill and p [...]ccant hu­mours. One said that at the reading of the Remon­strance in the House they throng together as sheep that had been run at by the wolfe. She hath long lain in, long kept her chamber, been a long time trouble­some, so that her very friends (even toiled out) do wish her speedy mending or ending. She is prayed for on sea and land, in the Island and Continent, town and Country, yea over all the foure roades of Eng­land, (that God would take her to his mercy, she ho­ped for some restorative by the Treaty, but it is said, that the Generall saith it is too easie a potion for her, and that he must give her some stronger physick, for certain he intends by Glyster to draw away her co­stivenesse of Presbyterie, and to put her it to a tempe­rament of soluble Independency.

Oh me, how these two factions of Presbyterie and Independency have squared it a long time, the one up, the other down, like two well buckets hanging and drawing one another, but now it seemes Independency is minded to dally no longer, but still to be aloft, and let Presbyterie for ever keep in the well; chacun [Page 8] chose son tour c'est le ieu du monde: cras mihi, hodie ti­bi, a dog will have a day.