GOd hath delivered your enemies into your hands, the praise and honour be rendered unto himselfe, and now praise will very well become the upright in heart: To enlarge the par­ticular circumstances of the action, it will not be very needfull; every particular hath been managed by a providence which is not admirable by any one thing but in the whole, so little of man or nothing, but wholly and all of God, yet we think it ne­cessary to acquaint you with the way how the Lord brought it about: Upon Sunday at night we received some Intelligence at Innernesse, that the enemy was advanced down from Strath-Spey to Balvenie; And that they had a resolution, and that sud­denly to make a march, and as our Intelligence from a carefull hand, being the Governour of the Booge, did informe, it was probable suddenly to dispatch us, at this time neither we, nor any that keeped correspondence with us, heard any newes from the Lieutenant Generall, and this made us thinke our selves in some probable danger, being in a very narrow place if they should have entred Rosse upon us, not having above 150 horse; after consideration of our condition, we conceived that the [Page 2] Lord called for some thing from us in this dark time, the ene­mies making themselves strong, and getting up their Levies in severall places without any resistance, made us resolve to march the same night, being Sunday at night, & where ever we met, if the river was rydable to engage with them; that night we ad­vanced towards Caldell, and refreshed a little in the morning, we had Intelligence of the enemies being at Elgin, and then concluded from that we must meet with them necessarily upon the march: In that place, having (in that weak manner we were able) sought the Lord in this matter, with freedom we resolved in the Lords strength to advance to Forres, there our former Intelligence was contradicted, we expected a considerable num­ber of the Gentry of Mucray, which much or rather altogether failed us, yet notwithstanding, we conceived it necessary to ad­vance that night, and if they had not crossed Spey to engage with them at Balvenie-land, though we met with some more difficul­ty that way; this being concluded, we came on Munday at night neer Rothes, where we refreshed three or four hours, & there we could not be certainly informed if that the water was rydable or not, only we heard that Middleton had tryed it, and it was im­possible for him, yet being there, we resolved in the Lords strength to go on, & marching from that place early, we advan­vanced towards the Foords, and trying one Foord, it was not to be ridden, but another above was, yet with great hazzard, for it was very strong and deep, and most that passed, swimmed, and one was lost; Lievtenant Collonell Strachan who com­manded the fore-partie consisting of about 50 horse, being through, marched on, and quickly advanced up, passing by some quarters without notice, he marched up to a Body of their Foot, and most faithfully charged them, and brake them, and dissipated them; many then fled to the Hills, then the Al­larm was universall, some drew to the Castle of Balvenie which was pursued still by the Lieutenant Collonel, another [Page 3] Body, under the Command of the Lord Rae, drew to some bu­shes of wood, and being drawne in there, had no out-gate though a strong ground for them, we then drew a partie to the other side of the Hill that they might not passe: By this time, comming to some discourse, my Lord Rae sent up, and we, after some debate, proffered them their lives, and only their lives: But after more consideration, we consulted upon these Articles of Capitulation here inclosed: We have with us at this time neer upon 800. and there are betwixt 60. and 80. killed, and not one of us; We conceive there are two or three hundred fled, if not more; And have directed letters to the Laird of Graunt (who in­deed deserves to be cherished) to intercept them: Now, my Lords, we have no more to say, craving pardon for our tedious­nesse, only this we dare say, that God speaketh this language to Scotland this day by his dispensations, that if they will have a tender eye to his Kingdome, you shall not be troubled much with any fear for your own: We earnestly desire your Com­mands, what course shall be taken with the people that we have, (ever providing our Capitulation be keeped) for the security of the Kingdom, and because we are to conduct them to their own Country, we desire that the publick Commands may be sent to Lieutenant Generall Lesley with all expedition, for we are re­solved to keep them together untill we hear from your Lord­ship, or from the Leiutenant Generall, which we humbly and earnestly desire may be with all expedition. We will not ven­ture to trouble your Lorship any further, humbly taking our leaves, we remain