No. 69.

Letter from Fairfax to the City acknowledging receipt of letter of the 18^th June. Dated St. Albans, 21 and 22 June, 1647.

Journal 40, fo. 225b.

Wee received yo^rs of the eighteenth of this instant, whereof though all passages were not soe answearable to our expectacõn as wee hoped yet we apprehend the same good affeccõn in you towards this armie as was expressed in yo^r former letter. And that not onelie from the assureance of the worthy gentlemen, (yo^r comissioners) againe sent to us, But alsoe from that informacõn we have received of yo^r extraordinarie indeavo^rs, to procure monie for the armie; To prevent further raysinge or listinge of souldiers and to procure those alreadie listed to be disbanded, (some persons of yo^r militia onelie, haveinge bin active for the raysinge of them without yo^r privitie). As likewise from that letter (fild with respecte) which you prepared and intended to us, And beinge sent to the Parliament was obstructed by some persons, who (labouringe to imbroyle the kingdome in a new warre) would not have the fforces alreadie raised to be disbanded who excepted against yo^r discoverie to the House, That some persons onelie of the militia had ioyned in the raysinge of the new forces, who alsoe would prevent a right understandinge betweene yo^r cittie, and this armie, knowinge a firme corrospondence betweene them would make the designes of all such men hopeles, And though our takinge notice of these thinges seemes not regular, yet beinge soe publiquelie done, we thought fitt to mind you of them.

Now although wee have confidence of the reall and cleare intentions of yo^r lor^pp and ald̃ren, and the commons of yo^r cittie to promote the peace of this kingdome, and the iust desires of this armie, alsoe to prevent all tendencies to a new warre, or anie further blood, and therefore hold our selves obliged to yeeld all possible compliance to what you desire of us, yet addinge to the former grounds the manie informacõns which daylie come to us of the continued underhand workings of some persons still to list men, that divers agents are sent into severall parts of the kingdome to leavie forces and Worcester the place appointed for a generall randezvouz, whither the fforces designed for Ireland (that were parte of this armie) are by some of the committee at Darbie House [853] ordered to march: And severall of those companies who went out from us for the service of Ireland, havinge it intimated to them, and by divers carriages perceiveinge they were intended a foundacõn for a new armie and a new warre, they so much abhorred the thoughts of it as both the officers and souldiers of divers companies are of late entirelie returned to us: likewise that noe meanes is lefte unattempted to bringe in fforces from Ireland, France and Scotland against the peace of this poore kingdome.

Wee (upon the whole matter) offer to yours, and all mens consideracõns, whether with yo^rs ours or the publique safetie we can remove further backward, untill upon yo^r and our ioynt indeavo^rs with the Parliament, those things of imediate and pressinge necessitie be provided for, which wee desired in our paper last given in to the Parliam^ts Comissioners in order to the better proceedinge upon the heads of the Representacõn and Charge, with more hopes of safetie, and of a timelie and happie issue to our selves, and the kingdome (viz^t.) That the persons impeached by us may not continue in power and capacitie to obstructe due proceedings against themselves; And for their owne escape from justice to threaten ruine to the whole nation.

That all fforces latelie raised or listed in or aboute the cittie may be forthwith discharged except the usuall nomber of trained bands and auxiliaries and that all endeavo^rs publiquely or privatlie to rayse anie further forces may cease and be supprest.

And that the same measure maybe allowed to this armie in payinge them upp to the same ffoote of accompte as is alreadie given to those who have diserted the same.

And for the things exprest in our Representation though of weightie importance yet because they will require time they shalbe noe occasion to impead our remove, and in the meantime both by Proclamacõn from his Excellencie and all other waves wee shall indeavo^r, that the accustomed supplies to yo^r cittie may be freelie sent up.

To conclude, wee say from o^r hearts that as oure espetiall ends are the glorie of God, and the good of this whole land, soe our indeavo^rs shalbe to prosecute the same without preiudice to the beinge or welbeinge of Parliaments in generall, (the mayntenance whereof wee value above our owne lives) or (as wee have formerlie said) of this Parliament in particular, but altogeather in order to the good and peace of this nation, and with a most tender regard to yo^r cittie to which wee professe we shall by all actions make good all ingagements tending to the securitie thereof in what way yo^rselves shall desire consistinge with the good of the whole kingdome you makeinge good your mutuall correspondencie with us not doeing anie thinge to our preiudice in the prosecucõn of our iust desires, and endeavo^rs.

St. Albans June 21, 1647.

Wee heare (even now) since the writinge of this letter, that (yesterday) divers of the Reformadoes came againe (in a threatninge manner) to Westm^r the house of Commons then sittinge to the greate affrightment and terror of divers faithfull members then present, and to discouragement of others from their attendance there, soe that we cannot but perceive, that the freedome of this Parliament is noe better then that those members who shall accordinge to their consciences endeavo^r to prevent a second warre, and acte contrarie to their wayes, who, (for their own preservacõn) intend it they must do it with the hazard of their lives: which indeed is a thinge soe destructive to Parliamen^ts and freedome that we conceive our selves in dutie bound, to endeavo^r to the utmost to procure redresse therein.

June 22^th 1647.