Journal 40, fo. 229b.
We the maior aldermen and commons in common councell assembled having received yors to us of the 21th and 22th and yor excellencies to our committee of the 23th instant wth a coppie of a Remonstrance directed to the Parliamt, did send three of that nomber yesterday to acquaint you wth our resolucons thereupon, since wch we have caused coppies of those lettres to be presented to both Houses, desiring their direccõn concerning the resideing of some of that committee continually wth you in the head quarter, and that according to yor former requests the Reformadoes and other officrs and souldiers raised for the service of the Parliamt might be required forthwith to repaire into their severall counties there to receive such satisfaccõn as is or shalbe appointed by Parliament, and that if any souldiers be listed uppon the votes of the committee of Lords and Commons, and committee of the militia that they may be forthwth discharged whereupon severall votes were made, unto which we desire to be referred.
We have also taken those lettres wth another received from those we sent yesterday and copie of a lettre dated the 24th instant delivered to the Commrs of Parliamt, and yors of the 25th instant into further consideracõn thereby observing the constancie of yor expressions to doe nothing in preiudice either of the Parliamt or the citie, and of your purpose by proclamacõn and otherwise to indeavour that the accustomed supplies of this citie may be freely sent upp. All which we do with due thankfulnes acknowledge, And to performe a right understanding with you we have appointed the said committee, or six of them at the least continually to reside in yor Head quarter, and do intend to make it our further request to the Parliamt that whoever have or shall endeavour to raise any forces to ingage this kingdome in a new warr, may be discovered and prevented therein, and that you may receive satisfaccõn equall to those that have left the armie, soe soon as it is possible for the Parliamt to performe the same, believing upon the assurance you have given us that yor speciall ends are the glory of God the good of this whole land, and the safety of Parliamt and citie. To conclude the neare approach of yor armie to this citie causeth us once more to desire you to take it into yor most serious consideracõn, for albeit you do not come to offer any violence to us, yet wee have and shall suffer very much in our trade and price of victualls by reason thereof, wch we hope you wilbe so sencible of as to prevent it in the future by removing further of, and by takeing such a course that we may receive no further preiudice either in thone or thother, wch is our earnest desires, and that in yor indeavors to save the kingdome from ruine, you doe not overthrow the fundamentall constitucõn of Parliamt wch is essentiall to the well being thereof.
London 25 June 1647.
No. 71.
Letter from Fairfax to the City notifying the removal of the army to Uxbridge. Dated Berkhamstead, 25 June, 1647.
Journal 40, fo. 230.
Wee have in all things dealt cleerly and plainely wth you, and hope wee shall still continue to doe so. As soone as the worthy alderman and the other two gents yor cõmrs came the last night to us, we acquainted them wth our purpose to draw the head quarter to Uxbridg That soe we might contract our quarters wch have hitherto lyen scattered. At which place we hope to receive that wch wilbe satisfaccõn to the kingdome and will remove obstruccõns out of the way of justice, wherein if right were done, wee should let you and all the world see that we would be soe farr from pressing neere yor citie of London, it should be indifferent to us to march not only to the distance already prescribed, but to any part of the kingdome we should be commanded to by the Parliament. Wee have asked nothinge hitherto but right in the things that are knowne, as if they were proved an hundred times before them from whome wee have sought them, wch if graunted would not only be a justice to the armie, but would lett the kingdome see the ffountayne in a way to be cleered without wch nothing of force or power would be a securitie to any man. We wish the name of priviledges may not be in the ballance wth the safetie of a kingdome, and the reality of doing justice, wch as we have said too often, we cannot expect whilest the persons we had accused are the kingdomes and our judges. A little delay will indanger the putting the kingdome into blood, notwithstanding what hath bin said, if it be considered that in Wales (besides underhand workings in yor citie) and other places men are raised and that in noe small nombres. And are not those men in the Parliamt who have contynued faithfull to the principles of common interest from the beginning of the Parliamt to this very day still awed by the concourse of Reformadoe officrs and others to their doores. Expence of time will be their advantage only who intend to bring evill purposes to passe. We have written this to you for yor satisfaccõn that soe nothinge may be done without giving you a perfect account of our intencõns and ends. And still to contynue our assurance to you, that should necessity bring us neerer to the citty our former faith given you shall be observed inviolably, there being nothing more (next the good of the kingdome) in our thoughts and desires than the prosperitie of yor citty.