DIE Veneris, videlicet, 16 die Decembris.
Prayers.
Earl of Manchester, Speaker this Day.
Champagne, a Pass to carry a Horse to France.
Ordered, That Francis Champagne, Servant to
Monsieur De Commanville, shall have a Pass, to carry a
Horse into France.
Trunk to the King.
Ordered, That a Warrant be given, for the carrying
down a Trunk with Cloaths for the King, provided the
Trunk be searched.
Propositions to the King.
Next, the House proceeded in the Propositions for
Peace to be presented to His Majesty.
Ordered, That this House be adjourned till Four
of the Clock this Afternoon; and the Committee to
meet at Three, to consider of the Names of such Judges
as are fit to be recommended to be Judges, according to
the Fifth Proposition.
Adjourn.
House adjourned till 4a post meridiem.
Post meridiem.
PRAYERS.
Earl of Manchester, Speaker this Afternoon.
Message from the H. C. about the Members and Assistants of both Houses being exempted from the Ordinance for an Assessment;
A Message was brought from the House of Commons, by Mr. Stroude:
That the House of Commons do agree with their
Lordships in the Ordinance sent down to them Yesterday, of Explanation of the Ordinances concerning the
assessing of Persons, with this Alteration, videlicet,
["but that the Members of either House shall be assessed by that House whereof they are Members,
and the Assistants of the Peers by the House of Peers."]
Ordered, That this House agrees with the House
of Commons in this Addition.
and for a Conference about the Army in the North.
2. To desire a Conference, by a Committee of both
Houses, concerning an Army in the North.
Agreed, To give a present Conference.
The Answer returned was:
Answer.
That this House agrees to the Addition in the Ordinance; and that their Lordships will give a present Conference, in the Painted Chamber, as is desired.
Browne to attend, about Lady Spencer's and Dr. Bennet's Horses being seized.
Ordered, That Thomas Browne shall attend this
House To-morrow, to give an Account of the seizing
of the Horses of the Lady Spencer Dowager, the Wife
of a Peer; and Dr. Bennett, an Assistant to this House.
Delinquents concerning the Inland Post-office sent for.
Ordered, That all the Persons that have disobeyed
the Orders of this House, concerning the Inland Letteroffice, shall be sent for as Delinquents.
House adjourned during Pleasure, and the Lords
went to the Conference.
House resumed.
Conference about the Popish Army in the North reported.
The Speaker reported the Effect of this Conference:
videlicet, "That the House of Commons have received
Letters, which gives them Information of a Popish
Army raised in the North, and that Foreign Forces
are coming to New-Castle, to assist them; upon which
the House of Commons have made some Votes,
wherein they desire their Lordships Concurrence."
The Votes were read, as followeth:
Votes of the H. C. about it.
1. To the First; agreed to.
2. That the Letters be printed; agreed to.
3. To the Third; agreed to.
4. To the Fourth; agreed to, with an Addition.
5. To the Fifth; agreed to.
6. To the Sixth; agreed to.
A Message was sent to the House of Commons, by
Dr. Ayliff and Dr. Bennett:
To (fn. *) let the House of Commons know, that this
House agrees to all the Votes now brought up, excepting to the Fourth, wherein they have made some Alteration, and desire Concurrence therein.
Thanksgiving-day at Windsor, for the taking of Winchester.
A Messenger which came from the Lord General,
made Relation to this House, "That the Forces of the
Parliament have taken the Castle and City of Winchester, and have taken the Lord Grandison Prisoner,
with Twenty-four Commanders, Seven Hundred Soldiers, Six Hundred Horse, and Six Hundred Arms,
with the Loss of a few Men, for which the Lord General intends to give Public Thanks to God at Windsor,
the next Lord's-day, for this great Success, without
Loss of Blood; and his Lordship desires that their
Lordships would please to give Order that Public
Thanks may be likewise given the same Day in London and Westm."
Thanksgiving-day at London.
Hereupon this House Ordered, That the Lord
Mayor of the City of London be hereby desired, to
cause Public Thanks to be given, (fn. *) within the said City
and Liberties thereof, on Sunday next, for the great
Victory lately obtained at the City of Winchester, by
the Parliament Forces; and that usual Expressions of
Joy, by ringing of Bells, may be in the mean Time.
The like Order to be directed to the Justices of
Westm. and Midd. and Southwarke.
Letter from Lord Fairfax, of the Situation of Affairs in the North.
"May it please your Lordships,
"Upon Saturday last, I received a Declaration of
Parliament, with a Commission from his Excellency
the Earl of Essex, to command in Chief over the
Forces of the North, and other adjacent Counties;
which great Honour and Trust, far above my Ambition or Merit, by your Lordships conferred on me,
I shall exercise with all Care and Fidelity; not doubting but that your Lordships will enable me therein
with such other Supplies as the Necessity of the
Service shall require, and that (fn. †) are represented from
hence. The State of the Affairs in these Parts since
my last Dispatch of the 1st of this Month stand in
this Manner: "The Earl of Newcastle is come to
Yorke, and joined his Forces to the Earl of Cumberland's, making in all, as I am informed, about Eight
Thousand Men, Horse and Foot, of which there is
about Two Thousand Horse and Dragooners; a
Strength far too potent here to be resisted by the small
Power which I have, whereof I send a List inclosed. Our
Strength was once estimated by ourselves far greater
than now it appears; for, upon the Earl of Newcastle's coming over The Tees, Sir Edward Loftus with
all the Richmondshire Men, and Sir Henry Anderson
with all the Cleveland Men, and the rest of the
North Riding, which were estimated at One Thousand Men, did all return to their own Houses, save
about One Hundred and Thirty Men brought hither by
Sir Matthew Boynton and some other Gentlemen, and
One Troop of Horse raised by Sir Henry Forlis,
and about Forty Horse more brought hither by
Captain Anderson; and, besides this Desert, our
Numbers are decreased by Sir Hugh Cholmeley, to
whom I have sent divers Orders to march Northwards,
to join with Captain Hotham and the rest, in resisting
the Earl of Newcastle's Entry, before he come into
Yorkeshire, and, since his Entry, to come to me and
the rest of the Army at Todcaster; but he found
such Impediments as he could do neither, and now
I hear he is gone to Scarborough, and taken his Forces
with him, which were about Seven Hundred Men:
And Colonel Boynton, whose Regiment consisted of
Eight Hundred Foot, is likewise marched towards
Hull, although I sent him divers Orders to march up
hither, to assist the Forces at Todcaster, giving me
neither Reason of his not coming to me, nor of his
March towards Hull: And I understand that Sir John
Gell had raised Eight Hundred Men in Darbyshire: (fn. †) I
sent unto him, to march hither to our Succours; but
I have received an Answer from him, that he is not
able yet to stir from thence. From Sir Anthony Irby,
nor the Lincolneshire Men, I hear nothing, though I
have sent to them express Messengers. So our whole
Strength here (upon Return of the (fn. †) Forces formerly
sent into the North) consisting of Twenty-one Companies of Foot and Seven Troops of Horse, and One
Company of Dragooners, we did send of them Two
Companies of Foot to secure Selby, and One Company to secure Cawood Castle, and quartered the rest,
Part of them at Wetherby, under Command of Captain Hotham, whom I have nominated to be Lieu
tenant General of the Army, and the rest at Todcaster, under my own Command; and upon Tuesday,
receiving Intelligence that the Earl of Newcastle with
his whole Forces intended to fall upon our Quarter
at Todcaster, I sent to Captain Hotham, to bring up
the Forces at Wetherby; which being done, and the
Earl of Newcastle's Army come in Sight, we drew
our Men into the uttermost Part of our Quarter,
where we had raised some Breast Works for our
Musketeers; and there the Fight began about Eleven
a Clock, and so continued in sharp Dispute, until
about Four of the Clock in the Evening, in which
Time there was at least Forty Thousand Musket-shot
discharged on both Sides, and great Numbers of
Cannon-shot. The Enemy had once One Part of
the Town, and beaten out our Men, and placed some
of their Companies in Two or Three Houses, which
did much endanger us; but, in the End, our Men
with great Courage forced them out again, recovered
and burnt the Houses, and killed many of the Enemies Men that were there placed; and, in Conclusion, forced the whole Army to retreat, leaving very
many of their Men dead, and very great Numbers
wounded; the certain Numbers nor Qualities of the
Persons we could not take; but it is generally said,
by the Country People, that there were at least One
Hundred found killed and burnt, and we took Seventeen Prisoners in the Fight: And on our Part we
lost Six Men, and Captain Will'm Lister, a valiant
and gallant Gentleman, who was shot with a Musketbullet in the Head; and we had about Twenty more
wounded, and lost not One Prisoner in the Battle,
though divers of our Men, being negligent of their
Duty, staid behind us, when we quit the Quarter,
and so were taken the next Day there by the Enemies, and made Prisoners. In this Fight, our Men
behaved themselves with very great Resolution, far
beyond Expectation, in so much as I conceive we
might have maintained the Place still, if we had been
furnished with Powder and Shot; but, having spent
in a Manner all our whole Store of Bullet, Match,
and Powder, I advised with the Commanders, and,
by general Consent, it was thought fit, to rise with
our Forces, and march to Cawood and Selby, to secure
those Places, and there receive Supplies of Ammunitions and Men, which was accordingly done; and
now I am at Selby, with Part of the Army, and the
rest with Captain Hotham at Cawood: And Yesterday I
sent my Son, Sir Thomas Fairefax, with Five Companie of Foot, and Two Troops of Horse, to Leeds,
intending he should continue there, to secure that
Place, and the other Cloathing Towns, against the
Earl of Newcastle's Forces, if it were possible; but
the Enemies Forces were laid so strong in the Way,
as he could not pass; so he only beat up a Quarter
of the Enemies in a small Village, took Five Prisoners, and retreated to Selby.
"Thus, my Lords, I have briefly represented the
Condition of this Army at present; which, I must
confess, I fear will very suddenly grow worse, if not
utterly broken up, and that especially for Want of
Money, I having not above a Week's Pay provided
before-hand, and no visible Means left to raise Maintenance for them, unless I should give the Soldiers
Free Quarter upon the Country, a Cure in (fn. *) my Conceit as dangerous as the Disease, and peradventure
not possible to be effected, if the Enemy be still
Master of the Field, and cut off our Men as they
go abroad to levy Sustenance, which they may do,
and yet not able to beat up our Quarters. I have
hitherto supported this Army by the Loans and
Contributions for the most Part of the Parishes of
Leeds, Hallifax, and Bradford, and some other small
Cloathing Towns adjacent, being the only wellaffected People of the Country, who, I much fear,
may now suffer by this Popish Army of the North,
merely for their good Affection to the Religion and
Public Liberty. Out of the rest of the Country
I was not able to draw any considerable Help, the
Enemy having Garrisons in so many Places; who
threatened to ruin any that should assist the Parliament and the Cause with Money or other Helps.
My Lords, in Sum, the State of this Country is thus:
The Enemy is mighty, and Master of the Field, plentifully supplied, from His Majesty and the Popish
and malignant Party, with Monies and all Necessaries;
the well-affected Party, as now it is divided, not considerable; the Aids from Lincolneshire, Darbyshire,
and other Counties, very uncertain; the Want of
Money here such, as will force us to disband within
Ten Days; and, if the Enemy become once absolute
Master of Yorkeshire, they will force Contributions
and Succours from the Country, which will raise a
very formidable Army, and put the whole Cause in
Peril, if God [ (fn. *) do not] miraculously defend it. I beseech your Lordships seriously to consider it, and send
such speedy Supplies of Men and Money as may
enable me to go forward in the Service, which I
I shall not fail to do with a constant Fidelity: Your
Lordships have heretofore assigned Two Thousand
Pounds for our Succour; but the most Part of it is
still at London, where it lies for Want of Exchange
or Convoy; and therefore what shall now be sent
must come either by sufficient Convoy of Forces by
Land, or else by Sea to Hull, and so hither to me.
The Scottish Officers are now come hither Yesterday;
but now we are so streightened, that we can have
no Men resort to us to put under Command, nor
have no Money to pay them. The further Relation of these Affairs, I shall leave to Captain
Hatcher, (fn. †) who follows these Letters, purposely to
give true Relation to the House of these Affairs, and
hath been an Eye-witness of most of the Passages
in this Country from the first Raising of Arms; to
whose further Expression I shall leave it, with this
Addition only, that, if the Country or Cause suffer,
your Lordships will discern, by this Relation, in whom
the Default hath been, and impute it accordingly;
for nothing hath been omitted, possible to be effected by
"Your Lordships
"Most faithful and humble Servant,
Dated 10 Decembris, 1642, from Selby.
"Ferdinando Fairefax."
Letter to Mr. Blackston, from Rotterdam, of Forces preparing there, to be sent to the King's Assistance.
"In Rotterdam, the 16th of December, 1642, Stilo
Novo.
"Worthy Sir,
"My last unto you was of the 12th present, which
I sent by Ship, and, fearing lest that may be long
before it come to your Hands, I thought fit to write
unto you now by Post, and is to advise you, that
there cometh hither frequently good and lusty Ships
for Newcastle, which are sent hither by the Merchants of that Town, for the Service of the Queen;
and there is continual Transportation of great Store
of Men, Monies, and Ammunition, over in them:
There came hither about Fourteen Days since Mr.
Knowlis and that arch K Captain Archibald, who is
very diligent and notorious in his Service for the betraying of his Country, and for that hath of late had
that Honour to be conferred upon him to be made a
Captain, and is about Three Days since gone from
hence, with his Ship loaden with Men, Monies, and
Ammunition, for Newcastle. I hear that Mr. Knowlis
brought over Letters from His Majesty, that hath
been the Occasion of the Queen's Stay here, which all
that be well affected are very sorry for, who had rather
She were elsewhere; upon the Receipt of which Letters from His Majesty, I hear that the Queen the
next Day sent Mr. Jermin to The States General to
acquaint them therewith; and that His Majesty ad
vised the Queen to stay here for some Time longer,
and that because His Majesty was upon a Treaty of
Accommodation, and doubted not but that in short
Time He should make all Things well; and that therefore the Queen gave them Thanks, for those Ships
that had long Time waited upon Her Service, and
desired that they might now be discharged, which
was done accordingly; yet, notwithstanding, Her
Majesty's Agents labour here exceedingly, in sending
away of Men, Money, Horse, and Ammunition,
unto Newcastle, for the advancing of Her Majesty's
Army in those Parts. Upon Thursday last, I was at
The Hage, and there saw Her Majesty's Standard,
which was just then going away, to be sent for Newcastle; and Yesterday was Sevennight I heard that
Colonel Goreing, and Mr. Crofts, and Mr. Slingsby,
and Captain Brett, and Captain Mackworth, and divers other Cavaliers, went to Amsterdam, to take
Shipping there, to go for England with all Speed,
and it is thought for Newcastle; and that Colonel
Goreing is to be Lord General of the King's Horse.
I hear likewise that there is more going away from
hence, to Newcastle, Four Hundred Officers and old
Soldiers, and Four Hundred Horse; and a Thousand
more are to follow, which are Her Majesty's Regiment, and should have been a Guard to Her Person
if She had gone over. The Prince of Orange, I hear,
suffers all his Officers to go that will; only under this
Colour, that as many as go hence shall be constrained, although he can give them greater Honour as he
pleases, and they expect for so good Service if they
do return. It is very credibly reported here, that
there is now sending away with all Speed to Newcastle One Hundred and Sixty Thousand Pounds Sterling, which, I am very credibly informed by some
Dutchmen, is, by Way of Loan, raised by the Papists
in these Parts (which are not a few), for the Queen;
and that the Prince of Orange is engaged for the Repayment of it, which are most horrible Things.
Therefore I can do no less, in Conscience to God
and His Cause, and in Duty and Love unto the Kingdom and Parliament (hearing and seeing these Things),
than give Notice of it [ (fn. *) to you], who are a Member
of that Honourable House; which I shall desire you,
if you think fit, to communicate unto the House,
but shall entreat you to do me the like Favour you
have done, in concealing of my Name. Thus, desiring the Lord to be with you, and to bless and
prosper your Proceedings, and the whole House,
with the Tender of my Service and best Respects
unto you, I humbly take my Leave, and rest
"Yours to love and serve you in the Lord.
"There are Two Newcastle Ships here,
ready to go with the First Fair Wind,
loaden as is beforementioned; and also
Three great Dutch Hoys, loaden with
Field-pieces and Carriages, and many
Hollands Waggons, which are made
strong and long, and covered overhead, such as usually attend the Leager.
"To his much-honoured Friend
John Blackston, Esquire, and
a Member of the House of
Commons in the Honourable
House of Parliament. These,
present.
"London, ell."
The Votes of the House of Commons:
Votes of the H. C. upon these Two Letters.
"1. That the Armies and Forces raised against the
Parliament are for the rooting out of the Protestant
Religion and the Protestants out of England, and for
the Advancement and Bringing-in of Popery."
Agreed to with the House of Commons in this Vote.
"2. Ordered, That the Letters from Yorke and
Holland may be printed."
Agreed to.
"3. That the Persons of all Papists that are of
Estate, or dangerous, be forthwith secured, and put
in safe Custody, and their Estates and Offices sequestered."
Agreed to.
"4. Ordered, To be referred to the Committees
of Lords and Commons appointed the Twenty-sixth of
November, for the Advancement of Monies, and
procuring of all other Necessaries for the Army, to
see this Order for securing of Papists and sequestering their Estates effectually and speedily put in Execution, upon all such Papists, Lords or others, and
their Estates and Offices, as shall be found within
the Cities of London and Westm. and the Suburbs,
and the Borough of Southwarke, Middlesex, and
Places adjacent."
Agreed to.
"5. That the Earl of Warwicke and the Commissioners of the Admiralty be desired, from both Houses,
to take some Care to send some Ships, to ride upon
the Northern Coasts, to prevent the Arrival of any
Forces or Ammunition that shall be sent into Newcastle, or any other Way as they shall think fit."
Agreed to.
"6. That, if any Colonel, Captain, or other Officer, of Scotland, shall bring in any Forces hither, of
Horse or Foot, by Contract of our Agents in Scotland,
to oppose the Army of Papists and their Adherents
now raised, that they shall be entertained."
Agreed to.
Adjourn.
House adjourned till 10 a cras.