House of Lords Journal Volume 7: 5 June 1645

DIE Jovis, 5 die Junii.

PRAYERS, by Mr. Dr. Staunton.

Ds. Wharton, Speaker this Day.

The Lord Robertes reported from the Committee of both Kingdoms:

"Die Mercurii, 4 Die Junii, 1645.

Acts of Parliament, going to Ireland, intercepted; and Letters from Ld. Inchiquin.

"At the Committee of both Kingdoms at Darby House.

"Ordered, That the Acts of Parliament that were intercepted going to Ireland, with the Two Letters from the Lord Inchequin, be reported to both Houses.

Ordinance to prevent Desertion.

"That it be reported to both Houses, for the effectual recruiting of Sir Thomas Faircfax's Army; and that the Ordinance for the Punishment of such as run away from the Army may be put in Execution."

Letters from Ld. Inchiquin.

Next, the Lord Inchequin's Letters were read, dated from Corke, the 15th May, directed to the Committee of both Kingdoms. (Here enter them.)

Also a Letter from the Lord Inchequin to Mr. Bettesworth was read, dated the 15th of May, 1645, from Corke.

Ordered, That these Letters be sent down to the House of Commons, by Message; and desire that some speedy Course may be taken, for the speedy supplying of the Lord Inchequin by those Provisions as he mentions.

Message from the H. C. with Ordinances;

A Message was brought from the House of Commons, by Sir Henry Mildmay Knight, and others;

To desire their Lordships Concurrence in divers Particulars:

1. An Ordinance for Martial Law, for the County of Kent.

Read Twice, and Ordered to be committed to the Committee of the whole House, to be considered of To-morrow Morning.

2. An Ordinance for the impressing of Men within the Western Association.

Read, and Agreed to.

and to expedite the One for regulating the Excise.

3. To desire their Lordships would give Expedition to the Ordinance formerly brought, for regulating the Excise-office, &c.

Agreed to, with the Addition of these Lords to be added to the Committee of the House of Commons:

The Answer returned was:

Answer.

That this House agrees to the Ordinance for pressing of Men in the Western Association; to the rest of the Particulars, this House will send an Answer by Messengers of their own.

Petition from the City.

A Petition was presented to this House, by some Aldermen and Common Council of the City of London; which was read, as follows:

(Here enter the Petition.)

Committee to draw up an Answer.

The Earl of Northumb. Earl Manchester, and the Lord Robertes, were appointed to draw up what Answer is fit to be returned to this Petition, according to the Sense of the House.

Message from the H. C. to expedite the Declaration to The States General, &c.

A Message was brought from the House of Commons, by Sir Henry Mildmay Knight:

To desire their Lordships would expedite the sending away the Declaration to The States of Holland; for there is great Expectation of it.

Ordered, That the Speaker of this House shall sign the Declaration in English; and the French Copy to be sent with it, not signed.

The Answer returned was:

Answer.

That this House hath Ordered the Speaker to sign the Declaration in English.

The Committee made Report of what they conceived fit to be returned in Answer to the City Petition; which was read, and approved of, as follows:

Answer to the City Petition.

"To take Notice of their good Affections, in their Care for preventing some probable Disorders; and the House recommends to the Care of those who have the Government of the City, to hinder any Thing prejudicial to the Privileges of Parliament, in which the Public Safety is involved, and unto which they are by solemn League and Covenant obliged: For the Matters contained in the Petition, they will take them into their Consideration in convenient Time; and make no Doubt they will acquiesce in the Judgement of the Parliament."

The Aldermen and others that presented the Petition were called in; and the Speaker gave them the aforesaid Answer.

Message to the H. C. with the Letters from Ld. Inchiquin; and with the Ordinance to regulate the Excise.

A Message was sent to the House of Commons, by Dr. Heath and Dr. Aylett:

To deliver them the Letters from the Lord Inchiquin, and the Acts of Parliament, with the Sense of this House thereupon.

2. To desire their Concurrence in the Additions to the Ordinance concerning the regulating of the Excise.

Letter from Ld. Inchiquin, giving an Account of the War in Ireland with the Rebels, and desiring a Supply of Men and Money for carrying it on.

"To the Right Honourable my very good Lords the Lords Committees of both Kingdoms.

"Right Honourable my very good Lords,

"I had fully resolved and prepared myself (at Instance and Importunity of the Officers here) to undertake a Voyage in Attendance on your Lordships, to represent our present Condition, when the Enemy with a considerable Army of Five or Six Thousand Foot, besides Horse, advanced towards those Parts wherein the most of the English Garrisons of this Province stand; whereby I was necessitated to vary my Resolution of absenting myself from my Charge at so inconvenient a Time, and determined of my Stay upon the Place, to wait the Motions and Progress of the Enemy; and finding that the Enemy had dispatched over The Blacke-water a Party of Horse and Foot, which, joining with those of the Country, amounted to near Fifteen Hundred Men, to possess themselves of that Country which lay betwixt this City and Youghall, thereby to hinder all Recourse betwixt those Two Garrisons, and impedite the joining together of our Forces, I thought good to take an Advantage of that Opportunity; and forthwith caused a Party of Horse under the Command of Colonel Ridgway, and of Foot under Lieutenant Colonel Kingesmill, to be drawn forth of this City, and the Horse Quarters which I had made near unto it; who advanced, by my Appointment, in the Night, to a Place called Carrigtowhill, the next considerable Garrison of the Enemies unto us in that Country, and where there lay some Four Hundred Foot and Two Troops of Horse. The Horse, upon the Approach and Discovery of our Men, quit the Place; but the Foot stood very resolutely to the Defence thereof, and disputed the Town and Works, after the Expence of their Munition, with Stones and Pikes, until our Men forced the Outworks; and then the Enemy endeavoured by Flight to get into the Castle of Barrye's Court adjoining, which a great Part of them did; but divers of them, to the Number of Sixscore and upwards, betook themselves to certain Stone Houses in the Town, which they were enforced to give up with their Lives, and with out the Loss of above One Man on our Side; and were all of them put to the Sword, and the whole Town burnt to the Ground; and in it, and the several Houses thereof, much good Victual, Corn, and Provision, laid up for the Use of the Rebels Army, which we were constrained to destroy, having no Means or Materials to frame Carriages, by which, if we had been accommodated with them, we might have good Store of Provisions; but our Want of Carriages, and all Things appertaining thereto, is so great, as that we are not Masters of fitting Timber to make either Waggons or Cars to convey Munition from this Place, much less either to carry forth or bring Home any Victual or Provision. Our Horse marched to another Village, Two Miles distant from the former, named Corabby, where a Garrison likewise of the Enemy was placed, and a small Store for their Army, which, being an open Village, the Horse readily set on Fire, and slew therein some Three or Fourscore Men, and thence returned burning and siring the Country with the Foot Ten Miles Home to this Garrison. After One Night's Refreshment, employed the same Party of Foot and Horse, with some fresh Men in the Place of such as were either wounded or wearied, under the Command of Colonel Ridgway and my Brother Colonel Bryen, to another Garrison of theirs, lying within Four Miles of Yougball, named Killeigh, where they had stored up good Proportions of Victual, and had placed a considerable Garrison of Five or Six Hundred Men, to block up, as they had designed it, the Town of Yougbill: But these Men having Intelligence (which is an unequal Advantage they have always of us) of our Party's Approach (whereof they could not be hindered, in regard the March of our Men was so long as Sixteen Miles through the Enemies Country), they forthwith quit the Town, and (fn. 1) repaired to such Castles and Places of Strength as were adjoining of theirs, carrying with them as much as possible they could of all Things. Our Men possessing themselves of the Town, and finding Refreshment which the Enemy had left behind, made it their Quarter that Night, and in the Morning burnt it to the Ground; holding the same Course that they did formerly with the Country as they passed along, but doing little Execution, unless on some few Stragglers. When we had done the Enemy this notable Prejudice and Disappointment in their Quarters, there arrived happily those Supplies of Victual, Arms, and Ammunition, which, by the Piety of the Honourable Houses, hath been so long Time designed for us, which gave a great Encouragement and Animation at present to our Men; and enabled me, by the Horse, Arms, and Saddles, to put those Forces into a very good Condition and Equipage; and finding that the Enemy's Design was principally to sever and divide our Horse, and that he lay with a considerable Strength, which increased daily, on The Blacke-waterside, watching an Opportunity of coming over, I resolved to draw and continue together all our Horse at Tallagh, within Four Miles of the Enemy, where they lay under my Lord of Broghill's Command, facing the Rebels, so as that we observe they hold it not safe to adventure over the River, although they have a numerous Army of Foot commanded by the Earl of Castlehaven, who, as our Intelligence assures us, declines coming over the Water without a strong Second of another Army, under one that they call General Preston, whose Aversion and Scorn to be commanded by Castlehaven detains him, as our Espial informs, from hastening to join with the former. But howbeit it hath pleased God to strike so much Terror into their Hearts, as that; notwithstanding their late vaunting Boasts of a sudden subjecting all these Parts to their Power, they stand in so great Awe of our small Forces, as that they dare not without further Strength pass over The Black-water; yet have they not been idle on the other Side, but hath taken from us a Castle of especial Consequence, named Cappoquin, wherein was some Pieces of Ordnance, and good Store of Provisions, which made it sufficiently tenable; but the Commander thereof (whether of Imbecility or Unfaithfulness we cannot learn) (fn. 2) having delivered it up on Quarter, without one Shot or Attempt made against it, I have sentenced to be shot to Death. Upon my last being at Tallagh, and observing the Enemy's Indisposition to advance, I have, with the Council of War, resolved of drawing forth a Party of Foot (whiles the Enemy lieth thus at Gaze), to attempt the taking in of some Castles of theirs; which lie contiguous either to our Garrisons, or are otherwise too great an Annoyance unto us, One of which I do now besiege with near Eight Hundred Foot, being all that I am able to draw forth, and have our Two chief Garrisons of Corke and Youghill in Safety; and am confident, with Double that Number and our Horse, I might boldly adventure to look upon the whole Body of the Enemy, and encounter him on any equal Ground. But, lest your Lordships should apprehend it feazible at present for me to draw together such a Strength, in regard my former Advertisements have made Mention of Four Thousand Horse and Foot in this Province, I must humbly crave Leave to inform your Lordships, that, although we have lately by Surprize and Defection lost Three other Castles, besides that of Cappoquin, to the Enemy, yet we have still in our Hands Fortyeight several Holds and Places of Strength, the meanest whereof is of very great Consequence and Advantage unto us, and would in the Loss thereof be extremely prejudicial to us, and behooful to the Enemy, in regard that, by the Concurrence of those Places with us, we are able to march forth with divers Parties of Horse into the Country, to fetch Preys, and, having those Places to friend, are bold to adventure where Cattle are to be had, which otherwise we durst not; besides which, our Interest in those Places gives the Enemy exceeding great Impediment, in the reaping of their Harvest, and making other Benefit of their neighbouring Lands; and also gives the Warders Leave to plant, sow, and use their Industry, which affords great Relief to our Head Garrisons; so as, without relinquishing a great and considerable Part of those Holds, or leaving the Towns of Corke, Yoghall, Kinsall, or Bandon Bridge, in an untenable Condition, we cannot draw out of Foot above Eight Hundred Men; and what is possible for such a Party to perform, your Lordships may expect to receive an Account of, so long as any Means of Subsistence remaineth: And that your Lordships may the better be possessed with an Understanding of the Time wherein it will be possible for us to subsist, I held it my Duty humbly again to advertise your Lordships, as I have done formerly, that the Provisions and Money now arrived cannot, upon an equal Dividend and Computation, exhibit any Supportation for us longer than One Month, beginning with the First of this Instant; and that, at the End thereof, we shall encounter a far more powerful and fierce Enemy than those Irish Rebels we have now to cope withall; and therefore I am necessarily constrained to reinforce my former humble Suit unto your Lordships, that you would be pleased to settle and assign some present and certain Course, whereby we may be assured of a competent Supply for Subsistence by that Time those now arrived are exhausted, which is humbly desired may be a considerable Sum of Money, to the Value of at least Four Thousand Pounds, the Proportion of the last Ten Thousand Pounds being but Seven Hundred and Fifty Pounds in Money, as I have formerly represented; the most considerable Part whereof being anticipated before-hand, made the Remainder to be of very mean Advantage unto us. I am still (fn. 3) importuned by the Officers to make my speedy Repair unto your Lordships in this very Particular, as being of Opinion that my Representation of their Condition would prove more effectual than any other Man's Negotiation; but I am bold to decline their Advice and Desires in that Point, in my Confidence that your Lordships will, of your own voluntary Regard to the Public Interest of the State in these Places, not suffer us to sink under the Burthen of our heavy Wants, seeing it is the Preservation of the Reformed Religion, the Suppression of Idolatry, and the Maintenance of the Interest which the State hath in these Places, and no particular Ends or Advantage of our own, that engage us in this Service. In the next Place, I am to make humble Suit for the speedy Access of that Supply of Two Thousand Men already designed us; or, if that may not be, One Thousand to be forthwith transmitted thence, together with a Regiment of Horse, under Colonel Jephson, whom I understand to be very affectionately disposed to this Service, so as they may be here by the Middle of June next: But again I must annex to that Request my humble Desires, that an Assignment of Means proportionable to those Numbers of Men may accompany them, without which the Foot will prove a Burthen and no Relief unto us, though we find that our Horse do often acquire great Help for themselves; and as this Supply would, by God's Grace, enable us to dispute the Rebels further Progress into the Country, and either beat them thence, or divert him from being able to sit down in a constant Siege before any of our Garrisons, so would it also give us Leave to employ our Horse in fetching in Booty and Preys for the Relief of the Army, which Kind of Service I should be very unwilling to put them upon, if any other Means of Subsistence were assigned us, finding the heavy Inconveniencies arising therefrom, by harrassing and tiring out their Horses, whereby the Troops in a short Time become weak and unserviceable.

"It will remain for me humbly to submit the Consideration of our present Condition to your Lordships Wisdom and Piety; and as to fasten our Hopes and Expectation thereon, so to assure your Lordships, that whiles Means and Materials, the Utensils of War, are administered in any reasonable Proportion to us, we will neither be idle, nor live to give your Lordships an ill Account of our Employment. Here are with me divers Gentlemen of gallant Abilities, and constant Resolution to sacrifice their Lives with me in this Cause and Service, for whose Encouragement I earnestly beseech a favourable and seasonable Regard may be had of us, amongst whom no Man can reflect with less Resentment on his own Particular, nor with more Reluctancy on the General than doth.

"Your Lordships most humble Servant,

Corke, 15 Maii, 1645.

"Inchiquine."

Another Letter from Lord Inchiquin, with a further Account of the War with the Rebels in Ireland; and representing the Necessity of immediate Supplies.

"Right Honourable my very good Lords,

"In my former, of the 2d of this Instant, I gave your Lordships Intimation of the Enemy's advancing with a considerable Power, and of their taking in Cappoquyn, and of our Endeavour to destroy that Part of the Country which was most likely to annoy us, and relieve them. I am now humbly to recount unto your Lordships both our and their Proceedings sithence: Having observed the Enemy's Indisposition to advance whiles our Horse lay on this Side of The Black-water attending on them, I proceeded with all the Industry I could, to the taking in of Barrye's Court, One of the Castles which in my former I mentioned as a great Annoyance unto us, and intended to be reduced by us; which occasioned the Enemy (who, by lying still, daily increased) to move forwards on the further Side of the The Blackwater, to the Castle of Mitchaelstowne, a Place of small Strength, but of great Receipt, which, with their Artillery and Numbers of Men, they speedily took in, putting Two of the Chief Warders to Death, and detaining the rest Prisoners, about the same Time wherein Barrye's Court was surrendered to me; from whence I proceeded towards Youghall, with a Design to sit down before the Castle of Barrymarter. The Rebels observing that we went on to reduce those Holds of theirs which obstructed the Passages and Intercourse betwixt this City and Youghall, they speedily and somewhat unexpectedly advanced, with their whole Army of Horse, Foot, and Artillery, over The Blacke-water, about Fermoy; [ (fn. 4) and drawing] up towards Castle Lyons, where my Lord of Broghill waiting with our Horse lay to take Advantage of their Motion, and to secure those Foot which were engaged in the Siege within, who, upon Discovery of the Rebels, were forthwith in a Readiness, and, being drawn forth in a Place of the most Conveniency they could find, awaited the Approach of the Rebels, who, with Four Hundred of their Horse or thereabouts, interlined with Three Hundred Musketeers, advanced towards our Men, and, coming within convenient Distance, expected a Charge, which our Horse gave them very resolutely; and although they stood the Shot far more firmly than they have been accustomed to do, yet were they, after a sharp Conflict, fully routed, and put to a disorderly Flight, wherein our Men had the Execution of them for a good Space, until they recovered a small but thick Wood, which lay betwixt them and their main Body of Foot, which consisted of about Four Thousand Men, where they had placed Ambuscades of Foot to keep off our Horse until the Body of their Army advanced; which they did very readily, and inforced our Horse (not able to dispute with their whole Strength of Horse and Foot) to retreat towards me, then ordering the Siege of Ballymarter; whence I was likewise constrained to rise, as not accounting it safe, in case the Enemy should have advanced with so considerable an Army, to have adventured the whole rest, and engaged my Ordnance on the Strength of Three Hundred and Fifty harrassed Horse, and Eight Hundred Musketeers. In this forementioned Encounter with the Rebels, there fell on their Part one Butler, the Lord Ikeryn's Son, then Serjeant Major General; one Stephenson, an old Servitor under the Spaniard, and a Colonel with them; one Walsh, a Colonel; and one Dwyer, a Captain of Horse; all Men of eminent Esteem with them, and divers others unto us unknown; besides one Coudon, Chief of that Sept, and a Captain with a Lieutenant of Horse taken Prisoners; of common Persons, there were slain, by the Estimate of our own Men, about One Hundred (the Irish report amongst themselves that they lost Three Hundred), on our Part, were only Six common Horsemen lost, but many of our Men wounded, and Horses hurt. Soon after this Encounter, notwithstanding the necessitated Retreat of our Men, the Rebels drew themselves back over The Black-water, where they have taken in One other Castle, upon the River called Ballywbooly, and are now set down before Mayallo; where I should very speedily visit them, but the Number of our Horse being extremely lessened, so that of Five Hundred we have not above Three Hundred and Fifty serviceable Horse left, and the Remainder so extraordinarily harrassed as that they are in no Condition for present Service, I am enforced to give them at least Four or Five Days Rest; by which Time, I intend again to set forth, and, if possible I may, to light of some Skirt of their Army, or fall upon some Hold of theirs, which may be an Occasion of Division unto them; but that I should attempt or accomplish any considerable Service upon them, or give them any such Blow as may cause them to give over their main Design of extirpating us out of this Province (however I may on sundry Emergencies gall and pinch them), must be altogether unexpected, so long as I am disabled to draw forth a considerable Number of Foot to justify the Horse, when the Rebels advance with their whole Body of Horse and Foot together; who having found (by this last Experiment) their Horse to be somewhat too weak for ours, and unable to make good their Ground against them without the Countenance and Assistance of their Foot, do now only stay on the further Side of The Black-water until Five Hundred Horse more do overtake them, which were by their supreme Council designed to be employed against the Brittish Forces, but are now thought fit to be set on Work to reduce us in the First Place, as the most important Piece of this Kingdom, and as that for which they postpone all the rest, and do with-hold themselves from being engaged in any other Part of the Country until they have first attained their Ends, being in no small Probability of reducing all our Garrisons within a very short Time, far beyond any present Possibility of Prevention; which being once performed, the taking in of any our Head Garrisons may be a Work of some Time, but can be of no great Difficulty. It will therefore remain for me, humbly and thankfully to acknowledge the great and pious Care of the Honourable Houses and of your Lordships, intimated in your Letters of 21 March last, wherein Four Thousand Pounds is promised to be speedily sent for the present Supply of this Province; which Letters of your Lordships were attended with Advertisement from those who attend the Solicitation of our Affairs there, signifying a charitable Inclination in your Lordships to complete that Part of a Regiment sent over with Sir Arthur Loftus to a Thousand Men, and moreover to add a like Number of One Thousand Men to the Forces of this Province; wherewith if your Lordships shall be pleased to go through with Expedition, and to send them over in a Condition of Subsistence here for the Prosecution of the War, I am most confident, by the Grace and Blessing of the Almighty, not only to give your Lordships a good Account of the Interest we shall have upon the Access of these Supplies, but also of some considerable Advantages."

Petition from the City, for Sir T. Fairfax's Army to be compleated, a Committee to be with the Army, General Cromwell to command the Eastern Association, the Navy to be equipped, and the Proceedings at the late Treaty to be published.

"To the Right Honourable the Lords now assembled in the High Court of Parliament.

"The humble Petition of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons, of the City of London, in Common Council assembled;

"Sheweth,

"That the Inhabitants of this City and Parts adjacent are generally most deeply sensible of these pressing Miseries under which they and the whole Kingdom now groan, and that imminent Ruin which is coming upon both, through the relieving of Chester, the inexpressible Loss of Leicester, the barbarous Cruelty executed there, the Danger of the rest of our Garrisons and well-affected thereabouts, and the increasing and prevailing of the Enemy by Sea and Land like a mighty Torrent.

"That (among other Causes which have had a deep Influence upon this most sad Posture of our Condition) the said Inhabitants apprehend, that the not compleating of Sir Thomas Fairefaxe's Army (according to an Ordinance of Parliament in that Behalf); the Want of such a Committee in that Army as may give our Commanders in Chief Power and Encouragement to improve all present Advantages, without attending Commands and Directions from remote Councils; the calling back of Lieutenant General Cromwell and Major General Browne, when they were pursuing the Enemy; the not advancing of our Brethren of Scotland into these Southern Parts; the great Decay of Trade, and Discouragement of Merchants, for Want of a constant Convoy; His Majesty's publishing His Sense of the Proceedings at the late Treaty, and the Parliament's not publishing their Sense thereof; and their Resolutions against Free Trade by Sea to such Ports as are or shall be in the Power of the Enemy; have been the chief.

"That great Numbers of those Inhabitants have lately expressed their earnest Desires (by Petition and otherwise to the Representative Body of this City in Common Council assembled), that this their deep Sense and Apprehensions might be forthwith made known to both Houses of Parliament; their humble Suit, that the Remedies may be speedily considered of, and effectually executed; and their Resolutions, according to all former Expressions, that they will not think their Lives or any Thing they possess too dear to hazard for (fn. 5) their Encouragement and Preservation.

"Thereupon the Petitioners (for Prevention of further Miseries, Inconveniencies, and utter Ruin of the Parliament, of this City and Kingdom) make it their humble Request to this Honourable House;

"That Care may be taken, for the speedy recruiting of Sir Thomas Fairefaxe's Army, and for his Encouragement.

"That such a Committee may be sent with that Army, as may give our Commanders in Chief (of whose Faithfulness the Kingdom have had so large Testimony) Power and Encouragement to improve all present Advantages as aforesaid.

"That the said Army (or such Part thereof as in your Wisdom shall seem meet) may be ordered forthwith to march towards our Enemies in the Field, as well for the re-gaining of Leicester (if it be possible) before it be made impregnable by Fortifications, as also for Prevention of the Enemy's further surprizing of other Places of Strength, and destroying the rest who have appeared in Defence of the Parliament, and for Preservation of the Kingdom.

"That our Brethren of Scotland may be more earnestly pressed to march Southward.

"That Lieutenant General Cromwell may presently have Power to raise and command the Association, until such other Course be taken as may tend to the Safety of those Counties, and of the City and Kingdom.

"That the Navy may be so ordered, as may encourage Merchants, and advance Trade, by having constant Convoys.

"That the Proceedings at the late Treaty may be forthwith published by the Parliament, and their Resolution against Free Trade as aforesaid.

"And the Petitioners as in Duty shall pray, &c.

"Michel."

"An Ordinance of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, for the raising and impresting of Men, within the Western Association.

Ordinance for pressing Men in the Western Association.

"Forasmuch as the true Protestant Religion, the Laws and Liberties of the Subjects, and the Parliament, are in Danger to be subverted, Idolatry and Tyranny like to be introduced, by the Force and Power of several Armies, raised by Pretence of the King's Authority, consisting of Papists and other dangerous and ill-affected Persons of this Kingdom, and Irish Rebels, and of divers Popish Soldiers and others of Foreign Kingdoms and Nations, being not under the King's Obedience, for the Ruin and Destruction of this Kingdom; and whereas the Western Parts of this Realm, having for a long Time lain under the Power of such Persons, are miserably wasted and destroyed, and have endured many grievous Oppressions, and are likely longer to continue under the same Sufferings, unless prevented by a considerable Power of Forces, to be suddenly raised by Authority of both Houses of Parliament: Be it therefore Ordained, by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, That all and every such Person and Persons as shall be nominated and appointed, deputed or authorized, by the Committee of Lords and Commons for the Safety of the Western associated Counties, or any Eight or more of them, whereof Two to be Members of the House of Peers, and Four to be Members of the House of Commons, shall be, and are hereby authorized, required, and enjoined, from Time to Time, (fn. 6) to raise, levy, and imprest, within the Limits of the Western Association, such Number of Soldiers, Gunners, and Chirurgeons, and to take and raise Horses, in such Manner as shall be directed and appointed by the said Committee of the Western Associations, who are hereby further authorized to command all Constables and other Officers to be aiding and assisting in the said Service of impresting; all and every which Persons so to be imprested shall have such Imprest-money, Coat and Conduct-money, Wages and Entertainment, and other necessary Charges, Allowances, and Accommodations, as shall be fit and convenient, according to the Discretion of the Persons authorized for Execution of the said Service, or any Two or more of them respectively; and if any Person or Persons shall wilfully refuse to be imprested for the said Service, that then it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Persons, so authorized as aforesaid, to commit them to Prison, until they shall yield Obedience, or pay the Sum of Ten Pounds, to be imposed for the Supply of the said Service: Provided always, That this Ordinance shall not extend to the pressing of any Clergyman, Scholar, or Student, in any the Universities, Inns of Court or Chancery, or Houses of Law, or of any Person rated in the last Subsidies granted by Parliament, or the Son of any Person rated at Five Pounds Goods, or Three Pounds Lands, in the Subsidy-books; or of any Person of the Rank or Degree of an Esquire or upwards, or the Son of any such Person, or the Son of the Widow of any such Person; or to the pressing of any Person under the Age of Eighteen, or above the Age of Fifty; or of the Members or Officers of either House of Parliament, or of their menial Servants, or any the Assistants or Attendants of the Lords House, or any of their menial Servants; or of any Mariner, Seaman, Waterman, or Fisherman; or any Officer employed in the Office of Excise, or in the Office of Customs for Tonnage or Poundage: Provided, That this Ordinance shall continue, and be in Force, for the Space of Six Months from the Date hereof, and no longer."

Adjourn.

House adjourned till 9^a cras.