A LETTER from Col. WHICHCOT, Governor of Anı 23 Car. I. Windfor Caftle. Right Honourable, Windfor June 30, 1647. AT this Inftant Mr. Dowfett, with others at me tending upon the King, are come to give Notice that his Majefty intends to be here To-morrow Night, with the Commiffioners of both Houses of Parliament; and that from them they have Orders to haften the Preparing of his Majefty's Houfe, within this Castle, for his Entertainment; that I fhall receive further Directions concerning this from the General Sir Tho mas Fairfax, and Col. Whaley; and that Dinner is to be made ready To-morrow at the Lord Grey's Houfe, near Watford, for his Majesty as he paffeth. All which I thought it my Duty to inform the Parliament of, and, as I am obliged, fufcribe myfelf Your Lordship's most humble Servant, N. WHICHCOT. ALETTER from Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX. My Lord Received a Letter this Evening from the Governor of Windfor, and alfo an Intimation from Col. Whaley, who I have appointed for his Majefty's Guard, that the King defires, and intends, to go, To-morrow for Windfor, to remain there for four or five Days; having Hopes by your Commiffioners, as he himself faith, to fee his Children, who he expects hall meet him there; and, after, he is willing to remove to fome other convenient Place at a greater Distance from London. I must confefs I find myfelf in a 'great Strait what to do herein, knowing his Intentions contrary to your late Votes; and not having your further Commands or Directions to 1647. Juty. Ah, 23 Car. I. 1647. July. advise his Majesty herein, I could do no more than give a speedy Account of his Refolutions, and • defire you to believe that I fhall be very careful to place a very trufty Guard about him for the Security of his Perfon. I have fent to his Majefty, to defire that he would alter his Refolutions, and go to fome Place which might be more convenient to your prefent • Affairs; but do conceive he will scarcely be perfuaded thereunto till four or five Days be paft: After that I fhall, in Purfuance of your Votes, ufe all Diligence for his fafe Remove to fome convenient Place further diftant from London, • until the Settlement of the Affairs of the Kingdom and your Commands fhall otherwise dispose of him. * I remain Your Lordship's most humble Servant, T. FAIRFAX. Another LETTER from the Lord MONTAGUE. My Lord, T Hatfield, June 30, 1647. HIS Afternoon about Four o'clock, fuppofing by that Time an Anfwer might be received from the General, we again defired to fpeak with Col. Whaley, who affured us that he had not as yet received any Order from his Excellency concerning the Removal of fuch Perfons as, contrary to our Inftructions, reforted to the 'King. We replied, That it lay upon us to require the Performance of the Commands laid upon us by your Votes, which we defired might be • done in that Course which we had taken at Holdenby; to wit, that when any Perfon fufpected to have been in Arms against the Parliament, or • otherwise within the Fifth Article of our Inftruc<tions, was discovered to be in the Court, he was inftantly, by our Directions given to the Chief Commander of the Guards prefent, to be brought be⚫ before us; and upon Examination, if the Informa • tion tion proved to be true, he was appointed by us to be removed or committed as the Cafe required; *which was accordingly put in Execution by the * Chief Commander of the Guards prefent, in pur'fuance of the Orders we gave him. Conformably thereunto we named unto him Dr. Sheldon and Dr. Hammond, to be proceeded against in like Manner. Col. Whaley anfwered, That he was to obey the Orders of the General, and, by exprefs Authority of the Houfes, was queftion*able at a Council of War for his Life, if he did ' otherwise; that he was to expect particular Commands from the General, even by the Votcs • which at present we infifted upon; and that our Orders were not fatisfactory to him till he had received his, wherein he fuppofed the Senfe of the Houses would not be otherwife taken; for that they would not impofe upon him an Obcdience which might involve him in a Contradiction to the General's Orders, which, if he ob⚫ ferved not, his Life was at Stake: But it was clear they intended not to enfnare him therein, having pofitively referred him to Orders which he * was to receive from his Excellency firft; to whom ⚫ he should make a fpeedy Addrefs to that Pur• pofe. ઠં Hereby your Lordships may well understand that we are in no Capacity of ferving you, either in this or what concerns his Majefty's Removal; prefuming you will not expect we fhould take this Employment upon our own Hands, without the Ministry of those you have appointed to obey We have now fix Months conftantly attended upon this Service, and do earnestly with to be difeharged, which fhall be taken as a Faé vour to, us. My Lord, Yonr most humble Servant, E. MONTAGUE. Ah, 23 Car. I. 1047. July. VOL. XVI. D After 1647. An. 23 Car. I. After reading all the foregoing Papers, the Lords resolved that a Letter be fent to Sir Thomas Fairfax, July.. requiring him to fee the two Votes of the 28th and 29th of June laft put in Execution, and to give Order to the Guards now with the King to obferve Both Houfes in- all Directions they fhould receive from the Comforce theirOrders miffioners of Parliament; alfo another Letter to for keeping Delinquents from thofe Commiffioners to put the faid Votes in Exehis Majesty's cution. Two Letters were accordingly drawn up Prefence. by the Earl of Manchester, and fent to the Commons for their Concurrence, who agreed to them without Alteration. Letters relating to the intended the Commiffioners of the Par liament and the Army. A Complaint being also made that Dr. Hammond and Dr. Sheldon had oftentimes, of late, used the Common Prayer Book, and officiated before the King with divers fuperftitious Gestures_contrary to the Directory, thereby incurring the Penalty prefcribed by Ordinance of Parliament for the fame, the Lords ordered that they do forthwith appear at their Bar to anfwer fuch Matters as fhould be objected against them. Next a Letter from the Earl of Nottingham and the Lord Wharton, with two Papers inclofed, was read. For the Right Hon. the Earl of MANCHESTER, Wickham, July 1, 1647. May it pleafe your Lordship, Efterday of the Treaty, and did earneffly Efterday being the Faft, we put the General in mind prefs him thereunto by Letters, a Copy whereof fend you; in Answer to which we received the inclosed about One o'Clock this Morning. This being all at prefent, we rest, we Your Lordship's humble Servants, C. NOTTINGAM, P. WHARTON. A A Copy of the Commiffioners Letter to the Ge- An. 23 Car. I. neral, mentioned in the foregoing. Wickham June 30, 1647. May it pleafe your Excellency, Having received Power from both Houses to treat with your Excellency, and fuch of the * Army as you fhall appoint, upon the Papers and Defires fent from the Army to the Houfes, and the < Votes fent to us and the Commiffioners; wherewith we acquainted your Excellency on Sunday • last; and did then defire your Excellency to put the Treaty into a Way, which Defires we have every Day fince renewed: Forafmuch as the Peace of the Kingdom is highly concerned in the speedy Difpatch thereof, * and the Expectations of the Houses, the City, and 'the Kingdom are much fet thereon, your Quar ters being now removed at some reasonable Diftance further from the City; we defire to know * from your Excellency with what Perfonis we are to treat, and the Time and Place of Meeting, for *the bringing this Business to a speedy Conclufion; in this we are the more earnest because we aré • very fenfible that all Delays herein will be unac4 ceptable to the Houfes, and thus we reft, SIR, Your Excellency's humble Servants, C. NOTTINGHAM, P. WHARTON, THOS. WIDDRINGTON, ROBt. SCAWEN, 1647. July: H. VANE, THOS, POVEY. Sir Thomas Fairfax's Answer to the Parliament's Commiffioners. Wickham June 30, 1647. My Lords, and Gentlemens Am very fenfible of the great Inconveniences which Delay in the fpeedy Settlement of the Affairs of the Kingdom may produce; and there* fore D 21 |