1659.

April.

On the fame Day a Letter from his Highness Inter-regnum. the Lord Protector, directed To our Trufly and Right Well-beloved Thomas Bampfield, Efq; Speaker of our House of Commons; to be communicated to the House. Signed, at the Head, Richard P. and dated April 8, 1659, was this Day read in the House. The Journals only add, That, in the faid Letter, his Highnefs reprefented to the Parliament the Humble Representation and Petition of the General Council of the Officers of the Armies of England, Scotland, and Ireland, which was alfo

read.

It is neceffary to ftop here, and explain the Nature of this Petition a little further than the Journals do; fince, as Whitlocke fays, it was the Beginning of Richard's Fall. It was, as the fame Author informs us, to fet forth, Their Want of Pay, the Infolencies of the Enemy, and their Designs, together with fome in Power, to ruin the Army and the Good old Cause, and to bring in the Enemies thereof; to prevent which, and to provide against Free Quarter, they defired his Highness to advise with the Parliament, and to provide an effectual Remedy.'

Mr. Whitlocke adds, That this Beginning was fet on foot by Richard's near Relations, Desborough, who married his Aunt, and Fleetwood, who married his Sifter, with others of their Party, whilft the Parliament was difputing with the Other House, and took no Care to provide Money, which exafperated the Army, and laid the Foundation of all their Ruins.'

Mr. Ludlow tells us, That thefe Divifions were not confined within the Walls of both Houses, but broke out in the Army itself; the Officers growing jealous of one another, and were divided into three Factions, neither of these much fuperior in Number; that one Party was known to be well affected to the Commonwealth, and confifted chiefly of the following Officers, viz. Col. Afhfield, Col. Lilburn, Col. Fitz, Lieut. Col. Mafon, Lieut. Col. Mofs, Lieut. Col. Farley, and Major Creed, with divers CapY 2 tains,

April.

;

Inter-regnum. tains, and other inferior Officers. A fecond Party 1659. was known by the Title of the Wallingford-Houfe, or Army-Party, who had advanced Mr. Richard Cromwell, in Expectation of governing all as they pleafed Of these were Lieut. Gen. Fleetwood, Col. Defborough, Col. Sydenham, Col. Clark, Col. Keifey, Col. Berry, Major Haines, Treafurer Blackwell, and fome others. The third Party was that of Mr. Richard Cromwell; who, having caft off those that had taken the Pains to advance him, joined himself to Men that were more fuitable to his Inclinations fuch were Col. Ingoldfby, Col. Gough, Col. Whalley, Col. Howard, Col. Goodrick, Lieut. Col. Keins, with many others, and more particularly thofe that were Officers in the Scots and Irish Forces: But his Cabinet Council were the Lord Broghill, Dr. Wilkins, and Col. Philip Jones. To these he might have added Mr. Commiffioner Whitlocke; who, as himself writes, was of this Cabinet Council, and always declared his Judgment honeftly, and for the Good of Richard, whenever his Advice was required.

The Army's Petition to the Protcctor.

But as it hath been hitherto our Cuftom not to content ourselves with Abridgements, but whenever we could find the Originals, to give them at large, we fubjoin the following Petition, taken from a Pamphlet of these Times, in our Collection.

To his Highness RICHARD, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging,

The humble REPRESENTATION and PETITION of the General Council of the Officers of the Armies of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

H

Aving, as Members of the Army, often folemnly declared, not without Appeals to God for our Sincerity therein, That we did engage, in Judgment and Confcience, for the juft

• Rights

1659.

April.

'Rights and Liberties, Civil and Religious, of our Inter-regnum. Countries, and not as a mercenary Army: Had 'we not been very jealous of our Reputation, and 'careful to avoid Sufpicion, which our many Adver'faries have endeavoured to bring upon us, as if we were apt to intermeddle with Matters not relating 'to an Army, we had, before this Time, made joint and public Application to your Highness; therein fetting forth what immediately concerns • ourselves, with refpect to the crying Neceffities of the Armies, for want of Pay; and withall to have. 'manifefted our fervent Defires, that our good 'Cause, in the Behalf of these Nations, might have received renewed Strength and Countenance from your Highness and this prefent Parliament.

But your Highness is our Witness, how peaceably, how filently, we have fuffered, as to what. concerns the Armies Wants; or what might otherwise become us, in the Behalf of these Nations, to have laid before your Highness.

Yea, we have been filent fo long, that we fear ' it has been a Disadvantage to our Caufe, and bred, though we hope groundless, Jealoufies of us in many of our Friends; and untill we, and all that is dear to us, and the Intereft we have fo long ⚫ contended for, is in Danger to be loft; to the • utter Ruin and Subverfion of your Highness, to'gether with the Peace and Welfare of thefe Nations. But being now, under the Senfe of immi⚫nent Dangers and Neceffities, awakened; and also finding that your Highnefs, by the fitting of this Parliament, is in a Capacity to provide against the approaching Danger; and upon Confultation with each other, and communicating what has come to our Knowledge of public Concernment, and the present State of the Armies, having unanimoufly agreed it to be our Duty to God, to your Highness, and our Fidelity to our Country, fubmiffively, and as becomes us in our Stations, to make our Application to your Highness, we hope it will not be interpreted an Interruption, to any other public Concernments under Confideration;

Y 3

• and

1659.

Inter-regnum. and do therefore, in a deep Senfe of Misery and Judgment threatened, and Pursuance of our Duty, ' in all Humility, reprefent,

April.

That the good old Caufe against Tyranny and ' intolerable Oppreffion, in Matters Civil and Religious, whereupon we firft engaged, and unto which the Lord hath, in fuch a continued Series of Provi⚫dence, given fo fignal a Teftimony, and for the car6 rying on whereof there hath been such a plentiful 6 pouring forth of Treafures, Prayers, Tears, and "Blood, during the late War, (in the Difficulties and

Dangers whereof we alfo, the living Monuments of • Patience and Mercy, have had our Shares) is very frequently and publickly derided and reproached; and the implacable Adverfaries thereof promise themselves to be fo far in Poffeffion and Masters 'thereof, that they begin to appear every where

visible amongst us, and to mix themselves in the • midft of thofe Places where that Caufe was wont ❝ to receive its chiefeft Countenance and Shelter.

'Many old Cavaliers, and Officers under the late King, and Charles Stuart, his Son, having lately transported themselves out of Flanders and other • Places into this Nation, have their frequent Meetings in and near the City of London. Those who alfa * ferved under the late King, and fuch as have always fhewed themselves difaffected to that famous • Long Parliament, and ever fince to the Cause and • Intereft of this Commonwealth, and feek the Ruin of this present Government, have their frequent Meetings in feveral Counties of this Nation; grow very infolent, offer many Affronts and Affaults to ❝ fuch as have been and are faithful Servants to this • Commonwealth. Papers are fcattered up and ⚫ down, containing Lifts of eminent Afferters of the 'public Interest of this Nation, fuch as were the actual Triers of the late King, and by whom he was brought to condign Punishment, as if they I were defigned and marked out for Destruction. • Encouragement is taken for the Profecution of feveral well-affected Perfons, and Suits commenced against them at the Common Law, for Matters by

'them

1559.

April.

them tranfacted as Soldiers, by Command from inter-regnum. • their Superiors, in order to the Safety and SecuC rity of the Nations. The famous Actions of the Parliament, his late Highnefs of bleffed Memory, and the Army in and fince the Year 1648, vilified and evil spoken of; particular Perfons frequently daring to speak against the Authority of Parliament, and to call all their Proceedings, and of fuch as acted in Obedience to them, illegal and unwarrantable. So that, upon the whole, we 'evidently fee there is but even a Step betwixt the Public Cause of these Nations, wherein we have 'been fo fignally bleffed and owned of God and good Men, and the Death thereof; and that it is not likely to expire without a fure Prefage of the 'fad Funerals of the dear, and never-to-be-enough valued, Peace of thefe our native Countries.

And that our Enemies may want nothing that ፡ can ftrengthen their Hopes, it fo happens that the Armies are already under great Extremities for want of Pay, and notwithstanding their Condition hath been reprefented, yet no effectual Remedy hath been applied; our Enemies may hope Dif' content will be the more easily raised, if the Ar"mies fhould unavoidably be neceffitated upon Free Quarter. Divifions in the Armies have been at'tempted and well near effected, when their Wants have not been like to what is now upon them: The Officers Purfes being generally emptied by their Loans to the Soldiers, their Credits to the Victuallers extended to the utmoft; the poor Sol• dier fometimes inforced to fell his expected Pay • much under the Value thereof, for ready Money to buy Bread; and the great and unufual Mortality of Horfes in the Army (infomuch that many Troopers have been forced to buy twice over) having brought the Horfe of this Army under ex'ceeding great Extremities: And as by these Means the Adverfaries to the Peace, Settlement, Profperity, < Civil and Religious Liberty of these Nations, are grown very confident and high in their Expectations and Attempts, (and, as we are perfuaded,

.

• ready