We are not able to carry-on our business as we would, until we have wherewith to keep Edinburgh and Leith,—until we attempt, and are acting, forwards. We have not, in these parts, 'at such a season of the year,' above two months to keep the field. Therefore expedite what you can! And I desire you to send us free Masons;-you know not the importance of Leith. I hope your Northern Guests are come to you, by this time. I pray you let humanity be exercised towards them; I am persuaded it will be comely. Let the Officers be kept at Newcastle, some sent to Lynn, some to Chester. I have no more; but rest, your affectionate servant, I desire, as forces come up, I may hear from time to time what they are, how their marches are laid, and when I may expect them. My service to the dear Lady.* No. 20. FOUR LETTERS TO THE SPEAKER, IN BEHALF OF INDIVIDUAL MILITARY GENTLEMEN, AND THEIR CLAIMS. [Vol. iii. pp. 100, 131, 134, 135.] Letter 1st, in behalf of Colonel Maleverer's Family (vol. iii. p. 100). 'To the Right Honourable William Lenthall, Esquire, Speaker of the Parliament of England: These.' RIGHT HONOURABLE, Edinburgh, 28th Dec. 1650. It having pleased God to take away by death Colonel John Maleverer, a very useful member of this Army, I thought it requisite to move you on the behalf of his sad Widow and seven small Children. I need not say much. His faithfulness in your service, and his cheerfulness to be spent in the same, is very well known. And truly, he had a spirit very much beyond his natural strength *Original in the possession of R. Ormston, Esq., Newcastle-on-Tyne. Besides the Signature, "My service to the dear Lady" is also autograph. of body, having undergone many fits of sickness during this hard service in your field, where he was constant and diligent in his charge; and, notwithstanding the weakness of his body, thought himself bound in conscience to continue to the utmost, preferring the Public service before his private relations. And (as I have been credibly informed) his losses by the Royal and Malignant Party have been very great; being occasioned by his appearing with the first in his Country for the Parliament. I have therefore made bold to represent these things before you, that you may timely consider of those that he hath left behind him, and bestow some mark of favour and respect upon them towards their comfortable subsistence. I rest, your most humble servant, OLIVER CROMWELL.* Letter 2d, in behalf of John Arundel of Trerice (vol. iii. p. 131). Oliver is now in Scotland, busy enough with great matters; must not neglect the small either. Military Gentlemen, Ex-Royalist even, applying to the Lord-General in their distress, seem to be a frequent item just now. To whom how can he be deaf, if it is undeserved distress?-'This Enclosed'1 is from an Ex-Royalist Gentleman, Mr. John Arundel of Trerice in Cornwall; and relates to what is now an old story, the Surrender of Pendennis Castle to Fairfax's people (August 1646); in which Mr. John, by the arbitrary conduct of a certain Parliamentary Official, suffers huge damage at this time,,--a fine of no less than £10,000, 'quite ruinous to my poor estate,' and clear against bargain at the rendition of Pendennis, being now laid upon him by the arbitrary Parliamentary Official in those parts. As not only human justice, but the honour of the Army is concerned, Mr. John has written to the Lord General,-the Trerice Arundels, he alleges furthermore, having once had the honour to stand in some friendship, or even kinship, with your noble family.' Oliver, during that hurried first visit to Glasgow, writes in consequence : To the Right Honourable William Lenthall, Esquire, Speaker of the Parliament of England: These.' SIR, Glasgow, 25th April 1651. Receiving this Enclosed, and finding the contents of it to expostulate for justice and faith-keeping, and the direction not improper to myself from the Party interested, forasmuch as it is the word and the faith of the Army engaged unto a performance; and understanding by what steps it hath proceeded, 1 Ibid. ii. 258. Tanner Mss. (in Cary, ii. 243.) which this enclosed Letter of the Gentleman's will make manifest unto you:-I make bold humbly to present the Business to the Parliament. If he desires that which is not just and honourable for you to grant, I shall willingly bear blame for this trouble, and be glad to be denied. but if it be just and honourable, and tends to make good the faith of your servants, I take the boldness then to pray he may stand or fall according to that. And this desire, I hope, is in faithfulness to you; and will be so judged. I take leave; and rest, Sir, your most humble servant, OLIVER CROMWELL.* Letter 3d, in behalf of Colonel Clayton (vol. iii. p. 134). To the Right Honourable William Lenthall, Esquire, Speaker of the Parliameut of England: These.' SIR, Edinburgh, 10th May 1651. I am very desirous to make an humble motion unto you on the behalf of Colonel Randall Clayton ;—who, being taken prisoner when I was in Ireland, was with some other Officers judged to die, as those that had formerly served the Parliament, but were then partakers with the Lord Inchiquin in his Revolt: and although the rest suffered, according to the sentence passed upon them, yet, with the advice of the chief Officers, I thought meet to give him, the said Colonel Randall Clayton, his life, as one that is furnished with large abilities for the service of his Country: and indeed there was the appearance of such remorse, and of a work of grace upon his spirit, that I am apt to believe he will hereafter prove an useful member unto the State, upon the best account. Having thus given him his release, and observing his Christian candour, I then promised him to negotiate with the Parliament for the taking-off the sequestration that is upon his estate, which indeed is but very small. I do therefore humbly entreat you To pass such a special act of favour towards him, whereby he will be engaged and enabled to improve his interest the more vigorously, in his place, for the advantage of the Public. I would not address such an overture to you, did I not *Tanner Mss. (in Cary, ii. 270.) 2 Supra, vol. ii. p. 245, and Whitlocke, p. 432. suppose that the placing of this favour upon this person will be of very good use, and an act of much charity and tenderness. I rest, Sir, your most humble servant, OLIVER CROMWELL.* Letter written (what may be noted) just in the beginning of that dangerous Fit of Sickness ;-following Letter just about the end of it. Letter 4th, in behalf of Colonel Borlace (vol. iii. p. 135). To the Right Honourable William Lenthall, Esquire, Speaker of the Parliament of England: These.' Edinburgh, 13th June 1651. SIR, Having received the enclosed Petition and Letter from the Officers of a Court of War at Whitehall, representing unto me that the faith of the Army concerning the Articles of Truro,3 in the particular case of Colonel Nicholas Borlace, is violated; and the Petitioner himself having come hither to Scotland, desiring me to be instrumental that the said Articles be performed, and that the faith of the Army thereupon given might be made good :—I do therefore humbly desire That the Parliament will take his case into consideration, and that his Business may receive a speedy hearing (he being already almost quite exhausted in the prosecution thereof); that so justice may be done unto him, and that the faith of the Army may be preserved. I crave pardon for this trouble; and rest, Sir, your most humble servant, OLIVER CROMWELL.† No. 20*. [Vol. iii. p. 133.] GENERAL HARRISON, with some force, is on the Border, keeping open our communications. Along with that Letter to Mrs. Cromwell goes another, dated the same day. *Tanner MSS. (in Cary, ii. 272.) 3 Hopton's Surrender, 14th March 1645-6 (antea, vol. i. p. 207); a hurried Treaty, which gave rise to much doubting and pleading, in other instances than this. + Tanner MSS. (in Cary, ii. 276.) VOL. V. P For the Honourable Major-General Harrison: These. DEAR HARRISON, Edinburgh, May 3d, 1651. I received thine of the 23d of April. Thy Letters are always very welcome to me. Although your new militia forces are so bad as you mention, yet I am glad that you are in the head of them; because I believe God will give you a heart to reform them; a principal means whereof will be, by placing good Officers over them, and putting out the bad; whereunto you will not want my best furtherance and concurrence. I have had much such stuff to deal withal, in those sent to me into Scotland; but, blessed be the Lord, we have 'been' and are reforming them daily, finding much encouragement from the Lord therein; only we do yet want some honest men to come to us to make Officers. And this is the grief, that this being the cause of God and of His people, so many saints should be in their security and ease, and not come out to the work of the Lord in this great day of the Lord. I hear nothing of the men you promised me. Truly I think you should do well to write to friends in London and elsewhere, to quicken their sense in this great business. I have written this week to Sir Henry Vane, and given him a full account of your affairs. I hope it will not be in vain. I think it will be much better for you to draw nigher to Carlisle, where 'are' twelve troops of horse; whereof six are old troops, and five or six of dragoons. Besides, the troops you mention upon the Borders will be ready upon a day's notice to fall into conjunction with you; so that if any parties should think to break into England (which, through the mercy of God, we hope to have an eye to), you will be, upon that conjunction, in a good posture to obviate them.' Truly I think that if you could be at Penrith and those parts, it would do very well. And I do therefore desire you, as soon as you can, to march thither. Whereby also you and we shall have the more frequent and constant correspondency one with another. And it will be better, if a party of the enemy should happen to make such an attempt, to fight him before he hath an opportunity to get far into our country. I have offered a consideration also to our friend at London, |