1. 666 ""Saffron Walden," 3d May 1647. 'SIR,-We have sent out orders to summon the Officers of the several Regiments to appear before us on Thursday next; to the end we may understand from them the true condition and temper of the Soldiers in relation to the discontents lately represented; and the better to prepare and enable them,-by speaking with them, and acquainting them with your Votes,1-to allay any Discontents that may be among the Soldiers. "We judged this way most likely to be effectual to your service; though it asks some time, by reason of the distance of the quarters. When we shall have anything worthy of your knowledge, we shall represent it; and in the mean time study to approve ourselves, your most humble servants, 'PH. SKIPPON. 2. "To the Honourable William Lenthall, Esquire, Speaker of the Commons House: These" 'Saffron Walden, 8th May 1647. 'SIR,—According to our orders sent out to the Officers of the Army, many of them appeared at the time appointed. The greatest failing was of Horse Officers; who, by reason of the great distance of their quarters from this place (being some of them above three-score miles off), could not be here yet there were, accidentally, some of every Regiment except Colonel Whalley's present at our Meeting;-which was upon Friday morning, about ten of the clock. 'After some discourse offered unto them, About the occasion of the Meeting, together with the deep sense the Parliament had of some Discontents which were in the Army, and of our great trouble also that it should be so, we told them, We were sent down to communicate the House of Commons' Votes unto them; whereby their, "the Parliament's," care of giving the Army satisfaction might appear: desiring them "furthermore " To use their utmost diligence with all good conscience 1 Votes passed that same 30th of April: That the Soldiers shall have Indemnity; that they shall have Pay,—and in short, Justice (Commons Journals, v. 158). 'Thursday next' is the 6th of May. 2 'A Letter from Major-General' (elsewhere called Field-Marshal) 'Skippon, LieutenantGeneral Cromwell and Commissary-General Ireton, was this day read' (Commons Journals, 4th May 1647). 8 Friday, yesterday; not 'Thursday,' as at first proposed. and effect, by improving their interests in the Soldiers, for their satisfaction; and that they would communicate to their Soldiers the Votes, together with such informations as they received then from us, to the end their distemper might be allayed.—After this had been said, and a Copy of the Votes delivered to the Chief Officer of every respective Regiment, to be communicated as aforesaid, we desired them To give us a speedy account of the success of their endeavours; and if in anything they needed our advice or assistance for furthering the work, we should be ready here at Saffron Walden to give it them, upon notice from them. 'We cannot give you a full and punctual account of the particular distempers, with the grounds of them: because the Officers were desirous to be spared therein by us, until they might make a farther inquiry amongst the Soldiers, and see what effect your Votes and their endeavours might have with them. We desire as speedy an account of this business as might well be; but, upon the desire of the Officers, thought it necessary for the service to give them until Saturday next1 to bring us an account of their business, by reason the Regiments were so far distant. 'As anything falls out worthy of your knowledge, we shall represent it; and in the mean time study to approve ourselves, your most humble servants, 'PH. SKIPPON. 'OLIVER CROMWELL. 'CHARLES FLEETWOOD.' 3. "To the Honourable William Lenthall, Esquire, Speaker of the Commons House: These" 'Walden, 17th May 1647. 'SIR,-We having made some progress in the Business you commanded us upon, we are bold to give you this account. Which, although it come not with that expedition you may expect and your other affairs require, yet we hope you will be pleased to excuse us with the weight of the Affair in comparison whereof nothing that ever yet we undertook was, at least to our apprehension, equal; and wherein, whatever the issue prove, our greatest comfort is, That our consciences bear us witness we have, according to our abilities, endeavoured faithfully to serve you and the Kingdom. 'The Officers repaired to us at Saffron Walden upon Saturday last, according to appointment, to give us a return of3 what they had in charge This day week; the 15th. 2 'Letter from the General Officers,' 'from Walden, of 8th Maii 1647, was this day read' (Commons Journals, Tuesday 11th May 1647). The Letter seems to be of Cromwell's writing. 3 Means 'response to." from us at our last Meeting; which was, To read your Votes to the Soldiers under their respective commands for their satisfaction, and to improve their interest faithfully and honestly with them to that end; and "then" to give us a perfect account of the effect of their endeavours, and a true representation of the temper of the Army. 'At this Meeting we received what they had to offer to us. Which they delivered to us in writing, by the hands of some chosen by the rest of the Officers then present, and in the name of the rest of the Officers and of the Soldiers under their commands. Which was not done till Sunday in the evening. At which time, and likewise before upon Saturday, we acquainted them all with a Letter from the Earl of Manchester, expressing that an Act of Indemnity, large and full, had passed the House of Commons;1 and that two weeks' pay more was voted to those that were disbanded, as also to them that undertook the service of Ireland. And, thinking fit to dismiss the Officers to their several commands, -all but some that were to stay here about farther business,--we gave them in charge To communicate these last Votes to their Soldiers, and to improve their utmost diligence and interest for their best satisfaction. 'We must acknowledge, we found the Army under a deep sense of some sufferings, and the common Soldiers much unsettled; whereof, that which we have to represent to you will give you a more perfect view. Which, because it consists of many papers, and needs some more method in the representation of them to you than can be done by letter, and forasmuch as we were sent down by you to our several charges to do our best to keep the Soldiers in order,-we are not well satisfied, any of us, to leave the place nor duty you sent us to, until we have the signification of your pleasure to us. To which we shall most readily conform; and rest your most humble servants, 'PH. SKIPPON. 'CHARLES FLEETWOOD.' 2 No. 11 WELSH DISTURBANCES IN 1648 [Vol. i. p. 325.] 1. Some charge of Welsh misbehaviour, perhaps treachery, in the late May revolt; charge which, if founded, ought to be made good against 'Edwards! Colonel Hughes has been Governor of Chepstow, from the 2 Tanner MSS. (in Cary, i. 205-16). 1 Commons Journals, v. 174 (14th May 1647). time when it was first taken, in autumn 1645; and, we may infer, has returned to his post since Ewers (25th May 1648) retook the Castle. Of Edwards, and his misdeeds, and his accusers, no other clear trace has occurred to me. But in Moyne's Court, Monmouthshire, the seat of this Colonel Thomas Hughes, the following old Note had turned up, and was printed in 1791. "Before Pembroke," 26th June 1648. COLONEL HUGHES,-It's of absolute necessity that Collington and Ashe do attend the Council of War, to make good what they say of Edwards. Let it be your especial care to get them into Monmouthshire thereunto. What Mr. Herbert and Mrs. Cradock hath (sic) promised to them in point of indemnity, I will endeavour to have it performed; and I desire you to certify as much to them for their encouragement. I pray do this speedily after receipt hereof, and I shall remain your servant, OLIVER CROMWELL.* 2. A short Letter to the Committee of Carmarthen. The ancient 'Iron-furnaces' at Carmarthen, the Committee' sitting there, the 'Paper' or Proclamation from the Leaguer; these, and the other points of this Letter, will be intelligible to the reader. For my noble Friends the Committee of Carmarthen: These The Leaguer before Pembroke, 9th June 1648. GENTLEMEN,—I have sent this Bearer to you to desire we may have your furtherance and assistance in procuring some necessaries to be cast in the Iron-furnaces in your county of Carmarthen, which will the better enable us to reduce the Town and Castle of Pembroke. The principal things are: Shells for our Mortarpiece; the depth of them we desire may be of fourteen inches and three-quarters of an inch. That which I desire at your hands is, To cause the service to be performed, and that with all possible expedition; that so, if it be the will of God, the service being done, these poor wasted countries may be freed from the burden of the Army. 1 Commons Journals, iv. 321 and v. 115. * The Topographer, edited by Sir E. Brydges (London March 1791), iv. 125-9. In the next place, we desire some D cannon-shot, and some culverin-shot, may with all possible speed be cast for us, and hasted to us also. We give you thanks for your care in helping us with bread and [word lost]. You do herein a very special service to the State; and I do most earnestly desire you to continue herein, according to our desire in the late Letters. I desire that copies of this Paper1 may be published throughout your county, and the effects thereof observed; for the ease of the county, and to avoid the wronging of the country men. Not doubting the continuance of your care to give assistance to the Public in the services we have in hand, I rest, your affectionate servant, O. CROMWELL.* 3. Letter found, some years ago, among the lumber of 'St. Jillian's' (Julian's) 'old Castle of the Lords Herbert in Monmouthshire': Address gone, and not conjecturable with any certainty; Letter evidently genuine, —and still hanging curiously as postscript to Letter LX. (vol. i. p. 323) of date the day before. "For the Honourable Richard Herbert, at St. Jillian's: These " Leaguer before Pembroke, 18th June 1648. SIR,-I would have you to be informed that I have good report of your secret practices against the public advantage; by means whereof that arch-traitor Sir Nicholas Kemeys, with his Horse, did surprise the Castle of Chepstow: but we have notable discovery, from the papers taken by Colonel Ewer2 on recovering the Castle, That Sir Trevor Williams of Llangibby was the Malignant who set on foot the plot. Now I give you this plain warning by Captain Nicholas and Captain Burges, That if you harbour or conceal either of the parties or abet their misdoings, I will cause your treasonable nest to be burnt about your ears. OLIVER CROMWELL.† 1 Some Proclamation seemingly,-of the conceivable sort. * Brayley's Graphic and Historical Illustrator (London, 1834), p. 355. Original in the hands of Richard Williams, Esq., Stapleton Hall, Hornsey.' 2 'Hewer' he spells. 'Monmouthshire Merlin' (Welsh Newspaper) 'for September 1845.' Inserted there, it would appear, along with other antiquarian fractions, in very ignorant condition, by one Mr. W. M. Townshend, an Attorney in Newport, who is now (1858) dead some years since.-'St. Q VOL. IV. |