more they have need of instruction and where can they have it better than from the lips of the learned and pious Pastors which ought to preserve knowledg But it hath been said that the ruling Elders are to joyn with them let us inquire who they are in some Congregations in Country Villages perhaps they may not be very learned themselves yet the authority to be given them is sufficiently great The word Elders amongst the Hebrews signified the men of greatest power and dignity The Members of their great Sanhedrim were styled Elders so were the Princes of their Tribes The Grecians had the appellation in like esteem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate Elders was given to their greatest men and from thence is fetched the Name of Presbyters or Priests Presbytery and Presbyterian Government The Phoenicians Tyrians and other particular Nations used the word Elder in the like sense and styled their Generals and Princes by the name of Elders The Romans did the like their Senate and their Senators came all from Senes Elders and from them to this day the French Spaniards and Italians retain the Titles of Seigneur Seigniori Seniori and the like for their greatest men And in England we give the name of Earls to our great Lords from Elder and to the King himself the title of Sir abstracted from Seigneur an Elder In Towns they still keep the title of Aldermen that is Eldermen for the Chief and Rulers of the Corporation And so they may allow the title of Elders to the cheif and select men of every Presbytery Yet if this Power Excommunication and Suspension be allowed them they may well challenge the title of Elders in the highest signification The Power of the Keys is a great power The Romish Church will acknowledge it and the foundation of their Supremacy to be built upon it Whatsoever they bind or loose on earth to be bound or loosed in heaven is a power which may claim the highest title imaginable Although I can never presume that the reverend and pious learned Gentlemen who aym at this power can have the least supposition of any such effect by it yet if any petitioners should sue to you to be made Judges or Justices I believe you would judge their Petition the less modest and them the less fit for such Offices but to this I make no application and I hope none shall make any use of it Power is thought fit to be given to suspend from the Sacrament two sorts of persons the ignorant and the scandalous I am sure that I am a very ignorant person and I fear we are all more ignorant than we ought to be of the truth of Christ and some more than others And the most learned I doubt may be called in the large sense ignorant Even amongst the Pastors and perhaps amongst the Ruling Elders in some places the most learned may in other places be adjudged ignorant The more ignorant people are the more some will blame their Pastors who ought to instruct them and by private conference inform them and rectify their understandings And that is a good part of Spiritual food And to keep an ignorant person from the Ordinances is no way to improve their knowledge Scandalous persons are likewise to be suspended And who shall be said scandalous is to be referred to the judgment of the Pastors and Ruling Elders But where a Commission is extant for them to execute this judicature will be hard to shew Both Pastors and Elders and people are all scandalous in the general sense We are all of us gross sinners and our best performances are but scandalous as to the true and sincere profession of the Gospel of Christ Those who are scandalous sinners ought to be admonished to forsake their evil ways and to amend their lives and where can they receive this admonition and hope for more Conviction of their Consciences than by hearing good Sermons and being admitted to be pertakers of the holy Ordinances but to excommunicate them deprives them wholly of the best means for their cure The best Excommunication is for Pastors Elders and people to Excommunicate sin out of their own hearts and conversations to suspend themselves from all works of iniquity this is a power which put in execution through the assistance of the Spirit of God will prevent all disputes about Excommunication and Suspension from the Sacrament A man may be a good physitian though he never cut off a Member from any of his patients a body may be very sound though no member of it was ever cut off And surely a Church may be a good Church though no member of it hath ever been cut off I have heard here many Complaints of the Jurisdiction formerly exercised by the Prelates who were but a few there will be by the passing of this now desired a great multiplication of Spiritual men in Government Where the temporal Sword the Magistracy is sufficient for punishment of offences there will be little need for this new Diseipline nor will it be so easily granted After a long debate the House referred this matter to a further Consideration by the grand Committee to whom it was formerly referred Votes for new Elections of Members for several Towns and Counties Order for advance of the Forces under Major General Pointz and for Horse and Arms to be sent to the Scots Army before Hereford and notice to them of the party appointed to attend the King's motions A Conference and reasons given to the Lords for passing the Ordinance for sale of Delinquents Estates A Party of about 120 horse came from Walling-ford and Dunnington to gather Contribution near Reading and Col. Baxter with a party of about 30 horse marched after them beat up their Rear but they facing about one of Baxter's men was slain and 20 wounded and taken Then a party of 100 horse who by accident quartered at Reading came forth to relieve Baxter routed the Enemy recovered all the Prisoners took 25 and Captain Barker their Commander 50 Horse and 40 Arms. Montrosse carryed all things in Scotland without opposition and had many Eminent Prisoners and forced divers to fly to Berwick The funeral of the Countess of Dorset in much State 4. An Ordinance for a Collection for the poor of Leicester Another sent to the Lords for supply of the Forces in the Eastern Association Order for the Brigade under Lieutenant General Lesley to march into Scotland for their assistance there Order for 100 horse from Southwark to be sent to Basing-house and the Militia to fine such as refused Goring Greenvile and Mohun marched with 6000 in the West summoned all between 16 and 60 to come in to them and forced such as they met with to serve under them Massey attends them Sir John Seymore brought 1000 men to the Leaguer before Bristol Seven Parliament Ships were in Kings Road. 5. The publick Fast day by reason of the Plague and the ill success
but surpassing in Obstinacy the very Jews themselves they will not leave off their work but are as hard at it even at this Day as ever What shall we do with these men that will never be quiet Aeger intemperans crudelem facit medicum immedicabile vulnus ense recidendum There is another Rock and it is also a dangerous one it is a Rock upon which many have split themselves in our view and it hath lying right over against it a Quick-sand no less dangerous w ch hath swallowed up many in our sight The Rock is a Spirit of imposing upon mens consciences where God leaves them a Latitude and would have them free The Quick-sand is an abominable licentiousness to profess and practise any sort of detestable Opinions and Principles For the former the Prelates and all their Adherents Nay and their Master and Supporter too with all his posterity have split themselves upon it The bloudy Rebels in Ireland that would endure no Religion but their own amongst them have split themselves upon it and we doubt not but that the Prince of those Satanical Spirits under whose banner being cast out from hence they are now retired as unto their Belzebub will in God's good time split himself also upon this Rock and be brought down to the ground together with his bloudy Inquisition which therefore hath acquired the Sirname of the Spanish Inquisition But as God is no Respecter of Persons so neither is he any Respecter of Forms but in what Form soever this Spirit appeareth he hath he will testifie his displeasure against it though it be not of so deep a Dye as that I have spoken of before If men though otherwise good men will turn Ceremony into Substance and make the Kingdom of Christ to consist in Circumstances in Disciplines in Formes though these things also may have their use as to Order and Decency so they be strained no further and not carried beyond their line and measure But I say if Vniformity in these things shall dissolve Vnity among Brethren and especially if it grow to such a height of Animosity and so high a degree of Asperity that if one say but Siboleth instead of Shiboleth it shall be accounted Ground enough to cut his Throat though one of his Brethren If any men shall account all as Heathens and no Christians that are not under such or such an Ordinance all men Devils that are out of such a Circle such a Form and all men the Seed of the Serpent that will not Father such or such an Opinion it may be but fancies too when all his done such Principles such Practices men cannot bear God will not endure and in vain do they protest against the Persecution of God's People when as eagerly persecuting all others they make the Definition of God's People so narrow that their persecution becometh as broad as any others and usually more fierce because ordinarily edged with a sharper temper of Spirit It may be that many amongst these shall by God's mercy meet together in Heaven but certainly had they power at Will they would not suffer one another to live upon the Earth Therefore blessed be God who in mercy to us and them hath placed the power in such hands as make it their business to keep peace amongst them and to hinder them from biting and devouring one another Nay he is pleased sweetly to influence some amongst themselves of more moderate Spirits to ballance the rest and to keep them in Peace at present and not without hopes by God's blessing upon their Perswasions and Examples to bring them at length to a nearer Conjunction of Hearts and of Minds And if those that are more earnest amongst them would be but a little jealous over their own Spirits would but observe the Rebukes of God upon all that have been transported unto those extreams and trace the footsteps of his Indignation against them whereof he hath left several Prints in all the three Nations it might be a good help to reduce them to that Golden-mean which certainly is the right way which undoubtedly is God's way God was not in the Whirle-wind nor in the Earthquake nor in the Fire when he came to Eliah on the Mount of God but he was in the still and small voice There must be a voice but it must be a small and still voice enough to hold forth a certain and distinct sound but not to make so great a noise as to drown all other voices besides It is good it is usefull to hold forth a certain Confession of the Truth but not so as thereby to exclude all those that cannot come up to it in all points from the Privileges which belong to them as Christians much less which belong to them as men For that other extream that Gulf and Quick-sand whereupon so many wretched Souls have made Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience abandoning themselves to all looseness of Opinions Principles and Practices denying and Blaspheming the Lord that bought us and the Holy Spirit that sanctified us making a mock of Scriptures of Heaven and Hell and of all the Fundamentals of our most Holy Faith I need not speak more to it there is Testimonium rei in the Case the things themselves speak loud enough to all sober Consciences that they are intolerable Between these two that Rock and this Quick-sand the Parliament in their humble Petition and Advice have most wisely and most Christianly steared their course wherein if they shall constantly persevere all good men in City in Country in Army and every where nay God himself will stand by them and own them in it And not only in matters of Religion but also in our civil concerns and liberties we have a very fair way traced out unto us by the Parliament to settle and secure them both and make the three Nations happy thereby if some therein would but rectifie their Opinions and bring them to things as God would have them and not strive to bring things with so much hazard and difficulty to their Opinions like one that being scorched with standing too near the fire rather than stir an Inch from the place where he hath set down his foot casts about for Masons and Work-men to pull the House down that so he may set the Chimney further off from him Give me leave to speak one word more in this familiar way of expression in the dialect and to the sense and experience of every plain Countrey-man The late Wars and Confusions had so trod and trampled down the Quick-wood whereby the Hedge was made to fence in our Laws and Liberties that there is a necessity of setting it over again Now some will admit of no other way but to set the very same Old Plants in the very self same Old Bank others run so far to the extream on the other side that they will have none of the Old Sets none of the Old Bank no Bank at all but will have
when he was last here he made the question of their Authority and should have satisfied himself with the Protestation he then made against the legality of this Court and that a King cannot by Tryed by any superiour Jurisdiction on Earth But he said it was not his case alone that he stood for but the freedom of all the People of England for if power without Law may make or alter Law no Subject can be safe for his life or any thing that he calls his own Then he said he would give his reasons why in conscience and the duty he owed to God first and his People next for the preservation of their Lives Liberties and Estates he conceived he could not answer till he were satisfied of the legality of it President Sir I must interrupt you which I would not do but that what you do is not agreeable to the proceedings of any Court you appear as a Prisoner before this Court and are not to dispute their Authority but to give a punctual answer to the Charge King Sir by your favour I do not know the forms of Law I do know Law and reason though I am no Lawyer professed but I know as much Law as any Gentleman in England and therefore under favour I do plead for the Liberties of the whole People of England more than you do and therefore if I should impose a belief upon any without reasons given for it it were unreasonable but I must tell you that reason that I have as thus informed I cannot yield unto it President Sir I must interrupt you you may not be permitted you speak of Law and reason it is fit there should be Law and reason and there is both against you Sir the Vote of the Commons of England in Parliament is the reason of the Kingdom by Law you should have ruled and reigned Sir You are not to dispute our Authority you are told it again by the Court Sir it will be taken notice of that you stand in contempt and your contempt will be recorded King I do not know how a King can be a Delinquent let me tell you they may put in Demurrers against any proceedings as legal and I demand that and to be heard with my reasons if you deny that you deny reason President Sir you have offered something to the Court I shall speak something to you the sence of the Court Sir neither you nor any man are permitted to dispute that point you are concluded you must not demurr to the jurisdiction of the Court if you do I must let you know that they over-rule your Demurrer they sit here by the Authority of the Commons of England and all your predecessours and you are responsible to then K. I deny that show me one Precedent P. Sir you ought not to interrupt while the Court is speaking to you this point is not to be debated by you neither will the Court permit yâ—u to do it if you offer it by way of Demurrer to the jurisdiction of the Court they have considered of their jurisdiction and do affirm their own jurisdiction K. I say Sir by your favour that the Commons of England were never a Court of Judicature I would know how they came to be so P. Sir you are not permitted to go on in that speech and these discourses Then the Clerk of the Court read this aloud Charles Stuart King of England you have been accused on the behalf of the People of England of High Treason and other crimes the Court have determined that you ought to answer the same K. I will answer the same so soon as I know by what Authority you do this P. If this be all that you will say then Gentlemen you that brought the Prisoner hither take charge of him back again K. I do require that I may give in my reasons why I do not answer and give me time for that P. 'T is not for Prisoners to require K. Prisoners Sir I am not an Ordinary Prisoner P. The Court hath considered of their jurisdiction and they have already affirmed their jurisdiction if you will not answer we shall give order to record your default K. You never heard my reasons yet P. Sir your reasons are not to be heard against the highest jurisdiction K. Shew me what Jurisdiction where reason is not to be heard P. Sir we shew it you here the Commons of England and the next time you are brought you will know more of the pleasure of the Court and it may be their final determination K. Shew me whereever the House of Commons were a Court of Judicature of that kind P. Sergeant take away the Prisoner K. Well Sir remember that the King is not suffered to give in his reasons for the liberty and freedom of all his subjects P. Sir you are not to have liberty to use this language how great a Friend you have been to the Laws and Liberties of the People let all England and the world judge K. Sir under favour it was the liberty freedom and Laws of the Subject that ever I took to defend my self with Arms I never took up Arms against the People but for the Laws P. The command of the Court must be obeyed no answer will be given to the Charge K. Well Sir Then the Officers guarded the King back again to Sir Robert Cotton's House and the Court adjourned The Commissioners met at Mr. Brownes House the Clerk of the Parliament where the Great Seaâ— lay and there Sir Thomas Widdrington and Mr. Whitelock without the two Lords did sign a Warrant for Writs to adjourn the Term the two Lords Commissioners were present though they did not joyn in this yet they did in other business There were strict Guards many Souldiers and a great press of people at the Tryal of the King The House sate only to adjourn Some who sate on the Scaffolds about the Court at the Tryal particularly the Lady Fairfax the Lord Generals Wife did not forbear to exclaim aloud against the proceedings of the High Court and the irreverent usage of the King by his Subjects insomuch that the Court was interrupted and the Souldiers and Officers of the Court had much to do to quiet the Ladies and others 23. Report of an Ordinance that where upon Indictments c. it was formerly said contrary to the peace of our Soveraign Lord the King his Crown and dignity it should now be said against the peace justice and Council of England That Writs out of the Chancery should go in the name of the Chancellour or Keepers of the Seal and in other Courts in the name of the Judges The High Court of Justice sate Mr. Coke Sollicitor General moved That whereas the Prisoner instead of giving answer to the charge against him did still dispute the Authority of the Court that according to Law if a Prisoner shall stand as contumacious in contempt and shall not give an Issuable Plea Guilty or not
the Trustees for sale of Bishops Lands to put their Powers in Execution for speedy bringing in of Moneys due upon contracts with them as well against Members of the House as others The Commitees to sequester those in default and divers Orders made to remove obstructions in the sale of deans and Chapters Lands 21 Mr. Lenthall the Speakers son re-admitted to sit in the House Letters that Ormond was come up with 12000. into the quarters of Dublyn That Divers from the Town ran away to him That C. Jones and C. Monke were preparing to march out to him 22 A report from the Councel of State that before the house do Adjorn it will be fit that these Acts be passed by them viz. All General Acts concerning Monies for settling the Militia For Prohibiting the exportation of Wool and Fullers Earth To Prohibit the Exportation of Gold and Silver For Punishing revolted Sea Men and for investing the Judge of the Admiralty with his Power For Relieving well Affected Tenants against their oppressing Land-Lords For Suppressing all Scandalous and Malignant Pamphlets and the Authors and Printers of them and to Prevent as much as may be Printing For Punishing Licentiousness and Abuses in Pulpits For repealing the Clause in the Stat. 35 El. concerning Sectaries For a General Pardon For relieving Poor Prisoners for Debt For securing the Soldiers Arrears For Probate of Wills Granting Administrations and investing Ministers in Livings The Councel further reported divers things to be prepared during the recesse of the House for their debate at their next Meeting viz. An Act for taking away Tithes and for setling another maintenance for the Ministers concerning future Parliaments For Regulating Proceedings at Law and what Lawes are fit to be repealed The House appointed a day to take these matters into consideration The Commission to Lieutenant General Cromwell to command in chief the Forces in Ireland was read in Latin and in English and approved and ordered to Passe the Great Seal to be in Force for 3 years And the Civill and Military Power to be in him for that time An Act Passed for Making Robert Bernard Esq Judge of the Isle of Ely Order for the Painted Chamber to be Prepared and hanged for the Commissioners of Articles to sit there An Act Passed for Stating the accounts of all Officers and Souldiers A Proclamation by the General forbiding Souldiers to put their Horses into Mowing Grounds 23 Upon consideration that the Mony was very little that yet came in by Sale of Deans and Chapters Lands ordered that the Officers and Souldiers whose Accounts are audited may double their areares for Purchase of those Lands The desires of the Earl of Denbigh touching his Arreares for his Ambassy into Italy and other Arears referred to the Commitee of the Revenue Referred to a Commitee to consider of C. Henry Martin's Losses and of his Arrears and how they may be satisfied 25 The Petitions of the Earl of Rutland and of the Leadminers referred to Judges of the Northern Circuit An Act Past for holding the Assizes for Lancashire in Lancaster Castle The next Winters Guard for the Seas approved off The extraordinary charges of Lieutenant General Cromwell for his journey into Ireland referred to a Commitee to consider and report Referred to a Commitee to select the Acts fit to be past before the adjournment of the house and what matters to be debated during the recesse The Lord Grey's Disbursments and Arrears referred to a Commitee how he may be satisfied An Act for making a Judge of the Admirality and Cinque-Ports rejected An Act past giving Power to the Councel of State to grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal An Aditional Act past for incouragement of Purchasers of Deans and Chapters Lands Letters from C. Blake and C. Deane Generals at Sea that they are again before King-Sale that P. Rupert and Maurice are there and have gotten 400 Sea-men from Waterford that Ormonds Army is 14000. A Paper of requests delivered to Lieutenant General Cromwell for Recruits and Supplyes for Sir Charles Cootes Forces in the North of Ireland that they being 3 Regiments of Horse and 3 of Foot have had but 8 Moneths Pay in 8 Years and a Peck of Oatmeale a Weeke And that Sir Charles Coot may be relieved Letters that C. Jones was Marched out of Dublyn with 4000 Foot and 1000 Horse upon Ormonds drawing near to the Town but that Ormond being with in 5 Miles of him Jones retreated to secure Dublyn Letters from Scotland that their King had parted with Montrosse had consented to the Covenant and to the desires of the Kirke and to confirm what was done by his Fathers Authority and by the Parlement of Scotland since and that shortly they expect their King with them 26 The Act for relief of Creditors and touching prisoners recommitted A proposal by Sir Paul Pindar and the rest of the old Commissioners for the Customes to advance 100000 for the Parlement if they might be secured a debt of 300000 owing to them by the late King was laid aside A report for Papists who had not been in Armes to be admitted to compound was laid Captain Young spoyled a Ship in Helford sluce in Holland being ready to set Sail for the P. And took a Frigot belonging to the P. with 70 Prisoners and 10 pieces of Ordinance in her and a Corn Ship Letters that Captain Peacock upon discovery of 2 Corn Ships taken by one of the P's Vessels recovered both the Ships and brought them to Harbour And took one of the P's men of War and another Ship taken with 11 Guns and Ammunition Letters that the P. was at Bruxels and at a stand what to do because the Levellers in England were reduced that he was expected shortly to be in France Letters that a Frigot of Sir John Greenivile Governour of Scilly with 2 Brasse Guns 24 Muskets and 24 Oares made for Pyracy coming near Swansy the Governour of Cardiffe sent out Boats pursued the frigot from Creek to Creek and at length took her and all her Men except the Captain and some few with him who got on shoar and fled away 27 Letters from C. Jones of his March out of Dublin and after some Skirmishes his retreat being so much overpowred and desires relief Other Letters of C. Jones his March and that thereby he much streightened the Enemies Quarters and made a very honorable retreat and in all demeaned himself with great Valour and Wisdom Order touching 350000 l. upon the Sale of Bishops Lands Order concerning Compositions and the Accounts of Gold Smiths Hall 28 Upon a report of Mr. Salwey further time given for compositions of Delinquents Adjutant General Sadler went to Chester to transport 3 Regiments for Ireland Forces about Pontfract disbanded and many of them listed for Ireland Letters that Prince Charles was highly entertained at Antwerp at the cost of the Burghers 29 The Petition of the Earl of Denbigh for Arreares referred to a new
by a Irish Man of War under the Fort of Ostend and by the Governours Order rescued from them he saying That he would not indure such things to be done under his Command From Pendennis Castle that C. Slingsby Prisoner there was by Order of the Councel of State carried from thence to Exeter to be tryed by the Common Law for levying War against the Parliament An Account of Recruits shipped for Ireland 30 From Exeter of the solemn reception of the Judges of Assize by the Magistrates and Military Officers and of the conducting them through the several Counties by the Troops of Horse and of the great respect shewed by the Souldiery to the civil Magistrates From Taunton That the Commissioners had settled the Militia in that County C. Popham a Regiment of Horse and another of Foot C. Pine C. Ceely and C. Gorge Regiments of Foot From Scotland That their Commissioners gone to the King had power to to take up 300000 l. Scotch that is 25000 l. Sterling to gratify the King it he agreed with them That the Kirkmen were generally very zealous for the closing with their King yet some of them averse to it and Praying against it Aprill 1650. April 1. From Newcastle That very many Cavaliers passe into Scotland and some of them come out of Norfolk and Suffolk From Cork That the Lord Lieutenant had taken in all the three Counties of Tipperary Lymerick and Kilkenny except the three Shire Towns and had kept the Enemy from drawing together That the Lord Broghall beat up the Quarters of three Regiments of Inchequins Horse most of them English brought the Officers to Cashel tryed C. Claydon C. Johnson and Lieutenant Collonel Laughern three of them by a Court Marshal for betraying their trust having formerly served the Parliament and they and M. Sims were sentenced to dye that three of them were shot to Death and C. Claudon was pardoned That the Enemy burnt and destroyed the County of Lymerick and drove away the Cattle seven or eight Miles round the City Letters to a great Man That there is no rest to be found in the wisest Constitutions and Laws of Men until they acknowledge the Weakness thereof and fly to the Infallible and alsufficient Wisdom of the Scriptures to rule Mankind in the World The only Magna Charta in this World is the Holy Scriptures which give perfect Rules for the Peoples Liberties and for Rulers Government and Authority and so guide all Judgements that none shall suffer Injury That the People will never fix quietly upon any Form or way till they are brought to the Word of God 2 A Declaration of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen and Common Councel of London returning Thanks to the Parliament for their Gift of the New-Park to the City and of the Houses and 1000 l. for the Poor and that they do declare and resolve through Gods Assistance with the hazard of their Lives and Estates to stand and fall with the Parliament against all wicked Practices and opposite pretended Powers whatsoever The Speaker in Answer to it told them That the House took notice of this their Resolution and of the Seasonableness of it that the house kindly accepted it and gave them thanks for it Several Orders touching the Forces and Payment of Monies into Weavers Hall An Act for adding some of the Judges to be Commissioners in the High Court of Justice An Act for one to make use of a new Invention to prevent the great Consumption of Coal and Wood about Lead Iron Copper Saltworks c. From Dublin That the Lord Broghil and Henry Cromwel fell into the Lord Inchequins Quarters killed 160 and took 120 Prisoners with the Officers and 150 gallant Horse That Collonel Reynolds fell into the Earl of Castlehavens Quarters routed them and drove them to a Bogge From Coventry That Salmon and Wyke Prisoners there Preached every Lords Day at the grate of the Prisons and very many stood in the streets to hear them 3 From Portsmouth That a Ship of London of 16 pieces of Ordinance and her Bills of Lading from the Streights were of 30000 l. was taken by an Irish Man of War near the Isle of Wight and another Vessel in her Company run her self on Shore and thereby lost all but the Lives of the Mariners 4. A Letter sent from the Diggers and Planters of Commons for universal Freedom to make the Earth a common Treasury that every one may injoy Food and Rayment freely by his labour upon the Earth without paying Rents or homage to any fellow Creature of his own kind that every one may be delivered from the Tyranny of the Conquering Power and so rise up out of that Bondage to enjoy the Benefit of his Creation The Letters were to get Money to buy Food for them and Corn to sow the Land which they had digged 5 From Ireland That the Lord Lieutenant was gone near to Lymerick and that C. Hewson was marching with near 3000 men to him That the Spanish Agent had obtained leave of the Lord Lieutenant to send to Spain for Money Ships and Instructions for transporting Irish Officers and Souldiers who were willing to go into the Service of his Master A Messenger brought Intelligence to the Governour of Kinsale that Macke Carke and O Sullipht were raising Forces Westward and that all the Priests were gone to them That Inchequin for 20 Miles burnt and wasted the County of Lymerick and then retreated over the Shannon with more Cows than Horses that thereby Kilmallock could get no Forrage for their Horse and many of them came in to the Lord Lieutenant That C. Hewson came to the Lord Lieutenant with 3500 Horse and Foot that C. Reynolds and C. Ewers Regiments were sent out as a Forlorn hope and discovering the Enemies Body of above 3000 attempted to fight notwithstanding the disproportion but they had no mind to it That the Parliament had there a healthy and gallant Army all new clothed and well armed and Money in their Purses That they have in Ireland 6000 good Horse and 18000 Foot That Ormond came to Clare with six Horse only and sent Propositions to the Lord Lieutenant that most of the Irish had left him That they have Ships to prevent Commerce and Sea Assistance That eight Ships were come in from Wales and England loaden with Oats and 15000 yards of Cloth and 200 pair of Boots From Cork That the Scots and Irish are at great difference and the Irish fly to connaght as their last refuge excepting Spain That the Catholicks hasten the Prince iuto Scotland to divert the Army from Ireland if they can possibly Granger and others according to the Sentence of Parliament lost their Ears at the new Pallace Yard in Westminster and at the Old-Exchange in London for forgeing Warrants from the Committee of the Army and Counterfeiting hands to Bill of Exchange whereby they procured 3000 l. to be paid them out of