Treasurer and Auditors of the Exchequer here. In the next place, I humbly mind your Highness, that although I was left under this Debt, yet at the time of that Reducement, the Allowance from England was leffened from 24 m. to 17 m. Pounds per menfem, and no Care taken how to pay off that Debt. And that there hath been no Affignment made of that our Allowance fince the 24th of June laft, which comes to near 100,000l. and which, with what is yet not fent to us of our former Affignments, makes up about the 180,000l. which by my Letter to your Highness of the 15th of July laft, I humbly intimated was wanting to clear our Engagements here. We are follicitous to think upon what Reafon our Allowance of 17000 1. per menfem is with-held from us fince June laft; but hope, that it was not, because. Ireland's Share of 1,900,000l. per Ann. will not extend fo farr; for in that cafe Care ought to have been taken for leffening the Charge of Ireland accordingly, which (foreseeing the Streights we were running into) I have several times preffed; and that in my Letter of the 15th of July, did offer my Thoughts as to the Manner and Haft of doing it. Your Highnefs feeing in what Condition I am, and how I came into it, I humbly beg your Highness to confider, what ill Ufes of feveral kinds my Enemies have made of this Difadvantage; fome perfwading the Army, that I was negligent of their Concernments, hoping thereby to alienate the Affections of the Soldiery from me: others telling them my Intereft in England was very small, that I could not procure Supplyes as others, my Predeceffors, had done; others taking occafion to advise, that the faid Arrear might be wholly struck off, and never

paid at all, perhaps thereby to bring the Odium of fo il! an Office upon me. Your Highness may eafily conceive, what I have been forced to do to keep down mutinous Difpofitions among them; and that it will be very difficult henceforward to keep the Army quiet, and in their due Obedience, with Words and Promises only. The Truth is, that to have borne Delays from time to time for above these two Years, did argue a good Temper and Inclination towards your Highness.

If they have no Relief from me now, when they see me in as much vifible Power as they can expect, and when I want thofe Grounds of Excufe which formerly I had, I fhall be much to feek how to carry it towards them for the future; for upon my being vefted in the Government, they feeming to expect fome Advantage, may think it very hard not to receive their bare Dues, after fo long Expectation. Befides, this want of Pay concurring at this Juncture with the extreme Trouble and Confufion about Spanish and bad Coins, the Soldiers are apt to grow too licentious in abufing the Country, when they levy their Contribution, refufing to take fuch Money as probably is good enough; thereby to extort fome unwarrantable Advantage from the People; all which they take occafion to do, partly out of Neceffity, and partly prefuming 'twill feem unreafonable to punish feverely and pay negligently.

Moreover, if your Highnefs thinks fit fhortly to leffen the Charge, I fuppofe it will appear very hard now, after all their patient Forbearance, to difmifs them without their Due. And if we put off those who are now to be difbanded, with the growing Pay of the reft who are to ftand, we Thall then relapfe into the fame Error we comL 2 mitted

mitted in 1655, upon the like Occasion; and fo growing ftill into a worse and worse Condition, muft at laft fall into fuch a State, as I cannot promise my self able to wade through. I humbly beg your Highnefs to weigh thefe Truths, and not to keep me for ever engaged in Conflicts and Difficultys more and greater than any other Man in my way doth or hath fuffered. Your Highnefs knows, how hard 'tis to keep things right without Money. The ill Confequences of thefe Wants may be hereafter reprefented as my Errors and Miscarriages; and it will be better for me never to have been advanced to this Place of Truft, than to be left without Means to manage it; without which it must prove but an empty and dangerous Title only. I hope your Highnefs will think well of fome, perhaps not fo fit, Expreffions, which I used in giving you my Apprehenfions of the Army. I am not willing to fuggeft caufelefs Fears, nor would I speak at this rate to any other: I judge it my Duty to deal faithfully upon thefe Occafions. Eight Months Arrear is fo great a Matter, that I hope your Highness will not think me froward, if I infift upon the paying it off, as believing no prudent Man would or ever did embarque on a Charge of this Moment, without being first set on clear Board. I have several other things of Moment, wherewith to trouble your Highness, as that of the Reducement, and of your Highness's Leave for me to come for England for a small Time, at a convenient Seafon : but I fhall at prefent only beg your Highness's Attention to this of fending us over the above-mentioned 180,000l. it being no more than what will appear to be juftly due, as the Arrear of our Allowances from England.

I fay, I fhall prefs this one thing of Money only; and therefore hope your Highness will mind it with Effect on our Bebalfes. The Lord bless your Highnefs, and direct you in that great Affair of the other Houfe, and in what elfe may make for the Glory of his Name, and Good of his People committed to your Care; and enable me in the faithful difcharge of my Truft, and that I may in all things approve myself

Your Highness's most obedient Sonn,

AFTER the Liberty your Lordship has given me, there cannot aught of Concerne happen in this Place, which I fhall not endeavour to give you the perfecteft Account of, and, if poffible, outftrip all others in it. But thofe great things expected, in order to the Nation's Settlement, from the two Houfes meeting, it has pleafed God to dafh all of a fodaine; for, my Lord, two Days after my laft H. H. furprized us all, not only us of the lower Orbe, but thofe I mean of his Councell, mott (I am fure) of them, if not all, by putting an End to boath the Houses of Parliament that Thurfday Morning. This we now fee he was forced to doe, least some turbulent Spirits amongst them fhould have_put_an

End to the Peace of this Nation, by embroyling it as farre in Blood and Confufions as ever.

Major-general Packer, who commands H. H. owne Regiment, is juft now with H. H. and I have fome Reason to think, his Commiffion will be taken from him ere they part. It is beleeved fome others too muft follow; but I dare not say who, being refolved to give your Lordship all the Truth of Matters I can, without the least Mixture of my owne or others Conjectures.

I cannot at all perceive H. H. difposed to that of your Lordship's coming into England, tho' for never so small a Time; and the Truth is, I do not marvell att all as Things now stand; for the Troblers of our Quiet will, no doubt, be watching all Advantages there, as well as heer, and a greater then your Lordship's Abfence I am fure they do not wifh, whofe Actions stirre up as much Dread in them, as Wonder in all us that love you. This, my Lord, is the Language of my Judgment only, for my Affection runnes quite counter, and would perfwade, that for a few Months your Lordship might be dispensed with, there being no Perfon alive fo impatiently longing for the Honour to kiffe your Lordship's Hands,