Inter-regnum. 1651. Auguft. SIR, I 6 Ripon, 11th Day of the 6th Month, 1651, about Noon. Shall fpare giving any large Account of our Affairs, having lately given the Council that Trouble; whereof I believe you will not be ignorant, or of fo much as is worthy the Parliament's Knowledge. This Morning I received an Express from Major-General Lambert, dated the 9th, about 'Twelve at Noon, within ten Miles of Penrith, and feveral Letters inclofed, which he had taken, and therewith fix of the Enemy convoying them, whereof two were Lairds. He defired my Dispatch of thefe Letters to my Lord-General Cromwell, which accordingly I have done: But 'confidering that they came from the Duke of Hamilton, Lord Lauderdale, and Lord Wentworth; and that the Efteem they have of the Presbyterian Party, (whom Hamilton calls Rogues, and • Lauderdale thinks they are very well rid of) and 'the Pleasure they take in their prefent pure Cavalierish Compofition, may help to fatisfy thofe displeased Friends, I thought it my Duty to tranfmit you Copies of them, till his Excellency can 'fend the Originals, I being so much nearer than . ' he is. I am confident the Duke speaks their very 'Heart, not knowing the Danger of the Convey'ance as the other did, who writ accordingly: And we expect, Day by Day, the Lord will more open their Eyes to fee the Snare whereunto himself in Judgment hath led them: So that the Terrors ' of the Lord will prove a forer Enemy to them ❝ than we. 6 6 My Lord Howard's Son commanded a Troop at Carlisle, whom 'ere this I had secured, but that he is his Son. He took off with him but 12 of his Troop, (as the Major-General and the Governor of Carlisle inform me) which would have been cafhiered, had we had Opportunity, and they ftaid. The Riddance of fuch are no • Lofs 1651. Auguft. Lofs to us, nor their Acceffion Strength to them. Inter-regnum. 'The Major-General will be this Night, I hope, in their Rear, and I am haftening to get the Van, and if poffible to recover the Middle Parts of Lancashire before; for which Purpose, the Lord pleafing, I defign this Night to be at Skipton, and fo towards Prefton or Manchefter, as Providence 'fhall direct. If the Enemy keep constant Motion he might 'be near Preston this Night, as he lay at Kendal on Saturday, which is but about 35 Miles diftant, ' and fo may put us a little to it to reach him. Í 'know the Major-General will not let their Rear off quietly, whereby he may eafily clog their • March. go My Lord-General is in Northumberland, and Sir Arthur Hafelrigge writes me he will be at Hexham on Tuesday; I believe fooner, knowing 'he will make Hafte. The Lord prepare all our Hearts for the great Mercy he will shortly fhew us, (whereof, thro' 'his Grace, we do not in the leaft doubt) and help us to cry to him for Strength against his and our inward Enemies, whilft he strengthens us against ⚫his and our outward Enemies. Pardon my Rudenefs; I am upon my March, and in fome Hafte ❝ subscribe myself Your most humble Servant, T. HARRISON. The intercepted Letters mentioned in the foregoing. And first, A LETTER from the Duke of Hamilton to Dear WILL. TH Penrith, Auguft 8, 1651. of Hamilton, HE laft Thing I did was to drink your Health From the Duke with Lord Thomas, Dan. O'Neal, and Lau-' derdale, who are now all laughing at the Ridiculoufnefs of our Condition. We have quitted Scotland, being fcarce able to maintain it; and yet we A 2 graft Inter-regnum. grafp at all, and nothing but all will fatisfy us, or 1651. to lofe all. I confefs I cannot tell you whether our ཁ༽ སྤུས་ Auguft. Another from Lord Wentworth, Hopes or Fears are greatest; but we have one stout Argument, Defpair; for we must now either stoutly fight or die. All the Rogues have left us, I shall not fay whether for Fear or Difloyalty; but all now with his Majefty are fuch as will not difpute his Commands. Lord Thomas tells me he will explain all this to you; fo I tell you nothing but what you knew before, that I am I Wr Yours, b HAMILTON. From Lord Wentworth to the fame. From the Leaguer by Penrith, My dear Coufin, For the public News; this is all: By God's Grace we are come as far as Penrith, in Cumberland, with a good Army of 14 or 15,000 Foot, and about 6000 Horfe, all abfolutely at the King's Command, as much as any Army that ever I saw under the Command of his Father. We are marching forward, and this Morning Mr. Howard, whom the b Eldeft Son to the Earl of Cleveland. King 1651. King knighted, is come over to him with his whole Inter-regnum. Troop. We have very good Hopes that others will follow. I am now in an Army where our Friends are together, and where you are many Times remembred. The Times are well changed fince this Time twelve Months. Mon cher Coufin, I am yours, THO. WENTWORTH. From the Earl of Lauderdale to the Lord Balcarras. Auguft. My dear Lord, Charlton, near Penrith, Aug. 8, 1651. derdale. Cannot neglect any Occasion to let you know his And two from Majefty and his Army are well, God be praised. the Earl of LauNever Men were more hearty for all their Toil; and, feriously, you would not know this Army. A natural Purge is wholefome, and I hope ours is fuch, when all the ill Humours are gone. Trust me we have not taken the Worth of Six-pence, and the Country is kind to us; we might have Men enough if we could get Arms; fome we get. This poor Place hath given in a Day's Bread and Cheefe, which is our first Supply in England. We have a strong Party advanced to Kendal for more Provifions, whither we are to march To-morrow, God willing. More I would write, but it is probable my Friends fhall not be the firft that fhall fee this; for it goes a Way I am not fure of, and through an Enemy's Quarters a long Way. I fall intreat you to hafte the inclosed to Holland by the first fafe Occafion; and if my Lord Inchiquin come and bring any Bill from my Wife for 100l. payable upon Sight, let him not want it; this is Fufice. I have faid this, more I would say of my private Bufinefs, but I have no Time to write, and, as I faid, the Conveyance is dangerous: I shall only acquaint you that this Morning the Lord Howard of Efkrick's Son is come in to his Majesty, and with A 3 him 1651. Inter-regnum. him his whole Troop; his Majefty received him gracioufly, and immediately did knight him. He is the firft, but I have Reason to believe he shall not be the laft, ere long, that shall return to his Duty. Auguft, Yesterday we had a small Party, commanded by Capt. Inglis, of the Regiment that was Riccarton's, who difcovered about 20 of the Enemy; he fent a Corporal and fix Horfe, who drove them before them; then he advanced himself alone, and only two with him; they overtook them at a Gate which the Enemy were making fast, fo the Enemy made Hafte off, but Inglis received a Shot in his Leg, which I hope is nothing: Upon this, and the Intelligence that 1000 Horfe of the Enemy were near, the Right Wing of our Horfe advanced very fast half Way to Apulby; but finding it impoffible to overtake them, feeing they were then the Length of Brough, we retired, having only the Advantage to get us hot Coats; and mine was as hot as ever in my Life. This Day, to refresh our Men, we rest; To-morrow we march (God willing) towards Kendal. When I know of a good Occafion I shall write again. I fhall intreat you to fend to Holland, with this inclofed, a Copy of the King's Declaration, which I fent you. I cannot fend it herewith, for taking too much Room. My Service to all Friends, especially my dear Cummer, and he that is your Wife and mine; and make my Excufe that I wrote not to any of them, it being impoffible, for the King is in Bed, and I lie this Night in his Chamber; fo have Time to Say no more, but farewell. God fend us a good Meeting. Yours, LAUDERDALE. P. S. Let the Justice-Clerk direct this, and all that go to my Wife into Holland, to Sir Alexander Home, Mafter-Houfholder to the Princess Royal, at her Highness's Court at the Hague. We have not got a Man of the Galloway or Nithfdale Foot, fo your Committee must be careful for levying them. His Majefty hath commanded them |