The humble Petition of your Maiesties old Officers of Horse;
THat whereas they have had the honour to serve your Majesty under the command of the Lord Wilmot, of whose just and loyall intentions they conceive they have had some demonstrations; but now to their great amazement, and almost distraction, finde him fallen into your Majesties displeasure and suspition: And although they intend not to arrogate unto themselves a liberty of searching into your Majesties designes, nor disputing your commands, yet they most humbly begge pardon, if they beleeve it a right they owe themselves and your Majesties service, to request they may receive some present light of this businesse from your Majesty, that they may not have reason to suspect themselves partakers of his crimes, having bin by your Majesties order exequutors of his commands. And we hope for such a satisfaction from your Majesties Justice in this perticular as may encourage your Petitioners to goe on with the same zeal to your service, as they have hitherto expressed in the hazzard of their lives and fortunes, and in their prayers for your prosperity, which shall ever be continued by
Our Answer to the humble Petition of the Officers of the old borse, concerning the Lord Wilmot, presented to Vs August 8. 1644.
WEe have considered of your Petition, and receive it as a thing well becomming you, to expresse unto Vs a sense of the misfortune of a person, who hath so long commanded you as the Lord Wilmot hath done, in so eminene a charge as that of Lievrenant generall of Horse; since We assure you the occasion We had to set so great a Marke of Our displeasure, upon one so highly trusted and favoured by Vs, is an affection to Our selfe not inferiour to the greatest which his best friends can conceive by the effect of it: And Wee shall expect that you will be kind unto Vs, in your b [...]l [...]efe either of Our Justice, or prudent care at least of Our owne interests, as to be consident of that at this season, when the cheerfulnesse and unanimity in Our service, wherewith all of you have hitherto so eminently obliged your King, is so much more necessary then it hath bin at any time, We should not have done an act that might hazzard the discontenting many, had We not been forced unto it by the assurance that it was absolutely necessary to the preservation of Vs all. And though in such eases, wherein a Crown lyes at the stake upon the decision of battell, a small suspi [...]ion is ground enough for a Prince to remove any person, but doubted for such a trust, whereby he had power so easily to destroy all; yet so desirous are Wee to give full satisfaction unto you, whose merit of Vs hath bin such, that We must ever professe, no King did ever owe more to Gentlemen and Officers, that We thought fit hereunto to annex a Declaration of the causes of the Lord Wilmots removall from that trust: being onely sorry for this, [...]h [...]t we (urged by your desires) publish more perhaps then ever We intended, of the unfaithfulnesse [Page 3] and ingratitude of a person, whom we had not only trusted so long and so far, but also so highly, and so many severall wayes obliged, that it is a great improvement of griefe and trouble to Vs, that when it shall please God by your means to restore Vs to Our Rights, We can scarce ever hope for power to do proportionably to the rest of you.
Given at our Court at Buconock Aug 12. 1644.
THat the Lord Viscount Wilmot hath endevoured principally these three months last past to possesse the officers of his Maiesties Army with disvalue and contempt of his Maiesties person, and with preiudice against the sincerity of his intentions for the good of his people, and endevoured (as far as in him lay) to draw men to revolt from their allegeance. And particularly, hath used discourses and perswasions to this effect, and to persons of cha [...]ge, power, and credit in the Army, That the King hee saw would put all the power into his Nephewes hands, that rather then suffer it they should (for his part he would) make him submit to his Parliament. And to others to this effect, That the King was afraid of peace; That he was not a man ever to goe through this businesse: That there was no way but one, which was, to set up the Prince, who had had no share in the cause of these troubles, and that he would declare against those about his Father, wherein all honest men would sticke unto him, and put an end to all. That the said Lord Viscount VVilmot hath without his Maiesties knowledge sent secret messengers of dangerous nature unto the Earle of Essex: particularly, it being resolved by his Maiesty, that a private message should be sent unto the Earle of Essex from a person of honour, to whom the said Earle professeth respect, invi [...]ing him to send two persons of most trust with him to meet and conferre with the said persons of honour, and another, of whom the said Earle was beleeved to have a good opinion: and the instructions unto the mess [...]nger (one who had free accesse [Page 6] unto the Earle of Essex) being punctually drawne at a private Counsell at the which the Lord VVilmott was present, with precise directions, that the messenger should know no more the businesse, or deliver any things concerning the publique, but what was set down by unanimous consent at the Counsel & attested by the Secretaries of Sate, the said L. VVilmot notwithstanding desired the said Messenger to commend him kindly to the E. of Essex and tell him from him he had many good friends in the Army, that he should lay hould of this opportunity, and that then they would shew themselves, and that the Court should not have power to hinder it or carry it as they have don, or words to this effect by which secret Message from him being Leiutenant Generall of his Majesties Horse unto the Generall of the Rebells Army, he did not only forfeit his dutie and allegiance, but hath by giving the E. of Essex such assurances, though most false of a party in his Maiesties Army and of such division betwixt that and the Court beene probably the cause of that insolent returne, which the said Earl hath made unto his Maiesties most gracious Letter which he vouchsafed to write him with his owne hand, to invite him to peace, and so frustrated the great hope which his Maiesty had raised to himselfe by such a letter, of saving the further effusion of blood, and prouring the happiest accomoda ion: whereof had there been the least hope left, his Maiestie hath declared that he would have connived at these, yea, if possible at greater Crimes.
An Answere to A Declaration and Charge against the Lord VVllmotte.
I doubt not but my actions, and the losse of what I have in his Majesties service, might satisfie the world of my integritie and [Page 7] respect to his Majesties person and dignity, If I should onely insist upon that; but since my accusers intend to prove the contraty by the Averment of persons of Charge, Power, and Credit in the Army, I am confident it is a right I owe my owne Innocency, and Civility to men of their qualitie, wholy and absolutely to referre my selfe to the Justice and Integritie of their Testimonies without endeavouring to assure the world from my selfe, of my owne Innocency: Though I doubt whensoever it shall please the King to call me to my publique tryall, which I am promised will be speedily, I shall be able to make that appeare with as much clearnesse to the whole world, as I now finde in the private▪ satisfaction of my owne Conscience. But since some persons have thought fit to intrest themselves in my Iustification, I conceive my selfe obliged to satisfie their desires in this generall account, for the present, I must in the first place rejoyce with them, that the mallice it selfe of my Accusers can suggest nothing of practice to me, the height of my pretended of, fences, were they confest by me, or proved by them, reach no further then words, though of such nature, as are as disagreeable to my Loyalty and dutie, as they were alwayes distant either from my intentions or expressions. Till my adversaries fin de our away to make good, as barely to accuse: I must require from the Justice of all persons, since my actions have in all points fully contradicted these pretended accusations, a suspension of judgement: & desire they wold not put the forged suggestions of my enmies, in equal ballance to the endeavours of my whole life, & after hazard of it (if his Majesty had thought sit;) he might have found would have been still continued, in as full & faithfull a degree in his Majesties service as ever, the truth is, my affection hath alwayes inclined to peace: But I take God to witnesse, such a one as might have agreed with the honour of the King, and the happinesse of the Country, and though my intentions are not to recriminate [Page 6] [...] [Page 7] [...] [Page 8] yet in order of my owne justification and acquitment, I must take leave to say, I do more then fear it agrees not with the interest and inclinations of some persons so fully as I could wish, which I take to be the principall cause of my present condition, but I have only undertaken to cleare my selfe, may each mans particular faults light on his owne head whosoever shall abstract the substance from the Copiousnesse and subtill Aggravations of Language, I am confident will find what ever dresse they may be able to put upon the ground worke of their accusations to be barely nothing but a too violent expressing my Inclinations to Peace, whether I have ever sought it further then my Alleagiance and dutie to his Majesty allowed of, Or my obligation to my Country, might exact from mee. I must referre to my publique answere, in the meane time I desire and doubt not, but that all good men will be satisfied with this profession and Protestation, that I never had a private Treaty, nor ever speake any thing to the prejudice of the publique Cause, yet if there could be a meanes found out to reconcile the just intrest of the King and Kingdome, such as becomes an honest and well affected man to appeare in, I am sure I should be very forward to ingage all my assistance, and shall thinke it an action may very well bee Iustified to God my King, and all honest men in which resol [...] on I intend to live and dye.