HAying received at the last convention of the Officers of this Army (at Walden) your commands and directions to our severall Regiments; First, for the publishing the Votes of the House of Commons for the satisfaction of the Army in poynt of Arrears and. Indemnity. And secondly, for a faithfull, diligent, and impartiall enquiry into the present temper and dispo­sition of the Army: In which, having accordingly (with diligence) endevoured to answer your expectation in what you have enjoyned us; we doe according to the best of our understandings, represent unto you▪ That we find both Officers and Soldiers at present, quiet, and free from any visible distemper: Neverthelesse are sensible of many pressing grievances, which they having orderly and quietly made known unto us, we humbly in their, and our behalves, repre­sent unto you as followeth.

1. That whereas it pleased the honourable Houses of Parliament, having received information of a dangerous petition in the Army, to declare and immediatly publish in print to the Kingdome, That that Pitition (which indeed was but onely intended to be presented to the Generall with submission to his approbation) did tend to put the Army into distemper and mutiny to obstruct the reliefe of Ire­land, and to put conditions upon the Parliament, and declaring the Petitioners, if they shall continue in their distempered condition, and goe on in promoting and advancing that Petition, shall be lookt up­on, and proceeded against as enemies to the State, and disturbers of the publicke peace. Which said information misrepresenting our in­tentions, hath caused that heavy charge which remains upon record, as a Memorandam of infamy upon us to posterity, wee cannot chuse but with saduesse of spirit, be deeply sensible, that so humble and in­nocent an addresse intended to the Generall, could beget so strange an interpreta [...]ion, the substance of those things which we intended to sue for therein, being no other then what the Parliament promised, and frequently confirmed unto us by their Declarations.

2. That whereas those persons, who have by the foresaid Imfor­mation, a [...]eemp [...]e [...] to our great prejudice, to beget misunderstandings [Page] betwixt the Parliament and their Army, by their surreptitious ob­taining and misrepresenting our intention in the sayd Petition, and by divulging abroad scandalous letters from unknown hands, (the Authours whereof are concealed, and not brought forth to make ju­diciall proofes of those things laid to our charge, which wee cannot but looke upon as a just cause of griese, that the suggesters of such things seemed to prevaile so farre as to gain encouragement, and we who are innocent, remain unjustified in the eyes of the kingdome.

4. That divers Officers of the Army of publick and known inte­grity, have been sent for to the Parliament, some whereof at this pre­sent attend there, and have had no triall, nor any thing considerable, that we know of, layd to their charge. And more particularly, That Ensigne Nichols, a member of this Army, hath been illegally impri­soned by Capt. Dormer, a late Officer of this Army, (but now enga­ged for Ireland) his Pockets search't, and his Papers taken from him, contrary to the Lawes of the Kingdome, or Discipline of warre, and since (by order of the Commissioners) sent from Derby-House to treat with the Army about the reliefe of Ireland, was sent to London, (without the Generals privity,) where hee is still kept prisoner) at great expences, and not brought to triall; which president may e­qually extend to any or all in the Army. Which said particular, bea­ring with it the face of delay and protraction, we cannot but look up­on as a just cause of trouble unto us.

4. That whereas we understand, that the Parliament hath voted a sudden disbanding of the Army, not having made sufficient provi­sion for the auditing of our Arrears, and stating of our accounts so ful­ly, as we may not be liable to further charges concerning them, our own reason, and the experience of others, doth make us sensible, how difficult, chargeable, and uncertain the obtaining thereof will be after we are disbanding, and dispersed to our severall homes.

5 That no provision hath been made for the payment of our dearly earned wages, to the expence of our blood, and often hazard of our lives; saving a vote of six weekes pay upon disbanding (now at the consummation of our work) which is so small, that it will ine­vitably expose us (especially the private Soldiers) to great extremity, being scarce sufficient to maintain many of them in their journey to their our homes.

6 That nothing as yet hath been perfected for our future securi­ty for things done as Souldiers in relation to the warr, which the exi­gencie thereof, and diffiuclties therein, hath compelled, us unto the [Page] want whereof we cannot chuse but be very sensible of, when we [...]onsider the many sad examples of bitter and rigorous prosecutions at Law, against Soldiers for acts done in order to the promotion of the Kingdomes service.

7 That we stand in feare, (especially the private Soldiers) of be­ing impressed or inforced to serve as Soldiers out of the kingdome; many having spent themselves freely and voluntarily in the publicke service, forsaking their trades, and friends, and livelihoods; to which many desire to return again for their better future subsistence.

8 That whereas divers of us (especially the privat Soldiers) who were Apprentices in London, or other parts of the Kingdome, have voluntarily engaged thtmselves in this service, being encouraged ther­unto by the Parliaments Declarations, shewing that the time they should so spend in the prosecution thereof, should be as effectuall in order to their Freedome, as if they had remained with their severall respective Masters. Notwithstanding which, many have refused to give us freedome, who may justly claim it by the aforesaid Declarati­ons for that purpose.

9 That many Soldiers who have lost their lives, Widowes their Husbands, and Children their Parents, in this service, and thereby are reduced to great poverty, (even to beggery) are not sufficiently provided for a future livelihood.

10 That whereas divers persons both privatly and publickly la­boured by evill aspersions and false calumnies to render us odious to the Kingdome, thereby seeking to alienate their affections from us; in order to which they have published many Books, viz. Ma. Ed­wards his Gangraena, and divers others of that nature: and also very lately a report divulged abroad, that wee had petitioned his Majesty, inviting him to come to the head of the Army, and that wee would restore him to his Crowne, Throne and Dignity: A person of emi­nence averred before a very great and publick convention in the Ci­tie of London, that he saw a Copie of that Petition which was de­livered to his Majesty: And that the Army was no longer a New Modell, but had 4000. Cavaleers in it, that hee comming from the Fountaines head, perceived, that the King and Cavaleers, have their single and whole dependency upon this Army. And others privatly suggesting the same, by dispersing severall copies of the sayd preten­ded petition; the severall particulars whereof we protest against, as most false, and are most confident, that it proceeded not from any probable ground, which might argue such an intention in us, but singly from the malice of our enemies.

[Page] 11. That notwithstanding the great care of the Committee and Treasurers for the Army, and the cheerfull readinesse of the most Counties in paying their Assesments, (as these where we now quar­ter geneaally affirme;) nneverthelesse through want of pay, the pri­vat soldiers are necessitated to take free quarter for the present, which is very irksome to be so burdensome to the kingdome.

Having thus according to your commands, as fully as we are able, accounted unto you what is the true genuine sense of the Army, and not their imaginary, but reall grievances which inevitably fall up­on us, except the Parliament in their wisdomes take some effectuall course to prevent them; and as we, if the time allowed to us by you, would permit, we could clearly demonstrate unto you: we therefore assume the boldnesse to desire you to bee sensible with us, of▪ what we have offered unto you, and to present unto the Parliament the particulars aforesayd, in such humble way and manner as you con­ceive most effectuall to the accomplishment of our future quiet, and well-being: That you will doe us right if in case any of our acti­ons be misrepresented to the Parliament: That you will (as farre as justly you can) cover our weaknesse, if any thing of that nature hath stippt us in the transaction of this so weighty and considerable an importance, which we the more boldly desire of you, because we are confident, that the integrity of our hearts is not hid from you, and which we doubt not, but will clearly appeare, (notwithstanding the malice, or secret workings of any person whatsoever seeking to a­sperse us, when our proceedings herein shall be throughly enquired into.) And if any thing expressed herein, may appeare or bee under­stood otherwise, by the Honorable Houses of Parliament, we desire you will declare the mind and sense of us all; which is that we have endevoured to our utmost in all our expressions, to avoyd things which might offend, or in the least manner intrench upon the honour and authourity of the Parliament, for which wee have adventuaed all we have in this world that is deare unto us. But if any reflection may seem to touch upon some particulars, our intentions are no other, then towards those who have abused the Parliament, Kingdome, and a faithfull Army.