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Subject Area: Political Theory
Subject Area: History
Topic: The English Revolution

General Monck to Major-General Lambert - Sir William Clarke, The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, vol. 4 [1901]

Edition used:

The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, Secretary to the Council of the Army, 1647-1649, and to General Monck and the Commanders of the Army in Scotland, 1651-1660, ed. C.H. Firth (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1901). 4 vols.

Part of: The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, 4 vols.

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General Monck to Major-General Lambert

My Lord,

lii. f. 35.At the time when I received intelligence that Sir Hierome Sanchy was comeing towards us with a message from your Lordship, I was upon a resolucion to march imediatly to Berwick, and therefore sent to intreat him to stay there till I came, that being a place of more commodious recepcion for him, and more convenient for mee to give an answere to any thing hee should have in comands from your Lordship then any other upon the road. At my arrivall here I have received two letters from him, one from the officers with your Lordship att Newcastle to the Generall Councell of officers here, and another from your Lordship to my selfe. To the former the Generall Councell of Officers here have herewithall sent their answere, and to the latter your Lordship may please to accept of this as a returne. I doe againe assure your Lordship that wee neither had nor have here any other intention, in desireing a continuacion of the Treaty, then onely that there might be a full and perfect agreement. And I should have taken it as a great argument of your Lordship’s inclinacion thereto if yow had been pleased to beleive that profession of ours, as well out of the former confidence you have had of the respects wee have beene to your Lordship, and of the intire affection wee have for our Brethren, as out of charity onely, which is a thing (wee hope) soe extensive in your Lordship as that you affoard it to those whom you looke upon with another eye then wee thinke you doe upon us.1 And I intreate your Lordship to consider that where Agreements are made after such a manner it’s not unusuall to demurre upon the ratificacion. Your Lordship hath been pleased to take notice out of my letter to the Lord Fleetwood (whose pacquetts it seemes your Lordship uses to open) how sensible wee are here of the advantages the Common Enemy is like to gaine by the lengthening of our differences, and I hope your Lordship will be pleased not to be a meanes of drawing them out yett further by standing upon such punctillioes as refuseing us a blanck passe for soe many persons as wee shall have occasion to send to treat with yow (which can be noe wayes prejudiciall to any of you); noe, not though perhaps wee should have been over punctuall in desireing a safe conduct. I intreat your Lordship to consider of how much concernment that desire of ours is, and of how litle that denyall of yours. I must deale plainly with your Lordship, and acquaint you that since my last wee have cause to doubt how farre some of our Commissioners already with you may be free to act upon the accompt of a further Treaty, and therefore must desire from your Lordship, or the Lord Fleetwood, a blanck passe not onely for names but number, otherwise when the Commissioners wee shall adde are come to meet at the place appointed, there may be an occasion of new messages, and consequently of new delayes. If your Lordship had thought fitt to have drawne off your forces to such quarters as had been most advantageous for the [keeping the] Countrey in quiett, according to the tenor of the Agreement, I conceived it would have been a great meanes of frustrating the designes of the Common Enemy, and was by mee desired for noe other end, unlesse it were to show my desire to peace; which peace I know not how much it can stand with your Lordship’s resolucion to extend your quarters towards us, unlesse you thinke it reasonable to deprive us of that liberty you assume to your selves. I have soe much confidence in what you professe of your interest in and your obligacion to your Native Country, that if you thought your owne safety could not consist with the liberty of that, you would preserve your Country before your selfe; and as wee hope that is not the case now in hand, soe in all others there is nothing that wee shall preserve before it. Your march to Newcastle was not objected to by its selfe as a breach of the Agreement made by Collonel Lilburne and our Commissioners; but there was a thing of more concernment joyned with it, which was the stopping of the pacquetts between us and our Commissioners, and for that I have a letter sent mee by our Commissioners, signed by your Lordship’s owne hands, upon which I know not how to putt any other interpretacion. And in your letter you mistake that Agreement, if the Commissioners have reported it rightly to mee, for it was not (as you say there) that the Reere forces should not advance, but that noe part of the forces should advance beyond the quarters which were then neerest one to another. It was then alleadged that I my selfe was upon my march to Berwick, which was absolutely false, and yett had [it] been [true] every way as justifiable as your Lordship’s march to Newcastle. And for the stopping of the pacquett, if your Lordship’s letter may be admitted to have any other interpretacion, yet my owne eyes will not suffer mee to beleive but it was sometymes opened.

Wherefore I shall not onely presse your Lordship once more not to act upon such surmizes, but that the previous Agreement to the next Treaty may be punctuall and distinct, and soe understood and observed. If your Lordship thinkes it fitt still to stay att Newcastle, I shall be satisfied, provided you be contented that I remayne at Berwick; but if you continue in your resolucion to extend your quarters neerer us, you must expect that I shall take the same liberty, and then I cannott promise you but wee may be necessitated to enter into hostility. For what concernes the officers hindred from commeing to their commands; if your Lordship will but make them understand and beleive soe much as your Lordship endeavours to perswade us, wee shall be satisfied. There was indeed a lettre written by mee to the Lord Mayor of London and Common Councill much to the same purpose with that inclosed by your Lordship (though not haveing myne owne copie heere at Berwick, I cannot say whether your copie be exactly true), and I know not what occasion either your Lordship or those at London had to send it downe hither. I doe not remember that it was agreed by Collonel Lilburne and our Commissioners that I should send noe letters to my freinds in England dureing the Treaty. I believe you your selves have done the like to yours all England over, and that by severall of those messengers which came hither pretending peace. I shall instance in Captain Deane, who by his letters and bookes and private promises dissatisfied divers of the Troopers; not to mention those direct breaches of the Treaty, the listing of men, and endeavouring to raise the Militia in severall places of England, and in particular in London and Yorkshire. My Lord, in this I shall deale plainely with your Lordship: as I have hitherto, according to the best of my knowledge and power, observed every thing to which I was obliged by the Agreement made by Collonel Lilburne and our Commissioners, soe for future, whatsoever shall be agreed upon shall be observed in the same manner. But in all other things I shall (together with your Lordship) endeavour by a just defence to ballance these preparacions of warre which seemes to threaten us with ruine, and to repell every weapon formed against us and our good old cause, and this I trust your Lordship will nott account an increasing the breach betwixt the armyes any more in us then in your selves. And your Lordship may assure your selfe that whensoever there shall be a full Agreement made, whatsoever shall be done to the end above mencioned shall be noe wayes prejudiciall to it, or to that reall profession which I shall make of being

Your Lordship’s humble and faithfull servant,

G. M.

Berwick,
7 Dec., 1659.

Postscript:

Since the writeing of this letter I understand our Commissioners are come to New Castle that I may conferr with them in order to the Treaty. I desire that this may bee done with all speede, that there may bee as little delayes as may bee in finishing the Agreement.1

[1 ]This refers to the suspicious favour which Lambert was just now showing to some of the Royalists.

[1 ]On the same day, probably, Monck sent the undated letter to Fleetwood which is printed at p. 131 of the Report on Mr. Leyborne-Popham’s MSS. Fleetwood’s letter of December 1, to which he there refers, is missing, but the reference to the offer made to Lambert to withdraw his forces seems to show that the two letters to Lambert and Fleetwood were written at the same time.