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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) The Officers of the Army in Scotland to the Officers under General Lambert - The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, vol. 4
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The Officers of the Army in Scotland to the Officers under 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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The Officers of the Army in Scotland to the Officers under General LambertBrethren and Fellow Souldjers,lii. f. 29.Yours of the 29th of November wee received by Collonel Zanchy, wherein you are pleased to take notice of our desire of an additionall treaty for the explanation of such things as were dubious, and for the perfecting of such necessary matters as were omitted in the last, but yow take not well the delayes which must attend those our desires, which yow conjecture may bee very advantagiouse to the comon enimie. Wee doe assure yow that none shalbee more earnest for expedition then ourselves, soe it may bee with satisfaccion to the nations and security to the good cause wee have soe long engaged for, and wee must declare to yow that the matters betweene us in contraversie (as wee conceive) are such as require the greatest deliberation, the welfare, libertyes, and safety of God’s people being concerned; and wee doe ascertaine yow that wee shall indeavoure to give a good account of the peace of this country, and doubt not but to prevent all designes of Charles Stewart and his party, soe from yow wee cannot but expect the same; as wee have not made the breach betweene yow and us (our consciences beares us witnes), neither shall wee keepe it open; and give us leave to tell yow that wee well understand the grounds and reasons of our dissatisfaction which wee declared to the world, yet wee take God to witnesse that wee sought not the hazard of the lives of yow our brethren, but would have interrupted for your securitie as for our owne. Wee doe beleeve that yow are equally concerned in the happinesse and prosperity of our native country, and therefore wee did apply our selves to the Lord Fleetwood and the Generall Councill of Officers at London with our requests unto them, that this good cause might not miscarry by our divisions, and that there might bee such meanes used as might bee for the asserting these righteouse ends, in the prosecution of which wee have hazarded our lives and estates, which wee desire yow to call to rememberance, and seriously to lay to heart. As for those calumnies which yow complaine of as cast uppon yow by some of us, representing yow as enimies to magistracye and ministry, wee shall deale freely with yow. Wee wish there were not some with yow that doe give too greate a jealousie, not onely to us but to the people of God, that they are not very good friends to those two ordinances of God; but wee must further tell yow that wee have mett with greate reproach from some of yow, asperseing us all for ungodly and wicked, and declayming against the whole army heere, as if there were not a godly man amongst us. Wee must acknowled[g] our personall infirmities and weakenes[ses] to bee many and greate, neither doe wee desire to justifie our selves either before God or man, yet the cause and interest wee engage for wee dare in the presence of God assert it both righteouse and holly, and our sincerity in the pursuance thereof. Wee desire the Lord to make both yow and us more holy in the power and spiritt of godlines; wee cannot bee conscious of these extraordinary crimes and wayes yow accuse us of, as if wee had dealt with yow contrary to the practize of declared enimies; wee can say in the integrity of our hearts that wee have prayed for yow, wee have sent our earnest request to yow, and some of our friends to pleade with yow for peace and the continuance of brotherly fellowshipp, which wee beleeve an enimy would not have practised. If it bee an offence to yow that wee have tould yow that wee could not receed from Parliamentary authority, by which this army was raised, comissionated, paid, and for which they have for these many yeares fought, then wee have offended, but wee cannot adjudge our selves unworthy for this matter. Wee take it very kindely and thankefully that yow have used your interest for the continuance of the treaty, and wee shall waite the pleasure of the Generall Councill of Officers at London, being ready to imbrace all meanes that may conduce to the makeing upp a full and perfect agreement; yet wee doe not interprett it as an argument of your inclination to peace or brotherly love to us that yow have interposed that nothing bee parted from, or new matter added, or further explanation admitted, neither therein, wee feare, will yow bee found such lovers of the people of God, or of your country, or of us, as yow soe often professe your selves to bee. Wee shall not disowne whatsoever in that agreement is conforme to the instructions by which our comissioners were authorized, and what is beyond wee doe desire it may bee further treated uppon and explain’d. Wee can say nothing to the third article of the agreement till the whole bee perfected and compleat. Wee have not much more to adde, but would desire yow to examine all the grounds and reasons that wee have held forth in our severall papers, and consider well whether your confidence which yow professe in the decision of this contraversie can bee well grounded, yow appeareing against us your brethren, against the civill authority that hath intrusted yow, against your owne solemne and frequent promises and assurances of obedience and faithfullnesse, but wee hope the Lord will discover these things to yow, and not suffer soe many of his owne people to miscarry soe dangerously. As for ourselves, what ever judgement yow may have of us, wee hope wee shall not bee found soe unfaithfull to God and our country as to imbroyle the nations in bloud, and ruine our deare friends for any preferment or advantage what soever. If there were not somthing in this contraversie more deare to us then our lives, wee should with Mephibosheth say to yow, take all, or with Jonah wee should desire to bee sunck in our hopes and enjoyments. For the Comonwealthes sake wee intreate yow to looke into the whole affaire, and yow will easily judge uppon which part selfe appeares. Wee desire heere noe greater commands for our selves or others; wee have laid those wee had cheerefully downe at the will of our superiors, but wee shall trouble yow noe further, but begg of the Lord that hee would preserve yow and us from these dangers [and] temptations, and keepe us firme and constant to the good old cause. Soe comitting yow to God, wee remaine Your affectionate friends and humble servants,
As to yours concerneing Colonel Cobbett, wee desire to let yow know that hee came not downe as a publicque messinger, but as a Colonel to his command, without leave from Generall Monck, after hee was outed by the Parliament, and that our Generall hath letters from a person of credit that hee had a designe to draw the army from him, if not to secure him, and by the confession of Ens. Browne somthing of that nature was discovered, upon all which our Generall thinkes fitt to keepe him heere till this busines bee more cleared. |
