A LETTER FROM BARWICK the Head Quarters of the ARMY, Under the Conduct of GENERAL MONK, Commander in Chief of the Parliaments Forces in England and Scotland. Showing their Condition and Resolution, and the Necessity of the present Parliaments Restitution.  
To a Merchant in LONDON.  
LONDON Pri●●ed in the Year, 1659.   

A LETTER of the 10th of December, from Barwick, the Head Quarters of the Army under the Conduct of General Monck, Commander in Chief, etc.  
SIR,  
I Have received yours the 6th present, and we are glad to hear that you in the South begin to be awakened, and are now in action for the restoring this present Parliament, whereby our Liberties may be asserted, and the Peace of the Nation settled upon Eoundations of Truth and Righteousness: And whereas you doubt lest we should vary from our first Resolutions and Declaration, as fearing Col. Lambert's great Forces, I desire you to assure our Friends we are resolved through the blessing of God not to start one tittle, but with our lives, and all that is dear to us, stand firm in this righteous quarrel; and we doubt not but that the Lord will so direct us and our prudent General Monck, to order our Affairs so that our Enemies shall have little advantage by their plots and delays under pretence of further Treaties for a Composure; for we begin to see its only to strengthen their Forces all over the Nation by Arming all such giddy people (as themselves) who are enemies to Magistracy and Ministry; for we hear that many Cart loads of Arms are gone out of the Tower, and sent into several Countries to that end; and therefore we are providing for a March towards them, and our Artillery and other necessaries are all safe come to this place and Anwick. And whereas we understand that most men are for a free Parliament, it is our desire that this present Parliament may meet and settle Affairs which are so distracted, and after they shall make Qualifications, that a Free Parliament be either called, or the old Members in 1648. restored, and new Waits be issued out for places vacant: But we cannot but wonder why the present Parliament should lie under such Contempt, when we consider the great and good things they have done for these Nations: Had they not before their interruption in April 1653. subdued all their Enemies at home, reduced Ireland, conquered Scotland, managed a fierce and chargeable War against the Dutch, Dane, and Portugal, and near brought them on their knees? Were not our Councils then feared abroad as well as our Forces successful? Had they not made England the most flourishing Nation for Trade in Europe, and our People honoured and respected? Were not their Armies paid to a day, yea sometimes Musters beforehand, and their Navy the like? Ask those that traveled into Foreign parts, they must affirm it; ask the Soldiers, and they will say so; ask the Seamen, and they cannot deny it: Were not all their Stores full of all Warlike provisions? several gallant Frigates built by them? Besides all this they had three or four hundred thousand pounds in ready money in several Receipts, as at the Custom-house, Excise-Office, Guild-Hall, etc. the Trade of the Nation flourishing. And in this condition, and much better was the Commonwealth, when they were forced out of the Government in 1653. by their own Army Officers; and therefore well might our Brethren of the Army say in their Declaration of the 6th of May, when they invited them to return to the exercising of their Trusts, that the Lords special presence was with them, and that they were signally blessed in that work. But I desire you and all sober men through the Nation seriously to consider with what disadvantage they returned to the Government in May last 1659. and in what a distracted condition all things were left by those that had usurped the Government, that in six year's time had not only wasted all the Commonwealths Stores, consumed their Treasure, but a Debt of above three millions and three hundred thousand pounds upon the Nation contracted, as the Committee appointed to examing the public Debts made it appear; the Navy most part in the Sound and other parts, in vast Arrears; a dishonourable Peace with the Dutch concluded, a groundless War made with Spain, whereby the good people have not only suffered many millions by losses and decay of Trade, but 1500. of their Ships taken or spoiled, besides many thousand Gallant English men's lives lost in Hispaniola, Jemeico, and Flanders, etc. And such hath been the plots of the Jesuits in the Army (as it's feared) or the Ambitious Officers that when ever this Honourable Parliament were in a way of settling us, and the people began to see the benefit of a Commonwealth Government then were they perfidiously interrupted, which hath brought all these confusions upon us, and made both themselves and private Soldier odious at home, and the Nation a reproach and scorn to all Nations abroad: And had not the Parliament been so Traitorously interrupted in October last by those nine Ambitious Officers they would have put us into such a posture, that the Commonwealth would have seen in a short time the difference between their Councils and these overturners and Sat Mountebanks, who have usurped the Government, destroyed all Trade, and brought us into such con●●●●●… but; we hope the righteous God will spee● 〈◊〉 ●ake them see their wickedness, and cover 〈◊〉 Faces with shame, and they will be questioned for their Treasons and Murders and woeful desolations they have brought upon these poor Northern Countries. But it grieves us to think when this Parliament shall be restored to sit again, at Westminster (as we are very confident they will) what Additional discouragments they will meet with; for besides the three Millions and three hundred thousand pounds' debt contracted in the Protectors time, with the War with Spain continued, but the Army and Navy further in arrears which must be speedily discharged, and their Navy repaired, and a summer's Fleet provided, that what can be expected from them but vast Taxes to be speedily imposed and levied upon the people; the Lord in mercy give them wisdom and courage not to be daunted at these great discouragments, & the people seriously to consider the condition of the Commonwealth, and blame those only that have brought the Parliament into this necessity. Sir, We are here very unanimous, our Forces consist of six thousand good old Foot Soldiers, & three thousand Horse, and we increase daily besides all our Garrisons supplied, and all our Men hearty and well: So that we intent speedily to March with our Army, resolving no longer to be put off with delays, for we are confident whatever conditions we should make with these people they will be as perfidious to us; as they were to the Parliament from whom they received their Commissions. Before I conclude, this I know from good hands, That our neighbour Nations were never more Startled, nay Trembled, when they heard England had adheared to their former Councils, and that the Army had taken their Commissions from the present Parliament, and promised obedience to them. The Lord make up all our Breaches, compose all our Differences, and settle us in unity and love one towards another, and restore this present Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, that so our Laws and Liberties may be maintained, a Godly and Learned Ministry encouraged, our Trade recovered, that at last these Nations may be a habitation of Justice, and a Mountain of Holiness to the Lord is the Prayer of  
SIR, Your very Humble Servant, J. M. Barwick, the 10th of December, 1659.