A NARRATIVE OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF HIS excellency THE LORD general FAIRFAX, In the reducing of the Revolted Troops.  
Appointed By his Excellency, and his council of war, to be printed and published, and figned by their order.  
May 21. 1649.  
Ri. Hatter Secret.  
OXFORD, Printed by H. H. Ann Dom. 1649.   

A Narrative of the proceedings of his Excellency the Lord general FAIRFAX, in the reducing of the revolting Troops.  
SOme general account hath been given from Burford, of the great mercy of God vouchsafed this Nation in delivering into our hands, most part of the mutineers that lately revolted from their obedience; a more particular account shall now be given, of the designs intendments, and ways they were involved in, which did so greatly endanger the Destruction of this Nation, and of the sequel and present issue thereof; to the end that all persons, who indeed, and in truth, and not in word only, bear regard to the welfare of this Land, may themselves receive satisfaction, and have wherewith to convince others that may have been seduced or misled.  
The grounds and manner of the proceeding of these men that have so much pretended for the Liberty of the People, have been as followeth. There was a Paper styled The agreement of the People, framed by certain select persons, and debated at a general council of Officers of the Army, to be tendered to the Parliament, and to be by them commended over to the People of the Nation. It being hoped that such an expedient if assented unto, at least by the honest part of the People that had appeared for this common Cause to which God hath so witnessed, It would have tended much to settlement, and the composing of our differences, at least have fixed honest men to such grounds of certainty as might have kept them firm and entire in opposing the common enemy, and stand united to public Interest.  
The general counsel of the Army, and the other sorts of men, going then under the name of Levellers (who by their late actings have made good the same, which we then judged but an imputation) had (as now it appears) different ends and aims, both in the matter and manner of their proceedings; That which was intended by those men was to have somewhat tendered as a Test, and Coercion upon the People, and all sorts of men and authorities in the Land: That which these, to wit, the counsel of the Army aimed at, was to make an humble representation of such things as were then likely to give satisfaction, and unite, and might be remitted to men's judgements to be owned or disowned as men were satisfied in their Consciences, and as it should please God to let men see reason for their so doing, that so it might not be only called, an Agreement, but through the freedom of it, be one indeed, and receive its stamp of Approbation from the Parliament, to whom it was ●umbly submitted. Hereupon those other men took so much dissatisfaction, that they forthwith printed and spread abroad their Paper, which was different from that of the Army▪ using all possible means to make the same to pass, but with how little effect is very well known, and finding by the army's Application to the Parliament, that they were likely according to their duty to stand by and own them as the supreme Authority of the Nation, They have by all means assayed to vilipend and make odious that authority presenting them to the People (in Printed Libels and otherwise) as worse tyrants than any who were before them, (if they did not answer every unseasonable & unreasonable desire of theirs, or correct their insolence, & laboured likewise to divide and withdraw the Army from their obedience and to make it hated by the People as the prop of the Parliaments supposed Tyranny, decrying it also as acting tyrannically, if it did but maintain a just and necessary discipline, without which it is impossible to keep any order at all. For if four or five such unlimited and ungoverned spirits can by themselves and their Agents disturb the Peace of a Nation what would an Army do if brought into the same destructive model?  
What their carriage hath been towards the Parliament shall not here be mentioned, but only what they have practised toward the Army, To disaffect men of honesty and conscience in the Army. They have suggested that the Parliament is unfaithful to their Trust, unwilling to settle the Liberties of the Nation, misplace Officers of Power and Trust, and intend to perpetuate themselves, with many other such like clamours, the product only of a slanderous spirit; To such as have an eye to their arrears and pay, they insinuate that the Parliament will not consider their hard travel, & service, nor make a just provision for their satisfaction. And to all they have endeavoured what they can to render the service of Ireland either as unlawful (wherein they comply with Popish designs) or exceeding difficult and so discourage many, or else to be postponed to their fancies of liberty, as if the Liberties of this Nation could not or would not be settled without their inspection; and thus by applying themselves to men of several affections, interests and tempers they have deceived and seduced some honest men, and fed the discontents and sinful humours of many.  
The course they have taken to divide the soldiers from their officers (thereby ensnaring and precipitating them into unlawful and sinful engagements) hath been by exercising the same spirit of falsehood, to decry, not only the laws of war as tyrannical, but the administration thereof by the council of war much more so. Although it be an undeniable truth, that in the conduct of all the Armies that ever any history did mention, there never was so little severity exercised by martial counsels, or with more tenderness and regret in what hath been at any time through necessity executed upon offenders.  
When they h●d laid such a foundation of Lies and Falshood (wherein they have not been inferior, if not beyong those enemi●s we had list to deal with,) and had thereby occasioned so many of Commissary general ireton's, and Coll: Scroop's Regiments to revolt, and cast off their Officers (an Act not to be paralleled) and that their business began to grow to an head, they sent their Emissaries and Agents into all parts (as we have good intelligence) pretending from one Regiment to another, that each regiment had declared that so by that Artifice they might draw each to declare, and to the end they might not only confirm discontents in those Regiments they had drawn into that unwarrantable course but heighten a resolution in their minds to stand it out: they reported that the Regiments waiting on the general in this service were so dissatisfied that they would not stand by him, nor strike a stroke in this business, although the general hath a ground of as much confidence of their resolution to venture their lives against a disobedience of this nature, as ever they did against an enemy, of which they gave a sufficient testimony when they came to the trial, going on with as much cheerfulness and alacrity as they were wont to do upon any other engagement. But by this falsehood and wile they had drawn in many of them, and made use of it to keep them together: To the forces in Wales, and the West they gave assurances that the forces about London would revolt. To those about London, that those in Wales, and the West would do the same. And to the Forces in the North used they the like Arguments, and nourished also the distemper of the forces in the South. By these lies & boastings, labouring to heighten discontents in all places. The knowledge hereof we have also by a full attestation from the mouths of some conscientious persons who were deluded with these vile and forged pretences, and out of conscience discovered, and since do exceedingly lament and abominate the same.  
When the Lord general was come to Aulton in Hampshire, he had intelligence of the joining of part of the Commissary generals, and Colonel Scrop's Regiments, making ten Colours, and about 600 Horse, They having deserted all their Commission Officers (except two or three) marched away to Marlborow, with intention to make what speed they could to get a Conjunction with colonel Harrison's Regiment. The Lord general Marched to Andover, and thence sent Major White, Captain Scotten, Captain peverell, and Captain Bailey, with a Letter to the Revolters, exciting their present return to their obedience, with offer of pardon upon their so doing, or otherwise, to declare to them, he would endeavour to reduce them by force, and withal giving in charge to the Messengers, to require a present Resolution and conformity thereunto, and letting them also know, that he would send a Declaration immediately after them, which is since published in Print, and entitled A Declaration from his Excellency, with the advice of his council of war, concerning the present distempers of part of Commissary general ireton's, and of colonel Scroope's Regiments to undeceive the deluded party, and to leave those excuseless who refuse (upon pardon herein offered) to return to their former obedience.  
The general intended to abide at Andover until he could receive from his said Messengers an answer to his Message and commands sent by them, which he expected and required should be returned next morning. But Major White and the rest letting his Excellency know, that the said Troopers were marching towards Wantage in order to a conjunction with colonel Harrison's Men, His Excellency Marched the same day being Sunday the thirteenth of May to Theale about four miles from Reading, and appointed the Rendezvous of his Horse to be next morning at Inglefield a mile from thence, with purpose to March towards Abingdon, to prevent if possible the designed conjunction with colonel Harrison's men: And in the mean time, his Excellency having received a Letter from the Revolters, that they would be obedient to Orders from his Excellency, and come under his protection, His Excellency dispatched Coll. Scroop that night (being Saturday the 13) to them to make trial of their obedience, but they in the interim we marched from Wantage to Blagrave, where they expected to meet colonel Harrison's men, and abiding there for some time had the Accession of two Colours of Horse of that Regiment. So that they became 12 Colours in all, besides Collon: Eyres, with some other stragglers and Citizens. At this rendezvous Collon: Scroop found them, and here also Major White, and the rest did with faithfulness and honesty communicate the general's command offers of pardon and his Declaration, but they by the increase of number heightened in their spirits, continued in their contempt and disobedience, slighting Coll: Scroop, and his message, and preferring the reading of their own Declaration before the generals, the Leaders of them and their Agents being unwilling the same should be published to the rest of the soldiers, or the Lord general's Messenger should have full and free discourse with them: or that his excellency's Declaration should be communicated to any but the Agents.  
At this Place a principal person amongst them and of the greavest interest, had two Messages (as he hath since ingenuously, and conscientiously confessed) The one it's to be hoped was but a pretence and slander to wit from a Lord (whose name we forbear to mention) that they should take encouragement, for he should ere long be ready in the head of 2000 Horse to assist them: the other was by a Gentleman who seemed to be a person of quality who animated them to go on with this assurance from a person living in London, that they should not want money, either for Horses, arms or other necessaries to carry on their business.  
In this confidence they marched away to New-bridge,