Two Letters from Major General OVERTON, (directed to a Friend) The one from Aberdeen, dated the 26. Decemb. 1654. The other from the Tower of London (●●e place of his Confinement) dated Janu. 17. 1654.  
Tending to his Vindication from many unjust aspersions cast upon him by the Pamphleteers, and others; And for more general and requisite Information.  
Dear Sir,  
I Bless the Lord, I do remember you and yours, (by whom I am much remembered) so far as I am able in every thing; I know right well you and others do it much more for me, and pray dear Sir, do it still: Heave me up upon the Wings of your Prayers, to him who is a God hearing prayers, and granting requests, entreat him to enable me to stand to his truth, which I shall not do, if he deject or forsake me, which I know would not a little trouble you and my many other Christian Friends: Yet when I remember the many past experiences, I have had of the Almighty's mercies, and constant kindnesses towards me, I have hopes he will not now leave and forsake me, in my most needful time of trouble: The Devil like a Swallow may show himself a Summer friend, but God is for Winter storms of trial, and then he most assuredly makes our utmost extremities, his happiest and most helpful opportunities. I have in the late Wars resisted the common-enemy of my Country (through the Almighty's mercy) to blood, and frequent hazards of life; and since (blessed be his name) he hath carried me through reproaches, good and bad reports, loss of places, preferments, and rewards: But now perhaps the Lord will a little more show his strength in my weakness, and try me with the temptaion of skin for skin: If he do, I shall declare before hand, I shall fall, if he support me not by the right hand of his power; yet if he enable me truly to say, Master save me, I am sure, I shall not perish; He will I trust, give patience and perseverance: I do endeavour to eye his glory, hoping that he will both quicken and quiet my spirit, and when men have spoiled me of all my Martial places and profits, God can a thousand times repair the loss, or those losses, with the peace which passeth all understanding: Or, if I be called to seal the cause of God and my Country with my blood, by suffering death, or by bearing my testimony to the interest of my Nation, and the despised truths of these times; he is able to support and save me, as the Sun to shine upon me; yet all is to apply and believe, to have recourse to experiences; but above all to a reconciled God in Christ will do it: Oh that I could wrestle with him in Prayer! as some Jacobs do at this day; and yet a Father hears his Infant's voice, as tenderly, as those of stronger attainments: The Lord enable us, that though we be led into Temptaion, we may be delivered from all evil. I suppose by this, you hear Sir William Constables Regiment is marching for Hull, as also that I am sent for to London; Colonel Morgan coming down to Command the Northern Forces; I wait for Orders to march hence, and hear they are coming to me, God willing they shall be readily obeyed; if I can but keep faith and a good Conscience: I shall assuredly finish my course with joy: In the interim, I trust I shall not need to fear what man can justly do unto me, for any thing I have done since my coming into Scotland; Therefore my friend in that respect let not your heart be troubled; but by your prayers, commend me to his care and custody, who like a tender Father leads his by the hand (as he did Israel) through all dark places, strengthening us in all our weaknesses: In the interim, expect no more from us, than I receive from my Father, to whose care and eternal conservation, I commend you, and remain,  
Aberdeen, Decemb. 26. 1654. Yours whilst I am Robert Overton.   

Dear Sir,  
BY the Lord Protector's Order, I was yesterday confined a Prisoner in the Tower of London, where (as also before I came thither) having received information of those false reports and misprisions I am under, I thought good for your own and my Christian friends satisfaction with you, to give my answer to those objections divulged against me, which you may take as followeth.  
Object. 1. That before my going into Scotland, I engaged to the Lord Protector, that I would be true unto my trust, and told him that I would let him know when I could serve him no longer; but now it is reported, that I have forfeited my trust, by going about to divide the Army, and resolving to march in the head of a party for England, and there, as in Scotland to abet the Cavaliers design: To which I Answer.  
1. Reply That I am still true unto my trust, and have kept my resolutions to let his Lordship know, when I could serve him no longer; (adding that when I perceived his Lordship did only design the setting up of himself, and not the good of those Nations, I could not set one foot before another to serve him; to which he replied, Thou wert a Knave if thou wouldst?) nor did I ever go about to divide the Army, promise to head any party, or intent to join with the Cavaliers (Scotch or English) but on the contrary, having heard that upon the address made by the Officers at Jamses, some honest Officers at Aberdeen had debates of that nature; I sent to them first to forbear their debates; and after understanding that they were under some pressure of spirit in that particular, and purpose to meet at Edenbrough about the discharge of their Duties and Consciences in that kind, I sent for them, and told them, That if they intended any thing in an unwarrantable way, I could not conceal it: Whereupon they promised me to do all things in God's way, and that they would acquaint the General therewith, and do nothing therein without his consent.  
Object. 2. The News-mongers and others, I perceive, report me to be a Leveller, and a discontented person, for that other Officers were preferred before me, who were my juniors; and that I was absent from my charge in Scotland two years together: To all which I thus Answer.  
Reply 2. First, That if a Leveller be one, who bears affection to Anarchy, destroying propriety or Government, than I am none; but if upon the account of New-market and other Engagements for the settling of a well-grounded Government, redress of grievances, Civil, Ecclesiastical or Military, or inflicting condign punishment upon capital offenders, etc. If this be Levelling, I was and am a Leveller: 2. I acknowledge it was some dissatisfaction to me, to have four of my Junior Colonels preferred over my head; yet neither that, nor any other neglect did ever discourage or hinder me from doing my duty diligently, faithfully, and for the most part (I bless God for it) effectually for these thirteen years. 3. As concerning my absence from my Command in Scotland, I confess after I had discontinued from England, near upon the matter of two years, my Father dying in the interim, and my Estate left in a disordered and unsettled condition, (divers debts, as I believe, yet undischarged, and to my detriment I doubt, become desperate through default of timely looking too) I did desire General Dean's Pass for England, which I had without limitation of time to return in; and finding my occasions in my own Country to be very commanding (knowing in how peaceable a posture all things were at my coming from Scotland, and so continued for three quarters of a year after: I presumed to stay in my Government at Hull, until I understood that there were some stirs in Scotland; whereupon I immediately writ to his Excellency, the Lord General, to know whether or no he expected any further service from me in that Nation; but receiving no Answer of my Letter, and immediately after the little Parliament being Dissolved, (in order to my own satisfaction as to the one and the other) I came up to London, and gave his Lordship an account both of the Reasons and warrant for my stay in England, wherewith his Lordship seemed then satisfied; and as to the continuance of my two Commands, it was neither by me desired nor endeavoured; I having formerly by my friend Colonel Salmon made a tender to resign my Regiment in Scotland, and (all things being in a peaceable posture there) I was willing to have retired myself to my Government at Hull, that thereby I might have enjoyed the comforts of my Relations and Country; but this not being accepted, I now see there was a providence in order to my present reproach, which I trust in his own good time the Lord our God will roll away; for if truth itself be not overborn, or outfaced, I shall in the upshot neither appear hypocritical, unfaithful, or perfidious, as hath been reported: And if this cannot stop the mouth of the malevolent, I trust it may in some measure satisfy the godly-wise, who if they be my friends, I shall be the better enabled to bear the brow-beating of others report or reproaches causelessly cast upon me.  
Object. 3. But say some, you made a company of scandalous Verses upon the Lord Protector; whereby his Highness and divers others were offended and displeased for your so doing.  
Reply 3. I must acknowledge I copied a paper of Verses, called, The Character of a Protector, but I did neither compose, nor (to the best of my remembrance) show them to any after I had writ them forth: They were taken out of my Letter-case at Leith, where they had lain a long time by me neglected and forgotten: I had them from a friend who wished my Lord well, and who told me that his Lordship had seen them, and I believe laughed at them as (to my knowledge) heretofore he hath done, at Papers and Pamphlets of more personal and particular import or abuse.  
Object. 4. Another thing objected against me, as I am informed, is letters of dangerous consequence intercepted as they were coming to me.  
Reply 4. In regard I received them not, I cannot judge of their danger or significance: Indeed I did hear that letters of dissatisfactory import were directed to divers in Scotland, with printed papers and Petitions in them, sent to Leith and other places, but those to whom they were directed, know not whence they came, having neither subscription, nor dates; and it is possible some dissatisfied persons in England, might direct Letters to me as to other men upon the same account and score: nay is it not probable that some informers (not my Friends) to render their service more suitable to their salaries, might report or suggest from their own or others opinions, some high expectation had of me in the matters forementioned, viz. The dividing and marching a part of the Army into England: which no man living shall be justly able to make good against me; it being (as I well know) a thing dangerous and unfeasable, and most unlikely to one in any thing but division and destruction, (two inseparable adjuncts saith Caesar Borgje) therefore as far from my purpose as in itself impracticable, as the constitution of the Army stood.  
Object. 5. But say some, you and other Officers refused to come to the head Quarters when General Monk commanded you, which was a convincing argument of your guilt and disobedience, and the occasion given him to send a guard for you.  
Reply 5. To this I answer, we should herein have been much too blame, had the reports of the worldly writers been true, the contrary whereof will be witnessed as followeth; for first, some of the Officers were imprisoned at Dundee, as they were voluntarily marching towards the head Quarters, and I know none of the rest who did delay to come after they were commanded: for myself, the very day before Mr. Oates his going towards Edinburgh, I remember I received from Mr. Clark (general Monk's Secretary) a Letter, in the latter end whereof, he thus hints; I cannot give you any account of the grounds of the Generals sending for you to the Head Quarters, but herewith receiving no Letter from the General. I conclude a miscarriage of his Letter, or a mistake in Mr. Clarks relation, however (as will be witnessed) I was so far from refusing to obey the General's command, that I was resolved to set forwards for Dalkieth the next morning, had I not been dissuaded by some of my fellow-officers, whereupon I immediately dispatched a Letter to General Monk (to be conveyed from Garrison to Garrison day and night, until it came to his hands) intimating my real readiness, to observe his commands by Letter or messenger; two days after I had written to him, two of his Letters came together to my hands, intimating his desire to have me come to the head Quarters with what convenience I could, and at the very same time I received Letters from Gen. Middleton and the Earl of Seaforth, desiring a capitulation in order to their own with their parties coming in, and laying down their Arms, upon which account I was persuaded to stay a day longer to draw up and debate Proposals, but that Evening a Letter coming from the General upon the forementioned account, I declined all further debate with Pluscardin the Earls uncle, advising him and General Middleton's Trumpet, to proceed in pursuance of their business at the head Qarrers, whether I was going with all possible speed: how therefore I should be accused of neglect or disobedience to the general commands, I cannot imagine, but shall leave it to the Judicious to determine, not doubting but wherein men have mistaken, the searcher of the heart, and the tryer of the reins will in due time rectify their aberrations: in the interim I shall conclude with what a prisoner (and my predecessor in this place) from the Apostle Peter observes of promises, and from the Apostle Paul of afflictions, but he chastened us for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness: so for promises, 2 Pet. 1.4. there are given to us exceeding great and precious promises, that by them we should be partakers of the divine nature: why therefore (saith he) may we not say, there are given unto us exceeding great & precious afflictions, that by them we might be partakers of the divine nature, that is, of his holiness, for to you it is given, not only to believe, but to suffer, Phil. 1.29. Thus God sweetens the very nature of afflictions, and moulds us thereby into his own image; for as Christ became a perfect mediator by his passion, so by sufferings, our Lord can consecrate us to himself; I fill up saith Paul that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, so that we see Christ is not full till his Members (more or less) have had their measure of sufferings; if in patience we possess our spirits we shall inherit the promises; our chastening touching patience and perseverance unto the end, will turn our crowns of thorns into crowns of glory, & bring us forth of the furnace of affliction, as his monuments of free grace, who saith, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me, etc. Thus Sir, having given you a true account of the nature of those accusations, which I understand are suggested against me, for which I trust I shall not be condemned before I be convicted: commending you to the protection of the father of spirits, and God of all grace, desiring your prayers, that I may improve this prison-dispensation in the exercise of patience to his glory, and the increase of my own comforts, I bid you Farewell.  
From my imprisoment in the Tower of London Jan. 17. 1654. Yours in him, by whom we are what we are, Robert Overton.   

Postscript.  
HAving received these Letters from Major General Overton, and understanding the continuance of those calumnies and false reports against him, I thought good for vindication of his Integrity to put them to public view.  
J. H.   

LONDON, Printed for Livewell Chapman, at the Crown in Popes-head alley, 1655.