TWO LETTERS, The One, Sent by the Lord Mayor, aldermans, and Common Council of LONDON, To his Excellency, The Lord Gen. Monck, By Their Swordbearer: Which Letter was sent in Answer to a Letter formerly published, and sent to the Common Council by his Excellency.  
Delivered to them by Col. Markham, and Col. Atkins.  
The other, His Excellencies Answer Thereunto.  
LONDON, Printed by John Macock, 1659.   


The Letter of the Lord Mayor, aldermans, and Common Council of the City of LONDON.  
Right Honourable,  
WE dare not enter upon the answer to the merits of your Excellency's Letter of the ●●th of November, which came to our hands the 23d of the same (which was the first and only that came to us) without Prefacing our hearty, and thankful admiring and acknowledging the transcendent Mercy of God, in putting into your Heart those Pious and Noble Resolutions, to appear at such an Exigent to be the glorious Instrument in his hand, both to Assert and Vindicate the greatest Interest, both Civil and Religious of these Nations. And next, That your singular Humility of Spirit, and Affection to this City, in Communicating to us so early, those your just Resolves, and inviting us to share in the Honour of Assisting to the obtaining of those great and glorious Ends, in which the ●●ppiness of these Nations in general, and of the City, as a Corporation, consists.  
In all which our Spirits were both enlightened and warmed by a spark from your zeal, and actuated by God to a present activity in our sphere and capacity in compliance with your Excellency's advice, as we trust the whole world that hath seen our Actings since the receipt of your Letter, can bear us witness, and that we hope may be our sufficient plea for pardon for our not returning a more timely answer to your Excellencies said Letter. But we desire your Excellency to believe, that was principally retarded by suspicion cast on the Authentiqueness of it, by those who had the confidence on that score to imprison the Deliverers, and by the Interposition of the Forces here, and led out against your Excellency, who lay in the passage to You.  
But now (may it please Your Excellency) seeing it hath pleased God in some measure to remove those Obstructions, We presume by this to Assert in Writing, what We hope all Our Actings, since the Receipt of Your Excellency's Advice, have evidenced.  
That We have cordially concurred with Your Excellency, in disowning the Author of that Force who interrupted the Parliament, and ravished the Birthright of these Nations, by daring to null and make void Acts of Parliament; and We think, have contributed somewhat by God's blessing on Our Counsels, and Actings, to the preventing of the sad consequences of that exorbitant presumption. How fully and entirely We comply with Your Excellency, in asserting the Authority and Freedom of Parliaments, and the just Rights and Liberties of the People, a National Ministry, for the enlightening of the Ignorant, and suppressing of Atheism, We humbly Refer Your Excellency to Our enclosed Declaration, and do seriously assure Your Excellency, That We shall (by God's assistance) persist faithfully and vigorously in this Good Cause: And praying God to preserve Your Excellency, and those Noble Commanders with You, in these Your Just, Honourable, and Christ●● Undertake, shall Remain,  
Guildhall, London, Decemb. 29. 1659. Your Excellencies Most Affectionate and Faithful Friends and Servants, The Mayor, aldermans, and Commons of the City of London, in Common-Council Assembled. In Their Names, and by Their Order, Sadler.  
This Letter is Conveyed by the Sword-bearer of London, by the special Directions of the Lord Mayor, aldermans, and Court of Common-Council.   

The Letter of his Excellency, the Lord General MONCK, in Answer to the former Letter.  
My Lord,  
I Received a Letter from your Lordship, and the rest of the Common-Council, of the 29th of December, and do humbly thank you for that great esteem which you are pleased to put upon our poor Endeavours of the Parliaments Army under my Command, far transcending our Merits and Services. As to those Ends which we then declared f●r, I bless the Lord I acted Conscience, and I hope we were found in the way of duty, and are resolved by the grace of God to adhere to them, having found such wonderful blessings following us in these our just and honest Undertake.  
As your prudent Counsels and courageous Actings ●ere the great means under God of restoring this Parliament to its just and lawful Authority, so of the safety and welfare of the Nations, for which I do for myself and the rest of the Officers here, return my very hearty thanks, and we shall have ever cause to bless the Lord for this great mercy, in putting into your hearts such righteous and honourable Resolutions, to appear at such a time when our Liberties and Properties, and all that is dear unto us, even the Ordinances of our blessed Saviour, were in such hazard.  
Indeed, it was much in our hopes, that such a glorious City, that had redeemed themselves from slivery at the price of so much blood and treasure, and had been the great Instruments in the hand of God for the carrying on the work of Reformation, and bringing three Nations our of the Captivity of Tyranny and Arbitrary Government, could not ever consent to such illegal and unjust proceed. As we do acknowledge your great activity in promoting those great ends which we lately represented to you, so we do hearty thank you for the honour and encouragement which you have been pleased in this your Letter to give to the Parliaments Army here; for ourselves, we having nothing to seek (we bless the Lord) in all this Affair, but to endeavour the safety and settlement of these Nations in general, and of the famous City in particular.  
We received your enclosed Declaration, and do cheerfully join with you therein. And I do promise you for the Army under my Command, that they are resolved (by the assistance of God) to stand by and maintain this present Parliament, as it sat on October 11. from whom we received our Commissions; and do hope, that you that have been so eminently Instrumental in their restoring, will hearty concur with us therein; and shall to the utmost of our power defend the freedom of successive Parliaments, and the sureties Spiritual and Civil of the People in these Nations, and shall encourage in our Stations, the Godly and Learned Ministers, and shall continue faithful in this Good Cause, that the Nations may be established in a free Commonwealth, and the Army kept in due obedience to the Civil Authority.  
And as we have experienced the great affection of your City in such a day of Darkness and great Trial, so we shall ever study to the utmost, to express our services for you, and shall not think our lives too precious to hazard for your welfare. I think to wait upon you shortly, and shall reserve those further acknowledgements to that opportunity, and remain,  
Newcastle Jan. 6. 1659. Your Lordships very humble Servant. George Monck.