LETTERS FROM SAFFRON-WALDEN THE General's Head Quarters, By way of Apology and Vindication of the Army under his Excellency Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX, of some late groundless aspersions cast upon them.  
Together with a true Account of the proceed and Resolutions of that Army upon the late Resolves and Declaration of the Parliament concerning the Petition of the Officers and Soldiers in the Army, to his Excellency Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX.  
Also the Copy of a second Petition from the County of ESSEX, intended to both the Houses of PARLIAMENT.  
LONDON, Printed Anno Dom. 1647.   

Letters from Saffron Walden, the GENERAL'S Headquarters.  
SIR,  
I Suppose you are not ignorant of the late command sent unto the General to publish a Declaration at the Head of his several Regiments, requiring them to desist from going on in that Petition they were about to present unto him: I thought fit by this to acquaint you, That in obedience to the Commands of the Parliament. His Excellency hath caused the same to be published, and the Soldiers acquiesce therein (such is their obedience and respect unto the General,) though at the reading it, some of the Soldiers gave out, it was an hard case with them, that they that had fought for the liberty of the Subjects of England, should be denied the liberty of a Subject to petition, though it be to their General in an humble way, and merely in things relating to them as soldiers, (meddling neither with Church Government, nor state affairs,) and withal submitting it to the General's judgement for approbation, or correction, as he saw cause, and though, they said, they did desist in this Petition, yet since it was published to the World, that their proceed tended to such a nature as to deserve to be declared enemies, if they persisted therein, they purpose to publish to the world a vindication of their innocency from those groundless Opinions had of them, and hope to have justice done upon the missinformers, this they say, they intent to do in an humble and a submissive way, and though their mouths be stopped from a liberty of Petitioning, yet their honour is so dear unto them, that they say, they are resolved of a vindication, so as it shall be neither offensive to the Parliament, nor the General. To regulate Offences, and allay heats in Armies, sometimes prudence is more prevailing, than things tending to provocation, & it had been W●sedome in the County of Essex in the first violent Petition, to have forborn to have published the same in Print, wherein they possess the World, That this Army came to enslave the Country, and to awe the Parliament. I send you here enclosed a Copy of a second Petition of that County, contrived and printed privately in London, and sent down hither in print (no man knows from whom) to the several Hundreds, and parishes to be read the next Lord's day in all Churches, as you will see by the direction: The Soldiers will not hinder others Petitioning against them even in their own presence, and yet, they say, they must be denied to petition for themselves, be their cause never so just, who can blame the County of Essex, or any county in this Kingdom else to desire a present disbanding since the work is done, it is as much irksome to us, when there's no need of Soldiers to Quarter upon the Country, as it can be to the Country to quarter us; yet no petition that hath been put out in print lately against this Army for the disbanding of it hath ever yet expressed so much affection, love, or requital unto the Army, for what they have done for them as to mediate or desire. That as they would have them disbanded, so that care may be taken, the poor soldier that hath been so faithful and expeditious in their service might be considered for their arrears at the disbanding ●nd what (says the soldier) makes the army liable to these reproaches, unless it be for finishing their work so soon, and have they fought to maintain the Petition of Right, and be denied a Right of petitioning themselves: Sir Having given you this brief account: I remain.  
Walden. April 3. 1647. Your affectionate friend. T W.   

To the Right Honourable the Knights, Citizens and Burgesses assembled in Parliament, The Humble Petition of the Inhabitants of the County of ESSEX.  
Humbly Sheweth,  
THat in all Exigences having freely and with the first engaged themselves, to the utmost hazard of their lives, & exhausted their estates for the support of the Kingdom in its native Rights and liberties, and by God's blessing the successes have been answerable in some degree to their desires, by which we sit in peace, and yourselves in security, with a full possession of the hearts of the people, and now fearing least by the miscarrying on the Military charges beyond the necessity of the work, and the ability of the people now much weakened, by a dearth sharper than the late devouring sword, you should hazard the loss of yourselves and friends, not so much from the alienation of their affections [which yet is not to be neglected, as their disabilities to serve you, which may arise from the Army now on foot, after six months' C●ssation of all hostility here, and so bleedingly called for, to the saving of an other Kingdom, as also from so numerous a party in this County: shortly by their quarters, like to equal all precedent charges, and to surmonnt the worst, and heaviest of our former taxes, especially by the manner of their being Imposed upon us.  
Your Petitioners do humbly offer to your Prudence the speedy disbanding of the Army: as a plenary Expedient against the worst, That in General may be feared by you and us: And the Removal of it from the Conntie by which you shall continue absolute Masters and disposers of them and theirs, in all your pious and faithful undertake for the future, and that God will assist you for all your safeties, is and shall be the daily prayers of your Petitioners.  
The minister is desired to publish this Petition April 4th. and to have two sheets of paper to take the names of those that will freely join in it, the one to be presented to the House of Lords, and the other unto the House of Commons.  
This Petition was sent from London to joseph Hall High Constable in little Bardfield, and they are to be published in every Parish Church in this County of Essex, and in every parish to gather hands to it with this further direction Written in the printed paper wherein they are desired (as many as can conveniently) to meet at Shealford Langthrine the 8th of April to go to London with the same.   

SIR,  
WHilst our enemies appeared only as men out of place and authority, and we looked upon them as the common enemies of the Kingdom, we conceived there might be something done to vindicate our actions upon the public stage; but now the disease is grown so Epidemical, that all our endeavous are like to prove invalid. And indeed those who are now prejudiced against us, are our superiors; nay further, those whom we looked upon as our best friends: (and the wounds of friends are grievous;) who would have thought that so modest and moderate an address as the late petition drawn up to be subscribed by the Army, to be presented to the General, would have raised so much dust? Or, have the Soldiers only, who have been instruments to recover the lost liberties of the Nation, fought themselves into slavery? sure there is a right of petitioning for us, as well as there was a Petition of Right once for the Parliament: if we had been so rash as at first adventure to have knocked with a Petition at the Parliaments doors, it might have been censured as too saucy and malapert: For Soldiers to represent their grievances to their General, is a liberty which the Law of nature and Nations will not deny; for this was to go no further, but left to his Excellency to retract, or represent, as he thought either fit or seasonable.  
The first Vote of the House of Commons for the stopping of the Petition seemed strange to us, and we could not but have a very deep sense of our unhappiness in being misunderstood in our clear intentions, which are no other than by way of petition to represent the inconveniences which must necessarily befall the Army after disbanding, which the Parliament through multiplicity of business might not so well provide against; besides, some have already suffered for want of a general act of indemnity, and many Officers (as I believe is obvious to your eyes) have been starved for want of subsistence, whilst they sought to obtain their arrears. But how great a cause of amazement and astonishment was it to us to see a second Declaration of both Houses, of the second of March, wherein that Petition is declared to tend to a parting the Army into a distemper and mutiny, to put conditions upon the Parliament, and obstruct the relief of Ireland; That they should pronounce their high dislike thereof, and that they would proceed against the promoters as enemies to the state, and disturbers of the public peace. But that which yet heightens the amazement, is, that such a Declaration should be grounded upon Letters and informations of so slight credit, which if I might be so bold, I might term both frivolous and fictions. One of the Letters directed to Col. Harley says that at a Rendezvouz of the said Colonel's Regiment the Petition was read and signed by 1100 hands, and such as refused it were threatened to be cashiered. The Muster-master will tell you there was not a thousand mustered the last muster: and yet 1100 set their hands, and the rest ●00000 were cashiered: But this is not all the discovery. The other Regiments were coming up; And says one, except the Parliament take high resolutions, they will enslave the Kingdom. To answer this, there were none came from the Notth, but Sir Hardres waller's, and that was sent for at Major General Skippons request, who complained, that the Country there was not able to bear it: And Colonel herbert's, and Colonel hamond's Regiments being about Chester ready for transpotation for Ireland, but (their good will not accepted) coming bacl towards the rest of the Army: But another member acquaints the House, that those who would not subscribe the Petition were to be left out of the Musterroll. And another says that he heard Lieutenant General H. and other Officers were to reside at the Head-quarter to receive subscriptions: yet not one of them received a paper or subscription, nor any brought in at that time. But this was not all; there was another Letter from an Officer of Colonel rossiter's (who would do nothing without his Colonel's consent) and he takes exceptions at nothing but at the desiring the Royal assent: This Colonel Fines very excellently vindicated the same day in the house, declaring, that there was nothing desired more than what the Parliament themselves demanded in the Propositions; (but Colonel Rossiter had thanks and his Regiment voted their Arrears.)  
Sir, give me leave a little to clear up the intentions of the Army: for that charge of mutiny, I can assure you there was no such thing, the Petition being generally approved of, and whole Regiments unanimously subscribed it, except here and there some indifferent Commanders seemed to oppose it; the truth is, it is the Masterpiece of our Enemies to suppress it in such high Language, if it were possible to bring the Army to a mutiny, and so put an odium upon them at the last, which they could not hitherto fasten. For putting conditions upon the Parliament, I dare speak the hearts of the Petitioners (the Commanders I'm sure) it never entered into their thoughts: and I may say the like for the obstructing of Ireland, and add further, That the Parliament will find those men who were most forward in this Petition, more ready to go for Ireland then any of the septemdecem viri, who only to curry favour, and ingratiate themselves have tendered their service (in a declaration which I suppose you have seen) leaving the conditions, conduct, indemnity, and arrears at pleasure, which indeed they may, for most of them will never come there; nay Captain Burges, Cap. Pennyfather and some others of them do deny that ever they subscribed the same, and declare against it, and I believe few of them will have any of their soldiers to comply with them; for one of them, Colonel— I persuade myself he will scarce appear in the head of his Regiment; I'm sure he'll find little acceptance there upon his proposition for Ireland: But he, Colonel F. Colonel S. and the rest, are right men, and fit to be employed in that service.  
Sir, I could relate to you many of their juggle and conspiring, but time will discover all things; Ex ungue leonem. This may suffice to acquaint you how much the disgrace, if not the destruction of the Army, is now resolved on; nothing must please that comes from it be it never so legal, just and innocent: All aggravating Petitions must be received against it, though they come with never so inconsiderable a testimony, as Essex late Petition; and what think, you of an other drawn up in London and sent down printed into Essex; where respecting the Army, you have such expressions as these: The people now much weakened by a dearth sharper than the late devouring sword, also that there is so numerous a party in that County shortly by their quarters like to equal all precedent charges, and to surmount the worst and heaviest of their former taxes; which is so unreasonable and inhuman a slander, that Hell itself could not have invented a more lying invective against the Army; yet this as before was sent ●rom London to divers in Essex, and particularly to one Joseph Hall high Constable in little Barfield, and the like was sent to the Minister of Saffron Walden, to be published in every parish Church in the County of Essex, and every Parish to get hands to it; further directions are also written in the printed paper wherein they are desired (as many as can conveniently) to meet at Shealford-Laughirne the eight of April to go to London with the same, yet the Army are so innocent as not to hinder it. And now you have the issue of all; and truly I hope the godly party in the Army (and the greatest part of them too) will willingly and readily submit to the disposal of the Parliament, and in that the dispensations of God towards them, and as they have served the Kingdom, in doing so, they will now be subservient to divine providence in suffering, for that's the condition we must now look for: And oh, that we could stand still and see the salvation of God; for my own part I am so fare from pleading any ways for an Anarchy, that I think the Parliament to be a Magistracy ordained of God to whom we are to submit in civil things by doing or suffering; Let things move in a violent and popular way and all will come to confusion. Sir I have been the larger in this to satisfy both you and others, and truly I am so zealous for the vindication of the Army that I could do no less; if all should be silent, the stones would cry out.  
I had sent you the Petition of the Army, (that you and the world may judge of it, it being represented so dangerous) but finding just now it is made public, I have only sent you the Petition drawn up at London, to be obtruded upon the County of Essex; leaving that also to the censure of all rational men with this Quere: Whether is most destructive, a Petition drawn up and subscribed by unanimous consent, or a Petition contrived to be imposed upon men against their desires and resolutions? for so is that sent into Essex; for so fare as I have inquired into the dispositions of the County, and have been up and down as fare as Colchester, I find few of them complaining, if any at all, and a good part of the County is exempted from quarter by the Armies keeping their distance twenty five miles from London: yet, if a man will beat a dog he may son find a staff; I shall add no more; let this suffice at present, from  
Walden, April. 3. 1647. Your real Friend, R. S.  
FINIS.