A LETTER Sent from NEWPORT to a Gentleman in LONDON accidentally intercepted. Wherein is generally discoursed, what probably will be the success of this present TREATY.  
Printed in the year 1648.   

SIR,  
WE are now assured of a Treaty, though not in the way, we could have wished; his Majesty however shall be able to do his work by it; had it proceeded as it was first contrived, we had done our work to purpose; the Design was excellent, making use of almost all interests; yet in the close, it satisfied ours only; but 'tis easier to contrive then to act, especially in things of this nature, where wise men must Design, and fools Execute: In those great Tragedies, where all the Players cannot conceive their parts, and have leave only to guess the Plot, 'tis hard to make them take their Hints aright, and conceal all motions so as that they may in their due time dissolve at once: there was never any business better designed, nor moreunhappily carried on, that a man would think( were it possible) that Heaven favoured Rebels and Sectaries, against Majesty and Loyalty.  
The first Error was, to employ such unfit instruments, that Buffoon taking upon him to head the Kings Army in Kent, took off, and dulled the edge of many a gallant Cavalier, who scorned to be Commanded by such a Coxcomb: And for the next, whose folly quiter spoiled our Design, and lost brave Gentlemen, the worst of whom, was much more worth then himself, had he come back to his friends in London that night that he rendezvouzd at the Hare-Warren, he had surprised the Parliament men, given opportunity to all the Kings friends in the City to appear, and had been a number too great for the then state of the Parliament to deal with, and might thus have made use of one piece of the Design after it was disjointed, to have attained the ends of the whole; but he must needs go to seek out an Enemy ere he was any thing considerable, as if he had desired to be beaten, and had brought Gentlemen together to be undone; and he sped as might be expected.  
For the other Gentleman, he prospered as he useth to do, and which any man might have foretold without going to a Witch; he is none of Mars his sons, fighting is not his Trade, his Genius inclines another way, for a cheat or a perjury( if he meet with credulous gulls) he hath no peer; he is not much pitied for his loss, his Majesties Cause would have gained little by his victory, considering that now he must get it alone & exceed the part appointed in the Design, it being never intended by us, that he should contribute farther than that Nation hath hitherto done, in a Negative Assistance and Lying Reputation; or that he should come so to signalise his merit, as to open a wide Gate to court preferment for himself, and the rest of that beggarly people, spoiling us the rewards of our services and sufferings by monopolising all places of Honour and Profit, it being impossible to defend any against the approaches of their impudence; itis well he is beaten, and if our reserves carry it,( as we much doubt not, having divers of them to relieve each other) we shall have a great advantage thereby against those ragged Rascals, with whom we are resolved to reckon for by-gones of ten year old.  
But that which indeed gave the fundamental blow, was the ill manage of them that were appointed to ride the Assizes which being now your part, you must take heed of those Rocks, upon which 178 and 329 wrecked their Negotiation: For your better instructions, you shall have the Epitome of the former Plot, and some hints of our present intentions, and how far we shall make use of the remaining fragments of our last w●…, wherein I shall not need 〈…〉 curious, in the Circumstances, because you were often present at the Debates, and the cause of your then employment, hath given you sufficient knowledge of it.  
You know that it was i●tended by all means to get his Majesty to London for a personal Treaty, that the City had prepared several Counties to Petition for it, that nothing should be put into the Petitions, but barely his coming to London, expedition and convenience were only to have been urged for effecting of it, subscriptions and appearances should have been full, nothing but respect to be manifested to the Parliament, nothing but civility in them that brought the Petitions, nothing of force should have appeared till the King had come, the Citizens should have undertaken the guard of the King and Parliament that none of the Army might have any pretence to be near the City, and they that were in it, were to be removed.  
A whole week should have been spent in compliment and Formalities, and large general promises to have wrocked all asleep, mean time the Kings friends from all places should have come to Town where( you know) course was taken to arm them; the greatest part of the Army was so dispersed over the Kingdom, as that it seemed no easy thing to bring them to a rendezvous. At the beginning of the Treaty, the King should have made difficulty of granting any thing that might have stood in his way afterwards, but as yet denied nothing, leaving place for a credulous hope; and some of his party should have persuaded those that were best affencted to the King of the Commissioners, for the Treaty; that the King would grant all at length, whereby the delay would have been unsuspected, and the good hour waited for. Mean time he should offer those plausible things that were then drawn, which signify nothing, only prefac'd with tender expressions of his sense of present sufferings, and conclude with general promises, by this time the Town had been full of the Kings friends, the Scots ready upon the borders, and now all the Counties should have brought in their Petitions, then the City should have begun to tumultuate, the ships( which you know were prepared before) should in this neck of time have declared, some threats should have been given out amongst the Reformadoes, against the Grandees, and the rabble of the Petitioners taught to rail upon them, this would have caused the stoutest of them either to withdraw, or hold their peace; what the King would have pleased to offer, had been passed by his friends in both Houses, put into bills, and past; the King thus without any difficulty reinthroned, the Parliament at his will, he would need no better instruments to do his work, and the City at his dispose the Kings-Bench Court had been filled, one of the Justices is as fit for his Majesties service as any that can be put in; and now the letter of the law being for the King, and his Declarations and Proclamations remaining in force, a Commission of Oyer and Terminer would soon have delivered his Majesty from the fear of his most active and dangerous Rebels, whose estates, with the plunder of the City, would have made us ample satisfaction for our losses, and given sufficient reward for our services; all this would have been too quick for the Army; as then quartered, to prevent.  
This you know was the Design, but the violence of 178 especially, whose part it was to act with 329. to put on the City to Petition for a Personal Treaty, inflamed it to a tumult, especially by the means of those furious prating Asses, &c. and 137. and others of the reverend Common council, who brought the people into a tumult too soon, by which they did these irreparable mischiefs: First, They caused the Countreys to grow warm too early, and in confidence of assistance from the City to discover themselves, thinking to execute that Design by force, which should have wrought out itself at ease by a little more practise, and as the Emissaries in several Counties, had more or less prepared them, or better or worse instructed them, so they run out into insurrection severally, going generally from the Genius of the Design, and yet with corresponding by a Conjunction of councils, and Forces, to carry it on their own way; by this they gave occasion for so much of the Army to meet together, as have served the turn to ruin them all in parcels whereby the hopefullest Design that ever was contrived for his Majesty since the beginning of this Rebellion, is destroyed.  
And indeed by the way I shall tell you, his Majesties Affairs cannot thrive so long as this Army, or any part of it stands; the truth is, that they are such men as are equal match to double their number; but though we cannot beat them, yet we may easily out-wit them( for that's not their Trade) if our Emissaries act handsomely, for their resolution makes them open, and they see nothing till they come to fight with it; but of this I will tell you more, and what part you are to play in it, but this is too long a Digression.  
The other mischief that came to the Design, by the too early tumultuating of the scum of the City( which would have done well at the time appointed) that it put the Parl. upon thoughts of their safety, and made them consider under what guards they should sit here: whereas had they pursued their Petition for a Personal Treaty in London, upon the reasons above-said, and continued this gravely, and shewed that they had a power over the multitude by supressing tumults, and persuading the people, the Parliament had never asked them how they should be assured of safety under their guards; not they stand like so many mute Block-heads, not able to give a satisfying answer, indeed( as they had ordered the business) it was a question not to be answered by them; and thus they put the Treaty from London, which if they had not done, by this, the King had been glorious again, able to reward his friends, punish, his Rebels after the example of the King of spain in Naples, who hath wisely instructed all Princes in the true way, of quieting Rebellions for the present, and of preventing them for the time to come; the Neapolitans willing to be quiet, and being weary of the war they had but lately begun, treated about peace, the King denies them nothing, but grants all they ask, whereupon they receive his Viceroy, and put all their places of strength into his hands, of which he was no sooner possessed, but he drew the sword of justice, and upon one pretence or another, one by one, cuts off all these Rebels that were any thing active, and hath thus drawn more blood from them in this short while, since the pacification in a course of justice, then in all probability he would have done by making war upon them.  
But this main plot is broken, which cost so much sweat and watchings in the contrivance and blood and treasure in the execution, only there remain some few planks of this shipwreak, which we will make the best use we can in carrying on the rest, for we will not quietly enjoy our lives which God gave us, to be spent in his majesties service, when ever he shall please to call for it, till he become Master of these Rebels, and indeed, having obtained this Treaty he hath gained his point, and will come to his end which way soever he takes: for there are now three ways prepared, and they have all been in debate and it is not yet resolved in which to walk, till both the Commissioners be tasted here, and that you, and the 433 do sand us the results of your negotiation with the Members of the Houses, and with those Aldermen, and Common Counsel men, & other active men in the City to whom you were directed to apply yourselves, by your last instructions sent by F.W. who is appointed to call upon you as he comes from the Head Quarters, whither he is sent to try if he can work upon 350. for if he pursues his point well with him, and set him right, we need no more but him for the business of the Army in order to the houses in general; but for their special friends there we have that on foot already in the Army how to separate them and them; and to the carrying on of that BQ is appointed at the head quarters, D.L. is gone to cronwell I. L. I H. and some others are to put it forward in London, B.Q. will acquaint you with it, and you may do well to farther it, as you have occasion, but take heed, or with whom you d●ale with in it, lest it interfere with your constant part, and so discover you.  
Of the designs that are on foot, the most generally liked, is, that the King should give all reasonable compliance, and grant all the Propositions if the be stood upon, and this course will be strongly stood upon by R. and S.( though not upon some grounds) who not having been souldiers, would fain see an end of the wars, that one might return to the Court, and the other to his quiet retirement; and this hath been their constant Counsel●, all the time of their being with his majesty at Oxford; and this is certainly the absolutely best course of those that are left. I know his majesties temper is much against this; and perhaps will not be at all persuaded to it, if he can mend his market otherwise; the greatest difficulty, will be the nulling of his Proclamations, in justifiing the quarrel, ab initio, for thereby, he will be left without means, legally, to rid himself of the Grandees, and must be put to some other course for it, which may not be so safe for his affairs in the infamy of their redintegration, and it is a resolved case, that they must be removed, or he cannot stand; others tell him, That they will he safe by an act of Oblivion which is as necessary to be had by the Kings party, as his enemies, so long as any shadow is left, of leaving the law to its own course.  
For that of the Presbyterian Government for three yeares, it is as simplo a thing, as they that trouble themselves about it; he'l never stick at that, and the people in that time will not be so much in love with that babble, as to enter into a new war for it; besides when the time is expired, it may be laid by with safety enough; if his majesty will but please for this first time to make these great men Bishops with an abated power, to please the people, they shall both stave of all the clamour of the rest, and serve the Kings turn as well as any and will be no great difficulty for there are many Bishop-ricks void, and the expectants must be persuaded for the Kings service and the service of the Church, to content themselves with deaneries, and other subordinate dignities, since the iniquity and calamity of the times will have it so: As for their lands, they will come in again easily enough for the King is resolved never to grant the House a Legislative power without him, and they stand good theirs in law, and the purchasers must be outed; this the King will stand upon; and for the houses that are pulled down and spoiled, there are none that have bought any of that land, but they are very well able to build them up again, or otherwise make satisfaction; and the people will never be so mad as to make an new war at their own charge to maintain the purchasers possesions of their dedictated lands, or for the indemnity of those few men who have been employed in that cursed and sacrilegious business; if the Houses should make a difficulty, we know our never-failing Engine; yet I think it will be no great matter to get any thing of that nature past for very many of the House have not been able to buy bishops lands, I t●ink the City halls are the must guilty  
Concerning the M●litia, they say if the King does grant it as it is desired, it will be his notwithstanding: Have you not seen that all the country is his? and of those men that have appeared for him, must the Militia be made up.  
We have already taken care that all the Kings friends that have not so far dissolved themselves, as to bear arms, are name in the House of Commons, to be of the Committee of the Militia, if that Ordinance pass, our work's done, and then are we fitted both of Parliament and Militia, for the Kings service; therefore you must speak yourself to 422 and D.K. and let 219. and 503. solicit the rest of the Kings friends in the House, and such others as they shall find fit to be dealt with, to farther the passing of the Ordinance for the Militia and you shall suggest to them, in that it will save the kingdom those vast charges that they are now at, for the maintnance, of an Army; and there can be no colour to cry down the Army, until this Militia be settled, and then you have a great advantage against the patrons of it, for that the argument of charge is on that side; and this is a maxim, that in this course the King can not reach his design so long as any considerable part of this Army is in being; but remove that, and the King is in greater power then ever he was since the beginning fo this Rebellion, as much as to all the rest, he hath the addition of Parliament, that he may make or do what he lift.  
For that of Ireland, I know not how the King will get over it, how he will be albe to deny or grant it: if he break upon that, it will cast a foul Odium upon him to all Protestants; if he do grant it, it will provoke the Irish to that, which perchance may cast as great an Odium upon him. I do not hear any thing yet spoken as a means to help at a dead lift; in this particular, time must find an expedient to untie this knot.  
That of Delinquents is nothing, drive on the design through, and the King will be able to repair their losses at the Rebels charge, and the excepted persons are out of reach.  
If his majesty go this way, there will not be much for you to do there, more then what I have already  told you, but I have some doubt that his good fortune will not put him into that way.  
Another way that is propounded, is, that those overtures which were prepared for the first design should be insisted upon now, and that he should propound alternately, and deny the Propositions of the Houses, or else to pass them so, as that they shall be good for nothing; and then to urge to sand his own, and get what he can; thus to pass by the power of the Houses, and if it be dexterously carried, this may also do the turn, if the Army hinder not; and that it may we must labour all we can that Scots be courted, and highly promised, that so more forces might be brought in by them, and the Fleet under the Prince go strait into Ireland, to transport all Inchequins Army, and as many as may be of Taffes to Millford Haven, to whom the welsh would soon flow in great numbers, and that will draw off the rest of the Army, so as the City will be able to force the Parliament, to pass any thing that the King shall plausibly offer, and not lengthen our troubles, and this to be done upon every proposition, or part of one as it shall be sent up; and when one or two particulars are so past, they will be argument to do so in all the rest; and we shall particularly urge here that they may be sent to the house for approbation in parcels, lest the result of the whole difference at once might seem worth the standing upon.  
Your part in this case, must be to ply XO. and 137. that they may set their Myrmidons a work, both to Petition; and to be ready to come down in crowds, and clamour peace and compliance, when you shall be ready for them, and be able to take them off at leisure.  
The Lords are already prepared when the Papers come, to pass them presently.  
You must specially stir up the Citizens to jealousy of some regiments of the Army coming to White-Hall, and the mews, to guard the Houses; we had experience of them the last time they were there, and it will never be possible either to list a man, or raise a tumult, or to mould the Parliament to the Kings service, if they be suffered to come there.  
And that you may the better silence their friends that would speak for them, you shall put on the Levellers agents to join with the Army, and publish that the Army is also of their mindes and will act by their Principles, and this will make all their friends jealous and afraid of them: for the Grandees fear nothing more then leveling, and leveling be the Army.  
The last way that we have in our eyes, is to treat indeed upon the Houses Propositions, to grant what is granted by syllables, to spin out the time, and when the 40 dayes are ended, to get longer time, and in the mean time to see what farther use can be made of the Scots, or of new discontents in the Kngdome, also what the Duke of Lorraine will do with his forces, or whether the general Peace of Germany, or that twixt France and Spain, are likely to come to any thing which being effected, will afford men enough, who being cast off their several employments, need not much invitation to the spoil and plunder of this Kingdom.  
Thus if any such hope appears, pretence may be made of the shortness of time, the inconvenience of sending Papers so far and wait their returns, therfore to come to Hampton Court, and from thence to slip away into Holland, hoping that his presence with the ships, may put them into a better condition, and that with them, he may land his forarign forces in Scotland, and from thence begin a new war; this is certainly the worst of all, and will bring greatest misery to the Kingdom: for my part, I shall neither counsel, nor meddle in it at all, but I deal clearly with you, that I discern his majesty is more like to take his course then any other, it hath been always his ill fortune, to be most forward to those courses that have been neither good for himself nor his friends.  
I have been the longer now at the first because you might bee full instructed you shall hereafter as the business advances, hear farther directions for your negotiations.  
Your Loving friend. Newport September. 1648.  
Take heed lest you be discovered, but especially that your Papers be not seized.  
FINIS.   

Die Veneris 1. Septembr. 1648.  
ORdered by the Commons assembled in Parliament, That the Committee at Goldsmiths-Hall do certify unto this House on this day seven-night, an account what Impropriatio●s of Delinquents are purchased by them, upon allowances therefore made to the said Delinquents, upon passing their Fines, and what Impropriations are in pursuance thereof settled effectually by Law.  
H. elsing clear. Parl. D. come.