HAying received at the last convention of the Officers of this Army ( at Walden ) your commands and directions to our severall Regiments ; First , for the publishing the Votes of the House of Commons for the satisfaction of the Army in poynt of Arrears and . Indemnity . And secondly , for a faithfull , diligent , and impartiall enquiry into the present temper and disposition of the Army : In which , having accordingly ( with diligence ) endevoured to answer your expectation in what you have enjoyned us ; we doe according to the best of our understandings , represent unto you ▪ That we find both Officers and Soldiers at present , quiet , and free from any visible distemper : Neverthelesse are sensible of many pressing grievances , which they having orderly and quietly made known unto us , we humbly in their , and our behalves , represent unto you as followeth .

1. That whereas it pleased the honourable Houses of Parliament , having received information of a dangerous petition in the Army , to declare and immediatly publish in print to the Kingdome , That that Pitition ( which indeed was but onely intended to be presented to the Generall with submission to his approbation ) did tend to put the Army into distemper and mutiny to obstruct the reliefe of Ireland , and to put conditions upon the Parliament , and declaring the Petitioners , if they shall continue in their distempered condition , and goe on in promoting and advancing that Petition , shall be lookt upon , and proceeded against as enemies to the State , and disturbers of the publicke peace . Which said information misrepresenting our intentions , hath caused that heavy charge which remains upon record , as a Memorandam of infamy upon us to posterity , wee cannot chuse but with saduesse of spirit , be deeply sensible , that so humble and innocent an addresse intended to the Generall , could beget so strange an interpreta●ion , the substance of those things which we intended to sue for therein , being no other then what the Parliament promised , and frequently confirmed unto us by their Declarations .

2. That whereas those persons , who have by the foresaid Imformation , a●eemp●e● to our great prejudice , to beget misunderstandings betwixt the Parliament and their Army , by their surreptitious obtaining and misrepresenting our intention in the sayd Petition , and by divulging abroad scandalous letters from unknown hands , ( the Authours whereof are concealed , and not brought forth to make judiciall proofes of those things laid to our charge , which wee cannot but looke upon as a just cause of griese , that the suggesters of such things seemed to prevaile so farre as to gain encouragement , and we who are innocent , remain unjustified in the eyes of the kingdome .

4. That divers Officers of the Army of publick and known integrity , have been sent for to the Parliament , some whereof at this present attend there , and have had no triall , nor any thing considerable , that we know of , layd to their charge . And more particularly , That Ensigne Nichols , a member of this Army , hath been illegally imprisoned by Capt . Dormer , a late Officer of this Army , ( but now engaged for Ireland ) his Pockets search't , and his Papers taken from him , contrary to the Lawes of the Kingdome , or Discipline of warre , and since ( by order of the Commissioners ) sent from Derby-House to treat with the Army about the reliefe of Ireland , was sent to London , ( without the Generals privity , ) where hee is still kept prisoner ) at great expences , and not brought to triall ; which president may equally extend to any or all in the Army . Which said particular , bearing with it the face of delay and protraction , we cannot but look upon as a just cause of trouble unto us .

4. That whereas we understand , that the Parliament hath voted a sudden disbanding of the Army , not having made sufficient provision for the auditing of our Arrears , and stating of our accounts so fully , as we may not be liable to further charges concerning them , our own reason , and the experience of others , doth make us sensible , how difficult , chargeable , and uncertain the obtaining thereof will be after we are disbanding , and dispersed to our severall homes .

5 That no provision hath been made for the payment of our dearly earned wages , to the expence of our blood , and often hazard of our lives ; saving a vote of six weekes pay upon disbanding ( now at the consummation of our work ) which is so small , that it will inevitably expose us ( especially the private Soldiers ) to great extremity , being scarce sufficient to maintain many of them in their journey to their our homes .

6 That nothing as yet hath been perfected for our future security for things done as Souldiers in relation to the warr , which the exigencie thereof , and diffiuclties therein , hath compelled , us unto the want whereof we cannot chuse but be very sensible of , when we ●onsider the many sad examples of bitter and rigorous prosecutions at Law , against Soldiers for acts done in order to the promotion of the Kingdomes service .

7 That we stand in feare , ( especially the private Soldiers ) of being impressed or inforced to serve as Soldiers out of the kingdome ; many having spent themselves freely and voluntarily in the publicke service , forsaking their trades , and friends , and livelihoods ; to which many desire to return again for their better future subsistence .

8 That whereas divers of us ( especially the privat Soldiers ) who were Apprentices in London , or other parts of the Kingdome , have voluntarily engaged thtmselves in this service , being encouraged therunto by the Parliaments Declarations , shewing that the time they should so spend in the prosecution thereof , should be as effectuall in order to their Freedome , as if they had remained with their severall respective Masters . Notwithstanding which , many have refused to give us freedome , who may justly claim it by the aforesaid Declarations for that purpose .

9 That many Soldiers who have lost their lives , Widowes their Husbands , and Children their Parents , in this service , and thereby are reduced to great poverty , ( even to beggery ) are not sufficiently provided for a future livelihood .

10 That whereas divers persons both privatly and publickly laboured by evill aspersions and false calumnies to render us odious to the Kingdome , thereby seeking to alienate their affections from us ; in order to which they have published many Books , viz. Ma. Edwards his Gangraena , and divers others of that nature : and also very lately a report divulged abroad , that wee had petitioned his Majesty , inviting him to come to the head of the Army , and that wee would restore him to his Crowne , Throne and Dignity : A person of eminence averred before a very great and publick convention in the Citie of London , that he saw a Copie of that Petition which was delivered to his Majesty : And that the Army was no longer a New Modell , but had 4000. Cavaleers in it , that hee comming from the Fountaines head , perceived , that the King and Cavaleers , have their single and whole dependency upon this Army . And others privatly suggesting the same , by dispersing severall copies of the sayd pretended petition ; the severall particulars whereof we protest against , as most false , and are most confident , that it proceeded not from any probable ground , which might argue such an intention in us , but singly from the malice of our enemies .

11. That notwithstanding the great care of the Committee and Treasurers for the Army , and the cheerfull readinesse of the most Counties in paying their Assesments , ( as these where we now quarter geneaally affirme ; ) nneverthelesse through want of pay , the privat soldiers are necessitated to take free quarter for the present , which is very irksome to be so burdensome to the kingdome .

Having thus according to your commands , as fully as we are able , accounted unto you what is the true genuine sense of the Army , and not their imaginary , but reall grievances which inevitably fall upon us , except the Parliament in their wisdomes take some effectuall course to prevent them ; and as we , if the time allowed to us by you , would permit , we could clearly demonstrate unto you : we therefore assume the boldnesse to desire you to bee sensible with us , of ▪ what we have offered unto you , and to present unto the Parliament the particulars aforesayd , in such humble way and manner as you conceive most effectuall to the accomplishment of our future quiet , and well-being : That you will doe us right if in case any of our actions be misrepresented to the Parliament : That you will ( as farre as justly you can ) cover our weaknesse , if any thing of that nature hath stippt us in the transaction of this so weighty and considerable an importance , which we the more boldly desire of you , because we are confident , that the integrity of our hearts is not hid from you , and which we doubt not , but will clearly appeare , ( notwithstanding the malice , or secret workings of any person whatsoever seeking to asperse us , when our proceedings herein shall be throughly enquired into . ) And if any thing expressed herein , may appeare or bee understood otherwise , by the Honorable Houses of Parliament , we desire you will declare the mind and sense of us all ; which is that we have endevoured to our utmost in all our expressions , to avoyd things which might offend , or in the least manner intrench upon the honour and authourity of the Parliament , for which wee have adventuaed all we have in this world that is deare unto us . But if any reflection may seem to touch upon some particulars , our intentions are no other , then towards those who have abused the Parliament , Kingdome , and a faithfull Army .