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WHereas the last night, being the eleventh of November, after the departure of the Committee of both Our Houses with Our gracious Answer to their Petition, We re∣ceived certain Information (having till then heard nothing of it, either from the Houses Committee or otherwise) That the Lord of Essex had drawn his Forces out of London to∣wards
Vs, which hath necessitated Our sudden Resolution to march with Our Forces to Braince∣ford; We have thought hereby fit to signifie to both Our Houses of Parliament, That We are no less desirous of the Peace of the Kingdom than We exprest in Our aforesaid Answer, the Propositions for which We shall willingly receive where-ever We are, and desire (if it may be) to receive them at Brainceford this night, or early to morrow morning, that all possible speed may be made in so good a Work, and all Inconveniences otherwise likely to intervene may be avoided.
And to justifie yet further that Our Intention was no other than was here profest, as soon as We were informed that the Earl of Essex his Forces were departed from King∣ston, before any appearance or notice of further Forces from London (Our end of not be∣ing inclosed being obtained) We gave orders to quit Brainceford, and to march away; and possess that place.
We cannot but make one Argument more of the truth of Our Profession, that this was all Our end, and that We had not the least thought by so advancing to surprise and sack London (which the Malignant party would infuse into that Our City;) and that is, That probably God Almighty would not have given such a Blessing to Our Journy; as to have assisted Us so both by Land and Water, as with less than a third part of Our Foot, and with the loss but of ten Men, to beat two of their best Regiments out of both Braincefords, for all the great advantage of their Works in them, to kill him who commanded in chief, and kill and drown many others, to take five hundred Prisoners; more Arms, eleven Colours, and good store of Ammunition, fifteen Pieces of Ordnance (whereof We sunk most that We brought not away) and then unfought with, and unoffer'd at, nearer than by Ordnance, to march away, notwithstanding the great dis∣advantage of Our Forces by the difficulties of the Passages, if He, who is the Searcher of all Hearts, and Truth it self, had not known the truth of Our Professions, and the Inno∣cence of Our Heart, and how far We were from deserving those horrid Accusations of Falshood and Treachery cast so point-blank upon Our own Person, that it would amaze any Man to see them suffered to be printed in Our City of London, if any thing of that kind could be a wonder after so many of the same, and how really they desire Accom∣modation, who have upon this voted they will have none.
These Our Reasons for this Action, this Our satisfaction sent for it, and this Blessing of God's upon it, will (We doubt not) clear Us to all indifferent persons both of the Jesuitical Counsels and the Personal Treachery to which some have presumed so impu∣dently to impute it: And God so bless Our future Actions as We have delivered the truth of this.