[A1641/7/20]¹

[Letter from the parliament to the lord general]

Letter from the parliament of Scotland to [Alexander Leslie of Balgonie], general, 30 July 1641²

Our very good lord,

We received your excellency's letter, together with that written by our commissioners to you, and have returned answer to them with instructions, which we have left open that you may read and close the same. And what occurs to your own consideration which is necessary for accommodation of business, your excellency may remember the same in your own letter to the commissioners; and especially if you can adduce any other reasons against their accounts and damages than is expressed in your former letter, either against those demands in the general or any of them in particular, it will be expedient also to deliver the same in your letter and that those accounts be brought to a conclusion with all possible expedition. And seeing we have permitted to the English either that our whole army shall retire upon the payment of the arrears and £80,000, or else 7,000 or 8,000 foot and 1,000 horses to remain until the payment of the £80,000, and the rest to retire upon the receipt of the arrears, we desire that your excellency will have the army in readiness upon their election of any of these alternatives, that accordingly the whole army may be in posture and preparation to march upon payment of both sums, or otherwise in case of stay of 7,000 or 8,000 foot and 1,000 horses that your excellency will consider what regiments are fit to be retained to make up that number and have the remainder of the army whom you think fit to return home to be disbanded in the first place in readiness of all necessary preparation for their march, and with these it will be convenient among the first to licence all the reformeired³ officers. We are presently to give order that all officers of the army who are in Scotland and not members of the parliament shall forthwith repair to Newcastle, and all such members of parliament as are necessary officers we shall upon advertisement from your excellency give present order for their address to you. In this number [Master Alexander Gibson of Durie], commissary-general, is one, whom hitherto we have detained to serve in his charge in parliament, but upon your excellency's desire shall send him up to you as soon as we may spare his attendance. So we rest,

Your loving friends, Edinburgh, 30 July 1641.

30 July 1641

Read and approved in parliament and ordained to be subscribed.⁴