[A1641/8/136]¹

[Supplication of the officers of fortune within the country for payment of their arrears]

15 Novembers 1641, supplication of the officers of fortune within the country²

To the king's most excellent majesty and the honourable house of parliament, humbly shows that whereas,

We, officers of fortune who served within the kingdom, ordained and placed by public order of [Alexander Leslie, earl of Leven], my lord general, and committee of estates, and having dutifully attended our several charges until the time of disbanding, during which we often and sundry times petitioned for our pay, but have as yet not only found ourselves far postponed to all other commanders, being of one and the selfsame degrees and condition, and able to approve ourselves as sufficient in every way, but also find ourselves now at last to be pressed with deduction of our due pay, which must argue some unworthiness in us by others, which we never can embrace without the loss of our credits, which we tender (which lie in us) as our lives and cannot but justly grieve at such usage, especially since these reformeireds³ who never enjoyed any charge at all in these expeditions are paid to the full, whereas those of higher charge shall have less than their inferiors in charge according to the intended proportion; for if it should be objected that it is done by an act of committee and therefore irrevocable, truly we think that since there was a general order established once for the pay of commanders, if either the public found themselves too much burdened or not able to pay us accordingly, we might in all equity have expected so much respect as to have been acquainted with it. Or if it should be said that their inconvenience was greater in England than ours, it is evidently known that they had free lodging and other commodities, whereas we had nothing but what we cost at the dearest rate. As for the duty they performed, we wish we had supplied their places without their prejudice. Always we did and were both able and ready to do what was commanded us. As also its not unknown to my lord general that whosoever an army be conveyed upon, whether in field or garrison, there is no difference in their pay, which is a very considerable custom for avoiding of division. Wherefore in the case we are forced (as before) to have our recourse to your sacred majesty and honourable house of parliament, humbly entreating that the premises may be taken to your royal and judicious considerations, to the end we may be acquainted with some just reasons why we should be pressed with any inferior accommodation by others or liable to any deduction at all; not doubting but that your sacred majesty and honourable house of parliament will be graciously pleased to tender both the credit and subsistence of those who have in duty wholly devoted themselves to your majesty's service and shall ever pray for your majesty's long and happy reign.

15 November 1641

Read in audience of his majesty and estates of parliament, who ordain the supplicants to have full pay without any deduction and as much as the like officers of the army received, notwithstanding of the act of the committee. And for their payment, remit them to the committee appointed for the common burdens.

[John Elphinstone, lord] Balmerino, in presence of the lords of parliament