Letter Sixteenth is not dated at all; but incidentally names its place: and by the tenor of it sufficiently indicates these autumn days, first days of September, as the approximate time. ‘Our handful,’ to be known by and by as Ironsides, they are ready and steady; but we see what an affair the listing of the rest is: cash itself like to be dreadfully short; men difficult to raise, worth little when raised;—add seizure of Malignant neighbours’ horses, proclamations, reclamations, and the Lawyers’ tongues, and all men’s, everywhere set wagging! Spring and Barrow are leading Suffolk Committee-men, whom we shall see again in that capacity. Of Captain Margery, elsewhere than in that Suffolk Troop now mustering, I know nothing; but Colonel Cromwell knows him, can recommend him as a man worth something: if Margery, to mount himself in this pressure, could ‘raise the horses from Malignants,’ in some measure,—were it not well?
TO MY NOBLE FRIENDS, SIR WILLIAM SPRING, KNIGHT AND BARONET, AND MAURICE BARROW, ESQUIRE: PRESENT THESE
Gentlemen,—I have been now two days at Cambridge, in expectation to hear the fruit of your endeavours in Suffolk towards the public assistance. Believe it, you will hear of a storm in few days! You have no Infantry at all considerable; hasten your Horses;—a few hours may undo you, neglected.—I beseech you be careful what Captains of Horse you choose, what men be mounted: a few honest men are better than numbers. Some time they must have for exercise. If you choose godly honest men to be Captains of Horse, honest men will follow them; and they will be careful to mount such.
The King is exceeding strong in the West. If you be able to foil a force at the first coming of it, you will have reputation;
