The Works of Thomas Carlyle/Volume 6/Letter 44
Commons Journals, 17th March 1646: ‘Ordered, That the Committee of the Army do write unto the General, and acquaint him that this House takes notice of his care in ordering that none of the Forces under his Command should quarter nearer than Five-and-Twenty Miles of this City: That notwithstanding his care and directions therein, the House is informed that some of his Forces are quartered much nearer than that; and To desire him to take course that his former Orders, touching the quartering of his Forces no nearer than Twenty-five Miles, may be observed.’
TO HIS EXCELLENCY SIR THOMAS FAIRFAX, GENERAL OF THE PARLIAMENTS ARMY: THESE
Sir,—This enclosed Order I received; but, I suppose, Letters from the Committee of the Army to the effect of this are come to your hands before this time. I think it were very good that the distance of Twenty-five Miles be very strictly observed; and they are to blame that have exceeded the distance, contrary to your former appointment. This Letter I received this evening from Sir William Massam[1] a Member of the House of Commons; which I thought fit to send you; his House being much within that distance of Twenty-five Miles of London. I have sent the Officers down, as many as I could well light of.
Not having more at present, I rest, your Excellency’s most humble servant,
The troubles of the Parliament and Army are just beginning. ‘The order for quartering beyond twenty-five miles from London, and many other ‘orders,’ were sadly violated in the course of this season. ‘Sir W. Massam’s House,’ ‘Otes in Essex,’ is a place known to us since the beginning of these Letters.
The Officers ought really to go down to their quarters in the Eastern Counties; Oliver has sent them off, as many of them as he ‘could well light of.’
The Presbyterian System is now fast getting into action: on the 20th May 1647, the Synod of London, with due Prolocutor or Moderator, met in St. Paul’s.[3] In Lancashire too the System is fairly on foot; but I think in other English Counties it was somewhat lazy to move, and never came rightly into action, owing to impediments.—Poor old Laud is condemned of treason, and beheaded, years ago; the Scots, after Marston Fight, pressing heavy on him; Prynne too being very ungrateful. That ‘performance’ of the Service to the Hyperborean populations in so exquisite a way has cost the Artist dear! He died very gently; his last scene much the best, for himself and for us. The two Hothams also, and other traitors, have died.