My Lord,

As we discussed on our ride from London, and as, at your request, I write now, without risk of this paper falling into the hands of the Enemy: the soldiers are grown so outrageous that they plunder every place. Even this morning, five or six gentlemen's houses have been ransacked by them, of which we conceive one great cause to be the malignity of the country people who instigate and direct the soldiers in what places they should exercise this insolency. We should use all means to suppress it, sending out squadrons of horse, who do their duty very well. But the truth is that, unless we are able to execute some exemplary punishment upon the principal malefactors, we have no hope to redress this horrid enormity.

We beseech your Excellency to take this into your present and serious consideration, for if this go on the army will grow as odious to the country as the cavaliers. And, though we take not upon us to advise the Parliament, yet we that are eyewitnesses of that state of the Army do verily believe that without Martial Law (to extend to the soldiers only) it may prove a ruin as likely as a remedy to this Kingdom.