John Rushworth

I was borne in Northumberland, but my parents were both born in the county of York. The title of the books I writ went by the name of Historicall Collections ; except The earle of Stroffords triall, which I toke with my owne pen in characters at the time of his triall, which I have impartially published in folio. And I gave the first president of my method in writing and declaring onely matter of fact in order of time, without observation or reflection : but Dr. Nalson, a learned man, finds fault with me, but I leave it to posterity to judg. I being neere of kin to Sir Thomas Fairfax, the parlamerit's general, he made choice of me to be his secretary in the wars, by which means I am better inabled to give account of military affairs, both in the first wars and in the second which hapened in the year 1648 all which I am now upon perfeting the same, but the times favors not the comeing of it forth. There is an other thing which inables me the better to proceed with the work I am now upon, my privity to all debates and passages in the house of Commons : for that house made choice of me to be assistant at the table to Mr. Ellsing, dark of that parlament to the house of Commons, by which means I was privey to all circumstances in there procedings. I might perticularly remonstrate more concernements of my owne, as being with the king Charles the first at he camp at Barwick, at the great councill at York, at Newborne nere Newcastle upon the Scots invading of England, et cetera. Both the houses of parlament had the confidence in me that they sent by me their addresses to the king after he left the parlament and went to Yorke. And it so fell out that I rode severall times, with that expedition betwen London and Yorke (being one hundred and fivetey miles) in 24 hours at a time. Sir, pardon my boye's ignorance in writeing.

JO. RUSHWORTH. Southwarke, July 21, 1687.