Nathaniel Barton to Col Thomas Sanders - Little Ireton 'since my last to you, a cloud of disturbance seems to hover over Lancashire and Cheshire - it is reported that Tuesday last was to be a rendezvous at Rowton Heath near Chester and that divers persons of quality and divers ministers are engaged thereabouts. I have much wondered that any Godly Presbyterian ministers should ever expect or have reason to believe that the Cavaliers could forget old hatred - this alarum from Cheshire has I suppose wrought your parts by now - there are orders issued to Colonel Lilburne's* regiment and other forces that lie that way, to immediately draw into those parts and several regiments of horse are to be in readiness - I am sorry that friends in Derbyshire are so shy - Lord Fleetwood has written an order to Scotland for absent officers to pass the muster - I shall wait for a convenient time to speak about the commencement of your muster - there is an order passed that warrants shall be issued by the Committee of the Army that each county militia troop shall receive £250 - Massey* was lately taken and Lord Herbert but escaped during the night - Parliament observed a fast last yesterday - today Parliament in grand committee began to debate the settling of the government of the Commonwealth - it is said Major General Lambert is to march into the field. [*Robert Lilburne (1613-1665) - regicide - colonel in the New Model Army, 1647 - MP for East Riding 1656 - governor of York] 4 Aug 1659