other petitions which have been brought us. The truth is, we were no fooner acquainted at Shrewsbury, by the Earl of Dorfet, that he had received a letter from the Earl of Effex, intimating that he had a petition from both Houses to be delivered to us, and to that purpose asking a safe conduct for those who fhould be fent; but we returned this anfwer, That as we had never refufed to receive any petition from our Houfes of Parliament, fo we should be ready to give fuch a reception and answer to this, as fhould be fit, and that the bringers of it fhould come and go with all fafety, only we required that none of those perfons whom we had particularly accufed of high treason, fhould be by colour of that petition employed to us. After this we heard no more till a fecond letter, at least a fortnight after the firft to the Earl of Dor fet, informed us, that our former anfwer was declared to be a breach of privilege, that we would not allow any meffengers to come to us; that is, we were not content that fuch perfons who, had confpired our death, might fecurely come into our prefence. Our fecond anfwer differed little from our former; infifting, That the addrefs fhould not be made by any of thofe perfons whom we had particularly accused of high treafon, amongst whom the Earl of Effex himfelf was one; but declaring that our ear fhould be ftill open to hear any peti tion form our two Houses of Parliament. Whether this was a denial from us to receive their petition; or whether, if our two Houfes of Parliament had indeed defired to treat with us by petition, they might not as well have fent it to us, as they have done fince their inftructions to their ambaffadors into Ireland, and their new bill for rooting out epifcopacy,

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epifcopacy, and devifing a new form of church government, let all the world judge. We have reason to believe, that the petition then prepared for us (if we have feen the true copy of it) was thought by the perfons trufted for the prefenting of it, fitter to be delivered after a battle and full conquest of us, than in the head of our army, when it might seem somewhat in our power, whe ther we would be depofed or no. For that con. tinued difhoneft accufation of our inclination to the papifts, which the authors of it in their own confciences (which will one day be dreaded to them) know to be most unjust and groundlesswe can fay no more, and we can do no more to. the fatisfaction of the world. If they know that the Romish priests have encouraged those of that religion to conform themselves to the proteftant religion, by coming to church, receiving the facrament, and taking the oaths of allegiance and fupremacy, they are more converfant with the fubtleties of them than we are; but we must con fefs, till we be certain that they have found that way to deceive us, that is, to delude the laws which are against them, we fhall in charity be lieve their conformity to be real, and not pretended. But that any priests or jefuits imprifoned have been releafed by us out of the goal of Lancaster, or any other goal, is as falfe, to ufe an expreflion of their own, as the father of lies could invent. Neither are the perfons named in that declaration to whom commiffions are said to be granted for places of command in this war, fo much as known to us; nor have they any com mand, or, to our knowledge, are prefent in our army. And 'tis ftrange, that our oaths and proteftations

proteftations before Almighty God for the maintenance of the protestant religion fhould be fo flighted in the end of that declaration, when in the beginning of it, it is acknowledged to be the ftrongest obligation and affurance that any chriftian can give; we defire to have our proteftations believed by the evidence of our actions; but they are informed (and that is ground enough for them to lay the baseft imputation upon their fovereign) That Sir John Henderson and Col. Cockram (men' of ill report both for religion and honefty) are fent to Hamborough and Denmark (we thought we should have heard no more news from Denmark) to raise foreign forces and to bring them hither. We have before in our declarations (fufficient to fatisfy any honeft man) declared our opinion and refolution concerning foreign force; and we had never greater caufe to be confident of fecurity in our own fubjects, and therefore cannot believe fo vile à fcandal can make any impreffion in fober men, let a lift of the nobility and gentry about us, and in our fervice be viewed, and will they not be found the most zealous in the proteftant religion, the most eminent in reputation, of the greatest fortunes, and the greatest fame, the most public lovers of their country and moft earneft affertors of the liberty of the fubject, that this kingdom hath; how different the reputation of the principal ring-leaders of this faction and rebellion are, how careful they are of employing virtuous and honeft men, is apparent to all the world, when they have entertained all the defperate and neceffitous perfons (whereof very many are papifts, which we speak knowingly, as having taken fe.

veral of them prifoners) they can draw to them; and when they fuperfede a proceeding at com. mon law for an odious and infamous crime, that Mr. Griffin may have the liberty to keep them company in this rebellion.

For our affection and gracious inclination to the city of London, and how far we are from any fuch purpose, as thofe impious men charge us with, appears in our fate proclamation, in which we declare the fuburbs to be comprehended, as well as the cities of London and Westminster, to which we doubt not they will give that credit and obedience, as we fhall have caufe to commend their loyalty in joining with us to fupprefs this rebellion, which uncontrouled, in a fhort time must make that place most miferable.

Of the oath and covenant which they threaten us with, if it be to engage them to do, or not to do any thing contrary to their oaths, they have already taken off allegiance and fupremacy, as it cannot oblige them being taken, fo we doubt not our good fubjects will eafily difcern that it is a fnare to betray and lead them into a condition of the fare guilt, and fo of the fame danger with themselves; and we must therefore declare, whỏ ever fhall hereafter fuffer himself to be cozened by these ftratagems, and take fuch a voluntary oath against us, we fhall impute it to fo much malice, as will render him incapable of our pardon, and fhall proceed against him as a defperate promoter of fedition, and an enemy to the kingdon.

Let all honeft men remember the many gra cious acts we have paffed this parliament for the cafe and benefit of our people, that when there

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was nothing left undone or unoffered by us, which might make this nation happy, thefe mif. chievous contrivers of ruin, inftead of acknow. ledging our grace and juftice, upbraided us with all the reproaches malice or cunning could invent, in a Remonftrance to the people (a thing never heard of till that time) that having thus incensed mutinous and feditious minds, they made ufe of them to awe the Parliament, drave us, and the major part of both Houfes from our city of London, that they took away our fort and town of Hull from us, kept us from thence by force of arms, and employed our own magazine against us; that they feized upon our royal navy, and with it chafed our good fubjects, and kept all fupply from us; that they voted away our negative voice, and then raised a formidable army to destroy us; that when they had thus compelled us, by the help of fuch of our good fubjects, who against the fury of these men durft continue loyal, to raise fome power for our defence, they abfolutely and peremptorily refufed to treat with us for the peace of the kingdom. And lastly, that on the twenty-third day of October, they brought this army (raifed for the defence of our perfon) into the field against us, and used their best skill and means to deftroy us, and our chil dren; we fay, whoever remembers and cou fiders this progrefs of theirs, will think of no, other covenant than to join with us in the ap prehending the authors of this miferable civil war, that pofterity may not with fhame and in. dignation find, that a few fchifmatical ambitious perfons, were able to bring fuch a flourishing glorious kingdom, which hath so long refted the