The King fends another Meffage Houses. other thoughts over, and inftantly to make all imaginable hafte to London, and to appear in the Parliament Houfe before they had any expectation of him. And they conceiv'd there would be more likelyhood for him to prevail that way, than by any Army he was like to raife. And it must be folely imputed to his Majesty's own Refolution, that he took not that courfe. However he was contented to make fo much farther use of their Pride and Paffion, as to give them occafion, by another Meffage, to publifh more of it to the People; and therefore, within three days after the return of his Meffengers, he fent the Lord Falkland, his Principal Secretary of State, with a Reply to their Anfwer in these words. cr "We will not repeat, what means We have ufed to pre"vent the dangerous and diftracted Eftate of the Kingdom, to the two "nor how thofe means have been interpreted; because, being "defirous to avoid the effufion of Blood, We are willing to de"cline all memory of former bitterness, that might render our "offer of a Treaty lefs readily accepted. We never did de"clare, nor ever intended to declare, both our Houses of Par"liament Traytors, or fet up our Standard against them; and "much less to put them and this Kingdom out of our Pro"tection. We utterly profess against it before God, and the "World; and farther to remove all poffible Scruples, which may hinder the Treaty so much defir'd by us, We hereby "promife, fo that a day be appointed by you for the revo"king of your Declarations against all Perfons as Traytors, or "otherwife, for affifting us; We fhall with all chearfulness, upon the fame day, recall our Proclamations and Declara"tions, and take down our Standard. In which Treaty, We "fhall be ready to grant any thing, that shall be really for "the good of our Subjects: Conjuring you to confider the "bleeding Condition of Ireland, and the dangerous Condition "of England, in as high a degree, as by these Our offers We "have declar'd our Self to do. And affuring you, that our "chief defire in this World, is to beget a good understanding, "and mutual Confidence betwixt Us and Our two Houses "of Parliament. THIS Meffage had no better effect, or reception than the former; their Principal Officers being fent down fince the laft Meffage to Northampton to put the Army into a readiness to march. And now they requir'd the Earl of Effex himself to make hafte thither, that no more time might be loft, fending by the Lord Falkland, within two days, this Answer to the King. Το cr To the King's moft Excellent Majefty; The humble Answer and Petition of the Lords and Commons "May it please your Majesty: "IF We, the Lords and Commons in Parliament affembled, Their An"fhould repeat all the ways We have taken, the endeavourswer. "We have ufed, and the expreflions We have made unto "your Majefty, to prevent thofe diftractions, and dangers, your Majefty fpeaks of, We fhould too much enlarge this "reply. Therefore, as We humbly, fo fhall We only let "your Majefty know, that We cannot recede from our for"mer Anfwer, for the reafons therein exprefs'd. For that "your Majefty hath not taken down your Standard, recall'd your Proclamations and Declarations, whereby you have de"clar'd the Actions of bo:h Houfes of Parliament to be Trea"fonable, and their Perfons Traytors; and you have pub"lifhed the fame fince your Meffage of the 25th of Auguft, by "your late Inftructions fent to your Commiffioners of Ar"ray; which Standard being taken down, and the Declara"tions, Proclamations, and Inftructions recall'd, if your Ma"jefty fhall then, upon this our humble Petition, leaving your "Forces, return unto your Parliament, and receive their faith"ful Advice, your Majefty will find fuch expreffions of our "Fidelities, and Duties, as fhall affure you, that your Safety, "Honour, and Greatness, can only be found in the Affections "of your People, and the fincere Counfels of your Parliament; "whofe conftant and undiscouraged Endeavours and Conful"tations have paffed through difficulties unheard of, only to "fecure your Kingdoms from the violent mifchiefs and dan"gers now ready to fall upon them, and every part of them; "who deferve better of your Majefty, and can never allow "themselves (reprefenting likewife your whole Kingdom) "to be ballanced with thofe Perfons, whofe defperate Difpo"fitions and Councils prevail ftill to interrupt all our endeaແ 'vours for the relieving of bleeding Ireland; as we may fear our Labours and vaft Expences will be fruitless to that di"ftreffed Kingdom. As your Prefence is thus humbly defir'd "by Us, fo it is in our hopes your Majefty will in your rea"fon believe, there is no other way than this, to make your "Majefty's felf happy, and your Kingdom fafe. cr AND left this Overture of a Treaty might be a means to allay and compofe the diftempers of the People, and that the hope and expectation of Peace might not difhearten their B 4 Party, Party, in their preparations and contributions to the War, the fame day they fent their last Anfwer to the King, they publish'd this Declaration to the Kingdom. "WHEREAS his Majesty, in a Meffage receiv'd the fifth " of September, requires that the Parliament would revoke "their Declarations against such Perfons, as have affifted his "Majefty in this unnatural War against his Kingdom; it is "this day order'd and declar'd by the Lords and Commons, "that the Arms, which they have been forced to take up, "and fhall be forced to take up, for the preservation of the "Parliament, Religion, the Laws and Liberties of the King"dom, fhall not be laid down, until his Majefty fhall with"draw his Protection from fuch Perfons as have been Voted "by both Houses to be Delinquents, or that fhall by both "Houses be Voted to be Delinquents, and fhall leave them "to the Juftice of the Parliament to be proceeded with ac"cording to their demerit; to the end that both this and fuc"ceeding Generations may take warning, with what danger "they incur the like heinous Crimes: and alfo to the end "that those great Charges and Damages, wherewith all the "Common-wealth hath been burden'd in the premises, fince "his Majefty's departure from the Parliament, may be born "by the Delinquents, and other Malignant and Difaffected "Perfons: and that all his Majefty's good and well affected Subjects, who by Loan of Monies, or otherwife at their "Charge, have affifted the Common-wealth, or fhall in like "manner hereafter affift the Common-wealth in time of ex" treme danger, may be repay'd all Sums of Money lent by "them for thofe purposes, and be fatisfied their Charges fo "fuftain'd, out of the Eftates of the faid Delinquents, and of "the Malignant and Difaffected Party in this Kingdom. THIS Declaration did the King no harm; for befides that it was evident to all Men, that the King had done whatsoever was in his power, or could be expected from him, for the prevention of a Civil War, all Perfons of Honour and Quality plainly difcern'd that they had no fafety but in the prefervation of the Regal Power, fince their Eftates were already difpofed of by them who could declare whom they would Delinquents, and would infallibly declare all fuch who had not concurr'd with them. And the Advantage the King receiv'd by thofe Overtures, and the pride, frowardnefs, and perverfnefs of the Rebels, is not imaginable; his Levies of Men, and all other preparations for the War, being incredibly adyanced from the time of his firft Meffage. Prince Rupert lay ftill with the Horfe at Leicester; and though He, and fome of of the Principal Officers with him, were discontented to that degree, upon the King's first Meffage and defire of a Treaty, as likely not only to destroy all hopes of raifing an Army, but to Sacrifice thofe who were raifed, that they were not without fome thoughts, at least discourses, of offering violence to the Principal Advisers of it, he now found his Numbers increased, and better refolv'd by it; and from Tork-fhire, Lincoln-fhire, and Stafford-fhire, came very good recruits of Foot; fo that his Cannon and Munition being likewife come up from Tork, within twenty days his Numbers began to look towards an Army; and there was another Air in all Men's Faces; yet Nottingham feem'd not a good Poft for his Majesty to stay longer at; and therefore, about the middle of September, the Earl of Effex being then with his whole Army at Northampton, his Majelty march'd from Nottingham to Derby; being not then refolv'd whither to bend his courfe, to Shrewsbury or Chefter, not well knowing the Temper of those Towns, in both which the Parliament Party had been very active; but refolving to fit down near the borders of Wales, where the Power of the Parliament had been least prevalent, and where fome Regiments of Foot were Levying for his Service. Before his leaving Nottingham, as a farewel to his hopes of a Treaty, and to make the deeper fenfe and impreffion, in the Hearts of the People, of thofe who had fo pertinaciously rejected it, his Majefty fent this Meffage to the Houses. Meffage two Houses, "WHO have taken most ways, used most endeavours, and Another "made moft real expreffions to prevent the prefent diftra- from the "ations and dangers; let all the World judge, as well by for-King to the "mer paffages, as by Our two laft Meffages, which have in reply to "been fo fruitless, that, though We have defcended to defire their An fwer. "and prefs it, not fo much as a Treaty can be obtain'd; un"lefs We would denude Our felf of all force to defend Us "from a visible strength marching against us; and admit those "Perfons as Traytors to us, who, according to their Duty, "their Oaths of Allegiance, and the Law, have appear'd in "defence of Us, their King and Liege Lord (whom We are "bound in Confcience and Honour to preferve) though We "difclaim'd all our Proclamations, and Declarations, and the "erecting of our Standard, as against our Parliament. All We "have now left in our Power, is to exprefs the deep fenfe "We have of the Publick Mifery of this Kingdom, in which "is involv'd that of Our diftreffed Proteftants of Ireland; "and to apply our felf to our neceffary defence, wherein We "wholly rely upon the Providence of God, the Juftice of "our Caufe, and the Affection of our good People; fo far "We are from putting them out of our Protection. When “you The King semover to Derby. сс you fhall defire a Treaty of us, We fhall pioufly remem"ber, whofe Blood is to be fpilt in this Quarrel, and chear"fully embrace it. And as no other reafon induced us to "leave our City of London, but that, with Honour and Safety "We could not stay there; nor to raise any Force, but for "the neceffary defence of our Perfon and the Law, against "Levies in oppofition to both; fo We fhall fuddainly and "most willingly return to the One, and disband the Other, "affoon as those Caufes fhall be remov'd. The God of Heaven "direct you, and in mercy divert thofe Judgments, which "hang over this Nation; and fo deal with us, and our Po❝fterity, as We defire the prefervation, and advancement of "the true Proteftant Religion; the Law, and the Liberty of "the Subject; the juft Rights of Parliament, and the Peace of "the Kingdom. WHEN the King came to Derby, he receiv'd clear information from the well affected Party in Shrewsbury, that the Town was at His devotion; and that the very Rumour of his Majefty's purpose of coming thither, had driven away all those who were most inclined to Sedition. And therefore, as well in regard of the strong and pleasant Situation of it (one fide being defended by the Severn, the other having a secure paffage into Wales, the Confines of Montgomery-fhire extending very near the Town) as for the Correfpondence with Worcester, of which City he hoped well, and that by his being at Shrewsbury, he fhould be as well able to fecure Chefter, as by carrying his whole Train fo far North; befides that the other might give some apprehenfion of his going into Ireland, which had been formerly mention'd, his Majefty refolv'd for that Town; and, after one days stay at Derby, by eafy marches he went thither, drawing his whole fmall Forces to a Rendezvous at Wellington, a days march short of Shrewsbury; and that being the first time that they were together, his Majesty then caufed his Military Orders for the Difcipline and Government of the Army, to be read at the Head of each Regiment; and then, which is not fit ever to be forgotten, putting himself in the middle, where he might be beft heard, not much unlike the Emperor Trajan, who when he made Sura Great Marshal of the Empire, gave him a Sword, faying, "Re"ceive this Sword of me, and if I command as I ought, em"ploy it in my defence; If I do otherwife, draw it againft The King's "me, and take my Life from me, his Majefty made this Speech Speech and Proteftation to his Soldiers. at the Head of his Forces, after the "GENTLEMEN, you have heard thofe Orders read: it reading his "is your part, in your several places, to observe them ex"actly; the time cannot be long before We come to Action, War. "therefore |