of Religion and the Laws and Liberties of this An. 18. Car. I. Kingdom.

This Gentleman, that is by me, will let you know that it is already in Propofition, (and I do not doubt but it will fpeedily have the Concurrence of the Lords with it) to take that Care, that the future Burden fhall not lie upon thofe here in the City of London, that have been careful to make Supplies, even to the exhaufting of themselves; but that it fhall go generally to all those that have fhrowded themfelves under a Kind of Neutrality here in London; and that it fhall go generally throughout all the Counties of England; that fo the common Calamities fhall be prevented, or fupported by the common Burden laid upon the whole Kingdom.'

Then Mr. Pymme fpoke to this Effect:

My Lord Mayor and Gentlemen,

'WE

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port thereof.

E come not to tell your Lordship and And Mr. thefe worthy Citizens only our Wants Pymme's in Supand Dangers, but we come to fpeak the Thanks of the Parliament to you, for that which you have already done; that you have fhewed fo much Affection to the Public, and that it hath produced fo good Effects throughout the whole Kingdom, as that now you have an Army raised, moft out of this City, able to defend (with God's Bleffing) the Religion and Liberty of the Kingdom, if it may be upheld: And we come not only to give you Thanks for that which you have done, but to ftir you up to join with us in giving Thanks to God that hath given fuch a Bleffing to our Endeavours, that when, by Letters fent into all Parts almost, they did prefume before-hand to triumph in the Ruin and Plundering of this City, God prevented it, and hath kept you fafe; kept your Houses, your Walls, your Suburbs, fafe from that that was intended against you; and truly as we have fought for this Bleffing, by Fafting and by Prayer, so it is

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An. 18. Car. I. fit that we should testify our Thanksgiving for it, and this is a neceffary Part of our Errand which we are fent about: And that we may be serviceable to God's Providence ftill, as he hath ftirred up your Hearts to do so much already, fo that he would ftir you up ftill to continue to do that which is fit to be done for the future; and that you will do it in fuch a Way as may be most pleasing to yourfelves.

"We come not hither, that, by any Confent here in public, you should bind yourselves in particular; but we come to let you know the Dangers of the Kingdom, the Sense the Parliament hath of it, and of the City especially, that you may not lofe that which hath been already done; but that you may go on ftill chearfully to do the full Work. And we come to tell you, that the Parliament doth intend the Burden fhall not lie upon you that are well affected and come in voluntarily; but that they have thought upon a Way, and have begun it already, and I hope, within two or three Days at the moft, it shall be published to you, that all that are indisposed shall be forced to do that, which, out of Readiness and Chearfulness to the Public Good, they will not do of themselves: Neither limit we it to the City and Suburbs; but we are in a Course to draw in all the Counties of the Kingdom, that as the Burden is univerfal, fo the Aid may be univerfal; for these are the Thoughts of the Parliament.

'If it please God to blefs your Forces that are already raised and continued, we hope you fhall not only fee Peace again in the Kingdom, and Security for your Religion, but fee that the Burden fhall lie upon those who have been the Engines and Actors of the Mischiefs and Troubles that are come upon us, that they fhall recompence the Charges you have been at already.

This is the Intention of the Parliament, only for the prefent do fomewhat; every Man, as God fhall enable him, do fomewhat that may meet the prefent

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prefent Neceffities; and prevent the Dangers that An. 18. Car. I. require a prefent Subfiftence, and prefent Supply of the Army; without which what is it will follow, but the Danger of the City, the Ruin of the Countries about, the Stopping up of the River which is almost taken from you, and the Lofs of the Sea Coafts? You cannot have better Hearts than you have; God hath enabled many of you with Purses; I hope it will be fo readily difpofed that we shall have a full Joy in the Recompence of it, and the Retribution; which we fhall all pray God to bring to pass.'

The Refult of this was, That the Citizens defired a Committee of both Houfes might be sent to them, with a Power to call fome Citizens and others to their Affiftance, and then they hoped this Requeft of Parliament would prove fuccessful.

The Want of Money to carry on the War being now fo very urgent, an Ordinance was fent up this Day from the Commons, For Affeffing NonContributors upon the Propofitions for lending Money and raifing of Horfe and Arms: This being the first Inftance of any Affeffment laid upon the Subject without the Royal Affent, is too remarkable to be pafs'd over.

'

W

Non-Contribu

Hereas the King, feduced by wicked An Ordinance Counfel, hath raifed an Army, and le- paffed according vied War against the Parliament, and great Num-, for affefling 'bers of Forces are daily raifed under the Command tors to the Parof Papifts, and other ill-affected Perfons, by Com- liament's Army. 'miffion from his Majefty: And whereas divers

Delinquents are protected from public Juftice by 'his Majefty's Army; and fundry Outrages and Rapines are daily committed by the Soldiers of the 'faid Army, who have no Respect to the Laws of God or the Land, but burn and plunder the 'Houses, and feize and destroy the Perfons of divers ' of his Majefty's good Subjects: And whereas, for 'the Maintenance of the faid Army, divers Affeff' ments are made upon feveral Counties, and his

Ma

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6

An. 18. Car. I. Majefty's Subjects are compelled by the Soldiers to pay the fame; which faid Army, if it should 'continue, would foon ruin and wafte the whole Kingdom, and overthrow Religion, Law, and Liberty: For fuppreffing of which faid Army and ill-affected Perfons, there is no probable Way, under God, but by the Army raised by Authority ⚫ of Parliament; which faid Army fo raised cannot 'be maintained without great Sums of Money; yet ' for raifing fuch Sums, by reafon of his Majefty's withdrawing himself from the Advice of the Parliament, there can be no Act of Parliament paffed with his Majefty's Affent, albeit there is great 'Juftice that the faid Money should be raised; the Lords and Commons in Parliament have taken the fame into their ferious Confideration, and knowing that the faid Army, fo raised by them, hath been hitherto, for the moft, maintained by the voluntary Contributions of divers well-affected Perfons, who have freely contributed according to their Abilities:

'But confidering there are divers others within "the Cities of London and Westminster, and the Suburbs of the fame, and alfo within the Borough of • Southwark, that have not contributed at all towards the Maintenance of the said Army; or if they have, yet not answerable to their Eftates, who, ⚫ notwithstanding, receive Benefit and Protection by the said Army, as well as others; and therefore it is moft juft that they fhould, as well as others, be charged to contribute to the Maintenance ⚫ thereof :

Be it therefore ordained by the Lords and Com'mons in Parliament affembled, and by Authority thereof, That Ifaac Pennington, Lord Mayor of 'the City of London, Sir John Woolafton, Knight and Alderman, Alderman Towes, Alderman Warner, Alderman Andrews, Alderman Chambers, 'Alderman Fowke, Sir Thomas Soame, Knight and Alderman; Samuel Valjal, John Ven, Morris Thompson, and Richard Waring, Citizens, or any

' four

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four of them, fhall hereby have Power and Au- An. 18. Car. I. thority to nominate and appoint, in every Ward within the City of London, fix fuch Perfons as they, " or any four of them, fhall think fit; which faid fix fo nominated, or any four of them, fhall hereby have Power to inquire of any that shall remain or be within the said several Wards, that have not * contributed upon the Propofitions of both Houses * of Parliament, concerning the raifing of Money, Plate, Horse, Horsemen, and Arms, for Defence of the King and both Houses of Parliament, and • also of fuch as are able Men, that have contributed, C yet not according to their Eftates and Abilities.

And the faid fix Perfons fo nominated, or any four of them, within their feveral and refpective Wards and Limits, fhall have Power to affefs fuch • Perfon and Perfons as are of Ability and have not • contributed, and also fuch as have contributed, yet 'not according to their Ability, to pay fuch Sum or Sums of Money, according to their Eftates, as the faid Affeffors, or any four of them, fhall 'think fit and reasonable, fo as the fame exceed not the twentieth Part of their Estates, and to • nominate and appoint fit Perfons for the Collec• tion thereof.

And if any Perfon fo affeffed fhall refufe to pay the Money affeffed upon him, it fhall be lawful to and for the faid Affeffors and Collectors, or any of them, to levy the faid Sum fo affeffed, by way ' of Diftrefs and Sale of the Goods of the Perfon fo affeffed, and refufing.

And if any Perfon fo diftrained fhall make Refiftance, it shall be lawful to and for the refpective Affeffors and Collectors, or any of them, to call to their Affiftance any of the Train'd Bands of the 'faid City of London, or any other his Majefty's Subjects, who are hereby required to be aiding and affifting to the faid Affeffors and Collectors in the • Premises.

6

And it is hereby further ordained, That the refpective Burgefles of Westminster and Southwark,

to