"fadness of heart. We are fo far from requiring a twentieth "part of their Eftates, though for their own vifible preferva❝tion, that, as We have already fold or pawn'd our own "Jewels, and coin'd our own Plate, fo We are willing to fell "all our own Lands and Houses for their relief: Yet We do "not doubt but Our good Subjects will seriously confider Our "Condition, and their own Duties, and think our readiness to "protect them with the utmost hazard of our Life, deferves "their readiness to affift Us with some part of Their For "tunes; and, whilft other Men give a twentieth part of Their "Eftates to enable them to forfeit the other nineteen, that "they will extend themselves to Us in a liberal, and free pro"portion, for the preservation of the reft, and for the mainte"nance of God's true Religion, the Laws of the Land, the Li "berty of the Subject, and the Safety, and very Being of Par "liaments, and this Kingdom: For if all thefe ever were, or "can be, in manifeft danger, 'tis now in this prefent Rebel"lion against Us. "LASTLY, We will and require all Our Loving Subjects, ❝of what degree or quality foever, as they will Anfwer it to "God, to Us, and to Pofterity, by their Oaths of Alle❝giance, and Supremacy; as they would not be look'd upon "now, and remember'd hereafter, as Betrayers of the Laws "and Liberties they were born to; that they in no degree "fubmit to this wild pretended Ordinance, and that they pre"fume not to give any Encouragement, or Affiftance to the "Army now in Rebellion against Us; which if notwithstand"ing they fhall do, they muft expect from Us the feverest "punishment the Law can inflict, and a perpetual Infamy with "all good Men,... 3763 L WHATSOEVER every Man could fay to another against that Ordinance, and whatfoever the King faid to them all against it, it did bring in a great fupply of Money, and gave them a ftock of Credit to borrow more; fo that the Army was again drawn out, though but to Winter Quarters, twenty Miles from London, and the Earl of Effex fix'd his head Quar ters at Windfor, to ftreighten the King's new Garrison at Reading, and fent ftrong Parties still abroad, which got as much ground as, at that time of the year, could reasonably be expected; that is, brought thofe adjacent Counties entirely under the obedience of the Parliament, which would at least have kept themselves Neutral: And still perfwaded the People, "That their work was even at an end,and that the King's "Forces would be swallow'd up in a very fhort time: fo that there was no day, in which they did not publifh themselves to have obtain’d some notable Victory, or taken fome Town, H 3 when when in truth each Party wifely abftain'd from disturbing the other: Yet the bulk of their fupply came only from the City of London. For, though their Ordinance extended soverothe whole Kingdom, they had power to execute it only there for it was not yet time to try the Affections of all places within their own Verge, with the fevere exercise of that Au thority. AND therefore divers of the Wealthiest and most Subftan tial Citizens of London, obferving liberty to be taken by all Men to Petition the Houfes, and the multitude of the Peti tioners to carry great Authority with them, and from thofe Multitudes and that Authority, the brand: to have been laid upon the City, "Of being an Enemy to Peace, met together and prepared a very modeft and moderate Petition to the Houles; in which they defir'd "Such Propofitions and Ad2 "dreffes might be made by them to his Majefty, as he might "with his Honour comply with, and thereby a happy Peace "enfue; which, being fign'd by many thoufand hands, was ready to be prefented, but was not receiv'd by the Houfe of Commons, for no other reafon publickly given, but That "it was prepared by à Multitude; and objections were framed against the principal Promoters of it, upon other pretences of Delinquency; fo that they were compell'd to forfake othe Town, and that Party were, for the prefent, discountenanced. Ar the fame time the Inhabitants of Westminster, St Mar2 tins, and Covent-Garden, who always underwent the Imputa tion, of being well affected to the King, prepared the like Retition, and met with the fame reproach, being strictly inhi bited to approach, the Houfes with more than fix in Com pany. This unequal kind of proceeding added nothing to their Reputation, and they eafily difcern'd those humors, thus obftructed, would break out the more violently: therefore they again refumed all profeffions of a defire of Peace, and appoints ed a Committee to prepare Propofitions to be fent to the King to that purpose; and because they found that would be a work of time (for the reasons which will be anon rememberd and that many Arts were to be apply'd to the feveral affe ctions, and to wipe out the imagination that the City defir'd Peace upon any other Terms than they did, and the difad vantage that accrew'd to them by fuch imagination, and alfo to stay the appetite of those who were importunate to have any advance made towards Peace, having procured, by the Activity of their Agents and Minifters, to have fuch a Com mon Counfel chofen for the City, as would undoubtedly comply with their defires and defigns, they underhand directed their own Mayor to engage that Body in fuch a Petition to his Majefty, as, carrying the fenfe and reputation of the whole whole City, might yet fignify nothing to the prejudice of the two Houfes; and fo a Petition was framed in thefe words: Djelo t To the King's moft Excellent Majefty; The humble Petition of the Mayor Aldermen, and Commons * Sheweth, A Petition of the City "THAT the Petitioners, your Majesty's most humble and "Loyal Subjects, being much pierced with the long and great to the King. "divifions between your Majefty and both your Houfes of "Parliament, and with the fad and bloody effects thereof, "both here, and in Ireland, are yet more deeply wounded by "the mifapprehenfion, which your Majefty feemeth to enter"tain of the Love and Loyalty of this your City, as if there "were fome caufe of fear, or fufpicion of danger to your Royal "Perfon if your Majefty fhould return hither; and that this "is made the unhappy bar to that bleffed Reconciliation with "your Great and moft Faithful Council for preventing that "defolation, and deftruction, which is how moft apparently "imminent to your Majefty, and all your Kingdoms: FOR fatisfaction therefore of your Majefty, and clearing "of the Petitioners Innocency, they moft humbly declare, as "formerly they have done, That they are no way conscious "of any difloyalty, but abhor all thoughts thereof; and that "they are refolv'd to make good their late folemn Protefta "tion, and facred Vow, made to Almighty God; and, with "the laft drop of their dearest bloods, to defend, and main"tain the true Reform'd Proteftant Religion, and, according "to the Duty of their Allegiance, your Majefty's Royal Per"fon, Honour, and Eftate (whatfoever is malicioufly and "falfely fuggefted to your Majefty to the contrary) as well as "the Power, and Privileges of Parliament, and the Lawful 争 Rights and Liberty of the Subject: And do hereby engage "themselves, their Eftates, and all they have, to their utmost "Power, to defend and preferve your Majefty, and both "Houfes of Parliament, from all Tumults, Affronts, and Vio"lence, with as much Loyalty, Love, and Duty, as ever Ci❝tizens exprefs'd towards your Majefty, or any of your Royal "Progenitors in their greateft Glory. "THE Petitioners therefore, upon their bended Knees, "do moft humbly befeech your Majefty, to return to your "Parliament (accompanied with your Royal, not Martial "Attendance) to the end that Religion, Laws, and Liberties, "may be fettled, and fecured, and whatfoever is amifs in "Church, and Common-wealth, Reform'd by their Advice, "according H 4 according to the fundamental Constitutions of this Kingdom: "And that fuch a Peace may thereby be obtain'd, as fhall be "for the Glory of God, the Honour, and Happiness of your "Majefty, and Pofterity, and Welfare of all your Loyal Sub"jects; who (the Petitioners are fully affur'd) whatsoever is "given out to the contrary, do unanimoufly defire the Peace "herein exprefs'd. THOUGH this Petition was in effect no other than to defire the King to disband his Army, and to put himself into the abfolute difpofal of the Parliament, and therefore all Wife Men concluded that no great Progrefs would be made by it towards Peace; yet fo fotted and infatuated were the People, that, upon this very Petition, they were prevailed with to fubmit to another Subfcription for Money, and Plate, for the neceffary Provifion of Arms, Ammunition, and Pay of their Army, until their disbanding and return home to their feveral Counties; that fo they might not be occafion'd, through want of Pay, to Plunder, Rob, or Pillage by the way homewards, after their discharge and difmiffion. So that Men, were perfwaded that this was now the laft Tax they should be invited to, though every one of thofe Ordinances and Declarations loaded the King with fome new Calumnies, and Reproaches, that it was plain the Authors of them meant not fo foon to put themselves under his Subjection. THIS Petition was about the tenth of January 1642, prefented to the King at Oxford, by fome Aldermen, and others of the Common Council, who were for the most part of moderate Inclinations. The King confider'd fadly what Answer to return; for, albeit it appear'd that the Petition had been craftily framed by those who had no thoughts of Peace, and that there was no Argument in it to hope any good from that People; yet there were to vulgar Understandings, very fpecious and popular Profeffions of great Piety, and Zeal to his Service, and care of his Security; and he was to be very tender in feeming to doubt the Inclinations, and Affections of that City, by whose strength chiefly the War was fupported, and that ftrength procured by corrupting thofe Affections: And therefore the King was not forry to have this opportu nity of faying fomewhat, and communicating himself freely to the City, being perfwaded, that the ill they did, proceeded rather from milinformation than any general, or habitual Malice in them. All his Proclamations, Meffages, and Declara, tions, had been with fo much industry fupprefs'd there, that they were not in truth generally inform'd of the matter of Fact, and the Juftice of the King's Caufe; and therefore he was perfwaded that if he enlarged himself, in his Answer to this Petition, and expofed thofe few Men who were most notoriously Malignant against the Government of the Church and State, and who were generally known to be fo, to the knowledge of the People, that it would at leaft leffen their Power and Ability to do hurt; and so he refolv'd to return an Answer to them in these words: "THAT his Majesty doth not entertain any misapprehen "fion of the Love, and Loyalty of his City of London; as he "hath always exprefs'd a fingular regard and efteem of the Af"fections of that City, and is still defirous to make it his chief "place of Residence, and to continue, and renew, many Marks "of his Favour to it; fo he believes, much the better and "greater part of that his City is full of Love, Duty, and Loy"alty to his Majefty; and that the Tumults which heretofore "forced his Majefty, for his fafety, to leave that place, though "they were contriv'd and encourag'd by fome principal Mem"bers thereof (who are fince well known, though they are "above the reach of Juftice) confifted more of defperate Per"fons of the Suburbs, and the neighbouring Towns (who were "mifled too by the cunning and malice of their Seducers) "than of the Inhabitants of that City. He looks on his good "Subjects there as Perfons groaning under the fame burden "which doth opprefs his Majefty, and aw'd by the fame Per"fons who begot thofe Tumults, and the fame Army which "gave Battle to his Majefty: And therefore, as no good Sub'ject can more defire from his Soul, a composure of the ge"neral Distractions; fo no good Citizen can more defire the "establishment of the particular Peace, and Profperity of that "place, by his Majesty's access thither, than his Majesty him "felf doth. "BUT his Majefty defires his good Subjects of London, fe "rioufly to confider, what confidence his Majefty can have of "fecurity there, whilft the Laws of the Land are fo notoriously "defpifed, and trampled under foot, and the wholesome Go"vernment of that City, heretofore fo famous over all the "World, is now fubmitted to the Arbitrary Power of a few "defperate Perfons, of no reputation, but for malice and dif"loyalty to Him; whilst Arms are taken up, not only with "out, but againft His Confent, and exprefs Command, and "Collections publickly made, and Contributions avow'd, for "the maintenance of the Army which hath given him Battle, "and therein ufed all poffible means, Treafon and Malice could fuggeft to them, to have taken his Life from him, and to "have deftroy'd his Royal Iffue; whilft fuch of his Majesty's "Subjects, who out of Duty and Affection to his Majesty, and Compaffion of their bleeding Country, have labour'd for "Peace, |