THat whereas upon Wednesday, the 8 day of June instant, the Trayned Bands of the Di­vision of Caister Sessions, were summoned by Francis Lord VVilloughby of Parham and the Committe, to appear at Caister before them, contrary to your Majesties Proclama­tion; Your Petitioner being there, was in­formed against by one Francis Fields and Iohn Barnard for reading Your Majesties said Proclamation, and sent for and delivered to a Messenger, and disarmed to his great disgrace in the presence of his own Souldiers, and to the great dis­heartning of the Countrey from Your Majesties service; which said Proclamation was sleighted, and termed a sediti­ous Pamphlet by Sir Christopher VVray, who called himselfe Captain of the said Company which your Petitioner com­mands under Your Majestie; and told the Souldiers he would live and dye with them, and would gladly know who durst oppose their proceedings: further saying, That he heard that the Earle of Lindsey was to be there that day, whom he [Page 2] would be glad to see, for they had a Messenger ready to re­ceive him. All that Your Petitioner was then charged with was, that He had said the day before, That there was a brave appearance of the Trained Bands at Lincolne of some fifteen or sixteen; which was interpreted to be an affront to their proceedings, and was threatned to be further charged at Lowth the next day with businesse of a high Nature, and to have witnesses produced against him face to face; which said witnesses never appeared, your Petitioner being all this while under commitment contrary to Law, which being of­fered to be argued in point of Law by Sir Gervase Scroop in the behalf of your Petitioner; It was answered by Sir Chri­stopher VVray, That they came thither, neither to dispute the Law, nor to be taught the Law, nor did value the Law, but must observe the Orders of the House; sufficient Bayle being offered was utterly refused, your Petitioner being still under commitment and commanded to wait their further pleasures at Horne Castle the next day; where, being able to prove no­thing against him, they released him.

Your Petitioner therefore humbly desireth, That Your Ma­jestie would be graciously pleased to call these men to answer their contempt against Your Majestie, and to make satisfaction to your Petitioner for the injury and publique disgrace, they have put upon him.

And your Petitioner will daily pray, &c.

THat it is not at all strange to Him, That those persons who have ventured to assume a command over the Militia (a Right of His never before separa­ted from the Crown) by direction from those who pretend to this power by the Fundamen­tall Laws, and yet vouchsafe not to shew any one Clause of any one Statute, or any one president of any time, which might seem, with the least colour, to give them that Au­thority, though He hath often pressed them to it, and as little vouchsafe any Answer to the Statutes, or to those multiplyed and perpe­tuall presidents, which cleerly and palpably declare that Authority, to be in Him, should use that Authority with as much injustice as they have assumed it; And not onely term His legall Proclamation a seditious [Page 4] Pamphlet (since it is most certain, that if that be not, then they are most seditious,) but contrary to the Law of the Land, both anci­ent and modern, both to Magna Charta, and to the Petition of Right, vex and imprison His good subjects for a legall obedience to His le­gall commands, or a legall disobedience or disrespect to their illegall Orders and Acti­ons; since He often before foretold, that their Contempt of His Regall Rights and Prero­gatives, which are the guard of His Subjects Liberties, would in short time encourage them to destroy those too, when that which should guard them were oure destroyed. And as little doth His Majestie wonder that the Insolence of thus violating ancient and known Laws should encourage them to that of using words proportionable to their acti­ons, and professing (with great truth and ingenuity) that they value not the Law. His Majestie neverthelesse (not following the example of other men in concluding any thing before examination) is resolved to have the truth of these allegations legally exami­ned, and if (as is very probable by the annex­ed Affidavit) they be found true, to provide by all legall wayes, That both His Majestie [Page 5] and the Petitioner may receive full satisfa­ction for the injuries done to both, and to the Law of the Land; His Majestie professing it the principall reason of His desire to have justice in the like matters done to Him, that (His just Authority being no longer scorned and vilified) He may be enabled to see it done to others, and that His good Subjects, who are wisely carefull to defend the Law (which is their common Birthright, and to which onely they owe all they have besides) may not (by unjust and intolerable oppressions) be made Martyrs for it.

CAptain William Booth of Killingholm, and William Scroop of Little Coats, in the County of Lincoln Gentlemen make Oath, That the Petition delivered by the said Wil­liam Booth unto his Majestie, concerning the imprison­ment he suffered, by the Command of Francis Lord Wil­loughby of Parham, and the rest of the Committees of Parliament for the County aforesaid, and all the Actions and Passages therein expressed are most true, in that manner and forme therein is declared.