Having received ſignal teſtimonies of your good Affection to Us and our Government, ſo Antient and Fundamental in this Our Kingdom, whereby the Peace and Welfare, not only of your ſelves, but Poſterity is moſt highly concerned, and calling to mind the many Contrivances, and ſubtil Inſinuations the Enemies of our and your Peace have formerly ſet on foot, to ſeduce our good Subjects, and thereby cheat them of that Tranquility which they enjoyed in a wealthy and flouriſhing Eſtate for many years together, under the Reign of our Royal Grandfather, and Father of ever Glorious Memorie; and to the end ſuch horrid Examples, as of late have been uſed, the Only ſources of thoſe unheard-of Miſeries, may not again be put in practice in theſe our Kingdoms, and e • pecially in this our Native City (for the good proſperity and preſervation whereof we have, and do uſe all the care and vigilance we can) We have thought fit to let you know, we are not ignorant, there are ſome Active and Turbulent ſpirits in that our City, who do not value, as they ought, our many Acts of Favour and Grace, ſo lately vouchſaf'd unto them, which we well hoped might have reclaimed, and not hardened them in their wickedneſs; ſo that at length we shall be forced to that ſeverer part of Juſtice which we have hitherto waved: It were no hard matter for us to paint out thoſe very Wards, and Perſons, who are labouring their own miſchief, in contriving the choice of ſuch to be of the next Common Council, • s have been too faulty in former Tranſactions, and are known Oppoſers of all Regular Government, • oth in Church and State. We do therefore hereby Admonish, Require, and Command you to take ſpecial care, and give ſtrict Order in the general Wards, that a peaceable and quiet Election be made, and that the Choice be of ſuch Perſons, as are every way well affected to the eſtabliſhed Government, both in Church and State; if otherwiſe, you will enforce us to an unwilling change of ſuch Elections; and We cannot be blamed, if We are thus compelled in Matters of this Nature, which We are more than willing to forbear, and do ſtill hope You will give Us no cauſe to blame You, or trouble Our ſelf in that Particular. We have thought fit to give You this Advertiſement, to the end our good Subjects may againſt that day (which we hear is not far off) bethink themſelves who are the fitteſt Perſons to preſerve Our Peace; and therein We will not omit to let You know we ſhall eſteem it as a Character of Your loyaltie to Us, if not in this alone, but in the Choice of all other Officers, You appoint ſuch perſons as have been Aſſerters of the Laws eſtabliſhed, or at the leaſt, not Acting Inſtruments againſt them, and Our juſt Rights, and ſuch You cannot want in that populous City, who are Free-men thereof.

As to your choice of a Bridg maſter, We ſhall not interpoſe by recommending any perſon to You, in that particular, but hoping You will follow the Directions given, We leave it to Your ſelves, upon this Confidence, that You will give us no cauſe to repent of our former kindneſs, but rather, to repeat new ones; which, be aſſured We have a very great deſire, and inclination to, As occaſion ſhall be offered; and that our directions herein may be the more effectual, Our pleaſure is, that You ſend tranſcripts of this our Letters, to the ſeveral Wards of this Our City, not doubting, but by the knowing Our deſires, to prevent the many inconveniences that may happen by ill Elections, they will readily comply with Our pleaſure in this particular, and ſo we bid You heartily farewell.