I Am Resolved to leave nothing unattempted on My Part, which may contribute to the Peace and Prosperity of this Nation; And finding My Presence in Ireland will be absolutely ne­cessary for the more speedy Reducing of that Kingdom, I continue My Resolution of going thither as soon as may be; And I have now Called you together for your Assistance, to Enable Me to Prosecute the War with Speed and Vigour: In which I Assure My Self of your cheerful Concurrence, being a Work so necessary for your own Safeties.

In Order to this, I desire you will forthwith make a Settlement of the Revenue; and I cannot doubt, but you will therein have as much Regard for the Honour and Dignity of the Monarchy in My Hands, as has been lately shewed to others: And I have so great a Confidence in you, That if no Quicker on more Convenient way can be found for the Raising of Ready Money (without which the Service cannot be performed) I shall be very well Content, for the present, to have it made such a Fond of Credit as may be Useful to your selves as well as Me, in this Conjuncture, not ha­ving the least Apprehensions, but that you will provide for the ta­king off all such Anticipations as it shall happen to fall under.

It is sufficiently known how Earnestly I have Endeavoured to Extinguish (or at least Compose) all Differences amongst My Sub­jects, and to that End, how often I have Recommended an Act of Indemnity to the last Parliament; But since that Part of it which related to the Preventing of Private Suits is already Enacted, and because Debates of that Nature, must take up more of your Time [Page 4] then can now be spared from the Dispatch of those other Things, which are absolutely necessary for Our Common Safety, I intend to send you an Act of Grace, with Exceptions of some few Persons only, but such as may be sufficient to shew My great Dislike of their Crimes, and at the same time My Readiness to extend Prote­ction to all My other Subjects, who will thereby see, that they can Recommend themselves to Me by no other Methods then what the Laws Prescribe, which shall always be the only Rules of My Go­vernment.

A further Reason which induceth Me to send you this Act at this time, is, Because I am desirous to leave no Colour of Excuse to any of My subjects for the Raising of Disturbances in the Go­vernment, and especially in the time of My Absence: And I say this, both to Inform you, and to let some Ill Affected Men see, That I am not unacquainted how busie they are in their present Endeavours to Alter it.

Amongst other Encouragements which I find they give them­selves, one of the Ways by which they hope to Compass their Designs, is, By creating Differences and Disagreements in your Counsels, which I hope you will be very Careful to Prevent; For be assured, That Our greatest Enemies can have no better Instruments for their Purposes, then those who shall any way en­deavour to Disturb or Delay your Speedy and Unanimous Pro­ceeding upon these necessary Matters.

I must Recommend also to your Consideration an Union with Scotland; I do not mean it should now be entred upon, but they having Proposed this to Me some time since, and the Parliament there having Nominated Commissioners for that purpose, I should be glad that Commissioners might also be Nominated here to Treat with them, and to see if such Terms could be Agreed on, as might be for the Benefit of both Nations, so as to be ready to be Presented to you in some future Session.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

I have thought it most convenient to leave the Administration of the Government in the Hands of the QUEEN during My Ab­sence; And if it shall be judg'd necessary to have an Act of Parlia­ment for the better Confirmation of it to Her, I Desire you will let such an one be prepared to be Presented to Me.

I have this only to add, That the Season of the Year, and My Journey into Ireland, will admit but of a very short Session; so that I must Recommend to you the making such Dispatch, that We may not be Engaged in Debates when Our Enemies shall be in the Field: for the Success of the War, and the more Thrifty Management of it, will both principally depend upon your speedy Resolutions. And I hope it will not be long before We shall Meet again, to perfect what the Time will not now allow to be done.