HIS Majestie having long expected a conclusion of a happie Peace within that Kingdome, and his affaires having highly suffered by the faylure of his expectations from thence, cannot chuse but wonder what cause is of it; calling to mind those faire professions and promises which you made unto him, when you were imployed here as Agents, [Page 2] and knowing well what powers and instructions he hath long since given my Lord Lieutenant to comply with you for your satisfaction, as farre forth as with any reason or honour his Majestie could in civill things, or with prudence, or con­science, in matters of Religion; and in this latter, as to the utmost of what for any wordly consideration, hee will ever be induced unto: so did he conceive it nothing lesse, then what you de­clared unto him, you were perswaded the Catho­liques would be satisfied withall; nay, ought not in their owne interests, to seeke more in the pre­sent Condition His Majestie was in, lest any further concessions might by confirming former scandalls cast upon his Majestie in matters of Re­ligion, so alienate the hearts of his Faithfull and Loyall Adherents, as to make them abandon him, which as yet would draw inevitable ruine upon him; so were you rightly apprehensive, that when the Rebells should by that meanes have prevailed here, it must soone after bring a cer­taine destruction upon your selves; What your change of Principles, or Resolutions are, His Majestie knowes not: But he findes, by the not concluding of a Peace there, that your Partie (it seemes) is not satisfied with the utmost that His Majestie can grant in Matters of Religion; that is, the taking away of the Penall Lawes against Roman Catholiques within that King­dome: And his Majestie heares that you insist [Page 3] upon the Demands of Churches, for the Pub­lique Exercise of your Religion, which is the oc­casion that His Majestie hath commanded me to Write thus Frankly unto you, and to tell you, that he cannot believe it possible, that Rationall and Prudent men (had there beene no Proposi­tions made to the contrary) can insist upon that, which must needs be so destructive to His Maje­stie at the present, and to your selves, in the consequences of His Ruine; that is, inevitably to be made a prey to the Rebells of these King­domes, or to a Forraine Nation. Wherefore, (my Lords and Gentlemen) to disabuse you, I am commanded by His Majestie to Declare unto you, that were the condition of His Affaires much more desperate then it is, hee would never redeeme them by any concession of so much wrong, both to His Honour, and Conscience. It is for the defence of His Religion principal­ly, that he hath undergone the extremities of Warre here, and hee will never redeeme His Crowne by sacrificing of it there: so that to deale clearely with you, you may be happie your selves, and be happie Instruments of His Majesties resto­ring, if you will be contented with reason, and give him that speedie assistance which you well may; and so if nothing will content you, but what must wound His Honour, and Conscience, you must expect, that how low soever his Condi­tion is, and how detestable soever the Rebells of [Page 4] this Kingdome are to Him, hee will in that poynt joyne with them, the Scots, or with any of the Protestant Profession,, rather then doe the least act that may hazard that Religion, in which, and for which, hee will live and die. Having said thus much by his Majesties Command, I have no more to adde, but that I shall thinke my selfe very happie, if this take any such effect as may tend to the Peace of that Kingdome, and make me

Your affectionate humble Servant, 1. August, 1645.

HAving commanded your fellow Secretary to give you a full accompt, as well of our Proceedings here as Resolutions, I will neither trouble you nor my Selfe with re­petitions; onely for my selfe, I must de­sire you to let everie one know, that no distresse [...] of for­tune whatsoever, shall make me by the grace of God, in any thing recede from those grounds I layd downe to you, who were my Commissioners at Uxbridge, and which (I thanke them) the Rebells have published in Print: and though I could have wished that their paines had beene spared, yet I will neither denie that those things are mine which they have set out in my Name (onely some words here and there mistaken, and some Comma's mis­placed, but not much materiall) nor as a good Prote­stant or honest man, blush for any of those Papers: indeed as a discreet man I will not justifie my Selfe, and yet I would faine know him who would be willing, that the free­dome of all his private Letters were publikely seene as mine have now beene. However, so that one clause bee rightly understood, I care not much though the rest take [Page 6] their Fortune; It is concerning the Mungrell Parlia­ment: the truth is, That Sussex his Factiousnesse at that time put mee somewhat out of patience, which made me freely vent my displeasure against those of his partie to my wife, and the intention of that Phrase was, That his Faction did what they could to make it come to that, by their raysing and fomenting of base Propositions. This is clearely evidenced by my following excuse to her for suffering those people to trouble her, the reason being to eschew those greater inconveniencies which they had, and were more likely to cause here then there. I am now going to supper, and so I rest