His Maiestie hath given me expresse command to give you this His Answer to your Petition.

THat He sees plainly that this Petition of yours hath been framed with­out having heard the Answer His Majestie gave to His Parliament, upon their Petition to Him for desisting from His Iourney into Ire­land; for He cannot thinke that that Countrey (from whence He hath received formerly so good expressions of their loyall Intentions, by two former Petitions presented long since to Him and the Parliament) would have been so much mistaken, as to have made this Petition, after they had seen and well con­sidered His Majesties said Answer. And His Majestie observes very well, that this Petition is not like others, which by an untimely Zeal, have desired Him to return to His Parliament; You onely desiring Him there to reside, where with more conveni­ency and security He may consult with His great Councell, then by going into Ireland: His Majestie being confident, That your well weighing of His Answers concerning that subject, hath been the cause that you have not imitated some few other Countreys in that particular; And that you have well considered the Rebellious Affront offered to Him at Hull, by a hostile opposition of His entrance; and therefore beleeves that the same Reason which made you, at this time expresse your tender care of His Person, and the former good expressions you made of your Loyalty and right-set Affections to the good of the whole Kingdom, may sooner induce you to Petition the Parliament to apply themselves to a right understanding of His Majesties wayes and intentions, and to do Him Iustice for that Affront, then make you to preferre any such ill-groun­ded Petition. And that you may be the better informed of His Majesties proceedings in those particulars; He recommends to your view and consideration, His Answers to the Declaration presented to Him at New-market, to the Petition presented to Him at York the 26 of March last, concerning His journey into Ireland, His two Messages and Declaration concerning Hull; all which, when it shall be fully represented to the rest of your County, He doubts not but that you will rest very well satisfied of His con­stant Resolution for the maintaining of, and governing you by the Law of the Land, His unmoveable Resolutions for the maintenance and defence of the true Protestant Profession, and the suppression and chastising of the barbarous Irish Rebellion, As for your apprehensions of danger of being left naked, and not put into a Posture of De­fence, His Majestie assures you, That He will take care that it shall be done in the true old legall way which hath been used in this Kingdom, without bringing in strangers to govern you, or admitting new and exorbitant Powers, derogating both from His Majesties undoubted Legall Authority, and the Liberty of the Subject, which, as He hath constantly denied, so He expects, and no wayes doubts, but that you will give O­bedience to that, and that onely, which shall proceed from His Majesty in a Legall way.

Subscribed by M. Secretary Nicholas.