THough We have these last seven Moneths met with so many seve­rall Encounters of strange and unusuall Declarations, under the Names of both Our Houses of Parliament, that We should not be amazed at any new Prodigie of that kinde; And though their last of the 26. of May, gave Vs a fair Warning, that the Contrivers of it, having spent all their Stock of bitter and reproachfull Lan­guage upon Vs, We were to expect they should now break out into some bold and disloyall Actions against Vs; And having by that Declaration (as far as in them lies) devested Vs of that preemi­nence and authority, which God, the Law, the Custome and Consent of this Nation had placed in Vs, and assumed it to themselves, that they should likewise with expedition put forth the fruits of that supream Power, for the violating and suppressing [Page 2]that power they despised (an effect of which Reso­lution their wilde Declaration against Our Pro­clamation concerning the pretended Ordinance for the Militia, and thepunishing of the Proclaimers appears to be) yet We must confesse, in their last attempt (We speak of the last We know, they may probably since, or at this present have out-done that too) they have out-done what We conceive was their present Intention; And whosoever hears of Propositions and Orders for bringing in of Mo­ney or Plate to maintain Horse, Horse-men, and Arms for the preservation of the publike Peace, or for the defence of the King, and both Houses of Parliament (such is their Declaration, or what else they please to call it, of the 10. of Iune) will surely beleeve the Peace of this Kingdom to be ex­treamly shaken, and (at least) the King himself to be consulted with, and privie to these Propositions; But We hope, that when Our good Subjects shall finde; that this goodly Pretence of The defence of the King, is but a specious Bait to seduce weak and inconsiderate Men into the highest Acts of Disobedience and Disloyaltie against Vs, and of Violence and Destruction upon the Laws and Constitutions of the Kingdom, they will no longer be captivated by an implicite Reverence to the name of both Houses of Parliament, but will care­fully examine, and consider what number of Per­sons are present, and what Persons are prevalent in those Consultations, and how the Debates are probably managed, from whence such horrid and monstrous Conclusions do result, and will (at least) [Page 3]weigh the Reputation, Wisdom, and Affection of those, who are notoriously known, out of the very horrour of their proceedings to have withdrawn themselves, or by their skill and violence to be driven from them and their Counsells.

Whilest their Fears and Iealousies did arise, or were infused into the People from discourses of the Rebels in Ireland, of skippers at Rotterdam, of Forces from Denmark, France or Spain (how impro­bable and ridiculous soever that oundse of Infor­mation appeared to all wise and knowing Men) tis no wonder, if the easinesse to deceive, and the willingnesse to be deceived did prevail over many of Our weak Subjects, to beleeve that the Dan­gers, which they did not see, might proceed from Causes, which they did not understand: But for them to Declare to all the world, that We intend to make War against Our Parliament (whilest We sit still complaining to God Almighty of the in­jury offered to Vs, and to the very being of Parlia­ments) and that We have already begun actually to leavie Forces both of Horse and Foot (whilest We have onely in a legall way provided a smaller Guard for the security of Our own Person, so neer a Rebellion at Hull, then they have had, with­out lawfull authority, above these eight Moneths, upon imaginary and impossible dangers) to impose upon Our Peoples sense, as well as their under­standing, by telling them, We are doing that which they see We are not doing, and intending that they all know (as much as Intentions can be known) We are not intending, is a boldnesse, agreeable to [Page 4]no power, but the omnipotencie of those Votes, whose absolute Supremacie hath almost brought confusion upon King and People, and against which, no knowledge in matter of Fact, or consent and authority in matter of Law they will endure shall be opposed.

We have upon all occasions with all possible Expressions professed Our fast and unshaken Re­solutions for Peace; And We do again (in the presence of Almighty God Our Maker and Re­deemer) assure the world, that We have no more thought of making a War against Our Parlia­ment, then against Our own Children, That We will maintain and observe the Acts assented to by Vs this Parliament without Violation, of which, that for the frequent assembling of Parlia­ments is one; And that We have not, or shall not have any thought of using any Force; unlesse We shall be driven to it for the security of Our Person, and for the defence of the Religion, Laws, and Liberty of the Kingdom, and the just Rights and Priviledges of Parliament: And therefore We hope the Malignant Party, who have so much despised Our Person, and usurped Our Office, shall not by their specious fraudulent Insinuati­ons prevail with Our good Subjects, to give cre­dit to their wicked Assertions, and so to contribute their Power and Assistance for the ruine and de­struction of Vs and themselves.

For Our Guard about Our Person (which not so much their Example as their Provocation in­forced Vs to take) tis known it consists of the prime [Page 5]Gentry (in Fortune and Reputation) of this County, and of One Regiment of Our trained Bands, who have been so far from offering any affronts, injuries, or disturbance to any of Our good Subjects, that their principall end is to pre­vent such; and so may be security, can be no grie­vance to Our People. That some ill affected Per­sons, or any Persons have been imployed in other parts to raise Troops under colour of Our service, or have made large (or any) Offers of Reward and Preferment to such as will come in, is (for ought We know, and as We beleeve) an untruth devised by the Contrivers of this false Rumour; We disavow it, and are confident there will be no need of such Art or Industry to induce Our lo­ving Subjects, when they shall see Vs oppressed, and their Liberties and Laws confounded, (and till then We shall not call on them) to come in to Vs, and to assist Vs.

For the Delinquents, (whom We are said with an high and forcible hand to protect) let them be named, and their Delinquencie, and if We give not satisfaction to Iustice, when We shall have received satisfaction concerning Sir John Ho­tham by his legall Triall, then let Vs be blamed: But if the Designe be (as it is well known to be) after We have been driven by Force from Our City of London, and kept by force from Our Town of Hull, to protect all those who are De­linquents against Vs, and to make all those De­linquents who attend on Vs, or execute Our lawfull Commands; We have great reason to be [Page 6]satisfied in the truth and justice of such Accusa­tion; lest to be Our servant, and to be a Delin­quent grow to be Termes so convertible, that in a short time We be left as naked in attendance, as they would have Vs in power, and so compell Vs to be waited on onely by such whom they shall ap­point and allow, and in whose presence We should be more miserably alone, then in desolation it self.

And if the seditious Contrivers and Fomenters of this Scandall upon Vs, shall have (as they have had) the power to mis-lead the major Part present of either or both Houses, to make such Or­ders, and send such Messages and Messengers, as they have lately done, for the Apprehension of the great Earls and Barons of England, as if they were Rogues or Felons; And whereby persons of Honour and Quality are made Delinquents, meerly for attending upon Vs, and upon Our Summons, whilest other men are forbid to come neer Vs (though obliged by the Duty of their places and Oaths) upon Our lawfull Com­mands: It is no wonder if such Messengers are not very well entreated, and such Orders not obeyed; neither can there be a surer, and a cun­ninger way found out to render the Authority of both Houses scorned and vilified, then to assume to themselves (meerly upon the Authority of the name of Parliament) a Power monstrous to all understandings, and to do Actions, and to make Orders Evidently and Demonstrably contrary to all known Law and Reason, (As to take up Arms against Vs under colour of defending Vs, To [Page 7]cause Money to be brought in to them, and to for­bid Our own Money to be paid to Vs, or to Our use, under colour that We will imploy it ill; To beat Vs, and sterve Vs for Our own good, and by Our own Power and Authority) which must in short time make the greatest Court, and the great­est Person cheap, and of no estimation.

Who those sensible Men are of the publike Ca­lamities, of the Violations of the Priviledges of Parliament, and the Common Liberty of the Subject, who have been baffled & injured by Ma­lignant men, and Cavaliers about Vs, We cannot imagine; And if those Cavaliers are so much with­out the fear of God and Man, and so ready to com­mit all manner of Outrage and violence, as is pre­tended, Our Government ought to be the more esteemed, which hath kept them from doing so; inso­much as We beleeve no person hath cause to com­plain of any injurie, or of any dammage in the least degree, by any man about, or who hath offered his service to Vs: All which being duely consider­ed, if the Contrivers of these Propositions and Orders had been truly sensible of the Obligation which lyes upon them, in Honour, Conscience, and Dutie, according to the high Trust reposed in them by Vs and Our People, they would not have published such a sense and apprehension of immi­nent danger, when themselves in their consci­ences know that the greatest and (indeed) only dan­ger which threatens this Church and State, the blessed Religion and Liberty of Our People, is in their own desperate and seditious designes, and [Page 8]would not endeavour upon such weak and ground­lesse reasons to seduce Our good Subjects from their Affection and Loyalty to Ʋs, to run them­selves into Actions unwarrantable and destru­ctive to the Peace and Foundation of the Com­wealth.

And that all Our loving Subjects may see how causelesse and groundlesse this scandalous Rumour and Imputation of Our raising War upon Our Parliament is, We have with this Our Declaration caused to be Printed the Testi­mony of those Lords, and other Persons of Our Councell, who are here with Ʋs, who being up­on the Place, could not but discover such Our Intentions and Preparations, and cannot be su­spected for their Honours and Interests to com­bine in such mischievous and horrid Resolutions: And therefore We straightly charge and command all Our loving Subjects upon their Allegiance, and as they will answer the contrary at their Pe­rils, That they yeeld no obedience or consent to the said Propositions and Orders, and that they presume not (under any such Pretences, or by colour of any such Orders) to raise or leavie any Horse or Men, or to bring in any Money or Plate to such purpose: But if, notwithstanding this Cleer Declaration and Evidence of Our Inten­tions, these Men (whose Designe it is to compell Ʋs to raise War upon Our Parliament (which all their skill and malice shall never be able to effect) shall think fit by these Alarms to awaken Vs to a more necessary care of the defence of Our Self and [Page 9]Our people, and shall themselves (under co­lour of Defence) in so unheard of a manner pro­vide (and seduce others to do so too) to offend Vs, having given Vs so lively Testimony of their Af­fections what they are willing to do, when they have once made themselves able; All Our good Subjects will think it necessary to look to Our Self: And We do then excite all Our well affected people, according to their Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacie, and according to their solemn Vow and Protestation (whereby they are obliged to defend Our Person, Honour and Estate) to contribute their best Assistance to the Preparati­ons necessary for the opposing and suppressing of the Traiterous Attempts of such wicked and Ma­lignant Persons, who would destroy our Person, Honour and Estate, and engage the whole King­dom in a Civill War, to satisfie their own lawlesse Furie and Ambition, and so rob Our good Sub­jects of the blessed fruit of this present Parlia­ment, which they already in some degree have, and might still reap, (to the abundant satisfaction and joy of the whole Kingdom) if such wicked hands were not ready to ruine all their possession, and frustrate all their hopes.

We do therefore declare, That whosoever, of what degree or quality soever, shall then upon so urgent and visible necessity of Ours, and such an apparent distraction of the Kingdom, (caused and begotten by the malice & contrivance of this Ma­lignant partie) bring in to Vs, and Our use, ready Money or Plate, or shall underwrite to furnish any [Page 10]number of Horse, Horse-men and Armes for the Preservation of the publike peace, the defence of Our Person, and the vindication of the Priviledge and Freedom of Parliament, We shall receive it as a most acceptable service, and as a testimonie of his singular affection to the Protestant Religion, the Lawes, Liberties and Peace of the Kingdom, and shall no longer desire the continuance of that af­fection, then We shall be ready to justifie and main­tain those with the hazard of Our life.

And We do further Declare, that whosoever shall then bring in any sums of Money or plate to assist Vs in this great extremity, shall receive con­sideration after the Rate of 8 l. per Cent. for all such Monies as he shall furnish Vs withall, and shall upon the payment of such money to such Persons, whom We shall appoint to receive the same, receive security for the same by good lawfull Assurance of such of our Lands, Forests, Parks, and Houses, as shall be sufficient for the same, and more reall security then the name of Publike Faith given with­out Vs and against Vs, as if We were no part of the Publike; And besides We shall alwayes look upon it as a service most affectionately and sea­sonably performed for the preservation of Vs and the Kingdom: But We shall be much gladder that their submission to those Our Commands, and their desisting from any such Attempt of raising Horse or Men, may ease all Our good Subjects of that Trouble, Charge and Vexation.

THere having been many Rumours spread, and Informations given, which may have induced many to beleeve, That We intend to make War against Our Parliament; We professe before God, and declare to all the World, That We alwayes have, and do abhor all such Designes, and desire all Our Nobility and Coun­cell, who are here upon the place, to declare whether they have not been witnesses of Our frequent and earn­est Declarations and Professions to this purpose; whe­ther they see any colour of Preparations, or Counsels that might reasonably beget a belief of any such De­signe, and whether they be not fully perswaded, that We have no such Intention; But that all Our Endea­vours (according to Our many Professions) tend to the firm and constant settlement of the true Protestant Religion, the just Priviledges of Parliament, the Li­bertie of the Subject, the Law, Peace and Prosperitie of this Kingdom. Given at Our Court at York this fif­teenth of June, 1642.

WE whose Names are underwritten, in Obedience to His Majesties desire, and out of the Dutie which we owe to his Majesties Honour, and to Truth, being here upon the place, and Witnesses of His Majesties frequent and earnest Declarations and Profes­sions of His abhorring all Designes of making War upon His Parliament, and not seeing any colour of Preparati­ons or Counsels that might reasonably beget the belief of any such Designe, do professe before God, and testi­fie to all the World, That we are fully perswaded that His Majestie hath no such Intention, but that all His En­deavours tend to the firm and constant settlement of the true Protestant Religion, the just Priviledges of Parlia­ment, [Page 13]the Libertie of the Subject, the Law, Peace and Prosperitie of this Kingdom.