BY THE KING.
¶ His
Majesties Proclamation and Declaration concerning a Clause in one of the late Articles at
Reading.
WHEREAS, by Our late Proclamation bearing date the Eighteenth day of Aprill, We did declare Our gratious Pleasure to grant Our free and generall Pardon to all Captains and Officers (not formerly excepted in any of Our Proclamations and Declarations) and to all Common-Souldiers then under the Command of the Earle of Essex, under the Conditions and Limitations expressed in Our said Proclamation, And that We would look upon such Persons as should returne to their due obedience to Us, as upon Persons seduced by the Cunning and Falshood of the Authors of the present Rebellion, and that if such Persons shall be willing to serve Us, they should be entertained in Our Army, Or, if they be not willing to serve, That they should have Our Pardon and free Passe, Provided they would take an Oath never to take up Armes against Us: And whereas by certain Articles between the Earle of Essex and the Commanders of Our Forces in Reading concerning their marching out of that Our Towne, such Persons were excepted who had left that Rebellious Army, and betaken themselves to Our Protection and Service in that Our Towne, and so were again upon the matter delivered up to those whom out of Conscience and Duty to Us they had forsaken; We have thought fit to declare, And We doe hereby declare to all the World, That We were not privy to, or in the least Degree consented to that exception, but doe hold the same most prejudiciall to Our service, and derogatory from Our Honour, and We should and alwaies shall chuse to runne any hazard or Danger the violence or Treason of Our Enemies can threaten, or bring upon Us, rather then to withdraw or deny Our Protection to any, who being convinced in their Consciences of their Disloyalty to Us shall returne to their duty, and betake themselves to Our service. And as Wee have referred to a Court of Warre the full examination of all the particular Proceedings in the delivery of that Towne, that so Iustice may be done accordingly, so We doe farther declare, That We shall alwaies proceed with all severity against all such as shall by the like dishonourable conditions expose Our Subjects, and bereave them of Our Protection, that have returned to their Obedience to Us. And We doe therefore once more assure all the Officers and Souldiers now in Rebellion against Us (except only such whom by name We have excepted in any of Our Proclamations or Declarations) That if they shall yet within sixe daies, after the publishing of this Our Proclamation, render themselves to Our Lieutenant Generall, or to any other Principall Officer of Our Army (so they commit no hostile Act in the mean time) they shall receive all the Grace & Favour mentioned in Our said Proclamation of the Eighteenth of Aprill, as if they had observed the time limited in that Our Proclamation. And We doe farther assure all such of Our good Subjects who shall so put themselves into Our hands, that they shall not only receive Our Grace and Protection, but that their former Errors shall never be remembred in the least degree to their disadvantage. And this We promise in the Word of a KING.
Given at Our Court at OXFORD, the Twelfth day of May, in the Ninteenth yeare of Our Reigne.
God Save the KING.