C R
‘HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE’ ‘DIEV ET MON DROIT’

HIS MAJESTIES Gracious Letter And DECLARATION, Sent to the House of PEERS, By Sir John Greenvill, Knight.

From BREDA: And read in the House the first of May, 1660.

Die Martis, 1 o Maii, 1660.

ORdered by the Lords in Parliament Assembled, That His Majesties Gracious Letter and Decla­ration be forthwith Printed and Published, for the Ser­vice of the House and Satisfaction of the Kingdom: And that no Person do presume to Re-Print either of them.

JO. BROWNE Cleric. Parliamentorum.

London, Printed by John Macock, and Francis Tyton, Printers to the House of Lords, 1660.

TO THE SPEAKER OF THE House of Peers, And to the LORDS There Assembled.

CHARLES R.

RIght Trusty and Right Well-Beloved Cosins, and Right Tru­sty and Well-Beloved Cosins, and Trusty and Right Well-Be­loved, [Page 6]We Greet you Well: We can­not have a better reason to promise Our Self an end of Our Common Suffer­ings and Calamities, and that Our Own Just Power and Authority will with Gods Bles­sing be Restored to Us, then that We hear You are again acknowledged to have that Authority and Jurisdiction, which hath al­waies belonged to You, by Your Birth, and the Fundamental Laws of the Land: And VVe have thought it very fit and safe for Us, to call to you for your help in the composing the confounding Distempers and Distracti­ons of the Kingdom, in which your Sufferings are next to those VVe have undergone Our Self; And therefore you cannot but be the most proper Counsellors for removing those Mischiefs, and for preventing the like for the future: How great a Trust We repose in you for the Procuring and Establishing a Blessed Peace and Security for the Kingdome; will appear to You by Our Enclosed Declara­tion; which Trust, VVe are most confi­dent You will discharge with that Justice [Page 7]and VVisdome, that becomes You, and must alwayes be expected from You; and that upon your Experience, how one Violation Succeeds another, when the known Rela­tions, and Rules of Justice, are once trans­gressed, you will be as jealous for the Rights of the Crown, and for the Honour of your King, as for your Selves: And then you cannot but discharge your Trust with good Success, and provide for, and Establish the Peace, Happiness, and Ho­nour of King, Lords, and Commons, up­on that Foundation which can only sup­port it, and VVe shall be all happy in each other: And as the whole Kingdome will bless God for you all, so VVe shall hold Our Self obliged in an especial man­ner to thank you in particular, according to the Affection you shall express towards Us: VVe need the less enlarge to you up­on this Subject, because VVe have likewise writ to the House of Commons, which VVe suppose they will Communicate to you: And VVe pray God to bless your joynt En­deavours [Page 8]for the good of Us all; and so VVe bid you very heartily farewel. Given at our Court at Breda, this [...] Day of April, 1660. In the Twelfth Year of our Reign.

Charles R.

CHARLES By the Grace of God King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c.
To all Our Lo­ving Subjects of what de­gree or quality soever, Gree­ting.

If the generall Distraction and Confusion which is spread over the whole Kingdome, doth not awaken all men to a desire and longing, that those wounds which have so many yeers toge­ther been kept bleeding, may be bound up, all We can say will be to no purpose. However af­ter [Page 10]this long silence, We have thought it Our du­ty to Declare, How much We desire to Contri­bute thereunto; and that as We can never give over the hope in good time to obtain the posses­sion of that Right which God and Nature hath made Our Due; So We doe make it Our daily Suit to the Divine Providence, That He will in compassion to Us and Our Subjects, after so long Misery and Sufferings, remit, and put Us into a quiet and peaceable possession of that Our Right, with as little blood and dammage to Our people as is possible. Nor doe We desire more to enjoy what is Ours, then that all Our Subjects may en­joy what by Law is theirs, by a full and entire Administration of Justice throughout the Land, and by extending Our Mercy where it is wanted and deserved.

And to the End that the feare of Punishment may not engage any conscious to themselves of what is passed, to a perseverance in guilt for the future, by opposing the Quiet and Happinesse of their Country in the Restoration both of King, Peers and People to their just, ancient, and Fun­damentall [Page 11]Rights, We doe by these presents De­clare, That We doe grant a Free and General Par­don, which We are ready upon demand to passe under Our Great Seal of England, to all Our Sub­jects of what degree or quality soever, who with­in forty dayes after the publishing hereof shall lay hold upon this Our Grace and Favour; and shall by any publick Act declare their doing so, and that they return to the Loyalty and obedi­ence of good Subjects: Excepting only such per­sons as shall hereafter be excepted by Parliament: Those onely excepted, let all Our Subjects how faulty soever relie upon the Word of a King, so­lemnly given by this present Declaration, That no crime whatsoever committed against Us, or Our Royall Father before the publication of this, shall ever rise in judgement, or be brought in question against any of them, to the least endammagement of them, either in their Lives, Liberties or Estates, or (as far forth as lyes in Our power) so much as to the prejudice of their Reputations, by any Reproach or term of distinction from the rest of Our best Subjects. We desiring and Ordaining that hence forward [Page 12]all Notes of discord, separation and difference of parties be utterly abolished among all Our Sub­jects, whom We invite and conjure to a perfect Union among themselves, under Our Protection, for the Re-settlement of Our just Rights and theirs in a Free Parliament, by which upon the Word of a King, We will be advised.

And because the Passion and uncharitable­nesse of the times have produced severall Opi­nions in Religion, by which men are engaged in parties and animosities against each other, which when they shall hereafter unite in a free­dom of conversation will be composed, or better understood: We do declare a Liberty to tender Consciences; and that no man shall be disquieted or call'd in question for differences of opinion in matter of Religion, which doe not disturbe the Peace of the Kingdom; And that We shall be ready to Consent to such an Act of Parliament, as upon mature delibera­tion shall be offered to Us for the full granting that Indulgence.

And because in the continued distractions of so many yeares, and so many and great Re­volutions, many Grants and Purchases of E­states have been made to, and by, many Of­ficers, Souldiers, and others, who are now possessed of the same, and who may be lya­ble to Actions at Law upon severall Titles, We are likewise willing, That all such Dif­ferences, and all things relating to such Grants, Seals, and Purchases shall be de­termined in Parliament, which can best pro­vide for the just satisfaction of all men who are concerned.

And We doe further declare, That We will be ready to consent to any Act or Acts of Parliament to the purposes aforesaid, and for the full satisfaction of all Arreares due to the Officers and Souldiers of the Army under the Command of Generall Monck: And that they shall be received into Our Ser­vice upon as good pay and Conditions as they now enjoy.

Given under Our Signe Manuall and Pri­vy Signet at Our Court at Breda this 4/14 day of April 1660. in the twelfth year of Our Raign.

LONDON, Printed by John Macock and Francis Tyton, Printers to the House of LORDS. 1660.

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