TO speak of princes is a task of as much difficulty as danger; Their wrath is said to be like the roaring of a Lyon which makes the wildernesse to trem­ble; Or like the dread­full Summons in the A [...]re when the Clouds do break, and the Battel of the thunder is re­ported: Their prudence and providence is [Page 2] compared to the eye of an Eagle, or to the restlesse Intelligences that do move the hea­venly bodies. Their eye is like that of the sun, over all Lands both to foresée and to prevent dangers as soon as they are meant. When we thought we had no vissible enemy but our own Ingratitude for misprizing y ^e great bles­sing of Peace, which other Nations cannot obtain

His Highnesse (whom God hath set over us for our Protector) and whose waking is our sléep, hath discovered the new designs of the old Enemy Charles Stuart and his party who are watching all opportunities to fill the Land with blood, and to destroy the flourish­ing of the Gospel amongst us, which we have enjoyed in a purer way then was ever in the dayes of his Father, or any of his Predeces­sors: For although men do fail in their pra­ctise, the Gospell certainly was never more purely taught then is at this present: His Highness to give unto the City a knowled [...]e of what so happily he had discovered, and so provide a remedy to prevent the great danger that did threaten to ensue, was pleas'd to give order that the Lord Mayor the Aldermen, & the Common-Counsell of this Citty should attend upon him on Friday, March the 12. [Page 3] who in obedience thereunto did make their appearance, and in so great a number that the like hath hardly béen before: for they al knew that they owed both their lives and Liberties to his Highness Protection, and it being whis­pered abroad that some dangers were on foot, they would faine understand from him the straights into which they were like to be re­duced, and the means to provide a remedy for it.

The Lord Mayor, the Aldermen, and the Common-Councill of the Citty being come in a full number to attend his Highnesse at White-Hall on Friday March the 12. they found there many of the Commanders and Officers of the Army, who were all admitted to his Highnesse presence, who in a large Spéech did represent unto them the great de­liverances which God hath vouchsafed to this Nation during the whole course and progress of the late warrs, from the violence of their implacable Enemies, and their combinations both publick and Domestick: He represen­ted unto them how eminently God had ownd and prospered him in y ^e great work in which he stood interested for the establishment of Righteousnesse and peace, and at this pre­sent [Page 4] he could not but declare unto them the eminent danger in which both the Citty and the whole Nation was like to be involued by reason of the contriuements of Charls Stuart and his party, both at home and abroad, who secretly have used the utmost of their endea­vors to Imbroyle the Nation and this Citty (the principle place at which they aim) in a new war, which suddenly would appear, as soon as ever their Intented Invasion should take effect.

To make the truth of this discovery more apparrent, His Highnesse insisted that he knew it to be true, and not only by Letters of his, and the Cityes adversaryes which were intercepted, but by certain Inteligence from severall other hands beyond the Seas of their procéedings, as also by information from the mouths of such persons, who had promised to Ingage themselves to comply and act with them.

And to make this yet more manifest, he Informed them that the Lord of Ormond (whom by his own Party is now called the Duke of Ormond) had béen in person in this City for thrée wéeks together being come out [Page 5] of Flanders on purpose to draw all unto him that possibly he could by incouraging and In­gaging them to forsake all other interests to adhere unto the Cause of his Master: His Highnesse did also acquaint them th [...]t he ha­ving used his uttermost indeavors to promote the Cause for which he came, be departed pri­vately from London on Tuesday March the ninth.

But what was above all, he declared that in order to this Invasion, Charls Stuart was waiting in Flanders having got together an Army of about Eight thousand horse and foot, whom he had quartred in severall comodious places néer unto the Sea side, as Bruges, Brussels, Ostend, and other places, and that withall he had contracte [...] for two and twenty ships, who were in readiness to Transpor [...] his Army and only waited for the opportuni­ty of some dark ni [...]ht to slip by the English Fléet, when the Mist had covered the face of the Sea and in being ships of no great bu [...] ­then he represented that the ships of the En­emy had some advantage over our ships, who were of a great burthen and drawing much water, and therefore not able to ride upon the Flats.

[Page 6] He concluded that séeing the dangers was so apparent and so néer at hand, and that the safty, and the peace of the City, & the whole Nation was highly concerned in it, he desired the City to be sensible of it, and laid open to them how déeply it concern'd them to provide for their own security, and the security of the whole Nation.

He therefore recommended to the Lord Mayor and the Aldermen, & Common-coun­cill of the City there assembled the setling of their Militia; and that it might be established in the hands of faithfull and pyous men, and such as were well affected to the present Go­vernment, and such as are frée from all dis­content, and faction to put the Citty in a po­sture of defence, that they may be ready to suppress all Tumults. and Insurrections de­signed by the Enemy against the peace and safty of the City.

This and much more to this effect His Highness represented as to the Transaction of the Affairs of State from the beginning of the wars unto this present, and ths happy Propagation of the Gospell in these thrée Nations.

[Page 7] The Citizens departed with great chéer­fulness and satisfaction, and going home they might revolve with themselves their honora­ble Atchievments they acquired at Newbury Redding▪ Grafton-house, and severall other places when they returned with songs of joy in their mouths, and Laurels in their hands, & make y ^e same Adresses in their representation to his Highness as the Commanders of the Army have done before them. shewing that amongst the Officers and Souldiers of the Army, they for their parts have not béen alto­gether negligent in laying néer unto their hearts the great providence which God hath béen pleased to set his seal to the righteous­ness of that cause wherein they have ingaged with his Highness, In which it hath pleased God to make him an eminent Instrument of much good to the thrée Nations in Generall, and to the City in perticular, and it hath plea­sed God after all these great hazards and la­bours to call his Highness to the Govern­ment of this Common-wealth which as they look upon to be the work of the great God, so do also acknowledge it to be a very sea­sonable mercy to these distracted, and divided Nations, which séemed to be inclining to u [...] ­ter confusson, had it not pleased God to raise [Page 8] up his Spirit to undertake a work of so great a difffculty in which his Highness hath beén exposed to so much Ermity even of those persons from whom he might justly have expected the greatest Concurrence and assi­stance.

That they have observed also his High­ness pyous Indeavours for the propagation of the Gospel of Truth in the purity and the glory of it, and the Establishment of the Spi­rituall Lib [...]rtyes of all good Christians, (though differing in Opinions) and his great care of securing Propriety, and the Civill Rights of these Nations, and in preventing their probable Ruine and destruction, For which mercyes they must most sincéerly con­fess that they have infinite cause to blesse God. And therefore they cannot but in hum­ble duty represent unto his Highnesse, that they are resolv'd with the hazard of their lives and utmost fortunes to own, & stand by him in the pursuance of those ends for which he hath so fully declared, And that (by the assistance of the Almighty) They will faithfully attend their dutyes in the severall places in the Ci­ty, and else where, for y ^e defence of his High­nesse person, and the Preservation and [Page 9] Peace of this Citty, And of the whole Na­tion

This indéed would be a great and Univo­call Expression, they might also ad unto it▪ That by reason of the many secret plots and Combinations threatning further trouble and confusion in these Nations by strengthening and encouragment which the common Ene­mies receive by the advantage of our Inte­stine discords to promote their design, which if accomplished will be unvoydably of that cause and Interest, for which his Highness hath so often and so fully declared for, and in which God hath so eminently owned him & prospered him, that for the blessed effects thereof which they enjoy they have abundant cause to blesse the Almighty.

They are therefore fully resolved to attend his Highnesse commands in the faithfull dis­charge of the dutyes of their places. for the defence of his person and the Security of the Common-wealth, In the pursuance of which great Interest, They will Ingage themselvs to the utmost hazard of their lives against all Tumultuous Insurrections that may here­after be raised by the Enemyes of his High­nesse, [Page 10] and the peace of the City, and the Na­tion, and that he may assure himself that the same presence will attend him from on high which formerly hath apeared in his Atchiev­ments in so many fields for the accomplish­ing of that great work so happyly begun to the glory of God, and the rejoycing of the hearts of all the people in this Citty and Na­tion.

These are the honorable and pyous Reso­lutions In which the City wil joyn with the Commanders of the Army to the mutuall preservation of each othershappynesse, and the Terror of all their Enemyes whatsoe­ver,