TO wave all misconstructions that may unhappily bee cast upon our reall intentions in this present engagement, Wee thought it necessary to hint upon and publish some principles and motives that have induced us hereunto wherein wee shall bee very submit in regard our fellow-Subiects even of the humblest fortunes and capacities are already not incensible of them.

After the storme of the late Warre was blowne over, and the Scots calmed and retired within their owne confines, both they and wee in this vimdsall concernment stood at gaze, hoping to tast of the sweet and often promised fruits of the many Declarations and Protestations of the two Houses and Armies for the settlement of the Kingdomes, Peace, Religion, Lawes, and His Maiesty in his pri­stime Rights with glory and splendor, equall to the best of his Progenitors.

But our pregnant expectations herein miscarried, for the King is iugled in the Ile of Wyght, barber­ously misused, traterously and desperately conspired against, being yet scarce a Prisoner of hope, his most Royall Consort disuorced, banisht, and most of his Princely Race under an unnaturall restraine, the knowne and ancient Lawes (which are the principall security of the Subiects prosperity) dispirret­ed, and daily wounded by contradictory Votes and Ordinances upon every estates designe, Religion who­ly unioynted and in stead of a settled Peace, a Scismaticall Army is propagated with a propetuated supported of sixty thousand pound a Moneth, besides Excise, Free-quarter, and imnumerable other vast and insupportable prestures, amongst which wee cannot passe by the Arbitrary and uncontrolled power of the Committees and Governours of the said Citie and County, by which our Purses have, beene milked, our Persons imprisoned, our Horses taken away, our Cattle driven, and many of us plundred, and bloodily butchered at Kington, and elsewhere, without appeale or knowne Law whatsoever, and for the more firme intayleing of this uassalage upon us and our Posteritie they have laid a foundation for the future of a new Militia to over-awe and and inslave us to the Law-martiall for ever.

Wherefore finding all their pretences in order to peace and settlement, to bee shaddowy (not to mention the Votes of new Addresses, whereby the doore of all pacification was lately bolted) and their dilatorie overtures still to clash with the Honour and Conscience of his Maiesty, Wee have for the antecedeinge causes re-assmued our Armes and doe declare, that with the expence of our blood and uttermost hazard of our lives and fortunes wee will endeavour against all opposition whatsoever to re­straint his Maiesty with glory and honour, to repeale the Queene from banishment, to enlarge the roy­all Children under restraint, to establish the true Protestant Religion, and knowne Lawes, to have a free Parliament, for the better settling of our differences, to preserve the Union betweene us and the Scots, according to the Act of Pacification, and with the extirpation of all Arbitrary power nulling of all illegall Taxes, and disbanding of Armies, to obtaine a lasting well-grounded and honourable Peace, in persuance of which ends (being fully authorized and encouraged by his Highnesse the Prince of Wales, Captaine Generall of his Maiesties Forces by Sea and Land, within the Kingdome of England and Dominion of Wales, from whom the charge and Cammanded in chiefe of the City and County com­missioned to Sir Henry Lyngen, (under Hand and Seale) We are confident that all the good and loy­all Subiects of this and the adiacent Counties, for we shall have others to their demirits will rise and engage with us, or contrubute assistance to us, declining all obedience to any other authority what­soever, in which engagement (wee by Gods grace) hope to demeane our selues, that the whole King­dome shall see wee squint not upon selfe-ends, but firmely fix our eyes upon the publike intrest.

And so God save the King and blesse our endeavours.