YOur faithful Subjects the Commons of England assembled in Parlia­ment have sent us hither, Twelve of their Number to wait upon your Majesty; and by their Commands we are here prostrate at your Royal feet, where themselves are all of them present with us in the sincere and most Loyal affections and desires of their hearts, and would have been in their persons, if your Majesties service, and the trust reposed in them by all the seve­rall parts of the Kingdom did not necessarily require their attendance and continuance in the place where [Page 6] they now are, and where all their thoughts and endea­vors are wholly taken up, and imployed in those two great and main works, which are the proper and genuine ends of all Parliaments, the Advancement of their Kings service and the discharge of their Coun­tries trust.

And certainly, Sir, we can speak it with a great deal of Joy, and with no lesse of Truth, that never Parliament made greater demonstrations of Zeal, Affection and Loyalty to any of the Kings of Eng­land, then this Parliament hath done, and doth, and we hope, and doubt not, nay we know it that it ever will do unto your Majesty, our Liege Lord and King. Their hearts are filled with a Veneration of you, Longings for you, Confidence in you, and De­sires to see and serve you, and their tongues do upon all occasions expresse it; and in so doing they are (ac­cording to the Nature of Parliaments) the true Re­presentative of the whole Nation: for they but do that in a more contracted and regular way, which the Generality of the people of the Land, from the one end of it to another, do in a more confused and disorderly manner, yet as heartily and as affectionate­ly, all degrees, and ages, and sexes, high and low, rich and poor (as I may say) Men, Women, and Children joyn in sending up this prayer to Heaven, God blesse King Charles, Long live King Charles; So as our English air is not susceptible of any other sound, and ecchoes out nothing else; our Bels, Bone­fires, peals of Ordinance, Volleys of shot, the shouts and acclamations of the People, bears no other Mo­ral, have no other Signification, but to triumph, [Page 7] triumphs of our King in the hearts of his people.

Your Majestie cannot imagine nor can any man conceive it but he who was present to see and heare it, with what Joy, what cheerefulnesse, what let­tings out of the Soule, what expressions of transpor­ted minds, a stupendious concourse of people, atten­ded the proclayming of your Majestie in your Ci­ties of London and Westminster, to be our most po­tent, mighty, and undoubted King, the oldest man living never saw the like before, nor is it probable, scarce possible, that he who hath longest to live will ever see the like again, especially (and God forbid he should) upon such an Occasion, for we wish and heartily pray that your Majestie may be the last of men of the Generation now in being, who shall leave his place to a successor.

We have here the Proclamation it self to present unto your Majestie and the Order of the two Houses enjoyning it to be proclaimed throughout England, Ireland, and your Dominions of Wales; And like­wise their Orders for all Ministers in their publick Prayers to pray for your Majestie, and for the Illu­strious Prince the Duke of York your Majesties Brother, and for the rest of the Royall Progeny; and another Order of theirs for taking down every where the as­sumed armes of the late pretended Common wealth, and setting up the Armes of your Majestie in their stead.

These are some testimonies of their love and af­fection unto your Majesty such as can as yet be ex­pressed by them, which are but as a picture in little of a great and large body, which farre exceeds in its true, and naturall dimensions, the whole com­pass of a small peice of cloth, on which notwithstan­ding it is drawn and represented to the life.

And may it please your Majesty to gives us leave to say, that as the affection, so your Subjects expec­tations of you are high, and their longings after you, great and vehement. And both expectations and lon­gings have increased by the long time; that your [Page 9] Majestie hath been kept from them. Hope defer­red makes the heart sick. And the sicknesse still augments till the thing hoped for be Obteyned.

You who are the light of their eyes, and the breath of their nostrils, their delight and all their hope, to have been so long banished from them in­to a strange land, it is no wonder that the news of your return, should put a new life into them, what then will it be when their eyes shall be blessed, with the sight of your Royall Person? And therefore are we commanded humbly to acquaint your Majestie with the earnest desires of both Houses for your spee­dy return unto your Parliament, and the exercise of your Kingly Office; And that in order to it, they have given directions to Generall Montague one of the Generals at Sea and to the other Officers at Sea, to observe such Commands, as your Majestie shall please to give them for the disposall of the Fleete; And we have it in our instructions further to beseech your Majestie to let your Parliament know when, and where, your Majesty purposeth to take ship­ping, and where to land; and after your comming on shoare, whither to come all the way to London by land, or by water from Gravesend; And which of your Houses your Majestie intends to make use of at your comming to London, that accordingly pro­vision may be made for your Majesties reception, for then, and not till then will be the compleating of your subjects rejoycing.

True it is (as your Majesty was pleased just now to touch upon it) that in your absence, other Lords have had Dominion over them, have reign­ned [Page 10] and ruled over their bodies, and estates; but their better part their hearts and mindes and soules were free, and did abhor such Rulers, and still conti­nued faithfull and loyall to your Majestie, their rightfull Lord and Soveraigne and with you and un­der you they now expect to re-enter into the possessi­on of their antient rights, and priviledges, to enjoy again their Lawes, and Liberties, and which is a­bove all their Religion in purity, and truth; of all which those Lords (who called themselves so, and made themselves so (that is, to be so called, but in truth were not so, for they were nothing lesse, those kind of Lords I say had so long deprived them. This is our expectation from your Majestie and we are more then confident, we shall not be deceived in it, but that your Majestie will answer and go be­yond all that can be expected from you: A King of so many vowes, and of so many Prayers, cannot but crown the desires of his people.

Sir to tell you what men think, and say, and wish, and even are assured of in relation to your Majesty and the happiness which your Government will pro­duce, would seem a description of the Golden Age, that Poets fancy.

Truly we dare not undertake it, in your Majestys presence, least we should be thought to flatter, and should offend the sacred modesty of your ears, and of your princely mind. Though it would all be but a reall truth; yet looking like that, which you do not like, we fear you would dislike it for the looke sake, Great princes will not be flattered, but really, and truly served, and we desire to serve your Majestie in your own way.

[Page 11] Your Majesty hath been pleased to declare your royall intentions unto your Parliament, in your gra­tious letters, to either house and the two houses have severally given unto your Majesty a faithful account of that gratefull sence, wherewith they have recei­ved them, and of their humble submission unto and complyance with, all-your Majestyes desires, which by their Letters in answer unto your Majesties they make bold to signifie. That from the House of Peers hath been already presented and we who are before your majesty are intrusted by the House of Commons with the delivery of theirs, an honour not more conferred upon us beyond our deservings, then embraced and received by us, with an excesse of joy and with all due respects, which is the errand upon which we are now come. That Letter and the Proclamation and the severall Orders, together with our selves, our lives and fortunes, and the vowes and services of those who sent us, we do with all hum­blenesse lay at your majesties feet, lifting up our hearts and hands to the God of Heaven, for your majesties long and happy reigne over us, and spee­dy return unto us.