THat your Petitioners being very sen­sible of the great suffering of this Kingdome by the late unnaturall Warre, to the destruction of many thousands of peaceable people, and ruine of many families. And at last, through Gods good­nesse, having had some good hopes of a well-grounded Peace and freedome, they now perceive their hopes likely to be frustrate, by the indeavours of some evill minded people, which secretly labour to ingage the Citie and Kingdome in a second and more dangerous Warre, which the Petitioners pray God to prevent, and which they shall indeavour in their places to hinder and withstand by all lawfull meanes, lying in them. And the next and readiest meanes, (as they humbly conceive) is to addresse themselves by way of hum­ble Petition to this Honourable Court, which the Petitioners be­leeve hath power greatly to promote and effect their desire.

Therefore their most humble sute is, that this Honourable Court would be pleased to take into speedy Consideration what way and meanes may be found most expedient for preventing of a second warre, and more bloud-shedding, and to discountenance those spirits that are incendiaries and promoters of a new warre, which will not onely tend to the losse of trade, and to the cry and rising of the poore, but also to indanger the ruine of this fa­mous Citie, and hinder the reliefe of Ireland. In all which you are so neerly and deeply concerned with your Petitioners.