MAY it please your most Excellent Majesty, the often expressions of your Majesties gracious acceptance, of the manifestation of the Pe­titioners duty, and Loyalty, and the frequent declarations, of your Majesties great care, of the good and welfare of this City, and of the Protestant Religion, and of protecting and preserving the persons and priviledges of your great Councell, Assembled in the High Court of Parliament. Hath incouraged the Petitioners, to represent the great dangers, feares, and distractions, wherein the City now is, by reason of the prevailing progresse, of the bloody Rebels in Ireland, fomented, and acted, by the Pa­pists and their adherents; and want of ayd to suppresse them; and the severall intima­tions they have had, both forraine and at home, of the driving on of their designes, tending to the utter ruine of the Protestant Religion; And of the lives and Liberties of your Majesties loyall Subjects, the putting out of Persons of honour and trust from be­ing Constable and Lieutenant of the Tower, especially in these times, and the prepa­rations there lately made, the fortefying of White-Hall with men and munition in an unusuall manner, some of which men, with provoking language, and violence, abused divers Citizens passing by, and the drawing divers swords, and therewith wounding sundry other Citizens in Westminster-Hall, that were unarmed: The late endeavours used to the Innes of Court; the calling in divers Canoneeres, and other Assistants into the Tower, the late discovery of divers fireworkes in the hands of a Papist, and the mis-understanding betwixt your Majesty and Parliament, by reason of mis-informati­ons, as they humbly conceive.

Besides all which, the Petitioners feares are exceedingly increased by Your Majesties late going into the House of Commons, attended with a great multitude of armed men, besides Your ordinary Guard, for the apprehending of divers Members of that House, to the indangering of Your Sacred Person, and of the Persons and priviledges of that Honorable Assembly.

The effects of all which feares tend not onely to the overthrow of the whole Trade of this City and Kingdome, which the Petitioners already feele in a deepe measure, but also threatens the utter ruine of the true Protestant Religion, and the lives and Li­berties of all Your loyall Subjects.

The Petitioners therefore most humbly pray Your Saecred Majesty, that by the advice of your great Councell in Parliament, the Protestants in Ireland may be speedily releived; the Tower put into the hands of Persons of trust, that by removeall of doubtfull and unknowne persons from about White Hall, and Westminster, a knowne and approved Guard may be appointed for the safety of Your Majesty and Parliament, and that the Lord Mandevile, and the five Members of the House of Commons lately accused, may not be restrained of Liberty, or proceeded against, otherwise then according to the priviledges of Parliament,