IF I could have suspected your affections, or have censured the duty of this County by some late Actions in it, I should not have taken this pains to have given you a Testimony of my Affecti­on to you, and to remove those Objections, which being raised by a Malignant Party, may, by their cunning and industry, get credit even with honest minds. The truth is, I come to you to assure you of my purposes and resolutions, for the Defence of what ever is or should be dear unto you, your Religion, your Liberty, your common Interest, and the Law of the Land: and to undeceive you of that Opinion, which I hear hath mis-led many of you, That the pretend­ed Ordinance of the Militia is warranted by my Consent and Authority. As I have already Informed you, by my severall Declarations and Messages, that the same is against the known Law, and an Invasion of my unquestionable Right, and of your Liberty and Property, so I doe now declare unto you, that the same is imposed upon you against my Expresse Consent, and in Contempt of my Regall Autho­rity; And therefore whosoever shall henceforth presume to Execute or Obey the same, I shall proceed against them, as against such who promote Rebellion, and actually levie War against me: And I doubt not, but you will sadly consider, That if any Authority without and against my Consent may lawfully impose such Bur­thens upon you, it may likewise take away all that you have from you, and subject you to their Lawlesse, Arbi­trary Power and Government: And how farre they are like to exercise that Iurisdiction towards you, you may guesse by the Insolence of Sir Iohn Hotham at Hull, who (being a Subject) not only presumes to keep His Soveraign, by force of Arms, out of His Town, but murthers his Fellow-Subjects, imprisons them, burns their Houses, drowns their Land, takes them Captives, and commits such Outrages, and Acts of Hostilitie, as the most equall and outragious Enemies practise in any Countrey; That you may see how impossible 'tis for your Liberties and Properties to be preserved, when your King [...], and His just Rights taken from Him: Who hath brought these Calamities upon your Neighbour [...] [...], every Man sees; and they onely can bring the same upon you. I will not beleeve you to be so insensi [...]e of the benefits you have received from me, that I need put you in mind of the Gracious Acts passed by me t [...]s Parliament on your behalfs; And if there be any thing wanting, to the making you the happiest Subjects in the world, I am sure 'tis not my fault, that you have not that too: Be not deceived with words, and Generall Expressions; 'tis not in your Power to name one Particular, which might make you happy, that I have refused to Grant: Be not Frighted with Apprehensi­ons, That this Countrey is like to be the Seat of a war; the Seat of a war will be onely where persons rise in Re­bellion against me; that will not, I hope, be here, and then you shall be sure of my Protection; I will live and die in your Defence. And that you may be in a Readinesse, and a Posture to defend yourselves and me, against any Invasion or Rebellion, I have Armed severall persons of Honour, Quality, and Reputation amongst you, and of your own Countrey, with a Commission of Array to that purpose: There is no honest end declared in that Ordinance, which is not provided for by this Commission, which being according to the old known Law, is fit for your Obedience, and I doubt not will finde it.

In a word, I assure you, upon the Faith and Honour of a Christian King, I will be alwayes as tender of any thing which may advance the true Protestant Religion, protect and preserve the Laws of the Land, and defend the just Priviledge and Freedom of Parliament, as of my Life, or my Crown: and when I faile in either of these, I will not looke for your assistance; till then you are concerned not to see me suffer.