Whereas by the speciall providence of Almigh­ty God we have succeeded our royall Father of fa­mous-memory in all his Crownes and Dominions; having peaceably and with much joy of all our lo­ving Subjects entred upon the said Crowns and Sig­nories, wee thinke our selves ingaged in our royall clemency, to give to all Our loyall Subjects of our Kingdome of England and Principality of wales, a testimony of our grace and favour towards them, if they will yet reclaim themselves to their former obedience.

And since no action can better befit a Christian King then the workes of mercy, we thought it fit­test to manifest our selfe with the expression of our Princely compassion towards all our Subjects, that being misled or by casualty or neglect have run ei­ther there lives, estates, or both into the danger of our penall Lawes. And though we have resolved with our selfe to keep up the dignity and equity of Iustice, without which no state nor Kingdome can subsist with safety; yet have we determined to allay and attempter the security therefore with this Act of our Princely pitty, if it shall be harkned unto. We doe therefore hereby out of our gracious senity and compassion declare and pronounce to all our loving Subjects, this our free and generall pardon for all, and all manner of crimes, misprissions or offences, levying Armes against our person by a misunderstan­ding, whereby either their persons or estates or both might undergoe any danger or forfeiture which the power and Iustice of our Lawes might inflict upon them directly or indirectly, and doe hereby acquit and assoyle them their persons and estates, from all manner of penalties or mulcts, which are provided by the municipall institutions and statutes of this Kingdome for their severall crimes and offences, and rashnesse therein. And this our said pardon and free remission by this Act of our grace shall extend [Page]to all our Subjects and natives of our said Kingdomes, aswell absent in other Countries as present in our dominions, excepting such persons as are Banisht from these our Realmes for any Act of high Treason against our royall Father of famous memory, against his most excellent predecessor Queen Elizabeth: nor shall it extend to any such notorious malefactors as have fled and relinquished any of our said Kingdomes for the horrible and criyng sins of wilfull murder, Burglary or rapes, so to avoid the punishment due to their said capitoll and detestable offences.

We doe further declare and signifie to all our lo­ving and obedient Subjects, that is, our royall pardon and free Act of grace, Is not extensive or afforded to any person or persons resident within our said King­dome or principalitie of Wales, that has been found guilty and condemned by course of law for any of the crimes aforesaid; namely high Treason a­gainst our royall person, wilfull murther, rape or such like, no not to such fellons as have been convict of Burglary; for thereby wee should lessen by our lenity and compassion the dignity and equity of our lawes to our own prejudice, and to the great detri­ment of our good Subjects, who cannot be safe ei­ther in their persons or estates, if such notorious Delinquents by the benefit of our royall grace should passe with impunity. We do thereforeto cleare all [Page]misunderstandings of this our Act of grace to all our loyall Subjects declare that our free pardon rea­ches onely to such offenders as have either through the neglect of our lawes brought themselves in­to the danger of premunire extending to the forfei­ture of their estates and imprisonments of their per­sons; to all such as are committed for breach of our peace or bound to the same, to all offenders, name [...] in danger of punishments for simple Felonies, petty-Larcinies, Chance-Medleys, or man slaughters, for all those who have levied Armes, or lent, or contri­buted moneyes, as they have unadvisedly done, to rayse a war against our person, crown and dignity; or any offences of that condition & consequence, except those persons which We have formerly excepted a­gainst. To all and every such offender, this free Act of our royall grace & pardon shall reach, him or them, clearly acquitting upon our hopes, of his or their fu­ture amendment, of al punishment or damage which the Iustice of lawes on him or them, would haue in­flicted, without this our pardon, and forgivenesse: provided alwayes, that every one of the said offen­ders within our Kingdome of England and domi­nion of Wales, doe sue out this our royall pardon and Act of grace within the space of three months after the divulging of this our said Act, either at our Court of the Kings Bench at Westminster or [Page]before our Iudges of Assize in their severall circuits. And if it shall happen that any of the said offenders by reason of his or then unbecillity of his person or their persons, cannot come to sue out this our Act of par­don and grace in his own person or persons, that it it shall then bee lawfull for him or them to doe it by his or their Atturney, and the pardon so sued out ty be of as much validity as those which are sued out b [...] the offenders in person, and the said pardon to last in force for the free remission and impunity of the offenders during the tearme of their naturall lives, their estates also being for ever free from question, for any of the said offences by us or our Successors.

Finally, if any person or persons under the benefit of our royall pardon, and in hope to gayne the like remission and act of Grace from Vs, hereafter shal re­commit any of the said offences, for which he or they formerly had the benefit of our pardon or act of Grace. We do then upon their conviction for the said offences revoke this our former pardon, which shall then no way secure them from the undoubted Justice of the Laws provided for such offences. Gi­ven at our Court at Oxford the fifth day of Februa­ry in the 19. yeare of Our reigne of England, Scotland, Fraunce and Ireland. Anno Dom. 1642.