THe Writ of Summons whereby Your Majesty was pleased to call together the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses of the Commons House of Parliament, gave us to understand that Your Majesty had divers weighty and urgent matters to communicate to us: Such as did concern Your Royal Person, Your State and Dignity, the Defence of the Kingdom, and the Church of England: And in the same method propounded to us by Your Majesty, we have applied our selves to offer You our best counsel and ad­vice.

We found Your Majesty miraculously preser­ved by the hand of God, from the hands of Your Enemies; we found You peaceably seated in the Throne of Your Ancestors; we found the Heredi­tary [Page 10] Imperial Crown of these Nations auspitiously set upon Your Royal Head, and all this after a sharp and a bloody Civil War;

We held it our duties in the first place to endea­vor the safety and preservation of Your Majesties Person and Government, and to that purpose have prepared a Bill.

Next to the safety of Your Majesty, we took into consideration the state and power that is neces­sary for so great a Prince; and do hope ere long, to settle Your Militia so, that by the blessing of God, You need not fear Storms from abroad, or Earth­quakes here at home.

Your Majesty was pleased at the opening of the Parliament, to recommend unto us two Bills; one for confirmation of publick Acts, another for the private Acts that passed the last Parliament; they were so many in number, and great in weight, that hitherto we could not consider of them all, but some we have perused. The Act for confirmation of Ju­dicial proceedings, for taking away the Court of Wards, and Liveries, and Purveyance, and also all those that do relate to Your Majesties Customs and Excise. And that we might with some chear­fulness [Page 11] see Your Majesties face, we have brought our Brother Benjamin with us, I mean Your Act of Oblivion: I take the boldness to call it Yours, for so it is by many Titles; Your Majesty first con­ceived it at Breda, You helped to contrive and form it here in England, and we must all bear You wit­ness, You labored and travelled till it was brought forth: And since it had a being, some question be­ing made of its legitimation, Your Royal Heart is not at ease until it be confirmed. And now Sir give me leave to say, by the suffrage of a full, a free, and a legal Parliament it is presented to Your Majesty to be naturalized. Your Majesties de­sires are fully answered by all the Representa­tives of the People; and their hearty prayer to God is, that all Your Subjects may be truly thank­ful to You; and that Your Majesty may long live to enjoy the fruits of this unparallel'd mercy.

Your Majesty was pleased to intimate to us on Saturday last, that You so valued the quiet and sa­tisfaction of your people, and the keeping of Your Royal word with them, that although divers other Bills were made ready for You, You would vouch­safe the honor to this Bill alone, Your Favorite, to come and pass it. Sir, hereby You have made this a great Holiday, and we shall observe it with Joy [Page 12] and Thank [...]giving. Ʋpon such solemn Festivals, there useth to be a second Service, an Antheme, and a Collect, or at least an Offering; my Antheme shall be, Quid tibi retribuam Domine? and my Collect a short report of Your Revenue. We know great Sir, that money is both the Sinews of War, and Bond of Peace; we have therefore taken care of Your Majesties Revenue, and do desire to make it in some good proportion suitable both to Your Gran­dure and Your Merit.

We do believe the state of our King, is the ho­nor of our State; and the best way to preserve our Peace, is to be well provided for War: Our time hath not permitted us to finish this work, but as an earnest of our good affections we desire Your Majesty to accept an offering from us.

We cannot enough admire Your Majesties Pa­tience, Providence, and Frugality abroad; You did not bring home a debt for us to pay, great as a Princes Ransom. And since your return, You have not with King Edward the Third after His Wars in France, or Henry the Fourth, Henry the Se­venth, or Henry the Eighth, desired new and great Aids and heavy Subsidies from Your People for Your Supplies.

No Sir, You have b [...]en so far from asking that part of the Money which was given You last Parliament for Your Houshold Provision, You have issued out towards payment of our Debts, You have robbed Your own Table (I had almost said given the meat out of your own belly) to feed the hungry Seamen.

Dear Sir, these things have a just influence up­on the people, they fill our hearts with joy and affecti­on to your Majesty.

I do not pretend much to Physiognomy, but if I mistake not greatly, the faces of the people do pro­mise great frankness and chearfulness in your pre­sent Supplies.

What would not your Majesties Friends have given within these Eighteen moneths, to have seen your Majesty thus happily setled? and what can be too much for those to return, who have re­ceived all they enjoy from your Majesties mercy?

Great Sir, to conclude this s [...]emn Service, The Commons of England do by me their Servant, humbly present you with this Bill, entituled, An Act for a free and voluntary Present, and wish it a suceess answerable to your Royal Hearts desire.