THE REASONS OF THE LORDS and COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT, Why they cannot agree to the Alte­ration and Addition in the Articles of CESSATION offered by HIS MAJESTY.

WITH HIS MAIESTIES Gratious Answer thereunto. April 4. 1643.

Printed by His MAjESTIES Command AT OXFORD, By LEONARD LICHFIELD, Printer to the Vniversity. 1643.

TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.

THe LORDS and COM­MONS in Parliament as­sembled, doe with all hum­ble thankfulnesse acknow­ledge Your MAJESTIES favour in the speedy admis­sion of their Committee to Your Royall Presence, and the expedition of Your Exceptions to their Articles; that so they might more speedily endeavour to give Your MAJESTY satisfaction: And although they were ready to agree to the Articles of Cessation, in such manner, as they exprest in their Preface, they cannot agree to the alteration and Addition offered [Page 2] by Your MAJESTY, without great prejudice to the Cause, and danger to the Kingdom, whose Cause it is; The reasons whereof will cleerly appeare in the Answers to the particulars prest by Your MAJESTY.

1. THEY doe deny that they have restrained any Trade, but to some few of those places where Your Majesties Forces are Inquartered, and e­ven now in the heat of Warre, doe permit the Carriars to goe into all the parts of the Kingdome, with all sorts of Commodities for the use of Subjects, except Armes, Ammunition, Money, and Bullion; But if they should grant such a free Trade, as Your Majesty desireth, to Oxford, and other Places, where Your Forces remaine, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to keep Armes, Ammunition, Mony, and Bullion from passing into Your Majesties Army, without very strict and frequent Sear­ches, which would make it so troublesome, chargeable, and dangerous to the Subjects, that the Question being but for Twenty daies, for so few places, the mischiefes and in­conveniences to the whole Kingdom, would be farre grea­ter then any advantage which that small number of Your Subjects (whom it concernes) can have by it.

The Case then is much otherwise then is exprest by Your Majesties Answer, for whereas they are charged, not to give the least admission of this Liberty and freedom of Trade, during the Cessation; The truth is, That they doe grant it as fully to the benefit of the Subject, even in time of Warre; And that Your Majesty in pressing this for the peoples good, doth therein desire that which will be very [Page 3] little beneficiall to the Subjects, but exceeding advantagi­ous to Your Majesty in supplying Your Army with many necessaries, and making Your Quarters a Staple for such Commodities as may be vented in the adjacent Coun­ties, and so draw many thither, whereby the Inhabi­tants will be better inabled by Loanes, and Contribu­tions, to support Your Majesties Army; And as Your Majesties Army may receive much advantage, and the other Army much danger, if such freedom should be granted to these places; So there is no probability that the Army raised by the Lords and Commons shall have any returne of Commodities, and other supplyes from thence, which may be usefull for them; and they conceive, that in a Treaty for a Cessation, those demands cannot be thought reasonable, which are not indifferent, That is, equally ad­vantagious to both parties.

As they have given no interruption to the Trade of the Kingdome, but in Relation to the supply of the contrary Army, which the reason of Warre requires; so they beseech Your Majesty to consider, whether Your Souldiers have not robbed the Carriars in severall parts, where there hath been no such reason; And Your Ships taken many Ships to the great dammage, not only of particular Marchants, but of the whole Kingdom; And whether Your Majesty have not declared Your own purpose, and endeavoured by Your Ministers of State, to imbargue the Merchants goods in Forraign parts, which hath been in some measure execu­ted upon the East-land Merchants in Denmarke, and is a Course which will much diminish the wealth of the King­dom, violate the Law of Nations, make other Princes Ar­biters of the differences betwixt Your Majesty and Your People, break off the intercourse between this, and other [Page 4] States, and like to bring us into Quarrells and dissentions with all the neighbour Nations.

2. To demand the approving of the Commanders of the Ships, is to desire the strength of one party to the other, before the difference be ended, and against all Rules of Treaty; To make a Cessation at Sea, would leave the King­dom naked to those Forraigne Forces, which they have great cause to believe, have been sollicited against them, and the Ports open for such supplyes of Armes, and Am­munition, as shall be brought from beyond the Seas: but for Conveying any number of Forces by those means from one part to another, They shall observe the Articles of the Cessation, by which that is restrained.

3. As for the expression of the Army raised by the Parliament: They are contented it should be altered thus, (raised by both Houses of Parliament) as not desiring to differ upon words, but to give any Conclusive power in this case to the Committee, upon such differences as may arise, wherein the houses have given no expresse direction, is neither safe for the Committee to undertake, nor fit for the two Houses to grant; yet to debate and to presse the Reason of their desires, whereby an Agreement from Your Majesty may be procured, is granted to them: And al­though the two Houses did think it most proper the Ces­sation should be first agreed on, and that it was unfit to Treat in blood; Yet to satisfy the World of their earnest longing after Peace, They have given power to the Committees, to enter into the Treaty upon the two first Propositions, notwithstanding the Cessation be not yet assented to; And those being agreed, they hope the Foundation will be lay­ed, not only of a suspension, but of a totall abolition of all Hostility in the Kingdom.

[Page 5] 4. If the nature of Warre be duly considered, it must needs be acknowledged, that it is incompatible with the or­dinary Rules of a peaceable Government; Your Majesty would have them commit none, but according to the knowne Lawes of the Land, whereby they conceive Your Majesty understands, that it must be by the ordinary Pro­cesse of Law, which being granted, it will follow, that no man must be committed by them for supplying Your Ma­jesty with Armes, Powder and Ammunition; For by the Law of the Land, the Subjects may carry such goods from London, or any other place, to Oxford, The Souldiers must not be committed, if they runne from their Colours, and refuse any duty in the Army, no man shall be committed for not submitting to necessary supplyes of Mony; so that if this be yeelded, in Your Majesties sense, they shall be disabled to restraine supplyes from their Enemies, and to governe or maintaine their owne Souldiers; It cannot be thought rea­sonable, that under the disguise of a Cessation, they should admit that which will necessarily produce the dissolving of the Army, and destruction of the Cause.

It seemes not probable that Your Maiesty doth intend, that if any be taken with supplyes for this Army, or muti­ning in Your owne, That such Persons shall not be com­mitted, but according to the knowne Lawes of the Land, that is, by processe of Law, but rather, that Your Maiesty will so interpret this limitation of knowne Lawes, that al­though it lay strait Bonds upon the two Houses, yet it leaves Your Generalls as much liberty as before, for it hath been denyed by Your Maiesty that these knowne Lawes give any power to the two Houses of Parliament to raise Armes; and so consequently their Generall cannot exercise any Martiall Law in those cases; and it is not unlike, but [Page 6] that it will be affirm'd, that the Generalls constituted by Your Maiesties Commission, have that power by the same knowne Lawes; so that this Article, under the specious shew of Liberty and Law, would altogether disable them to defend their Liberties and Lawes, and would produce to Your Maiestie an absolute Victory and submission, under pretence of a Cessation and Treaty.

5. Beeing by necessity inevitable on their part inforced to a defensive Warre, in this unhappy breach between Your Maiesty & them, and that they are therein warranted both by the Lawes of God and man, it must needs follow, That by the same Lawes they are inabled to raise meanes to support that Warre; and therefore till it shall please God to incline Your Maiesty to afford them such a Peace as may secure them, they cannot relinquish the power of laying Taxes up­on those who ought to joyne with them in that defence, and the necessary wayes of leavying those Taxes upon them in case of refusall; for otherwise their Army must needs be dis­solved: But if Your Maiesty shall consent to disband the Armies, the cause of the Warre being taken away, the con­sequences will likewise be removed; and the Subject resto­red to the benefit of those Lawes, which the necessity of Armes hath in such cases suspended.

6. They deny any pretence of consenting to those alte­rations and additions offer'd by Your Maiesty, only in the preamble, They say, they have considered of those Arti­cles, with such alterations, and additions; Unto which Ar­ticles they profest they were ready to agree, nor as they were accompanied with those alterations and additions, but in such manner as they expressed. As for the clause left out in the third Article, it imployed a freedome of passage, and communication of Quarters, which is contrary to the nature [Page 7] of a Cessation, whereby matters should be preserved in the State they are, and neither party have liberty so much to advantage himselfe, as it is evident Your Maiesty might doe, if Your Forces in the North & West might joyne with those at Oxford, and bring those supplyes of Treasure or Armes thither, which were brought out of Holland; or at least it should be so indifferent, as to give a proportionable advan­tage to the other side, which this doth not; for the Forces under the power of both Houses are so disposed, that they have an easie passage from one to the other; But Your Ma­jesties Forces are severed the one from the other by many large Counties, strong Passes, and competent Armies; and if they had admitted this Clause, they had bereaved them­selves of one of the greatest advantages, & freed Your Ma­iesties party of one of the greatest inconveniencies, which Your Maiesty or they have in this Warre.

For the Reasons alleadged, They cannot agree to the al­terations and enlargements of the Cessation propounded; or to transferre any such power to the Committee of Trea­ting, debating & agreeing upon those Articles in any other manner, then the Houses have directed; but that a faire and speedy passage may be opened to a secure and a happy Peace, they have enabled their Committees to Treat and debate upon the two Propositions concerning His Maie­sties owne Revenue, the delivery of His Townes, Castles, Magazines, and Ships, and the disbanding the Armies; which beeing agreed upon, a present Peace and security will follow; And the Treaty upon the other Propositions be facilitated without feare of interruption, by the confusion of Warre, or exasperation of either party, by the bloody effects thereof.

In which Treaty the two Houses will desire and expect nothing but what doth stand with Your Majesties Honour, and the Trust reposed in You, and is necessary for Your Majesties good Subiects, that they may enioy the true Re­ligion and their Liberties, and Priviledges; And that they may freely, and in a Parliamentary way, concurre with Your Majesty, in those things which may conduce to the glory of God, the safety and happinesse of Your Majesty, and Your Posterity and People; And preventing the like miserable effusion of English blood for the time to come; For the effe­cting whereof, their most earnest prayers, and uttermost endeavours, shall ever be faithfully and constantly imployed, in hope, that God will give a blessing thereunto.

HIS MAJESTIES ANSWER TO THE AFORESAID REASONS.

HOw His Majesty hath spent His time since the Committee from His two Houses of Parliament came hither; How willing He hath been (during the foure daies allowed to them) to expedite the Treaty it selfe, by the free and diligent Disquisiti­on of the particulars, comprised in those two first Articles; And how intent He hath been upon the Cessation (which He thinks so necessary, and so much desires) since the last Message concerning the same came to Him, the Committee themselves cannot but observe. And though no Conclusion [Page 10] could be made within the two dayes (a time li­mited with much strictnesse in a businesse of so great moment, where all words and expressions must be carefully and exactly weighed) His Maje­sty cannot doubt but both Houses will be willing to give and receive satisfaction in any particulars which are necessarily to be considered in conclu­ding the same, though the two dayes are expired. And if His Majesty enlarges Himselfe in His Replies more then may seem necessary to the Propositions and differences in debate, it must be remembred by what unnecessary and unwar­rantable expressions in this last Message from His two Houses, He is not only invited, but compelled thereunto; which He could heartily have wished might upon this Occasion have been forborne.

1. For the Freedom of Trade, His Majesty hath great reason to require, and the two Houses to admit that freedom to His good Subjects He desi­red. For what concernes the supply of the Army with Armes, Ammunition, Mony, Bullion, and Victualls, He consented to the very termes propo­sed by the two Houses, and that they may be ob­served, is contented that Searches may be made, which being but the Trouble of particular Per­sons, is not considerable, in respect of the publique [Page 11] benefit and Advantage. But why all other Liberty of Traffique and Commerce should not be gran­ted to His good Subjects, He cannot understand, for that His Majesties Army should receive much advantage thereby, and the contrary Army none, is in no degree confessed, for (besides that the re­straint is to places, where no part of His Majesties Army is, and indeed the whole Trade of the Kingdom interrupted) 'tis as great a Support, if not a greater to the contrary Army to maintain and keep up the Trade of London, from whence that receives its supply and reliefe, as to His Maje­sties Army to continue the Trade of Oxford, or a­ny other place, where His forces reside, and to stop and seize the Cloath, Kersies and other We­sterne Commodities (which His Majesty can dai­ly doe from Reading) would be as great distur­bance to the Trade of London, as the seasing of any Commodities (which may be done by the Earle of Essex from Windsor or Wickam) can be to the Trade of Oxford. And therefore His Majesty hath great Reason to presse that mutuall and universall freedom to all His good Subjects may be granted; otherwise He must either permit that licence to His Army, to seize the goods of His People in their Passage to London, and to interrupt and break the [Page 12] Trade and Correspondence of the Kingdom, (which, both out of publique Consideration, and private Compassion His Majesty is most averse from) or else must grant that evident benefit and Advantage to those who deny the same to Him, and to His People for His sake. And it cannot be denied, but this freedom is so very beneficiall to His Subjects, and so wholy considerable to His Majesty under that Notion, that their very subsi­stence depends upon it, and by this meanes Trade may be continued, which if a little more suppres­sed by these Distractions, will not be easily reco­vered, even by a setled Peace.

His Majesty believes that some Cariers have been robbed by His Majesties Souldiers, but 'tis as true that no Complaint hath been made to Him of that kind, which He hath not received to the Reliefe and Reparation of the Petitioners, and 'tis therfore His desire that both Houses would joyne with Him, (at least during the Cessation) that there might be no more such violences and Inter­ruptions offered to His good Subjects by either side.

For the imbarguing the Merchants goods in forraigne Parts, His Majesty denies, that any en­deavour hath yet been made by His Ministers of [Page 13] State to that Purpose; But 'tis true His Majesty hath declared His Resolutions, which He shall pursue, that such Persons who absolve themselves from their obedience to Him, and assist or con­sent to Actions of Disloyalty to Him here, shall be deprived of those Advantages, and must not ex­pect that Protection from Him abroad, which is due, and which He alwaies hath and will allow to His good Subjects: and this is not to make other Princes Arbiters of the Differences betwixt His Majesty and His People, but to use the mutuall A­mity and Correspondence with other Princes for the maintenance and support of that Dignity for which it is made and entred into.

2. His Majesty did not demand the approving of the Commanders of Ships only with reference to His present Right, for then He would have de­manded not the Approbation of the Comman­ders, but the Ships themselves; But this demand was and is a thing most necessary for His Majesty; for the setting out the present Fleet is pretended to be for the Defence of His Majesties Domini­ons; and which cannot conveniently suffer any Alteration in Commanders, if the Cessation and Peace should be fully and speedily agreed upon, and therefore 'tis most necessary for His Majesty to [Page 14] know both the Designes, and to approve of the Commanders, who will not be so fit to be altered when once they are sent out. His Majesty cannot see how a Cessation at Sea between His Majesty and his Subjects should leave the Kingdom naked to forraign Forces, (a continuance of Warre may well doe it) and His Majesty is willing to concurre in the resistance of all such of what kind soever; And expects that, during the Cessation, the convey­ing all Forces from one part to another by Sea, for the assistance of the Earle of Essex, be restrained, which both Houses seem now to consent to, which was not at all expressed in their former Articles.

3. His Majesties opinion how unfit it was to Treat in blood, sufficiently appeares, this debate concerning a Cessation arising first from His Ma­jesties motion, (it being left out in the Answer to His Message for a Treaty) in order to which He had and hath great reason to desire, that the Com­mittee may have Liberty to debate and conclude any differences and expressions in the Articles of the Cessation, that the same may be reconciled and removed without remitting all Questions to Lon­don. For as those now consented to, might in much lesse time have been agreed here, if there had been [Page 15] that Liberty, so there can hardly be a right & cleer understanding of Intentions without expounding of words, and knowing the meaning from each other, as in the consent which His Majesty now understands to be given by both Houses, that no Forces shall, during the Cessation, be sent by Sea, for the releife of any place now held by them, the Ex­pression is not so cleere, but referreth to Articles, in which if it was not comprised before, as His Majesty doth not conceive it was, no Alteration is made by what now seemes to be consented to; And the Liberty which to all understandings may seem to be given by removing out of one Quarter to another, within the Precincts proposed is not yet so demonstrable; The Committee having no Power to answer what they understand in that point, which is most necessary to be known, that the Peace be not broken during that Cessation. And His Majesty wonders that it should be thought unsafe or unfit to give such a conclusive power of such differences & doubts to the Committee here, when 'tis notoriously knowne, that the very Li­berty and Property of the Subject is committed, not only to other Committees of the Houses with­out reporting to the Houses, but to persons who are imployed by them uninteressed in, and unac­quainted [Page 16] with the directions of either or both Houses.

4. It was no part of His Majesties Intention, that His Article against Imprisonment of His Sub­jects, otherwise then according to the knowne Lawes of the Land, should extend to the destru­ction of the military Discipline of either Army; but this is a very sufficient instance of the necessity of enabling some Persons to conclude upon these Articles, without which (through Inanimadver­tence or doubtfulnesse in the Expressions) they who are neerest of a mind, will hardly ever come to conclude, if every Punctilio must be forced to be sent forwards and backwards a hundred miles; and (if this Authority had been given to the Com­mittee here, as for such causes was desired) a limi­tation of halfe a dozen words (which would have been as soon agreed to as proposed) would have saved most of this fourth Reason; and he that de­sires any thing necessary to the speed of this Cessa­tion gives a good argument of desiring the Cessa­tion it selfe, and who ever is averse to the one, can hardly be thought inclinable to the other.

But such of His Subjects as are not concerned in the Discipline of the Army, are not concerned in this objection, and His Majesty hath reason to in­sist [Page 17] that the same Liberty may be restored to them in which they were borne, and the Care and De­fence of which is so much, and so meerly preten­ded by those who deny it to them.

5. Though it grieves His Majesty to the Soul to see the present miserable condition of His Subjects groaning under so many visible Pressures, because of an invisible necessity, and plundred and impri­soned to maintain such a defensive Warre as was begun to be raised against Him, before His Majesty had granted one Commission to raise a man, yet He cannot but be pleased with the Ingenuity of this Confession, that the implicite Faith of His se­duced Subjects begins to weare out so fast, that the Authority of declaring new unknown fundamen­tall Lawes, doth not now so worke with them, to beleive that these Taxes are laid according to the Lawes of God and man, nor the many preten­ces of imminent dangers, and inevitable ruine of their Religion, Lawes and Liberties so perswade them to beleive this Cause to be the Cause of the Kingdom, but that if their cause, authority and eloquence were not assisted by Force and Rapine, their Army must needs be dissolved for want of being thought fit, much lesse necessary to be paid by those, who have equall Right to judge of the [Page 18] necessity & danger, and for whose sakes, Interests, and concernments only it was pretended to be rai­sed, and who are defended by it against their wills. Nor is it strange, that His Majesty cannot receive these Charges upon Him as a reason to make Him contented and acquiesce with these Injuries to His Subjects, or that they who saw His Majesties Con­dition the last Yeare (till cōtinued violence against Him opened the Eyes and hearts of His Subjects to His Assistance) should not beleive that He be­ganne that Warre, which they saw him so unlike­ly to resist, or that they, who could never find nor heare from them (who use not too modestly to conceale what is for their advantage) that from the beginning of the world to this present Parlia­ment ever one man was raised before by Com­mission from both Houses, should not beleive the raising of that their Army to be so warranted as is pretended, & any more approve of their Law then of their necessity, or that they who know that His Majesty (in whom the power of making Warre and Peace was never denyed to be, till these new Doctrines, which make it unlawfull for Him to doe any thing, & lawfull to doe any thing against Him, were of late discovered) though He can le­gally raise an Army, is not allowed to be legally [Page 19] able to raise Money to maintain it, will not allow of the argument from the Power of Raising to the Power of Taxing, & are as little satisfied with their Logick as with their Law, and extreamly troubled to pay an Army they doe not desire, for a necessity they cannot see, by a Law they never heard of, and that other men without their consent must be jea­lous, fearefull and quicksighted at their charges; and they have great Reason to be apt to suspect that those made most hast to make a Warre, and have least desire of making Peace, who in time of Warre pretend their legall Power to be so vastly enlarged. His Majesty therefore hath great reason to insist that no violence or Plundring be offered to His Subjects for not submitting to the illegall Taxes of one or both Houses, which in it selfe is equall, His Majesty being willing to be oblig'd from the like Course, and relying wholy upon the known Ju­stice of His Cause, and the Affection of His People, and in which (if the Kingdom be of their mind, & beleive the Cause of the contrary Army to be really their own) the advantage will be wholy theirs. And this Judgement will be best given, when the People is left to their Liberty in this decision.

His Majesties reall desire of disbanding the Ar­mies may fully appeare by His often seeking and [Page 20] earnest Endeavours to continue and conclude this Treaty in order to that disbanding.

6. His Majesty leaves their Preamble to all the World to consider, and to judge whether any man by their saying, they were ready to agree to His Majesties Articles in the manner as was exprest, would not have expected to have found, after that expression, that they had agreed at least to some one thing materiall in them, and had not only meant by agreeing as was exprest, to expresse they would not agree at all.

For the clause of Communication of Quarters so quietly left out, His Majesty looks upon it as of most infinite importance, the leaving out of that having discompos'd the whole, many things ha­ving in the rest been assented to, which were therefore only yeelded, because the Inconveni­ences growing by those clauses, if they were alone, were salved by that Addition, and some things in the other very darke and doubt­full, were by that interpreted and cleered. And His Majesty is sufficiently informed how highly it concernes Him, that every thing be so cleer, that after no Differences may arise upon any disputa­ble Poynt, since they whose Union, Industry, Sub­tilty and Malice could perswade any of His Peo­ple, [Page 21] that in the businesse of Brainceford He had broken a Cessation before any was made or offe­red, would have a much easier work to lay the breach of a made Cessation to His Majesties Charge, if the ground of that Breach would beare the least dispute.

His Majesty doth agree, that to preserve things in the same State on both sides with as little Ad­vantage or disadvantage to either as the matter will possibly beare, is truly the nature of a Cessati­on, and is willing this Principle should be made the Rule, and never intended any thing that should contradict it; But cannot see the inequality in this which is pretended. For could Sir Ralph Hopton and the Earle of Newcastle come by this means to the King, and not the Earle of Stanford, and Lord Fairfaix to the Earle of Essex? Nor can His Majesty finde any stronger Passes or Forces to hinder His Armies from joyning with Him, then hinders theirs from joyning with them. If the forces be unequall, theirs will hardly hinder the passage of His without a Cessation; if they be equall their comming in time of a Cessation will be of equall use and advantage to their side, somewhat in point of supplyes to come with them excepted, & some advantage to one side will be, poise it how you [Page 22] will. But on the other side, if this Clause be not in, how much greater is the disadvantage the o­ther way by some Clauses? And how are His For­ces, principally the Earle of Newcastles cooped up in old and eaten up Quarters, or necessitated to re­tire to such as are more barren and more eaten? So that if this were yeelded to, under the disguise of a Cessation, He must admit that which will much endanger the dissolving of the Army, and destru­ction of the Cause, which is such a disadvantage as is against the nature of a Cessation formerly a­greed and stated.

Notwithstanding all this, His Majesty, to shew His extraordinary and abundant desire of Peace, and to prevent the effusion of Blood, is contented, if both Houses shall refuse to consent to His Pro­positions, Which are so much for the benefit and Advancement of the publique Trade and Advan­tage of His good Subjects, to admit a Cessation up­on the matter of their own Articles; expecting that Liberty be given to the Committee to word it according to the reall meaning and intention, and that the Remove of Quarters within their own Bounds, which is intended, may be so exprest and understood, that no mistakes may arise, so that His Majesty may not be understood to con­sent [Page 23] to any imposing upon, leavying, distraining, or imprisoning His good Subjects, to force them to contribute or assist against Him, (which He shall alwaies continue to inhibite, requiring all men to resist those illegall Acts of injustice and violence, against which he doth absolutely pro­test;) And so that there may not be a Liberty for a­ny Rapine, Plundring or seasing upon His Subjects by any of the Souldiers of the Army, for not sub­mitting to such illegall impositions as aforesaid. For otherwise they may, during the Cessation, (be­sides what is already imposed) impose new taxes not only to the 19th part, but if they please (for their pleasure is all their bound) to the halfe of, or all their estates, upon His good Subjects in His City of London, and all Counties within their reach; And their Army would then be at leasure to be imployed as Collectors, as well of the old impositions (which in most Places without their Army they cannot leavy) as of any such new ones; And vast summes would and might by this meanes be raised to the Destruction of His Sub­jects, extraordinary advantage to them, and great disadvantage to His Majesty, who can neither ob­tain His own consent to take the like Courses, nor in Case He could, is He so Quartered, as to have [Page 24] within the Power of His Army (without breach of the Cessation by drawing neerer to their For­ces) any such City, or so many, so rich and so fresh Counties, as they have to retire into to that purpose. So that as nothing is more just in it selfe, and for His People, then such a limitation, so no­thing can be more unequall to His Majesty, or more advantagious to them, then the Admission of, or Connivence to any such practices upon His People. This Cessation to begin on the ninth of April, and to continue to the end of Twenty daies from the 25. of March. And His Majesty desires that the Treaty may proceed upon the Propositions in Order, upon which His Majesty hath an earnest desire, that a firme and stable Peace may be agreed on, and both Armies speedily disbanded, other­wise, if during this Cessation (in the Articles of which His Majesty in order to Peace, hath yeelded to things manifestly unreasonable and prejudiciall to His Army) the Treaty be not dispatched, His Majesty cannot without manifest ruine to His Army (principally that of the North) be able to containe Himself beyond this time, now limited for the Cessation, in the Quarters in which He hath so long been, and now is, and which will hardly be able to hold out so long, but must be for­ced [Page 25] to remove, as he shall find agreeable for His occasions.

And in Case any delay be made in consenting to these His Majesties Limitations, or that the Houses shall reject this His offer of Cessation, His Majestie as He hath lately desired (by a Proposition to both Houses, delivered to their Committee, to which He hath yet received no Answer) so He doth earnestly continue to desire, that the Treaty itself may not be delayed or interrupted by it, but that their Committee may be enabled to proceed upon it in the meane while.

FINIS.

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