"neftly pursue that Defign, not declining any hazard of his "Perfon in performing that duty, which he ow'd to the de"fence of God's true Religion, and his diftreffed Subjects, as "he Undertook it for thofe only ends; to the fincerity of "which profeffion, he called God to Witness, with this fur"ther affurance, that he would never confent, upon whatso"ever pretence, to a Toleration of the Popish Profeffion "there, or the Abolition of the Laws now in force against "Popish Recufants in that Kingdom.

"His Majefty further advertised them, that, towards this "Work, he intended to raife forthwith, by his Commiffions, "in the Counties near Weft-Chefter, a Guard for his own Per"fon (when he fhould come into Ireland) confifting of two "thousand Foot, and two hundred Horfe, which should be "Arm'd at Weft-Chefter, from his Magazine at Hull; at which "time, he faid, all the Officers, and Soldiers, fhould take the "Oaths of Supremacy, and Allegiance; the Charge of raifing "and paying whereof, he defired the Parliament to add to "the former Undertakings for that War; which he would "not only well accept, but, if their Pay fhould be found too "great a burthen to his good Subjects, he would be willing, "by the advice of his Parliament, to Sell, or Pawn, any of his "Parks, Lands, or Houses, towards the fupplies of the Ser"vice of Ireland. With the addition of these Levies to the "former of English and Scotish, agreed upon in Parliament, he "faid, he hoped fo to appear in that Action, that by the "Affiftance of Almighty God, that Kingdom, in a fhort time, "might be wholely reduced, and reftored to Peace, and fome "measure of Happiness; whereby he might chearfully return, "to be welcom'd Home with the Affections and bleffings of "all his good English People.

"TOWARDS this good Work, he faid, as he had lately "made difpatches into Scotland, to quicken the Levies there "for Ulfter, fo he heartily wifhed, that this Parliament would "give all poffible Expedition to thofe, which they had Re"folv'd for Munfter and Canaught; and hoped the encourage"ment which the Adventurers, of whofe interefts he would "be always very careful, would hereby receive, would raise "full Sums of Money for the doing thereof. He told them, "that out of his earneft defire to remove all occafions, which "did unhappily multiply mifunderstandings between him "and his Parliament, he had likewife prepared a Bill to be "offer'd to them by his Atturney concerning the Militia; "whereby he hoped, the Peace and Safety of the Kingdom "might be fully fecured to the general fatisfaction of all Men, without Violation of his Majefty's juft Rights, or prejudice to the Liberty of the Subject. If this fhould be thankfully

"receiv'd,

"receiv'd, he faid, he should be glad of it; if refufed, he "muft call God, and all the World, to judge on Whofe "C part the default was; only he required, if the Bill fhould "be approv❜d of, that if any Corporation fhould make their "Lawful Rights appear, they might be referv'd to them. "He faid, before he would part from England, he would take "all due care to entrust fuch Perfons with fuch Authority in "his abfence, as he should find to be requifite for the Peace "and Safety of the Kingdom, and the happy progress of the "Parliament.

THEY neither before nor after ever receiv'd any Meffage from his Majefty, that more difcompofed them; and fo much the more, because that which gave them moft Umbrage, could not be publickly and fafely avowed by them. For though, to thofe who had a due reverence to the King's Perfon, and an impatient defire, that all misunderstandings might be compofed, they urged "the hazard, and danger to his Ma"jefty's Perfon, in fuch an Expedition, and the increase of "Jealoufies and Diftractions, that would enfue in this King"dom by his Abfence; and to others, who from the barba rity, inhumanity, and unheard of cruelty, exercifed by the Rebels in Ireland upon the English Proteftants (of which they every day receiv'd fresh and bleeding evidence) had contracted a great animofity against that whole Nation, and were perfwaded that the work of Extirpation was not fo dif ficult as in truth it was; and to the Adventurers, who had disburfed great fums of Money, and had difgefted a full Affurance of Ample Recompence by Confifcations, and Forfeitures; "that by this Voyage of the King, a Peace would be in "a fhort time concluded in that Kingdom, to their great dif "advantage and damage; yet the true Reafons, which furprifed and ftartled them, were, that hereby the managing the War of Ireland would be taken out of their hands; and fo, inftead of having a Nursery for Soldiers of their own, which they might imploy as they faw occafion; and a power of railing what Money they pleafed in this Kingdom under that Title, which they might difpofe, as they found moft fic for their affairs; the King would probably in a fhort time recover one entire Kingdom to his Obedience, by which he might be able to preserve the Peace of the other two. However, working by feveral impreffions upon feveral Affections, they found it no difficult thing to perfwade, almoft an Unanimous, averfion from approving the Journey; they who ufually oppofed their advice, not enduring to think of ftaying in England, where the power, at leaft for a time, would be in Them, whofe Government, they knew, would be terrible when his Majefty fhould be in Ireland. Upon this they

I

dispatched

to his Ma.

28. 1642.

dispatched a Magisterial Answer to the King, in which they told him ;

The Answer "THAT the Lords and Commons in Parliament, had duely of both Houfesce confidered the Meffage, receiv'd from his Majefty, concernjelly's Mef "ing his purpofe of going into Ireland in his own Perfon to Sage of his profecute the War there, with the bodies of his English Subgoing in Per-jects, Levied, Tranfported, and maintain'd at their Charge; fon in Ire-which he was pleafed to propound to them, not as a matter land, Apr. wherein he defired the advice of his Parliament, but as al"ready firmly Refolv'd on, and forthwith to be put in Exe"cution, by granting out Commiffions for the Levying of two "thoufand Foot, and two hundred Horfe, for a Guard for his "Perfon when he fhould come into that Kingdom; wherein, "they faid, they could not but, with all reverence and humi"lity to his Majefty, obferve, that he had declined his Great Council, the Parliament, and varied from the ufual Courfe "of his Royal Predeceffours; that a bufinefs of fo great Im"portance concerning the Peace and Safety of all his Subjects, "and wherein they have a fpecial intereft, by his Majefty's "promife, and by thofe great fums, which they had disburfed, "and for which they ftood engaged, fhould be concluded, and "undertaken without their advice: whereupon, they faid, "they held it their duty to declare, that if, at that time, his "Majefty fhould go into Ireland, he would very much en"danger the fafety of his Royal Perfon, and Kingdoms, and "of all other States profeffing the Proteftant Religion in Chri"ftendom, and make way to the execution of that cruel, and "bloody defign of the Papifts, every where to root out and

σε

deftroy the Reform'd Religion; as the Irish Papifts had al"ready, in a great part, effected in that Kingdom; and, in "all likelyhood, would quickly be attempted in other places, "if the confideration of the ftrength, and union of the two "Nations of England and Scotland, did not much hinder, and "difcourage the execution of any fuch defign. And that they "might manifeft to his Majefty the danger and mifery, which "fuch a Journey and Enterprife would produce, they pre"fented to his Majefty the reafons of that their humble opi"nion and advice;

I. "HIS Royal Perfon would be fubject, not only to the "cafualty of War, but to fecret Practices and Confpiracies; "efpecially his Majefty continuing his profeffion to main"tain the Proteftant Religion in that Kingdom, which the Papifts were generally bound by their vow to extirpate.

2. "IT would exceedingly encourage the Rebels; who " did generally profess and declare, that his Majefty did fi "your and allow their proceedings, and that this Infurrection "was undertaken by the Warrant of his Commiffion; and it

would

"would make good their expectation of great advantage, by "his Majefty's prefence at that time, of fo much diftraction "in this Kingdom, whereby they might hope the two Houses "of Parliament would be difabled to fupply the War there, "especially there appearing lefs neceffity of his Majefty's Jour"ney at that time, by reafon of the manifold Succefies, which "God had given against them.

3. "IT would much hinder, and impair the means whereby "the War was to be Supported, and increafe the Charge of "it, and in both these relpects make it more infupportable to the Subject; and this, they faid, they could confidently af"firm; because many of the Adventurers, who had already "fubfcribed, did, upon the knowledge of his Majefty's inten"tion, declare their Refolution not to pay in their Money; "and others, very willing to have subscribed, do Now pro"fefs the contrary.

"His Majefty's abfence muft neceffarily very much inck terrupt the proceedings of Parliament; and deprive his "Subjects of the benefit of thofe further Acts of Grace and "Juftice, which they thould humbly expect from his Majesty "for the establifhing a perfect Union, and mutual Confi"dence between his Majefty and his People, and procuring "and confirming the profperity, and happiness of both.

5. "IT would exceedingly increase the Fears and Jealou"fies of his People; and render their doubts more probable, "of fome Force intended, by fome evil Counfels near his "Majefty, in oppofition of the Parliament, and favour of the "Malignant Party of this Kingdom.

6. "IT would bereave his Parliament of that advantage, "whereby they were induced to undertake that War, upon "his Majefty's promife that it fhould be managed by Their "advice; which could not be done, if his Majefty, contrary "to their Counfels, fhould undertake to order, and govern it "in his own Perfon.

"UPON which, and divers other reafons, they faid, they "had Refolved, by the full and concurrent Agreement of "both Houfes, that they could not, with difcharge of their "duty, confent to any Levics or raifing of Soldiers to be "made by his Majefty, for that his intended expedition into "Ireland; or to the payment of an Army, or Soldiers there, "but fuch as fhould be imployed, and governed according to "their advice, and direction: and that, if fuch Levies fhould "be made by any Commiffion of his Majefty's, not agreed "to by both Houses of Parliament, they thould be forced to interpret the fame to be raised to the Terrour of his Peo"ple, and Disturbance of the Publick Peace; and did hold "themselves bound, by the Laws of the Kingdom, to

"apply

"apply the Authority of Parliament to fupprefs the fame. AND, they faid, they did further moft humbly declare, "that if his Majefty fhould by ill Counsel be perfwaded to go, contrary to that advice of his Parliament (which they hop "ed his Majefty would not) they did not, in that cafe, hold "themselves bound to fubmit to any Commiffioners, which "his Majefty fhould choose; but did Refolve to Preferve "and govern the Kingdom; by the Counfel and Advice of "Parliament, for his Majefty and his Pofterity, according "to their Allegiance, and the Law of the Land: wherefore, "they did moft humbly pray, and advise his Majefty, to de"fift from that his intended paffage into Ireland, and from all preparation of men and Armes tending thereunto; and to leave the managing of that War to his Parliament, ac"cording to his promife made unto them, and his Commif"fion granted under his Great Seal of England, by advice of "both Houfes; in profecution whereof, by God's bleffing, "they had already made a profperous entrance, by many de

feats of the Rebels, whereby they were much weakned and "difheartned; and had no probable means of fubfiftence, if "the proceedings of the two Houfes were not interrupted by "that interpofition of his Majefty's Journey: but they hop"ed, upon good grounds, that, within a fhort time, without "hazard of his Perfon, and fo much dangerous confufion in "his Kingdoms, which muft needs enfue, if he fhould pro"ceed in that refolution, they fhould be enabled fully to "vindicate his Majefty's Right, and Authority in that King "dom; and punish thofe horrible, outragious cruelties, which "had been committed in the murthering, and fpoiling fo many of his Subjects; and to bring that Realm to fuch a "condition, as might be much to the Advantage of his Ma "jefty and the Crown, and the Honour of his Government, rr and Contentment of his People: for the better and more "Speedy effecting whereof, they did again renew their hum"ble defires of his return to his Parliament; and that he "would please to reject all Counfels, and Apprehenfions "which might any way derogate from the faithfulness, and "Allegiance, which, in truth and fincerity, they had always born and profeffed to his Majesty, and should ever make "good, to the uttermoft, with their Lives and Fortunes.

To this Petition (the Matter whereof finding a general concurrence, there was the lefs Debate, and Contradiction upon the Manner of expreffion) being fent to the King to York; and, in the mean time, all preparations being fuipended for the neceffary relief for Ireland, infomuch as with the Votes (which were prefently printed) against the King's Journey, there was likewife an Order printed to difcourage

the