A petition of the Major, Aldermen, and Common councell of the city of London together with His Majesties gracious answer thereunto. City of London (England). Court of Common Council. 1641 Approx. 9 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 4 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2014-11 (EEBO-TCP Phase 2). A70785 Wing P1818 ESTC R8120 12194311 ocm 12194311 55967

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 Early English books online text creation partnership. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A70785) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 55967) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 872:59) A petition of the Major, Aldermen, and Common councell of the city of London together with His Majesties gracious answer thereunto. City of London (England). Court of Common Council. England and Wales. Sovereign (1625-1649 : Charles I) [2], 5 p. s.n.], [London : 1641. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library.

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 eng Charles -- I, -- King of England, 1600-1649. London (England) -- History -- Sources. 2020-09-21 Content of 'availability' element changed when EEBO Phase 2 texts came into the public domain 2013-05 Assigned for keying and markup 2013-07 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2013-08 Sampled and proofread 2013-08 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2014-03 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

A PETITION OF The Major, Aldermen, and Common Councell of the City of LONDON, To His Maieſtie.

Together with His Majeſties gracious Anſwer thereunto.

Anno Domini. 1641.
TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTIE. The humble Petition of the Major, Aldermen, and Common-Councell, of the City of LONDON,

MAy it pleaſe Your moſt excellent Majeſtie; the often expreſſions of your moſt gracious acceptance of the manifeſtation of the Petitioners duty and loyalty, and the frequent declarations of your Majeſties great care of the good and welfare of this City, and of the true Proteſtant Religion, and of the protecting and preſerving the Perſons and Privileges of your great Councell aſſembled in the Court of Parliament: each encouraged the Petitioners to repreſent the great Dangers, Feares, and Diſtractions wherein the City now is, by reaſon of the prevailing progreſſe of the bloody Rebells in Ireland, fomented, and acted by the Papiſts and their adherents, and want of Aid to ſuppreſſe them, and the ſeverall intimations they have had both Forraign and at Home, of the driving on of their Deſignes, tending to the utter ruin of the Proteſtant Religion, and of the Lives & Liberties of your Majeſties loyall Subjects, the putting out of Perſons of Honour and truſt from being Conſtable and Lievtenant of the Tower, eſpecially in theſe times, and the preparations there lately made, the fortifying of Whitehall with men and Munition in an unuſuall manner, Some of which men with provoking language and violence, abuſed divers Citizens paſſing by, and the drawing divers ſwords, and therwith wounding ſundry other Citizens in Weſtminſter-Hall, that were unarmed: the late endevours uſed to the Innes of Court, the calling in divers Canoniers, and other aſſiſtance into the Tower, the late diſcovery of divers fire-works in the hands of a Papiſt, and the miſunderſtanding betwixt Your Majeſtie and Parliament, by reaſon of miſinformation, as they humbly conceive.

Beſides all which, the Petitioners feares are exceedingly encreaſed by your Majeſties late going into the Houſe of Commons attended with a great multitude of armed men beſides your ordinary Guard, for the apprehending of divers members of that Houſe, to the endangering of Your Sacred Perſon, and of the Perſons and Priviledges of that Honourable Aſſembly.

The effects of all which Feares tend, not only to the overthrow of the whole Trade of this City and Kingdome, which the Petitioners already feel in a deepe meaſure; but alſo threatens the utter ruine of the Proteſtant Religion, and the lives and Liberties of all Your Loyall Subjects.

The Petitioners therefore moſt Humbly pray Your Sacred Majeſtie, That by the advice of Your great Councell in Parliament, the Proteſtants in Ireland may be ſpeedily relieved, The Tower put into the hands of Perſons of truſt: That by removall of doubtfull and unknowne Perſons from about White-Hall and Weſtminſter, a knowne and approved Guard may be appointed for the ſafety of Your Majeſtie and Parliament, and that the Lord Mandevill and the five Members of the Houſe of Commons, lately accuſed, may not be reſtrained of libertie, or proceeded againſt, otherwiſe then according to the priviledges of Parliament.

And the Petitioners (as in all duty bound) ſhall pray for Your Majeſties moſt long and happy Reign, &c.
HIS MAIESTIES ANSWER To the Petition of the Major, Aldermen, and Common Councell of the City of LONDON.

HIS Majeſtie having fully conſidered the matter of this Petition, Is graciouſly pleaſed to declare, that being unalterably reſolved to make good all His expreſſions and declarations of His care of this City, Of the true Proteſtant Religion, and of the Priviledges of Parliament; His Majeſtie takes in good part, the intimation given by the Petitioners of the feares and diſtractions wherein the City now ſeemes to be. And though He conceives He did on Wedneſday at Guild Hall ſatisfie moſt of thoſe particulars, is pleaſed to adde this further Anſwer.

1 That for the ſad buſineſſe of Ireland, His Majeſtie cannot poſſibly expreſſe a greater ſence then Hee hath done, there being nothing left on His Majeſties part unoffered or undone. And He hoped by the ſpeedy advice and aſſiſtance of His Parliament, that great and neceſſary Work would be put in a juſt forwardneſſe, to which His Majeſtie will contribute all his power: And how zealous He is and hath beene therein, will appeare in a Declaration ſpeedily to be ſet forth by His Majeſtie.

2 For the Tower: His Majeſtie wonders, that having removed a Servant of good Truſt and Reputation, from that Charge, onely to ſatisfie the feares of the City, and put in another of unqueſtionable Reputation, and knowne ability, the Petitioners ſhould ſtill entertain thoſe feares; and whatever preparation of ſtrength is there made, is with as great an Eye of ſafety and advantage to the City, as to his Majeſties own Perſon, and ſhall bee equally imployed to both.

3 For the fortifying of White-Hall with Men and Munition in an unuſuall way: His Majeſty doubts not, but the Petitioners have obſerved the ſtrange provocation He hath received to entertaine that Guard: That by the diſorderly and tumultuous conflux of people at Weſtminſter and White-Hall, his Majeſties great Councell was not only diſquieted, but his owne Royall Perſon in danger, moſt ſeditious language being uttered even under his own windowes, whileſt the examination and puniſhing ſuch Tumults by the courſe of Law were interrupted and ſtopped. And if any Citizens were wounded or ill intreated, his Majeſty is confidently aſſured, that it hapned by their owne evill and corrupt demeanours.

4 His Majeſtie knowes no other endeavours to the Innes of Court, then a gracious Intimation, That he received the tender of their loyall and dutifull Affections with very good Approbation and Acceptance, and an incouragement given them to continue the ſame upon all occaſions. Neither doth His Majeſty know, what diſcovery hath beene lately made of fire-workes in the hands of any Papiſt.

5 For His going to the Houſe of Commons (when His attendants were no otherwiſe armed then as Gentlemen with Swords) His Majeſty is verily perſwaded, That if the Petitioners knew the clear grounds upon which thoſe perſons ſtand accuſed of high Treaſon, and what will be proved againſt them (which in due time they ſhall be acquainted with) and conſidered the gentle way his Majeſtie tooke for their apprehenſion (which Hee preferd before any courſe of violence, though that way had beene very juſtifiable; for His Majeſtie is very well aſſured that it is notoriouſly knowne, That no priviledge of Parliament can extend to Treaſon, Felony, or breach of the Peace) the Petitioners would believe his Majeſties going thither was an Act of grace and favour to that Houſe, and the moſt peaceable way of having that neceſſary ſervice for the apprehenſion of thoſe perſons performed; ſpecially, if ſuch Orders have beene made (which his Majeſtie is not willing to believe) for the reſiſtance of all lawfull Authority, as are diſcourſed of.

6 And for the proceedings againſt thoſe perſons mentioned in the Petition; his Majeſtie ever intended the ſame ſhould be with all juſtice and favour according to the Lawes and Statutes of the Realme; to the which all innocent men would cheerefully ſubmit.

And this extraordinary way of ſatisfying a Petition of ſo unuſuall a nature, his Majeſtie is confidently perſwaded, will be thought the greateſt inſtance can be given of his Majeſties clear intention to his Subjects, and of the ſingular eſtimation He hath of the good affections of this City, which He believes in gratitude will never be wanting to His juſt Commands and Service.

FINIS.