YOu could not have presented Us any ob­ject of more welcome consequence, than those desires of our well respected Citie of London, of which wee have alwayes retained that good opinion, that it was as impossible for the Inhabitants of that our Capitall Citie, to forget their duties and due respects to Us their King, as it was impossible for Us to give off the just opinion Wee have alwayes had of their loyaltie to Us, or the good affections We have alwayes held of them, the maine Upholders of the dignitie of our Kingdome: the wealth of that Citie is not unknowne to Us, nor the zeale We have found continually in them to our service. Neither are We ignorant of the many notable sup­plyes our Ancestours have received from their contributions [Page 4] to the maintenance of the wars in forraine parts. All which considerations meeting with our owne royall inclinations to the weale and commoditie of that Citie, must needs ren­der Us verie willing and concurrent to any propositions which shall arrive from them, concerning an accommoda­tion for peace, which Wee have alwayes coveted with as much ardour, as We have detested the miseries and oppres­sions of this present war, this lamentable and calamitous civill war, which hath unmade the peace and safetie of our Kingdome; nay, as it were, uncreated our native royaltie, dependent upon Us from our Ancestours, and left Us a King in title rather than in essence, the best Pillars of our Kingdome being shrunk from Us, our High Court of Par­liament, whom had Wee never so unfortunately, by some idle mutinous spirits, been as it were enforced to desert, when Wee were in a manner driven from our palace at White-Hall, our subjects had not in such numbers relinqui­shed Us. But Wee hope the best; time, moderation, and good counsell will give a happie period to these distractions which the present wars doe continue, to the destruction of our people and diminution of our regall estate and dignitie. We are sensible of the horrid and great afflictions and op­pressions, that like fatall clouds over-shadow the face of our Dominions, the many bloud-sheds, rapines and spoyles, which have been acted upon the persons and estates of our good subjects, especially the detriments that have fallen with a heavie hand upon our Citie of London. Wee know these wars have deprived the Merchant of the benefit of exporting his commodities into forraine parts, and impor­ting others from thence into our Citie of London, which must needs occasion a generall defect of trade there, which hath been ever held the chiefe supportment and encrease of the riches of our English Common-wealth, which as rivers derive themselves from fountaines, have been devolved tho­row all our Dominions from London; it being the spring [Page 5] of commerce and traffique, that flowes thorow all parts of this Nation. But surely Wee have just occasion in this to vindicate Our Selves, that We have never in our soule oc­casioned these fatall miseries; violence in some, and mis-un­derstanding in others, having begot these Hyara-headed con­fusions, which Heaven no longer prosper Us, than We shall with our utmost endevour strive to reduce to a sudden and certaine conclusion, that all our people may evidently per­ceive We desire no longer to be esteemed their Soveraigne, than we shall give them occasion to credit We intend meer­ly their advancement, peace, and profit.

Subjects are a Kings best inheritance, the flower of his Crowne, and glorie of his Scepter; which far be it from all just Kings (and Wee include Our Selfe in that number) to abridge or violate: the fundamentall Lawes of this King­dome, We have ever maintained, and so shall ever do, with our best abilities and power, the priviledges of our High Court of Parliament, and the libertie and the propertie of the Subject: In especiall, the Immunities and Franchises of our Citie of London, which Wee alwayes esteemed so pre­cious in our thoughts, that Wee shall study alwayes to aug­ment rather than decrease them. You have, Mr. Secretarie, delivered Us the intentions of our Citie of London, presen­ted by their Agents now in our Court, the maine of which (as you have delivered to Us) is that Wee would please to let them understand, whether We will receive any proposi­tions from our said Citie, concerning an accommodation of peace betweene Us and our High Court of Parliament. Certainly Wee should appeare a strange and publike enemy to Our Selfe, the peace and prosperitie of our Kingdome and People, should We neglect to embrace any such just and ho­nest propositions.

We are assured, since our City of London can desire this re­ally & heartily, as by this expresse is manifested, the rest of our People, Cities, and Corporations, must be of the same mind; [Page 6] and surely Our high Court of Parliament must needs con­curre with them in the same intentions, they having by di­vers of their Declarations given the world to understand, that they have made it the maine cause of their endevours, to seek peace and ensue it. We do therefore (Master Secre­tary) give you to understand Our Royall will and pleasure, concerning this precedent point of their Message, that Wee shall not onely be ready to receive graciously any such Pro­positions for an Accommodation of Peace between Our self and Our high Court of Parliament; (for We have much and evident reason, when We see Our Kingdome torne in pieces by these civill dissensions, Our People up in Armes one against another, and shedding the blood of each other, who are all Our native subjects; Our Townes, Cities, and Villa­ges impoverished by daily plundrings, firings, and outrages) but likewise to propound them Our selves. The true Religi­on of God Almighty lies and languishes under a storme of fatall schismes and opinions; Our owne Royalty hath not halfe its wonted attributes, its traine or attendants; Our Lawes are neglected, Lawes, which are the Ensignes of Majesty, and the immediate Ministers of Our Justice, the safeguard and patrimony of Our Subjects, and the staffe and upholder of their liberties. We must therefore, considering all the fatall misfortunes and incombrances of a civill War, and the immediate blessings and over-flowing benefits of a setled and continued Peace, have rather a greater propen­sion in Our selfe to peace, then can be any way in any of Our People, We being divers wayes more interessed in the com­mon utility then they can be possible.

Never had any (We may speak that without any partiall boast) more desires to acquire and atchieve the good of his subjects, then Our selfe; nor ever hath any King been more crossed in his determinations and intentions then Our selfe, frequent and fatall jealousies arising betweene Our high Court of Parliament and Our selfe, which have thus [Page 7] long separated Us from the body of Our Kingdom, and Our Kingdome from Us.

The Parliament We will not blame, nor by any meanes seeke to rip up old discontents betwixt Us; would they had never been, or at least so ended now, that by an absolute Act of oblivion they were utterly forgotten; We shall la­bour to throw balme and oyle into the wounds of the Com­mon-wealth, and so comply with the desires both of Our Parliament and Our City of London, that if it be possible a suddain and happy Union may once more be knit up betwixt Us; that all the inconveniences happening to the Common-wealth by these intemperate distractions, may be utterly wi­ped away from the face of Our English Earth, and that We may live to govern the Natives of this Island as their King, and they live to honour and obey Us as Our People.

Furthermore (Master Secretary) We would have you in­timate to these Agents from Our City of London, that We in all love embrace their request, concerning Our returne to Our said City and Parliament, and would have them beleeve it were far more correspondent to be in quiet at White-hall, Hampton Court, or any of Our Palaces thereabout, then here at Oxford; where though We have all the accommo­dation the countrey can affoord, yet doe they not counter­vaile with those We could have (as We are confident) in or about Our City of London, which hath alwayes been the supreme chamber of Our Ancestors, and Our owne best be­loved residence, till these fatall stirres dis-united us, and for­ced Us to depart from thence; whither (you may certifie them) We would with as much willingnesse return, as ever We did in time of the happiest tranquillity from any of Our sedentary Progresses, never beleeving Our Person in more or better security, then when guarded with the faithfull hearts and valiant hands of those couragious and well-expe­rienced Citizens, who have alwayes had and ever shall have a neare and deare roome in Our Royall intention and well-wishes. [Page 8] But such is the necessity of Our affaires, so urgent the consequence of Our presence to Our Army, that We are utterly impossibilited of transferring Our Person from them, who conceiving themselves discountenanced and neglected by Our absence, would be very apt to grow into dangerous distempers. But for their Propositions concerning an Accom­modation of Peace, let them be sent to Us, and We shall give them so ample and gracious hearing as shall be fit Us to give, and them to receive: And as soone as things shall by faire treaty be made ripe for an enter view between Our selfe and Parliament, We shall with all convenient haste repaire (ac­cording to their desires) to Our City of London. In the meane time, desire them from Us to continue their good in­tentions concerning Peace, and We shall esteeme it a prin­cipall demonstration of their loyalty towards Us, and ever study the advancement of their City, and the whole Com­mon-wealth.