TRusty and Wellbeloved, We greet you well. We received lately a Petition from the Alder­men and Common-Councell of Our Citty of London, by the hands of Persons entrusted by them for the delivery, who found such a re­ception from Vs, as well manife­sted Our regard to that body which sent them; Though We well knew by whom that Petition was framed, and where perused and examined, before it was approved by those from whom it seemed to be sent, yet We were so willing to enter into a correspondence with that Our Cit­ty, and to receive any addresse and application from them, according to that Invitation We had given by Our late Proclamation; And were so glad to find that there [Page 2] was yet some hopes they would look to the Peace and happinesse of that Citty, and at last sever themselves from any Faction or dependence, which might insensibly in­volve them in those Calamities they did not Foresee, that We returned such a gratious Answer thereunto, so full of Candor and Affection, that the meanest Inhabitant of that Our Citty, if he carefully consider the same, will find himselfe concerned in it, and that We have had an e­speciall care of his particular. With this Answer of Ours We sent a servant of Our own, in the company of those who had been so well used here, to require and see that it might be communicated to the whole body of that Our Citty; not doubting but that both it & the Bringei should receive such Entertainment there, as might manitest their due regard of Vs, & of Our Affection to them: But to Our great wonder, We finde that after ten daies Attendance, and suffering ridiculous Pamphlets to be published in Our name, as if We retracted Our former Resolutions, (which Pamphlet We have caused to be burned by the hand of the Hangman, as We also require you to see don) instead of that admission We expected to Our Messenger and Message, guards of Armed Men have been brought to keep Our good Subjects, to whom that Our Answer was directed, from being present at the reading thereof; and Speeches have been made by Strangers (who have been admitted to the Citty Councells, contrary to the Freedome and Custome of those meetings,) to Blast Our said Answer, and to Dishonour and Slander Vs, which if Our good Subjects there shall suffer, We shall be much discouraged in Our desired correspondence with that Our Citty, and so by the cunning and power of those Incendi­aries mentioned in Our Answer (Alderman Pennington (who to show his great Loyalty to Vs, and his fitnesse to [Page 3] be the chief Magistrate of such a Citty, being informed that a desperate person there, said, that he hoped shortly to wash his hands in Our Blood, refused to send any War­rant, or to give any direction to any Officer for his Ap­prehension,) Ven, Fulke, and Manwaring) who have plunged that Our Citty into such unspeakable Calami­ties, in which they would still keep it to cure their own desperate condition, Our good Subjects there are not suf­fered to receive Our gratious Answer to that Petition; We have therefore thought fit to write these Our Letters to you, requiring you the Sheriffes of Our said Citty, to take care for the publishing that Our Answer (which We herewith send you) to Our good Subjects of that Our Citty; And Our pleasure is, That you the Masters and Ward [...]ns of the severall Companies of Our said Citty forthwith summon all the Members of your severall Companies, with all the Freemen and Apprentises (whose hopes and interests are so much blasted in these generall Distractions) belonging thereunto, to appeare at your severall Halls, where you shall cause Our said Answer, together with these Our Letters, to be publiquely read, that all Our good Subjects may cleerely understand how farre we have been from begetting, how farre We are from continuing or nourishing these unnaturall civill dis­sentions, and how much it is in their own power to re­move the present pressures, and to establish the future happinesse and glory of that famous Citty, and may seri­ously weigh every part of that Our Answer, as well that which carries caution in it for the future, as pardon for what is past, for assure your selves, for the time to come, We shall proceed with all severity against such who shall incurre the penalty of the Law in those poynts, of which we have given them so faire a warning in Our said An­swer, [Page 2] [...] [Page 3] [...] [Page 4] and whosoever shall not behave himselfe like a good Subject in this Our Kingdome, shall not (if We can helpe it) receive the benefit and advantage of being Our Sub­ject in any other; but all Forraigne Princes shall know, that as such Person hath parted with his Loyalty to Us, so he must not hope for any Security by Vs, and to that purpose We shall henceforward have a very inquisitive Eye upon the Actions of all Our Subjects, that some ex­ample may be made, how easie it is for Us to punish their disloyalties abroad, who for a time may avoyd Our Iu­stice at home. And to the end that none of Our good Sub­jects of that Our Citty may thinke themselves bound to obey any of the Orders or Commands of the pretended Lord Major (whom We have & doe still accuse of high Treason, & conspiring to take Our Life frō Vs,) It is well knowne to those Cittizens who understand the Charter of that Citty (so amply granted by Our Royall Progeni­tors, and so gratiously confirmed by Vs, & of which We presume Our good Subjects there doe still desire to re­ceive the benefit,) that the said Isaack Pennington was ne­ver regularly elected, or lawfully admitted to be Lord Major of that Our Citty, that in truth Alderman Cord­well, was by the plurality of voyces chosen, and that this Man was never presented to, or admitted by Vs, in such manner as is prescribed by their said Charter, neither had that Iudge, who presumed to sweare him, any more colour of Law or Authority to administer such an Oath to him, then he hath to doe the same to morrow to any other Alderman of the Citty: And We doe therefore hereby Declare the said Isaack Pennington not to be Ma­jor of that Our Citty of London, and to have no lawfull Authority to exercise the same, and that Our good Sub­jects of that Our Citty, ought not to submit to any Or­ders, [Page 5] directions, or commands which shall issue from him as Lord Major of that Our Citty, but that the same are void and of none effect. And We doe once more require you the Sheriffes of Our said Citty, and all other the Magistrates of the same, in which all Our good Subjects of that Citty will assist you, that you cause the said Isaack Pennington, Ven, Fulke, and Manwaring, to be appre­hended and committed to safe Custody, that We may proceed against them as guilty of high Treason, and principall Authors of those Calamities which are now so heavy upon Our poore Subjects of that Citty, and if not suddenly remedied, will in a short time utterly confound a Place, and a People lately of so flourishing an estima­tion in all the parts of Christendome. And whereas We are informed that one Browne a Wood-monger, Titch­borne a Linnen-Draper, and one Harvy a Silke-man, have exercised great Insolencies and outrages in that Our Cit­ty, and when many of Our good Subjects there, have as­sembled together in a peaceable and modest manner, to consult about the Peace and welfare of that Citty, the said mutinous and seditious Persons have presumed to lead Multitudes of armed Men against them, and by such force have beaten, wounded, and killed Our good Sub­jects; Our Will and Pleasure is, that if the said Browne, Titchborne, and Harvy, or either of them, shall so farre neglect Our gratious offer of Pardon, as still to engage themselves in those unwarrantable and seditious coursed, That you Our Sheriffes of London, raise power to sup­presse the said force, and that you and all Our Ministers of Iustice, use your utmost meanes to apprehend the said Persons, and to bring them to condigne punishment. And We doe hereby Declare, That it shall be lawfull for any of Our loving Subjects, to resist and oppose the said [Page 6] Persons, if they shall hereafter, in such a Warlike manner, endeavour to molest them as they would doe Rebells & Traitours: And We hope that all Our good Subjects of that Our much injured Citty of London, doe take notice of Our Grace and Favour towards them in Our so freely passing by and pardoning the Offences there committed against Us, as We have offered by Our Proclamation and Our late Answer; and of Our very earnest desire to be with them, and to reside amongst them for their Com­fort, Support, and Protection, if they shall, by first provi­ding for their owne security (in such manner as We have directed them in Our late Answer) give Vs an instance that We may be safe there too; And that they doe like­wise observe, that being by such violence kept from them, We have done Our utmost endeavour to continue and advance the decayed trading of that Our Citty, by permitting and encouraging all resort and traffique thi­ther, and therefore if by the stopping of Carriages, and seizing Commodities by other men, the commerce and correspondence be broken betweene that place and Our good Subjects of other Counties, they will impute that mischiefe to the true Authors of it, and looke upon Us only as not able to helpe them. Doe but your Duties, and this Cloud, which threatens a present confusion, will quickly vanish away, and you will enjoy all the Blessings of a happy Nation, to the which no endeavour of Ours shall be wanting.

Given at Our Court at OXFORD, this 17^th day of IANUARY. 1642.