To the Kings most Excellent Majestie.
The Humble Petition of your Majesties Loyall Subjects in the Countie of Rutland.

THAT as with all humble thankfulnesse they doe acknowledge the many former and late effluences of your Roy­all grace and goodnesse, whereby they were lifted up with an expectation of happy dayes, wherein your sacred Maiesty should have a perpetuall Throne of safety and honour, erected in the hearts of your loyall people; high­er then any your Royall Predecessors: So we cannot now but expresse the greatnesse of our griefes, fearing all those hopes to be dashed, and the joy of the whole land darkned by your Majesties withdrawing your Sacred person in these times of imminent danger from your great Councell of Parliament, to the raising of unexpressi­ble feares in the hearts of all your loyall Subjects.

Wherefore in all humilitie your Petitioners doe implore your sacred Majesty, that out of the depth of your Princely wisedome and goodnesse, the beames of your grace and favour may againe breake forth upon your Kingdome, in returning and vouchsafing your Majesties presence to the Parliament; whereby the feares of your people may be dispelled, and a foundation layd of everlasting comfort to this land, in the safety of your sacred person, and abundant increase of honours and greatnesse upon your Royall Govern­ment.

To the Right Honorable, the House of Peeres now assembled in Parliament.
The Humble Petition of the high Sheriffe, Knights, Esquires, Gentlemen, Ministers, and others of good Ranke within the County of RVTLAND,

THAT your Lordships concurrence with the House of Commons in passing the Bill to take away the Votes of the Prelates: setling the Militia and Forts in such hands as the Honourable House of Parliament may confide in; approving and passing those noble propositions for the suppressing of those barbarous Rebells in Ireland, and in many other Acts of great concern­ment is acknowledged by your Petitioners, with all possible joy and humble thankfulnesse; yet we cannot but (but with great griefe accompained with feares) be sensible, That authority is not yet given for putting the Kingdome into a posture of defence, That the Votes of Popish Lords, and their proxies are still continued, humbly conceiving it to be against reason, that Papists should Vote in points of that Religion whereunto they are profest adversaries, or in matters of State, to which they can be no fast friends, especially now, that so great a party of Papists are in open Rebellion: That the Masse is still frequented: That Papists are so superficially dis­armed, to the great animating of them in their pernicious practises: That superstitious innovating Ministers are not punished, who to escape just censure, foment factions against the Parliament: That so speedy reliefe of the poore distressed Protestants in Ireland (as their necessities require) is not yet effectually acted, to the imboldning of the Papists and malignant parties of this Kingdome to the like attempts: Wherefore your Petitioners doe humbly pray a speedy removall of these our grievances, with their causes: And that your Lordships will be pleased still to joine with the House of Commons in all their pious and just proceedings.

And your Petitioners shall be bound in duty to pray for your Honours, and will be ready according to their late solemne and generall Protestation to assist your Lordships in all just and honourable waies to the utmost of our powers.

To the Honorable, the Knights, Citizens & Burgesses of the House of Commons now assembled in Parliament, The humble Petition and desires of the high Sheriffe, Knights, Esquires, Gentlemen, Ministers, and others of good Rank within the County of Rutland,

THat as we can never sufficiently blesse Almighty God for his mercies and protections towards you, nor expresse our thankfulnesse unto you for the great workes that have beene done for the good both of Church and Common-wealth, which will for ever rest upon Record through all posterities, to your everlasting glory. So our humble desires are, that you will still be pleased in the feare of God with courage to goe on to the full accomplishment of all your godly and honourable intentions: The present and expeditious putting the whole Kingdome into a sufficient posture of de­fence both by Sea and Land: The fervent and constant endeavouring to remove all Popish Lords out of the House of Peers, or at the least to suspend their Votes: The securing the greatest and most active Papists: The effectuall executing of all Lawes against Popish Priests and Jesuits: The speedy and powerfull reliefe of our persecuted brethren in Ireland: The utter quelling the pride, insolency and tyranny of the Prelates: The abolishing of all unfitting and unnecessary dignities out of the Church, by whose superfluous e­states and revenues, the deficient meanes of many Churches in this Kingdome may become reasonably supplied: The regulating the Universities concerning their loosenesse in government, whereby youth being there first corrupted in conversation and Doctrine, be­come afterwards infectious, and of evill example to the Country: The injunction of stricter sanctification of the Lords day, and re­straint of all prophanation thereof by Wakes, travelling farre or nigh, and other actions not warranted by Gods word; And that the hearing and censuring may be speeded (in such time as to your wisdomes shall appeare convenient) of all those who have beene in eminent degree delinquents, especially in the Ministery, against whom there are Complaints or Articles in this Honourable House depending: By the delay of whose trialls, the malignant party is (as we humbly conceive) much encouraged, the Orders of this Honourable House disobeyed, and publickly slighted, thereby contemning the undubitable and ancient Authority of Parliaments.

And your Petitioners shall daily pray for you, and are ready according to their late solemne and generall Protestation, in all just and honourable waies to assist you in your lawfull endeavours, to the utmost hazard of our estates and lives.

The two later Petitions were presented to both Houses on Tuesday the 29. of March by Sir Iames Harrington, Knight, accompanied with divers Gentle­men of good worth; who after they were read, the Houses commanded the Lord Keeper, in the name of the House of Peeres, and Mr. Speaker, in the name of the House of Commons, to render thankes unto the Presenters, and to intimate their kind acceptance of the said Petitions, desiring them to returne great thankes from both Houses to their County, for their care of the preservation of the Kingdome. And further, the House of Commons commanded Mr. Speaker then to declare, that they had likewise taken notice of their Countries cordial affections to the Kings Majesty, and the service of the Kingdome, by their opportune de­livery of a Petition to his Majesty in his journey towards Yorke, for his speedy returne to his Parliament, for which they likewise commanded thankes to be gi­ven to the high Sheriffe and the County.