To the Kings Most Excellent Majesty: The humble Petition of the Lords and Commons now assembled in. PARLIAMENT Delivered at Colebrook, 10 Nov. 1642. by the Earls of Pembrooke and Northumberland, Lord Wainman, M. Perpoint, and Sir Jo. Hippesley.
WE Your Majesties most loyall Subjects, the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled, being affected with a deep and piercing sense of the Miseries of this Kingdom, and of the Dangers to Your Majesties Person, as the present Affairs now stand, And much quickned therein with the sad Consideration of the great effusion of Blood at the late Battell, and of the losse of so many eminent Persons; And farther weighing the addition of Losse, Misery, and Danger to Your Majesty and Your Kingdom which must ensue, if both Armies should again joyn in another Battell, as without Gods speciall Blessing, and Your Majesties Concurrence with Your Houses of Parliament, will not probably be avoided.
We cannot but believe that a sutable Impression of Tendernesse and Compassion is wrought in Your Majesties Royall Heart, being Your Self an eye-Witnesse of the bloody and sorrowfull Destruction of so many of Your Subjects; And that Your Majesty doth apprehend what diminution of Your Own Power and Greatnesse will follow; And that all Your Kingdoms will thereby be so weakned, as to become subject to the Attempts of any ill affected to this State. In all which Respects we assure our selves, That Your Majesty will be inclined graciously to accept this our humble Petition, that the Misery and Desolation of this Kingdom may be speedily removed and prevented: For the effecting whereof, we most humbly beseech Your Majesty to appoint some convenient Place, not far from the City of London, where Your Majesty will be pleased to reside, untill Committees of both Houses of Parliament may attend Your Majesty with some Propositions for the removall of these bloody Distempers and Distractions, and setling the state of the Kingdom, in such a Manner as may conduce to the preservation of Gods true Religion, Your Majesties Honour, Safety, and Prosperity, and to the Peace, Comfort, and Security of all Your People.
His Majesties Answer To the foresaid Petition, given to the Committee at Colebrooke, Nov. 11. 1642.
WE take God to witnesse how deeply We are affected with the Miseries of this Kingdom, which heretofore We have stroven (as much as in Ʋs lay) to prevent; It being sufficiently known to all the world, That as We were not the first that took up Arms, so We professed Our readinesse of composing all things in a fairway, by Our severall offers of Treaty; And shall be glad (now at length) to finde any such Inclinations in others. The same tendernesse to avoyd destruction of Our Subjects (whom we know to be Our greatest Strength) which would alwayes make Our greatest Victories bitter to Ʋs, shall make us willingly hearken to such Propositions, whereby these bloody Distempers may be stopped, and the great Distractions of this Kingdom setled, To Gods Glory, Our Honour, and the Well-fare and Flourishing of Our People. And to that end shall reside at Our Own Castle at Windsor (if the Forces shall be removed) till Committees may have time to attend Ʋs with the same (which, to prevent the inconveniences that may intervene, We wish may be hastened) and shall be ready there, or (if that be refused us) at any place where we shall be, to receive such Propositions as aforesaid, from both Our Houses of Parliament. Do you your Duty, VVe will not be wanting to Ours. God of his mercy give a Blessing.