To the Right HONOVRABLE THE House of Commons.
THE Humble Petition of Sir HUGH POLLARD which was lately taken prisoner in Somersetshire, and brought up to London, and committed to the Counter for leavying Warre against the Parliament.
Also the Parliaments Profession to receive His Majesty with honoua and give him true obedience
Also, His MAJESTIES Answer to the Parliaments last petition.
With a true relation of the Earle of Worcesters raising of more Forces in Wales, and that his Sonne the Lord Herbert is made Generall of South Wales.
London, Printed for Robert Wood, Oct. 28. 1642.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE The House of COMMONS: The Humble PETITION of Sir Hugh Pollard.
THat your Petitioner to his unexpressible grief having justly incurred your displeasure, comes not now to extenuate a fault, but to beg a favour, hee expects hereafter to stand or fall by your intermixt justice and mercie.
That it is true, some rash propositions had a birth and delivery by anothers hand, and that it is as true [Page]that his weaknesse did not discerne their deformity.
That without consideration hee was hurried to an oath of secresie. That this sealed up his mouth thorough a misinformed opinion. That upon this information his misery is perfected, but withall, hee beseecheth you to remember, that as there was nothing done, so there was nothing proposed to bee done that had not this ingredient of preserving the Lawes and liberties of the Subjects. And under this specious vizard he was led on.
His humble Petition is that considering his Father an aged Gentleman, lies now desperately sick, and that this misfortune of his (without some beames of your favour) will (as he feareth (hasten death unto [Page]him that gave him life, and as certainly disinherit him of his land, as it hath already done of his affection: You would be pleased to give him liberty to goe into the Countrey to see his Father before he dy upon the security of the E. of Bedford and an other honourable E. whose compassionatenes to your Petitioners calamity, joyned with their knowledge (as he believeth of his former readinesse and confidence of his future) to serve his Countrey, makes them to tender their baile for him; And your Petitioner as in duty bound, shall ever pray for the prosperity and good successe of the high and honourable Court of Parliament.
The Parliaments profession to receive His Majesty with honour, and give him true obedience.
THe honourable Court of Parliament for the avoiding of bloud, directed the Earl of Essex Lord Generall, by himselfe and others, in some safe and honourable way to cause to be delivered an humble Petition, wherein they desire nothing from His Majesty, but that he would returne in peace to his Parliament, & by their faithful counsel and advice compose the distempers and confusions abounding in his Kingdome, as he is bound to doe: They therein professing in the sight of God, which is the strongest obligation and assurance that any Christian, and the most solemne publique faith, which any such state as a Parliament can give, that they would receive him with all honour, yeeld him all true obedience and subjection, and faithfully endeavour to defend his person and estate from all danger, and to the uttermost of their power to establish to him and to his people all the blessings of a glorious and happy raigne.
For the delivery of which Petition his Excellence hath twice sent to the King, humbly desiring a safe conduct for those that should be imployed therein; but his Majesty refused to give any such safe conduct, or to receive this humble and dutifull Petition, by any addresse from the E. of Essex, saying that if Justice had been done, the Gentleman which brought the second Message [Page]could not expect his liberty.
By all which, and many other evidences and inducements, they are fully convinced in their judgments and beliefe, that the Kings counsels and resolutions are so engaged to the Popish party, for the suppression and extirpation of the true Religion, that all hopes of peace and protection are excluded, and that it is fully intended to give satisfaction to the Papists by alteration of Religion, and to the Cavaliers and other Souldiers, by exposing the wealth of the good Subjects, especially of this City of London, to be sackt, plundered, and spoiled by them.
And that for the better effecting hereof, great numbers of Papists have in shew conformed themselves to the Protestant Religion, by comming to Church, receiving the Sacraments, and taking the oathes of Allegeance & Supremacie, which some of their own Priests have encouraged them to do, by maintaining that they might doe all those things, and yet continue good Catholikes: Under which colour his Majesty did at first begin to strengthen himselfe, those of that Religion being weak, and unable to endure the envie and discontent which the arming of the Papists would Procure in the Kingdome, and therefore endeavoured to keep off all jealousies and suspicions by many fearfull oathes and imprecations, concerning his purpose of maintaining the Protestant Religion, and the Laws of the Kingdome, causing some profest Papists to be discharged out of his Armie, and none to be received that would not endure the [Page]Test of comming to Church, receiving the Sacrament, and taking the oathes of Allegiance.
That his Majesty being now grown stronger, and able (as he conceives) to make good his own ends by Arms, his confidence in the Papists doth more clearly appeare: persons imprisoned for Priests and Jesuites have been released out of the Gaole of Lancaster; profest Papists have been invited to rise and take up Arms; Commissions under His Majesties Authority have been granted to many of them for places of command in this war, with power to raise me [...], and great numbers have been raised by them, and they daily increase. And divers Eorces are raised and paid by the Earle of Worcester and his son the Lord Herbert: And the said Lord Herbert (a notorious Papist) is made Generall of all South-wales. And those that raise Forces in Yorkshire for his Majesty, doe arm and imploy Papists, and use their advice in their consultations. And the King hath received about him divers Papists of Ireland, some of which are indicted of treason for their Rebellion there, which have been notoriously knowne to have beene in actuall Rebellion.