THAT great quantities of Cloath and other manufactures made of the woolls of this Kingdome, and other Merchandizes have bin hence exported to Persia, Turky, Italy, Naples and Sicilia: From which for returnes, hath bin yearely Imported about 2000 Bales of Raw Silke, the Throing, Dy­ing, Weaving, and working whereof, hath given Imployment hitherto, to about two hundred thousand poore people, workers of Silke manufactures, in and about this Citie: which Raw Silk, cometh to the hands of the Petitioners (being about 70 Persons) to be Throen; in which imploy­ment, dependeth the livelyhood of about thirty thousand doublers, turners, thred makers, win­ders, spinners and others, all which are very poore people, and not able to live one week without working.

But so it is, that by reason of the great distractions in this Kingdome, first fomented by the Prelats, Popish Lords, evill Councellors, and others disaffected to the true Religion, in stirring up difference between this and the neigh­bour Nation of Scotland, and by those other desperate and wicked plots attempted since the begining of this Parlia­ment, against the peace and welfare of the Parliament, City and Kingdome, and all Reformation in Church and Common-wealth, and by that unheard of, and unparralleld high breach of the Priviledges of Parliament, and by the horrible, cruell, and bloody Rebellion so much advanced in Ireland, against our Nation and Religion: all which occasions of our distractions have bin (as the Petitioners humbly conceive) principally intended for the In­troducing of Popery, support of the Prelacy, and other humane inventions in the Church, and (as a furtherance thereunto) for the inlet of Arbitrary and tyrannical government in the Common-wealth: And by all which your good resolutions and determinations for Reformation of this Church and Common-wealth, for defence of this Kingdome, for sending of sufficient aydes to Ireland, for the reliefe and reformation of that gasping people, and for the contrailment of those bloody Rebells, are obstructed; and thereby Trade is so exceedingly decayed, that not only the Petitioners are disinabled to buy raw silke, or to have it any longer delivered to them to be Throen, as formerly, but also for want of such supply, the aforesayd numerous multitudes are already, and in a very few daies in a greater measure like to be, the subjects of great penury, and extreame want, whose lamentable complaints and desperate resolutions, the Petitioners heare with much griefe, and whose dangerous thoughts and opinions of those who shall be found causers of these their extremities, will, the Petitioners feare, ere long be, too aparently expressed.

Wherefore your Petitioners; as best known unto, so likely first to suffer by, this numerous necessitated people, and being sensible how destructive to the Kingdome, such an intestine and expedemicall disease may prove, could not be lesse provident for their owne safety and discharge of their duty, then humbly to represent their sad con­dition, thus truly set forth as a fit subject for the wise consideration of this honourable Assembly.

And doe humbly pray, that the Prelacy may be totally Abolished, and as theirs, so the Voteing of the Po­pish Lords removed out of the House of Peers, the wicked Counsellors, and other diaffected to the reformation of our Religion, manifested and brought to condigne punishment, and so that malignant party may be disa­bled any longer to abstruct your most worthy and pious endeavours in reforming the Church, and composing so great and waighty affaires of these Kingdomes: which the Petitioners humbly conceive, will be the only meanes to give life and subsistence to Trade, and to prevent Englands ruine to arise from its own Inhabitants.

And your Petitioners shall daily pray, &c.