The humble PETITION OF Captain William Booth of Killingholme, in the County of Lincoln.  
With His majesty's Answer thereunto.  
York, 30 June, 1642.  
YORK: Printed by ROBERT BARKER, Printer to the Kings most Excellent majesty; And by the assigns of JOHN BILL. 1642.   

TO THE King's MOST EXCELLENT majesty.  
The humble Petition of Captain William Booth of Killingholme in the County of Lincoln.  
Showeth,  
THat whereas upon Wednesday, the 8 day of June instant, the trained Bands of the Division of Caister Sessions, were summoned by Francis Lord Willobie of Parham and the committee, to appear at Caister before them, contrary to your majesty's Proclamation; Your Petitioner being there, was informed against by one Francis Fields and John Barnard for reading Your majesty's said Proclamation, and sent for and delivered to a Messenger, and disarmed to his great disgrace in the presence of his own soldiers, and to the great disheartening of the country from Your majesty's service; which said Proclamation was slighted, and termed a seditious Pamphlet by Sir Christopher Wray, who called himself Captain of the said Company which your Petitioner commands under Your majesty; and told the soldiers he would live and die with them, and would gladly know who durst oppose their proceedings: further saying, That he heard that the Earl of Lindsey was to be there that day, whom he would be glad to see, for they had a Messenger ready to receive him. All that Your Petitioner was then charged with was, that He had said the day before, That there was a brave appearance of the Trained Bands at Lincoln of some fifteen or sixteen; which was interpreted to be an affront to their proceedings, and was threatened to be further charged at Lowth the next day with business of a high Nature, and to have witnesses produced against him face to face; which said witnesses never appeared, your Petitioner being all this while under commitment contrary to Law, which being offered to be argued in point of Law by Sir Gervase Scroop in the behalf of your Petitioner; It was answered by Sir Christopher Wray, That they came thither, neither to dispute the Law, nor to be taught the Law, nor did value the Law, but must observe the Orders of the House; sufficient bail being offered was utterly refused, your Petitioner being still under commitment and commanded to wait their further pleasures at horn Castle the next day; where, being able to prove nothing against him, they released him.  
Your Petitioner therefore humbly desireth, That Your majesty would be graciously pleased to call these men to answer their contempt against Your majesty, and to make satisfaction to your Petitioner for the injury and public disgrace, they have put upon him.  
And your Petitioner will daily pray, &c.   

York, 30 June, 1642. His majesty hath expressly commanded me, to give this His Answer to this Petition.  
THat it is not at all strange to Him, That those persons who have ventured to assume a command over the Militia (a Right of His never before separated from the Crown) by direction from those who pretend to this power by the fundamental Laws, and yet vouchsafe not to show any one Clause of any one Statute, or any one precedent of any time, which might seem, with the least colour, to give them that Authority, though He hath often pressed them to it, and as little vouchsafe any Answer to the Statutes, or to those multiplied and perpetual precedents, which clearly and palpably declare that Authority, to be in Him, should use that Authority with as much injustice as they have assumed it; And not only term His legal Proclamation a seditious Pamphlet (since it is most certain, that if that be not, than they are most seditious,) but contrary to the Law of the Land, both ancient and modern, both to Magna Charta, and to the Petition of Right, vex and imprison His good subjects for a legal obedience to His legal commands, or a legal disobedience or disrespect to their illegal Orders and Actions; since He often before foretold, that their Contempt of His regal Rights and Prerogatives, which are the guard of His Subjects Liberties, would in short time encourage them to destroy those too, when that which should guard them were our destroyed. And as little doth His majesty wonder that the Insolence of thus violating ancient and known Laws should encourage them to that of using words proportionable to their actions, and professing (with great truth and ingenuity) that they value not the Law. His majesty nevertheless (not following the example of other men in concluding any thing before examination) is resolved to have the truth of these allegations legally examined, and if (as is very probable by the annexed Affidavit) they be found true, to provide by all legal ways, That both His majesty and the Petitioner may receive full satisfaction for the injuries done to both, and to the Law of the Land; His majesty professing it the principal reason of His desire to have justice in the like matters done to Him, that (His just Authority being no longer scorned and vilified) He may be enabled to see it done to others, and that His good Subjects, who are wisely careful to defend the Law (which is their common Birthright, and to which only they owe all they have besides) may not (by unjust and intolerable oppressions) be made Martyrs for it.  
Edw. Nicholas.   

CAptain William Booth of Killingholm, and William Scroop of Little Coats, in the County of Lincoln Gentlemen make Oath, That the Petition delivered by the said William Booth unto his majesty, concerning the imprisonment he suffered, by the Command of Francis Lord Willoughby of Parham, and the rest of the Committees of Parliament for the County aforesaid, and all the Actions and Passages therein expressed are most true, in that manner and form therein is declared.  
Jurat. coram me in Cancellaria Magistro, Decimo Octavo die Junii, Anno Domini. 1642. W. Wentworth.  
FINIS.