BY THE KING.  
❧ His majesty's gracious offer of Pardon to the rebels now in arms against Him; under the Command of Robert Earl of Essex.  
WHEREAS an actual and open Rebellion is raised, and several Armies marching against Us, under the command and conduct of Robert Earl of Essex, and other Persons under his Commissions and authority, who falsely pretend that what they do is by virtue of Our authority, and for Our service and so seduce many of Our weak Subjects from their duty and Allegiance into this horrid and odious Rebellion against Us. We do therefore once more declare the said Robert Earl of Essex, and all such who by any Commission under him have levied or do command any soldiers, to be guilty of high Treason, and that this Rebellion is raised to take away Our Life from Us, to destroy Our Posterity, to change the blessed Protestant Religion established by the laws of the Land, to suppress the Law of the Kingdom, to take away the Liberty of the Subject, and to subject both to an unlimited arbitrary power. And We do therefore Will and Command all Our loving Subjects, upon their Allegiance, and their Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, that they apprehend the said Earl of Essex, and all such who, by virtue of any Commission under him, have levied or do now command any soldiers in any places of this kingdom, as guilty of high Treason.  
And Whereas We understand that, at this time, the said Robert Earl of Essex, and some other Commanders who have equal or independent authority from him, do traitorously lay siege to, and intend to assault Our town of Reading, We, considering that the most part of those Commanders and soldiers are seduced by specious pretexts above said, have, out of Our Princely Grace and Clemency, thought fit, and do hereby declare, That We are pleased to grant Our free and general Pardon as well to all captains and inferior Officers (not formerly excepted in any of our Declarations or proclamations) as to all common soldiers now before Our town of Reading, or elsewhere, as to Persons seduced by the cunning and falsehood of the authors of the present Rebellion: If such Captains, inferior Officers and soldiers shall disband within Six days after the publishing of this Our Proclamation, so as they commit no hostile Act in the mean while. And We do farther declare, That such Officers as aforesaid, as shall return to their due obedience to Us, and render themselves to the lieutenant-general, or other principal Officer of Our Army, or to the Governor of that Our town of Reading, and be willing to serve Us, shall be entertained in Our Army, or, if they be not willing to serve, shall have Our Pardon and free pass, provided they take an Oath never to take up arms against Us. And that such common soldiers as shall lay down their arms, according to this Our Proclamation, shall also receive Our like gracious Pardon, and be entertained in Our Service, if they shall be willing; or otherwise, taking the aforesaid Oath, have five shillings in money given them, and a pass to carry them to their dwellings. But in case that Our gracious mercy to them produce not those good effects We hope for, such extremity of Punishment they are to expect, as the highness of so Treasonable an Act in its own nature deserves.  
Given at Our Court at OXFORD, the eighteenth day of April in the nineteenth year of Our reign.  
God Save the KING.   

Printed at Oxford by LEONARD LICHFIELD, Printer to the University. 1643.