C R  
HONI SOIT x MAL Y PENSE   royal blazon or coat of arms  By the King. 
A Proclamation declaring His majesty's Resolution for settling a speedy Peace by a good Accommodation, and an Invitation to all His loyal Subjects to join together for His Assistance therein.  
AMongst: the many Troubles wherewith (for more than two years' last past) We have been involves, nothing hath more afflicted us, than the real sense of our subjects' sufferings, occasioned by this most unnatural war; And the chief of Our Care hath been (and by God's assistance shall still be) to settle them in a happy Peace, with that freedom of enjoying the exercise of their Religion, Rights and Liberties, according to the laws of this kingdom, as they or any of their Ancestors enjoyed the same in the best times of the of the late Queen Elizabeth, or Our royal Father. And as we have always professed in the sincerity of Our heart, That no success should ever make us averse unto Peace, so have We always when God hath blessed us with any eminent Victory, solicited the Members of both Houses of Parliament remaining at Westminster by frequent Messages for a Treaty conducing thereunto: and in particular upon Our late Victory over the Earl of Essex his Army in Cornwall (which We wholly attribute to the immediate hand of God) We presently dispatched a Message to them to desire a Treaty for Peace and Accommodation; of which, as likewise of that former Message for Peace, which We sent them from Evesiam the fourth of July late, We have yet received no answer. And therefore have resolved with Our Army to draw presently towards London, and Our Southern and Eastern Counties, not looking upon those parts as Enemies to us, and so to suffer by the approach of Our Army, or the disorders thereof (which We will use all possible means to prevent) but as Our poor subjects oppressed by power (of which We rest assured the greater part remain loyal to us) and so deserving Our protection. And We hope that at a nearer distance of place there may beget so right an understanding between us and Our People, that at length We may obtain a Treaty for Peace, and a full, free and peaceable Convention in Parliament, and therein make an end of these umhappy differences by a good Accommodation. In which We hereby assure all Our People upon Our royal Word, and the Faith of a Christian (which is the greatest Security We can give them) that We will insist only upon the settling and continuance of the true Reformed Protestant Religion, Our own undoubted known Rights, the privileges of Parliament, and Our subject's Liberty and Property, according to the laws of the Land, and to have all these settled in a full and free Parliament, whereby the Armies on both sides may be presently disbanded, this kingdom may be secured from the danger of a Conquest by foreign Forces, all Strangers now in arms may return to their own countries, and Our poor subjects be forced of those grievous burdens, which by reason of the late Distractions, have (much against Our will) too much pressed them. And to the end Our subjects may no longer be missed by false pretences, We do desire all of them, as well in Our own Quarters, as where the rebels have usurped a power, to take into serious consideration the duty and loyalty which by the Law of God and their Oath of Allegiance they owe unto us, and more particularly that part thereof which concerns the defence of Our Person, and assistance of us against rebels, and such as rise in arms against us, which they may find plainly set down in the Statute of the II. year of King Henry the 7. Cap. I. And We do hereby require Our subjects within Our own Quarters thorough or near which We shall pass, by that duty they owe to us and their Country, that they forthwith prepare themselves with the best arms they can get, to be ready, and to join, and go along with us in this present Expedition (We resolving to take special care to place them under the Command of Gentlemen of Quality of their own countries, to their good content and satisfaction.) And We likewise require and authorise all Our good Subjects, as well the trained Bands as others of Our City of London, and Our Southern and Eastern Counties, to choose their own Commanders and Leaders amongst those Gentlemen and Citizens that are of approved loyalty to us, and Lovers of the Peace of their Country, and upon Our approach towards those parts, to put themselves into arms, and march in warlike manner to assist us in this good work, and free themselves from the Tyranny of their fellow subjects, under which they groan, Commanding and authorising them to seize such places of Strength in those Southern and Eastern Counties as the rebels have possessed themselves of; to oppose with force of arms such persons as shall resist them in obeying these Our Commands, and to apprehend and secure the persons of all such as shall endeavour to continue this Rebellion, and to hinder the settling of the Peace of this kingdom in a full and free Convention of Parliament; (the only visible means left, by the blessiing of God, to redeem this Nation from utter ruin) wherein We will afford Our utmost protection and safety unto all Our subjects that shall give Obedience to these Our Commands. And as We doubt not but that all Our good subjects will come cheerfully to Our assistance for so good an end (beyond which We do not requre it) so We trust that God, who hath hitherto wonderfully preserved us, will crown this action with happy success, for his glory, and the welfare of this poor Nation.  
Given at Our Court at Chard the 30. day of September1644. 
 God save the King.   

P●●●●●● 〈…〉 by LEONARD LICHFIELD Printer to the university. 1644.