HIS majesty's TWO SPEECHES: ONE To the Knights, Gentlemen, and Freeholders of the County of Nottingham at NEWARK.  
THE OTHER To the Knights, Gentlemen, and Freeholders of the County of Lincoln at LINCOLN.  
LONDON: Printed by ROBERT BARKER, Printer to the Kings most Excellent majesty: And by the assigns of John BILL.  
MDCXLII.   


Dieu ET MON DROIT  
HONI SOIT x MAL Y PENSE  
CR    

His majesty's Speech To the Knights, Gentlemen, and Freeholders of the County of Nottingham, at Newark.  
GENTLEMEN,  
YOur honest Resolutions and Affections to me and your country, for the defence of my Person, and the Laws of the Land, have been, and are so notable, that they have drawn me hither only to thank you: I go to other places to confirm and undeceive my Subjects, but am come hither only to thank and encourage you: You have made the best judgement of happiness, by relying on that foundation, which the experience of so many hundred years hath given such proof of, The Assurance and Security of the Law: And assure yourselves when Laws shall be altered by any other Authority, then that by which they were made, your foundations are destroyed; And though it seems at first but to take away my Power, it will quickly swallow all your Interest. I ask nothing of you (though your demeanour gives me good evidence that you are not willing to deny) but to preserve your own Affections to the Religion, and Laws established; I will justify and protect those Affections, and will live and die with you in that quarrel.   

His majesty's Speech To the Knights, Gentlemen, and Freeholders of the County of Lincoln, at Lincoln.  
GENTLEMEN,  
IF I could have suspected your affections, or have censured the duty of this County by some late Actions in it, I should not have taken this pains to have given you a Testimony of my Affection to you, and to remove those Objections, which being raised by a Malignant Party, may, by their cunning and industry, get credit even with honest minds. The truth is, I come to you to assure you of my purposes and Resolutions for the Defence of what ever is or should be dear unto you, your Religion, your Liberty, your Common Interest, and the Law of the Land: and to undeceive you of that Opinion, which I hear hath misled many of you, That the pretended Ordinance of the Militia is warranted by my Consent and Authority. As I have already informed you, by my several Declarations and Messages, that the same is against the known Law, and an Invasion of my unquestionable Right, and of your liberty and Property, so I do now declare unto you, that the same is imposed upon you against my express Consent, and in Contempt of my regal authority; And therefore whosoever shall henceforth presume to Execute or Obey the same, I shall proceed against them, as against such who promote Rebellion, and actually leafy War against me: And I doubt not, but you will sadly consider, That if any authority without and against my Consent may lawfully impose such burdens upon you, it may likewise take away all that you have from you, and subject you to their lawless arbitrary Power and Government: And how far they are like to exercise that Jurisdiction towards you, you may guess by the Insolence of Sir John Hotham at Hull, who (being a Subject) not only presumes to keep His sovereign, by force of Arms, out of His Town, but murders his Fellow-Subjects, imprisons them, burns their Houses, drowns their Land, takes them Captives, and commits such Outrages, and Acts of hostility, as the most equal and outrageous Enemies practise in any country; That you may see how impossible it is for your Liberties and Properties to be preserved, when your King is Oppressed, and His just Rights taken from Him. Who hath brought these Calamities upon your Neighbours at Hull, every Man sees; and they only can bring the same upon you. I will not believe you to be so insensible of the benefits you have received from me, that I need put you in mind of the Gracious Acts passed by me this Parliament on your behalfs; And if there be any thing wanting, to the making you the happiest Subjects in the world, I am sure it is not my fault that you have not that too: Be not deceived with words, and general Expressions; It is not in your power to name one Particular, which might make you happy, that I have refused to Grant: Be not frighted with Apprehensions, That this country is like to be the Seat of a war; the Seat of a war will be only where persons rise in Rebellion against me; that will not, I hope, be here, and then you shall be sure of my Protection. I will live and die in your Defence; And that you may be in a readiness, and a Posture to Defend yourselves and me, against any Invasion or Rebellion, I have Armed several Persons of Honour, Quality and Reputation amongst you, and of your own country, with a Commission of Array to that purpose: There is no honest end declared in that Ordinance, which is not provided for by this Commission, which being according to the old known Law, is fit for your Obedience, and I doubt not will find it.  
In a word, I assure you, upon the Faith and Honour of a Christian King, I will be always as tender of any thing which may advance the true Protestant Religion, protect and preserve the laws of the Land, and defend the just privilege and Freedom of Parliament, as of my Life, or my Crown: and when I fail in either of these, I will not look for your assistance; till than you are concerned not to see me suffer.  
FINIS.