HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE   royal blazon or coat of arms  
The King's Majesty's Letter to the Lord Mayor, and Court of Aldermen, of the City of LONDON, concerning the Choice of Common-Council-men, 1661.  
To Our Right Trusty and Wellbeloved, the Lord Mayor, and Court of Aldermen, of Our City of LONDON.  
CHARLES' REX.  
RIGHT Trusty, and well beloved; We greet you well;  
Having received signal testimonies of your good Affection to Us and our Government, so Ancient and Fundamental in this Our Kingdom, whereby the Peace and Welfare, not only of yourselves, but Posterity is most highly concerned, and calling to mind the many Contrivances, and subtle Insinuations the Enemies of our and your Peace have formerly set on foot, to seduce our good Subjects, and thereby cheat them of that Tranquillity which they enjoyed in a wealthy and flourishing Estate for many years together, under the Reign of our Royal Grandfather, and Father of ever Glorious Memory; and to the end such horrid Examples, as of late have been used, the Only sources of those unheard-of Miseries, may not again be put in practice in these our Kingdoms, and especially in this our Native City (for the good prosperity and preservation whereof we have, and do use all the care and vigilance we can) We have thought fit to let you know, we are not ignorant, there are some Active and Turbulent spirits in that our City, who do not value, as they ought, our many Acts of Favour and Grace, so lately vouchsafed unto them, which we well hoped might have reclaimed, and not hardened them in their wickedness; so that at length we shall be forced to that severer part of Justice which we have hitherto waved: It were no hard matter for us to paint out those very Wards, and Persons, who are labouring their own mischief, in contriving the choice of such to be of the next Common Council, ●s have been too faulty in former Transactions, and are known Opposers of all Regular Government, ●oth in Church and State. We do therefore hereby Admonish, Require, and Command you to take special care, and give strict Order in the general Wards, that a peaceable and quiet Election be made, and that the Choice be of such Persons, as are every way well affected to the established Government, both in Church and State; if otherwise, you will enforce us to an unwilling change of such Elections; and We cannot be blamed, if We are thus compelled in Matters of this Nature, which We are more than willing to forbear, and do still hope You will give Us no cause to blame You, or trouble Ourselves in that Particular. We have thought fit to give You this Advertisement, to the end our good Subjects may against that day (which we hear is not far off) bethink themselves who are the fittest Persons to preserve Our Peace; and therein We will not omit to let You know we shall esteem it as a Character of Your loyalty to Us, if not in this alone, but in the Choice of all other Officers, You appoint such persons as have been Asserters of the Laws established, or at the least, not Acting Instruments against them, and Our just Rights, and such You cannot want in that populous City, who are Freemen thereof.  
As to your choice of a Bridge master, We shall not interpose by recommending any person to You, in that particular, but hoping You will follow the Directions given, We leave it to Yourselves, upon this Confidence, that You will give us no cause to repent of our former kindness, but rather, to repeat new ones; which, be assured We have a very great desire, and inclination to, As occasion shall be offered; and that our directions herein may be the more effectual, Our pleasure is, that You send transcripts of this our Letters, to the several Wards of this Our City, not doubting, but by the knowing Our desires, to prevent the many inconveniences that may happen by ill Elections, they will readily comply with Our pleasure in this particular, and so we bid You heartily farewell.  
Given at our Court at White-Hall, the 13th of December, 1661. And in the 13th. Year of Our Reign.