A DECLARATION To the English Nation, FROM 

Ferdinando the IVth Emperor of Germany, &c.  
Lewis the 14th. King of France and NAVARRE.  
Philip the 5th. King of Spain & Arragon, &c.  
Christiern the third King of Denmark, Zealand, &c.  
Lodowick Duke of LORAIN, And  
Adolphina Queen of Sweden,   In detestation of the present proceedings of the Parliament and Army, and of their intentions of coming over into England in behalf of King Charles the second.  
Being Translated out of the true Copy.  
Printed by ●heir own appointment, 1649.   

We, FERDINANDO the Fourth Emperor of Germany, &c. LEWIS the Fourteenth King of France and Navarre, PHILIP King of Spain, Arragon, &c. CHRISTIERN the Third King of Denmark, Zealand, &c. LODOWICK Duke of Lorraine, And ADOLPHINA Queen of Sweden, To the English NATION send greeting.  
WHereas a traitorous Party in your unduteous Parliament and their Army-Officers, to carry on the Polonian design against Monarchy (brought thence by Lesley and some other unto that seditious Earl of Argile in Scotland, and from thence transmitted into England) have by wicked craft, to bring a general odium upon them, aspersed their Clergy with Innovations in Religion, and the privy council with too burdenous Taxes, as if the Affairs of a Kingdom could be managed with nothing; And by Petitions framed among themselves for that hellish end, and sent abroad for compliances to exasperate the giddy people, have drawn many well-meaners to join with them in the blood of their Kings faithful subjects, whereby they have winded themselves into the strength of the Kingdom: And since, contrary to their oaths of allegiance, their national Covenant, and the laws of God and man, most insolently and wickedly (for his place and means) murdered at his own doors, our royal brother of happy Memory Charles the First; and done it by a pretended Court, as upon a Malefactor; thereby to hide, if it were possible, under colour and pretence of Law, that most villainous Act; and to make seem just their most unjust intentions towards his undoubted Heir Charles the Second, in denying him his father's Crowns and Fortunes, yielding no hops at all of his admission into his just Birth right, or of restoring you his good people unto your Religion, laws, and Liberties; nor of amendment of your decayed Trade, the only subsistency of your Corporations; nor ending of the numerous and heavy Taxes, wherewith they daily load you, till vanquished by the sword: We the said Christian Princes thought meet, before our Entrance into your country, to give you notice of our zealous and just intentions for the relief of our young Brother, and yourselves, whose hearts were not in the blood of your King; lest you should by subtle devices be drawn aside, again to withstand your own and your Prince's welfare: We refer the Censure of those traitor's Cause (so much preached for just) unto yourselves; you know to kill your King, is the high sort of Treason in your Statute-Law. And whereas, there hath been an Originallity of Power in the People, much preached up amongst you, and your Kingdom to be Elective, whereby to usher in, and hide from vulgar view that worst of Acts; we ask you one question: What Lord of a manor among you gives his servants leave to choose him a Steward, or to meddle with his accounts? much less gives he them leave to kill his Steward, or take his place themselves; yet those two veils have been hither unto sufficient mask, to keep from your sight, those ugly sins of blood and Usurpation: You might consider you be, or should be God's husbandmen; and that he (as you) is both worthy, and will choose his own Deputy, that shall command you in your several places, and will have you to be underlings and obey, not preach it up above, and question, much less kill him, or take his place: We preach a little to you, and in plainest language; because we see the fruits of your boasted Reformation, that stupid blindness you have contracted from the erroneous Doctrine of Sheepcloathed Wolves, that have rent in sunder your shepherd, and will (if let alone) devour you also. Consider, when your sovereign is murdered at his own doors, for his place and fortunes, and his children turned out; how think you yours shall be secure unto you and yours? they'll (as they have done hitherto) be still sending for part, by way of Contribution, and borrowing the rest by force, till you have nothing left: Do you now get a penny beforehand▪ which they do not straightway send their Plunder masters for? while you stuck unto your King, what wanted you? was your Trade so bad as now? were your Taxes so heavy? was Ship money, and a few Imposts, equivalent to sixty Millions, cheated and spent you in this sevenyears' war by your good Publicans? or to ninety thousand pounds a month, with Excise, Customs, Free quarter; six hundred thousand pounds now charged upon your King's Lands, and sixscore thousand pounds upon Loan, now demanded from your City, and likely to be reiterated year by year, till the King be settled? Were your late King's Offices so corrupt, as these amongst you? yet say the traitors, what need of a King, that Government is useless and chargeable: We wish you to take your own welfares into more serious consideration: You have been oft, and long enough deluded by them to learn wit now at last, if God have not designed you for utter ruin; how often have you been promised a settlement of your Religion, and your Laws, and a preservation of your (since slaughtered) Kings Person? which now (we hope) you see were but devices to draw you into the blood of your King's faithfuls, and into a coldness of affection and neglect of duty towards him, that they might get power by murdering them first, to murder him after, and to lay a gripe upon his just rights, the only earthly preserver of yours: and we advertise you again of their now tempting you with the Presbyterian interest to draw your thoughts from off your Kings dissundered body on the Scaffold which we desire you to keep in mind till vindicated: and understand you that upon Our approach they will endeavour to fright you into a new rebellion against your now Prince, with fears of our foreign forces, and of Popery; by those wilds if it be possible, to continue the crown upon their own heads: But what religion is intended you, judge you by their late Votes to shut up your Church doors for a year, by their taking into possession the houses of God in your Land. And by their putting the Turkish Alcoran to the press to be your future commonprayer Book; a trim Liturgy for Christians: they have made you forsake your King, and now lest you should receive his son, you must forsake Christ too: And what laws you shall have we leave you to ask the Levellers who have often met to that purpose, though without this summer's victory, that design must be yet smothered: as stiffly was that against the King and his Crown denied a year ago, and a feigned treaty invented to fobbe the people; yet upon the success of the second War, suddenly acted: We remember you of these things because we will let you know, that when we come we will expect from you the duty which God requires towards his deputy, appointed by a long series of lawful line to reign over you, which where we shall find shall not go without reward, nor where 'tis wanting without due punishment: We will not (out of tenderness of the honest among you) because of your growing scarcities invade your country at first with more than a considerable host to balance the field Armies of the Rebels, but will try your zeal to vindicate your late sovereign's death, and to enthrone his Son; which if we find not in you, we will strain all Christendom but we will lay you waste as a forsaken wilderness; and we will trust (not as those amongst you, in the arm of flesh, but) in the justice of our cause: And as for the spawn of hell, those false perjured Rakeshames that have slain the Lord's anointed, the ordinary mulcts of your gentle laws shall not satisfy that bloody insolency; we will make their houses as the House of Riviliacke that murdered his Master HENRY the FOURTH of FRANCE, and their bodies will we drag at our horses heels through the streets where they have triumphed in their wickedness, and we will after hang them upon common dunghills, and give them dead to hungry dogs; which we will forthwith hang on the same trees, in the same halters, and bury in the deepest boggards of your Cities; if it be possible to make their future resurrection as abominable, as their present Conversation; and the other Officers and soldiers which we shall take with weapons drawn against us, we will so use, as that we will make the flesh of those arms that were lifted up against their late sovereign their owners last food: Hereof whosoever shall take notice, and forthwith upon our approach repair unto us, shall be in their several ranks provided for; who so doth not, we shall take to be, and so deal with as the Enemies of your Kings and Country.  

Sir, I am commanded to suit this Declaration unto vulgar Capacity, which I have endeavoured; that if the people will be any more drawn into Rebellion by our malicious Enemies, they may be left without all excuse: the judicious we are sure of; keep your courage; Babel again begins to totter; we are ready for them; and where we find best advantage, there we shall begin: as you understand of them, so conclude of our Motion, and get you that way, and you will shortly see,  
Hague April 28. 1649. Stilo novo. Your faithful friend R. CLARE.   
FINIS.