THE PETITION Of the Knights, Gentlemen, Freeholders, and others the Inhabitants of the County and City of York, presented to the Honourable House of Commons now assembled in Parliament.  
Wherein (inter alia) 
 They humbly offer to Billet and maintain at their own charge 300 of their Horse, and 3000 of their Trained Bands within their own Shire of three Months, if the Parliament shall think fit.  
Subscribed by the Lord Major and Aldermen of York, By the high Sheriff and very many Knights, Esquires, and Gentlemen of good quality.  
With the manner of their taking the Protestation, before they subscribed the Petition.  
LONDON, Printed for john Frank, and are to be sold at his Shop next door to the King's Head in Fleetstreet, 1642.   

To the Honourable the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses assembled in Parliament, The humble Petition of the Knights, Gentlemen, Freeholders, and other the Inhabitants in the County and City of York,  
Shows,  
THat your Petitioners do with all than fullness acknowledge and resent the benefit of those good Laws which you have already provided for us, as most seasonable and precious fruits of your pious and prudent consultations, As also of that most happy and reunited Peace betwixt us and Scotland, our Neighbour Nation, and the blessed care you have lately taken both to relieve our distressed Brethren in Ireland, and to put the Town of Hull (the chief strength of our County) into such an hand, as for his integrity we have good cause to conside in; As also to purge the House of Peers of the Prelates votes (a main obstruction to your happy undertake) And having received so much refreshment from you in our so important Concernments, do take boldness to represent our humble requests.  
That your pious care for the further relief of our distressed Brethren in Ireland, may be continued, and your wise resolutions thereupon put into speedy execution.  
That this whole Kingdom may speedily be put into a Military posture of Defence both by Sea and Land.  
That the Composition of Recusants (with which his Majesty rests satisfied) being paid, the residue of their lands and goods forfeited by the Statute may be disposed of, aswell for the safety of defensible Ports and places in this Kingdom, as also for settling and maintaining necessary Guards over the houses of papists and popishly affected persons.  
That the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy may be impartially and speedily tendered to all papists and popishly affected persons whatsoever, according to the Statute in that case provided.  
That the Laws against Priests and jesuits may be fully executed, and that some present course may be directed for the disarming and confining of papists to their own houses, or else that some of the princiall & most dangerous spirits of them in every County may be as caution for the peaceable deportment of the ●est confined to the custody of trusty persons in some places of safety, if to your wisdoms it shall seem meet. And th' … 〈◊〉 may be deputed for these services as a●e not to be suspected to use any forbearance therein. As also that such as are convicted Recusants, some speedy course may be taken against them, either by the present Laws in force, or otherwise as shall seem best to your wisdoms, that they may not be left so full handed, and so readily prepared upon all occasions to manage either their own, or the Designs of others, to our so eminent and continual danger.  
That the Votes of popish Peers and others coming in by proxy, being so apparent a Grievance may be redressed, which are found not only prejudicial to the wisest results of your consultations, but also affords them liberty and opportunity to act and encourage the promoting the popish Cause in the Kingdom.  
And because that to the making of a more successful passage to the accomplishment of all these our so important concernments, it will be especially available, that matters in Religion be chief regarded: We therefore humbly desire that all such impediments as may hinder the progress thereof may be removed.  
Amongst which we rank in the first place scandalous Ministers, as also places unprovided of such maintenance as is competent for persons of better endowments. Humbly beseeching that for the remedy of both these, you will be pleased to pursue your former pious intentions, as also that Ceremonial burdens may be removed, and religion settled in such a way, that such as make all conscience obediently to submit to Magistracy and civil authority in every degree and latitude of it, both supreme and subordinate may not suffer under any penalty merely and only for conscience sake.  
And forasmuch as these our Counties have undergone very great damage by the billeted soldiers which now they are less able to sustain then before, by reason of the Manufacture trade's of our Country daily decaying, which we visibly discern not only tending much to the present impoverishing of a great number of Families, whose maintenance and livelihood hath been hitherto wholly supported upon that Foundation, which being not prevented may prove to be of dangerous Consequence, but also to the weakening of the estates of Farmers and others, because the benefit of Wools and other Commodities of our Country do much depend upon the prospering of these foresaid Trades of Manufacture: We therefore humbly desire that you would be pleased to direct such Course, whereby considerable satisfaction may be made (for what rests unpaid) to such of our Countries as have been by the said billeted soldiers thus endamaged.  
That this Honourable House would be pleased to move the well affected Lords, and they and you both join in supplication to his Majesty, that his Majesty would discover, and nominate who those evil Counsellors were that advised to those unparalalled breaches of the prviledges of Parliament in charching those worthy members in so illegal a way, and that were any occasion so long to remorate the relief of our distressed brethren in Ireland, to the end they may be brought to condign punishment: And in case his Majesty shall not declare who they be, that then you yourselves would be pleased to endeavour to find out and declare who in your judgement have been the Contrivers and Fomentors of those evil counsels.  
And being confidently assured of your readiness to answer our desires, as in other things, so especially to further the Military posture of the Kingdom, we humbly tender it to your consideration, that for the speedy safety of our own Country, both against any homebred Commotion or foreign invasion, we are ready and willing at our own charge for three Month's next ensuing to maintain and billet three hundred of our bond of Horse, and three thousand of our private Train-bond of foot, in some most convenient places of the several Ridings of our said County (concerning which we have more particularly expressed our intendments in a schedule hereunto annexed) to be in readiness upon all occasions, if in your wisdoms it shall be approved of: And if so our most humble desire is, the way may receive Countenance and confirmation by some Order from your honourable House.  
And lastly, that such things may be archieved as are worthy of the excellent wisdoms and painful labours of such noble instruments, whom unto our great rejoicing of heart we evidently discern to be for faithfully and indefatigably studious for the public weal of this Nation: We therefore for the better accomplishment of your Honourable endeavours, and for our more complete enjoyment of the precious fruits thereof, Most humbly desire that the high Court of Parliament of the infringement of the liberties whereof we are very sensible, & which in all your just and honourable ways we shall be ready to our utmost abilities to assist against the enemies of God, the King & State) may in all the power and prviledges of it be inviolably maintained.  
And your Petitioners shall daily pray, etc.   

Subscribed by 

Sir Tho. Gower Sheriff.  
Sir Math. Boynton.  
Sir Tho. Farrefaxe.  
Sir Io. Bourchier.  
Sir William Fairefaxe.  
Sir Jo. Ramsden.  
Sir Arthur Robinson.  
Sir Tho. Gower signior.  
Sir Hugh bethel.  
Sir Jo. Savile.  
Sir Marmaduke Langdale.  
Sir Edward Rhodes.  
Sir Richard Darlye.  
Sir Jo. Goodricke, & all. Mil.    
And by 50. Esquires, and divers Gentlemen, and others of quality, and by Edmund Cooper, Lord Major of the City of York, and by the Aldermen of that City.  
Before the subscription to which Petition the High Sheriff first took the Protestation, and all the Knights and Gentlemen in order after him, and afterwards agreed, (if the dangers increased, and the Parliament so approved thereof) to Muster 3000. Foot, and 300. Horse, to be kept for six weeks in such parts of that County as might most conduce for the safety thereof, and sent the proposition thereof unto the Parliament by Hen. bethel Esquire, who was employed by that County to present this Petition to the house of Commons, and two more, one to his Majesty, and another to the House of Peers.  
FINIS.