A True and Brief RELATION OF THE PROCEED OF THE Common-Council OF THE CITY of LONDON, The 13th of MAY, 1681.  
A PETITION was presented to the said Court by divers Citizens of the said City, as followeth.  

To the Right Honourable Sir Patience Ward, Knight, Lord Mayor of the City of London, and the Right Worshipful the Aldermen and Commons in Common-Council Assembled.  
The Humble Petition of Us whose Names are hereunto Subscribed, Citizens of the said City.  
Shows,  
THAT notwithstanding the late Parliament Summoned to meet at Oxford, was Dissolved before any thing was done; yet your Petitioners being satisfied, That those Worthy persons, Chosen to represent this Honourable City, did not only give their Attendance there, but faithfully discharged their duties according to the Representation and desire made to them by the Common-Hall at their Choice, do humbly conceive, That they deserve the Thanks and Acknowledgements of the City.  
That on the 28th of April, on occasion of another Petition, some of the Petitioners (and other Citizens) did humbly Petition the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen for the Calling of a Common-Council, etc. Which Petition not being Transcribed till the Court was sitting, there were but few persons who did then Sign the same, for want of time (and even now are straitened in that respect); but your Petitioners below, and many thousands would have subscribed it, had the same been sent abroad, and offered as the other was.  
That tho' on the Answer given by the Court of Aldermen, your Petitioners went away sutisfied, and hoped the others had done the like; yet afterwards they found in Print a Declaration, put in the Name of the Subscribers to the said other Petition (without the consent or knowledge of most of them (as your Petitioners believe) tending to a Defamation of all that differed from their way of proceeding, thereby to beget feuds and divisions in the City, which might endanger the Peace, and bring a scandal on the good Government thereof.  
Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray, that this Honourable Court would be pleased in some public way to own the faithful Endeavours and Service of their late Representatives in Parliament; And also to take into their serious Consideration the matter of the said Petition, a Copy whereof is hereunto annexed (which Petition was formerly printed) and thereupon to resolve on what they shall find most for the Honour of his Majesty, the Safety of his Royal Person, the Security of the Protestant Religion to Posterity, and the Peace and Prosperity of this City.  
And your Petitioners (as in duty bound) shall ever pray, etc.   
The said Petition being after some debate relating to the Petitioners that presented it, the Court took the same into consideration; and on the debate touching the first part, the Court being well satisfied, that the Members who served for this City in the three last Parliaments, had faithfully discharged their duties,  
Ordered, That the thanks of this Court in the name of themselves and all the Citizens of this City, be given to the said Members (viz. Sir Robert Clayton, Sir Thomas Player, Alderman Thomas Pilkington, and William Love, Esq;) for their faithful and unwearied service in the said Parliaments, and particularly in the Parliament at Oxford.  
After which, it being late, about Three of the Clock, a debate arose, whether the Court would then at that time proceed to the consideration of the other part of the Petition, now or not; and on the question it was resolved in the Affirmative, there being 84 Commons and 7 Aldermen, which make 91. together, for a present proceeding therein, and but 66. Commons and 11. Aldermen, which is together but 77. for deferring the same.  
The Court then proceeding on the consideration of the said matters, it was on the debate, with a general consent, resolved, and the Court did nominate and appoint Sir Robert Clayton, Knight, and Alderman, Mr. Recorder, and Thomas Pilkington, Alderman, Sir Thomas Player Knight, Mr. Dubois, Mr. William Ashurst, and Thomas Western, Esq; Commoners, to withdraw, and immediately to prepare a Petition to His Majesty upon the debates then had, and the subject-matter of the said Petition.  
The said Gentlemen accordingly withdrew, and after some time returned again to the Court, and there presented the draught of a Petition to His Majesty, which Petition is already Printed.  
On the reading of the said Petition, it was so well approved, that on the question there appeared not above 4. or 6. hands against the presenting the same to his Majesty, which the Court ordered should be done to morrow, or as soon as conveniently might be; and the Court nominated and appointed Sir Robert Clayton, Mr. Recorder, Sir Henry Tulse, and Mr. Sheriff Cornish, Mr. Swynock, Tho. Western, Esq; Mr. Michael Godfrey, and Mr. Deputy Flawell, to present the same to His Majesty accordingly.  
Then the Court resolved and ordered, That the thanks of the Court be given to those persons who signed and delivered the Petition, now presented to, and read in this Court, for their Care and good intentions therein expressed.  
The said persons were then called in, and Mr. Recorder in a very elegant and excellent Speech gave them thanks accordingly.  
On Saturday the 14th of May, Sir Robert Clayton, and others of the persons appointed, did repair to Windsor, to have presented the said Petition; but were acquainted, that on Thursday the 19th of May, His Majesty would be at Hampton-Court, where they might attend him; which accordingly they did, and presented the said Petition to His Majesty, in pursuance of the Order of Common-Council.  
On Saturday the 21st of May, at the Sessions of Peace and Gaol-delivery held at the Old-Bayly for the City of London: The Foreman of the Grand-Jury, in the name of 15 of the said Jury (which were 17 in all) did in open Court return their Thanks to the Right Honourable Sir Patience Ward, Knight, Lord Mayor of the City of London, for his taking care to have the Petition of the City of London to his most Gracious Majesty for the Sitting of a Parliament, presented according to the Order of Common-Council: And one of the other two Jurymen that dissented, declared himself in Court, that he did thank his Lordship for that in particular; but that his Lordship had done many other Services, and he intended to have joined in a general Thanks to his Lordship.   

LONDON, Printed for Ric. Janeway, in Queens-head Ally in Pater-noster-Row. 1681.