THE MESSAGE FROM THE house OF COMMONS to the LORDS, By Master Bulstrode Whitlocke Esquire, and presented to their Lordships by him. Whereunto is added His majesty's most gracious Answer to their Message, February 22, 1642.  
H. Elsinge Cler. do. Com.  
C R  
London Printed by E. Griffin, 1642.   

AT a Conference of both Houses in the painted Chamber, Reported again as followeth by the Lord Roberts to the house of Lords concerning the importance of embracing and promoving the design of those Petitioners who desire and hope that the state may be eased of the charge of the Irish war, by the undertaking of particular adventurers in the houses of Parliament, London and the rest of the kingdom.  
Master Whitlocke,  
WHo managed the conference, acquainted my Lords, that he was commanded by the house of Commons to present a Vote of that house to your Lordships, which being read, he afterwards proceeded. That whereas your Lordships were pleased to return thanks lately to the King with the House of Commons for his majesty's favour expressed in the passing of two bills much importing the safety, quiet and content of this kingdom, and the King had thereupon recommended to both houses the care of Ireland, so as these propositions read to your Lordships even with relation to that message, were seasonable. Then he offered by way of pretention, something concerning the title, which was, the vote of the Lords and Commons. This he knew your Lordships understood to be but matter of form, for your lordship's consent was that, which must make it to be so. He then proceeded and offered to your Lordships three motives, each beginning and concluding the entertainment of this course.  

1 The reducing of Ireland.  
2 The profit of the King.  
3 The ease of the people of England.   
For the first, Ireland was in that condition, as not only the civil power, which was wont to be the former quarrel, but now even religion, the rooting up of the protestant religion, and extirpation of the English is the quarrel.  
The rebels are so audacious as to scandalize the King and Queen; and the question is not now, whether Irish or English, but whether the Protestant or Popish Religion shall stand in that kingdom; This Rage of theirs stays not there; they intend to stain this land with the blood of Protestants.  
The life and soul of Religion is now at stake, and he made no doubt every good Protestant will lay down his life and fortune for the preservation of it.  
Then he came to the second motive, which he amplified, first by way of disadvantage, and showed, what a loss it would be to the King, to be bereaved of that large and fruitful Island, which was a third part of the King's dominions, yea a third kingdom. He then showed how much the preservation of it conduced to the King's profit, and how improvable this would be, by keeping that: now was the time to make him a through King there, and to esta●lish the throne, which had been disputed and ●ottering in that realm these 400 years.  
He then proceeded to the third motive, and said the people of England, have lately undergone many and heavy payments; he meant not those illegal payments, which were a just punishment, to such as would submit to such unjust charges, but he spoke of the levyes by Parliament, the burden whereof together with the decay of trade, our neighbours in the Country were very sensible, by those propositions read to your Lordships, the poorer sort will be eased, the payments made easy, because voluntary, and thereupon will be many and cheerful givers, who must ever have the honour of a memory to have contributed to so good a work; so as where profit is an ingredient with piety and Loyalty, the plaster will be sooner applied to Ireland.  
When therefore our duty to God, and the King, may invite to so good a work, he doubted not of your lordship's concurrence with the House of Commons for the good of that, which was the good of the kingdom.  
Having said thus much in general he offered some thing to the propositions in particular. That whereas the first Proposition demanded two Millions and half of Acres for the undertakers, which might at first sight look as a great demand to such as know not the extent of that kingdom which is computed by those who well understood the latitude of it, to contain 15. Millions of Acres, and therefore to take out two Millions and half, when two parts of three of that kingdom are in open rebellion, is not so great a demand, as may at first sight appear; and the proposition conduceth much to the raising of Rent to the King; He said it was well known that the revenue of the Exchequer, and Court of wards in Ireland, did not exceed the sum of 43000 l. yearly, besides the customs which your Lordships found not great, except in Monopolies and undue charges, what ever the customs are, they will be by these propositions much advanced, 20 or 30 Thousand pounds a year rent will accrue to the crown by the reservations in them expressed, besides 7 Millions and half of Acres, over and above the two Millions and half desired in the propositions left to the King's disposal.  
The other propositions which are for the manner of bringing in of the money are very necessary, nothing being of more consequence then to dispatch this war.  
He observed out of Livy, that the Romans made their wars great and short, some they finished within 6, some within 10, other within 20 days, as with the Samnites, Latins, &c. He did not mention this, as though it were feasible for us to conclude this war in so short a time, but only to prove by the Actions of that great State, that nothing is more advantageous to a State, than the speedy dispatch of a war, and he hopes that if this money comes in, the war of Ireland might be brought to a short issue: he added that he remembered with grief the former obstructions for Ireland, but he now hopeth by the King and your lordship's concurrences, that delays will be turned into dispatches; and this was necessary because forragine Princes though now otherwise employed, will be a wakened by a lasting war, to take care of our affairs. He observeth the course of Ireland's first plantation, to suit much to this propounded.  
King William the first, gave leave to 12 Knights to go into Wales to get what they could and to plant themselves there, from those descended Richard le strong bow, first Earl of Pembroke, who made the first impression in that kingdom.  
Of which Geraldus Cambrensis saith, that it should be maintained Multis caedibus, crebris Conflictibus multoque certamine, he hopeth the course now in hand will give a period to that Conquest, and this prophecy, and that those intended plantations may be as prosperous to settle, as the former to gain that kingdom.  
Wherefore this work being so full of piety, honour, and charity, none shall need to speak for it, the works speak for itself. And so delivering the vote of that house to your Lordships he concluded the Conference.  

His majesty's most gracious Answer to the Message of the House of Commons to the Lords.  
HIs Majesty being very glad to receive any proposition that may repair the calamity of his distressed kingdom of Ireland, especially when it may be without burden or Imposition, and for the ease of his good Subjects of this kingdom, hath graciously considered the overture made by both Horses of Parliament to that purpose, and returns this answer.  
That as he hath offered and is still ready to venture his own royal person for the recovery of that kingdom, if his Parliament shall advise him thereunto, so he will not deny to contribute any other assistance he can to that service by parting with any profit or advantage of his own there, and therefore relying upon the wisdom of this Parliament doth consent to every proposition now made to him without taking time to examine whether this course may not retard the reducing of that kingdom by exasperating the rebels and rendering them desperate of being received into grace, If they shall return to their obedience; and his Majesty will be ready to give his royal Assent as to all such Bills as shall be tendered unto him by his Parliament to the Confirmation of every particular of this proposition, &c.  
H. Elsing, Cler-Parl. D. Com.