C R  HONI SOIT x MAL Y PENSE  royal blazon or coat of arms KING CHARLES His SPEECH to the Six Eminent Persons who lately arrived at Brussels, to Treat with His MAJESTY touching His Restoration to the Royal Throne and Dignity of his Father.  
Gentlemen, and Loving Subjects,  
HAving notice of your so sudden Applicaaion to us (by an Overture from several of Our good Subjects) it hath been Our diligent Care to provide for your entertainment, in so Honourable a way as might stand with the Credit of Our Royal Person, according to Our Ability, in this place of Our sad and tedious Exilement. And being deeply sensible of the Calamities and miseries brought upon Our poor Subjects by the late unnatural War; We hold it Our duty to use all possible means & I join with you, the Messengers (we hope) of a true Peace between ourselves and all Our Loyal Subjects, and that by you (the Instruments employed in behalf of Our Kingdoms, there may be wrought such a perfect Union and conjunction, between ourselves, and Our People, who profess to be so sincerely affected with the same Pious desire of the public good as may (God giving the success) produce a right understanding between ourselves and you to make up all thpse great and innumerable Breaches between Us, and Our Loyal Subjects, which by a misunderstanding have been planted and long continued betwixt Us and them.  
And whereas we do understand that you have undertaken this great Work to Treat with Us, we shall adhere to any Propositions, that may conduce to the Glory of God, and the maintenance of the true Protestant Religion, the Just and inseparable Right of the Crown, and the privileges of a Free and full parliament, Elected by the Free consent of Our People, and to the Just Rights and Liberties of our Subjects, And that to the end a Treaty tending to Peace may not (as formerly) be founded on the blood of Our good Subjects.  
We cannot indeed acquaint you with the inexpressible joy that We are sensible of to find Our poor distressed and distracted Kingdoms in some hopes of Settlement, and Restoration of its pristine Glory, by the Establishing of ourselves; which we know and are Confident is the earnest desire of all our Loving Subjects, being now at last unveiled, whereby they see cleatly the cruelty of those taskmasters who aspersed Us their lawful King with the name of Tyrant, and have themselves destroyed Our Estates with the Estates of several of Our good Subjects to maintain their Violences, enrich themselves with the ruins of Our good People, and overthrow Our Royal Prerogatives, and the ancient fundamental laws of Our Kingdoms.  
Whereas it hath been publicly declared to Our good People (which yourselves cannot be ignorant of) that Our intent was to come over with foreign Force (thereby to corrupt the good opinion of Our Loving Subjects) We do profess from the bottom of Our heart it was never Our thought to take any such course to regain Our Right, and settle ourselves in the Royal Throne and Dignity of Our Father, but what We might in Justice, both according to the laws of God and nature prosecute for the recovery of Our own birthright; To which end and purpose we hope you are here (through God's blessing) safely Arrived, and that not only to restore ourselves, but to pour Balm into the wound of Our three Kingdoms.  
Though indeed the Innocent blood of our Royal Father is a great grief to ourselves, yet the desire of Revenge is so far from Our heart, that We shall leave it to him who is the Just Judge of all both in Heaven and Earth; Our chiefest aim being only to endeavour what in Us lies to Compose the difference between ourselves and you (who are employed in the behalf of all Our good Subjects) according to the Instructions you have received, so far as may stand with God's glory, and the Honour and Safety of ourselves; to which end and purpose we have already provided several Peaceable Propositions which will be presented to your hands an this present happy and (we hope) successful meeting.  
Who knows but that the Divine Providence hath sent you to Us, that you (by Our Royal Assent to your happy endeavours) may be made the joyful Instruments of a well-grounded Peace, and of restoring Religion to its purity, the Church to its Rights, ourselves to Our Royal Prerogatives, the laws to their Channel, and Our good Subjects to their Liberties: All which if you resolve to join with ourselves in performance of, may Crown Our kingdoms with eternal Honour.  
And since it is manifest by the Laws of God, of Nature, of Our Kingdoms, and of Humanity, that the Government of the Kingdom is due to One, why not to ourselves, by Birth your Countryman, by Education a Protestant, by profession and actions your Pious Prince, and by his gracious Compliance confident in your Loyalty and Obedience. Let Us truly make a Covenant with Heaven, Religion and Justice, and we may soon make up all the breaches of dissension in Our Kingdoms by an happy union.  
Brussels March 18.   

ANWERP, Printed Cum Privilegio. 1660. March. 26.