A SPEECH DELIVERED In the Commons House of Parliament,  
BY That judicious, and worthy Gentleman, THOMAS BEAUMONT Esquire:  
AT The presenting of the Petition of the Knights, Gentlemen, and Freeholders, of the County of LEICESTER,  
On Wednesday the 6. of November, 1644.  
ALSO A true Copy of the Petition itself, subscribed with above 2000 Hands.  
LONDON, Printed for John Thomas. Novemb. 9 1644.   

The Speech of THOMAS BEAUMONT Esquire, to the House of Commons, at the presenting of Leicester-Shire Petition.  
SIR,  
THe deep expressions the whole Kingdom hath received of grace and clemency from this honourable House, hath encouraged us in our great sufferings, to make our retreat hither, our Country being almost environed with destroying Enemies, and ourselves continually exposed to loss and danger, these our miseries (as we humbly apprehend) taking birth especially from two Causes.  
One is, our want of a chief Commander. For, whilst the Enemy is spoiling our Country, the Officers of our Forces, being under no particular Authority, are so long in disputing who shall go out for our defence, that before they appear, the Enemy hath done the mischief, and is retired.  
The other is, our Country's disacquaintance with most of those which sit in the Committee, which in some averts, in many lessens a free and lively adhering to them.  
For the common people, of which our strength most consists, do only trust, and expect an active care from such, whose residence with them hath begot affection, and estates amongst them, gives them an apprehension that they are involved in the same danger with them. Our present Committee receive nothing but what they forcibly extort from the Country, wherein they make an unprofitable purchase: for, though they get some money, they lose many hearts; whereas if men that have estates and are well known in their Country were joined with them, the people would generally come in, and offer up all they have for the advancement of the public good.  
For, we have men, horses, and money left, good materials to repair our decayed Country, if this honourable Parliament (the great Architectors of the Commonwealth) will please to depute us good Under-builders to prevent a ruin.  
In these clouds of trouble that darken our whole Nation, this Parliament is our only Sun, that diffuseth light to the several Committees of every County; and they, like Stars, should impart their borrowed shine to us: but if they be unknown Stars, they do not direct, but distract the Pilot in his passage.  
In these our miseries, as we have many sharers, so (if it had been thought necessary) there had been many more presenters of them to you: but we, in the name of all, do humbly invocate a gracious and speedy redress, the unhappy distance of our Country prohibiting our frequent addresses to this honoured place; where having briefly unbosomed our grievances, we humbly leave them to the wisdom and consideration of this honourable Parliament.   

To the honourable House of COMMONS assembled in PARLIAMENT, The humble Petition of the Gentlemen, Freeholders, and best-affected of Leicestershire,  
Shows,  
THat whereas by the gracious care and wisdom of this honourable House, in appointing Gentlemen of Judgements and Estates of this County to sit in a Committee for regulating, and equal disposing of all affairs in it; and by sending unto us the right honourable the Lord GREY of Grooby (who first rescued us out of the hands of Malignants, made the town of Leicester (then ready to be seized on by them) a Garrison, and gave encouragement and life to the actions of all the well-affected) with chief Command of all the Military Forces of this County, the Officers of the Army, being under the power of one, were kept from emulation and dissension, and the hearts of the County so inclined, that they were quickly able to resist, and almost to suppress the Enemy: But we are now (by leaving the best men of the County out of the Committee, in a late Ordinance for the MILITIA) fallen under the Government of such, whose defects of number, acquaintance amongst us, and interests in the County, cannot afford us any probable hopes of preservation, nor the Commonwealth any considerable assistance; and in the unhappy absence of the Lord GREY, most of our horses and Arms are fold, our Soldiers dispersed, and their headless Officers in continual differences for pre-eminence, whilst the Enemies are so much strengthened and increased, that the well-affected are daily exposed to the loss of liberty, their goods to plunder, and their Rents sequestered and seized on by the adverse party that till of late had never the boldness or power to attempt it. In this sad condition we have (under God) no refuge but to this honourable House, the effects and influence of whose great prudence and care, the Commonwealth in general, and our Country in particular, have so largely and frequently tasted.  
We do again therefore supplicate this honourable and great Council, in ease of our great sufferings, to send again speedily to us the Lord GREY, invested with power over the Forces of this County, that under his command the now dishevelled Soldiers being unanimously collected, we may be again able to give limits to the now unbounded Enemy, and to command those Gentlemen that are appointed to sit in the Committee and do not appear, to repair to the Country and to serve in it, and to add such Gentlemen of known integrity and interest in the Country, as may so generally draw the affections of this County that we may the sooner be wholly freed both of these great miseries and their Authors.  
And we shall have always cause to pray for the contingance of happy success to this just, and honourable Parliament.  
FINIS.