HIS majesty's answer TO THE Humble Petition of the Gentlemen, freeholders, and Ministers of the county Palatine of CHESTER, delivered to His majesty at YORK the seventh of May, 1642.  
At the Court at YORK 9 May 1642.  
His majesty hath given me express command to give you this His Answer to your Petition.  
THat He sees plainly that this Petition of yours hath been framed without having heard the Answer His majesty gave to His Parliament, upon their Petition to Him for desisting from His journey into Ireland; for He cannot think that that country (from whence He hath received formerly so good expressions of their loyal Intentions, by two former Petitions presented long since to Him and the Parliament) would have been so much mistaken, as to have made this Petition, after they had seen and well considered His majesty's said Answer. And His majesty observes very well, that this Petition is not like others, which by an untimely Zeal, have desired Him to return to His Parliament; You only desiring Him there to reside, where with more conveniency and security He may consult with His great council, then by going into Ireland: His majesty being confident, That your well weighing of His Answers concerning that subject, hath been the cause that you have not imitated some few other countries in that particular; And that you have well considered the Rebellious Affront offered to Him at Hull, by a hostile opposition of His entrance; and therefore believes that the same Reason which made you, at this time express your tender care of His Person, and the former good expressions you made of your Loyalty and right-set Affections to the good of the whole Kingdom, may sooner induce you to Petition the Parliament to apply themselves to a right understanding of His majesty's ways and intentions, and to do Him justice for that Affront, then make you to prefer any such ill-grounded Petition. And that you may be the better informed of His majesty's proceedings in those particulars; He recommends to your view and consideration, His Answers to the Declaration presented to Him at New-market, to the Petition presented to Him at York the 26 of March last, concerning His journey into Ireland, His two Messages and Declaration concerning Hull; all which, when it shall be fully represented to the rest of your County, He doubts not but that you will rest very well satisfied of His constant Resolution for the maintaining of, and governing you by the Law of the Land, His unmovable Resolutions for the maintenance and defence of the true Protestant Profession, and the suppression and chastising of the barbarous Irish Rebellion, As for your apprehensions of danger of being left naked, and not put into a Posture of Defence, His majesty assures you, That He will take care that it shall be done in the true old legal way which hath been used in this Kingdom, without bringing in strangers to govern you, or admitting new and exorbitant Powers, derogating both from His majesty's undoubted legal Authority, and the Liberty of the Subject, which, as He hath constantly denied, so He expects, and no ways doubts, but that you will give Obedience to that, and that only, which shall proceed from His Majesty in a legal way.  
Subscribed by M. Secretary Nicholas.   

London, Printed for John Sweeting, 1642.