HIS MAJESTY'S Gracious Answer TO The Message sent from the Honourable City of LONDON, Concerning PEACE.  
Delivered by the Right Honourable the Lord Viscount Faukland, Principal Secretary of State.  
As it was spoken by his Majesty to the said Secretary.  
The true Copy.  
Printed at London for Thomas Massam. 1643.   

His Majesty's gracious Answer to the Message sent from the Honourable City of LONDON concerning PEACE.  
Mr. Secretary:  
YOu could not have presented Us any object of more welcome consequence, than those desires of our well respected City of London, of which we have always retained that good opinion, that it was as impossible for the Inhabitants of that our Capital City, to forget their duties and due respects to Us their King, as it was impossible for Us to give off the just opinion We have always had of their loyalty to Us, or the good affections We have always held of them, the main Upholders of the dignity of our Kingdom: the wealth of that City is not unknown to Us, nor the zeal We have found continually in them to our service. Neither are We ignorant of the many notable supplies our Ancestors have received from their contributions to the maintenance of the wars in foreign parts. All which considerations meeting with our own royal inclinations to the weal and commodity of that City, must needs render Us very willing and concurrent to any propositions which shall arrive from them, concerning an accommodation for peace, which We have always coveted with as much ardour, as We have detested the miseries and oppressions of this present war, this lamentable and calamitous civil war, which hath unmade the peace and safety of our Kingdom; nay, as it were, uncreated our native royalty, dependent upon Us from our Ancestors, and left Us a King in title rather than in essence, the best Pillars of our Kingdom being shrunk from Us, our High Court of Parliament, whom had We never so unfortunately, by some idle mutinous spirits, been as it were enforced to desert, when We were in a manner driven from our palace at White-Hall, our subjects had not in such numbers relinquished Us. But We hope the best; time, moderation, and good counsel will give a happy period to these distractions which the present wars do continue, to the destruction of our people and diminution of our regal estate and dignity. We are sensible of the horrid and great afflictions and oppressions, that like fatal clouds  the face of our Dominions, the many bloudsheds, rapines and spoils, which have been acted upon the persons and estates of our good subjects, especially the detriments that have fallen with a heavy hand upon our City of London. We know these wars have deprived the Merchant of the benefit of exporting his commodities into foreign parts, and importing others from thence into our City of London, which must needs occasion a general defect of trade there, which hath been ever held the chief supportment and increase of the riches of our English Commonwealth, which as rivers derive themselves from fountains, have been devolved thorough all our Dominions from London; it being the spring of commerce and traffic, that flows thorough all parts of this Nation. But surely We have just occasion in this to vindicate Ourselves, that We have never in our soul occasioned these fatal miseries; violence in some, and misunderstanding in others, having begot these Hyara-headed confusions, which Heaven no longer prosper Us, than We shall with our utmost endeavour strive to reduce to a sudden and certain conclusion, that all our people may evidently perceive We desire no longer to be esteemed their Sovereign, than we shall give them occasion to credit We intent merely their advancement, peace, and profit.  
Subjects are a King's best inheritance, the flower of his Crown, and glory of his Sceptre; which far be it from all just Kings (and We include Ourself in that number) to abridge or violate: the fundamental Laws of this Kingdom, We have ever maintained, and so shall ever do, with our best abilities and power, the privileges of our High Court of Parliament, and the liberty and the property of the Subject: In especial, the Immunities and Franchises of our City of London, which We always esteemed so precious in our thoughts, that We shall study always to augment rather than decrease them. You have, Mr. Secretary, delivered Us the intentions of our City of London, presented by their Agents now in our Court, the main of which (as you have delivered to Us) is that We would please to let them understand, whether We will receive any propositions from our said City, concerning an accommodation of peace between Us and our High Court of Parliament. Certainly We should appear a strange and public enemy to Ourself, the peace and prosperity of our Kingdom and People, should We neglect to embrace any such just and honest propositions.  
We are assured, since our City of London can desire this really & hearty, as by this express is manifested, the rest of our People, Cities, and Corporations, must be of the same mind; and surely Our high Court of Parliament must needs concur with them in the same intentions, they having by divers of their Declarations given the world to understand, that they have made it the main cause of their endeavours, to seek peace and ensue it. We do therefore (Master Secretary) give you to understand Our Royal will and pleasure, concerning this precedent point of their Message, that We shall not only be ready to receive graciously any such Propositions for an Accommodation of Peace between Ourselves and Our high Court of Parliament; (for We have much and evident reason, when We see Our Kingdom torn in pieces by these civil dissensions, Our People up in Arms one against another, and shedding the blood of each other, who are all Our native subjects; Our Towns, Cities, and Villages impoverished by daily plunderings, firings, and outrages) but likewise to propound them Ourselves. The true Religion of God Almighty lies and languishes under a storm of fatal schisms and opinions; Our own Royalty hath not half its wont attributes, its train or attendants; Our Laws are neglected, Laws, which are the Ensigns of Majesty, and the immediate Ministers of Our Justice, the safeguard and patrimony of Our Subjects, and the staff and upholder of their liberties. We must therefore, considering all the fatal misfortunes and encumbrances of a civil War, and the immediate blessings and overflowing benefits of a settled and continued Peace, have rather a greater propension in Ourself to peace, then can be any way in any of Our People, We being divers ways more interessed in the common utility than they can be possible.  
Never had any (We may speak that without any partial boast) more desires to acquire and achieve the good of his subjects, than Ourself; nor ever hath any King been more crossed in his determinations and intentions than Ourself, frequent and fatal jealousies arising between Our high Court of Parliament and Ourself, which have thus long separated Us from the body of Our Kingdom, and Our Kingdom from Us.  
The Parliament We will not blame, nor by any means seek to rip up old discontents betwixt Us; would they had never been, or at least so ended now, that by an absolute Act of oblivion they were utterly forgotten; We shall labour to throw balm and oil into the wounds of the Commonwealth, and so comply with the desires both of Our Parliament and Our City of London, that if it be possible a sudden and happy Union may once more be knit up betwixt Us; that all the inconveniences happening to the Commonwealth by these intemperate distractions, may be utterly wiped away from the face of Our English Earth, and that We may live to govern the Natives of this Island as their King, and they live to honour and obey Us as Our People.  
Furthermore (Master Secretary) We would have you intimate to these Agents from Our City of London, that We in all love embrace their request, concerning Our return to Our said City and Parliament, and would have them believe it were far more correspondent to be in quiet at Whitehall, Hampton Court, or any of Our Palaces thereabout, then here at Oxford; where though We have all the accommodation the country can afford, yet do they not countervail with those We could have (as We are confident) in or about Our City of London, which hath always been the supreme chamber of Our Ancestors, and Our own best beloved residence, till these fatal stirs disunited us, and forced Us to departed from thence; whither (you may certify them) We would with as much willingness return, as ever We did in time of the happiest tranquillity from any of Our sedentary Progresses, never believing Our Person in more or better security, then when guarded with the faithful hearts and valiant hands of those courageous and well-experienced Citizens, who have always had and ever shall have a near and dear room in Our Royal intention and well-wishes. But such is the necessity of Our affairs, so urgent the consequence of Our presence to Our Army, that We are utterly impossibilited of transferring Our Person from them, who conceiving themselves discountenanced and neglected by Our absence, would be very apt to grow into dangerous distempers. But for their Propositions concerning an Accommodation of Peace, let them be sent to Us, and We shall give them so ample and gracious hearing as shall be fit Us to give, and them to receive: And as soon as things shall by fair treaty be made ripe for an enter view between Ourself and Parliament, We shall with all convenient haste repair (according to their desires) to Our City of London. In the mean time, desire them from Us to continue their good intentions concerning Peace, and We shall esteem it a principal demonstration of their loyalty towards Us, and ever study the advancement of their City, and the whole Commonwealth.  
FINIS.