HIS majesty's GRACIOUS MESSAGE To both Houses of Parliament, sent from Nottingham, August 25. With the Answer of the Lords and Commons to the said Message: And HIS majesty's REPLY to the same. Sept. 2. TOGETHER With the Answer and humble Petition of both Houses to His majesty's last Message: And also His majesty's Message in Reply to the said Answer, Sept. 11. 1642. LONDON: Printed by ROBERT BARKER, Printer to the Kings most Excellent majesty: And by the assigns of JOHN BILL. MDCXLII. Dieu· ET MON· DROIT CR royal blazon or coat of arms ¶ His majesty's gracious Message to both Houses of Parliament, sent from Nottingham, 25. August, 1642. By the Earls of Southampton and Dorset, Sir John Culpeper Knight, chancellor of the Exchequer, and Sir William Wedall, KNIGHT. WE have with unspeakable grief of heart long beheld the distractions of this Our Kingdom; Our very soul is full of anguish until We may find some remedy to prevent the Miseries which are ready to overwhelm this whole Nation by a civil War: And though all Our endeavours tending to the Composing of those unhappy differences betwixt us & Our two Houses of Parliament (though pursued by us with all Zeal and Sincerity) have been hitherto without that Successee Whoped for; Yet such is Our constant and earnest care to preserve the public Peace, that We shall not be discouraged from using any Expedient, which by the blessing of the God of Mercy may lay a firm foundation of Peace and happiness to all Our good Subjects: To this end observing that many Mistakes have arisen by the Messages, Petitions and Answers betwixt us and Our two Houses of Parliament, which happily may be prevented by some other way of treaty, wherein the Matters in difference may be more clearly understood, and more freely transacted; We have thought fit to propound to you, That some fit persons may be by you enabled to treat with the like number to be authorized by us, in such a manner, and with such freedom of Debate, as may best tend to that happy Conclusion, which all goodmen desire, The Peace of the Kingdom: Wherein as We promised in the Word of a King all safety and encouragement to such as shall be sent unto us, if you shall choose the place where We are for the Treaty, which We wholly leave to you, presuming of the like care of the safety of those We shall employ, if you shall name another place; So We assure you and all Our good Subjects, that (to the best of Our understanding) nothing shall be therein wanting on Our part, which may advance the True Protestant Religion, Oppose popery and Superstition, Secure the Law of the Land (upon which is built as well Our just Prerogative, as the Propriety and Liberty of the Subject) Confirm all just Power & privileges of Parliament, and render us and Our people truly happy by a good understanding betwixt us and Our two Houses of Parliament. Bring with you as firm Resolutions to do your duty, and let all Our good People join with us in Our prayers to Almighty God for his blessing upon this Work. If this Proposition shall be rejected by you, We have done Our duty so amply, that God will ab●olve us from the Guilt of any of that blood which must be spilled. And what opinion soever other Men may have of Our Power, We assure you nothing but Our Christian & Pious care to prevent the Effusion of blood hath begot this Motion, Our Provision of Men, Arms and Money being such as may secure us from further violence, till it please God to open the eyes of Our People. ❧ The Answer of the Lords and Commons to His majesty's Message of the 25. of August. 1642. May it please Your majesty, THe Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled, having received Your majesty's Message of the 25 of August, do with much grief resent the dangerous and distracted state of this Kingdom, which we have by all means endeavoured to prevent, both by our several Advices and Petitions of Your Majesty, which have been not only without success, but there hath followed that, which no ill counsel in former times hath produced, or any age hath seen, namely, those several Proclamations and Declarations against both the Houses of Parliament, whereby their Actions are declared Treasonable, and their Persons Traitors; And thereupon Your majesty hath set up Your Standard against them, whereby You have put the two Houses of Parliament, and in them this whole Kingdom out of Your Protection; so that until Your majesty shall recall those Proclamations and Declarations, whereby the Earl of Essex and both Houses of Parliament, and their adherents and assistante, and such as have obeyed and executed their commands & directions, according to their duties, are declared Traitors, or otherwise delinquents; And until the Standard set up in pursuance of the said Proclamations be taken down, Your majesty hath put us into such a condition, that whilst we so remain we cannot by the fundamental privileges of Parliament, the public trust reposed in us, or with the general good and safety of this kingdom give Your majesty any other Answer to this Message. Joh. Browne Cler. Parliament. H. Elsinge Cler. Parl. D. Com. s His majesty's Reply To an Answer sent by the two Houses of Parliament to His majesty's Message of the 25. of August, concerning a treaty of Accommodation. WE will not repeat what means We have used to prevent the dangerous and distracted estate of the Kingdom, nor how those means have been interpreted, because being desirous to avoid effusion of blood We are willing to decline all memory of former bitterness that might make Our offer of a treaty less readily accepted. We never did Declare, nor ever intended to Declare both Our Houses of Parliament traitors, or set up Our Standard against them, and much less to put them and this Kingdom out of Our Protection: We utterly profess against it before God and the World. And further to remove all possible Scruples which may hinder the Treaty so much desired by us; We hereby Promise, so that a day he appointed by you for the revoking of your Declarations against all Persons as traitors or otherways, for assisting of us, We shall with all cheerfulness upon the same day recall Our Proclamations and Declarations, and take down Our Standard: In which Treaty We shall be ready to grant any thing that shall be really for the good of Our Subjects; Conjuring you to consider the bleeding, condition of Ireland, and the dangerous condition of England, in as high a degree as by these Our offers We have declared ourselves to do: And assuring you that Our chief desire in this world is to beget a good understanding and mutual confidence betwixt us and Our two Houses of Parliament. To the King's most Excellent majesty The humble Answer and Petition of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, unto the King's last Message. May it please Your majesty. IF we the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled should repeat all the ways we have taken, the endeavours we have used, and the expressions we have made unto Your majesty to prevent those Distractions and Dangers Your majesty speaks of, likely to fall upon this Kingdom, we should too much enlarge the Reply; therefore as we humbly, so shall we only let Your majesty know, that we cannot recede from our former Answer, for the Reasons therein expressed: For that Your majesty hath not taken down Your Standard, Recalled Your Proclamations and Declarations, whereby You have declared the Actions of both Houses of Parliament to be Treasonable, and their Persons traitors, and You have published the same since Your Message of the 25 of August, by Your late Instructions sent to Your Commissioners of Array: Which Standard being taken down, and the Declarations, Proclamations and Instructions recalled, if Your majesty shall then upon this our humble Petition, leaving Your Forces, Return unto Your Parliament, and receive their faithful Advice, Your majesty will find such Expressions of our fidelities and duties as shall assure You, That Your Safety, Honour and greatness can only be found in the Affections of Your People, and the sincere Counsels of Your Parliament whose constant and undiscouraged Endeavours and Consultations have passed through Difficulties unheard of, only to secure Your Kingdoms from the violent Mischiefs and Dangers now ready to fall upon them, and every part of them; who deserve better of Your majesty, and can never allow themselves (representing likewise Your whole Kingdom) to be balanced with those persons, whose desperate Dispositions and Counsels prevail still so to interrupt all our Endeavours for the relieving of bleeding Ireland, as we may fear our Labours and vast expenses will be fruitless to that distressed Kingdom. As Your presence is thus humbly desired by us, so is it in our hopes Your majesty will in Your Reason believe, there is no other way then this to make Your majesty's self happy, and Your Kingdom safe. Jo. Brown Cler. Par. His majesty's Message In Reply to the Answer and humble Petition of both Houses of Parliament. WE have taken most ways, used most endeavours, and made most real expressions to prevent the present Distractions and Dangers, let all the world judge, as well by former Passages, as by Our two last Messages, which have been so fruitless, that (though We have descended to desire and press it) not so much as a treaty can be obtained, unless We would denude ourselves of all Force to defend us from a visible Strength Marching against us, and admit those Persons as traitors to us, who according to their duty, their oaths of Allegiance, and the Law, have appeared in defence of us their King and Liege Lord (whom We are bound in Conscience and Honour to preserve) though We disclaimed all Our Proclamations and Declarations, and the erecting of Our Standard as against Our Parliament. All We have now left in Our Power is, to express the deep Sense We have of the public misery of this Kingdom, in which is involved that of Our distressed Protestants of Ireland, and to apply ourselves to Our necessary Defence, wherein We wholly rely upon the providence of God, the justice of Our Cause, and the Affection of Our good People, so far We are from putting them out of Our Protection. When you shall desire a Treaty of us, We shall piously remember whose Blood is to be spilled in this quarrel, and cheerfully embrace it. And as no other Reason induced us to leave Our city of London, but that with Honour and Safety We could not stay there; nor raise any Force, but for the necessary Defence of Our Person and the Law, against levys in opposition to both; so We shall suddenly and most willingly return to the One, and disband the Other, as soon as those Causes shall be removed. The God of Heaven direct you, and in mercy divert those judgements which hang over this Nation, and so deal with us and Our Posterity, as We desire the Preservation and Advancement of the true Protestant Religion, the Law and the Liberty of the Subject, the just Rights of Parliament, and the Peace of the Kingdom. FINIS.