HIS MAJESTIES LETTER TO THE high-sheriff AND JUSTICES OF THE PEACE of the County of gloucester.  
Printed, by His MAjESTIES Command, AT OXFORD, February 14.  
By LEONARD LICHFIELD Printer to the university. 1642.   

HIS MAjESTIES LETTER TO THE HIGH sheriff, and JUSTICES of the Peace, of the County of gloucester.  
TRVSTY and welbeloved We greet you well.  
Whereas there hath been lately an Insurrection and Rebellion against us in Our County of gloucester, which hath so generally possessed the Spirits of that County( though We do aclowledge many Gentlemen of the best quality there, have with Courage retained their Loyalty to us, and have suffered with us, which We shall always and particularly remember) that there hath been a greater concurrence there in this desperate Rebellion then in any County of England, insomuch that We have been compelled to sand a considerable part of Our Army thither, the which it pleased God to bless with such success, that We hope for the future We shall be able, by the concurrence and Assistance of You, and the rest of Our good Subjects of that County, to preserve you from the like Invasions. And to show how far We are from the just Sense and Indignation We might well entertain against those, who have so wilfully fallen from their Allegiance, or concurred with the disloyalty of others, by not applying themselves to a timely prevention, We have sent Our gracious Proclamation to inhibit Our Souldiers from plundering, or using any violence to any of Our Subjects of that County, of what condition soever, and to secure them in the freedom of their Markets, that their Trade and Commerce may be renewed and continued. Yet We must Declare unto you, that We expect some reparation, and an exemplar testimony of th eir conversion and Affection, who neglecting Our former Proclamations of Grace and Pardon, continued still to foment this unnatural bloody dissension, though We shall not proceed with strictness and severity against them; And it will not seem just that the Charge and burden, brought upon the Country by the malice and connivance of such Men, should be equally born by those who have faithfully adhered to their Loyalty and Affection to us, which is the Case in the Rate for the monthly Contribution agreed upon, in which all Persons of ability are equally engaged, how different soever their Demeanour hath been; And therefore Our Pleasure is, That you, or any three of you( whereof We appoint you Our high sheriff to be one) call and summon together the Gentlemen, Clergy and substantial Freeholders and Inhabitants of that Our County, to appear before you at such times and places as you shall think most convenient, and move them in Out Name freely to assist and Contribute unto us according to their several abilities, in these Our urgent, and important occasions, for the maintenance of the true Protestant Religion, in which they been bread, for the defence of the laws and Liberties to which they were born, and for the safety of Our Person to which they have so often sworn; and as We believe, all well-affected Persons will be willing and ready upon this occasion to express their Duty to us, so We doubt not such, who have by weakness and misunderstanding, or through fear and apprehension of danger been so far transported, as to contribute or consent to these horrid dissensions, will by then free and liberal Assistance of us, express, That their former Errors proceeded from weakness, not from malice. And Our Pleasure is, and We do hereby authorize you Our high sheriff to receive all such sums of Money as shall be contributed unto us, and with the advice of the Iustices of the Peace, who shall assist you in this Service, to return the names of all such who shall express their Affections to Us this way, as likewise of those whose stubborness and perverseness may, in you: Opinion, have an ill Influ●nce upon the Peace and quiet of the County. And you shall further require all the Trained-Bands of that Our County, to sand in their arms they have been charged with, to Our Magazine at Cyrencester, within ten daies after the date of this Our Letter, at their utmost peril: and if any men shall excuse themselves by laying, that their arms are already delivered in at gloucester or Cyrencester, or any other place, and therefore that they cannot obey us herein, you shall let them know, that We will not consent that their readiness to obey those commands which tended to the disturbance of the Peace of that Our County, shall be any excuse for their not obeying Ours, which are for their necessary defence and safety, and therefore We shall expect that every person, within that Our County, who is charged with arms, or hath found arms by virtue of the pretended Ordinance of the Militia, shall within the time prefixed deliver the arms with which he is Charged, and such who executed the Militia, all their arms into Our said Magazine, except such Persons who shall sufficiently make proof before you, That their arms were by Force and Violence taken from them by the said Rebells, and of this you shall give Us a particular Account, that We well knowing the number of arms that Our County stands charged with, and with which private Persons have lately furnished themselves, may judge of their Affections by their Obedience to these Commands. Lastly, because the City of gloucester, notwithstanding Our gracious Proclamation and offer of Pardon, doth yet refuse to yield that submission and obedience which is due to Us, whereby We may be compelled to visit those parts with Our Army, which might else be free from those inconveniences, We straitly Will and Command all Our loving Subjects of that Our County, to forbear, and not to entertain any Commerce or traffic with Our said city of gloucester, neither by buying or selling, or any other offices of Neighbourhood, till the same shall return to it's Loyalty and Subjection; which if it shall do, We shall receive it into Our Protection, and defend it from any Assaults or violence. And you shall cause these Our Letters to be publicly red in all the Churches and chapels of that Our County, that all Our Subjects may know the contents thereof, and conform themselves accordingly.  
Given at Our Court at Oxford this 12. day of February. 1642.