C R  
Dieu ET MON DROIT  
HONI SOIT x MAL Y PENSE   royal blazon or coat of arms  
❧ By the King.  
¶ His Majesties offer of Pardon to the rebels now in Arms against Him.  
WHereas an actual and Open Rebellion is raised, and several Armies marching against us, under the Command and Conduct of Robert Earl of Essex, and other persons under his Commissions and Authority, who falsely pretend that what they do, it by virtue of Our Authority, and for Our Service, and so seduce many of Our weak Subjects from their duty and Allegiance, into this horrid and odious Rebellion against us; We do therefore declare the said Robert Earl of Essex, and all such who by any Commission under him have levied, or do command any soldiers, to be guilty of High Treason, and that this Rebellion is raised to take away Our life from us, To destroy Our Posterity, To change the blessed Protestant Religion established by the Laws of the Land, To suppress the Law of the Kingdom, and to take away the Liberty of the Subject, and to subject both to an unlimited Arbitrary Power. And We do therefore will and command all Our loving Subjects upon their Allegiance, and their oaths of Allegiance and supremacy, that they apprehend the said Earl of Essex, and all such who by virtue of any Commission under him have levied, or do now Command any soldiers in any places of this Kingdom as guilty of High Treason. And to any common soldiers so raised, We do grant Our free and general Pardon, as to Per●ons seduced by the cunning and falsehood of the Authors of this Rebellion, if such soldiers shall disband within six days after the publishing of this Our Proclamation, so they commit no Hostile Act in the mean while against us. And if such soldier or soldiers shall within that time apprehend and bring before us, or any Officers of Our Army, the bodies of any of the Commanders or Officers now in Rebellion against us, he and they besides their Pardons, shall receive such liberal rewards by Pensions or otherwise as their several services in respect of the qualities of the Persons so apprehended shall deserve. And if any Commander or Officer of any of the Armies now in Rebellion against us, shall within four days after this Our Proclamation published, being convinced in his Conscience of his damnable offence against God and us in assisting this odious Rebellion, return to his Allegiance, and repair to Our Army, and commit to Hostile Act in the mean while against us, We shall not only pardon him, but so far employ him as his quality and demeanour shall deserve; Except all such persons whom We have before excepted in Our Declaration of the twelfth of the last August. And We do hereby require all Our loving Subjects of what Degree or Quality soever, upon their Allegiance, and as they tender the cause of God, (the Protestant Religion being invaded, and threatened to the rooted up by Anabaptists, Brownists, and Atheists) of us and Our Posterity, (Our life being sought after by this Rebellion) and of themselves (the Law and Liberty of the Subject being in apparent hazard to be subjected to an Arbitrary lawless Power of a few schismatical, Factious and Ambitious persons) to assist us in person, or with the Loan of Money, Plate and Horses in this Our great necessity.  
And We do further declare to all Our loving Subjects, That as We have and shall take all possible care to prevent the sufferings of Our good people by the soldiers of Our army, so whatever pressures shall unavoidably fall upon them, by reason of the violence offered unto us, in seizing and detaining Our own Money and Revenue from us, We do promise in the word of a King, to satisfy them for the same as soon as God shall enable us. And the better to encourage Our good Subjects to aid and assist us in this Our necessary defence, to which their duty to God and us obliges them, We do declare, That whosoever shall lose his life in this Service, the Wardship of his Heir shall be granted by us without Rent or Fine to his own use, And We shall hold ourselves obliged to take all possible care for the Support, Relief, and Protection of all their Wives and Children, who shall have the hard fortune to die in this Service.  
Given at Our Court at Edge-Hill, this 24 day of October, in the eighteenth year of Our Reign. 
 God save the King.   

¶ Imprinted at London by ROBERT BARKER, Printer to the Kings most excellent majesty: And the assigns of JOHN BILL. MDCXLII.