A copy of the Petition presented to the King's Majesty by the high sheriff, accompanied with many hundreds of Gentlemen and freeholders of the County of Rutland, as his Majesty passed through their County towards York: To which his Majesty was pleased graciously to promise an Answer.  

To the Kings most Excellent majesty.  
The Humble Petition of your majesty's loyal Subjects in the county of Rutland.  
Showeth,  
THAT as with all humble thankfulness they do acknowledge the many former and late effluences of your royal grace and goodness, whereby they were lifted up with an expectation of happy days, wherein your sacred majesty should have a perpetual Throne of safety and honour, erected in the hearts of your loyal people; higher than any your royal Predecessors: So we cannot now but express the greatness of our griefs, fearing all those hopes to be dashed, and the joy of the whole land darkened by your majesty's withdrawing your Sacred person in these times of imminent danger from your great council of Parliament, to the raising of unexpressible fears in the hearts of all your loyal Subjects.  
Wherefore in all humility your Petitioners do implore your sacred Majesty, that out of the depth of your Princely wisdom and goodness, the beams of your grace and favour may again break forth upon your kingdom, in returning and vouchsafing your majesty's presence to the Parliament; whereby the fears of your people may be dispelled, and a foundation laid of everlasting comfort to this land, in the safety of your sacred person, and abundant increase of honours and greatness upon your royal Government.   

To the Right honourable, the House of peers now assembled in Parliament.  
The Humble Petition of the high sheriff, Knights, Esquires, Gentlemen, Ministers, and others of good rank within the County of Rutland,  
Showeth.  
THAT your lordship's concurrence with the House of Commons in passing the Bill to take away the Votes of the Prelates: settling the Militia and Forts in such hands as the Honourable House of Parliament may confide in; approving and passing those noble propositions for the suppressing of those barbarous rebels in Ireland, and in many other Acts of great concernment is acknowledged by your Petitioners, with all possible joy and humble thankfulness; yet we cannot but (but with great grief accompanied with fears) be sensible, That authority is not yet given for putting the kingdom into a posture of defence, That the Votes of Popish Lords, and their proxies are still continued, humbly conceiving it to be against reason, that Papists should Vote in points of that Religion whereunto they are professed adversaries, or in matters of State, to which they can be no fast friends, especially now, that so great a party of Papists are in open Rebellion: That the mass is still frequented: That Papists are so superficially disarmed, to the great animating of them in their pernicious practices: That superstitious innovating Ministers are not punished, who to escape just censure, foment factions against the Parliament: That so speedy relief of the poor distressed Protestants in Ireland (as their necessities require) is not yet effectually acted, to the imboldning of the Papists and malignant parties of this kingdom to the like attempts: Wherefore your Petitioners do humbly pray a speedy removal of these our grievances, with their causes: And that your Lordships will be pleased still to join with the House of Commons in all their pious and just proceedings.  
And your Petitioners shall be bound in duty to pray for your Honours, and will be ready according to their late solemn and general Protestation to assist your Lordships in all just and honourable ways to the utmost of our powers.   

To the honourable, the Knights, Citizens & Burgesses of the House of Commons now assembled in Parliament, The humble Petition and desires of the high sheriff, Knights, Esquires, Gentlemen, Ministers, and others of good Rank within the County of Rutland,  
Showeth,  
THat as we can never sufficiently bless Almighty God for his mercies and protections towards you, nor express our thankfulness unto you for the great works that have been done for the good both of Church and commonwealth, which will for ever rest upon Record through all posterities, to your everlasting glory. So our humble desires are, that you will still be pleased in the fear of God with courage to go on to the full accomplishment of all your godly and honourable intentions: The present and expeditious putting the whole kingdom into a sufficient posture of defence both by Sea and Land: The fervent and constant endeavouring to remove all Popish Lords out of the House of Peers, or at the least to suspend their Votes: The securing the greatest and most active Papists: The effectual executing of all laws against Popish Priests and Jesuits: The speedy and powerful relief of our persecuted brethren in Ireland: The utter quelling the pride, insolency and tyranny of the Prelates: The abolishing of all unfitting and unnecessary dignities out of the Church, by whose superfluous estates and revenues, the deficient means of many Churches in this kingdom may become reasonably supplied: The regulating the Universities concerning their looseness in government, whereby youth being there first corrupted in conversation and Doctrine, become afterwards infectious, and of evil example to the Country: The injunction of stricter sanctification of the Lord's day, and restraint of all profanation thereof by Wakes, travelling far or nigh, and other actions not warranted by God's word; And that the hearing and censuring may be sped (in such time as to your wisdoms shall appear convenient) of all those who have been in eminent degree delinquents, especially in the ministry, against whom there are Complaints or Articles in this Honourable House depending: By the delay of whose trials, the malignant party is (as we humbly conceive) much encouraged, the Orders of this Honourable House disobeyed, and publicly slighted, thereby contemning the undubitable and ancient Authority of Parliaments.  
And your Petitioners shall daily pray for you, and are ready according to their late solemn and general Protestation, in all just and honourable ways to assist you in your lawful endeavours, to the utmost hazard of our estates and lives.  
The two later Petitions were presented to both Houses on Tuesday the 29. of March by Sir James Harrington, Knight, accompanied with divers Gentlemen of good worth; who after they were read, the Houses commanded the Lord Keeper, in the name of the House of peers, and Mr. Speaker, in the name of the House of Commons, to render thanks unto the Presenters, and to intimate their kind acceptance of the said Petitions, desiring them to return great thanks from both Houses to their County, for their care of the preservation of the kingdom. And further, the House of Commons commanded Mr. Speaker then to declare, that they had likewise taken notice of their Countries cordial affections to the King's Majesty, and the service of the kingdom, by their opportune delivery of a Petition to his Majesty in his journey towards York, for his speedy return to his Parliament, for which they likewise commanded thanks to be given to the high sheriff and the County.    

Printed for Richard Harper at the Bible and harp in Smithfield. 1642.