TO THE honourable KNIGHTS, CITIZENS, AND burgesses OF THE house OF COMMONS, ASSEMBLED IN PARLIAMENT.  
The humble Remonstrance of William Davenant, Anno 1641.  
I Humbly beseech you to conceive, that I have absented to appear before this honourable Assembly, rather from a befiting bashfulness, as being an ill object, then of outward sense of guilt, as being a delinquent. I did believe ●f I were laid aside awhile, my Cause would be forgo●ten, because I knew nothing stronger but suspicions and mere opinions can be brought against me; unl●sse I may particularly suffer for the old infirmity of that Nation which hath been ever bred with liberty of speaking: and the very mechanics of Spain are glad they are Spaniards, because they have liberty; and think, when over-speaking becomes dangerous, that then they chiefly lose the liberty of Subjects.  
Confession is the nearest way to forgiveness, therefore I will make haste to accuse myself, and say it is possible I may be guilty of some misbecoming words, yet not words made in dangerous principles and maxims, but loose Atguments, disputed at Table perhaps, with too much fancy and heat. And as in speaking, so in writing, I mean in Letters, I have perhaps committed errors, but never irreverently or maliciously against Parliamentary government.  
I have been admitted into the company of these noble Gentlemen that are absent, but never was taken into their counsels: and sure for two of them, Master Jarmin and Sir John Suckling, with whom I was more particularly acquainted, they were strangely altered, and in a very short time, if it were possible they could design any thing against your happy and glorious proceedings, who both in their writings and speech have so often extolled the natural necessity of Parliaments here, with extreme scorn upon the incapacity of any that should persuade the KING he could be fortunate without them.  
And it is not long since I wrote to the Queen's Majesty in praise of her inclination to become this way the people's advocate, the which they presented to her; for the Arguments sake it is extant in good hands, and now mentioned, in hope it may be accepted as a Record of my integri●y to the commonwealth.  
It becomes not me to meddle with businesses so far above my reach, but that I perceive I am unfortunately mistaken to be ill-affected.  
I do not certainly know, I protest before God and you, that I have spoken or written any thing that may endanger me, bu● as I urged before, it is generally whispered, and upon the publication of your Warrant men did avoid me, even my old friends, like one stricken with an infectious kind of death; so terrible already is every mark of your displeasure grown; therefore I humbly beseech your pardon. If a single courage fly from your anger, and beg you would not interpret as disobedience my not appearing, since it did rather proceed from a reverend awe your displeasure bred in me; which two ways I conceive I might incur.  
First, by knowing of the departure of an ingenious Gentleman named in the Proclamation, who lay in my house. And secondly, by something which might either have escaped my tongue or pen.  
Lastly, I most humbly implore, that as you daily leave to future times some examples of your justice, so this day you will leave me to posterity as a mark of your compassion, and let not my flight or other indiscretions be my ruin, though contrary to David's opinion, I have fled from Divine power, which is yours by derivation, and chose to fall into the hands of men, which are your Officers that apprehended me.