A DECLARATION OF The valiant Resolution of the Famous Prentices of London, With their Protestation.  
Who are willing to adventure their lives and fortunes under his Excellency the Earl of ESSEX.  
For the honour of the King, the preservation of the privilege of Parliament, the liberty of the Subject, the good of the Kingdom, and especially of the City of London.  
And for the maintenance of the Protestant Religion, expelling all Popery, and the subduing of all the enemies of the true Church of England.  
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Banks, 1642.   

The valiant Resolution of the Prentices of London.  
THe famous City of London hath ever been fruitful in noble and heroic Spirits, who have performed wonders of magnanimity and valour in foreign parts, to the everlasting honour and glory of their Country, and at home what a numerous Army, consisting of many expert and ●●o●rishing Trained Bands can it produce? whose skill and courage equally marching together, doth with the artificial thunder of shot, out the Heavens into a trembling amazement, and with the report thereof strike a terror into the remotest Courts of jupiter, though farther distant in the skies by many miles, than York from London. How therefore can any supposition of fear be grounded on any malignant party now prevailing with the King to raise Arms in the North? the Papists so maliciously affected to the Protestant Religion, join with temerarious and rash Noblemen, in prosecuting a civil war. These gather unto them the decayed Gentry of several Countries, who having by prodigality, excess, riot, and horseraces, run their father's estates out of breath, thinks hereby to renovate their estates, and unite themselves to the rest, to make their Forces stronger, add to those Delinquents and roaring Cavaliers, who like Nero, would sing to behold, their Country suffering in the martyrdom of a civil war, and with this heterogeneous confused Crew, decayed and indebted persons, are ranked together, with a multitude of drunken idle people, and giddy brained Gentlemen; and lastly, the ambitious Clergy, who that they may still have plurality of Benefices, use their tongues to sow dissension, and give an edge to the Soldier's swords. All those, and many other sorts of persons, for their own sakes and safeties; and to further their-owne penicious purposes, or at least to secure themselves from condign punishment, are all willing, under the fair pretence of defending the King's right and prerogative, to join together in making one entire body of a civil war, and after the Siege of Hull, which is first attempted, to set the whole Kingdom in a combustion, or ●inate the Country, besiege London, extirpate the Protestant Religion, introduce Popery, so much desired by the Malignant Party, and work such a lamentable Tragedy, as was never known in any King's reign of England. This storm, thus long a gathering in the Northern parts, is ready now to fall down in an impetuous shower of blood: the King's defensive Guard being multiplied into a great Army, collected and compounded of malicious Papists, rash unadvised Protestant Noblemen, decayed Gentlemen, indebted common people, doubtful Delinquents, lose debauched persons, rattleheaded giddy-brained Gentlemen, roaring Cavaliers, and factious Clergymen, whose Sermons bid them ●ight for their own preferment and glory, not for the King and God's glory, though that be made the colourable motive and occasion of the war.  
Now the wisdom of the Parliament and the City of London, seeing that the King will in hostile manner wound his honour and reputation, through his Subjects, and that their many petitions cannot prevail with him, to dismiss those evil Counselors of the Malignant Party, but doth suffer them to put in action their own plots and designs, under his royal name and standard, to the destruction of the Kingdom, the ●bertie of the Subjects, and the overthrowing the privileges of Parliament, they with much unwillingness being provoked and irritated thereunto, to vindicate their clear intentions to the King, have raised Forces for the safety of the King's Majesty, the defence of the Kingdom▪ the preservation of the distressed and besieged town of Hull, and in this Army by them, to those just and legal ends levied, there are eight thousand brave-spirited young men, being all Apprentices, who deserve to be registered in Fame's eternal Records; for seeing their Country is thus like to be engaged in a civil war, and that Popery is like to be introduced in stead of Protestantisme, slavery in stead of liberty, and a general destruction induced into the whole estate of the Kingdom, are with much alacrity and cheerfulness resolved, to the utmost hazard of their lives, to oppose and resist the Malignant Parties Army, consisting of Papists, and many others formerly mentioned.  
These martial & valiant Apprentices that do thus expose themselves to danger for the good of their Country, to the qualities, conditions, and intents of the persons in the malignant Army, for these Prentices earnestly desire the prosperity of the Kingdom, and the honour of the King; and will truly with the best blood in their bodies maiintaine the true Protestant Religion, against the malignant enemies of the truth, carrying in their breasts loyal hearts to their Country. King and Parliament, and intending their service only for the safety and honour of His Majesty, and the glory of God, confident in good success, marching on as cheerful as if it were their marriage day, and that victor●● should be their happy Bride. Neither are they of the ba●●● and mechanic scum of the people, who to support themselves in a riotous fashion, and to pillage the Country, under the name of being Soldiers, do without fear or any conscionable respect, take pay, and enter into service, but the greater part of those magnanimous Prentices, are servants to honest and sufficient Men, and by their own honest laborious endeavours can be both serviceable and profitable to their Masters, and be very beneficial to them, in working at their Trades, but their Masters preferring the public good before their private profit & commodity, resist not the willingness of their servants, but do give them free and fair leave according to their own desires, to do lawful service to their King and Country, being persuaded thereunto not through necessity, but animated with the noble desire of renowned honour. Neither are they lose idle fellows that are feign to make war their profession, for want of other maintenance, for all these Prentices as was aforesaid, have Trades and Callings, and most of them young men of good parentage; whose friends live honestly and thriftily in the Country, and yet as if they all descended of generous blood: their minds are so enlarged, and their ●courages so magnanimously advanced, that nothing can contain them from putting their Resolution in execution, and are determined by this their unexpected expresses of valour, in so young years to advance their own fame, and bring honour and renown to the City of London.  
Besides these young sons of Mars, or Martial Prentices, grieving to see how the King hath been misled with false Counselors to resist the loving loyalty of his Parliament, and to raise forces in the North, in stead of a defensive guard, they living here in London and being daily ear witnesses of the Parliaments legal and just proceed, and knowing to be the basis or foundation whereon the structure and building of the Common wealth must stand or fall, they perceiving now that through the instigation of the malignant party, those forces are levied and leveled against the Parliament, which is the defensive wall of the Kingdom, these noble minded Prentices, freely and voluntery offer their services to maintain the Parliament against the opposers thereof, knowing the preservation thereof is in the power and prerogatives belonging thereunto, will conduce to the King's honour, the Kingdom's safety, and the prosperity of the City of London.  
If therefore the end, moving to the undertaking of any action, deserve praise and commendations, especially the necessity of the time requiring the sudden an●xiliary forces be sent to oppose and stay the fury of civil dissension and the flame of a destructive war, breaking forth in the heart of the Kingdom, how ought the City of London to magnify and applaud the hopeful stout Resolutions of these 8 thousand magnanimous Prentices, that go to defend the Privileges of Parliament, against the Tyranny of an arbitrary government: these Prentices that march forth to preserve the King's honour, and to prevent our own misery, these Prentices that with unanimous and courageous hearts, go to secure the distressed Town of Hull, and daunt the presuming Cavaliers. And lastly, these Prentices that make their Religion the object and cause of their confidence, in maintaining whereof it may be said, Mors omnibus l●crum, death is a gain to all, and in this cause, this quarrel thus animated, and thus resolved, these Heroic Prentices are now going forward to fight for God's glory, their Sovereigns' honour and the defence of the Laws, and liberties of the Kingdom, being led on by His Excellency the Earl of Essex, in whom by his a stable and courtuous speeches, they do very much confide. And doubt not but under his prosperous conduct by the propitious favour of God, to behave themselves in such a valiant manner that it shall redound to the honour of the City of London, they having with many acclamations of joy acknowledged their willingness to some under His Excellence, desiring nothing but the prayer of this honourable City, for their happy and prosperous success in this their noble Expedition and Reso●●●●●●.   

The approbation of both Houses  
THe Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled, being advertised by the Lord Lieutenant, and Deputy Lieutenants of the County of Essex, of their ready, full, and forward meeting of the Trayn-Bands of that Country; and of a cheerful access, of a very considerable number of Volunteers at their first appearing, Have thought sit to ●●presse unto them, the good sense they hold of their proceed, so much conducing to the general safety of this Kingdom; And having likewise received from them a Declaration full of affections, and good inclinations, to maintain our Religion, Laws, Liberties, and Priv●●●●ges of Parliament; Which they observe to be invaded by pernicious Counsel, as indeed they have been of late, in a more dangerous and high manner than any age can parallel,: And having very prudently observed in a right understanding, That the Kingdom, and the King's authority, and Person, can be no ways maintained, but by the upholding the Power and Privileges of Parliament; as by the late Protestation they acknowledge themselves bound unto, against all contrary Counsels, Power, and force of Arms whatsoever. This just and faithful Resolution of theirs, to the public good; The Lords and Commons do not only approve, but commend, assuring them, that as their endeavours have been for the peace and happiness of the King and Kingdom; So they will persist in charge of the great and public trust, which lies upon them; to go through all difficulties which may oppose the public peace and welfare of this Kingdom: And will upon all occasions be ready to express particularly, to those persons from who●● they have received such assurance of their affections and fidelities.  
FINIS.