C R  DIEV ET MON DROIT. HONI SOIT QVI MAL P PENSE  royal blazon or coat of arms   

INSTRUCTIONS Lately agreed on by the Lords and Commons Assembled in PARLIAMENT, For the Commissioners sent by them to the Hague, unto the Kings most Excellent Majesty.  
Together with the SPEECH Made thereupon by the Honourable DENZELL HOLLES Esq  
One of the COMMISSIONERS, on Wednesday the 16th day of May, 1660.  
Now Published for the taking off and disproving those false Reports raised by some malicious Persons, as if he had gone beyond his Commission, and the said Instructions.  
Sat Liber Judex.  
London, Printed for Robert Clavel at the Stags-head in St. Paul's Churchyard, 1660. June 7   

INSTRUCTIONS FOR Aubery Earl of Oxford, Charles Earl of Warwick, Lyonel Earl of Middlesex, Lycester Viscount Hereford, George Lord Berkley, Robert Lord Brooke, the Lord Herbert, the Lord Mandevile, the Lord Bruce, the Lord Castleston, the Lord Falkland, the Lord Fairfax, Denzell Holles Esq Sir Horatio Townsend, Sir John Holland, Sir Anthony Ashley-Cooper, Sir George Booth, and Sir Henry Cholmley.  
YOU are to begin your Journey towards his Majesty on Friday next, and make a speedy repair to such place where his Majesty shall be, and humbly to present the Letters wherewith you are respectively entrusted by both Houses of Parliament.  
You are to acquaint his Majesty with what great Joy and Acclamation he was Proclaimed, in and about the Cities of London and Westminster, upon the Eighth day of May instant, and present the Proclamation itself unto his Majesty; and to acquaint him with the Orders of both Houses to have the same Proclaimed throughout the Kingdoms of England and Ireland, Dominion of Wales, and the Town of Barwick upon Tweed; And that both Houses have Ordered, That all and every the Ministers throughout the Kingdoms of England and Ireland be enjoined in their public Prayers to pray for his most Excellent Majesty, and for the most Illustrious Prince James Duke of York, and the rest of the Royal Progeny. And also that they have Ordered, That the assumed Arms of the late pretended Commonwealth wherever they are standing be taken down, and that his Majesty's Arms be set up in stead thereof: And you are to communicate to his Majesty the Resolutions of both Houses relating to this Instruction.  
You are to acquaint his Majesty with the earnest desire of both Houses, That his Majesty will be pleased to make a speedy return to his Parliament, and to the Exercise of his Kingly Office, and that in Order thereunto both Houses have given directions to General Montague, one of the Generals at Sea, and other Officers of the Fleet, to observe such Commands, as his Majesty shall please to give him or them for disposal of the Fleet, in Order to his Majesty's Return; And you are to communicate to his Majesty the resolutions of both Houses relating to this Instruction.  
That the Committee from both Houses do beseech his Majesty, That they may know where he purposeth to take Shipping, and to Land at his coming Over, that preparation may be made for his Reception; and which of his Majesty's houses He intendeth to make use of at his first coming to London; And whether he will come all the way by Land after he comes on shore, or whether he will please to come by Water from Gravesend to London; And that his Majesty will declare in what manner he is pleased to be received.  
Will. Jessop Cl. of the Commons House of Parliament.   

THE SPEECH Made thereupon by the Honourable DENZELL HOLLES Esq One of the COMMISSIONERS.  
Dread Sovereign,  
YOur faithful Subjects the Commons of England assembled in Parliament have sent us hither, Twelve of their Number to wait upon your Majesty; and by their Commands we are here prostrate at your Royal feet, where themselves are all of them present with us in the sincere and most Loyal affections and desires of their hearts, and would have been in their persons, if your Majesty's service, and the trust reposed in them by all the several parts of the Kingdom did not necessarily require their attendance and continuance in the place where they now are, and where all their thoughts and endeavours are wholly taken up, and employed in those two great and main works, which are the proper and genuine ends of all Parliaments, the Advancement of their King's service and the discharge of their Country's trust.  
And certainly, Sir, we can speak it with a great deal of Joy, and with no less of Truth, that never Parliament made greater demonstrations of Zeal, Affection and Loyalty to any of the Kings of England, than this Parliament hath done, and doth, and we hope, and doubt not, nay we know it that it ever will do unto your Majesty, our Liege Lord and King. Their hearts are filled with a Veneration of you, Long for you, Confidence in you, and Desires to see and serve you, and their tongues do upon all occasions express it; and in so doing they are (according to the Nature of Parliaments) the true Representative of the whole Nation: for they but do that in a more contracted and regular way, which the Generality of the people of the Land, from the one end of it to another, do in a more confused and disorderly manner, yet as hearty and as affectionately, all degrees, and ages, and sexes, high and low, rich and poor (as I may say) Men, Women, and Children join in sending up this prayer to Heaven, God bless King Charles, Long live King Charles; So as our English air is not susceptible of any other sound, and echoes out nothing else; our Bells, Bonfires, peals of Ordinance, Volleys of shot, the shouts and acclamations of the People, bears no other Moral, have no other Signification, but to triumph, triumphs of our King in the hearts of his people.  
Your Majesty cannot imagine nor can any man conceive it but he who was present to see and hear it, with what Joy, what cheerfulness, what let out of the Soul, what expressions of transported minds, a stupendious concourse of people, attended the proclaiming of your Majesty in your Cities of London and Westminster, to be our most potent, mighty, and undoubted King, the oldest man living never saw the like before, nor is it probable, scarce possible, that he who hath longest to live will ever see the like again, especially (and God forbidden he should) upon such an Occasion, for we wish and hearty pray that your Majesty may be the last of men of the Generation now in being, who shall leave his place to a successor.  
We have here the Proclamation itself to present unto your Majesty and the Order of the two Houses enjoining it to be proclaimed throughout England, Ireland, and your Dominions of Wales; And likewise their Orders for all Ministers in their public Prayers to pray for your Majesty, and for the Illustrious Prince the Duke of York your Majesty's Brother, and for the rest of the Royal Progeny; and another Order of theirs for taking down every where the assumed arms of the late pretended Common wealth, and setting up the Arms of your Majesty in their stead.  
Here he tendered the Proclamation and the several Orders unto his Majesty, offered to read them, but then said, he thought that his Majesty had already received them from the Lords, and that therefore it would be but a trouble to his Majesty to hear them again. To which his Majesty answering that he had received them, was pleased further to enlarge himself in some discourse to this effect; Expressing his sense of the miseries which his people had suffered under those unlawful Governors which had ruled over them, and of his gladness for their returning unto him, with those good affections, which they now shown towards him; adding that he had always made it his study, and ever would to make them as happy as himself, which was the Sum and Substance of what his Majesty said.  
To which was replied with humble thanks for those gracious expressions, That his Majesty would ever find both Parliament and People to be full of Loyalty and Obedience unto his Majesty: as his Majesty was of grace and goodness towards them. And then he went on with his Speech, relating to those orders and proceed of Parliament; And said,  
These are some testimonies of their love and affection unto your Majesty such as can as yet be expressed by them, which are but as a picture in little of a great and large body, which fare exceeds in its true, and natural dimensions, the whole compass of a small piece of cloth, on which notwithstanding it is drawn and represented to the life.  
And may it please your Majesty to gives us leave to say, that as the affection, so your Subjects expectations of you are high, and their long after you, great and vehement. And both expectations and long have increased by the long time; that your Majesty hath been kept from them. Hope deferred makes the heart sick. And the sickness still augments till the thing hoped for be Obtained.  
You who are the light of their eyes, and the breath of their nostrils, their delight and all their hope, to have been so long banished from them into a strange land, it is no wonder that the news of your return, should put a new life into them, what then will it be when their eyes shall be blessed, with the sight of your Royal Person? And therefore are we commanded humbly to acquaint your Majesty with the earnest desires of both Houses for your speedy return unto your Parliament, and the exercise of your Kingly Office; And that in order to it, they have given directions to General Montague one of the Generals at Sea and to the other Officers at Sea, to observe such Commands, as your Majesty shall please to give them for the disposal of the Fleet; And we have it in our instructions further to beseech your Majesty to let your Parliament know when, and where, your Majesty purposeth to take shipping, and where to land; and after your coming on shore, whither to come all the way to London by land, or by water from Gravesend; And which of your Houses your Majesty intends to make use of at your coming to London, that accordingly provision may be made for your Majesty's reception, for then, and not till then will be the completing of your subjects rejoicing.  
True it is (as your Majesty was pleased just now to touch upon it) that in your absence, other Lords have had Dominion over them, have reignned and ruled over their bodies, and estates; but their better part their hearts and minds and souls were free, and did abhor such Rulers, and still continued faithful and loyal to your Majesty, their rightful Lord and Sovereign and with you and under you they now expect to re-enter into the possession of their ancient rights, and privileges, to enjoy again their Laws, and Liberties, and which is above all their Religion in purity, and truth; of all which those Lords (who called themselves so, and made themselves so (that is, to be so called, but in truth were not so, for they were nothing less, those kind of Lords I say had so long deprived them. This is our expectation from your Majesty and we are more than confident, we shall not be deceived in it, but that your Majesty will answer and go beyond all that can be expected from you: A King of so many vows, and of so many Prayers, cannot but crown the desires of his people.  
Sir to tell you what men think, and say, and wish, and even are assured of in relation to your Majesty and the happiness which your Government will produce, would seem a description of the Golden Age, that Poet's fancy.  
Truly we dare not undertake it, in your Majesties presence, lest we should be thought to flatter, and should offend the sacred modesty of your ears, and of your princely mind. Though it would all be but a real truth; yet looking like that, which you do not like, we fear you would dislike it for the look sake, Great princes will not be flattered, but really, and truly served, and we desire to serve your Majesty in your own way.  
Your Majesty hath been pleased to declare your royal intentions unto your Parliament, in your gracious letters, to either house and the two houses have severally given unto your Majesty a faithful account of that grateful sense, wherewith they have received them, and of their humble submission unto and compliance with, allyour Majesty's desires, which by their Letters in answer unto your Majesties they make bold to signify. That from the House of Peers hath been already presented and we who are before your majesty are entrusted by the House of Commons with the delivery of theirs, an honour not more conferred upon us beyond our deservings, then embraced and received by us, with an excess of joy and with all due respects, which is the errand upon which we are now come. That Letter and the Proclamation and the several Orders, together with ourselves, our lives and fortunes, and the vows and services of those who sent us, we do with all humbleness lay at your majesties feet, lifting up our hearts and hands to the God of Heaven, for your majesties long and happy reign over us, and speedy return unto us.  
FINIS.