TWO SPEECHES Delivered by The Earl of Holland, AND Mr. Io: Pym, Esquire. Concerning a Petition to His Majesty for PEACE.  
Spoken in GVILDHALL, On Thursday the 10. of Novemb. To the Lord Major and Aldermen, with the rest of the Inhabitant of the City; being commanded by both Houses of PARLIAMENT thereunto.  
LONDON: Printed by J. E. for Peter Cole, and are to be sold at his shop at the sign of the Glove and Lion, near th● Royal-exchange. 1642.   

The Earl of Holland his Speech.  
MY Lord Mayor, and you Gentlemen and Inhabitants of the City, we are commanded by both Houses of Parliament to come hither, and to deliver to you that are their great Assistant, an account, and knowledge of a Resolution they have taken to send a Petition to His Majesty, grounded upon these Reasons; The first is, That there is a duty towards God to seek Peace, indeed to seek it with all men, therefore properly and naturally with the King: this they are directed to do, if Peace flies from us, to pursue it, to follow it, this is their holy duty. They have likewise taken into their thoughts too, seriously, that that may concern the safety of the King's person, being engaged in this last Battle, through his own resolutions and adventures, to put his person in some hazard; they have a tenderness of that, and amongst other considerations, it is that that prevails with them, to desire that He may not be in danger (if it be possible) by a further pursuance of this action, that in all probability must come to a second blow, and that speedily, if there be not some other way taken for an Accommodation. There is another reason that they are likewise persuaded the more willingly thus to Petition, and to desire Peace, that is, for the saving and recovering the Kingdom of Ireland, in the distress that you have long seen it; they know the impossibility for this Kingdom to relieve that, if we continue in these distractions, and in these confusions, within ourselves; and therefore believing nothing can contribute, or conduce towards the recovering of that Kingdom, and the delivering of those persons indeed from danger that you have sent thither, they believe nothing can possibly do it, but our quietness & our peace here, if that Kingdom should fall into other hands, such hands as it may likely and probably do, what inconvenience, what danger must fall upon this Kingdom, from the power, and the neighbourhood of that, you all must imagine. They do likewise consider this, that in the distractions amongst ourselves, what advantages foreign States may take, when our own hands are weakened, and a desolation upon the Kingdom, universally through the whole Kingdom, those that do malign our Religion, and their consciences direct them to destroy it, as well as their ambitions, to make a Conquest of the Nation, how open we shall be likewise to them, for any prejudice, or any danger may fall upon us: Besides, they have a consideration of the whole Kingdom, that have so long continued in peace, in the blessings of peace, so long in the beds of peace, and in the arms of peace, (for this hundred years there have been no civil divisions, nor distractions within this Kingdom) and those abundances that peace hath procured, and those happinesses likely to be devoured in any State by the sword of War, as in every part of the Kingdom already, you see how it gins to destroy, with what height, with what power, with what insolency; these are considerations, that have made them believe, that as it is a duty to God, it is that which they own likewise to the King, it is that that they own to the Kingdom in which they have been born and bred; it is likewise a discharge of their own consciences that every body may see, that it is not their faults, if Peace be not procured; but though they are thus resolved, and upon these Reasons to offer a Petition, and to seek Peace by all the ways that is possible, yet they have commanded me to let you know, that as they desire Peace, they will prepare for War, they have given directions that this day my Lord General shall carry out his Army out of the City, there is a R●●devouz appointed, they shall there draw themselves together in such a condition, as we are very confident and very hopeful we shall be able to defend it; we are likewise resolved, and so I am commanded to deliver to you, that as we have long kept together with resolutions to defend our Privileges, our Religion, our Liberties, and Laws; so we will continue in the same resolution, and the same purpose to do so, nothing shall deter us from it; if we can find peace from his Majesty upon these conditions, that Religion, and Laws, and our Liberties, and all, may be happily secured to the Kingdom, and to you all, we shall be glad of it, and it will be a blessing to us, and to you all; if it cannot be done, we are resolved, (and so I am commanded to let you know) nothing shall discourage us, neither danger, nor power, nor any thing; but if we cannot maintain our Religion, our Laws, and our Liberties, we will perish and die for it.   

Master John Pym his Speech.  
MY Lord Major, and you Gentlemen of this famous City of London, and that will make it much more famous by these noble affections, which you have showed still to the public good, and by yielding so much Aid, and so much encouragement as you have done to the Parliament in maintaining it▪ there is little to be added to that that was said by this noble Lord, who hath represented to you, the sense of both Houses, the reasons, and motives upon which they did desire peace, motives indeed that have wrought with us from the beginning of this War to this time, for we should never have stepped one step towards War if we might have had, or hoped for such a peace as might have secured Religion and Liberty, and the public good of the Kingdom; but truly ill counsel did exclude us from such hope; we now conceive that the King having seen the courage of his Subjects, having seen the danger of his own Person, so much blood shed about him, that he will be more tractable to good conditions of Peace, than he would have been before, and that is the reason, why we do think fit to try him once more after this battle that hath been lately fought, before it come to another battle again; It's true, that this may seem a resolution contrary to that that was opened to you within these few days, but you will conceive, that all great counsels they are subject to alter their resolutions, according as matters altar, and as the apprehensions of matters alter, for if things appear more clearer, and hopeful to them, at one time, then at another, it is no dishonour for them to  according to their appearance, judgements, and best reasons, so long as they do it with affections to the best purpose, which you may rest assured the Parliament hath done; and though we desire Peace very much, yet a peace to betray Religion, and to betray our Liberties we shall always esteem worse than War; Therefore we shall put it to a very quick issue, if the KING receive the Petition, to make such Propositions, as you may see, whether you shall be secured in your Religion, in your Religion with a hope of Reformation, such a Reformation as may maintain the power of Religion, and the purity of Religion, aswell as the name of Religion; for we shall not be contented with the name, without a Reformation, that shall maintain the power of it. And we shall pursue the maintenance of our Liberties, Liberties that may not only be the Laws and Statutes, but Liberties that may be in practice, and in execution; and to take such course, that you may have the effects of them in truth: For to have printed Liberties, and not to have Liberties in truth, and realities, is but to mock the Kingdom; and I hope we shall take care for that in the second place. And we shall take care to maintain the Dignity, and the Honour of Parliament, for that is that that will be a lasting security to you in your Liberty and Religion. We shall take care in the fourth place to Answer the affections of the City of London, That we will not consent to any thing that shall be prejudicial to them; We will preserve them in the highest degree of Honour, that ever this City of London was in; and truly, it is now in the highest degree of Honour that ever it was; for you have carried yourselves in such a regard to the Public, that never any of your Predecessors did so before; and therefore we shall in a Peace be as careful of you, as of ourselves; and you may be assured of this, that if we have not this Peace, our Lives, our Pains, our Estate●, they shall all join with you, in maintaining that with the Sword, which we shall not get in an humble way by Petition; and this we shall bring to a quick issue. Therefore I shall only move you (as I am commanded to do from the Parliament) that you will not think there is any fainting on our parts, that we are more cold, and less affectionate to any of these good ends, than heretofore we have been; but that we w●uld compass them with more ●ecure advantage: For if you can get these by Peace, you will have great advantages by it; you will hinder foreign invasions from beyond the Seas, you will quickly be able to master the Rebels in Ireland; you will quickly be able to suppress the Papists that begin to rise in England; that you shall have a perpetual security, that they shall never be able to hurt you more; Therefore, if we can have such a Peace, without further hazard and bloodshedding, we shall praise God, and esteem it as a great blessing; but if not, pray lay not down the same spirits; for we have the same hearts, and multitudes of spirits, and the Kingdom inclinable to us; where the King has passed, many to save their estates and lives, have showed themselves but men; for it was not to be thought that single Countries should maintain themselves against an Army, but they have hearts as they had before, and no doubt but they will join with us, with more alacrity, when they see we have desired Peace, by all the ways we could, and cannot have it; we shall by this means satisfy our own consciences, we shall satisfy many Members of Parliament, that desired it might be put on this way, we shall satisfy many of the Kingdom too, that have held themselves indifferent, but when they see there is no hope of Peace, in such a way, without blood, certainly they will stand to us for Religion, and Liberty, which must be destroyed if we cannot secure them without War: Therefore I shall commend to you, that you would not let fall any part of your contributions, for it is that, that must maintain the Army, and entertain no ill apprehensions of the Parliament, but go on so as you have done, and I hope it will be such an end as God may have all the glory, and you all comfort.  
FINIS.