The Humble PETITION OF Many Thousands of young Men, and Apprentices of the City of LONDON, TO The High and honourable, The Knights, Citizens and Burgesses in the Supreme COURT of PARLIAMENT Assembled.  
Presented the 13 of JULY, 1647.  

Die Martis, 13 Julii, 1647.  
A Petition, styled The humble Petition of many young Men and Apprentices of the City of London, was this day red; and it is Ordered, That Sir John Danvers, Alderman Atkin, and Colonel Ven do acquaint the Petitioners, That the House is at this time upon the consideration of setl●ng the Peace and great Affairs of the Kingdom; That they will consider of it in convenient time.  
H: elsing, clear. Parl. D. come.   
London, Printed for William Larnar, at the Sign of the Black-Moor in Bishopsgate-street, july 14. 1647.   

To the High and honourable, The Knights, Citizens and Burgesses in the supreme Court of Parliament assembled: The Petition of divers young Men and Apprentices of the City of London,  
Humbly sheweth,  
THat whereas upon the first of March last past your Petitioners presented( to this honourable House) an humble Petition, subscribed with many thousand Hands, containing many things of public concernment, both in relation to the Kingdom in general, and your Petitioners in particular, as may appear by the copy of the same hereunto annexed; at the reading of which, your Honors were pleased to promise the taking the same into serious consideration in convenient time: In hopes of which, your Petitioners have with all humility and modesty, according to our duty, waited ever since for the accomplishment of the same, forbearing all clamorous and tumultuous conventions, whereby your Honors might in the least have been disturbed in the quiet and peaceable prosecution of your weighty affairs. And we cannot but with all thankfulness aclowledge what you have already acted toward the satisfaction of our just Desires in part; but finding, to the great grief of our hearts, that in matter of greatest concernment, in stead of hoped redress, our heavy Grievances are increased, by the late Ejection of Men of known Fidelity out of their several Office● in the City Regiments of Trained-Bands and Auxiliaries, to the great grief of most honest men, who have been eye-witnesses of their faithfulness and forwardness in the discharge of their several Trusts, and without any crime laid against them, so much as to give a pretended ground of this their unjust expulse. Likewise in stead of composure of Differences, we find, that encouragement is given to men of turbulent and seditious Spirits, to stir up Divisions, by rendering those that concur not with them in every ●unctilio( in point of Judgement) as men unworthy to enjoy their birthright-Priviledges, of subsistence in the Kingdom, notwithstanding they have given never so eminent Testimony of their sincere affection to the common good; whereby these too officious Incendiaries seem more to drive at their particular Designs, then the conservation of Peace and Unity in the commonwealth: And hereby, together with their late industriousnes, in striving to exasperate the City against the Army, have endeavoured what in them was, to embroil the Kingdom in a second War, most dreadful to all well minded people to think of: Neither is it the least of our grief, to remember the late abuse of the Authority of this House, by the too great influence of some Arbitrary Spirits, in the late abusing and slighting Petitioners, contrary to their former Declaration touching the Liberty of the Subject, the very foundation of which was by this means most miserable shaken: Nor can we be unsensible of the misery some free-born Subjects yet undergoes, by being detained in prison from time to time, without being brought to a legal trial, notwithstanding their several Appeals to this honourable Court. Upon these and other pressing considerations, we assume the boldness, once more to present these our ensuing Requests to this honourable House:  
First, That you will be pleased, with all convenient speed, according to your promise, to take the several Heads of our former Petition into serious consideration.  
Secondly, That your Authority so apparently abused, contrary to Right and Equity, by those that have of late effected the Ejection of Men of known fidelity and account out of places of so important Trust, may be forthwith redeemed out of their hands; and that those that have been so unreasonably expulsed, may be again restored to their places till sufficient ground be made apparent to the contrary.  
Thirdly, We further pray, That you will be pleased to Declare against all maner of invectives of the clergy or others, tending to the aggravation of Differences amongst peaceable Spirits.  
Fourthly, And that those Prisoners who have appealed to this honourable Court for Justice, may be forthwith put into a way of impartial trial.  
And lastly, That the sum of all your endeavours may tend to the sweet composure of Differences on all sides, so f●r as it may be congruent to the Rules of Piety and Equity.  
And your Petitioners shall ever pray, &c.  

Die Martis, 13 Julii, 1647.  
A Petition, styled The humble Petition of many young Men and Apprentices of the City of London, was this Day red; and it is Ordered, That Sir John Danvers, Alderman Atkin, and Colonel Ven do acquaint the Petitioners, That the House is at this time upon the consideration of settling the peace and great affairs of the Kingdom; That they will consider of it in convenient time.  
H: elsing, clear. Parl. D. come.  
Which the above-named Members did accordingly, and withal declared, That the House did with Thankfulness take notice of the civil and modest behaviour of the Petitiones, in the delivery of their said Petition.    

To the High and honourable, The Knights, Citizens and Burgesses in the Supreme Court of Parliament assembled: The Petition of divers young Men and Apprentices of the City of London,  
Humbly sheweth,  
THat out of the grounded confidence we have of the readiness of this honourable House, to hear and repair the grievances of all those for whose welfare you were chosen and betrusted to take care and provide; and being encouraged unto the same, by several good 
* A Declarat. May 19 1642. Remonstrance May 20. 1642.  Ordinances and Declarations of your own to that purpose:  
We whose names are hereunto annexed, although the meanest members of this great Commonwealth; yet having by birth a right of subsistence here, conceived ourselves( in our proportion) to have as real an interest in the Kingdoms enjoyments, as those who in respect of place or other accidents are above us: As also many of us, having under the direction of your Honors grave council and Guidance, freely adventured our lives, for the preservation of our Native Rights, and the just privileges of our dear country, against the public violaters of the same: Upon these and other serious grounds, we are bold at this time to make our humble addresses to this honourable and supreme Court of Judicature( the only refuge under God we have to fly to) and in the first place, we cannot but with all thankfulness take notice of the unwearied pains, together with many great and almost intolerable difficulties by you undergone, in the faithful discharge of your trust, in bringing about the establishment of a well-grounded peace; The perfection of which( in relation to the common enemy) seems now by the blessing of God to be brought near to a wished period: Yet the consummation of this work being( as it were) the Crown of all your labours, we humbly conceive it may deservedly challenge from you a more then ordinary respect, which we doubt not but that your grave wisdoms are very sensible of: yet( noble Senators) let it seem no presumption, if we your poor Petitioners in all humility make known the grounds of some fears and jealousies to us apparent in this particular; And those are( amongst other great grievances) chiefly derived from the present sense we have of the too much prevalency of that party who have in the late Wars declared themselves disaffected to the peace and welfare of the Kingdom; who now seem to be in hopes of obtaining that by policy, which they have not been able to do by force; Cunningly contriving to aggravate and increase differences between the well-affected party, and striving to bring an Odium upon all good men, under the distinctions of several terms of obloquy and disgrace, by such subtle endeavours, labouring to avert the edge of Justice from themselves( who come deservedly under the stroke of it, and to turn it upon those who are most innocent; Strongly endeavouring( and have already effected it in part) to justle all honest, faithful, well-affected men out of places of trust, office and authority, and to put in neuter, Ambodexters, or persons apparently disaffected: By all these means, together with the advantage of the Kingdoms present unsettledness; they seem to be in a more then probable expectation of getting the reins once more into their own hands, to the evident endangering of the Common-wealths speedy ruin, and to the great grief of your poor Petitioners, and all others who cordially desire the peace and safety of this distracted Kingdom. And further we are bold to make known( as more particularly relating to the condition of your Petitioners) That whereas we at our being made free of the City are enjoined by oath, to maintain the Liberties and privileges of the same City; which notwithstanding we are in a great measure disabled to do, by the intrusion of divers illegal and undue Customs, and 
* A Clause of 11 Hen. 6.  Monopolies( partly about the election and removal of our Magistrates) crept into the diminution of the ancient liberties of this famous City, whose just immunities we are confident your Honors have been and are very tender of.  
Wherefore your Petitioners humbly pray, that this honourable House, taking into consideration the Premises, would be pleased by your mature Prudence and Care, to endeavour( as much as possibly you can) to take away all occasions of breaches between the well-affected party. And, that such as have in these late times of trouble;( by adventuring their lives or otherwise approved themselves faithful to their Countreys common good may without respect to differences, no way prejudicial to the Common-wealth, impartially enjoy their Birthright-Priviledges, and be equally capable with others of the freedom to officiate in places of trust, which they are or shall be chosen unto. And on the contrary, that all those who have dis-fran●●●● themselves by traitorously adhering to the enemy, may be disabled from bearing office, or voting in the election of officers in the Common-wealth. And we further crave,( with sub●●●sion to your Honors grave Approvements) that in regard of the Kingdoms present darkness, it may not be left destitute of a trusly and sufficient guard to secure it from intestine B●●y●● and foreign Invasion. And as for your Petitioners more particular grievances, as they are members of this City; we humbly pray, that you would be pleased by your Authority so to provide that we( as we are or shall be capable of it) may be enabled to enjoy the benefit of all ancient Charters and Grants, made 〈◇〉 confirmed by several Acts of Parliament, for the 〈◇〉 our Freedoms and privileges; 
Especially the 4 Charter of King John, of Edw. 2. confirmed by Edw. 3. and his council in Parliament.  and that whatsoever hath b●●● illegally intruded, may be taken away and made voided. And 〈◇〉( as some have already desired, we likewise pray, that( if so 〈◇〉 a thing may be worthy the intention of this grave and honourable Assembly) you would be pleased to appoint some time of lawful Recreations for severants, as your wisdom( shall think fit.  
And your Petitioners, as they have many of them already( according to their duty) freely adventured their lives, and whatsoever was dear to them for the common safety of their Country; so they still profess their readiness, to give their best assistance to the suppressing all Arbitrray and tyrannical power; and to the upholding the Fundamental Rights and Liberties of Free-born English men, and the just privileges of this honourable House, against all that shall set themselves in opposition of the same.  
And be ever bound to pray, &c  
Whatsoever is contained in the Petition, the Subscribers will be ready to make good by particular instances, when they shall be lawfully called 〈◇〉 the same.   
FINIS.