The Humble PETITION OF THE Knights, Gentlemen, Citizens, Freeholders, and Inhabitants of the County of SURREY, and the Borough of SOUTHWARK, To the Right Honourable both Houses of Parliament of England assembled at Westminster. Presented on Tuesday the 16 of May. 1648. With a Letter from the said County to the Lord mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of London, in common-council Assembled. Likewise the Petition of the County of Essex, and the answer of both Houses to the same. With their Letter to the Lord mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of London in common-council assembled. May 16. 1648. London, Printed 1648. To the Right honourable both Houses of Parliament of England, assembled at Westminster. The humble Petition of the Knights, Gentlemen, Free-holders, and Inhabitants of the County of Surrey; Together with the Gentlemen, Citizens, Free-holders, and free born Subjects of the Borough of southwark. YOur Petitioners having earnestly besought of God, and expected many yeers from your wisdoms and counsel a full and comfortable redress of the grievous miseries of this kingdom( which blessings have hitherto sailed us through the manifold sins of us all, and divers miscarryings:) We, amongst other free born Subjects of this Realm, humbly crave leave to express our pious affections to the public good, and earnest desires for the preventing the continuance and increase of future evils, as followeth: That the Kings Majesty, our onely lawful sovereign, may be restored to his due Honour, and just Rights, according to our oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance, which hath been taken by us in the sight of God; and from which no Power on earth can absolve us. And therefore our souls desire, and consciences do groan. First that his Majesty may forthwith be established in his Throne according to the splendour of his royal Ancestors. And that his Majesty may for the present with Honour and safety come unto the Parliament at Westminster, to enter with them into a personal Treaty for composing all former differences, and the granting all lawful desires. That we all the free born Subjects of this Realm may be governed no otherwise then by the known Laws and Statutes now in force in this Kingdom. That speedy and grave wisdom may prevent the miserable and unnatural Wars beginning again in this distracted and exhausted Kingdom, And to prevent by saire treaty the forces to be brought in by our neighbour Kingdom, And from other nations not unlike to invade us: Which we conceive( through the mercy of God) may be soon effected by timely providing for the premises. That not only the Ordinances made of late by the goodness and wisdom of the two houses of Parliament against the unsupportable and most wasteful burden of free quartering of Souldiers may be duly executed, But that forthwith order may be taken( as becometh Patriots that love their Country) for the disbanding of all Armies( having their due arrears payed) that we may enjoy without ter● or and jealousies a blessed and long looked for peace. THe 8th of May 1648. It was resolved at Darking upon the meeting of the Petitioners there, as followeth: 1. That five hundred Copies of the said Petition should be forthwith printed, and sent unto the Gentlemen and Petitioners of the said County. 2. That Tuesday the 16th of May it is agreed that the Petitioners should meet at or upon Putney beath at eight of the clock in the morning. 3. Its desired that those who shall subscribe the said Petition would show themselves in person inpresenting of it, if it may stand with their conv●nience. 4. Its desired, That all high Counstables in their several Divisions and Hundreds should make their returns of subscriptions of the said Petition engrossed in Parchment, one for the House of Lords and an other for the House of Commons; And that they be delivered unto M. Jonn Evershed or to such person or persons as be shall appoint; And that the original copies be left with the said high Constables, or fuch as they shall appoint, And the charges of the said ingrossements are resolved shall be paid by the Petitioners at their meeting aforesaid. To the Right honourable the Lord mayor, the Aldermen and Commons, in Common council assembled. My Lord, Knights, and Gentlemen, WE the free born Subjects of the County of Surrey, with the free-men and free born Subjects of the Borough of Southwark, having unanimously agreed together in the framing, and are presenting of a Petition to the Right Honourable the Houses of Parliament, our intentions therein expressed are as followeth; and we are confident you will not have a prejudicate opinion of us in this our petitionary was of proceeding, but sympathise and pity our distressed condition. Its visible to every eye what our sufferings have been, together with this whole Kingdom, and how the treasure of the Kingdom is very much exhausted, the poor Subject discomfited, and languishing under the burden of Free quarter, Excise, and divers other Taxes and Contributions, and nothing yet offered in satisfaction, how the true Protestant Religion shall be established, the bases of our hoped for peace: nor, how the just Rights and Liberties of the King, Parliament, and Subjects, and the ancient and known Laws of the Realm, and government may be settled, which hath been long looked for, and which hath enforced us to look back upon the government of our gracious sovereign, and in his government both before & since the sitting of the honourable houses of Parliament, And whereas this honourable City was pleased to permit the Petitioners of Essex with peace and safety to pass through the City for the delivery of their Petition, we likewise free born Subjects and Petitioners of the County of Surrey and burrow of Southwark do humbly crave the like favour: That so by the blessing of God upon our faithful and just endeavours we may enjoy our long looked for peace and liberty. Putney, May 16. 1648. To the Right honourable both Houses of the Parliament of England assembled at Westminster. The humble Petition of the Grand Jury at the Assizes holden at Chelmsford for the county of Essex, the 22 of March 1647. as it was presented to hoth the Honourable Houses of Parliament the 4 of May 1648. by divers thousands of Knights, Gentlemen, and Free-holders of the same County. Humbly sheweth, THat your Petitioners taking into their serious( yet sad) considerations the great distractions and calamities of this whole kingdom, and b●ing also very sensible by wo●ull experience of the great and many pressures and grievances of their own particular county, and taking notice also with all thankfulness of the honourable resolutions of this house, in giving encouragement to the just desires of the oppressed in a petitionary way( the undoubted right of the Subject) and the very life of their liberty itself, out of a tender fellow feeling of others, and the deep sense of their own miseries, have made this humble( yet necessary address to this honourable House) conceiving both the present and future happiness of themselves and the whole kingdom, to be concentred in these their ensuing desires. And first, considering that it is impossible the sad and direful effects of this late war should cease without the principal causes be first taken away and removed. And considering likewise his Majesties absence from his two houses of Parliament hath been one main cause of increasing jealousies, and continuing a misunderstanding betwixt him and his great counsel( the original and source of our unhappiness,) And humbly conceiving that a timely and ready concession to his Majesty for a personal Treaty with his high court of Parliament may prove the most effectual and speedy means for the removing of all such misapprehensions and fear●s, which are yet the unhappy obstacles of the peace and quiet of thi● our Kingdom. Secondly, considering the excessive charges, and almost intolerable burden this county with the rest of the Kingdom do at this present groan under, which although for a time they may possibly bear with patience, yet if continued, will certainly and inevitably ruin themselves, their families, and posterities. And withall considering that the most hopeful means of settling a well grounded peace, and the surest way of preventing suture troubles, consists in the due satisfaction of all just complaints and interests. And that this army who have faithfully discharged their trust to yourselves and Kingdom, do much complain for want of their Arrears. We therefore your humble Petitioners do most earnestly desire that you would be pleased to take these premises into your grave and serious considerations, and to condescend to the royal intimations of his Majesty for a personal Treaty; to expedite such a course which in your wisdoms you shall think most meet for the satis-faction of the arrears of the Army, with a disbanding of the same. And your petitioners shall pray, &c. Die Jovis, 4 May. 1648. The Lords have commanded me to return thanks to the County of Essex for the good affections which they have expressed to the Parliament and Kingdom; they have likewise commanded m to let you know, That they will take your Petition into their serious and speedy consideration, and do assure you that they will not be wanting to contribute their utmost endeavour● for the removing of the present pressures and burdens, and for the composing of these unhappy differences, so as the Kingdom may enjoy a safe and well grounded peace. J. Brown, clear. Parliamentorum. Die Jovis, 4. May. 1648. THe House being informed that divers Gentlemen of the County of Essex were at the door; desiring to prefer a Petition to the house, they were called in, and mayor Stephen Smith did present a Petition, the which( the Petitioners being with-drawn) was red. The Petitioners were again called in, and M. Speaker by command of the House, upon Vote upon the Question, gave them this answer, That this house doth take notice of the great service, and good affections of that County to the Parliament, and are very confident they will so continue. As to their Petition, the house is now in debate concerning the speedy settlement of the Kingdom, and do not doubt but what they shall conclude thereupon, will give satisfaction to the said County, and to all the well affencted people of the Kingdom. H. Essyng, clear. Parl. D. come. To the right H●nourable the Lord mayor, Aldermen and Common council in common-council assembled, London. My Lord, Knights, and Gentlemen, THe deep sense of our particular miseries, together with a tender fellow-feeling of the sad and distempered condition of this famous. City, and also of the whole Kingdom, hath upon divers serious and mutual debates, so far prevailed wirh us, a great and considerable part of this County of Essex, as humbly to make our addresses in a petitionary way to the honourable Houses of Parliament the 4th of this instant May: The sum of our desire is briefly thus, That the King our gracious sovereign may come with honour and safety to treat with his two Houses of Parliament, the onely probable way now lest us; whereby the true Protestant Religion, and all the just Rights of the King, Parliament, and Subjects, and the ancient and known Laws of this Realm & government, may by the blessing of God upon their joint consents in Parliament, be once more revived and re-established, to the glory of God, and comfort of all honest men; And though we cannot doubt of an unanimous compliance from the greatest part of this City, and of the whole Kingdom, in this our last refuge; yet for the better satisfaction, and to clear ourselves from the mis-interpretations of such as are of a contrary opinion. We do ingeniously declare, First, that our Addresses shall be w●th all civility and respect to the Parliament and City, free from any intent of disturbing the peace and quiet of either; but on the contrary, with an hearty desire to prevent the effusion of so much blood as will probably be shed, if not by a personal treaty timely prevented, which all men may discern which look not through spectacles of particular interests. Secondly we do not carelessly pass by any Ordinance of Parliament published unto the Kingdom, but do well remember and have very seriously considered of that particular Vote against a personal treaty, and the reason upon which it is grounded, and we have further compared it with three former Declarations, where in the first we were told, That the separation of his royal person from his Parliament was the original of our unhappiness: In the second, when we assisted in so large a proportion both of men and money, That the chief intent of raising the Army, was to bring the King from his evil council in honour and safety to his Parliament. In the third, when we groaned under the burden, That it was impossible ever to have a safe and well-grounded peace without his Majesties personal concurrence in Parliament. When we lo k upon the weighty reasons expressed in the said Declarations we are well assured, That whosoever well considers what it hath cost to procure a personal treaty, cannot justly blame any man for desiring of it: And upon these considerations we are encouraged to proceed with confidence that the honourable Houses will grant our requests, which we conceive reasonable, whereas to our understanding no apparent prejudice can ensue thereby. Thus humbly desi●ing the blessing of Almighty God to assist us in t ease our just desires we commit you to his protection. Stratford Lancton, May 4. 1641. FINIS.