A COPY OF A LETTER SENT By Mr. SPEAKER, To all the Corporations in England. And the like also to all the Justices of Peace, in the several Counties of England: Drawn out by Order of the House of COMMONS.  
ALSO, A Worthy, Learned, and Religious Speech; Delivered by the Earl of Cork, to the Protestant Lords, Knights, and Gentlemen of Ireland, at a General Assembly holden at Cork, jan. 20. 1641.  
WHEREIN Is expressed, the general Calamity of that Kingdom, with his Encouragement and desire unto the said Assembly, to provide present Relief and Succour for the distressed and afflicted Protestants.  
LONDON. Printed for Robert Hodgekinsonne. 1642.   

A Copy of a Letter sent by Mr. Speaker to all the Corporations in England, etc.  
The Endorcement was thus; TO A.B. Major of C. and to D.E. Recorder, and to all His Majesty's Justices of Peace of the said town: and so the like to the Justices of the several Counties.  
GENTLEMEN,  
It is now some months since, that the Protestation taken by the Lords & House of Commons was sent down into the Country, with an expectation that it should be generally taken throughout the Kingdom for a testimony of their good conourrence with the Parliament, but through the remissness of some of those who had the care of recommending it to others, very many there be that have not hitherto taken it.  
Now the House of Commons having discovered many dangerous designs plotted against the Parliament, especially of the 4th of this instant januar▪ which had it taken effect, would have strucken not only at the Privileges, but the very Being of Parliaments, as will appear more by the Declaration herewith sent unto you, which the House desires you to publish in your Corporation, and the Liberties and Parts thereof (as the same is also to be published by the justices of the several Shites) have thought fit once again to recommend the taking of this Protestation.  
And have therefore commanded me in their names, to desire you the Major, and justices of the Peace of the said Corporation, to meet together in one place, as soon as possibly you may, and there to take the Protestation yourselves; and there also calling the Ministers of the several Parishes within your said Corporations, and the Constables, Churchwardens, and Overseers of the Poor, and all other the Inhabitants of the same Corporation, both Householders, and others being of 18, years of age, or upwards, to tender unto them the said Protestation, to be taken in your presence, and to take the names both of them that do take, & do refuse to take the same Protestation, and to make return thereof to the Burgesses, serving for the said Corporation, before the 12th of March next, wherein the House desires your great care and diligence, as a matter very much importing the good both of the King, and Kingdom, which being all I have in Command, I rest,  
Your very loving friend, William Lenthall. Dat. 29. Jan. 1641.   

A WORTHY LEARNED, AND RELJGIOUS Speech, delivered by the right Honourable the Earl of Cork, etc.  
My Lords, Knights, and Gentlemen:  
THe occasion of this present Assembly, (but I could hearty desire, that some more happy cause had called us together) is the general calamity, which like a Leopard hath overspread, and overrun almost the body of this Kingdom. We have been a very long time under a most heavy persecution of a most bloody and barbarous enemy, whose, as yet uncontrolled malice, hath so fare proceeded, that it hath brought to ruin whole amilies, nay destroyed, and quite overthrown the fairest of our buildings, and whole towns and Cities. I intent not now to paint over our sorrows, or to renew our griefs by the sad recapitulation of them; for I am fully persuaded that none here present, but like mine, their hearts do bleed at the heavy remembrance and consideration of the now present miseries of this Kingdom.  
The enemies have so much insulted over our names and persons, that they have endeavoured to please and satisfy themselves with choice and variety in our afflictions, and hath made it part of their triumphs to invent and afflict upon us new and unparalleled torments. You have heard the cries of distressed mothers, who hourly expected that the same which made them widows and childless, should prove merciful unto them, and make them breathless. You have here seen the stouthearted husband forced and constrained to behold a spectacle as full of sorrow, as inhumanity, while the barbarous enemy took his dearest and bosom friend, and ravished her, he was made a beholder, and was much more grieved at his own impotency to relieve, than the cruelty of that most unnatural spectacle, whose heart being now filled with the horn of so due a sight, and yet not yielding to its own wait of misery, entreated and found the merciful hand of the enemy to dispatch from all his sorrow. My Lords, and the rest of this worthy Assembly, these are but a few of the thousands of cruelty, which our brethren have suffered, and since as yet groan under, every day affords unto us new matter of grief, and should I be as voluminous in my relations, as they in their practices, I should tyre out the day, and your patience, and yet not reach the head of their bloody actions.  
This day and m●●ting was designed for some other purpose, ●●●n to rub over our old sores, that were but to aggravate, and not redress them.  
The intended action for this present time, is to procure a remedy for our eminent evils, which if not speedily administered, an universal sub●●●sion is like to succeed. We have been a long while flattered w●th hopes of relief from England, and other Countries, but we find them so slow in their succour, that if we feed ourselves any longer, with such or the like expectation, it is to be justly feared that ruin will overtake and overwhelm us, and our whole estates, before the remedy be applied, We have the too many and great encouragements to warrant our undertake, which are not merely supposal, but real and substantial.  
It hath been held, and is at this day lawful, and necessary dimicate pro aris & socis, to fight for our God, Religion, and our possessions, for the liberty of our Consciences, and the liberty of our persons. In both these we have much suffered under the insolent persecution of our barbarous enemy.  
Let us not, my Lords, stand like men amazed, or distracted with such malicious proceed, but let us quit ourselves like men, and having the advantage of the cause, although not of power proceed valiantly. The battle we shall fight is the Lord of hosts, who is able to save and give victory aswell by few, as by a numerous army, and strength. Remember and consider, that God is not so confined to multitudes, neither can the number of multitudes prevail in the day of battle, without the assistance and protection of the Almighty. Let us therefore, my Lords and Gentlemen, with one body, and with one affection, prepare and make ready, to oppose and countermand the contumacy and stubborness of the bloody persecutor, who in all his passages breathes nothing but ruin and destruction. My person and assistance shall not be deficient to so good a cause, but I shall endeavour to serve my God, my King, and Country, with my utmost endeavour both of person and fortune, and shall count myself happy, if it be my lot to make my ruin & overthrow in the defence of so honourable a cause. For praestat per virtutem emori, quam per dedecus vivere, I had rather die in a noble and religious cause, then live fortunate under so base an enemy both to God, the King, and his Country. And if there be any here, as I hope, and believe there are none, of so degenerate and base condition, that shall endeavour to shift themselves from off this undertaking, because their habitation is remote, and the danger hath not as yet took progress so far to them. I thus reply, and answer them in the Pope's language and phrase. Paries cum proximus ardes, tunc tua res agitur. When thy neighbour's house is on fire, thou art not secure, but the same danger may reach thee also. There is no true, religious, and loyal breast, but hath a share in a public calamity: neither is any Member so secure, but the same misfortune which made the head to ache, may also make the rest of the Members grieve. Mischief which is uncontrolled goes apace, and overtakes the careless mind in his depth of security. I am afraid I have been too tedious in my discourse, but I will now end in a word; let not the insolency of the enemy, or consideration of the hazard, prevail over the goodness and justice of the cause, and your noble and undaunted courages, but be as valiant as your cause is just, and I doubt not, the success will crown your actions with honour, procure peace and quiet both to your Consciences and possessions, and so shall you inherit the everlasting names of men, religious and pious to your God, loyal to your Sovereign, and faithful to your Country.  
FINIS.