Nottinghamshires PETITION To the KING: Humbly imploring his sacred Majesty to return and join with both his Houses of Parliament, being delivered by them personally to his Majesty the 30 day of August, opening therein the manifold dangers this distracted kingdom is like to fall into by reason of his Majesties withdrawing his splendent beams of comfort from both his Houses of Parliament.  
Also a Petition presented unto his Majesty for the taking down of His STANDARD.  
Likewise a relation of the misdemeanours of some of the cavaliers towards the Petitioners, and how thereby they were like to fall on both sides to a dangerous skirmish.  
September, 6. London, Printed for Thomas Banks, 1642.   

The humble Petition of Nottingham-shire men to the King, the 30 of August, 1642.  
SOme of the chief Citizens of Nottingham, and others of the neighbouring Parishes( both of Gentry and Comunalty) having intelligence of the Kings Majesties coming thither to set up His Standard, thought good to open and manifest their consciences in some particular points, concerning the present state of this distressed kingdom, the manifold dangers are like to ensue by his Majesties absenting himself from his both Houses of Parliament, the supposed( if not manifested) malignant intentions of Papists and other ill affencted persons, who daily strive to withdraw His Majesties heart from His loving and loyal houses of Parliament, and others his good Subjects, the petitioners entreating and promising with ample protestations that if his majesty will unite himself in a happy union with his both houses of Parliament, utterly rooting out( as infectious to his sacred person) all malignant and ill affencted persons that persuade his Majesty with wicked and diabolical arguments to raise war against his both houses of Parliament, banishing from his presence all papistical spirits that strive to throng the true Church of Christ with Innovations and popery, that then, these said petitioners will with their lives & fortunes assist his Majesty against any foreign disturbances abroad, or any civill hatched rebellions at home, to the maintaining of the true protestant Religion, the safety and honour of his majesties person, the welfare and happy government of this his kingdom.  

The true form of the Petition sent to London by a Nottingham-shire Gentleman.  
Most gracious and dread sovereign.  
SEeing many of your faithful and loyal Subjects( yea this whole Kingdom) groaning under the heavy burden of severalll discontents to their utter ruin for ever, chiefly caused by the malicious practices of papists and other ill affencted persons, that not only strive to egg on your sacred person( who of yourself,( as we doubt not) far from such thoughts) to contend with your both Houses of Parliament, but do endeavour also to pollute our Church, the true protestant Religion, with innovations and popery to the utter ruin of the kingdom, and to the hazard of body & soul's damnation. We therefore the petitioners, not as factious men, affecting a popular parity in the Church, nor as schismatics aiming at the dissolution of the state ecclesiastical, but as the faithful servants of Christ, and loyal and obedient Subjects to your Majesty, do here humbly prostrate ourselves at your sacred feet, desiring your majesty as you affect the good of your poor Subjects, the salvation of their souls, and the safety of your kingdom, to re-sheath your sword of anger, and to knit your royal person in a happy union with your both houses of Parliament, extirpating all papistical and ill affencted persons that with their daily malicious whisperings, do strive to pollute your sacred ears; for did your Majesty but pleas to forelook on the dangers that will pursue on this Kingdom by reason of your Majesties withdrawing your royal person from your both houses of Parliament, doubtless your pious intentions would soon consent to this our just and necessary petition; oh how many thousand souls will be uncas'd if the sword be once drawn, how many houses, nay( with grief need fear it) how many cities willbe utterly ruined; oh dread sovereign be pleased therfore to consider that both sides are your Subjects and have not so dangerous a pestilence creep by so small a matter, besides, the absenting of your sacred person from your both Houses of Parliament, doth not only give life to the fatal inconveniences, but hinders the prosperous proceeding of our poor brethren in Ireland, which at this present lie in a most miserable and languishing estate, by the bloodinesse and tyranny of that rude crew of papists there overswaying, and for what we know( our domestic and bosom Romanists) may endeavour here in England to attempt the like tyranny, when such swarms of them are rooted in the very entrails of this kingdom, for the suppressing of these, relieving our poor brethren in Ireland, and for the bringing to an uniform government the disjointed peice-meals of this Kingdom, what succour or relief can your Parliament do I say in these without your royal presence to confirm their actions? lastly be pleased to take to your gracious consideration, the unnaturalness of this discontent and war, that father must fight against son, son against brother, brother against Uncle; Oh what inhumanesse is it, and all in the interim a laughing stock to foreign Nations.  
Now have your Princely Majesty obtained the knowledge of our griefs and fears, hoping that your highnesse( since we unript the sores) will vouchsafe us a speedy cure by the happy joining of your royal person with your both houses of Parliament, which thing if your Majesty be pleased to do, we shall not only yield an eternal sacrifice of thankfulness for the same to your Majesty, but our lives and fortunes shall be at your highnesse service to manifest the same; this with all dutiful submission referring ourselves to your Majesties pleasure whom we beseech for Christ his sake so to dispose your royal heart to do therein as shall be to his glory, your highnesse honour, the good of this Church, and the endless comfort of we your loyal Subjects, to which we all your Majesties most humble Subjects say amen.  
No sooner was this Petition presented and red, but his Majesty ( struck with clemency) immediately caused his Standard to be taken down, and was more willing than they that peace should be sent immediately certain Articles by 2. of his Lords to both Houses of Parliament, which reasonable Propositions being consented to by the said houses, should immediately conclude a peace; but the cavaliers all this while were not a little moved at the happy success this Petition found, therefore some certain of them being full of gail and spleen, and withall taking a cloak for their wicked intention, saying that the Petitioners were rather Traytors then Subjects in offering to move his Majesty in such a way as is altogether a blemish to his honour, in that a King must stoop to his subjects, when 'tis more fitting the Subjects should submit to him, alleging that his Prerogative was clipped, and ere they would suffer it, their lives( as for fortunes, they had none) should be sacrificed to redeem his wrongs, in such like passions they sought out for the Petitioners, and having intelligence where some of them were especially the chief) hastened unto them and would have fallen upon them, but they on the other side suspecting( or at least wise fearing) some ill actions or other pretended against them by the cavaliers, sent with all speed to the mayor of the City, informing him in wh●t danger they were, and withall entreating that some of the Trained Bands should be in a readiness to quell all uproars if it chanced that the cavaliers should bee over busy( according to their usual customs) in setting bloodily upon any of his Majesties faithful Subjects, which thing the mayor soon accomplished, and the cavaliers were fain to return as they came without further attempting any such wicked enterprise.   
FINIS.