TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE LORD FAIRFAX GENERAL OF THE FORCES RAISED FOR THE DEFENCE OF THE KINGDOM. The Humble Petition or Remonstrance of the Well affected Inhabitants of the County of Rutland.  
May it please your Excellency,  
THe Consideration of the Honour which God hath put upon You since these troublous Times began, hath cast our eyes on You, as (under God) the means of our further good; And therefore we thought fit to make our Addresses to your Excellency for counsel and relief in our present condition, which is very grievous, and is like to be worse, he present evils being but presagements of future woes. Indeed our miseries are at that height already, that if some speedy course be not taken; we are like inevitably to be ruinated. But God having so appeared for his faithful ones already, giveth us much ground of confidence that he will not forsake us nor his own cause; which is, the deliverance of his people, the advancement of Justice, and the punishment of malicious offenders. And we are persuaded of You also, tha● you will not be wanting to do us good, or omit to seek the welfare of this poor Nation, nor let go the blessed opportunity which the God of heaven hath put into your hands to do us good. And in order to your furtherance herein, we desire that your Honour would be pleased to open your gracious ear to our (as we judge) weighty motions or Proposals, which are the Declaration of our griefs, lawful desires, and firm resolutions; that which in the first place we do offer as a grievance of our distressed souls, is not so much what we have lost in our Estates already, as our undone estate if our greatest enemies shall be made our Judges and chiefest Governor (or King) in order to which, and to the enslaving of us for ever, we conceive this Treaty with our conquered enemy was intended by some, which Treaty giveth a check to all the Parliaments former Declarations, and heroic Votes concerning the King, which Votes and Declarations we thought had not been easily altered; the crossing of which adds so much to our sorrows, as we are not able to express, and also by this means a horrid contradiction is made to the Parliaments Declaration and resolution concerning no more Addesses: Indeed it is a giving them the lie, as though all that they had said of him, as touching the betraying of Rochel, the death of his Father, the Irish rebellion, bringing in the Germane horse, the violence done to the Parliament at the beginning of their sitting, with divers other evils of a high nature which they laid to his charge, had no truth in them, but a mere Flourish to defame him and deceive the people.  
If all these things were justly charged upon him, (as in honour to the Parliament we believe they were,) oh how durst our Parliament think of Treating with such a man! And that which also melteth our very souls, is the much blood already spilt, and yet we like to return into our former slavery. This is intolerable, and that which leaveth us without all hope is this, we see the Parliament intent not any more to hear our cries, but do lay aside all our Petitions; and though they burned them not by the hand of the common Hangman, yet they make us hang in torment between hope and fear, and so we are like to do if this Honourable Army help us not. Do you not lay it to heart how many Noble and yet Humble Petitions they have laid aside, as that from the faith full Citizens of London, that from the Town and County of York, that from Kingston upon Hull, and that well-grounded and reasonable Petition from the Town and County of Leicester, and many others to the same effect. Thus many men's desires, all men's good, is laid aside to feed some wicked men's humours: oh for God's sake lay these things to heart. And further that which vexeth our hearts and thousand righteous souls of the Commons of England is, that still our Worthies are privately murdered, and all our ruins plotted, as appeareth by a Libel scattered abroad our County, and as you may see threatneth the destruction of those honest Gentlemen that were forced to leave the Parliament House and fly to the Army; and also them of the Army which engaged at Newmarket.  
And further when we see the freedoms of the People, and the security of all the Parliaments Soldiery depend upon the consent of a King, whom they have conquered, and this security to be for years, and if the Militia be entailed to the Crown, then if the King dy before these years be expired it must be returned to the Crown again, for the Father cannot give away the sons inheritance: whereas if the House of Commons had declared themselves the supreme Authority of the Nation (as they ought to have done) our security had been firm.  
And further it may be justly conceived, that what things are done by constraint are void in Law: and concluded by the King's party that whatsoever he signs are done by constraint: What shall hinder him (being once impowered) to urge the Letter of the Law against the Parliament and all that adhered unto them, to their utter ruin. And if the King could raise so great an Army when he was in Carisbrook Castle, what will he be able to do when he comes to London among his now Desparadoes, may he not easily gain the Militia in one month, and overturn all that hath been accomplished with so much difficulty? And now if you and the Well-affected in the Army do forsake us, in respect of the help of man, we are utterly undone: and pardon us if we say, We fear God will forsake you, and let you fall by those hands in which you leave us.  
These are some of those sorrows in which we must sink, or resolve to take some more noble course, even to defend ourselves by our sword, judging it far better to die honourably in the field in one hour, than to live slaves in our houses for ever. Now the Lord teach you and us what to do; if we sit still, we are like to be massacred in our beds, or as our beloved Rainsborough was, whose death addeth to the life of our sorrows: Oh trusty Rainsborough! thou art but what we are like to be; but what shall we do? We beseech your Excellency tell us, or hear us with patience, and we will relate what we intent.  
First, We will pray to your God and to our God, and when we have poured out our tears to him, and our complaints to one another, as we have in some measure done already; then we will resolve to stand up with you and the rest of the faithful in the Nation, and declare further what we resolve to have: Only (Right Honourable) we thought good to make our humble Addresses unto you, and beg your aid, your countenance, and your prayers, your grave Counsel, and Christian advice in this matter. We thought it good as Mordecai did Hester, to put you upon endeavouring our deliverance, and let us in all humility and faithfulness tell you, that if you fail, God will find some way to set us free; but how you will answer your neglect, we cannot tell. In times past we have found you ready to venture life and limb for our good, which gives us much assurance you will stand for us and with us still, for our Just Rights.  
We are no complementers nor flatterers, but well-willers to the good of our Country, for which we assure you we will venture life and limb with you, for the suppressing of Tyrants, taking away oppressive Laws, and all grievous burdens under which the Commonwealth groaneth. Thus having imparted our Desires and present Condition to your Excellency, we commit you to the Teaching, Guidance, and Protection of God, and rest,  
Yours, The Inhabitants of the County of Rutland.   

This Petition was presented to the General on Friday the 24 of November 1648. by Lieut. Freeman, accompanied with three Gentlemen of the same County.  
To which the General returned this answer, gentlemans I have sent to the House, I hope they will do that which will be good for the Kingdom; if not, I will venture my life with you for Justice: and return you Thanks.   

LONDON, Printed by James and Joseph Moxon, for William Larnar, at the Black-more within Bishopsgate. 1648.