TO The Honourable Court The House of COMMONS Now assembled in Parliament.  
The humble Petition of many hundred thousands, inhabiting within the thirteen Shires of WALES.  
Directed to the House the 12. of February, 1641. showing their manifold grievances, for which they desire redress from the Parliament.  
With their motion that their Country may be more strongly fortified with Ammunition of Arms.  
And how they freely proffer themselves to assist the Protestants in Ireland.  
Printed at London for T.H. 1642   

TO THE HONOURABLE COURT THE House of Commons now assembled in Parliament. The humble Petition of many hundred thousands, inhabiting within the thirteen Shires of Wales:  
Shows,  
THat the manifold pressures, under which we have groaned these many years, have been by you endeavoured to be reform, and amended by your unwearied labours, and uncessant consultations. Yet notwithstanding your sedulous vigilances hath wrestled with those extreme disturbances, and distempers in the Kingdom: We still find out many inconveniences arising afresh, to the great amazement and discouragement of his Majesty's loyal Subjects. Wherefore our humble motion is, that your Honours would seriously revolve the still growing miseries, under which we have been, and are now subjected: that you would be graciously pleased to add a period to the calamities which are pressed upon us. The diffusive current of these grievances distil from one original spring, and that we conceive to be a malignant party, and faction, who build obstructions against your deliberate and judicious determinations; who cast scandalous aspersions upon what hath been by you enacted; and labour to nullify, or at least to extenuate in a repugnant opposition, what you are in agitation to institute. The boldness of these malevolent adversaries hath too audaciously outdared the very fundamental laws, and hath treacherously studied to subvert the foundation, upon which the Justice and Religion of this Nation is firmly built and established. We earnestly therefore entreat your Honours maturely to consider their malicious intents, and daily practices against the State; which if they be not seasonably castigated in time, before their infant conspiracies grow to the prime height of their ripe perfection, they will then become incorrigible. Yet withal we impartially acknowledge your sedulity in correcting and sequestering them, but your endeavours have still been frustrate and retarded, by reason of their abounding malignity. And whereas divers high taxations have been oftentimes imposed on us, we did always upon the consideration of the same, expect a reformation; but as yet we have found little or no redress: the cause of which we neither conceive, or suspect to be produced by you, but principally by the calumnious suggestions of that factious party; which we desire may be excluded and expelled the House of Peers: Thus the liberty of the Subject is trampled down, the Trade's decay in the whole Kingdom, and for our parts, our Estates are so miserably wasted by heavy impositions, that without your propitious relief we shall perish with our Wives and Families; and Cattles which is the chiefest mine of our Country, have been bought, and driven from us by whole flocks and herds at once, some transported into Ireland, and others into most parts of England, so that unless some sudden redress be speedily occasioned by you, we shall be impoverished: our serious motion is therefore, that your Honours would be pleased to vindicate the abusive wrongs done unto our Country, and that you would speedily ease us of this burden of misery, which we are no longer able to support. And whereas we especially have always shown our loyalty to his Majesty, our awful obedience unto you, obsequiously subscribing to what you have been pleased to impose upon us; yet notwithstanding we are disrespected, and shamefully derided with ludibrious contempt more than any other Country what soever; wherefore we beseech you that the authors; urgers, or suggesters of the same may be found out, and known, yea and suffer exemplary and condign punishment for their reproaching us, according to their just demerits; for otherwise we can conceive this Epidemical derision of us to be nothing else, but a scorning detestation to our known fidelity (which as we have hitherto kept, so shall still continue inviolable) this grievance especially, unless it be amended, will become a great discouragement to all our Countrymen.  
We desire likewise that Learning be not too much discountenanced and contemned, but rather that it may be advanced to its former dignity: for it is a most ignominious, shameful, blasphemous, and unknown thing; yea, most incongruous both to the Word of God, and common reason too, that Cobblers, and Doctors of Divinity should be equal competitors. Thus if Scholarship be defaced, England (the glory of all Nations lately) is suddenly like to degenerate, and decline from its former splendour, and so consequently become barbarous. Yet we speak not this in behalf of any, for we call God to witness, and our own actions can testify as much, that whomsoever your Honours shall find culpable, and delinquent, we desire may be prosecuted according to the due process of Law, and (if the atrocity of the crime require it) be fully executed according to the justice of the Realm. But amidst all our own calaties especially, we cannot omit that of Ireland, to hear of the condoleable misery of the Protestant party, and the inhuman tyranny of those hellish Rebels: they have been in woeful distress a long time, and yet almost destitute of relief, till of late your Honours have been moved to commiserate their distressed estates; and as you have begun, so we beseech you proceed, and continue in the same progression of mercy and charity; that the first beginning of Resormation do not initiate in cruel opposition, and that the foundation whereon that Reformation should be established, be not written with the characters, and inscription of blood. For our parts, we will to the uttermost of our powers labour to repel, and divert the furious rage of those tyrants, and will to the end of our lives stand in the defence, and maintenance of Protestant Religion. What we now crave more, is your mutual concordance with his Majesty, that you may both concur in a counite correspondency of opinions, that the weighty affairs of the Kingdom may be deliberated with more facility, and that whatsoever you consult of, may tend to the honour of God, the peace, safety, and tranquillity of the Land: that the malignant insolency of the Recusant party may be more easily kerbed; that delinquents may be called to their trials, be punished, and suffer just execution: according as they have promerited, with expedition, lest they should break out, and hatch new conspiracies, and so contaminate the more sincere body: that the manifold abuses to our Country be respectively vindicated; that the confusions, divisions, distractions, and disturbances may be allayed in a peaceful mitigation; that the Divine Worship of God be no longer profaned, but that it may rather be settled speedily in a purer way; that a clearer way may be opened for Trading and Merchandise; that especially this being duly considered, that we may be better fortified, and provided with Ammunition of Arms, and other military Hostility, that so we may be more able to encounter with any foreign Enemy, that shall presume to oppose, or invade the British Nation; That thus being armed against any opposition, we may more freely enjoy the peace and liberty of our Consciences, and estates; to the great comfort of his Majesty, the immortal fame of your Honour, with the safety and prosperity of the whole Kingdom.  
Thus your Petitioners shall be bound to pray for the happy success of your consultations, that the Divine Providence of Almighty God may direct and prosper all your deliberations, etc.  
FINIS.