To the King's most Excellent majesty. The humble PETITION of divers of your majesty's loyal Subjects inhabiting the County of Bedford, amounting to the number of 3800. Most humbly Showeth unto Your majesty, that many are the miseries your Subjects suffer, and their fears are beyond their miseries. We are not able to relate what unspeakable Calamities, a war, much more a civil-war, and that in the bowels of your Kingdom, will inevitably produce, your majesty having been lately a sad spectator of some unhappy effects thereof; besides continual fears and perplexities, decay of Trade and Tillage, exhausting of Treasure, impoverishing of your Subjects, and dispeopling of your Land, whereby it may lie open to foreign Invasions, and your Subjects disabled to defend your kingdom, Pestilence and Famine being the undoubted consequences of such a war in which those of the nearest relations are likesy to imbrue their hands in each others blood and the whole kingdom (like a distracted man) lay violent hands upon itself, your majesty hath been graciously pleased to declare your sense of those heavy pressures under which your Subjects groaned before this Parliament: And not to acknowledge with due thanks your majesty's Acts of grace in the removal of some and promise of remedy for the rest, were the highest point of ingratitude, especially considering your majesty's frequent and solemn professions to that effect divulged to the world. Now amongst the miserable Calamities which yet remain without remedy, the difference betwixt your majesty and your great counsel (the Parliament) is the greatest as that indeed which blocks up the way, that should lead to the remedy of all the rest, pardon therefore your distressed Subjects, (most gracious sovereign) if in these heavy times they become your most humble (though importunate) Petitioners. That your majesty abandoning all jealousies would be pleased to lend a gracious ear to such Propositions as your Parliament shall present, tending to your majesty's Honour; the establishment of the true Protestant Religion, the freedom and privilege of Parliament, and the future good of the commonwealth, by this the wrath of God may be appeased, his judgements averted, the peace of Church and State procured, God's true Religion maintained, your majesty's royal Throne established, and your Subjects may more cheerfully, without distraction, yield unto you (as by their Allegiance they are bound) all due obedience and Subjection. These are the earnest desires of your most humble Suppliants, who daily pray for your majesty's safety, and the peace of all your kingdoms. At the Court at Oxford, the 24. day of Decem. 1642. His majesty hath graciously considered this Petition, and hath commanded me to return this His Answer. THat He fully concurres with the Petitioners in their sense of the present distractions and Calamities of this kingdom, the prevention whereof His Majesty hath so much laboured, that well foreseeing the Miseries of a civil-war, himself (notwithstanding so many provocations, well known to the Petitioners, and to all the world) forbore to raise an Army for his defence, till he was almost swallowod up by a desperate and unnatural Rebellion, what he hath done since, towards the removing those horrid preparations, and dissolving the Clouds of jealousies and discontent, by his several Messages, to invite and desire a Treaty, and how those Messages have been entertained, is well and generally known too. And if the care of others had been as great in the observation and execution of the laws, as his Majesty hath been to make such lawsâ–Ş The Peace and security of the Kingdom had not been now disturbed, neither would it have been in the Power of a few furious Persons to have raised this misunderstanding between his great council and his majesty. And therefore the Petitioners shall do well (not being deterred by the reception other Petitions have found) to apply themselves to both Houses of Parliament, for composing the present Distempers; and if they can prevail with them, to make such Propositions to his Majesty, as he may with Honour and justice consent to, That is, such Propositions as may tend to the establishment of the true Protestant Religion, the laws of the Land, His majesty's just rights, the Liberty and Property of the Subject, and the just privileges of Parliament, if his Majesty consent not to them, he is contented to be thought a Promoter of this present war. But if no such Propositions shall be made to him, (all his desires that such should be made, having been rejected) He hopes the Petitioners, and all the world will be easily disabused, and will not suffer them, who have raised, and do foment this Odious civil-war, to lay the Envy, and impute the miseries of this war upon His Majesty, whose heart bleeds at the sufferings of his People. EDW. NICHOLAS. The true Copy of a Petition framed and composed by a Party in the City of London, and intended by them to be presented to the honourable House of COMMONS. Showeth, THat the present sense of our Miseries and Apprehensions of inevitable ruin both of Church and commonwealth) maketh us to become humble suitors to this Honourable Assembly (the likeliest means under God for our relief to consider our distressed state, and to provide a speedy remedy for our present and future evils. Earnestly desiring you to weigh the Care and Judgement of your Predecessors, who by a known Law settled and preserved our Protestant Religion, our Liberties and Properties, with a right understanding between King and Subjects, which produced peace and plenty in our streets. And to reflect with serious thoughts upon our present Distempers, violating Religion by Papists, and Sectaries, engaging our Nation in a civil, bloody, and destructive war, in invading our laws, and Liberties, endangering all our Lives, and utterly disabling us to relieve our distressed brethren in Ireland. We beseech you likewise to consider the effect of a Civil war, as the Destruction of Christians, the unnatural effusion of blood, Father against Son, Brothers by Brothers, Friends by friends slain; a Famine and sickness the followers of a continued War, making way for a general confusion and Invasion by a foreign Nation, while our Treasure is exhausted, our Trade lost, and the kingdom dispeopled. These things weighed and enlarged by your wisdoms, we doubt not will be as strong motives in you to labour, as in us to desire a speedy Peace and happy Accommodation. Wherefore we humbly crave that not lending an ear to any Fomenters of the present war under what pretence soever, nor remembering aught that may increase jealousies or continue Divisions, between his Majesty and his Houses of Parliament; you will speedily render his Majesty (according to his royal Intimations) such Propositions for Accommodation as he may with honour and safety to the whole kingdom accept. For effecting whereof we shall be ready to assist you with the best and utmost of our abilities; and whilst you endeavour Peace, we shall send up our Prayers to Heaven for a blessing of Peace upon you, and all that desire it.