TO THE MOST honourable THE house OF peers, AND THE honourable house Of COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT.  
The humble Petition of the baronets', Justices, and Gentlemen of the County of DEVON at their general Sessions.  
Showeth;  
THat your Petitioners observing to our comfort your infinite labours, and to our sorrows your abounding pressures and encumbrances; and studying how we might possibly in our degree contribute to your help; The Complaints and fears of our countrymen herewith commended to your view, have given us an overture, charging us, by all the interest of our common welfare and danger, to represent to His majesty, and your honours, their present distresses and expected miseries. The Port Towns as they are for the most part the first receivers of foreign intelligence; so are they soonest sensible of inconveniences occurring by the proceedings of their trade, losses by Turkish pirates, Crosses by the Irish Rebellion, and London distractions though first felt, yet are these their least feared calamities; Neither do the flocks of poor Protestants coming from that Kingdom robbed of their late good Fortune, and now depending upon their Christian charity so much affright them, with the charge of their relief. As for the threatning messages they bring from their wolvish enemies, That the bounds of that Kingdom shall not limit their malicious tyranny: So these as your honours may perceive by the perusal (which we humbly pray you to afford) they add the Popish Plots by your wisdom and vigilancy already discovered, as certain arguments of war intended and ready for Execution.  
And all this they do with so much probability conjecture to proceed from the practices of the Popish Lords, and their constant adherents in most of their Votes, the Prelates in the House of Peers, as your Petitioners concur with these our neighbours in opinion and desires, that your honours would once more employ your endeavours to our most gracious King, to exclude Papists from his great affairs, and his Prelates from temporal jurisdiction.  
By the bearers hereof your Petitioners have presumed to make the like tender to his majesty's royal hand, being from thence confident of their happy effects; instead of distractions, unity; for remoras, celerity; for misunderstanding, correspondency. And by the mercy of God upon his Church and people, and upon the best of Kings their Supreme Governor; Prerogative and privilege will kiss each other, when His majesty shall think it his greatest honour to grant your just privilege, and you acknowledge it your best privilege, to enjoy the benefit and glory of his due and princely Prerogative.  
For these and all other wished Felicities, your Petitioners shall ever pray, &c.   

Printed for H. Blunden, 1642.