To the Right honourable the House of Peers, assembled in Parliament.  
The humble Petition of the County of Southampton.  
Most humbly showeth,  
THat, according to God's Word, whereof one tittle shall not fail, A Kingdom, or House divided, cannot stand: dissension and discord subvert and ruin the most potent Monarchs, and flourishing Estates in the world; but Peace and Religion are the works of absolute perfection, which being united, make a State unconquerable. To finish this work, is worthy your honour's most serious employment, which we conceive cannot be effected, whilst the popish Lords, who are manifest enemies to both, are admitted to vote amongst you, and therefore their consent cannot be expected. They are Papists, who have raised Rebellion in Ireland, and desire nothing more than the utter destruction of all that profess the Protestant Religion; and have most mercilessly imbrued their hands in the blood of very many of them: and we are confident, That the Priests and Papists in this Kingdom are confederate with them, and would do the like execution here; and had prevailed in their frequent attempts, if God in his mercy had not prevented their devilish plots to our preservation.  
Wherefore we earnestly pray (their malice being so apparently known) that the Popish Lords Votes may be taken away, and all Papists confined; for while they are at liberty, they will be ever contriving new mischiefs, to bring us to confusion. We further beseech you, That you will be pleased to join with the House of Commons, in advising and petitioning His sacred Majesty to reside near his Parliament, And that care be speedily taken that the Prince may be near London, and have Education answerable to his high Birth and State; That Ireland may be relieved, The Seas guarded with a strong Fleet, Our Castles and Forts prepared for defence against foreign or domestic enemies; The privileges of Parliament maintained, which are the chiefest and most real Inheritance, purchased and left to us by the great care and prowess of our Ancestors; which we, with the like zeal and affection, intend to preserve to our posterity, most inviolable from all enforcements. And as we do acknowledge with all thankfulness your indefatigable labours, in composing the distracted estate of this Kingdom, of which we have lately had very good experience, especially in your lordship's Noble concurrence with the honourable House of Commons in taking away the Votes of Bishops, and settling many other things of great concernment, So we shall faithfully, according to our Duty and Protestation, with our lives and Fortunes, defend his royal Majesty, and your Honours, agreeing with the House of Commons, from all dangers, with our utmost power.   

To the Honourable, the House of Commons now assembled in Parliament.  
The humble Petition of the high-sheriff, Knights, Esquires, and Gentlemen of the grand-Inquest, Ministers, Freeholders and inhabitants of the county of Southampton, at the general assizes.  
Humbly showeth,  
THat your Petitioners do with all humble thankfulness and admiration, acknowledge the unwearied endeavours of this Honourable House, for the re-establishment of truth and peace amongst us, notwithstanding the malignant opposition of the popish and prelatical party, and are truly and thoroughly sensible of the blessings we enjoy in the suppression of Arbitrary Government, settling triennial Parliaments, Disvoting Bishops, with many other great things expressed in your Remonstrance, which it hath pleased the Lord to effect for us, by your Noble means, whereof we rejoice.  
That nevertheless when we consider the great and manifold dangers that yet threaten this Kingdom, by invasion from foreign parts, and by our own divisions at home, caused by the Votes of Popish Lords in the House of Peers, The continual practices of their adherents in the country, And nakedness for defence; The corruptions yet remaining in the Church, The deplorable condition of our dear brethren in Ireland: particularly, when we reflect upon our own County, consisting of near 250 Parishes, whereof we fear there is not a ●ifth part furnished with conscionable, constant Preaching Ministers: Unto which spiritual calamity, we may add the hazard we run in our Lives and Estates, through the decays in our Castles and Forts, Our want of Ammunition, weakness of our Trained Bands, Multitudes of Papists, not only residing there, but resorting hither from other places, the ruin of Trades, and particularly of clothing, for which the people of these parts have formerly derived their greatest subsistence.   

March 11. London, Printed for Joseph Hunscott. 1641.