To the Right-Honourable the Lord Mayor, the Aldermen, and common-council, in common-council assembled.  
My Lord, Knights, and Gentlemen,  
THe deep sense of our particular miseries, together with a tender fellow feeling of the sad and distempered condition of this famous City, and also of the whole Kingdom, hath upon divers serious and mutual debates so far prevailed with us, a great and considerable part of this County of Essex, as humbly to make our addresses in a petitionary way to the honourable Houses of Parliament the fourth of this instant May; The sum of our desire is briefly thus, That the King our gracious sovereign may come with honour and safety, to treat with his two Houses of Parliament, the only probable way now left us, whereby the true Protestant Religion, and all the just rights and liberties of the King, Parliament, and Subjects, and the ancient and known Laws of this realm and government, may by the blessing of God upon their joint consents in Parliament, be once more revived and re-established, to the glory of God, and comfort of all honest men; and though we cannot doubt of an unanimous compliance from the greatest part of this City, and of the whole kingdom in this our last refuge, yet for the better satisfaction, and to clear ourselves from the misinterpretation of such as are of a contrary opinion, we do ingeniously declare. First, that our address shall be with all civility and respect both to the Parliament and City, free from any intent of disturbing the peace and quiet of either; but on the contrary, with an hearty desire to prevent the effusion of so much blood as will probably be shed, if not by a personal Treaty timely prevented, which all men may discern that look not through Spectacles of particular interests. Secondly, we do not carelessly pass by any Ordinance of Parliament▪ published unto the kingdom, but do well remember, and have very seariously considered of that particular Vote against a personal Treaty, and the reason upon which it is grounded; And we have further compared it with three former Declarations, where in the first we were told, That the separation of his royal Person from his Parliament was the original of our unhappiness; In the second, when we assisted in so large a proportion both of men and money, That the chief intent of raising the Army was, To bring the King from his evil counsel in honour and safety to his Parliament; in the third, when we groaned under the burden, That it was impossible ever to have a safe well grounded peace without his majesty's personal concurrence in Parliament: When we looked upon the weighty reasons expressed in the said Declarations, we are well assured, that whosoever well considers what it hath cost to procure a personal Treaty, cannot justly blame any man for desiring of it; And upon these considerations we are encouraged to proceed ●ith confidence that the Honourable Houses will grant our requests, which we conceive reasonable, whereas to our understanding no apparent prejudice can ensue thereby. Thus humbly desiring the blessing of Almighty God to assist us in these our just desires, we commit you to his protection.  
Your Honours most humble servant. Stratford Lancton.