HIS majesty's LETTER AND DECLARATION TO THE sheriffs and city of LONDON.  
January 17. 1642.  
Printed, by His majesty's Command, AT OXFORD, January 18.  
By LEONARD LICHFIELD Printer to the university. 1642.   

HIS majesty's LETTER AND DECLARATION to the sheriffs and city Of LONDON.  
January 17. 1642.  
TRusty and well-beloved, We greet you well. We received lately a Petition from the Aldermen and common-council of Our City of London, by the hands of Persons entrusted by them for the delivery, who found such a reception from us, as well manifested Our regard to that body which sent them; Though We well knew by whom that Petition was framed, and where perused and examined, before it was approved by those from whom it seemed to be sent, yet We were so willing to enter into a correspondence with that Our City, and to receive any address and application from them according to that Invitation We had given by Our late Proclamation; And were so glad to find that there was yet some hopes they would look to the Peace and happiness of that City, and at last sever themselves from any Faction or dependence, which might insensibly involve them in those Calamities they did not foresee, that We returned such a gracious Answer thereunto, so full of candour and Affection, that the meanest Inhabitant of that Our city, if he carefully consider the same, will find himself concerned in it, and that We have had an especial care of his particular. With this answer of Ours We sent a servant of Our own, in the company of those who had been so well used here, to require and see that it might be communicated to the whole body of that Our City; not doubting but that both it & the Bringer should receive such Entertainment there, as might manifest their due regard of us, & of Our Affection to them: But to Our great wonder, We find that after ten days' Attendance, and suffering ridiculous Pamphlets to be published in Our name, as if We retracted Our former Resolutions, (which Pamphlet We have caused to be burned by the hand of the Hangman, as We also require you to see done) instead of that admission We expected to Our Messenger and Message, guards of Armed Men have been brought to keep Our good Subjects, to whom that Our Answer was directed, from being present at the reading thereof; and Speeches have been made by Strangers (who have been admitted to the city counsels, contrary to the freedom and custom of those meetings,) to Blast Our said Answer, and to Dishonour and Slander us, which if Our good Subjects there shall suffer, We shall be much discouraged in Our desired correspondence with that Ou● City, and so by the cunning and power of those Incendiaries mentioned in Our Answer (Alderman Pennington (who to show his great Loyalty to us, and his fitness to be the chief Magistrate of such a City, being informed that a desperate person there, said, that he hoped shortly to wash his hands in Our blood, refused to send any Warrant, or to give any direction to any Officer for his Apprehension,) Ven, Fulke, and Manwaring) who have plunged that Our City into such unspeakable Calamities, in which they would still keep it to cure their own desperate condition, Our good Subjects there are not suffered to receive Our gracious Answer to that Petition; we have therefore thought fit to write these Our Letters to you, requiring you the sheriffs of Our said City; to take care for the publishing that Our Answer (which we herewith send you) to Our good Subjects of that Our City; And Our pleasure is, That you the Masters and Wardens of the several Companies of our said City forth with summon all the Members of your several Companies, with all the Freemen and apprentices (whose hopes and interests are so much blasted in these general Distractions) belonging thereunto, to appear at your several Halls, where you shall cause Our said Answer, together with these our Letters, to be publicly read, that all Our good Subjects may clearly understand how far We have been from begetting, how far we are from continuing or nourishing these unnatural civil dissensions, and how much it is in their own power to remove the present pressures, and to establish the future happiness and glory of that famous City, and may seriously weigh every part of that Our Answer, as well that which carries caution in it for the future, as pardon for what is past, for assure yourselves, for the time to come, we shall proceed with all severity against such who shall incur the penalty of the Law in those points, of which we have given them so fair a warning in Our said Answer, & whosoever shall not behave himself like a good Subject in this Our kingdom, shall not (if We can help it) receive the benefit and advantage of being Our Subject in any other, but all foreign Princes shall know, that as such Person hath parted with his Loyalty to Us, so he must not hope for any Security by Us, and to that purpose we shall hence forward have a very inquisitive Eye upon the Actions of all Our Subjects, that some example may be made, how easy it is for Us to punish their disloyalties abroad, who for a time may avoid Our justice at home. And to the end that none of Our good Subjects of that Our City may think themselves bound to obey any of the Orders or Commands of the pretended Lord Major (whom We have and do still accuse of high Treason, & conspiring to take Our life from us,) it is well known to those Citizens who understand the Charter of that City (so amply granted by Our royal Progenitors, and so graciously confirmed by Us, & of which We presume Our good Subjects there do still desire to receive the benefit,) that the said Isaac Pennington was never regularly elected, or lawfully admitted to be Lord Major of that Our City, that in truth Alderman Cordwell, was by the plurality of voices chosen, and that this Man was never presented to, or admitted by Us, in such manner as is prescribed by the said Charter, neither had that judge, who presumed to swear him, any more colour of Law or Authority to administer such an Oath to him, than he hath to do the same to morrow to any other Alderman of the City: And we do therefore hereby Declare the said Isaac Pennington not to be Major of that Our City of London, and to have no lawful Authority to exercise the same, and that Our good Subjects of that Our City, ought not to submit to any Order, directions, or commands which shall issue from him as Lord Major of that Our City, but that the same are void and of none effect. And we do once more require you the sheriffs of Our said City, and all other the Magistrates of the same, in which all Our good Subjects of that City will assist you, that you cause the said Isaac Pennington, Ven, Fulke, and Manwaring, to be apprehended and committed to safe Custody, that we may proceed against them as guilty of high Treason, and principal authors of those Calamities which are now so heavy upon Our poor Subjects of that City, and if not suddenly remedied, will in a short time utterly confound a Place, and a People lately of so flourishing an estimation in all the parts of Christendom, And where as We are informed that one Browne a woodmonger, Titchborne a linen-draper, and one Harvy a silkman, have exercised great insolences and out rages in that Our City, and when many of Our good Subjects there, have assembled together in a peaceable and modest manner, to consult about the Peace and welfare of that City, the said mutinous and seditious Persons have presumed to lead Multitudes of armed Men against them, and by such force have beaten, wounded, and killed Our good Subjects; Our Will and Pleasure is, that if the said Browne, Titchborne, and Harvy, or either of them, shall so far neglect Our gracious offer of Pardon, as still to engage themselves in those unwarrantable and seditious courses, That you Our sheriffs of London, raise power to suppress the said force, and that you and all Our Ministers of justice, use your utmost means to apprehend the said Persons, and to bring them to condign punishment. And We do here by Declare, That it shall be lawful for any of Our loving Subjects, to resist and oppose the said Persons, if they shall hereafter, in such a Warlike manner, endeavour to molest them as they would do Rebels and traitors: And We hope that all Our good Subjects of that Our much injured City of London, do take notice of Our Grace and Favour towards them in our so freely passing by and pardoning the Offences there committed against Us, as we have offered by Our Proclamation and Our late Answer; and of Our very earnest desire to be with them, and to reside amongst them for their Comfort, Support, and Protection, if they shall, by first providing for their own security (in such manner as We have directed them in Our late Answer) give Us an instance that We may be safe there too; And that they do likewise observe, that being by such violence kept from them, we have done Our utmost endeavour to continue and advance the decayed trading of that Our City, by permitting and encouraging all resort and traffic thither, and therefore if by the stopping of Carriages, and seizing Commodities by other men, the commerce and correspondence be broken between that place and Our good Subjects of other Counties, they will impute that mischief to the true authors of it, and look upon Us only as not able to help them. Do but your Duties, and this Cloud, which threatens a present confusion, will quickly vanish away, and you will enjoy all the Blessings of a happy Nation, to the which no endeavour of Ours shall be wanting.  
Given at our Court at OXFORD, this 17. day of January. 1642.  
FINISH.