LOYAL AND Ingenuous Returns, OF GRATITUDE FROM THE Royal Party, TO HIS MAJESTY AND THE PARLIAMENT.  
LONDON, Printed for A. Seile, over against St. Dunstans Church in Fleetstreet. 166●   

loyal and ingenuous returns of Gratitude from the Royal Party, to His Majesty and the Parliament.  
THough we never doubted of our Princes favour, Or the Parliaments noble and candid intentions towards us, Nor wanted that consideration of his Majesties urgent affairs, and our own Duties, which became our loyalty: Yet such were the pressures, under which many of us have lain, in relation to our present and daily subsistence, without any visible appearance of better hopes, that it rendered the very thought of further expectation almost desperate, Whereof we beg the Charitable Censure of those that love us, since the best of men,( under long and important trials,) have sometimes languished.  
The dark lines, which seemed to be drawn upon the Face of honour, by the slender Notice taken of our Constant Sufferings, and Confusion,( as wee judged,) of causes and interests,( in themselves, very different,) wrought, in us, many discouragements, and some Perturbations, Whilst,( perhaps too Curiously,) wee inquired the meaning, And perplexed ourselves, in Vain, to consider the tendency of such counsels; We suspected, least some misrepresentation of us to his Majesty, under Characters full of Prejudice, might have turned his thoughts into another Channel, Or suspended his Natural, and,( as it were) Paternal inclinations towards us; We were, indeed, sensibly touched to find the Continuance of our Miseries, frequently converted to our further reproach; But, above all, we feared, least overmuch indulgence to great offenders, and slight Proselytes, might afford them colour of defending, Or at least, extenuating their Crimes, in an Age so grossly catechized, that it is apt to mistake Impunity for Innocency, and ascribe sinful Prosperity to divine Benediction.  
It added much to the Weight of our misfortunes to Observe, That many of our former,( and still supposed,) Friends were not,( as we thought,) enough concerned for us, But having served their own interests, presently forsook ours, And began to look upon us as a kind of troublesome guests, whom they could not fairly shun or disown, yet entertained very unwillingly; Neither was it the least of our Afflictions, in such a throng of pretences, to bee the Persons, last, and( in appearance) least considered.  
His Majesty in his late Gracious Speech to the ●… iament, generously expressing his Royal Sense of our Condition, his desire, but withall his disability to help us, did thereby( tacitly, but effectually) recommend us to their honourable and prudent thoughts, And the Parliament, in a Noble Compliance with his Majesties wishes,( though by us unsollicited,) hath, in some measure answered our Petition, before we presented it, by selecting a Committee to consider expedients for our Reparation, thus by their wisdom, anticipating our Addresses; So as now it appears, The delay proceeded not from any unbenigne Aspect or Eclipse of his Majesties favour towards us, But must be imputed to invincible Exigence, and reasons of Government, best known to his Majesty, the only competent Judge of public Convenience.  
To his Sacred Majesty, therefore,( as our undoubted Patron,) in the first place, with all humility, we aclowledge whatsoever benefit is conferred upon us, who, together with his own weightiest concernments, so pathetically declared and imprinted his Sense of ours; Not forgetting always to celebrate the Cheerfullness of this renowned Parliament, in entertaining the first Ouverture on our behalf, and considering our Necessities, even( in a time of public pressure,) amongst the Crying debts, and important affairs of the Kingdom.  
It is this which will( and, indeed, only can,) recollect the shipwrecks of weather-beaten Loyalty, and recover virtue out of its deepest trance; This, at once, will reinforce the Spirits of drooping integrity, and check the triumph of prosperous and presumptuous Crimes; The armor, which was grown rusty with disuse, and neglect, will shine again, And the Sword, which had lost its edge, cut sharper then Ever; Even Prudent men will not think it rashness to venture their Lives and fortunes in the discharge of their Duties, nor digest the ruin of their Families, before they Embrace the Service of their country.  
What a spur of honour will it afford the present Age, to see the Wounds of Loyalty so dressed? What a famous Precedent will it transmit to future times, to find the Breaches of virtue so repaired! And who so politic, that he will hereafter scruple to embark himself in his Countreys bottom, where he cannot perish, but in the Common Calamity, which no good man would wish to survive?  
What a Vindication will it be to public Faith,( now blasted with the Scandal of bankrupt Authorities,) When Obligations of mere Honour and Confidence shall be recorded in the Nature of public debts! What may they borrow, that are such Pay-masters? And how just may they be presumed in the performance of a Contract, who are so noble in the discharge of a trust?  
The old Stock of royalists( such, as without other Summons, then their Duty, other Inducement, then the Justice of their Cause, or encouragement, then the goodness of their Prince, freely exposed themselves, and their Estates, to follow his Majesties Ensigns in the first War, and have, ever since, crwoned their Zeal with Perseverance,) is now reduced into a narrow Circuit, Tyranny hath dispatched many, Time hath devoured more, and Misery so disguised the Remainder of them,( at least for the mayor Part,) that it is scarce discernible, what they once were; Behold a Miracle, which will, even, raise the dead out of their graves, at least, restore the lame to their Limbs, a husbandry which will propagate a generation truly English and loyal, and cherish, as it were, an immortal Seed-Plot or Nursery for a Royal Plattation.  
The settlement of a Competent Revenue for the Support of Regal Dignity, and an Effectual Militia for the kerbing of Factions, is the great Work of this season, in the accomplishment whereof, our very beings are concerned; But the preservation of Loyal Veteranes is Certainly of Equal Moment; It will serve, upon all Occasions, as a bank of Credit, and an Army of Volunteers at his Majesties call.  
It is not to be uttered, What impression this Overture hath already made in our hearts, what a Change in our very Countenances, Not any Cloud or symptom of dissatisfaction appearing amongst us, We only regret, that we cannot grow young again for his Majesties service, That none of us hath more lives then one, to hazard for him, And( could it be without public ruin) would be content to repeat whatsoever we acted, or suffered, in the War, or since.  
Not that we swallow mountains,( as some injuriously suggest and Report,) Such monstrous expectations better became their greediness, who, in the exaction of unjust Arrears, so often tormented the Nation with their Mutinies, and put their country almost to a yearly ransom; The Principle, we have still asserted, is that of Modest and Entire Obedience, and we are beholden to them, that have taught us Patience, in the greatest Necessities: Which, having so long practised under Tyrants, We are not surely in danger, now, to forfeit, or transgress: No; the Establishment of our King, and Peace of our country. alone, afford us such entertainment, that it were wantonness in us to dream of other Dainties, A bare subsistence with his Majesties Welcome, is great cheer.  
And, indeed, we doubt not, but all good Englishmen are so sensible both of our innocent sufferings, and our honest pretences, that they will readily contribute to our support, Who, for their sakes, and by asserting their interest, are brought to a Condition of desiring it; let them turn the Tables, and they will soon find, how considerable an Advantage they have, in whose Power it is to oblige; Which, we trust they will neither sacrifice to themselves, not object to us: We suppose better things of our Countrymen, Especially such, as having always professed to accompany us, at least, with their good Opinion, and best Wishes, cannot honourably abandon us in our present Want, or grudge us their Superfluity.  
The Measure we submit to his Majesties goodness, whose Prerogative it is to confer Royally, The Means we leave to the Parliaments wisdom, whose property it is to determine and act maturely, Humbly beseeching them to perfect their kindness towards us, with this Charitable Belief, That it is our Nature to expect reasonably.  
FINIS.