Arguments and Reasons mentioned in the Petition unto the Right Honourable Assembly of the Commons house in Parliament, exhibited by thousands of Carpenters, smiths, conductor, glaziers, Painters, and other handicrafts men.  
Declaring, first why houses ought to be repaired in the cities of London and Westminster with the suburbs.  
Secondly, also why Forefronts in new building in the said cities and suburbs ought to bee done with Timber, and not with ston and brick, howbeit notwithstanding former Proclamations to that effect: whereby it may justly appear the Kings majesty hath been abused, and the cities of London and Westminster likewise greatly wronged.  
First, for repairing.  
Secondly, for Forefronts of Timber.  

FIrst. It doth undo many that can repair their houses, but not new build them.  
Secondly. Whereas five or ten, pound will make a house serve for thirty or forty yeares, three or four hundred pound will not new build that.  
Thirdly. It hath and will be a means to waste abundance of Timber, when houses must be pulled down before they need.  
Fourthly. If a man take a Lease for twenty one yeares, and if the houses stand not above fourteen or sixteen yeares, must be repaired, and being denied repairing, the house must either fall, or else the building will be chargeable for the remainder of the yeares besides the breach of Covenants contrary to Law.  
Fifthly. If a cavilling Tenant be not disposed to repaired his house according to his Covenants, but to wrong the Landlord will complain the Commissioners for buildings, and so haue it pulled down when reasonable reparations will serve.  
Sixthly. By this occasion many thousands haue been cast out of employments in their lawful callings, and by this means many haue perished. But further most honourable Assembly, there lieth hidden a secret mystery of mischief, and that in two respects generally, now used in these forefronts, made with brick and ston: first, in regard of the present use of it: secondly, in regard of restraint of fire.  

Of the present use there are five particulars to be considered.  
First. shops can not be altered forevery Mans Trade in ston, or brick, as it can with Timber.  
Secondly. It takes up a great deal of more room then Timber doth, and shop room is precious.  
Thirdly. Thereby shops cannot be so lightsome as it will be with Timber.  
Fourthly. shops or forefronts cannot be repaired as it may with Timber.  
Fifthly. Forefronts cannot stand without much banding of Timber.   

In the second general for restraint of fire where there are four particulars to be considered.  
First. If a house be on fire, there is no way to quench it but by pulling it down, and fire hooks in Brick-worke can pull away no no more then they take hold on. So that many houses may be burnt before one can be pulled down.  
Secondly. The brick and ston being hote will fly, and endanger any that shall come to quench such fires.  
Thirdly. The extremity of the heat of the house burning will set on fire the next house through the Bricke-walls, they being so thin, and banded with Timber so thick as they are, and of necessity must be, or else it will soon crack and be ruinated.  
Fourthly. Whereas the houses of London and Westminster do stand so close together as they do, put the case if all the forefronts were built with ston and brick, if the Papists( who are Arch enemies of God and his truth, and so consequently against their Christian King and country) should set on fire but one of those houses in their wonted, malicious, and privy Conspiracy and treachery, there is no means to quench this fire, until all the houses adjoining through that street, lane, alley, or yard, were burnt down, the insides and the goods consume●, and the forefront stand, not onely reasons before recited, but also woeful experience both here and elsewhere hath proved it to be so.  
Wherefore most Honourable Assembly, may it please you, that whereas the Mystery of this Cause lieth in our Element to consider. And seeing that every particular workman doth give his Workemaster his opinion, what may be best in the matter and manner of repairing and building; So wee take that to be our bound and duty to give you to understand, what and how materials are to be placed in the best manner of building for safety or restraint of fire, as also for benefit and Ornament, as followeth.  
First. For restraint of fire, and safety in buildings in London and Westminster, is with brick between house and house, and backward against any house, and Timber forefronts for these causes ensuing.  
First. There will be more room for strength of people to come to quench the fire.  
Secondly. If the Summers of the floors, which is the principal fuel of such fires, be framed into the Timber forefronts, then set fire-hookes unto the mainest pieces of the same forefronts, and pull them away, the floors will also fall, and beat out the force of the fire suddenly.  
Thirdly. There will be more water brought to quench such fires( being underhand) in one hour, then will or can be in four houres, the fire being on the vpper part of the fired house.  
Fourthly. It will save abundance of goods that may be in those fired houses, as Money, Plate, brass, Pewter, Iron, and other household stuff, though disfigured, yet not consumed, as it will be in brick forefronts.  
Fifthly. The Timber forefronts being pulled down, and the back or sides being of brick, will remain good to re-edify again.  
Sixthly. It will be a means to save neighbours howls from being set on fire, from pulling down, and their goods spoyled and wasted.  
Seventhly. It will be a means to save much goods from being stolen by wicked wretches, that come more to steal, and get pillage, then to help to master the fire.  
Eightly. This manner of building fires will thereby be mastered and quenched without hazarding of mens limbs and lives by breaking of ladders, and falling from tops of houses.  
And so much for safety and restraint of fire.    

Now for the manner of standing of Forefronts three things are to be considered.  
First. Forefronts of Timber to stand vpon the old Foundation, will be the more room for Coaches and Carts to pass along the Streets and Lanes.  
Secondly. It will be a means to avoid future differenes between Prince and Subiects.  
Thirdly. The first story to iutt out about a foot and a half, thereby to haue the less pentishing over shops, and all stories after to go upright without iutting.  

Now for Ornament.  
First. Cant windows are best being workemanlike handled, and not iutt out at foot, but standeth vpon Cattooses, with other appurtenances belonging to Forefronts: experience may teach us that Timber Forefronts are most beautiful, and of longest durance.  
Secondly. Cant windows are best for prospect, for air, and for light, so they range not one further forth then the other.  
objection. But ston and brick do save Timber for ships.  
answer. First. fir Timber hath been at a cheaper rate then our Timber, and will last near two hundred yeares, being always wet or dry.  
Secondly. The fetching of it increaseth ships and Mariners.  
Thirdly. That is profitable to the Kings custom.  
Fourthly. Iron Mills do wast abundance of Timber.  
Fifthly. The Statute for preservatiue of Timber is neglected.    

And thus having endeavoured the common good of the two famous cities with their Inhabitants, craving your acceptance, wee commend these things to the blessing of God, and your wise considerations.