HIS majesties DECLARATION AND final Resolution Concerning the Petition of the Honourable the City of London, to the Lords of His privy council: Wherein is set down his Majesties determination, by way of an absolute Answer to the said Petition.  
 framed printer's device of Leonard Lichfield, featuring the crest of the University of Oxford (not in McKerrow) 
SAPIENTIA ET FELICITATE   
Printed at Oxford by Leonard Lichfield, Printer to the university. 1643.   

His Majesties Declaration and final Resolution concerning the Petition of the honourable City of London.  
My Lords,  
WEe are very well assured this our whole kingdom is in a muse and expectation what will be the success of the Petition, which the Agents of Our capital City of London presented us with, in the name and behalf of the Mayor, Aldermen, Common council, and the inhabitants in general of Our said City: who with willing and obedient hearts desire Us in all humility, that a faire Accommodation of peace may be between Our Parliament and Us suddenly fixed that by that means all those disorders which grow up by the licentiousness and misdemeanours of this Civill war, may be utterly abrogated and taken away from the face of the English earth, that the purity of Gods true Religion may be settled, and so re-flourish in Our Deminions, free from all the spots and deformities of schism and heresy,( which surely is the readiest way to avert the heavy wrath of the Almighty from this kingdom and people; and finally, that all distensions by a happy union may be abolished, and the sound of war bee no more heard in our borders. Propositions as just and honest they be, as full of advantage and utility to ourself, and to you( my Lords) as to all this kingdom; and therefore seriously to be considered, and with mature judgement. We are sorry that overruled by the persuasions of some, We have rendered them an answer more full of rigour and sharpness then might be suitable to their expectation and hopes, which We believe fed them with a certainty, that We would not decline any propositions for peace with Our high Court of Parliament; and since We have had a mighty conflict within ourself, for not satisfying them in all their just demands, without reservation or fixing upon the nomination of several persons of the most signal Citizens. For when We rightly weigh what ill blood this may breed in the whole City,( the most rich and powerful of all Our kingdoms) and not onely in that, but in the rest of Our Cities and towns, when they shall hear the chief City of Our kingdom petitioning Us for peace, was received with no better entertainment or countenance from Us, then the proscription as it were of some of their ablest and most useful members, as men liable to guilt and delinquency. What expectation can other Cities and Corporations of meaner consequence have, that We will receive any supplications or entreaties for peace from them, when they are certainly advertised that the City of London sped so ill in their svit which truly was very modest and full of loyalty.  
Some of you perhaps carried away with the heat of passion and zeal to Our honour, will be apt to answer, that it would derogate from the Majesty of a King as We are, to receive as it were laws from Our subjects and yield to such propositions as they have laid before Us, for an Accommodation of peace betwixt ourself and Our high Court of Parliament: that We may, securely confiding on the number and abilities of Our Army, and the good affections of such of Our subjects as adhere to Us, assume the property to ourself of setting down such Articles of Peace to them as they shall necessary embrace, as it were by compulsion, from Us. Flatter yourselves none of you with this opinion, which is both repugnant to Our reason and the inbred propension We have to the welfare of all Our subjects, especially to Our good City of London nay, to Our interest in the hearts and affections of Our people, which are the best and truest Prerogative that can be inherent in any sovereign.  
Wee know Our high Court of Parliament to be the supreme council of Our kingdom, the strongest and firmest pillar on which Our Ancestors have always relied and trusted in; and that trust hath seldom or never either abused or deceived: Wee see Our City of London, the main nerve that knits together the strength of this realm, wholly at their devotion and service, freely exposing their unexhausted wealth, nay, their lives and persons to the defence of their undertakings, out of a settled and confirmed opinion, derivative from their forefathers, that the Parliament will do nothing prejudicial to Our Prerogative, or the trust reposed in them( by the Votes of the whole Common-wealth;) and this innated inclination to Our high Court of Parliament not to be in them onely, but in the general heart of all Our Subjects, who as far as in their abilities, in many, especially the adjacent Counties to Our said City, do with free consent follow the Londoners examples, contributing liberally out of their Estates, and offering their persons willingly to serve them in their warres, which they do confidently believe are undertaken for the preservation of the fundamental laws of this kingdom, the perfection of their Franchises and Liberties, causes which are so powerful and prevalent over all mens minds and intentions, as they will rather endure all hazards that can happen to their lives and estates, then any way recede from them as long as these tumults and domestic troubles shall continue.  
Besides, We have daily sad experience of the ill success of Our own, and happy event of the Parliaments undertakings, which are mighty motives to confirm and strengthen men in their opinion of the Justice of the Parliaments proceedings; Our forces under my Lord of Newcastle receiving the worst in the North from the Lord Fairefax: and which is more of consequence because it is nearer to Our City of London, and so the truth of it more perspicuous, Our good City of Chichester, the chief of Our County of Sussex, which was well manned and fortified for Us, taken away in an instant from Us by the Parliaments forces under the command of Sir William Waller( who had the like success before at Portsmouth against colonel Goring) without any siege at all; so that he may in respect of that victory, use Cesars Adage, of veni vidi vict; and that the like event will happen to the other towns Wee have fortified, will be absolutely believed by the success of this, in the loss whereof the whole County of Sussex( which for its vicinity to Our city of London, and the number of its Inhabitants, had been very material for Us) is fallen from Our party: Nor are these half the strengths attendent on Our Parliament; they have an able and well ordered Army in these parts at their devotion, and running forces in every place near Us under their several colonels and Commanders; so that their running Armies are continually ready to take in any town that shall stand for Us. The navy is at their dispose, and now at Sea strongly manned, to prevent and impeach( if any such were coming towards Us) their arrival here, or intercept them in their passage, which is a main and huge advantage to their proceedings: And which to them is most material of all, they have the peoples hearts, who believe all the injuries and oppressions that have befallen them in these late civill warres, to be derivatives from Us, because Wee have refused so many and faire. Propositions so often and humbly tendered Us by Our Parliament, and now by Our City of London, for a speedy Accommodation of peace.  
Then if Wee join to these considerations of their strengths and advantages the known and certain notice of Our weakness, We shall be esteemed very improvident and careless as well of Our own good, as the welfare of Our Subjects, if We do not instantly embrace their Propositions of Peace.  
Tis true, Wee have an Army of brave and valiant men, but the other surpasseth Ours in number, and perhaps equals them in bravery, as the late successses they have had amply testifies. We want, and so are likely to do, moneys to defray the charge, Our Army is neither well furnished with arms nor ammunition, benefits which they may justly boast of, even to superfluity, having the City of London and Our Magazine at the Tower there at their command, the country thereabouts being utterly unable to maintain Our Army any long time with provisions, and to depart hence into any other remoter Counties, is to very little purpose, they having already tasted the extremities of this war, and by it left bare and naked of any more plenty of provisions then will suffice their own Inhabitants.  
These two considerations judiciously weighed and conjoined with the entreaties of our good Subjects, who have too long been oppressed with the hostility and rapine of the Armies, the glory of God, and the anvancement of his due worship added to all these former motives, We with ourselves set down this determinate resolution, concerning the late Petition of Our city of London to Us for an Accommodation of peace between ourself and parliament, that since the answer before given to the said Petitioners reflective on the persons of some principal men of the City, which may breed a distaste and dislike in the whole City, considering the interests those persons have in the same, that We will harken to the said Propsitions of Our City, vowing, and utterly declining the said persons afore nominated in that Our Answer, that so there may be a sudden Accommodation betwixt Us and Our high Court of Parliament, and so return with honour and safety to Our own Palace at London; that all distractions and differences may be taken away, and peace propagated and promoted through Our whole Dominions, to Our own comfort, and the joy of all Our Subjects, which certainly should be all your wishes as well as Ours, none of you being able to boast of his gettings by these so lamentable and unnatural warres, which We shall endeavour to conclude with a happy union between ourself and Parliament, for the satisfaction of all Our good Subjects, especially Our late Petitioners of Our City of London.  
FINIS.