A DECLARATION OF HIS majesties royal PLEASVRE, Expressed in certain Ordinances by Him commanded to be put in practise, concerning the security of divers parts of this kingdom, Especially the City and County of Oxford, with the adjacent parts, from the violence of His Souldiers.  
 arms of Charles I 
C. R.  HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE dieu ET MON DROIT.  
First printed at Oxford by Leonard Lichfield, and now reprinted at London for JOHN RIVERS.   

A Declaration of His MAjESTIES royal Pleasure.  
WEe have with great grief of mind, and anguish, beholded the late troubles and tumultuous distempers which have swelled up above the banks of peace and allegiance, and drowned the whole kingdom in an Ocean of blood, rapines and oppressions; how much Wee have in all the time of Our reign sought and pursued the peace and safety of Our Subjects? those good laws by Us enacted for their preservation and benefit, do to the world give a luculent and true testimony. But in this lamentable time of civill war, which rages in the bowels of Our kingdom, and no Law, though of never so much Justice and Consequence to the public commodity is observed; no Statute in force, no Institution, though never so sacred, regarded; every man making his lust a law, his revenge a Law: and as it was with the Israelites, in the time they had no King, every man does what he pleaseth, which u●limited and confused licentiousness, if it be not( and suddenly) restrained and reduced within its channel, it will like a violent stream, when it hath overflowed its bounds, that terminate it within its current, threaten the whole Nation its peace and facility with a deluge. Into such a labyri●th of mischiefs are the affairs of this lately flourishing kingdom betrayed, that Our best clue of reason and discourse can scarce conduct Us out of i●.  
But in the greatest dangers are most 〈◇〉 the greatness of fortitude and wisdom, which are as much expressed in preventing perils that are imminent, as in resisting and suffering th●●● vali●●tly, when they are 〈◇〉 upon Us. And in this kind of prudence and courage for delivering Our Subjects from oppressions of the souldiers, Wee have neither been wanting to Our peoples safety, nor those whom Wee have entrusted, with the performance of Our Commands neglected their duties: But 'tis, and hath been in all wars, ancient and modern, a certain military licence usurped by the soldier, which Wee have no edict, though never so strict, can deter or restrain him from. And therefore Wee cannot expect but some misdemeanours must be committed by ours, though it be publicly known by Our late Declaration to that purpose, how averse such proceedings are to Our nature, and with what earnestness and severity Wee have prohibited such kind of insolences to be offered to any of Our Subjects, who, though some of them misled from their duties, have not performed the parts of Subjects towards Us; yet Wee shall never forget We are their King, and therefore their Protector from all outrages: but more especially Wee are engaged to have a particular and indulgent eye upon the good of this City of Oxford, where Wee have f●●ed. Our royal● residence for the time being, and to secure the peace of this and the adjoining Counties, as well from the violence and incursions of the Parliaments forces, which are near their borders, as also from any injury or rapine of Our own souldiers, as they are vulgarly termed Cavaliers.  
Our royal Pleasure therefore is, That the Sheriffes of Our Counties of Oxford, B●rks and Buckingham, and the other Counties, Our Justices of peace in the said Counties, as also Our adjoining Majors, bailiffs, and other Officers of towns Corporate, upon any notice of the approach of any of the adverse forces, to draw up in arms for their security against any such invasions, all the power of the said Counties or towns Corporate; and to make stout resistance against any that shall disturb the said Counties or towns Corporate, or seek to rob or pillage them or any of them, either of movables, Money, Plate, or cattle or any of their goods whatsoever, that it shall in such cases be lawful for any of Our good Subjects to kill,( or take prisoners, and then deliver them up to the justice of the Law) any such rebe●lious persons or felons that shall against Our laws in that case provided, presume to offer these and the like violences to any of Our good Subjects, persons or estates in the said Counties: and We do hereby command all Our Officers of war, in garrisons or billitted in the said Counties, upon all occasions, to be ready to assist and relieve the said Counties and towns Corporate, or any part of them, if any danger from the adverse forces shall approach them, under pain of Our royal displeasure, and having such punishments inflicted upon them as Our council of war in such cases shall think meet, according to the de●●●ent sodained by any of the said Counties through the negligence, cowardice, or default of any of Our Commanders or Souldiers. And for the better security and guard of the said Counties, their Inhabitants and goods, We shall in Our royal care, and by the advice of Our council of war, provide that such a convenient number of Our souldiers shall be billeted in most places of the said Counties, during Our abode in these parts, as shall neither be oppressive to the said Shires by reason of their multitude, nor yet shall suffer them to be oppressed by the opposite forces, which in civill wars, as in all others, will still be ready to watch all opportunities and advantages, whereby to infest or enclose Us: and because Our strength consists more in horse then in foot, Wee will allot and proportion a competent number of troops to be disposed in all these Counties, which joined with the Posse Comitatus, may divert and repel all dangers and detriments from Our good Subjects, which might fall on them from the Parliaments forces.  
And We do further signify Our royal pleasure to all Our Commanders and Souldiers that shall be disposed of as safeguards to the said Counties, that if at any time, or upon any occasion, be it want of pay, or whatsoever other pretence they bee to induce them thereunto, that none of them presume, either directly or indirectly to take any thing of any value from any of Our good Subjects, nor them any way, or by any means molest, but to demean themselves like honest and civill Subjects, and such as are constituted the preservers of the peace and quietness of the said places where they are billeted, and not as infringers thereof: Whosoever shall presume to break this Our royal command, shall incur such penalty as the heinousness of the fact doth deserve, both for the breach of Our laws, and the violation of the rights of hospitality. And this Our command stretcheth not onely to such places and persons, where, or with whom Our said forces are billeted, but to all other places within Our said Counties, and to all the persons of Our said Subjects, especially women and travellers, as Carriers, and the like, whom what soldier soever shal rob or plunder of any thing, or offer any violence to, which may be in terrorem vitae, shall surely upon proof of that fact suffer death for the same.  
And whereas We have for the present made Our good City of Oxford Our place of residence, Wee esteem ourselves engaged as well to secure the peace and affairs of the University and City against the violences and misdemeanours of Our own souldiers, as against the attempts and invasions of the adverse party. And for as much as dive●s of our Souldiers( notwithstanding all the Declarations of Our Pleasure to the contrary) have, as Wee have been credibly informed, committed divers abominable ou●rages in the towns of Abington, Alisburie, and other places in the said Counties: nay that some unruley Schollers, under pretence of his being a Malignant to Us, plundered the house of one Alderman Nickson in our city of Ox●ord, contrary to Our laws in that case provide●; Wee do hereby signify to all Our Soldiers, and others within our university and city of Oxford, that it is Our royal Pleasure, that no Soldier or other shall dare to plunder the house, or houses of any Inhabitant in this Our city, for any pretence whatsoever, under the penalty of suffering all the extremities of punishment, which the severity and Justice of Our laws hath provided for Felons and Burglarers. And Wee do hereby charge and command all Our Colonels, Lievtenant-Colonels, Sergeant Majors, Captaines and other Officers of Our army now resident in and about this university and city, to observe this Our charge with all strictness, and to intimate the same to all the Souldiers of their several Troops and Foot-Companies, that none of them hereafter( so offending) may pled ignorance for their excuse.  
Wee further certify to all Our said Officers, that Our royal Pleasure is, that by their own examples of sobriety and temperance, and by their authorities, if any need require, that they restrain and endeavour to avert all manner of quarrels betwtxt the Souldiers in this Our city of Oxford, it being now to be accounted as Our royal Court, and they merely as a Guard for Our Person, Our own Presidiarie Legions: And that the said Commanders do( as much as in them lies) for the restraint of their Souldiers, from all manner of cavil and contention, with any Inhabitant of this Our city, or Student of the university; intimating hereby, that Our royal Pleasu●e is, that any Student or Inhabitant, who shall be foully treated, or beaten, or reviled by any of Our Souldiers, shall upon complain●●●●e to the captain, of colonel of the said soldier so offending, have right done him for the said in●●urie, by the punishment of the soldier, according to the merit of his 〈◇〉 We also will and require all our Captaines, and all other superior and inferior Commanders, to abstain themselves from all manner of disorders, in or about our said city, especially from the bestial and unmanly 'vice of inordinate drinking, which by custom is grown to be too much used in our Nation, especially amongst those of the military Profession.  
Further, charging the said Commanders, to kind or as much as in them lies, the said intemperate excess in the souldiers. And We do hereby give all Our loving Subjects to understand, as well within Our said City and Counties adjoining, as in the rest of Our Dominions, That We have always ●●d, and so will ever have, as much true and tender surfe●● theirs as of Our own sufferings, and shall evermore study to keep them secure from all dangers, preserving, as Wee have often firmly declared and protested, their lives estates, and ancient liberty, from all oppression and invasions whatsoever, both during the time of these lamentable intestifie wars, and after, when it shall please heaven in its mercy ●o constitute and effect a faire reconcilement of all these sad and woeful distractions between ourself and Our high Court of Parliament; which We hope will be speedily, that this Nation so long time blessed( both in Our own precedent reign, and that of Our dear fathers of famous memory) with the fruits of peace, may again flourish in unity▪ peace and concord, which We hope the prayers of all Our good subjects do implore with Us may suddenly come to pa●●●; in which no care of Ours shall at any( time, or upon any occasion be wanting.  
FINIS.