A DECLARATION Of the LORDS and COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT: For the prevention of a most horrid, wicked and unnatural design, pursued by Sir Ralph Hopton and his adherents, Rebells and Traytors, in a warlike manner in cornwall, and Devon, whereby ruin and destruction is now threatened by the welsh, and others of that hellish& accursed Crew to the County of Somerset, and the adjacent Counties, who are therefore hereby authorized to employ the moneys raised there upon the Parliaments Propositions, for defence of themselves.  
With an Ordinance of both Houses for the Assessing of Malignants in the said County of Somerset, and the parts adjacent  

Die Sabbathi, 28 Ian. 1642.  
ORdered by the Lords and Commons Assembled in Parliament, that this Declaration and Ordinance shall be forthwith Printed and Published.  
John brown, clear. Parliament.   
Ian. 30. Printed for John Wright in the Old Bailey. 1642.   

Die Veneris, 27. januarii, 1642.  
WHereas his Majesty, by the advice and instigation of a wicked council about his Person, hath raised Forces against the Parliament, and hath Actually made war against his great council, and his good Subjects of the Kingdom, which Forces so raised by his Majesty, for the most part are consisting of Papists, notorious Delinquents, and other Malignant persons, by whom the well-affected of this kingdom are ruinated in their estates,& divers Outrages committed upon their persons; And forasmuch as Sir Ralph Hopton and his Adherents, Rebells and Traytors, combining together in pursuance of this most horrid, wicked, and unnatural design, hath levied divers Forces in the County of Corn-Wall, and in a warlike manner already entred into the County of Devon, and Besieged, Robbed, Spoyled, Plundered, and Pillaged, divers towns and places in the said County, and divers Rapes, Murders, and other misdemeanours, have acted and committed upon divers of his Majesties good Subjects there, and many of them hath utterly destroyed; And forasmuch as that now ruin and Destruction is threatened, not only by that Hellish and accursed Crew, but also by the welsh, and other Forces raised by his Majesty, and in his name, to the County of Somerset, and other the adjacent Counties, the said Counties also being in danger by the Invasion of a foreign Enemy, For prevention whereof, amongst other the said Counties, the well-affected and good Subjects in the said County of Somerset, for defence of themselves and the western parts, against all such their Enemies, Rebels and Traytors, having associated themselves, and raised divers Forces both of Horse and Foot, which must be maintained upon the public charge, The Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, do Order, Declare, and ordain, that the Receivers for the Subscriptions appoynted for the County of Somerset, upon the Propositions for raising of Horse, Money, and Plate, for the defence of the King, Kingdom, and parliament and all Collectors, Subcollectors, and others entrusted, for the levying and receiving of the said Collections, and the said Propositions, in and for the said County of Somerset, shall forthwith pay in all such sum and sums of Money as by them or any of them hath been Collected and received, and not paid into the Treasurers in London according to the said Ordinance, for the Propositions as aforesaid, unto John ash Esquire, and Roger Hill of Taunton Gentleman, Treasurers hereby appoynted to receive the said sums so raised and levied as aforesaid, upon the said Ordinance for Subscriptions as aforesaid, to be employed to the uses and purposes limited and appoynted b● the said Ordinance, for Subscriptions upon the said Propositions, and to no other use, ●ntent, or purpose, And that the said moneys so Subscribed, raised, and gathered as aforesaid shall not be issue out by the said Treasurers hereby appoynted, but by Warrant to them made by the Right Honourable the now earl of Stamford, Sir John Horner, Sir Thomas wrath, Sir Francis Popham, Alexander Popham, Hugh Rogers, Christopher Walker, William Strode, Richard coal, John Frances, John Harrington, ●ohn Hippesley, lames ash, John ash, John Pi●e, Henry Stamford, William seaborn, Thomas H●ppesley, Henry henly, John Preston, William Long▪ or any three or more of them under their hands and seals, shall limit, appoint, and declare, And that the Warrant or Warrants of the persons aforesaid, or of any three or more of them in manner as aforesaid, for the issuing out of the said moneys, together with the Acquittance or Acquittances from the Person or Persons which shall be appoynted by the persons aforesaid, or any three or more of them, for the receipt of the said Sum or sums of Money according to this Ordinance, shal be a sufficient discharge to the Treasurers hereby name, for so much as shall be 〈◇〉 in such Acquittance or Acquittances for the issuing out and payment of the said sum or sums of money respectively, And that the Treasurers shall not at all pay any sum or sums of Money to be by them received upon any other direction, Warrant, or Command whatsoever. And further it is Ordered and Declared, that the said Receivers appoynted by virtue of the said Ordinance for the Propositions, who were thereby required to pay or cause to be paid the said moneys by them received, to the Treasurers in London name in the said Propositions, for so much of the said moneys as the● shall pay to the Treasurers hereby nominated and appoynted for the County of Somerset as aforesaid, having their or either of their respective Acquittance or Acquittances, shall be discharged, any Act or thing heretofore made to the contrary notwithstanding,  
Provided that this Ordinance shall not extend to impeach or diminish any Order or Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament formerly made, for disposing of any of the said moneys, or other Orders made to the town of Taunton, or other place in the said County of Somerset, having thereby obtained an Allowance for Fortifications out of their own respective Subscriptions and Contributious upon the said Propositions.   

Veneris, 27. januarii, 1642.  
WHereas Sir Ralph Hopton, and his Adherents, Rebels and Traytors, combining together, hath levied war against the Parliament, and hath in a warlike manner already entered into the County of Devon, and besieged, robbed, spoyled, plundered,& pillaged divers Towns and places, in the said County, and divers cruel and barbarous murders, rapes, and other notorious out-rages hath committed and done in the said County, upon divers of his majesties good Subiects, and many of them hath utterly ruined and destroyed; and forasmuch as the like danger and destcuction is threatened to the County of Somerset, by the said Rebels and Traytors, who have a great party in the said County of Somerset, that are Persons ill-affected: It is therefore Ordered and Ordained by the Lords and Commons Assembled in Parliament, and by the Authority of the same, That Sir John Horner, Sir Francis Popham, Sir Thomas wrath, Sir George farewell Knights, Alexander Popham, Hugh Rogers, Christopher Walker, John Harrington, John Hippesly, John Francis, Rich. coal, William Strode, John Pine, Henry henly, John Preston, james ash, John Ash, Henry Stamford, Wil. seaborn, Tho. Hippesly, and will. Long Esquires, or any three or more of them, or any three or more of such honest able and sufficient, as any three or more of the Persons afore mentioned shall by their Warrants under the Hands nominated and appointed Assessors, shall assess, Rate, and Charge such Person and Persons, Inhabitants or others, residing and abiding in the said County, as are of ability, and have not contributed to the Propositions, for the raising of Horse, Money, or Plate, for the defence of the King and Parliament, formerly agreed upon by both Houses of Parliament, and other such as have contributed, but not according to their Abilities, to pay such sum or sums of money according to their Estates, as the said Assessors, or any three of them shall think fit and reasonable, so as the same exceed not the twentieth part of their Estates; and if any person so Assessed shall refuse to pay the Money so to be assessed upon him, in such manner, and at such times and places, as by the said Assessors or any three of them shall be required and appointed, it shall be lawful to and for the said Assessors above name, or any three of them, to grant Warrants to any Person or Persons under their hands and seals to leave all and every such sum or sums so Assessed, by any way of distress, and sale of the goods of such Person or Persons so assessed, and refusing, restoring the overplus it any shall be, to him or them that shall be so d●strained, and if any Person so distrained shall make resistance, it shall be lawful to, and for the said Assessors above name, or any three of them, by their warrant, to require the Parliament Forces in those parts, and all other his majesties Officers and good Subiects to be aiding and assisting in the premises, the said sums so Assessed and levied to be paid unto John ash Esquire, and Roger Hill of Taunton, Gentleman, Treasurers hereby appointed to receive the said sums so to be raised and levied as aforesaid, and that the money so raised, shall not be issued out, but by Warrant to the said Treasurers, under the hands of three or more of the said Assessors above name, and such Person or Persons as shal be notoriously refractory and disobedient in the premises, or have not sufficient 〈◇〉 to be taken, it shall be lawful for the Assessors above name, or any two of them▪ by their Warrant under their Hands and seals, to commit him or them to some common goal, there to remain until payment be made of such sum or sums of Money upon him or them so Assessed, or to sand them up to the Parliament, by Ship or otherwise: and for any Act or thing done or to be done, according to the tenor of this Ordinance, they and every of them before name, and all and every other person or persons by them employed in the Execution of this said Ordinance, shall be saved harmless by authority of both Houses of Parliament,   
FINIS.