A MESSAGE Sent from both Houses of Parliament to the Kings most excellent Majesty, the 16 of March 1641, Concerning special matters.  
 framed printer's device of John Norton, featuring a fleur-de-lis (McKerrow 267) 
IN DOMINO CONFIDO   
LONDON, Printed for John frank, and are to be sold at his shop next door to the Kings head in Fleetstreet, 1642.   

May it please your Majesty,  
YOur Majesties most humble and faithful Subjects, the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses of the Commons House of Parliament, having considered your Majesties Reply to their Answer, touching such persons as have been licensed by your majesty to pass into Ireland, do most humbly beseech your majesty to believe, that they shall always with thankfulness and joy receive from your Majesty any satisfactory Answer to their just requests: And, as they hope, they shall find in your Majesty a readiness to rectify those things, which have been done to their prejudice, so will they bee careful to remove all apprehensions of their Actions or Speeches, which may seem to cast any dishonour upon your Majesty.  
For your Majesties better satisfaction concerning the positive affirmation, that many of the chief Commanders now in the head of the Rebels( after the Ports were stopped by order of both houses) have been suffered to pass by your Majesties immediate warrant. May it please your Majesty to consider that herein they have affirmed nothing but what they had cause to believe was true, the grounds whereof they humbly present to your Majesty.  
The first ground is this, that both Houses of Parliament,( having upon your Majesties commendation taken into their care the suppression of the Rebellion of Ireland) had reason to be especially watchful over the Ports, because the Rebels abounding in numbers of men for the most part ignorant of the use of their arms could by no means become dangerous or formidable to this kingdom, but by the access of Souldiers and Commanders, wherewith they were like to be furnished either out of France or Planders, from both which places the passage into Ireland is speedy and easy through this kingdom, and thereof they could not choose but be very sensible of whatsoever gave liberty or opportunity to such a passage, as of a very hurtful and dangerous grievance, for prevention whereof they did upon the seventh of November agree upon an Order and restrain all passage into Ireland, but upon due and strict examination by such persons as were trusted to make those Licences.  
A second ground that the other Licence granted to the Lord Delvin, and then acknowledged by your Majesties Answer, were such( both in regard of the persons to whom they were granted, and the extent of the words in which they were granted,) as were apt to produce such an effect as is mentioned in that positive Affirmation, that is, to open a way for the passage of Papists and other dangerous persons to join with the Rebels, and to bee Heads and Commanders amongst them, which is thus proved.  
The Warrant granted to colonel Butler,( since the order of restraint by both Houses of Parliament) did extend to all Ports of England and Scotland, and did give free passage to himself and to his Company, without any qualification of persons, or Limitation of Number, and this colonel was himself a Papist, had a Brother in Rebellion, and general of the Rebels in Munster, was expected, and very much desired by those Rebels, who for a long time kept a Regiment to be commanded by him, as we have been credibly informed.  
The second was granted to a son of the Lord Nettersfield, which Lord had four sons in England since the Rebellion, one of which is settled in England, three others intended to pass into Ireland, and were all dangerous persons being Papists, bread in the Wars, in the service of the King of spain, and one of them lately become a Jesuit.  
The third to the Lord Delvin extends to himself, and four persons more unnamed, that one of those who should have past with him is taken to bee a jesuit, and another who calls himself Ploncket, seems to be a man of some breeding and quality, and like to have been serviceable to the Rebels, and to have done mischief, if he had gone over.  
The fourth to Sir George Hamilton, and three more unnamed; This Gentleman is likewise a professed Papist, and may be doubted to be of the party of the Rebels, one of that Name being mentioned in the instructions of Sempill the Jesuit, amongst divers other dangerous persons of the popish party in Scotland and Ireland, which instructions were found in a ship stayed in Cornwall, which was going into Ireland with divers Jesuits, souldiers, and others for the encouragement of the Rebels.  
A third ground is this, That by virtue and Authority of these Licences, several persons have passed over, which are now in actual Rebellion, and joined with the Rebels, and some have command amongst them which is thus proved.  
One captain Sutton, did by virtue and Authority of your Majesties Licence embark at White-haven, in the Coompany of Colonel Butler, and was driven back by foul weather; Whereupon the colonel stayed, and went to Chester, but that captain reimbarqued himself in the same bottom, and passed into Ireland, where he went into Rebellion with the Lord Dunsany, and hath since obtained the place of a colonel amongst the Rebels, as we are very credibly informed.  
Two of the sons of the Lord Nettersfield, one a jesuit, and the other a soldier, passed into Ireland in December last, both of them by virtue of your Majestes Warrant, as we have cause to believe, for that they went both together in one Ship, and the Licence acknowledged to be granted by your Warrant must needs be granted to one of them, seeing the other Brother, who lately endeavoured to pass over, did produce no Licence, and upon his Examination doth absolutely deny that he had any.  
A fourth ground( which we humbly offer to your Majesty) is this, That your Majesty cannot be assured that no other did pass upon your Licence, as your Majesty doth conceive, and are pleased to express in your Answer, and that we had great cause to believe that divers other had passed over by your Warrant, besides the persons afore-mentioned, and that for these reasons;  
1. Because we received such a general Information, that divers now in the head of the Rebels were passed by your Majesties Licence, which being true in part, and easy ●o be effected, in regard of the Nature and extent of the Warrants, and probable to be attempted, in regard of the subtlety and vigilancy of that party, to make use of all advantages, seemed to deserve credit, which we should not have given to it, if it had been a naked information without such circumstances.  
2. Because wee had concurring Advertisements from Ireland and Chester, that divers Priests, jesuits, and popish Commanders had passed over, and were landed there, and particularly some of colonel Butlers Company, and that the Officers of the Ports had kept no entry of the names of these persons, or of the Warrants by which they were transported.  
These we hope will be sufficient to persuade your Majesty to believe, that as we had some cause to give credit to the said Informations, so we had no intention to make any ill use of them to your Majesties dishonour, but did impute the blame to your Ministers, who might have been more careful to have informed your majesty of the Quality of those persons name in your Licences, and so to have limited them, that they might not have extended to others, as they did, how many and dangerous soever.  
And they pray your Majesty to rest assured, that they shall always be tender of your Honour and reputation with your good Subjects, and for this cause have made this true Declaration of the full state of this matter, that they may think no otherwise of it then the truth,& in all things shall labour to establish a good understanding and confidence, betwixt your majesty, and your people, which they hearty desire, and pray for, as the chiefest means of preserving the Honour, safety, and prosperity of your majesty, and your kingdom.  
FINIS.