THE humble PETITION OF THE INHABITANTS of the County of DORSET, PRESENTED TO HIS majesty AT RAGLAND THE 8th of JULY, 1645.  
WITH HIS MAJESTIES gracious Answer thereunto.  
OXFORD, Printed by Leonard Lichfield, Printer to the university. 1645.   

To the KING'S most Excellent MAjESTY. The Humble Petition of the distressed Protestant Inhabitants of the County of DORSET,  
Sheweth,  
THat the Petitioners, since these unhappy Civill Warres, having in a deeper measure then other Subjects of this kingdom, suffered by means of the many Garrisons within this little County,( they being ten in number) and the Armies yearly drawn into these parts by reason thereof, did lately hope( whilst the Treaty between Your Majesty and the two Houses of Parliament continued) once again to have been restored to the blessing of Peace▪ by an happy accommodation of the present differences without further effusion of Christian blood.  
But finding such their great hopes to be frustrate, and having too too just cause to fear that they are not yet brought to the extremity of miseries, which the continuance of this war will in all probability produce; and conceiving that nothing under God can reduce this miserable divided Nation unto any proportion of it's former happiness save only an unbloody accommodation,  
do most humbly beseech your most Excellent Majesty, to lend your favourable ear to the renewing of a Treaty for Peace, when it shall be proposed to Your Majesty by the two Houses of Parliament,( for the proposal whereof, the Petitioners have made their addresses unto them) that before this wretched kingdom, through the divisions and debility thereof, be made a Prey for a foreign Nation, such a Peace may be established therein, as may be for the glory of God, the maintenance of the true reformed Protestant Religion, Your Majesties royal Person, Honour and Estate, the Power and privileges of Parliament, and the lawful Rights and Liberties of your Subjects.  
And they likewise humbly beseech Your Majesty, that during such Treaty, Your Majesty will be graciously pleased to consent to a Cessation of arms on your Majesties part,( in case the said two Houses of Parliament shall do the same) that a Treaty tending to Peace may not proceed in Blood.  
But if Almighty God hath decreed the farther scourging of this Nation( being not hitherto fitted for so great a mercy, as the enjoyment of Peace) by the continuance of these Civill Warres, and by consequence thereof, a necessity ensue of keeping some of the Garrisons within this County for the defence of the same, Your distressed suppliants( who are not able any longer to subsist under the intolerable burden of contrary Commands of the said Garrisons, and of the Armies aforesaid) who by Contributions, Taxes, Free quarter and Plunder have scarcely left Your Petitioners sustenance for themselves▪ much less any ability of supplying the Souldiers farther necessities, or arbitrary demands,  
Most humbly beseech Your sacred Majesty, with your wonted eye of Clemency so to reflect upon the miseries of the Petitioners Your distressed Subjects of this Your County as to condescend to the entrusting in their hands, so many of Your Garrisons, held by any of Your Majesties forces therein, as shall be thought necessary to be continued( in case Your said Two Houses of Parliament shall upon Your Subjects Petition to them in that behalf do the like for the Garrisons in their hands) to be maintained at the charges of the Petitioners, and not by them to be delivered up unto any Person or Persons whatsoever, but unto such only as by the joint consent of Your Majesty, and the said two Houses of Parliament, shall be authorised to receive the same.  
And they humbly pray that, during their service in maintaining the said Garrisons. Your Majesty will be pleased graciously to exempt the Petitioners from all manner of Payments, and other Charges towards these Warres.  
And for as much as many wicked and lewd Persons▪ taking advantage of those times of distemper to the great dishonour of Almighty God, and scandal of Your Majesties Government, do daily commit many heinous offences against God and the established laws of this Your realm, and through want of execution of Justice escape unpunished.  
Your Petitioners farther humbly beseech Your most Excellent: Majesty, That the Acts of Parliament which stand unrep●●●●d may be presently put in Execution against the offenders, by such Officers as by the same Acts are enabled thereunto, without disturbance of those Officers in the due execution thereof▪ and that Your Majesty will be graciously pleased, that all such Persons as either are, or have been in arms, or otherwise assistant unto either Party in these unhappy Warres, may be permitttd( if they shalt desire it) to lay down their arms, and to return to their wonted Habitations, that the like favour to return may be granted unto all others who for fear of either Party have absented themselves from the places of their usual abode, or which by reason of their affection to either Party are imprisoned, or otherwise restrained of their liberty.  
And least any misconstruction may be made of Your Petitioners intents in assembling themselves at several places of this Your county.  
They humbly remonstrate unto Your Most Excellent Majesty, That their aims therein have been for no other ends, save onely to represent their great grievances by way of humble Petition to Your Sacred Majesty, and to the two Houses of Parliament, and to associate themselves( as they humbly conceive they lawfully may) for the maintenance of the true Reformed Protestant Religion, the preservation of their laws, Liberties, and Properties▪ against all Plunderers, and all other unlawful Violence, until it shall please Almighty God to put a period to these sad Distractions.  
Which that it may speedily be effected, Your Majesties most humble Petitioners with humble hearts and bended knees, shall not be wanting daily to invocate the God of Peace▪ and to pray for Your Majesties long and prosperous reign over Us.  
This Petition is subscribed by above ten Thousand of Your MAjESTIES loyal Subjects of this County, not in arms on either Party in the present Warres.  
This is a true Copy, as it was presented by us unto His MAjESTY, the 8th day of July, 1645.  


HENRY GOCHE.  
THO: young.  
PETER HOSKINS.  
THO: 〈◇〉▪     

At the Court at RAGLAND, July the 9th, 1645. By His Majesties special Directions and Command.  
HIS Majesty being himself so deeply afflicted with the Miseries and Calamities brought upon all His poor Subjects in general by this unnatural war, doth not at all wonder, that the grievous and most particular sufferings of the Inhabitants of the County of Dorset, should urge them to seek ease and relief, though by ways less regular, and being entirely persuaded that their intentions in their late assemblies, and in this their present address to His Majesty are full of Duty and Loyalty to His Person and Government, is so far from reprehending them, that He is very glad to find so many of His good Subjects united in a joint and hearty sense of the public, and that by this particular application of themselves to His Majesty they have afforded him the means to inform them more particularly of the Justice of His Cause, and of His sincere and constant desires and endeavours for Peace, then appears by their professed neutrality hitherto they have been; which that he may the better do, and that there may thereby be wrought a perfect union and Conjunction betwixt His Majesty and those who profess to be so sincerely affencted with the same Pious desires of the public good, His Majesty will very speedily sand unto the Petitioners, or unto such as they shall deputy within the said County, Persons further instructed in the Course of all His Majesties former proceedings, and of His present Resolutions, and in the mean time as an instance of His Gracious Intentions towards the Petitioners, He is pleased to give these particular Answers to their several desires.  
To the first, That when ever Propositions of Peace shall be made unto His Majesty by those at Westminster, His ears shall be always open unto them, and He not onely ready to receive them, but even to seek and solicit for them, when ever He can probably judge that they will not reject His Overture, whereof the Petitioners need make no doubt, His Majesty having neglected no occasion to invite them to a Treaty of Peace, the blessing whereof was never more to be implored of Almighty God, nor to be more industriously endeavoured by all good men, then at this time, when without it( as the Petitioners well observe) this Kingdom is likely to be made the prey of a foreign Nation; The Scots being at this present advanced with an Army so far into the heart of this kingdom, as already to threaten even the western parts; And His Majesty doth further promise in the Word of a King, that if a Treaty may be procured, He will seek no other Conditions of Peace then those mentioned by the Petitioners, that is, The glory of God in the maintenance of the true Reformed Protestant Religion, The just and inseparable Rights of the crown, The just Power and privileges of Parliament, and the lawful Rights and Liberty of the Subject; and all these, under none of those Ambiguous terms, whereby the contrary Party have deluded and misled so many of his good Subjects, pretending that they fight for the same, but making the known laws of the Land( which cannot deceive) the measure of each particular.  
To the second His Majesty doth promise, That, if a Treaty may be procured, He will earnestly desire a Cessation of Arms,( as he did in the last at Uxbridge, though to His great grief not consented unto by the other Party) to the end that a Treaty tending to Peace may not proceed in blood; And His Majesty desires the Book of the said Treaty at Uxbridge, be red to the Petitioners for their satisfaction in this Point, and the manifestation of His sincere desires of Peace.  
To the third, That in Case for the sins of the Nation, the obstinacy of the other Party cannot be overcome, but that His Majesty and His People must yet be further Scourged by Gods afflicting hand of war, that His Majesty is so deeply sensible of his Suppliants, and all His other good Subjects Sufferings, by Contributions, Taxes, Free-Quarter, and Plunder, that whatsoever can be done on His majesties part in the three first by all the moderation that can possibly be used, and to the latter, by the severest Iustice, shall be carefully and effectually endeavoured; As for the point of trusting in the Petitioners hands such of His Forts and Garrisons as shall be thought necessary to be continued, His majesty makes no doubt, but if Peace may not be procured, it shall so evidently appear unto the Petitioners, who have been the Authors, and are the Contrivers of their miseries, that they will prove the heartiest Champions of their King's, their own, and Gods Cause, and consequently be as fit Persons as any that His majesty can choose to be entrusted with what nearliest concerns His Safety, and their Protection▪ but for this particular, as also for the future maintaining of the said Garrisons, His majesty will by those whom he shall employ unto the Petitioners, advice with them of the time and manner how His Service may be done most to their satisfaction.  
And to the last, that the chief calamity of war is the silencing of the laws, and if it were possible, to uphold their due and current execution, the Sword could no longer Rage, but as farre-forth as it is possible, that Military affairs can be governed by legal inflictions on offenders, His Majesty is very desirous to give the Petitioners all imaginable satisfaction; but it being a matter of such intricacy, the particular way end Method of it, must be ripened by farther debate. As for the point of leave for all His Majesties misled Subjects, to lay down arms, and return to their habitations, there to live unquestioned, and unmolested, It is that whereunto His Majesty hath already many times given more then a permission, That is, a special invitation, by several gracious Proclamations, which for the Petitioners satisfaction be shall very willingly renew. As for the other part, which concerns those at present engaged in His majesties Service,& those under restraint, His majesty is too confident of the Petitioners affections to His and His Kingdoms Safety, to believe( while His Enemies are so strong,& daily forcing every man to take up arms against Him, and whilst a foreign Nation is in the bowels of the kingdom ready to devour it) that they would wish Him one man less in His Army, or one man more at Liberty to join with them.  
As for all such Persons as are absent from their homes, and not already engaged in His majesties Service, it shall be very acceptable to His majesty, that they return to their own homes, and tend the service and quiet of their Countries according to the Petitioners desire. And as for all Acts of Parliament and laws unrepealed in what concerns the Civill Government, as particularly for Assize, Sessions, and the like, The Petitioners undertaking the Protection of His majesties Ministers of Iustice, His majesty will issue His Commands unto them all respectively, to perform their constant duties, according to the established laws.  
GEORGE DIGBY.  
FINIS.