THat this particular County, moſt affectionate to your Majeſties ſervice, hath well nigh for theſe three yeeres laſt paſt been the ſtage, whereon the Tragicall miſeries, which neceſſarily accompany warre and Armies, have beene preſented and acted, whereby the generall wealth and plenty of this County is exhauſted and brought very low: Which waight of miſeries are ſenſibly become much more heavie, by reaſon of your Majeſties diſtance in reſidence, and difference in Counſels, from your Great Councell the Parliament; begetting great diſtempers and diſtractions throughout the Kingdome, and have ſpecially amongſt us produced factions and diviſions, drawing into theſe parts great numbers of diſcontented perſons, that may too juſtly be feared do ••• ect the publike ruine, for their private advantage. All which evils are daily fomented, and made more formidable, by your Ma •• ſties drawing together (as we conceive not according to Law) many Companies of the Trained Bands, and others both Horſe • nd Foot, of this County; and retaining multitudes of Commanders and Cavaleers from other parts; and by the daily reſort of • ecuſants, and perſons diſaffected in Religion, to your Majeſties Court at Yorke; and by the great preparation of Armes, and other warlike proviſions, which begets in us fears of Warres, to the great terrour and amazement of us, your Majeſties peaceable Subjects; and to the great decay of all Commerce and induſtrious Courſes, for the wealth and proſperity of the Country, eſpecially of Cloathing, which is the maine ſubſiſtence of this County, and is ſince your Majeſties reſidence amongſt us, and the following diſtractions thereupon, ſuddenly obſtructed; inſomuch that many thouſand families, who are of, and have their liveli • ood by the Trade of Cloathing, are now at the point of utter undoing; which inevitably will prove to be of dangerous conſe • uence, and will be the in-let to our approaching and unavoidable ruine, unleſſe your Majeſty pleaſe gratiouſly to give redreſſe, • y removing the cauſes which produce theſe miſerable effects, it being too true, that very many, in theſe and other parts of the • ingdome, doe wholly withdraw themſelves from their former Commerce and Dealing: and others, both Merchants and Chap •• n, doe now generally refuſe to make payment for Goods long ſince ſold and delivered; alledging, that others refuſe to pay • hem for any Commodity formerly ſold, till the feares and diſtractions of the Land be ſetled: Which if not ſuddenly prevented, • ill forthwith over-turne all ſuch wayes of advantage and comfort as have formerly made this Kingdome (and this County in • articular) proſperous and happy.

We do therefore in all humility and duty, in the ſence of our preſent deplorable condition, beſeech your Majeſty to pardon Vs, if We importune Your Majeſty more than others, ſince We have endured and are in hazard more than any; and that from theſe apprehen •• ons, we may offer to Your Majeſty our earneſt Petition, for redreſſe and prevention of theſe evills daily threatning danger to • our Majeſty, and deſtruction to us; which we conceive is impoſſible any other way to be effected, than by Your Majeſties entertai • ing a right underſtanding betwixt Your Self and Parliament, and affording Your Gracious eare and conſent to ſuch counſels and • ropoſitions, as ſhall be tendered by them to Your Majeſty, for the honour and greatneſſe of Your Majeſty and Poſterity, and the • ood of this Church and Kingdom, and by Your Maieſties declining all other Counſels whatſoever, and uniting Your confi • ence to Your Parliament: and that Your Maieſty would in no way think fit to put us upon that rock of dividing the duty we owe to Your Majeſty, Your Parliament, and the whole Kingdome, to which we are ſo deeply engaged by our Proteſtation, • hich Your Majeſty (to our knowledge) never diſſented from, nor declared againſt; and that whilſt Your Maieſtie expects our ••• formance in one part thereof, wee may not (being equally engaged) impeach at all, or in the leaſt degree goe leſſe •• an our duty in the other, (which wee ſtand reſolved of) by no meanes either of feare or favour to bee drawne to • oe: and that Your Maieſty would take into conſideration, that Your Parliament being the ſupreame Judicatory of • our Kingdome, the very eſſence thereof muſt of very neceſſity be deſtroyed, if their Counſels and determinations bee •• biected to alteration, or reverſall, by the Counſells or opinions of any private perſons, how learned or judicious ſoever; and ſeeing your Majeſty hath paſſed an Act, that this Parliament ſhall not bee diſſolved, or adjourned, without conſent of your Majeſty and both Houſes, Wee humbly beſeech your Majeſty to take into your gracious and provident thoughts, that nothing may be done tending thereunto, and that the Lords and great Officers now called hither by your Majeſties command, may ſpeedily returne to the high Court of Parliament, whereby it may be evident to the world, that your Majeſty intends not to decline the Law ſo enacted; and that ſince your Maieſty hath graciouſly declared your confidence in the affections of this County, Your Maieſty would not thinke it fit an extraordinary Guard ſhould bee raiſed thereout, and the Cavaliers, and others of that quality ſtill continued about your Maieſty as men moſt uſefull, and as if kept for ſome deſigne; they not having (for ought we know) either intereſt in, or affections to the publique good, their language and behaviour ſpeaking nothing elſe but diviſion and war, and their advantage conſiſting in that which is moſt deſtructive to others. And laſtly, that ſince your Majeſty hath called in this County to attend your Maieſty this day, your Petitioners doe moſt humbly ſupplicate, that none either Cavaliers, or others, (who in truth have not preſent fortunes in this County, may bee admitted into any meeting this day, concerning the publique buſineſſe thereof, or hereafter into any preſent Vote, or Conſultation, when any further meeting may be, to prepare and conſider of ſome fit anſwer to what your Majeſty ſhall propound; we humbly conceiving it neither juſt nor equall (but a thing to be proteſted againſt) that any whoſoever ſhould be thruſt upon us, as men of this County, that are not either by their fortune or reſidence any part of us.

And now your Petitioners doe even heartily pray, that the God of Heaven (in whoſe hand are the hearts of Kings) would this day incline your Majeſties heart ſeriouſly to conſider theſe preſent and imminent miſeries that this your Kingdome now groanes under; in the peace whereof (viſibly under God) conſiſts the preſervation of the Proteſtant Religion, the redemption of our Brethren in Ireland, and the eſtabliſhment of that Kingdome to your Majeſty and Poſterity, from thoſe deſperate and unparaleld Rebels; that ſo your Majeſty might graciouſly grant theſe your Petitioners humble deſires; which (whatſoever will be ſaid to the contrary) your Petitioners are well aſſured would abundantly redound to the glory of God, the honour and ſafety of your Majeſty the good of your Poſterity, and the only probable meanes, under God, with peace and plenty to make this your Kingdome happy; beſides the acquiſition of your peoples hearts, the greateſt treaſure of Princes: all which will gloriouſly repreſent your Majeſty a lively portraiture of him, who is the fountaine of Wiſdome and Piety: To whom wee ſhall ever pray for your Majeſties long and proſperous Reigne.