A DECLARATION CONCERNING•is Majeſties Royall Perſon, touching His preſent Reſolution and Condition. And a Copy of the Scots Repreſentation, humbly tendered to His Sacred Majeſty in the Name of the whole Kingdom of•cotland, concerning the proceedings of the Parliament of England.
•s alſo, the Copy of a Letter from Windſor, touching the great Riſing in the Weſt, viz. in Glouceſter-ſhire, Hampſh re, and Wilt-ſhire.
London, Printed for G. Horton, Ianuary 6. 1647.
SInce my laſt unto you, Decemb. 31. 1647. we have received other intelligence from the Weſtern Parts, the particulars whereof, I have ſent you here incloſed, together with the Copy of another Paper from the Towne of Chippenham in Wiltſhire, concerning the late tumultuous riſing of a great number of People in thoſe parts, pretending for the Kig. the brief ſummary followeth:
That upon Fryday laſt, a great Company of People aſſembled together in a tumultuous manner, and ſome in a2 diſguiſed manner, being very well armed, and having gather••〈…〉the quarters of divers ſouldiers under command of his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, & in a〈…〉manner, ſell upon divers Officers and Exc•••-〈◊〉plu•dering and ſpoy•ing of that which they had; but at laſt, the Officers getting more ayd and aſſiſtance together, rallyed and fell fiercely upon the ſaid party, inſomuch that a not conflict did enſue: but at laſt the Cavalry retreated, the Ex…Officers and Souldiers purſued them, wounded ſome, and took divers priſoners, who did confeſſe, that the Glouceſterſhire men did promiſe to joyn with them, & expected a greater Force from Hampſhire, and Wiltſhire.
It is ſaid, that they have had ſeverall meetings in the aforeſaid Counties, and hath endeavoured to draw others to them. It is time to take ſome courſe to quell theſe ſpirits before they break forth into a fire. In haſt, I reſt,
THe neceſſity of complying with all engaged inter•ſts in theſe great diſtempers for a perfect ſettlement of Peace ▪ His Majeſty findes to be none of the leaſt di•••culties, He hath met with ſince the time of his afflictions, which is too viſible when at the ſame time that the two Houſes of the Engliſh Parliament do preſent to his Majeſty ſeverall Bills, and Propoſitions for his content Commiſſioners of Scotland do openly proteſt againſt thens, ſo that were there nothing in the caſe but the conſideration of that difference, His Majeſty cannot imagine how to give ſuch an•n•wer to what now is propoſed, as thereby to promiſe himſelfe his great end, A perfect Peace; and when His Majeſty further conſiders how impoſſible it is (in the condition he now ſtands) to fullfill the deſires of his two Houſes, ſince the onely ancient and knowne wayes of paſſing Lawes, are either by his Majeſties perſonall Aſſent in the Houſe of Peers, or by Commiſſion under his great Seale of England, he cannot but wonder at ſuch failings in the manner of addreſſe which now is made anto him, unleſſe his two Houſes intend that His Majeſty ſhall allow of a Great Seale made without his Authority, even before there be any conſideration had thereupon in a Treaty; which as it may hereafter hazzard the ſecurity it ſelf, ſo for the preſent it ſeemes very unreaſonable to His Majeſty: And though His Ma•eſty his willing to beleeve that the intention of very many in both Houſes in ſending theſe Bills before a Treaty was onely to obtain a truſt from him, and not to take any advantage by paſſing them ▪ to force other things from him, which are either againſt his Conſcience or Honour; yet His Majeſty beleeves it cleare to all underſtandings that theſe Bills contain (as they are now•pend) nor onely the diveſting himſelfe of all Soveraignity, and that without poſſibility of recovery either of him or his Succeſſours, except by repeale of of thoſe Bills; but alſo the making his conceſſions guilty of the greateſt preſſures which can be laid upon the Subject ▪ as in other perticulars, ſo by giving an Arbitrary and unlimited power to the two Houſes for ever, to raiſe and levy Forces for Land or Sea-ſervice of what perſons (without diſtinction of qualities) and to what numbers they pleaſe, and likewiſe for the payment of them to leavy what monies in ſuch ſort, and by ſuch wayes, and meanes, and conſequently upon the Eſtates of what ſoever perſons they ſhall think he and appoint which is utterly inconſiſtent with the liberty and property of the people, and his Majeſties truſt in protecting; ſo if the Major part of both Houſes ſhould think it neceſſary to put the reſt of the Propoſitions into Bills His Majeſty leaves all the world to judge how unſafe it would be for him to conſent thereunto; and if not what a ſtrange condition, what a ſtrange condition of the paſſing of theſe foure Bills His Majeſty and all his Subjects would be caſt into.
4And here his Majeſty thinks it not unfit to wiſh his two Houſes to conſider well the manner of their proceeding. That when his Maj. deſires a perſonall Treaty with them for the ſetling of a peace; they in anſwer, propoſe the very ſubject matter of the moſt eſſentiall part thereof to be firſt granted. A thing which will bee hard•y credible to poſterity.
Wherefore his Majeſty declares, That neither the deſire of being freed from this tedious and irkſome condition of life his Majeſty hath ſo long ſuffered, nor the apprehenſion of what may befall him, in caſe his two Houſes ſhall not afford him a perſonall Treaty, ſhall make him change his Reſolution; of not conſenting to any Act till the whole peace be concluded. Yet then he intends not only to give juſt and reaſonable ſatisfaction in the particulars preſented to him; but alſo to make good all other conceſſions mentioned in his Meſſage of the 16 of Novem. laſt, which he thought would have produced better effects, then what he finds in the Bils and to poſitions now preferred unto him.
And yet his Majeſty cannot give over, but now again earneſtly preſſeth for a perſonall Treaty, ſo paſſion•tely is he af••cted with the advantages which pe•ce will being to his Majeſty and all His Subjects, of which he will not at all diſpair, there being no other viſible way to obtain a wel-grounded peace.
However his Maieſty is very much at caſe within himſelf, for having fulfilled the Offices both of a Chriſtian and of a King, and will patiently yea is the good pleaſure of Almighty God, to incline the hearts of his two houſes to conſider their King; and〈◊〉compaſſionate their fellow ſubiects miſeries.
Given at Carisbr••k Caſtle〈◊〉the Iſ••of Wight. D•••m. •8. 1647.
THere is nothing which we more conſtantly endeavoured and do more earnestly deſire, then a good agreement, and happy peace between your Maiesty, and your Parliament of both Kingdoms; neither have we left any meanes unaſsayed, that with united Councels with the Houſes of Parliament of England, and by making joynt applications to your Mai. there might be a compoſure of all differences. But the new Propoſitions communicated to us by the Houſes, and the Bils therewith preſented to your Maieſty are ſo preiudiciall to Religion, Crown, and the union and interest of the Kingdoms, and ſo far different from the former proceedings and engagements betwixt the Kingdoms, as we cannot concur therein. Therefore we do in the name of the Kingdome of Scotland, diſsent from theſe Bils now tendered to your Maiesty.
THat Captain Ingram came to the Councell of War, and deſired he might be heard to make his acknowledgment,6 and give reaſons to the contrary, according to the former Order of the Councell of Warre.
The Councell of War anſwered, that that day was ordered to debate with the Commiſſioners of Parliament, concerning the disbanding of ſupernumeraries, and deſired, that he would withdraw for the preſent, and a further day ſhould be appointed•or his buſineſse.
He anſwered, that that was the day, which was ordered for his buſineſse, and though the Court-Marſhall might thinke other buſineſse of more publique concernment, yet his buſineſse was more then ordinary, for he was commanded from God to deliver it, and on that only day.
The Generall and Councell of War being willing to give place and preheminence to any thing that ſhould be delivered from God, he was heard, and began to read a very large juſtification but was deſired to forbear for the preſent.
By Letters from Hereford it is advertized, That not long ſince, there was a great Riſing in Wales, and divers of the Welch appeared in ſeverall places of the Country, in a very mutinous and diſorderly manner: inſomuch, that at the laſt, they gathered to a great head, and marched to a place called Long-town within 20. miles of Hereford, and fell upon divers of the ſouldiery in their quarters, but were repulſed, and beaten off by Col ▪ Hertons R•giment.
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