His Majeſties Anſwer to the aforeſaid Petition.

WE rather expected (and have done ſo long) that you ſhould have given Vs an Accompt why a Gariſon hath been placed in Our Town of Hull, with­out Our conſent, and Souldiers billeted there againſt Law, and ex­preſſe words of the Petition of Right, then to be moved (for the a­voiding of a needleſſe charge you have put on your ſelves) to give Our conſent for the Removall of Our Magazin and Munition (Our own proper goods) upon ſuch gene­rall Reaſons as indeed give no ſa­tisfaction to Our Iudgement. And ſince ye have made the buſi­neſſe4 of Hull your Argument, We would gladly be informed, Why Our own Inclination (on the ge­nerall Rumour of the Deſignes of Papiſts in the Northern parts) was not thought ſufficient ground for Vs to put a Perſon of Honour, Fortune, and unblemiſhed Reputa­tion, into a Town and Fort of Our own, where Our own Magazin lay, and yet the ſame Rumour be Warrant enough for you to com­mit the ſame Town and Fort (with­out Our conſent) to the hands of Sir John Hotham, with a power un­agreeable to the Law of the Land, or the Liberty of the Subject: And yet of this, in point of Right or Pri­viledge (for ſure We are not with­out Priviledge too) We have not all this while complained. And being confident that that place (whatſo­ever diſcourſe there is of publique or private inſtructions to the contra­ry) ſhall be ſpeedily given vp, if We5 ſhall require it, We ſhalbe contented to diſpoſe Our Munition there (as We have done in other places) for the publique eaſe and benefit, as vpon particular advice We ſhall finde convenient, though We cannot think it fit, or conſent, that the whole Magazin be removed toge­ther; but when you ſhall agree up­on ſuch Proportions as ſhall be held neceſſary for any particular ſervice, We ſhall ſigne ſuch Warrants as ſhall be agreeable to wiſdom and Reaſon: And if any of them be de­ſigned for Ulſter or Leinſter, you know well the conveyance will be more eaſie and convenient from the place they are now in: Yet We muſt tell you, That if the Fears are ſo great from the Papiſts at home, or of for­reign Force (as is pretended) it ſeems ſtrange that you make not proviſion of Arms and Munition, for defence of this Kingdom, rather then ſeek to carry any more from6 hence, without ſome courſe taken for ſupply, eſpecially if ye remem­ber your ingagement to Our Scots Subjects, for that proportion of Arms which is contained in your Treaty. We ſpeak not this, as not thinking the ſending of Arms to Scotland very neceſſary, but onely for the way of the Proviſion; for you know what great quantities We have aſſigned out of Our ſeverall Stores, which, in due time, We hope, you wil ſee repleniſhed. For the charge of looking to the Magazin at Hull, as it was undertaken vo­luntarily by you at firſt, and (to ſay no more) unneceſſarily, ſo you may free Our good People of that charge, and leave it to Vs, who are the proper Owner of it.

And this, We hope, will give you full ſatiſfaction in this point, and that ye do not, as ye have done in the buſineſſe of the Militia, ſend this Meſſage out of Complement and7 Ceremony, reſolving to be your own Carvers at laſt; For We muſt tell you, if any Attempt or Dire­ction ſhall be made or given in this Matter, without Our Conſent or Approbation, We ſhall eſteem it as an Act of Violence againſt Vs, and declare it to all the World, as the greateſt violation of Our Right, and breach of Our Priviledge.

Concerning the ſix Prieſts con­demned; Tis true, they were re­prieved by Our Warrant, being in­formed that they were (by ſome re­ſtraint) diſabled to take the benefit of Our former Proclamation; ſince that, We have iſſued out another, for the due execution of the Laws againſt Papiſts, and have moſt ſo­lemnly promiſed, In the Word of a King, Never to pardon any Prieſt (with­out your conſent) which ſhall be found guilty by Law, deſiring to baniſh theſe, having herewith ſent a Warrant to that purpoſe, if (upon ſecond8 thoughts) ye do not diſapprove thereof. But if you think the exe­cution of theſe perſons ſo very ne­ceſſary to the great and pious work of Reformation, We refer it whol­ly to you, declaring hereby, That upon ſuch your reſolution ſignified to the Miniſters of Iuſtice, Our Warrant for their Reprieve is de­termined, and the Law to have the courſe.

And now let Vs aſk you (for We are willing to huſband time, and to diſpatch as much as may be under one Meſſage; God knows, the di­ſtractions of this Kingdom wants a preſent remedy) Will there never be a time to offer to, as well as to aſke of Vs? We will propoſe no more particulars to you, having no luck to pleaſe, to be underſtood by you. Take your own time for what concerns Our particular; But be ſure ye have an early ſpeedy care of the Publique (that is) of the onely9 rule which preſerves the Publique, The Law of the Land; Preſerve the Dignitie and reverence due to that. 'Twas well ſaid in a ſpeech made by a private perſon, but publiſhed by Order of the Houſe of Commons, this Parliament:It was part of Pyms ſpeech a­gainſt the Earle of Strafford. The Law is that which puts a difference betwixt Good and Evill, betwixt Juſt and Unjuſt; if you take away the Law all things will fall into a Confuſion, every man will become a Law to himſelf, which, in the depraved condition of humane Nature, muſt needs produce many great Enormities; Luſt will become a Law, and Envy will become a Law, Covetouſneſſe and Ambition will become Laws, and what Dictates what Deciſions ſuch Laws will produce, may eaſily be diſcerned. So ſaid that Gentleman, and much more, very well in defence of the Law, and a­gainſt Arbitrary power; 'Tis worth looking over and conſidering. And if the moſt zealous Defence of true Proteſtant Profeſſion, & the moſt re­ſolved10 protection of the Law, be the moſt neceſſary Duty of a Prince, We cannot beleeve this miſerable Diſtance and Miſ-underſtanding can be long continued betwixt Vs, We having often and earneſtly de­clared them to be the chiefeſt De­ſires of Our Soul, and the end and rule of all Our Actions.

For Ireland, We have ſufficiently, and (We hope) ſatiſfactorily expreſ­ſed to all Our good Subjects, Our hearty ſenſe of that ſad buſineſſe in Our ſeverall Meſſages in that Ar­gument; but eſpecially in Our laſt of the eighth of this Moneth, con­cerning Our Reſolution for that Service; for the ſpeedy, Honoura­ble, and full performance whereof, We conjure you to yeeld all poſſible Aſſiſtance and preſent Advice.