WHereas the Lords and Commons in Parliament, out of a tender ſenſe of the preſent Miſeries and Di­ſtractions of the Kingdom, and for the obtaining and ſetling of a happy Peace betwixt His Maje­ſtie and His People, have humbly preſented to His Majeſtie divers Propoſitions, to which He hath been pleaſed to make this Return, That His deſire was that a ſpeedy Time and Place might be appointed for the diſcuſſing of thoſe Propoſitions, and likewiſe ſome others propoſed by His Majeſtie: It is thereupon agreed in both Houſes, That a Committee of both Houſes ſhall be appointed to attend His Majeſtie, on, or before the fourth of March, if His Majeſtie ſhall ſo pleaſe, to endeavour to give Him all humble and fit ſatisfaction concerning the ſaid Pro­poſitions, both His Majeſties, and their own. And where­as for the more ſpeedy removall of the bloody and mi­ſerable Effects of War, His Majeſtie hath likewiſe been graciouſly pleaſed, by a late Meſſage to ſignifie His de­ſire, That for avoiding all intervening accidents of War, which might interrupt this Treaty, there might be a Ceſſation of Arms under ſuch particular Conditions and Limitations as ſhould be agreed on, their humble Deſires7 therein concurring with His Majeſties, it is by them aſ­ſented and agreed, That a Ceſſation of Arms in order to ſuch a Treaty as is reſolved upon by both Houſes of Parliament may be enjoyned to all the Armies and For­ces now afoot in the Kingdom of England, and Domini­on of VVales, on either ſide, under the Reſtrictions and Limitations hereafter following; And that neither ſide ſhall be bound or limited by this Ceſſation in any other­wiſe, or to any other purpoſe, then is hereafter expreſſed.

I.THat all manner of Arms, Ammunition, Victualls, Money, Bullion, and all other Commodities paſſing without ſuch a ſafe Conduct as may warrant their Paſſage, may be ſtayed, and ſeized on, as if no ſuch Ceſ­ſation were agreed on at all.

II.That all manner of Perſons paſſing without ſuch a ſafe Conduct as is mentioned in the Article next going before, ſhall be apprehended and detained, as if no ſuch Ceſſation were agreed on at all.

III.That His Majeſties Forces in Oxfordſhire ſhall advance no neerer to VVindſore then VVheatly; and in Buckingham­ſhire, no nearer to Aylesbury then Brill; and that in Berk­ſhire the Forces reſpectively ſhall not advance neerer the one to the other then now they are: And that the Parlia­ment Forces in Oxfordſhire ſhall Advance no neerer to Oxford then Henley; and thoſe in Buckinghamſhire no neer­er to Oxford then Aylesbury: And that His Majeſties Forces ſhall take no new Quarters above twelve miles from8 Oxford any way; and that the Parliament Forces ſhall take no new Quarters above twelve miles from VVind­ſore any way.

IIII.That no Siege ſhall be begun, or continued againſt Glouceſter, and that His Majeſties Forces now employed in the Siege, ſhall return to Cirenceſter and Malmsbury, or to Oxford, as ſhall be moſt for their conveniencie; And the Parliament Forces which are in Glouceſterſhire, ſhall remain in the Cities of Glouceſter, Briſtoll, and the Caſtle and Town of Berkley, or retire neerer to VVindſore, as they ſhall ſee cauſe; And that thoſe of VVales which are drawn to Glouceſter ſhall return into their Quarters where they were before they drew down to Glouceſterſhire.

V.That in caſe it be pretended on either ſide, that the Ceſſation is violated, no Act of Hoſtilitie is immediately to follow; but firſt the party complaining is to acquaint the Lord Generall on the other ſide, and to allow three dayes after notice given for ſatisfaction; and in caſe ſa­tisfaction be not given or accepted, then five dayes no­tice to be given before Hoſtility begin: And the like to be obſerved in the remoter Armies, by the Commanders in chief.

VI.Laſtly, I hat all other forces in the Kingdom of Eng­land, and Dominion of Wales, not before mentioned, ſhall remain in the ſame Quarters and Places, as they are at the time of the publiſhing of this Ceſſation, and under the ſame Conditions as are mentioned in the Articles be­fore:9 And that this Ceſſation ſhall not extend to re­ſtrain the ſetting forth or employing of any ſhips for the defence of His Majeſties Dominions.

All which they humbly deſire His Majeſtie will be pleaſed to ratifie and confirm; And that this Ceſſation may begin upon the fourth of March next, or ſooner, if it may be, and continue untill the five and twentieth of the ſame moneth; And in the mean time to be publiſhed to the Commanders, Officers, and Souldiers, and all other His Majeſties loving Subjects on either ſide; And that the Treaty intended may commence upon the Fourth of March next, or ſooner, if it may be, and the continuance thereof not to exceed twenty dayes.

HIs Majeſtie hoped the Treatie would have been begun, and the Ceſſation agreed on long ſince, and that much might in this time have been concluded in order to the Peace and Happineſſe of the Kingdom. But ſince in almoſt a moneth (for His Majeſties Propoſitions were made on the third of February, and He heard not ſince from both Houſes till the firſt of March) no conſent hath been yeelded to it; He conceives the Ceſſation cannot begin ſo ſoon as the fourth of this Moneth, by which time (though His Majeſty uſes no delay in making His Anſwer) the ſame can hardly be returned to them; and many of the Articles now preſented to Him from both Houſes concerning the Ceſſation, are ſo ſtrict, that ſuch of His good Subjects, who are not of His army (and for whom generally He ſhall al­wayes have a principall, juſt, and compaſſionate re­gard) receive not any benefit, or are reſtored to any Liberty thereby, which His Majeſtie ſhall ever in­ſiſt upon (when in matters meerly concerning Him­ſelf He may deſcend to eaſier Conditions) and which He hath returned with ſuch alterations, as He doubts not both Houſes will conſent to, and do ſufficiently manifeſt how ſollicitous His Majeſty is for the good of His people, and how deſirous He is, that in this unnaturall contention no more blood12 of His Subjects may be ſpilt (upon which He looks with much grief, compaſſion, and tenderneſſe of heart) even of thoſe who have lifted up their hands againſt Him; And His Majeſtie therefore deſires (againſt which He can imagine no objection can be made) that the Ceſſation may begin upon the twelfth of this Moneth, or ſooner, if the conditi­ons of the Ceſſation ſhall be ſooner agreed on; and is willing the ſame ſhall continue for twenty dayes, in which time He hopes by the Treaty, and a cleer underſtanding of each other, a full Peace and Happi­neſſe may be eſtabliſhed thorowout the Kingdom. And during that time His Majeſtie is willing that neither ſide ſhall be bound or limited by this Ceſſa­tion in any other wiſe, or to any other purpoſe then is hereafter expreſſed.

I.THat all manner of Arms, Ammunition, Money, Bul­lion and Victuals paſſing for the uſe of either Army, without a Paſſe or ſafe Conduct from the Generall of each Army, may be ſtayed and ceaſed on, as if no Ceſſa­tion were agreed on at all.

II.That all Officers and Souldiers of either Army paſ­ſing without ſuch Licence or ſafe Conduct, as aforeſaid, may be apprehended and deteined, as if no ſuch Ceſſati­on were agreed on at all; And that all manner of perſons His Majeſties Subjects, of what quality or condition ſo­ever (except Officers and Souldiers of either Army) ſhall paſſe to and from the Cities of Oxford and London, and back again at their pleaſures, during this Ceſſation, as like­wiſe to and from any other parts of His Majeſties Domi­nions, without any ſearch; ſtay or impriſonment of their perſons, or ſeizure & detention of their goods or eſtates;13 And that all manner of Trade, Traffique and Commerce, be free and open between all His Majeſties Subjects, excepting as aforeſaid between the Officers and Souldiers of either Army, or for Arms, Ammunition, Money, Bullion, or Victuals for the uſe of either Army, without a Paſſe or ſafe Conduct, as aforeſaid; Which may be a good beginning to renew the Trade and Correſpondence of the Kingdom, and whereby His good Subjects may be reſtored to that Liber­ty and Freedom they were born to, and have ſo happily en­joyed till theſe miſerable Diſtractions, and which even du­ring this War His Majeſty hath to His utmoſt laboured to preſerve, opening the Way by moſt ſtrict Proclamations to the paſſage of all Commodities, even to the City of London it ſelf.

III.That His Majeſties Forces in Oxfordſhire ſhall advance no neerer to VVindſore then VVheatley; and in Buckinghamſhire, no neerer to Aylesbury then Brill; and that in Berkſhire the For­ces reſpectively ſhall not advance neerer the one to the other then they ſhall be at the day to be agreed upon for the Ceſſation to begin; And that the Forces of the other Army in Oxfordſhire ſhall advance no neerer to Oxford then Henly, and thoſe in Buckinghamſhire no neerer to Oxford then Ayleſ­bury; And that the Forces of neither Army ſhall advance their Quarters neerer to each other, then they ſhall be upon the day agreed on for the Ceſſation to begin, otherwiſe then in Paſſage and Communication between their ſeverall Quarters reſpectively, without any Acts of Hoſtility each to other; but may enlarge themſelves within their own Quar­ters reſpectively, as they ſhall finde convenient.

IIII.That the Forces of either Army in Glouceſterſhire, VViltſhire, and VVales, as likewiſe in the Cities of Glouceſter, Briſtoll, and the Caſtle and Town of Berkley, ſhall be guided by the rule expreſt in the latter part of the precedent Article.

V.That in caſe it be pretended on either ſide that the Ceſ­ſation is Violated, no Act of hoſtility is immediately to fol­low, but firſt the party complaining is to acquaint the Lord Generall on the either ſide, and to allow three dayes after notice given for ſatisfaction: and in caſe ſatisfaction be not given or accepted, then five dayes notice to be given before hoſtility begin: and the like to be obſerved in the remoter Armies by the Commanders in chief.

VI.That all other Forces in the Kingdom of England and Do­minion of Wales, not before mentioned, ſhall remain in the ſame Quarters and Places as they are at the time of publiſh­ing this Ceſſation, otherwiſe then in paſſage & communica­tion between their ſeverall Quarters, as is mentioned in the latter part of the third Article: And that this Ceſſation ſhall not extend to reſtrain the ſetting forth, or imploying any ſhips for the defence of His Majeſties Dominions: Provi­ded that His Majeſty be firſt acquainted with the particu­lars, and that ſuch ſhips as ſhall be ſet forth be commanded by ſuch Perſons as His Majeſty ſhall approve of.

VII.Laſtly, that during the Ceſſation none of His Majeſties Subjects be impriſoned, otherwiſe then according to the known Laws of the Land, and that there ſhall be no plun­dering or violence offered to any of His Subjects.

And His Majeſtie is very willing, if there be any ſcruples made concerning theſe Propoſitions and Circumſtances of the Ceſſation, that the Committee for the Treatie nevertheleſſe may immediately come hither, and ſo all matters concerning the Ceſſation may be here ſettled by them.