THE City of Londonderry, since it was first Built, has been always a Refuge and Defence to the Protestants in that Kingdom, and very Fatal to their Enemies, as by many Instances might be shewn. It was remarkably so in that long, Bloudy War which began there in the Year 1641. when so many Thousand Protestants were barbarously Massacred and Destroyed by the Irish all over that Kingdom; no other Place of Note; besides Dublin, in all Ire­land, held out for the Protestants at that time, of whom it saved many.

IT has been Eminently so again on this late Happy Revolution, as cannot be for­gotten; Nor of what Importance its Services and Sufferings were to these Kingdoms, and the Protestant Interest; That when all lookt Desperate in Ireland, the whole Kingdom, the Sword, and all Power in Popish Hands, the Protestants all disarm'd and discourag'd, and a General Massacre of them all greatly fear'd, and believ'd very nigh them, as before in 1641.

Londonderry, tho in a weak Condition, and in provided at that time, yet to save what it could in such Danger, was the First Place that appear'd in that Kingdom, laid all at Stake, and gave the First Check to the Popish Power there, when it shut up its Gates against them, on the Seventh of December 1688, and stood from thence-forward on its Defence, till the end of the Siege, the last Day of July 1689, about Eight Months toge­ther, and near Four of them, in that Memorable Siege, wherein the Great GOD so signally own'd it, in its wonderful Preservation and Defence against all possible Discouragements, the Charge of all which it bore on its Own Head, which it has sunk under to this day.

IT was Fatal to the Irish every way, it broke all their Measures, and ruin'd all their De­signs, and so Baffl'd and Consum'd the best of their Troops, as they never after retriev'd it. It stood in the Gap for these Kingdoms, and prevented the coming over of all those Irish and French Forces, with what had ensued, and made the Reduction of Ireland far more easie and cheap, than it could otherwise have been. It kept a Footing in that Kingdom, which had been otherwise quite lost, and saved many Protestants that fled thi­ther for Refuge.

Its Losses, Disbursements and Dammage by all this, (besides Personal Sufferings, hardly to be exprest) has been exceeding great, and of a singular and extraordinary Nature, and amounted (as on a moderate Computation appear'd) to the Sum or Value of about 30000 l. Sterling, (the ruin'd Houses by the Siege being about one half thereof) by all which it has been reduced to a poor and ruinous Condition, as is still too apparent, and having lain under its Miseries so long, till the Wars are now ended: In hopes of finding then the happy Effects of what it has undergone, Does by its Petition, in the Name of the Mayor, Commonalty and Citizens thereof, to this Honourable House of Commons,

PRAY That its Case and Sufferings may be taken into Consideration, and so laid before His Sacred Majesty, for the Petitioners effectual Relief in the Kingdom of Ireland, As They in Their Great Wisdoms shall think meet.