HIs Majesty hath considered the se­veral Addresses which have been now presented to Him, and com­mands me to return these Answers to Them.

First, I am to let the Commissio­ners of the Lieutenancy know, That His Majesty doth very well accept and approve the Address they have made, and thinks that Zeal with which they have express'd their Loyalty and good Affections to His Person and Government, to be at this time a very seasonable piece of Duty and Service, and doth heartily Thank them for it.

To the Gentlemen of the Borough of Southwark, His Majesty doth not onely give His hearty Thanks, but declares Himself to be extremely well pleased with the Form of their Address, and thinks they proceed upon the truest and the surest Grounds that can be, [Page 2] when they lay it down for a Maxim, That steady Loy­alty is the onely Foundation of true Felicity.

And I am to assure you Both, That His Majesty will always retain a Gracious Remembrance of your good Services, and that you shall not fail to find the Effects of it, whenever you shall apply your selves to His Majesty for His Favour.

As for that other Address, which stiles it self, The humble Petition of the L. Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of London in Common Council assembled, and which is very much discredited by these other Ad­dresses which accompany it, I have many things in Command to say to it.

The King did expect, that a Petition which seems to come from the Mayor, Aldermen, and Common-Councel of the City of London, should have consisted of such Matters onely, as relate to the particular Concerns of the City; at least He thought He should have found in it some due Acknowledgment of His continual Care in Preserving and Improving your Trade, and Supporting your Liberties and Fran­chises.

But, contrary to His Expectation, and (as He thinks) to your Duty, He finds this Petition medling with Matters of State and Government, Things which do in no sort appertain to you, but are quite out of your Sphere: And if this should pass without Re­proof, the meanest Corporation, nay, the meanest Village in England, will have as much right to be med­ling in these Matters, as you have.

The onely End and Use of Common-Councels in London, is for the Business of London; you are not the Common-councel of the Nation, and yet you behave your selves so, as if you thought you were.

But the King doth not look upon this Petition as proceeding from the unanimous Consent of the Com­mon-Councel; He is very well inform'd that it [Page 3] past there by an inconsiderable Majority, but fourteen Votes in the whole, and against the Sense of the Major part of the Court of Aldermen, And His Majesty hath a great Value and Kindness for the Honesty and Discretion of those who dissented from it. And He looks upon the rest as misled by some ill Men, who make it their business to begin that Confusion in the City, which they see no hopes of beginning elsewhere.

And the King does not believe that the Matter of this Petition was ever well Considered by you, be­cause He finds in it so many Presumptions and Mi­stakes.

It prays the Calling of a Parliament at a time when the King hath already Declared to all the World, That there shall be frequent Parliaments, and so seems to Doubt of that Assurance which all good Subjects give the King most humble Thanks for.

It prays a Continuation of that Parliament till all their Business be dispatcht, and so breaks in upon the highest Trust which is lodged in the King, to whom alone it belongs to appoint the Times and Seasons.

It deprives the King of the whole Honour of His Grace and Goodness in Calling a Parliament, by making it seem to be the effect of your Impor­tunity.

So that nothing in the World could be more con­trary to the seeming Ends of this Address, then the Address it self.

And besides all this, the King takes notice of another Expression in your Address, wherein you pretend to be much troubled, that certain Pamphlets have lately come out which speak very dishonourably of the Proceedings of the two last Parliaments.

Now the King would have been glad, you had mention'd what Pamphlets you mean, lest other­wise the World suppose you to have a secret meaning [Page 4] in this general Expression; such a meaning as no Honest man or good Subject dares own.

And the King would have been glad too, that you had likewise taken Notice of such other Pam­phlets as defame His Majesties Person and Government, and Libel all the Orders and Constitutions both of Church and State.

But it seems your Curiosity hath been very great to look after some kind of Pamphlets, but your Diligence hath been very little when you should have lookt after the rest, and have punisht the Se­ditious.

Notwithstanding all this, the King it still of Opinion, That there are but very few among you, who deserve these Reproofs, He is not only Confi­dent of the Affections of the City in general, as knowing that no Prince ever deserved better of His People; But He believes the greatest part of the Court of Aldermen and of the Common-Coun­cel too, if they had all been present, to be very much addicted to His Service.

If therefore there be any among you who seeks to make Divisions, He hopes you will mark them, and avoid them, and that you will Study to be quiet and to do your own Business; For the King hath set His Heart upon this City to do them all the good He can, and 'tis only the Peace of His Government which can bring you any Prosperity.

The King therefore recommends it to you and re­quires it of you, to take effectual Care, that there be no kind of Disturbance or Disorder among you.