A PETITION AND PROTESTATION of the County of KENT: Presented the 30 th of August, 1642. to the Honorable Houses of PARLIAMENT By Sir JOHN SIDLEY Knight, with many thousands of hands thereunto.
Wherein they disclaim that late, bold, and unexampled P [...]nt to His Majestie, contrived by a few malevolent, [...] and loose persons, and their reall affections KING and PARLIAMENT.
Together with Sir John Sidleys Speech upon the presenting of the said Petition.
Also, the Answer of the House of Commons to the said Petition delivered by their SPEAKER.
ORdered by the Commons in Parliament, That these Petitions be forthwith Printed and published:
H. Elsynge, Cler. Parl. D. Com.
London, Printed by LUKE NORTON and JOHN FIELD for E. Husband and J. Franck, and are to be sold at their shops in the Middle-Temple, and next door to the Kings-head in Fleetstreet. September 1. 1642.
Die Martis 30 Augusti, 1642. THe House being informed that divers well-affected Gentlemen of Kent were at the door to present to this House an humble Petition, they were called in; And Sir John Sidley in the name of the rest, spake to this effect following;
1. I Am intrusted by the well-affected Gentry, and Commons of Kent, to present their humble desires, and faithfull Resolutions, in a Petition to this Honorable House.
2. This Petition comes guided hither with as many hearts as hands; It is like a coat without seame; it hath no subtill disguised Preamble to it; it is all of a piece, speaking plain language, yet full of loyalty, and obedience to His Majesty and the Parliament.
3. This Petition is more considerable then any that hath been presented from this County, coming not onely from that part of the Gentry who are exceedingly well-affected to the true Religion, and their Country, but embraced with such a unanimous consent of the intire body of the Commonalty, as that each man contested for the first subscription to it.
4. The Commons of Kent are very deeply sensible of the many injuries done them by severall Petitions, especially by that late unexampled bold one to His Majestie, falsly assuming to it the Votes of the whole County; whereas indeed, it was contrived by a few malevolent and ambitious spirits only, and wholly disclaimed of the Commons, and was subscribed by divers [Page 4] loose and dissolute persons. This was growing to a dangerous Imposthume (having gathered the most of its corruption about the Town of Maydstone) had not the Parliament timely observed it, and applyed that seasonable remedy, sending down the late Troops of Horse to launch the sore, thereby preventing all further or future ulceration: For which vigilant care of theirs thus to preserve the whole body, the Commons have desired me to return their most humble and gratefull acknowledgement to this Honorable House.
To the Honorable, the Knights, Citizens and Burgesses now assembled in the high Court of Parliament:
The humble Petition and Protestation of the Knights, Gentlemen, and Commons of the County of
Kent;
THat the feare of misapprehensions and misunderstandings of our duties and respects to this House, is that which emboldens us humbly to present our affections and protestations.
And first, with all possible thanks for your great care and Resolution in the well discharge of your publick trust, which (with so much opposition to you, never read or heard of in former times) you have hitherto undertaken and encountred, with the hazard of some of your Lives and Fortunes.
And we do all most confidently believe, and much [Page 5] joy in the thought of it (notwithstanding the misrepresentation of your Actions by some ill-affected to publick good for private ends) that all your Actions and endeavours have aymed at the maintenance of the Protestant Religion, the preservation of the Kings Person, the Rights and Priviledges of Parliament, and the Liberties of the Subject, according to the late Protestation commended to us.
And that there may not appear of any fayler in our duties and respects to you, We the Knights, Gentlemen, and Commons of the County aforesaid, Do humbly present this Protestation; That to our utmost powers and endeavours, and with the hazard of all that is neer and deer unto us in our lives and estates, we shall and will maintain, preserve, and defend, the Rights and Priviledges of Parliament, and the full authority thereof, the Kings Person, the Protestant Religion, and the Liberties of the Subject.
And we humbly desire that all ill-affected persons opposite hereunto, by the power and justice of this House, may receive such a degree of punishment, as those that are professed enemies to the true Religion, the peace and prosperity of this Kingdom.
And we humbly pray God (whom we infinitely praise and thank for his blessings hitherto, your endeavours manifested in the happy settlement of peace betwixt us and our Neighbour Nation, and in the preservation of some of your Members from apparent dangers) that those mists of misunderstandings fomented by persons ill-affected to our publick peace & religion, and now interposing betwixt His Majesties grace and goodnesse to you, and your duties to Him (hindering [Page 6] those sweet influences, which otherwise in a great measure by all probability would have a free passage betwixt His Majestie (and you) by your great wisdoms may be so dispel'd and taken away, that a cleer and right understanding might be had of your Actions and Intentions to His Majestie and this Kingdom: And this (God working in his Majesties heart an inclination thereunto) we are confident will speedily render a great proportion of happinesse to His Majestie, your selves and the rest of this Kingdom.
Which shall be the prayers of, &c.
To the Right Honourable, the Commons House of Parliament: The humble Petition of the Knights, Gentlemen, and Commons, of the County of Kent.
WE your humble and faithfull Petitioners inhabiting the Countie of Kent, being deeply sensible of the many miseries which these calamitous times (notwithstanding your great care and vigilance to prevent the same) are likely to produce, wherein His gratious Majestie, seduced by the malevolent Councell of an ill-affected party of Malignants and Cavaliers, the Protestant Religion, His Royall Person and Honour, the Priviledge of Parliament, & the Subjects Liberty are threatned with too too apparent hazard and ruine, towards the support of which, your Petitioners according to the duty of loyal subjects and good Christians, are not only willing to contribute [Page 7] their best wishes & Votes, but even the utmost of their endeavours, both with their lives & fortunes, for the redeeming of His Majestie from such hands, and our Religion & Liberty from such peril and danger; But may it please this honorable House to consider, that the Petitioners apprehend themselves in a condition and posture nothing sutable to this their Resolution, being deprived and left naked by the taking our Arms from us in the late expedition for Scotland; We therefore beseech your provident care to impower us with such a proportion of Ammunition and Arms to be magazin'd in these parts, whereby we may be enabled to manifest our affections and obedience to the Command of King and Parliament, both for the pursuance of the aforesaid intentions, and opposition of all illegall infringements of our Laws and Liberties, such as the Commission of Array, wherewith we are at this time threatned, and what other of the like nature and condition soever, shall be hereafter obtruded upon us.
The Answer of the House of Commons, to the Petitions of the Knights, Gentlemen, and Commons of the County of Kent, presented the 30 of August, 1642. delivered by their Speaker.
I Am commanded by the House to let you know, That it is no small satisfaction and contentment to this House, to find the affectiōs & resolutions of your County, expressed to them so seasonably and so worthy of your selves, as they now receive them in these Petitions; especially observing the many subtill practises that have bin set on foot under the name of that County, [Page 8] to work in this House a contrary opinion of you; from which you have now so well and fully vindicated your selves and them.
Nor can we but observe, that at this time, when contrary to the Fundamentall Constitution of this Government, both Houses of Parliament, and the whole Kingdom in them represented, are by the seducement of wicked Councell, proclaimed Traytors, (a thing untill this time unheard of) you do with so much zeal and resolution, offer your selves, your lives and fortunes, to support your Religion and Liberty, your Country, King and Parliament, all now in imminent danger of utter ruine. For which, the House hath commanded me to return you their most hearty thanks. And touching those Malignant and ill-affected persons, whereof you have in your Petition given a generall character, and in particular presented a List of some of them; This House doth assure you, That they will, according to your desires, proceed against them with all expedition and severity.
And concerning your desires for a supply of Ammunition and Arms for the defence of your County, such hath been the care of both Houses in that particular, and for the generall security and peace hereof, That they have already granted full power and Instructions to a Committee, and the Deputy Lieutenants appointed by them for your County, to take a course therein, which they doubt not will give you ample satisfaction.