His Majesties demands to the Gentry of York-Shire, concerning the Towne of Hull, Answered by two severall parties.
WEe conceive that the substance of His Majesties proposition unto us the 30. of April consisted in two particulars, First, to know, Whether wee would defend his Majesties
Royall Person from violence, or no, according to our duties. Secondly, To have our
advice concerning his Majesties not being admitted into his Towne of Hull, and how
his Majesty may be vindicated in his honour for that affront, and how he may be put
into the possession of his owne.
The humble Answer of those who Petitioned your Majesty the 30. of April. and divers other Knights and Gentlemen.
May it please your most Excellent Majesty,
WEe shall be ready to defend his Majesties person from violence, by al [...] such waies, as the Law and our duties bind us. And for the meanes to uindicate your
Majesties honour, and to put you into possession of your owne, Wee conceive that the
best advice, that we can offer unto your Majesty is, humbly to desire you to hearken
to the Counsels of your Parliament, who (we assure our selves will bee carefull of
your Majesties person and honour, and to whom your Majesty hath already bin pleased
to direct a message to that purp [...]se.
The humble Answer of the Gentrie of the County of York.
ACcording to Your Majesties Command to Your Majesties proposition, we professe our
willingnesse, as in duty wee are bound to defend your Majesties Sacred person against
all Forraigne and Domestick attempts, to the uttermost of our power, and as our allegiance
binds us, And for the keeping of your Majesties honour, touching the businesse of
Hull, Your M [...]jesty being pleased to commend it to Your Parliament, the h [...]gh Counsell of Your Kingdome, wee doe humbly crave pardon that wee doe not interpose:
But forasmuch as Your Maj [...]sty may looke for a particular satisfaction at our hands, w [...]e humbly and hear [...]ily prof [...]sse that wee shall be [...]eady to serve Your Majesty in the same and all other occasions, with our lives and
fortunes, as farre as your Majesty shall bee pleased legally to enable and command
us.
To the King [...] most Excellent Majestie: The humble petition of the Gentrie, Ministers and Free-Holders
of the Countie Palatine of Chester, and of the Inquests serving at the Assizes for the body of the said Countie. Presented
to his Majestie at Yorke, May 7. 1642.
Humbly sheweth,
THat though our heart-breaking griefes have beene many and great, through a lively
apprehension of our wofull distractions, which have beene of late much encreased by
this long night of your absence from your great Councell, yet we have had some surviving
reliques of hop [...], that the sighs and grones▪ the teares and prayers of so many dutifull and well affected
Subjects from all parts might (in time) have been accepted, and at length have proved
powerfull to have melted your royall brest into compassion, and with (such a loving
and pleasant violence) might have won you to em [...]race againe with all tendernesse, your whole Kingdome as it is at this present represented
in Parliament.
But now we lament, that even those hopes appeare to us gashly, as breathing their
last, having little vigour remaining in them to uphold our heart [...], for our sorrowes are doubled, our feares multiplyed, by the report of your Majesties
resolutions, to undertake a dangerous voyage into your Kingdome of Ireland, whereon
wee look with much wond [...]r & astonishment▪ far be it from you (dread Soveraigne) to blame our hearts, which
(guided by the strength of Law and dutie) cannot consent to a journey so perillous,
by which your Royall Person (wherein wee challenge so great an interest, that it is
no more Yours than ours) shall undergoe varietie of dang [...]rs by sea and land, wind and waters, having no difference betwixt a King and his
meanest vassall.
And if God (the Guardian and preserver of Princes) shall safely waft you over, what
valuable securitie can bee given us of Your lif [...], being amongst such Popish, barbarous, and cru [...]ll Rebels▪ as (h [...]ving banished the sense of all Religion, Pietie, and Humanitie▪ and rejecting God,
and you their King from ra [...]gning over them,) do c [...]n [...]i [...]ue to mu [...]ther daily your innoce [...]t and Protestant Subj [...]cts, of all ages, sexes, and conditions, and which they would perswade the world they
doe act by Your Au [...]horiti [...], Approbation▪ and Command, thereby heaping vengeance upon their owne heads, and rendring
them unc [...]pable and u [...]worthy the thoughts of the least g [...]ace and favour; let Your Iustice, we beseech Your Majesty, have its proper work upon
them, and your mercie upon us, by granting our most humble prayers to these particulars:
- To comfort our hearts by your residing where you may with best conveniencie consult
with your great Councell before you thus hazard your Pe [...]son and your people.
- To consider to what danger hereby you expose us to the Popish faction, when your
Majestie shall leave us naked, and not put into a posture of defence, to repell the
rage and attempts of the enemies to our Religion, when wee have too just cause to
feare, that they do but wait for an opportunitie to bring to birth their Cruell Conceptions.
And what so great advantage can they hope for, as would be this of Your absence.
- To advise whether this journey would not much retard the intended reliefe for Ireland
since (upon the first rumour) many who were minded to subscribe thereto, doe demur
in their proceedings, and others wish they might recall what they have subscribed.
- [Page]Not [...]o deprive us at once of that poore remainder of hope w [...] have to ro [...]p further good by the endevors of Your Parliament▪ whereof we shall despaire, when
Your Presence shall be wa [...] ing to infuse life in their Proposals and Conclusions.
- To beleeve that a journey to White-Hall will be the more fo [...] Your Honour and safetie, and far more acceptable to your truest Subjects than a voyage
to Ireland.
- To view at our humble entreaty that part of King Davids story, who being resolved in person to war against his owne Rebels, acquainted the
people with his intention, in these words of resolution, I will go with you my selfe
also, but his best Subjects (that were ready to hazard their lives for him, would
not suffer him to venture his regall Person, which was to them so perillous) opposed
him in those tearmes, Thou shalt not go forth [...] neither did David reject them as presumptuous, knowing that their confident expression in that partic [...]lar, was the issues of their dutie and love, but gave them this mild and satisfactorie
reply, (which we humbly beg may be your Majesties answer to your Parliament: Vs, and
all other your good Subjects) What seemeth you best, that will we doe.
So shall we ever pray, &c.
His Majesties Answer to the Humble Petition of the Gentle-men, Free-Holders, and Ministers
of the Countie Palatine of Chester, delivered to his Majestie at York, May 7. 1642.
At the Court at York, May 9. 1542.
His Majestie hath given me expresse command to give you this His Answer to your Petition.
THat He sees plainly that this Petition of yours hath beene framed without having
heard the Answer His Majestie gave to His Parliament, upon their Petition to Him,
for desisting from his journey into Ireland; for Hee cannot think that that Countrey (from whence Hee hath received formerly so
good expressions of their loyall intentions, by two former Petitions presented long
since to Him and the Parliament) would have been so much mistaken, as to have made
this Petition, after they had seene and well considered his Majesties said Answer.
And his Maj [...]stie observes [Page] very well, that this Petition is not like others, which by an untimely zeale, have
desired Him to returne to his Parliament; You only desiring Him there to reside, where
with more convenienci [...] and secu [...]itie He m [...]y consult with his great Councell, than by going i [...]to Ireland: His Majest [...]e being confident, That your well w [...]ng of h [...]s Answers concerning that subject, hath beene the cau [...] [...] you have no [...] imitated some few other Countries in that particular; And that y [...]u have well consider [...]d the Rebellious Aff [...]ont off [...]red to Him at Hu [...]l, by an hostile opposition of His entrance; and therefore beleeves that the same reason
which made you, at this time expresse your tender care of his Person, and the former
good expression [...] you made of your loyaltie and right-set affections to the good of the whole Kingdome
may sooner induce you to petition the Parliament to apply themselves to a right unde [...]standing of his Majesties wayes and intentions, and to doe Him justice for that Aff [...]ont, than make you to prefer any such ill-grounded Petition. And that you may be
the better enformed of hi [...] Majesties proceedings in those particulars; Hee recommends to you [...] view and consideration, his Answers to the Declaration presented to Him at New-Market, to the Petition presented to Him at York, the 26 of March last, concerning his journey into Irela [...]d, his two Messages [...]nd Declaration concerning Hull; all which, when it shall be fully represented to the rest of your Countie, Hee doubts
not but that you will rest verie well satisfied of his constant Resolution for the
maintaining of, and governing you by the Law of the Land, his unmoveable Resolutions
for the maintenance and defence of the true Protestant Profession, and the suppression
and chastising of the barbarous Irish Rebellion. As for your apprehensions of danger of being left naked, and not put into
a Posture of Defence, his Majestie assures you, That Hee will take care that it shall
be done in the true old Legall way which hath beene used in this Kingdome, without
bringing in strangers to governe you, or admitting [...]ew and exorbitant Powers, derogating both from his Majesties undoubted Legall Authoritie,
and the Libertie of the Su [...]ject, which as He hath constantly denyed, so He expects, and no wayes doubts, but
that you will give obedience to that, and that only, which shall proceed from his
Maj [...]stie in a Legall way.
Subscribed by M. Secretarie Nicholas.
A Letter sent to the Right Worshipfull the high Sheriffe, and the rest of the County
of Yorke, now attending his sacred Majesties Pleasure.
NOw (if ever) stand fast, quit your selves as Fathers of your Country, let it appeare
before God and all the World, that truly generous blood runs in your vienes; Evidence
in Gods Name, your heartiest loyalty and dearest affection to his most sacred Majesty.
But while you remember the King, forget not the Kingdome for the Lords sake; put not
asunder those things which God hath so neerely joyned together, Oh consider the Honour,
the cause of God, the good successe of this present Parliament, your lives, Lawes,
Liberties, your temporall, your spirituall welfare lye all bleeding this day at your
own feet, and earnestly supplicate your best assistance.
Tell Vs We beseech you; shall we dye and you live? Can it possibly goe well with you,
while ill with Vs? Is it not your own cause and quarrell? nay, Gods and the Kings
which wee maintaine? Stand you not as much interessed and as deeply ingaged to appear,
for God and the Kings honour as we our selves were disposed to recriminate, we could
anathomize before God and man the worthlesnesse of those unreasonable men, who seem
the great Zealots, not only for the ruine, but the ecclipsing of the glory of this
blessed Parliament.
But our intent onely is to beg that at your hands which in Justice you dare not, and
in charity, (we are sure) ought not to deny us, and that's your help and utmost indeavour
in this nicke of our (we had almost said your) greatest necessity. Be assured there
was never a greater prize in your hands then at this time. In poore Hull are imbarked
two of the richest Jewels in the world. God truth, and Christendomes Peace: each of which in valuation far exceed a Kings Ransome.
We delight not in a needlesse & superfluous expence of words, [Page] and therfore we shall in short tel you, what wee or rather God expects this day at
al your hands. viz. That you (and that with instance) petition his most Excellent Majesty, to vouchsafe
the influence of his Royal favour and gracious presen [...]e to his Great Councell, the High Court of Parliament, the only way, (in humane apprehension)
to stanch the bleeding wounds of Ireland, and distracted England.
That you now help the Lord against the mighty.
That with as humble boldnesse you manifest your extreame unwillingnesse to come in
an hostile way against us, least you bring guiltles blood upon your own heads, and
kindle such a fire in England, as wil never be quenched: Assure your selves, that without much caution and greatest
circumspection, you may raise up such a spirit as will not be conjur [...]d down again in haste.
Worthies, Ponder we beseech you our present but sad condition, set your selves before
Gods awfull bar, make our case your owne.
Let your consciences speake, would you betray so great a trust committed to you, by
so great a Councell? would you that we should wound through your sides heaven and
Earth? what you shall attempt against us, wil in the reflection result upon God,
the King, the Church, the State, your selves; Would you to satisfie a good King set
open the Gates, and with the same curtesie gratifie a very had company, who seeke
nothing lesse then either the safety of his Majesties Royall Person and Posterity;
or the security of his Dominions, and Leig [...]people? Would you have us wash our hands in your dearest blood? in sum; would you
have us render you the people of the Kings wrath? Wee are confident you would not;
Do then (according to the primordiall Law) as you would be done unto. Strike in we
beseech you effectually whilst you have time, put not God upon another course of deliverance,
least the honour of York-shire be laid in the dust for ever.
Oh▪ give us in this great streight, reall testimony of your affections; and you shall
for ever have the acknowledgement of the reall obligations of all.
Your affectionate friends and humble Servants in the port Town of Hul.
FINIS.