Basiliká the works of King Charles the martyr : with a collection of declarations, treaties, and other papers concerning the differences betwixt His said Majesty and his two houses of Parliament : with the history of his life : as also of his tryal and martyrdome.

His MAJESTY's Answer to the aforesaid Petition.

WE expected such Propositions from you as might speedily remove and prevent the Misery and Desolation of this Kingdom, and that for the effecting thereof (We now residing at a convenient place not far from Our City of London) Committees from both Our Houses of Parliament should attend Us (for you pretended by your Mes∣sage to Us at Colebrook that those were your Desires:) instead thereof (and thereby let all the World judge of the design of that Overture) We have only received your humble Petition, That We would be pleased to return to Our Parliament with Our Royal, not Our Martial Attendance. All Our good Subjects that remember what We have so often told you and them upon this Subject, and what hath since past, must with Indignation look upon this Message, as intended by the Contrivers thereof for a Scorn to Us, and thereby designed by that Malignant party (of whom We have so often complained, whose Safety and Ambition is built upon the Divisions and Ruines of this Kingdom, and who have too great an Influence upon your Actions) for a Wall of Separation be∣twixt Us and Our People. We have told you the Reasons why We parted from London, how We were chased thence, and by whom: We have often complained that the great∣est part of Our Peers, and of the Members of Our House of Commons, could not with safety to their Honours and Persons continue and Vote freely among you, but by violence and cunning practices were debarred of those Priviledges which their Birth-rights and the Trust reposed in them by their Countries gave them; the truth whereof may suffi∣ciently appear by the small number of those that are with you. We have offered you to meet both Our Houses in any place free and convenient for Us and them; but We ne∣ver could receive the least satisfaction in any of these particulars, nor for those Scanda∣lous and Seditious Pamphlets and Sermons which swarm amongst you. That's all one; you tell Us, it is now for Our Honour and the Safety of Our Royal Person, to return to Our Parliament: wherein your formerly denying Us a Negative Voice gives Us cause to believe, that by giving your selves that Name without Us, you intend not to acknowledge Us to be part of it. The whole Kingdom knows that an Army was rais∣ed under pretence of Orders of both Houses (an Usurpation never heard of before in any Age) which Army hath pursued Us in Our own Kingdom, gave Us Battel at Keynton, and endeavoured to take away the life of Us and Our Children; and yet (these Rebels being newly recruited and possessed of Our City of London) We are cour∣teously

invited to return to Our Parliament there, that is, into the Power of this Ar∣my. Doth this signifie any other thing, than that since the traitourous endeavours of those desperate Men could not snatch the Crown from Our Head, (it being defended by the Providence of God, and the Affections and Loyalty of Our good Subjects) We should now tamely come up and give it them, and put Our Selves, Our Life, and the lives, liberties and fortunes of all Our good Subjects, into their merciful hands? Well, We think not fit to give any other Answer to this part of your Petition But as We im∣pute not this Affront to both Our Houses of Parliament, nor to the major part of those that are now present there, but to that dangerous Party We and the whole Kingdom must cry out upon; so We shall for Our good Subjects sake, and out of Our most ten∣der sense of their Miseries and the general Calamities of this Kingdom, which must (if this War continue) speedily overwhelm this whole Nation, take no Advantage of it: But if you shall really pursue what you presented to Us at Colebrook, We shall make good all that We then gave you in Answer to it; whereby the hearts of Our distressed Subjects may be raised with the Hopes of Peace, without which, Religion, the Laws and Liberties can no ways be settled and secured.

Touching the late and sad Accident you mention, if you thereby intend that of Braince∣ford, We desire you once to deal ingenuously with the People, and to let them see Our last Message to you, and Our Declaration to them concerning the same, (both which We sent to Our Press at London, but were taken away from Our Messenger, and not suffered to be published) and then We doubt not but they will be soon undeceived, and easily find out those Counsels which do rather perswade a desperate Division than a good Agreement betwixt Us, Our two Houses, and People.