A happy handfull, or Green hopes in the blade; in order to a harvest, of the several shires, humbly petitioning, or heartily declaring for peace.

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Title: A happy handfull, or Green hopes in the blade; in order to a harvest, of the several shires, humbly petitioning, or heartily declaring for peace.
Author: Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.
Publication: London :: printed for John Williams at the sign of the Crown in St. Pauls Church-yard,; 1660.
Rights/Permissions: To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
Subject terms: England and Wales. -- Parliament -- Early works to 1800.; Political science -- Sources -- Early works to 1800.; Great Britain -- History -- Commonwealth and Protectorate, 1649-1660 -- Early works to 1800.; Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1649-1660 -- Early works to 1800.; Great Britain -- Constitution -- Early works to 1800.
Cite this Item: "A happy handfull, or Green hopes in the blade; in order to a harvest, of the several shires, humbly petitioning, or heartily declaring for peace." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A85018.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 1, 2024.

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Page 20

To the Right Honourable WILL LENTHAL Speaker to the PARLIAMENT.

By him to be Communicated to the MEMBERS sitting at Westminster.

WHereas We the Gentlemen and Freeholders of this County of Berks, were generally met together at Abingdon, upon some intimation of an Election of a Knight of the Shire, in pursuance of your Order, for the filling up of this Parliament; and that some solicitations were used throughout the County for Voyces, and being jealous to be surprised therein by any Clandestine carriage of the Writ: And whereas at this Meeting it was further taken into conside∣ration, that this County have with the rest of this Nation been deeply sensible of many insupportable grievances and oppressions of late dayes, occasioned through the want of a real, setled, and regular Government; and in particular, that the Commissio∣ners for the Militia having formerly charged the Country to provide Arms, which was done accordingly, the said Commissio∣oners do yet direct their Warrants for the bringing in of Twenty shillings for every Foot Arms; which we are very confident is be∣sides the intent of the Act which impowers them, and are igno∣rant otherwise by what Authority they proceed therein; That therefore having seriously consulted the Remedies which might be proper for these and the like Inconveniences for the future, and by Gods blessing reduce us unto a firm, free, and le∣gal settlement of our Rights, Civil and Religious: Wee con∣ceived it to be our duty towards God and our Country, without

Page 21

any private ends whatsoever, to declare our selves in this sense, That we take it the most satisfactory expedient for it, will be the re∣calling of all those members that were secluded in 1648. And that before the first force upon the Parliament. And, that in the Elections which shall bee of any other Members in the vacant places, such due course may be taken, as that the Country may not any way be sur∣prised, or over-awed therein: And that the secluded Members may be admitted to Sit without any Oath or Engagement to restrain their Freedome in the least; Wherein we shall be ready to defend You and Them with whatsoever is dearest unto us, against all opposition: And pray unto Almighty God for his assistance to the happy ac∣complishment of what may best conduce to the Peace and Safety of this Nation.

[This is subscribed by most of the chief Gentle∣men and Freeholders of the County of Berks.]