By the King hauing occasion at this time to deliberate vpon diuers great and weightie affaires ...

[illustration] royal blazon or coat of arms

HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE

¶ By the King.

HAuing occasion at this time to deliberate vpon diuers great and weightie affaires highly tending to the continuance and further set∣ling of the peaceable gouernment and safetie of this Our Kingdome, whereof God hath giuen Vs the charge, Wee haue thought good, according to the laudable Custome of Our Progenitors, to craue the aduice and assistance herein of Our well affacted Subiects, by cal∣ling a Parliament, to begin vpon the sixteenth day of Ianuary next; And though there were no more to be had in consideration, but the present face of Christendome, so miserably and dangerously distracted at this time, besides a number of other great and weightie affaires, that Wee are to resolue vpon, Wee have more then sufficient reason to wish and desire, (if euer at any time, especially at this) that the Kninghts and Burgesses that shall serue in Parliament, be, according to the old Iustitutions, chosen of the grauest, ablest, and best affected mindes that may bee found. And therefore out of the Care of the Common good, whereof themselues are also participant, Wee doe hereby admonish all Our louing Subiects that haue votes in the Elections, that Choise bee made of persons approoued for their sincerity in Religion, and not of any, that is noted either of superstitious bl••ndnesse one way, or of turbulent humours another way, but of such as shall be found zealous and obedient children to this their Mother church.

And as to the Knights Shires, That they cast their eyes vpon the worthiest men, of all sortes of Knights and Gentlemen, that are Guides and Lights of their Countries, of good experience, and great integritie, Men that leade an honest and exemplary life in their Countries, doing Vs good seruice therein, and no Bankrupts or discontented Persons that cannot fish but in troubled waters: And for the Burgesses, That they make choice of them that best vn∣derstand the State of their Countreys, Citties, or Boroughes, And where such may not be had within their Corporations, then of other graue and discreet men, fit to serue in so worthie an Assembly. For Wee may well foresee, how ill effects the bad choise of vnfit men may produce, if the House should bee supplyed with Bankrupts and necessitous persons that may desire long Parliaments for their priuate protections, Or with young and vnexperienced men that are not ripe and mature for so graue a Councell, Or With men of meane qualities in themselues, who may onely serue applaud the opinion of others on whom they depend, Or yet with cu∣rious and wrangling Lawyers, who may seeke reputation by stirring needlesse questions: But We wish all Our good Subiects so to understand these Our admonitions, as that Wee no way meane to barre them of their lawfull freedome in election, according to the fundamentall lawes and laudable custome of this Our Kingdome, and especially in the times of good and setled go∣uernment.

Giuen at Our Court at Theobaldes the sixth day of Nouember, in the eighteenth yeere of Our Reigne of Great Brittaine, France and Ireland.

God saue the King.