State tracts, being a farther collection of several choice treaties relating to the government from the year 1660 to 1689 : now published in a body, to shew the necessity, and clear the legality of the late revolution, and our present happy settlement, under the auspicious reign of their majesties, King William and Queen Mary.

To the King's most Excellent Majesty. The Humble Petition and Advice of the Lords under-named, Peers of the Realm.

Humbly Sheweth,

THat whereas Your Majesty hath been pleased, by divers Speeches, and Messa∣ges to Your Houses of Parliament, rightly to represent to them the Dangers that Threatned Your Majesty's Person, and the whole Kingdom, from the Mis∣chievous, and wicked Plots of the Papists, and the sudden Growth of a Foreign Power, unto which, no stop or remedy could be Provided, unless it were by Par∣liament, and an Union of Your Majesty's Protestant Subjects, in one Mind, and one Interest.

And the Lord Chancellor, in Pursuance of Your Majesty's Commands, having more at large Demonstrated the said Dangers to be as great, as we in the midst of our Fears could Imagine them: and so pressing, that our Liberties, Religion, Lives, and the whole Kingdom would be certainly Lost, if a speedy Provision were not made against them.

And Your Majesty, on the 21st. of April, 1679. Having called unto your Council, many Honourable and Worthy Persons, and declared to them and the

whole Kingdom, That being sensible of the evil Effects of a single Ministry, or private Advice, or Forreign Committee, for the General Direction of your Affairs; Your Majesty would for the future Refer all things unto that Council, and by the constant Advice of them, together with the frequent use of your great Council, the Parliament, Your Majesty was hereafter Resolved to Govern the Kingdoms; We began to hope we should see an end of our Miseries.

But to our unspeakable Grief and Sorrow, we soon found our Expectations Fru∣strated. The Parliament, then subsisting, was Prorogued and Dissolved, before it could perfect what was intended for our Relief and Security; and though another was thereupon called, yet by many Prorogations it was put off, till the 21st. of October past; and notwithstanding Your Majesty was then again pleased to acknow∣ledge, that neither Your Person, nor Your Kingdom could be safe, till the matter of the Plot was gone thorow, It was unexpectedly Prorogued on the 10th. of this Month, before any sufficient Order could be taken therein; all their Just and Pious Endeavours to save the Nation were overthrown; the good Bills they had been In∣dustriously preparing to Unite all Your Majesties Protestant Subjects brought to nought; The discovery of the Irish Plot stifled; The Witnesses that came in fre∣quently more fully to declare That, both of England and Ireland, discouraged. Those Forreign Kingdoms and States, who by a happy conjunction with us, might give a Check to the French Power, disheartned, even to such a Despair of their own Security against the growing greatness of that Monarch, as we fear may induce them to take new Resolutions, and perhaps such as may be fatal to us: The Strength and Courage of our Enemies both at home and abroad increased; and our selves left in the utmost danger of seeing our Country brought into utter Desolation.

In these Extremities, we had nothing under God to comfort us, but the Hopes, that Your Majesty (being touched with the Groans of Your perishing People) would have suffered Your Parliament to meet at the Day unto which it was Pro∣rogued: and that no further interruption should have been given to their Proceed∣ings, in Order to their saving of the Nation. But that failed us too: For then we heard that Your Majesty, by the private suggestion of some Wicked Persons, Favou∣rers of Popery, Promoters of French Designs, and Enemies to Your Majesty and the Kingdom (without the Advice, and as we have good Reason to believe, against the Opinion, even of Your Privy-Council) had been prevailed with to Dissolve it, and to call another to meet at Oxford, where neither Lords nor Commons can be in Safety, but will be daily exposed to the Sword of the Papists, and their Adherents, of whom too many are crept into Your Majesties Guards. The Liberty of speaking according to their Consciences, will be thereby Destroyed, and the Validity of all their Acts and Proceedings consisting in it, left Disputable. The Straitness of the Place, no way admits of such a concourse of Persons, as now follows every Parlia∣ment; the Witnesses which are necessary to give Evidence against the Popish Lords, such Judges, or others whom the Commons have Impeached, or had resolved to Impeach, can neither bear the Charge of going thither, nor trust themselves under the Protection of a Parliament, that is it self Evidently under the power of Guards and Soldiers.

The Premises considered, We Your Majesties Petitioners, out of a Just Abhorrence of such a dangerous and pernicious Council, (which the Authors have not dared to avow) and the direful Apprehensions of the Calamities and Miseries, that may ensue thereupon; do make it our most Humble Prayer and Ad∣vice, That the Parliament may not sit at a Place, where it will not be able to Act with that Freedom, which is necessary; and especially, to give unto their Acts and Proceedings, that Authority which they ought to have amongst the People, and have ever had, unless Impaired by some Awe upon them, (of which there wants not Precedents:) And that Your Majesty would be gra∣ciously pleased, to Order It to Sit at Westminster (it being the usual Place, and where they may Consult and Act with Safety and Freedom.)

And your Petitioness shall ever Pray, &c.

• ...Monmouth,
• ...Kent,
• ...Huntington,
• ...Bedford,
• ...Salisbury,
• ...Clare,
• ...Stanford,
• ...Essex,
• ...Shaftsbury,
• ...Mordant,
• ...Evers,
• ...Paget,
• ...Grey,
• ...Herbert,
• ...Howard,
• ...Delamer.

The Counties and Corporations throughout England, were generally so well satisfied with the Proceedings of the Honourable House of Commons in the last Par∣liament, That as soon as they heard of the Dissolution, they Resolved to chuse the very same respective Persons again, and contriv'd to make their Elections, without putting the Gentlemen chosen to any Charge; Thereby to crush that Pernicious Cu∣stom of over-ruling Debauchery, at Choice of Members, which had not only scanda∣liz'd the Nation, but almost impoyson'd and destroyed the very Constitution of our Parliaments.