HIs Majesty having with his best care and understanding provided, and con∣sidered that which was sent him from both Houses, for the ordering of the Militia presented unto him, to be made an Ordinance of Parliament, by the gi∣ving of his Royall assent; As hee can by no means doe it, for the reasons hereafter-mentioned, so he doth not conceive himself obliged by any promise made in his Answer of the second of this moneth, to the Petition of both houses, to yield to the same.

His Majesty finds great cause to except against the Preface or Introduction to that Order which confesseth a most dangerous and desperate designe upon the House of Commons, of late supposed to be an effect of the bloudy counsels of Papists, and other il-affected persons, by which many may understand (looking upon other printed papers to that purpose) his comming in person to the House of Commons on the fourth of January, which be∣got too unhappy a misunderstanding between Him and his people. And for that, though he believes it, upon the information since given him, to be an ap∣parent breach of their privilege, and hath offered, & is ready to repair the same for the future, by any Act shall be desired of his Majesty, yet hee must declare and require to be believed, that hee had no other designe upon that House, or any Member of it, then to require as he did, the persons of those five Gentlemen his Majesty had the day before accused of high Treason, and to declare that hee meant to proceed against them legally, and speedi∣ly, Page  3upon which hee believed, that House would have delivered them up, and his Majesty calls the Almighty God to witnesse, that hee was so farre from any intention or thought of force, or vio∣lence, although that House had not delivered them according to his demand, or in any case what soever, that he gave those his servants and others, who then waited on his Majesty, expresse charge and command that they should give no offence to any man, nay, if they received any provocati∣on or injury, they should beare it without returne, and his Majesty neither saw or knew that any per∣son of his Traine, had any other weapons but his Pentioners and Guard, those with which they u∣sually attend his person to Parliament, and the o∣ther Gentlemen, swords, and therefore his Maje∣sty doubts not, but his Parliament will be so re∣gardfull of his honour herein, that hee shall not undergoe any imputation by the rash or indirect, indiscreet expressions of any young men then in his Traine, or by any desperate words uttered by others, who might mingle with them, without his consent or approbation. For the persons nomina∣ted to be Lievetenants of the severall Counties of England and Wales, his Majesty is contented to allow that recommendation, onely concerning the City of London, and such other Corporations as by ancient Charters have granted unto them the power of the Militia, his Majesty doth not con∣ceive that it can stand with Justice or Politie to al∣ter their government in that particular, and his Majesty is willing forthwith to grāt every of them Page  4(that of London, and those Corporatons excep∣ted) such Commissions as he hath done this parli∣ament, to some Lord Lieutenants by your advice, but if that power be not thought enough, but that more shall be thought fit to bee granted to those persons named, then by the Lawes is in the Crowne it selfe, his Majestie holds it reasonable that the same be by some Law first vested in him with power to Transferre it to these persons which he would willingly doe, and what ever that power shall be to avoide all future doubts and questions, his Majestie desires it may bee digested into an Act of Parliament rather then an Ordi∣nance, so that all his loving Subjects may there∣by particularly know, both what they are to doe, and what they are to suffer for their neglect, that there may be the least latitude for his good Sub∣jects to suffer under any arbitrary power whatsoe∣ver.

As to the time desired for the continuance of the power to be granted; his Majestie giveth this answer, that he cannot consent to divest himselfe of the just power which God, and the Lawes of this Kingdome have placed in him for the defence of his people, and to put it into the hands of o∣thers for any indefinite time, and since the ground of this request from his Parliament was to secure their present feares and jealousies, that they might with safetie apply themselves to the matter of his Message of the 20. of Ianuary.

His Majesty hopeth that his Grace to them since that time, in yeelding to so many of their desires, Page  5and in agreeing to the persons now recommended to him by his Parliament, and the power before expressed to be placed in them, wil wholly dispell those feares and jealousies, and assureth them, that as his Majesty hath now applied this unusuall Re∣medie to their doubts so (if there shall be cause) he will continue the same to such time as shall be agreeable to the same care now expressed to∣wards them.

And in this answer his Majesty is fo farre from receding from any thing he promised or intended to grant in his Answer to the former Petition, that his Majestie hath hereby consented to all, was then asked of him by that Petition concer∣ning the Militia of the Kingdome (except that of London, and those other Corporations) which was to put the same into the hands of such per∣sons, as should be recommended unto him by both Houses of Parliament, and his Majestie doubts not but the Parliament upon well weighing the particulars of this Answer, will find the same more satisfactory to their ends, and the peace and welfare of all his good Subjects, then the way proposed by this intended ordinance, to which for these reasons his Majestie cannot consent.

And whereas his Majestie observes by the Pe∣tition from both Houses, presented to him by the Earle of Portland, Sir Thomas Heale, and Sir Willi∣am Savill, that in some places, some persons begin to intermeddle of themselves with the Militia; his Majesty expecteth that his Parliament should examine the particulars thereof, it being a matter Page  6high concernment, and very great consequence; and his Majestie requireth, that if it shall appeare to his Parliament, that any persons whatsoever have presumed to command the Militia with∣out lawfull authority they may be proceeded against, according to Law.