THE City of Londonderry , since it was first Built , has been always a Refuge and Defence to the Protestants in that Kingdom , and very Fatal to their Enemies , as by many Instances might be shewn . It was remarkably so in that long , Bloudy War which began there in the Year 1641. when so many Thousand Protestants were barbarously Massacred and Destroyed by the Irish all over that Kingdom ; no other Place of Note ; besides Dublin , in all Ireland , held out for the Protestants at that time , of whom it saved many .

IT has been Eminently so again on this late Happy Revolution , as cannot be forgotten ; Nor of what Importance its Services and Sufferings were to these Kingdoms , and the Protestant Interest ; That when all lookt Desperate in Ireland , the whole Kingdom , the Sword , and all Power in Popish Hands , the Protestants all disarm'd and discourag'd , and a General Massacre of them all greatly fear'd , and believ'd very nigh them , as before in 1641.

Londonderry , tho in a weak Condition , and in provided at that time , yet to save what it could in such Danger , was the First Place that appear'd in that Kingdom , laid all at Stake , and gave the First Check to the Popish Power there , when it shut up its Gates against them , on the Seventh of December 1688 , and stood from thence-forward on its Defence , till the end of the Siege , the last Day of July 1689 , about Eight Months together , and near Four of them , in that Memorable Siege , wherein the Great GOD so signally own'd it , in its wonderful Preservation and Defence against all possible Discouragements , the Charge of all which it bore on its Own Head , which it has sunk under to this day .

IT was Fatal to the Irish every way , it broke all their Measures , and ruin'd all their Designs , and so Baffl'd and Consum'd the best of their Troops , as they never after retriev'd it . It stood in the Gap for these Kingdoms , and prevented the coming over of all those Irish and French Forces , with what had ensued , and made the Reduction of Ireland far more easie and cheap , than it could otherwise have been . It kept a Footing in that Kingdom , which had been otherwise quite lost , and saved many Protestants that fled thither for Refuge .

Its Losses , Disbursements and Dammage by all this , ( besides Personal Sufferings , hardly to be exprest ) has been exceeding great , and of a singular and extraordinary Nature , and amounted ( as on a moderate Computation appear'd ) to the Sum or Value of about 30000 l. Sterling , ( the ruin'd Houses by the Siege being about one half thereof ) by all which it has been reduced to a poor and ruinous Condition , as is still too apparent , and having lain under its Miseries so long , till the Wars are now ended : In hopes of finding then the happy Effects of what it has undergone , Does by its Petition , in the Name of the Mayor , Commonalty and Citizens thereof , to this Honourable House of Commons ,

PRAY That its Case and Sufferings may be taken into Consideration , and so laid before His Sacred Majesty , for the Petitioners effectual Relief in the Kingdom of Ireland , As They in Their Great Wisdoms shall think meet .