TRusty and wel-beloved Nephew Prince Robert , although Wee know that your own knowledge and experience can conduct you in all military affaires , and that your loving affection unto us hath beene approved by many testimonies and reall demonstrations in your constant and faithfull service , personally performed in our war , which we have endeavoured so much to decline , seeking and heartily persuing after peace , which desires of ours cannot yet bee obtained ; wee would have you therefore with us patiently waite the divine opportunity , which can in a moment settle and compo●e the universall distractions of our Kingdome , and by no meanes seeke to anticipate divine revenge on our subjects . For we are fully perswaded that a great part of our loyall people do recant and deeply cogitate and thinke on the fractions and divisions of our disturbed State , and doe wish that by some happy and effectuall meanes they 〈◇〉 once closed againe : But as the beginning is the hardest in all matters of importance , so now our Subjects being entred into this laborinth of errour and refractory disobedience , cannot suddainly find out the 〈◇〉 of reason and religious loyalty to guide and leade them back again● ; the way of a peace and accomodation is that which is portended to be so hard to finde , and like absurd and weake actions that can onely fit their humour and fancy unto one part , so our Kingdome being now made the stage of war , they can present nothing but daily skirmishes , taking of Townes , and many hostile passages , whereas instead of performing the parts of souldiers it would become them far better to fall down on their knees , and with a loving submission comply with us for the happinesse and peace of our Kingdome , the ruine whereof ( as in other Countries ) must needs bee the consequent and effect of a civill war . We doe thus open our mind unto you , that you may have a cleare prospect into our merci●ull thoughts in the prosecution of this war , which wee follow and maintaine not voluntarily but being necessitated thereunto , and we wish that our people had never beene so far blinded and drawne into false opinions of us and our integrious intents , as we shall answer one day , if it bee our faults , before the high Tribunall , that we must use so sharpe a medicine as the sword to cure their malady and their deceived understandings , and that ungrounded opinion should prevaile amongst them above all our former royall expressions , and patheticall implorations of Heaven , as the constant witnesse of our thoughts and actions . But yet all ●his cannot make us forget our selves as they doe ; we will containe our selves within the limits of a King , and our good example shall wou●d our subjects with the thought of their unmindnesse d●●●●o than the sword , which wounds but gently , but conscient sti●●es home indeed ; all our subjects shall ever find us in the midst of Armes and successefull victories ( which we attribute to God ) mercifull , and not in any thing desirous of the bloud shed of our people , and as after the huresse●●d vattaile at Edge-hill , wee gave you our Nephew and all our souldiers most hearty thankes for the great valour and loyall service that day personally expresse● , but yet withall wee told you , that wee were sorry then had beene so much effusion of bloud , and that all in both Armes were our subiects , for whose losse in that merciles battaile wee were exceedingly and deepely grieved , so our tender affections to our subjects that shall be ever such , that we shall alwaies smart in their calamities , esteeming them as our owne . And as wee have largely exprest how we stand affected to our people , and what our griefe for them is , that this intestine civill war should bee still prosecuted to our and their great detriment losse and sorrow , so we would have you wel-beloved Nephew , and all others that imploy their endeavours to doe us service , in all hostile manner to mingle severity with mercy , that your and their carriage , and behaviour towards our subjects may gaine upon their opinions , and take their affections rather than their Townes , that they may know our Army is the power of their King , armed not to their destruction but conversion ; and therefore wee lovingly charge and desire you our affectionate Nephew Prince Robert , to looke on our people in all your marches and attempts as on our people and subjects , capable of reclaiming though now misled ; we would have therefore all your actions as derived from us , and the influence of our mercy shew us a King tender of the welfare of our subjects , and as a Father will not deale with his offen●ing children with any rigorous violence , but doth declare his Iustice with a compulsive unwillingnesse , so doe you imitate us in carrying affections and intentions to our subiects , not as Lyons but as friends disagreeing that may hereafter be happily reconciled ; since it ●oth shew a Prince more neere to Heaven to preserve than destroy . And since this civill flame cannot be suddainely quenched , let us not pull down the Kingdome into ruine and devestation , but goe on this war in a saving way , since the losse is as great on our side as on our subiects part , wee send you this premotion , because wee expect daily to bee more engaged with hostility , and great forces are advancing towards us , with what intentions we know not , but such they appeare that we must resolve to oppose them and their pretences , as contradictory to our Desires and Commands , and preiudiciall to the safety of our Person , and therefore we would have you know our Royall Will and pleasure is , to bee mercifull 〈◇〉 all our designes whereunto we shall by the instigation of an Army advancing towards us be provoked , desiring you and all our loving subiects and Commanders to deale temperately , and with as much curtesie and humanity with all our other subiects on the contrary part , as if all our performances and actions in hostile manner were by them necessitated and not by us desired , for though we have chosen Oxford yet a while to bee our place of Residence , and of our Army for the safety of our Person , we doubt not but that as the Soule is not contayned in one but every part of the body , so our power will bee so largely diffused and extended through all and every part of our Kingdome , that we sh●ll not want sufficient strength to resist any opposing forces , if any be so impuous to attempt such violence against us under specious and faire shewes and pretences . We know that our army is much m●ligne● as if it were repugnant to the good of the Common-weal●h to accept of our subiects service in these great and civill distractions , doe you therefore good Nephew by your managing all affaires in this civill war , teach our people to bee undeceived in us thou mercifull King , let your farre actions make it appeare that you are no malignants , no evill Counsellours , but that you stand in defence of us as much as they protend to doe , and that you seeke not the ruine and destruction of our kingdomes , which aspersions are cast upon you , which can be no acceptable service unto us , that so all our subjects may be convinced that all the calamities which this civill war shall introduce upon this land are occasioned by malevolent opinion and ungrounded furie , and not from ●s , and as you have begirt and desieged our City of Litchfield , so have a care of spilling or shedding innocent bloud which are amongst them ; but space when you may destroy , save where time and opportunity gives vantage : let our subjects if they will or desire , it have free quarter , & march with bagge and baggage forth of our City , provided they doe not use any out-rages , or offer violence to the said town of Litchfield , and hereof faile not as you desire the good of us , who desire nothing more than the good happinesse and peaceable government of our kingdome , and not the effusion of the bloud of our subjects , mercy being the highest attribute of a King .