WHEREAS We have been lately informed of an Order pretended to be made in the House of Commons , wherein the Loyall and dutifull carriage of Sir Ralph Hopton to vs , and in obedience to Our just commands , in Our Counties of Cornewall and Devon , is much inveighed against , and stiled to be Hostile and Rebellious , and upon the complaint of one William Strode ( a Person whom We have accused , and is notoriously known to be guilty of High Treason , and endeavouring to take away Our Life from vs ) the Estate of the said Sir Ralph Hopton is by that Order , without the least colour of Iustice or pretence of Legall power , sequestred into the hands of the said Strode ; We have thought Our selfe obliged in Honour and Iustice to Our selfe , the said Sir Ralph Hopton , and such other Loyall and dutifull Persons who joyne with him in Our Service to declare , that the House of Commons , hath not the least power to sequester or dispose of the Estates of any of Our Subjects , or can usurpe the same , without destroying the interest and Property they were borne to ; And to publish to all Our good Subjects , that the said Sir Ralph Hopton with other Persons of Honour and Quality being long since imployed in a Peaceable manner , and according to the known Lawes of the Land , to preserve the Peace of Our County of Somerset , then endangered by the Faction and Sedition of some turbulent Persons there , where the said Sir Ralph Hopton and his Ancestors had long lived with great Reputation ; and to oppose that illegall and grievous imposition of the Militia upon Our good Subjects of that County , that the Lord Marquesse Hartford , and all the considerable Gentry of that Our County being there together in their own Country , where there Estates lay , and where they had alwaies lived , were by force and violence of a Rebellious Army assaulted and driven from their own Houses , insomuch as We were compelled to send Our Commission to the said Lord Marquesse under Our Great seale of England , to be Our Generall , and to raise Forces to resist and subdue that desperate Rebellion , which neverthelesse got so great a head , by the Malice and Industry of ill Instruments , infuseing into the mindes of Our weak Subjects , wicked and groundlesse Lyes of Our intention to take away their Estates from them by Our Commission of Array , that the said Lord Marquesse , and all such of Our good and dutifull Subjects , who had expressed a sense of their duty and Affection to vs , being most of the eminent Gentry , and persons of greatest quality and fortune , were compelled to leave that Country , since which time , the said Lord Marquesse having brought the Forces raised by him to vs , We have sent Our Commission under Our Great Seale of England , to the said Sir Ralph Hopton , that he with the Assistance of those Persons of Honour and Quality , who have since joyned with him , and whose particular services We shall alwaies remember , and hope to reward , might raise such Forces as might subdue the Rebellion in those parts , and defend Our good Subjects there from the Force and Violence of their fellow Subjects . And We doe therefore declare to all Our loving Subjects , That what Forces soever the said Sir Ralph Hopton hath raised , or what Acts soever he hath done in pursuance of Our said Commands , and by vertue of Our said Commission , the same have been done by Our Royall Authority , and that he is so farre from being guilty of Disloyalty or Rebellion against vs , that he and such of Our good Subjects as have assisted him have resisted and opposed only Rebells , who without any Colour of Law or Right have , and doe use their utmost power to destroy vs , to suppresse the true reformed Protestant Religion on the behalfe of Anabaptists , Brownists , and other Sectaries , to take away the Liberty and Property of Our good Subjects , and to alter the whole frame of Government so long setled , and so happily enjoyed in this Kingdome . And We doe straitly forbid and inhibite all manner of Persons to presume to yeeld any obedience to the said Order , or any way to meddle with the Estate of the said Sir Ralph Hopton to his prejudice , or to interrupt his Tenants or Officers in their quiet and peaceable enjoying the same : which if any shall presume to doe , We shall look upon them as Persons disaffected to vs , and countenancers and fomenters of those dissentions which so neerely threaten the ruine of this Kingdom . And We farther Will and Command all Our good Subjects of Our Counties of Cornewall , Devon , and Somerset , that they be aiding and assisting to the said Sir Ralph Hopton , and use their utmost power for the subduing the Rebells now in Armes against Us in those parts , under the Command of the Earle of Stamford , and for the apprehending the said Earle , and such other persons whom We have particularly excepted out of Our Proclamation of Pardon for the said severall Counties , that We may proceed against them as Traitors by the known Rules and Lawes of the Land . And We doe hereby declare , That as We shall alwaies remember the singular courage of Our County of Cornewall , and such of Our good Subjects of Devon and Somerset , who have assisted them in their notable Zeale and Affection to vs , the Protestant Religion , and the Liberty of the Subject , so whosoever shall assist the said Sir Ralph Hopton with Horse , Armes , Plate , or Mony , shall doe a most acceptable service unto vs , & We shall carefully pay all such summes of Mony as shall be so lent to him , And whosoever shall have the hard fortune to loose his Life in that Service , We shall grant the Wardship of his Heyre to his own use without Rent or Fine , when on the contrary , the Heires of such who shall fall in the Rebellion against Us , must expect no favour from Vs. Lastly Our pleasure is , That this Our Proclamation be read in all the Churches and Chappels within Our said Counties of Somerset , Devon , and Cornewall , that all Our Subjects may take notice of Our Will and Pleasure herein .