To
the
KING'S
most
Excellent
MAjESTY
.
The
Humble
Petition
of
the
distressed
Protestant
Inhabitants
of
the
County
of
DORSET
,
Sheweth
,
THat
the
Petitioners
,
since
these
unhappy
Civill
Warres
,
having
in
a
deeper
measure
then
other
Subjects
of
this
Kingdome
,
suffered
by
meanes
of
the
many
Garrisons
within
this
little
County
,
(
they
being
tenne
in
number
)
and
the
Armies
yearely
drawn
into
these
parts
by
reason
thereof
,
did
lately
hope
(
whilest
the
Treaty
between
Your
Majesty
and
the
two
Houses
of
Parliament
continued
)
once
again
to
have
been
restored
to
the
blessing
of
Peace
▪
by
an
happy
accommodation
of
the
present
differences
without
further
effusion
of
Christian
blood
.
But
finding
such
their
great
hopes
to
be
frustrate
,
and
having
too
too
just
cause
to
feare
that
they
are
not
yet
brought
to
the
extremity
of
miseries
,
which
the
continuance
of
this
Warre
will
in
all
probability
produce
;
and
conceiving
that
nothing
under
God
can
reduce
this
miserably
divided
Nation
unto
any
proportion
of
it
's
former
happinesse
save
only
an
unbloody
accommodation
,
Doe
most
humbly
beseech
your
most
Excellent
Majesty
,
to
lend
your
favourable
eare
to
the
renewing
of
a
Treaty
for
Peace
,
when
it
shall
be
proposed
to
Your
Majesty
by
the
two
Houses
of
Parliament
,
(
for
the
proposall
whereof
,
the
Petitioners
have
made
their
addresses
unto
them
)
that
before
this
wretched
Kingdome
,
through
the
divisions
and
debility
thereof
,
be
made
a
Prey
for
a
Forraigne
Nation
,
such
a
Peace
may
be
established
therein
,
as
may
be
for
the
glory
of
God
,
the
maintenance
of
the
true
reformed
Protestant
Religion
,
Your
Majesties
Royall
Person
,
Honour
and
Estate
,
the
Power
and
Priviledges
of
Parliament
,
and
the
Lawfull
Rights
and
Liberties
of
your
Subjects
.
And
they
likewise
humbly
beseech
Your
Majesty
,
that
during
such
Treaty
,
Your
Majesty
will
be
gratiously
pleased
to
consent
to
a
Cessation
of
Armes
on
your
Majesties
part
,
(
in
case
the
said
two
Houses
of
Parliament
shall
doe
the
same
)
that
a
Treaty
tending
to
Peace
may
not
proceed
in
Blood
.
But
if
Almighty
God
hath
decreed
the
farther
scourging
of
this
Nation
(
being
not
hitherto
fitted
for
so
great
a
mercy
,
as
the
enjoyment
of
Peace
)
by
the
continuance
of
these
Civill
Warres
,
and
by
consequence
thereof
,
a
necessity
ensue
of
keeping
some
of
the
Garrisons
within
this
County
for
the
defence
of
the
same
,
Your
distressed
suppliants
(
who
are
not
able
any
longer
to
subsist
under
the
intollerable
burthen
of
contrary
Commands
of
the
said
Garrisons
,
and
of
the
Armies
aforesaid
)
who
by
Contributions
,
Taxes
,
Free
quarter
and
Plunder
have
scarcely
left
Your
Petitioners
sustenance
for
themselves
▪
much
lesse
any
ability
of
supplying
the
Souldiers
farther
necessities
,
or
arbitrary
demands
,
Most
humbly
beseech
Your
sacred
Majesty
,
with
your
wonted
eye
of
Clemency
so
to
reflect
upon
the
miseries
of
the
Petitioners
Your
distressed
Subjects
of
this
Your
County
as
to
condescend
to
the
intrusting
in
their
hands
,
so
many
of
Your
Garrisons
,
held
by
any
of
Your
Majesties
forces
therein
,
as
shall
be
thought
necessary
to
be
continued
(
in
case
Your
said
Two
Houses
of
Parliament
shall
upon
Your
Subjects
Petition
to
them
in
that
behalfe
doe
the
like
for
the
Garrisons
in
their
hands
)
to
be
maintained
at
the
charges
of
the
Petitioners
,
and
not
by
them
to
be
delivered
up
unto
any
Person
or
Persons
whatsoever
,
but
unto
such
only
as
by
the
joynt
consent
of
Your
Majesty
,
and
the
said
two
Houses
of
Parliament
,
shall
be
authorized
to
receive
the
same
.
And
they
humbly
pray
that
,
during
their
service
in
maintaining
the
said
Garrisons
.
Your
Majesty
will
be
pleased
gratiously
to
exempt
the
Petitioners
from
all
manner
of
Payments
,
and
other
Charges
towards
these
Warres
.
And
for
as
much
as
many
wicked
and
lewd
Persons
▪
taking
advantage
of
those
times
of
distemper
to
the
great
dishonour
of
Almighty
God
,
and
Scandall
of
Your
Majesties
Government
,
doe
dayly
commit
many
haynous
offences
against
God
and
the
established
Lawes
of
this
Your
Realme
,
and
through
want
of
execution
of
Justice
escape
unpunished
.
Your
Petitioners
farther
humbly
beseech
Your
most
Excellent
:
Majesty
,
That
the
Acts
of
Parliament
which
stand
unrep●●●●d
may
be
presently
put
in
Execution
against
the
Offendors
,
by
such
Officers
as
by
the
same
Acts
are
enabled
thereunto
,
without
disturbance
of
those
Officers
in
the
due
execution
thereof
▪
and
that
Your
Majesty
will
be
graciously
pleased
,
that
all
such
Persons
as
either
are
,
or
have
been
in
Armes
,
or
otherwise
assistant
unto
either
Party
in
these
unhappy
Warres
,
may
be
permitttd
(
if
they
shalt
desire
it
)
to
lay
downe
their
Armes
,
and
to
returne
to
their
wonted
Habitations
,
that
the
like
favour
to
returne
may
be
granted
unto
all
others
who
for
feare
of
either
Party
have
absented
themselves
from
the
places
of
their
usuall
abode
,
or
which
by
reason
of
their
affection
to
either
Party
are
imprisoned
,
or
otherwise
restrained
of
their
liberty
.
And
least
any
misconstruction
may
be
made
of
Your
Petitioners
intents
in
assembling
themselves
at
severall
places
of
this
Your
Countie
.
They
humbly
remonstrate
unto
Your
Most
Excellent
Majesty
,
That
their
aymes
therein
have
been
for
no
other
ends
,
save
onely
to
represent
their
great
grievances
by
way
of
humble
Petition
to
Your
Sacred
Majesty
,
and
to
the
two
Houses
of
Parliament
,
and
to
associate
themselves
(
as
they
humbly
conceive
they
lawfully
may
)
for
the
maintenance
of
the
true
Reformed
Protestant
Religion
,
the
preservation
of
their
Lawes
,
Liberties
,
and
Properties
▪
against
all
Plunderers
,
and
all
other
unlawfull
Violence
,
untill
it
shall
please
Almighty
God
to
put
a
period
to
these
sad
Distractions
.
Which
that
it
may
speedily
be
effected
,
Your
Majesties
most
humble
Petitioners
with
humble
hearts
and
bended
knees
,
shall
not
be
wanting
daily
to
invocate
the
God
of
Peace
▪
and
to
pray
for
Your
Majesties
long
and
prosperous
Raigne
over
Us
.
This
Petition
is
subscribed
by
above
ten
Thousand
of
Your
MAjESTIES
Loyall
Subjects
of
this
County
,
not
in
Armes
on
either
Party
in
the
present
Warres
.
This
is
a
true
Copy
,
as
it
was
presented
by
us
unto
His
MAjESTY
,
the
8th
day
of
July
,
1645.
-
HENRY
GOCHE
.
-
THO
:
YONGE
.
-
PETER
HOSKINS
.
-
THO
:
〈◇〉
▪
At
the
Court
at
RAGLAND
,
July
the
9th
,
1645.
By
His
Majesties
speciall
Directions
and
Command
.
HIS
Majesty
being
himselfe
so
deeply
afflicted
with
the
Miseries
and
Calamities
brought
upon
all
His
poore
Subjects
in
generall
by
this
unnaturall
Warre
,
doth
not
at
all
wonder
,
that
the
grievous
and
most
particular
sufferings
of
the
Inhabitants
of
the
County
of
Dorset
,
should
urge
them
to
seek
ease
and
reliefe
,
though
by
wayes
lesse
regular
,
and
being
entirely
perswaded
that
their
intentions
in
their
late
assemblies
,
and
in
this
their
present
addresse
to
His
Majesty
are
full
of
Duty
and
Loyalty
to
His
Person
and
Government
,
is
so
farre
from
reprehending
them
,
that
He
is
very
glad
to
find
so
many
of
His
good
Subjects
united
in
a
joynt
and
hearty
sense
of
the
publick
,
and
that
by
this
particular
application
of
themselves
to
His
Majesty
they
have
afforded
him
the
meanes
to
informe
them
more
particularly
of
the
Justice
of
His
Cause
,
and
of
His
sincere
and
constant
desires
and
endeavours
for
Peace
,
then
appeares
by
their
profest
neutrality
hitherto
they
have
been
;
which
that
he
may
the
better
doe
,
and
that
there
may
thereby
be
wrought
a
perfect
Vnion
and
Conjunction
betwixt
His
Majesty
and
those
who
professe
to
be
so
sincerely
affected
with
the
same
Pious
desires
of
the
publick
good
,
His
Majesty
will
very
speedily
send
unto
the
Petitioners
,
or
unto
such
as
they
shall
depute
within
the
said
County
,
Persons
further
instructed
in
the
Course
of
all
His
Majesties
former
proceedings
,
and
of
His
present
Resolutions
,
and
in
the
meane
time
as
an
instance
of
His
Gracious
Intentions
towards
the
Petitioners
,
He
is
pleased
to
give
these
particular
Answers
to
their
severall
desires
.
To
the
first
,
That
when
ever
Propositions
of
Peace
shall
be
made
unto
His
Majesty
by
those
at
Westminster
,
His
Eares
shall
be
alwayes
open
unto
them
,
and
He
not
onely
ready
to
receive
them
,
but
even
to
seek
and
solicite
for
them
,
when
ever
He
can
probably
Iudge
that
they
will
not
reject
His
Overture
,
whereof
the
Petitioners
need
make
no
doubt
,
His
Majesty
having
neglected
no
occasion
to
invite
them
to
a
Treaty
of
Peace
,
the
blessing
whereof
was
never
more
to
be
implored
of
Almighty
God
,
nor
to
be
more
industriously
endeavoured
by
all
good
men
,
then
at
this
time
,
when
without
it
(
as
the
Petitioners
well
observe
)
this
Kingdom
is
likely
to
be
made
the
prey
of
a
Forreigne
Nation
;
The
Scots
being
at
this
present
advanc't
with
an
Army
so
farre
into
the
heart
of
this
Kingdome
,
as
already
to
threaten
even
the
Westerne
parts
;
And
His
Majesty
doth
further
promise
in
the
Word
of
a
King
,
that
if
a
Treaty
may
be
procured
,
He
will
seek
no
other
Conditions
of
Peace
then
those
mentioned
by
the
Petitioners
,
that
is
,
The
glory
of
God
in
the
maintenance
of
the
true
Reformed
Protestant
Religion
,
The
Iust
and
inseparable
Rights
of
the
Crowne
,
The
Iust
Power
and
Priviledges
of
Parliament
,
and
the
Lawfull
Rights
and
Liberty
of
the
Subject
;
and
all
these
,
under
none
of
those
Ambiguous
termes
,
whereby
the
contrary
Party
have
deluded
and
misled
so
many
of
his
good
Subjects
,
pretending
that
they
fight
for
the
same
,
but
making
the
knowne
Lawes
of
the
Land
(
which
cannot
deceive
)
the
measure
of
each
particular
.
To
the
second
His
Majesty
doth
promise
,
That
,
if
a
Treaty
may
be
procured
,
He
will
earnestly
desire
a
Cessation
of
Arms
,
(
as
he
did
in
the
last
at
Uxbridge
,
though
to
His
great
griefe
not
consented
unto
by
the
other
Party
)
to
the
end
that
a
Treaty
tending
to
Peace
may
not
proceed
in
Bloud
;
And
His
Majesty
desires
the
Book
of
the
said
Treaty
at
Uxbridge
,
be
read
to
the
Petitioners
for
their
satisfaction
in
this
Point
,
and
the
manifestation
of
His
sincere
desires
of
Peace
.
To
the
third
,
That
in
Case
for
the
sinnes
of
the
Nation
,
the
obstinacy
of
the
other
Party
cannot
be
overcome
,
but
that
His
Majesty
and
His
People
must
yet
be
further
Scourged
by
Gods
afflicting
hand
of
Warre
,
that
His
Majesty
is
so
deeply
sensible
of
his
Suppliants
,
and
all
His
other
good
Subjects
Sufferings
,
by
Contributions
,
Taxes
,
Free-Quarter
,
and
Plunder
,
that
whatsoever
can
be
done
on
His
Maiesties
part
in
the
three
first
by
all
the
moderation
that
can
possibly
be
used
,
and
to
the
latter
,
by
the
severest
Iustice
,
shall
be
carefully
and
effectually
endeavoured
;
As
for
the
point
of
trusting
in
the
Petitioners
hands
such
of
His
Forts
and
Garrisons
as
shall
be
thought
necessary
to
be
continued
,
His
Maiesty
makes
no
doubt
,
but
if
Peace
may
not
be
procured
,
it
shall
so
evidently
appeare
unto
the
Petitioners
,
who
have
been
the
Authors
,
and
are
the
Contrivers
of
their
miseries
,
that
they
will
prove
the
heartiest
Champions
of
their
King's
,
their
owne
,
and
Gods
Cause
,
and
consequently
be
as
fit
Persons
as
any
that
His
Maiesty
can
Chuse
to
be
entrusted
with
what
nearliest
concernes
His
Safety
,
and
their
Protection
▪
but
for
this
particular
,
as
also
for
the
future
maintaining
of
the
said
Garrisons
,
His
Maiesty
will
by
those
whom
he
shall
employ
unto
the
Petitioners
,
advise
with
them
of
the
time
and
manner
how
His
Service
may
be
done
most
to
their
satisfaction
.
And
to
the
last
,
that
the
chiefe
calamity
of
Warre
is
the
silencing
of
the
Lawes
,
and
if
it
were
possible
,
to
uphold
their
due
and
current
execution
,
the
Sword
could
no
longer
Rage
,
but
as
farre-forth
as
it
is
possible
,
that
Military
affaires
can
be
govern'd
by
Legall
inflictions
on
offenders
,
His
Majesty
is
very
desirous
to
give
the
Petitioners
all
imaginable
satisfaction
;
but
it
being
a
matter
of
such
intricacy
,
the
particular
way
end
Method
of
it
,
must
be
ripened
by
farther
debate
.
As
for
the
point
of
leave
for
all
His
Majesties
misled
Subjects
,
to
lay
down
Armes
,
and
returne
to
their
habitations
,
there
to
live
unquestioned
,
and
unmolested
,
It
is
that
whereunto
His
Majesty
hath
already
many
times
given
more
then
a
permission
,
That
is
,
a
speciall
invitation
,
by
severall
gratious
Proclamations
,
which
for
the
Petitioners
satisfaction
be
shall
very
willingly
renew
.
As
for
the
other
part
,
which
concernes
those
at
present
engaged
in
His
Maiesties
Service
,
&
those
under
restraint
,
His
Maiesty
is
too
confident
of
the
Petitioners
affections
to
His
and
His
Kingdoms
Safety
,
to
beleeve
(
while
His
Enemies
are
so
strong
,
&
dayly
forcing
every
man
to
take
up
Armes
against
Him
,
and
whil'st
a
Forreigne
Nation
is
in
the
bowells
of
the
Kingdome
ready
to
devoure
it
)
that
they
would
wish
Him
one
man
lesse
in
His
Army
,
or
one
man
more
at
Liberty
to
joyne
with
them
.
As
for
all
such
Persons
as
are
absent
from
their
homes
,
and
not
already
engaged
in
His
Maiesties
Service
,
it
shall
be
very
acceptable
to
His
Maiesty
,
that
they
returne
to
their
owne
homes
,
and
tend
the
service
and
quiet
of
their
Countries
according
to
the
Petitioners
desire
.
And
as
for
all
Acts
of
Parliament
and
Lawes
unrepealed
in
what
concernes
the
Civill
Government
,
as
particularly
for
Assize
,
Sessions
,
and
the
like
,
The
Petitioners
undertaking
the
Protection
of
His
Maiesties
Ministers
of
Iustice
,
His
Maiesty
will
issue
His
Commands
unto
them
all
respectively
,
to
performe
their
constant
duties
,
according
to
the
establisht
Lawes
.
GEORGE
DIGBY
.
FINIS
.