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<ETS>
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<DATE>2014-03-25</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B140216.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A78864">
<STC T="W">C2411A</STC>
<STC T="C">R231273</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99897009</BIBNO>
<VID>136955</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<P>THE KINGS LETTER TO THE LORDS: Sent by the <HI>PRINCE.</HI></P>
<P>On the behalfe of the Earle of STRAFFORDS.</P>
<P>AND The LORDS An&s;wer to His MAIESTIE.</P>
<P>With the Earle of Straffords Letter to His Majestie, 4. <HI>May.</HI></P>
<P>Together With his Speech upon the Scaffold, and the Manner of his Execution.</P>
<P>&para; Printed <HI>Anno Dom.</HI> 1641.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>The Kings Letter to the Lords, &s;ent by the <HI>Prince</HI> on the behalfe of the Earle of <HI>Strafford.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>My Lords,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_I Did ye&s;terday &s;atisfie the ju&s;tice of the Kingdome by pa&s;sing the Bill of Attayn|der upon the Earle of <HI>Straf|ford,</HI> But mercie being as in|herent and in&s;eparable to a King (as ju&s;tice) I de&s;ire at this time in &s;ome mea&s;ure, to &s;hew that like|wi&s;e, by &s;uffering that misfortunate Man to fulfill the naturall cour&s;e of his life in a clo&s;e impri&s;onment, yet &s;o that if ever he make the lea&s;t offer to e&s;cape, or offer directly or indirect|ly to meddle in any &s;ort of publike bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, e&s;pecially with me, eyther by Me&s;&s;age or Let|ter, it &s;hall co&s;t him his life without further proce&s;&s;e. This (if it may be done without the di&s;contentment of my people) will be an
<PB REF="3" MS="y">un&s;peakeable contentment to me: To which end (as in the fir&s;t place) I (by this Letter) doe earne&s;tly de&s;ire your approbation, And to (in|deare it the more) have cho&s;en him to carrie it, that of all the hou&s;e is mo&s;t deare to me. So I de&s;ire by a Conference you will endeavour to give the hou&s;e of Commons contentment: Lik|wi&s;e a&s;&s;uring you that the exerci&s;ing of mercie is not more plea&s;ing to mee than to &s;ee both hou&s;es of Parliament con&s;ent for my &s;ake, that I &s;hould moderate the &s;everitie of the Law in &s;o important a Ca&s;e.</P>
<P>I will not &s;ay that your complying with me (in this my intended mercie) &s;hall make mee more willing, but (certainely) it will make me more cheerfull in granting your ju&s;t grievances, but if no le&s;&s;e than his life can &s;atisfy my people, I mu&s;t &s;ay <HI>Fiat justitia.</HI> Thus againe earne&s;tly re|commending the Con&s;ideration of my inten|tions to you, I re&s;t</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>Whitehall <DATE>11. of <HI>May.</HI> 1641.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>Your unalterable affe|ctionate friend. <HI>Charles Rex.</HI></SIGNED>
<POSTSCRIPT>
<P>If he mu&s;t die, it were Charitie to reprive him till Saturday.</P>
</POSTSCRIPT></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="summary of letter">
<PB REF="3">
<HEAD>The An&s;wer of the Letter the 11. of <HI>May.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_THis Letter (all written with the Kings own hand) we the Peeres, this day received in Parliament, delivered by the hand of the Prince, It was twice read in the Hou&s;e, and after &s;erious and &s;ad con&s;idera|tion they re&s;olved pre&s;ently to &s;end twelve of the Peeres, me&s;&s;engers to the King, humbly to &s;ignifie that neither of the two intentions ex|pre&s;t in the Letter could with dutie by us, or without danger to him&s;elfe, his deare&s;t Con|&s;ort the Queene, and all the young Princes their Children po&s;sibly be advi&s;ed with: This be|ing accompli&s;hed; and more expre&s;sion offred, his Maje&s;tie &s;uffered no more words to come from us, but out of the fulne&s;&s;e of his heart to the ob&s;ervance of Iu&s;tice, and for the content|ment
<PB REF="4" MS="y">of his People, told us that what he inten|ded by his Letter, was with an <HI>If:</HI> If it may be done without di&s;contentment to his People, if that cannot bee, <HI>I</HI> &s;ay the &s;ame againe, that <HI>I</HI> wrote <HI>Fiat Iu&s;titia:</HI> My other intention pro|ceeding out of Charitie for a few dayes re&s;pite, was upon a certaine Information, that his e&s;tate was &s;o di&s;tracted, that it nece&s;&s;arily required &s;ome few dayes for &s;ettlement thereof.</P>
<P>Wherunto the Lords an&s;wered, their pur|po&s;e was to be &s;uitors to his Maje&s;tie for favour to be &s;hewen to his innocent Children; and if him&s;elfe had made any Provi&s;ion for them, that it might hold.</P>
<P>This was liking to his Maje&s;tie, who there|upon parted from the Lords. At his Maje&s;ties parting we offered up into his hands the Letter it &s;elfe which he had &s;ent, but he plea&s;ed to &s;ay, My Lords, what <HI>I</HI> have written to you, <HI>I</HI> &s;halbe content, &s;halbe regi&s;tred by you in your Hou&s;e, in it you &s;ee my minde: <HI>I</HI> hope you will u&s;e it to my Honour.</P>
<PB REF="4" MS="y">
<P> <HI>This, upon returne of the Lords from the King, was pre&s;ently reported by the Lord Privie Seale to the Hou&s;e, And ordered, that the&s;e Lines &s;hould goe out with the Kings Letter: if any Coppie of the Letter were de&s;ired.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
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