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<ETS>
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<DATE>2011-09-04</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B110810.apex.</ITEM>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A79818">
<STC T="W">C4350</STC>
<STC T="T">E409_12</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99863914</BIBNO>
<VID>161192</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>The City-Dames PETITION, IN The behalfe of the long afflicted, but well-affected CAVALIERS.</P>
<P>PRESENTED <HI>To the Supreme Powers of this Kingdome.</HI></P>
<P><FIGURE>
<FIGDESC>printer's device: a central fleur-de-lis flanked by a Tudor rose and a Scottish thistle</FIGDESC>
</FIGURE></P>
<P>Printed in the Yeere, 1647. <ADD>7^b^e^r 28</ADD></P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD>The City Dames Petition, in the be|halfe of the long afflicted, but well-affected CAVALIERS.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Right Honourable,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>WEE who&s;e names are under-written, do in the behalfe of all the well-affected women in and about the Cities of London, We&s;t-min&s;ter; and other adjacent parts, in hopes of a &s;udden redre&s;&s;e, make knowne unto your Lord&s;hips and the honourable the Hou&s;e of Commons, the un&s;upportable grievances which have long befallen us, by ooca&s;ion of this unhappy, unnaturall, and inte&s;tine warre, and have been con|tinued to us of late by meanes of &s;everall orders i&s;&s;uing from both Hou&s;es, for the extirpation of the Nobles and Gentry of this Kingdome, who &s;uffer for their loyal|ty to their King, and go under that noble attribute of Cavalier, which the &s;hort|haird brethren mi&s;took for a name of infa|my, being as well over-&s;een in matters
<PB N="2" REF="3"> temporall as &s;pirituall, and in both gro&s;&s;e|ly. But lea&s;t we may &s;eem prolixe, or like the people of Myndus, make our gate big|ger then our Citie, let us fall backe to the Cavaliers, and make &s;hew of tho&s;e &s;ecrets which (to our griefes) have been long concealed.</P>
<P>It is not unknowne to your Lord&s;hips, and the re&s;t of this Kingdome, that &s;ince his Maje&s;tie was compelled to leave White hall, by rea&s;on of unruly multitudes, trading of all &s;orts have been mightily impeaded, unle&s;&s;e a little in the Suburbs, where your French Commodities are &s;o frequently vendible, whereas before the City &s;upplied men with all commodities. And in ju&s;tice we ought to have our de|&s;ires an&s;wered in &s;ome mea&s;ure, for who paid the Scots (tho&s;e beggerly Saints) af|ter they were invited to begin this warre, but the City? Who continued this warre but the City? Or who are like to be un|done by this war but the City? We are &s;ure our husbands have little rea&s;on to hold their heads &s;o high &s;ince the Cavaliers left the Towne, to our great griefs, our &s;hops
<PB N="3" REF="3"> which heretofore were fragrant as the &s;prings fir&s;t flowers, occa&s;ioned by gallants frequent vi&s;its, are now like hou&s;es haun|ted with &s;pirits, unfrequented, happy tho&s;e daies when they were &s;tuck with variety, Nobles, Knights, E&s;quires, Gentlemen, then every Citizens wife of any quality, was occupied in her &s;everall vocation then might our husbands freely take the aire, or go to their countrey-hou&s;es, whil&s;t we had tho&s;e at our command to act their parts in the City, which was a great con|tentment (good &s;oule<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">) to them. But now the ca&s;e is altered, let us have ever &s;o good commodities not a chapman is left to cheapen, which will occa&s;ion a horrible inconvenience in time; we &s;hall not have a &s;onne but of the City breed, borne with a what doe you lacke? in his mouth, or the i&s;&s;ue of &s;ome fowle mouthed fel|low, who will bee crying downe the Whore of Babylon, who are confident is a bawd by this time, for we have heard her ra<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">ed again&s;t by a Wicker chaird&punc; brother, ever &s;ince the time of our minorities. Be|&s;ides my Lords, what an inconvenience it
<PB N="4" REF="4"> will be, when our poore husbands have been hard at it all day, mu&s;t bee forced (though may be di&s;abled in the &s;ervice) to work at night: in this we appeale to your Lord&s;hips, or el&s;e we mu&s;t bee forced to be at the trouble to &s;end our Emi&s;&s;aries a|broad to look out &s;ome friends, who no &s;ooner entred&mdash;into our acquaintance, and indeered to us, but pre&s;ently i&s;&s;ues an Ordinance of Parliament, which &s;uited to the terrible &s;ounds of Drum and Trum|pet, forceth us to make a field bu&s;ine&s;&s;e of it, or els to deferre our joyes till three tedi|ous moneths are wa&s;ted.</P>
<P>My Lords, we de&s;ire your Lord&s;hips, as you have been borne by women, or borne of women, that your Lord&s;hips would advi&s;e of &s;ome convenient times to do it your &s;elves, or otherwi&s;e (in ca&s;e you have mi&s;carried, lying &s;o long with the Common-wealth) not to hinder well-affected people.</P>
<P>It is not unknown to your Lord|&s;hips, that the Gentry of this King|dome,
<PB N="5" REF="4"> I mean the Cavaliers, have al|waies &s;tood &s;tiffe to the City upon all occa&s;ions, and would &s;till, were they not di&s;abled by Parliamentary proceedings truly you have by your rough handling, I hope your Lord|&s;hips wil not be offended, taken the edge of their abilities much off, and by that means have left many good women in a pitifull plight.</P>
<P>Con&s;ider we be&s;eech your Lord|&s;hips, it is not one, but many that &s;uf|fer by this unju&s;t dealing, view but the now unfrequented &s;treets, where whilome Coaches plowed up the pavements, &s;tuft with gallants who&s;e breaths were &s;weet as Amber, in&s;tead whereof you &s;hal &s;ee a mou&s;e-hair'd fellow, with a long thing God ble&s;&s;e us by his &s;ide, as ru&s;ty as him&s;elf, with his erected eares, ju&s;t like our hu&s;|bands, are not the&s;e goodly chapmen
<PB N="6" REF="5"> to deal in whole-&s;ale Commodities?</P>
<P>To trouble your Lord&s;hips no further, what do or will people think when they &s;ee that we are fitt in our husbands &s;hops for no other u&s;e but (ju&s;t as buckets are hung up finely painted in Churches) to extingui&s;h the fire of &s;ome poore neighbouring building, when we might &s;erve (were a right u&s;e made of us) to extingui&s;h the high ri&s;ing flames of a Kingdome.</P>
<P>Wee be&s;eech your Lord&s;hips to con&s;ider the premi&s;&s;es, and according to your mercy (not your ju&s;tice) give a period to our grievances, and wee &s;hall (as in duty bound) pray for your Lord&s;hips length, &amp;c.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED><LIST>
<ITEM>Mrs. I. Stradling,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Obediah Placket,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Ma. Lecher,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Sa. Love&s;icke,</ITEM>
<ITEM>P. Horne,</ITEM>
<ITEM>R. VVantall,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Pr. Tooly.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Mrs. E. Overdooe,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Han. Snatchall,</ITEM>
<ITEM>D. Swivewell,</ITEM>
<ITEM>K. Stretch,</ITEM>
<ITEM>A. Trouble&s;ome,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Jo. Scanted,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Reb. Dooling, &amp;c.</ITEM>
</LIST></SIGNED></CLOSER>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><L>Here's the trea&s;ure of the City,</L>
<L>Beauties plenty, blith and witty.</L></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
</DIV1>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
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