Selected quad for the lemma: city_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A90305
|
The ansvver of the city of Oxford to His Majesties propositions concerning money and plate: as also the answer of the counties of Oxford and Berk-shire; delivered to his sacred Majesty for the city by the recorder thereof: and for the counties, by the high Sheriffe of Oxford; setting forth the intentions of the said citie and counties, toward his Majesty and his High Court of Parliament.; Answer of the city of Oxford to His Majesties propositions concerning money and plate.
|
|
1643
(1643)
|
Wing O852; Thomason E85_1; ESTC R21284
|
3,479
|
9
|
THE ANSVVER OF THE City of OXFORD TO His Majesties Propositions Concerning MONEY and PLATE AS ALSO The Answer of the Counties of Oxford and Berk-shire Delivered to his sacred Majesty for the City by the Recorder thereof and for the Counties by the high Sheriffe of Oxford Setting forth the intentions of the said Citie and Counties toward his Majesty and his high Court of Parliament SAPIENTIA ET FELICITATE Printed at Oxford by Leonard Lichfield 1643. Master Recorder of Oxford his Speech to His Majesty MAy it please your sacred Majesty I was requested by Master Mayor in the name and in the behalfe of himselfe his Brethren the Aldermen and the whole body of this City to give Your Majesty a true and just account of his proceedings concerning your late Propositions for the bringing in Money Plate and Horses for your royall assistance in these your present wars wherein if he have not in so full a measure answered your gracious expectation as he desired he might he hopes your Majesty will accept the intention for the act and please to pardon that fault which ariseth not from any want of good will in the people of this City to serve your Majesty in all your affaires but from theiâ— misfortune First then this City in all humility and gratitude acknowledgeth the many and abundant favours conferred on it by your royall bounty the great comfort and security they have and do receive by enjoying the beams of your sacred presence so long time among them the many priviledges and franchises bestowed upon them and the University from your gracious donation and doe confidently beleeve no one City in all your Highnesse dominions can be more endeared and engaged to your Majesties cause and service then this City of Oxford because by the fruition of your royall presence they have ocular testimony of your Majesties virtues and the integrity of your good meaning toward your subjects which other Cities can onely have by hear-say Master Mayor and his brethren the Aldermen intimating your late urgent occasions to the inhabitants of this City for some supplies of money have if it please your Majesty found the intentions of the people so prone to your royall pleasure as no men in the world could expresse a greater and more ready desire and zeale to lay downe their lives and fortunes at their Soveraignes feet then they they protest they are so confident of your Majesties goodnesse and stand so well affected to your cause that not a man of them who is able to beare armes but would willingly go into the field in your quarrell And for Plate Money and Horses every man according to his ability will readily contribute But with your royall pardon that can amount to no considerable summe nor worthy your Majesties acceptance by reason of the infinite detriments and impoverishments which have fallen on the inhabitants of this City in these wars the Scholars from whose custome they acquired most part of their profits either being non-residents in the University by reason of these calamitous and perillous times and if they be they are either disfurnished of monies by want of supplies from their friends or by default of their Tenants such as have any not paying them their rents so that Trades-men are faine to vend all their wares on trust or keep them in their hands a man that is reckoned worth two or three thousand pounds which is a very considerable estate in this City being not able though it were to save his life to produce an hundred pound in ready money they who are great money-masters keeping it in their hands from whose gripes it is not to be ravished neither upon the best security by bond that is in the Towne neither upon the morgage or sale of Lands Besides the countrey which was wont to take off many commodities from this City have now quite deserted it there being no commerce betweene us and them either because they have no money at all being deprived of it by the rapine of the souldiers or else because they dare not come hither with their money for feare it should be taken away from them by the said souldiers and so for want of trade our Trades-men are worne quite out of money and for Plate it aboundeth not here as it doth in that rich and mightie Citie of London yet every man according to the quantity he hath will willingly impart it to the advancement of your Graces service in the interim being grieved extremely that their abilities are inferiour to their desires they have among them made a collection of three hundred pounds which is all that the meannesse of their fortunes can possibly stretch to at this instant This Master Mayor and his brethren the Aldermen in the name and behalfe of the whole Citie most humbly beseech Your Majesty to accept as graciously as they tender it with willingnesse of minde and both the Maior and the rest of the able Citizens will as soone as possible take order for Horses and other provisions to serve Your Majestie withall if these wars continue which they hope and humbly desire that Your Majesties goodnesse will endevour to conclude and compose that Your whole Kingdome may againe flourish in unity peace and concord The high Sheriffe of Oxford-shire his speech to His Majesty MAy it please Your gracious Majesty according to Your late roiall command and my bounden duty I am come to render an account to Your Highnesse of the businesse You were pleased to imploy me in and divers of the Justices of Peace for this Countie And surely to delude Your Majestie or mince the intentions of divers of the people of these Counties Oxford and Berk-shire were little lesse then a capitall crime in me I shall therefore plainly and briefly deliver how I finde the people affected toward Your Majesties late Propositions for Money Plate or Horses The greater part of these Counties consists so please Your Majestie of much tillage and husbandrie and in that and in grazing all the wealth and substance of it and for the Husband-men and Yeomanrie they cry out that they are quite undone and ruined by the dreadfull continuation of these wars that the souldiers have driven away or killed their Cattell which should have yeelded them money nay risled them of that money which they had so that they are readier to aske reliefe to maintaine themselves and their families then depart with any more of their estates that they are bound to curse for ever these wars and with many deprecations wish that Your Majestie would please to hearken to Your Parliament whom they know to be a companie of wise faithfull and honourable men such as will doe nothing contrary to the fundamentall Lawes of the Kingdome in disfavour or derogation of Your Majesties royall Prerogative that it cannot be but Your Majestie must needs be mis-informed by Malignants against Your Parliament who have gone on in faire and legall waies for the security of the subjects liberty And with many more discourses of this nature they humbly request Your Majestie would pardon their urgent necessitie which compels them to many hard shifts for money for their owne sustenance and not take it in ill part that they send not that which they have not These are the modester sort of them But the common voice of the multitude is that if they had never so much money they would not part with a penny of it to the maintenance of these wars which they say are made against themselves and their liberties against the Common-wealth and Parliament which is the peoples prop and upholder of their liberties and priviledges and so they entreat Your Majesty that You would think of some meane for peace and then Your subjects should no longer be oppressed with the charge of these wars These are the votes of the Plebeians who either cannot or will not part with a penny towards the maintenance of Your Highnesse wars For the Gentrie of these Counties most of them are of a more candid disposition and better affected towards Your Majestie and the importunity of Your affaires proffering their lives and estates at Your Highnesse service esteeming themselves much honoured that Your Majesty would please to retaine so good an opinion of them as to put their duties and zeals to serve you to the test that they are much grieved at the distractions of the Kingdome which they wish were to be rectified without further blood-shed but that if there be no hopes of peace they will live and die as befits their allegeance in Your Highnesse quarrell They also are very sorry that the iniquitie of the times hath so straitned them for money that they cannot so amply demonstrate their readinesse to serve you in their actions as they do in their wishes that if they could possibly get any indifferent price for their lands they would sell them to furnish Your Majesties occasions according to the integritie of their hearts And so amongst them I meane that part of the Gentry of these Counties as stand affected to Your Majesty I have collected in Money and Plate two thousand and odde pounds a summe I confesse I am ashamed to present to Your royall acceptance but it is all I could by my best industry and importunitie procure at this time There are divers Gentlemen that have subscribed for the finding of Horses for Your Graces service but as yet for want of money they cannot bring them in but will do with the first opportunity Thus I have according to the reality of my dutie given Your Royall Majestie a true account of my proceedings and of the affections of the people of these Counties which in my conjecture are concurrent with the intentions of all or most of the Comminalty of England who by tradition from their Ancestors pay that confidence to the Parliament that they cannot be removed from it between whom and Your Sacred selfe I wish there were a sudden and faire end for till then Your People will never be satisfied nor Your Kingdome happy Finis