APPENDIX. 91 No. II. The Protestation alluded to in Letter cvr. was no doubt that taken by the House of Commons 3rd May, 1641, to which is prefixed, in the Journals of that House, the following :- " A Preamble, with the Protestation, made by the whole House of Com- mons, the 3 of May 1641, and assented unto, by the Lords of the Upper House, 4th of May. " We, the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses of the Commons House in Par- liament, finding, to the Grief of our Hearts, that the designs of the priests and Jesuits, and other Adherents to the See of Rome, have of late more boldly and frequently put in Practice then formerly, to the Undermining and Danger of the Ruin of the true reformed Religion in his Majesty's Dominions established : and finding also, that there bath been, and having Cause to suspect there still are, even during the Sitting of Parliament, Endeavours to subvert the fundamental Laws ofEngland and Ireland, and to introduce the Exercise of an arbitrary and tyrannical Government, by most pernicious and wicked Counsels, Plots, and Conspiracies : and that the long Intermission and unhappier Breach of Parliaments bath occasioned many illegal Taxations, whereupon the Subjects have been prosecuted and grieved: and that divers Innovations and Superstitions have been brought into the Church ; Multi- tudes driven out of his Majesty's Dominions ; Jealousies raised and fomented between the King and People ; a Popish Army levied in Ireland, and Two Armies brought into the Bowels ofthis Kingdom, to the Hazard of his Ma- jesty's Royal Person, the Consumption of the Revenue of the Crown, and the Treasure of this Realm : and lastly, finding the great Causes of Jea- lousy, Endeavours have been and are used, to bring the English Army into Misunderstanding of this Parliament, thereby to incline that Army by Force to bring to pass those wicked Counsels ; have therefore thought good to join ourselves in a Declaration of our united Affections and Resolutions ; and to make this ensuing Protestation :-
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