f this kingdom as extensive as its
fortune. If we set about this great work, on both sides, with the same
conciliatory turn of mind, we may now, as in former times, owe even to
our mutual mistakes, contentions, and animosities, the lasting concord,
freedom, happiness, and glory of this empire.

Gentlemen, the distance between us, with other obstructions, has caused
much misrepresentation of our mutual sentiments. We, therefore, to
obviate them as well as we are able, take this method of assuring you of
our thorough detestation of the whole war, and particularly the
mercenary and savage war carried on or attempted against you,--our
thorough abhorrence of all addresses adverse to you, whether public or
private,--our assurances of an invariable affection towards you,--our
constant regard to your privileges and liberties,--and our opinion of
the solid security you ought to enjoy for them, under the paternal care
and nurture of a protecting Parliament.

Though many of us have earnestly wished that the authority of that
august and venerable body, so necessary in many respects to the union of
the whole, should be rather limited by its own equity and discretion,
than by any bounds described by positive laws and public compacts,--and
though we felt the extreme difficulty, by any theoretical limitations,
of qualifying that authority, so as to preserve one part and deny
another,--and though you (as we gratefully acknowledge) had acquiesced
most cheerfully under that prudent reserve of the Constitution, at that
happy moment when neither you nor we apprehended a further return of the
exercise of invidious powers, we are now as fully persuaded as you can
be, by the malice, inconstancy, and perverse inquietude of many men, and
by the incessant endeavors of an arbitrary faction, now too powerful,
that our common necessities do require a full explanation and ratified
security for your liberties and our quiet.

Although his Majesty's condescension, in committing the direction of his
affairs into the hands of the known friends of his family and of the
liberties of all his people, would, we admit, be a great means of giving
repose to your minds, as it must give infinite facility to
reconciliation, yet we assure you that we think, with such a security as
we recommend, adopted from necessity and not choice, even by the unhappy
authors and instruments of the public misfortunes, that the terms of
reconciliation, if once accepted by Parliamen