Copy of To the right honnorable, the betrusted knights, cittyzens and burgesses in the Commons House of Parliament assembled, the humble peticion of the inhabitants of Buckingham-shire, Hartfordshire, Bedford-shire & whose names are heereunto subscribed, April 17, 1646 [manuscript], 17th century.

Copy of To the right honnorable, the betrusted knights, cittyzens and burgesses in the Commons House of Parliament assembled, the humble peticion of the inhabitants of Buckingham-shire, Hartfordshire, Bedford-shire & whose names are heereunto subscribed, April 17, 1646 [manuscript], 17th century.

2 leaves ; 31 x 21 cm

Complains of the tyranny of the "Patentee-monopolizers and other arbitrary supplanters and agents, w[hi]ch laboured to subvert the fundamental constitutions of this Realme and to sett up a Tyrannicall gouernment tending to the utter vassal age and ouerthrowe of all the free people of this Kingdome." Sets out at great length and in powerful language the evils that led up to the Civil War. Part of the petition, "to some of the freemen of this Kingdome" has been crossed out and replaced with (in another hand) "to Lieut. Col. John Lilburne, Rich. Ouerton &c."

Text appears in Wing O635 by Richard Overton (1647) and Wing L2151 (no. 2) by Lilburne and Overton ([1647]). Text differs between manuscript and print with the manuscript ending with "And yo[u]r Petic[i]oners (as in duty bound) shall ever pray &c.," the addition of Bedfordshire to the title in the manuscript and the insertion of Lilburne and Overton's names to the body of the document.

Title from caption: To the right honno[ra]ble the betrusted Kn[igh]ts Cittyzens and Burgesses in the Commons house of Parliam[en]t assembled: The humble Petic[i]on of the Inhabitants of Buckingham-shire, Hartfordshire, Bedford-shire &c whose names are heereunto subscribed.

Bifolium.

Formerly Folger MS Add 637.

Acquired from Winifred Myers in 1973.

Great Britain -- England.

X.d.677

MS Add 637