ANd hauing at last (as Wee hoped) by these meanes scattered and dispersed those mistes and vapours, which had beene thus raised about their Priuiledges, the House hauing resolued on Tuesday, the eighteenth of December, to returne thankes vnto Vs, and therewith an excuse for not making a Sessi[=o], and passing Bills, both conteined in a Petition in writing, and dispatched the same vnto Vs, being by that time come to Theobalds, the tenour whereof followeth.
May it please your most Excellent
Maiestie,
WE your most loyall and humble Subiects, the Knights, Citizens and Burgeßes of your Commons House of Parliament, hauing this Morning, to our great comfort, heard your Maiesties Letter sent to our Speaker, full of Grace and Goodneße to vs and all your people, haue thought it our duetie foorthwith, to returne our most humble and heartie thankes to your Sacred Maiestie, for so Royall a fauour vouchsafed vnto vs; And we doe humbly beseech your Maiestie to be truely informed from vs, that although we haue beene very desirous in our duetie to your Maiestie, who called vs to this seruice, and to our Countrey for whom we serue, to haue some good Lawes now to haue beene paßed; and that there might haue beene a Seßion before Christmaße, to which your Maiestie vpon our humble Petition, was heretofore Graciously pleased to giue way: yet entring now into a serious consideration of the nature of those things, which must of neceßitie be prepared for the finishing of a Seßion, and the strait of time whereunto we are driuen, by some vnhappy diuersions which haue fallen vpon vs, to our great griefe, wee are enforced once againe to fly to your Maiesties Grace and fauour, humbly submitting our selues to your Royall wisedome, what time will be fittest for our departure, and for our reacceße, to perfect those beginnings which are in preparation with vs; which time by Gods grace we resolue to spend with that diligence and care, as shall giue good satisfaction to your Maiestie, to our Countrey, and to our owne consciences, that we shall make good vse thereof.