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[Petition of Lieutenant General James King regarding his citation to parliament]

Petition of Lieutenant General King to the parliament

For your sacred majesty and your honourable house of parliament²

I, your majesty's petitioner, humbly pray your majesty and your great council and honourable house of parliament graciously to take into your majesty's and their remembrance how that it has been your majesty's petitioner's misfortune (but for what cause unknown to himself) to have been enrolled amongst other offenders against their native country of Scotland, and also suspended by proclamation, wherefore, being confident of my own innocency and conscious of my zealous affection I ever did bear to my native country, I thought fit to appear and answer the situation by my appearing here at this time.

Humbly praying your majesty and your most honourable house of parliament with your and their first and best conveniency graciously to admit me to make my own apology before your majesty and your honourable house of parliament, and from thence in most submissive manner to expect your majesty's and their royal and favourable answer, which I do not doubt will be such as will not only restore me to my former integrity in setting me in the good opinion of the peers of my country and countrymen, but also such an answer as will stop the mouths of my malignants abroad.

For which royal favour from your majesty, amongst many and confidently expected courtesy from your honourable house of parliament, I shall ever pray for your majesty's long and happy reign over that honourable house and for their prosperous success to all their honourable actions, as well the present as those they shall negotiate in all ensuing times; and that they may tend to God's glory, to the honour of your majesty and your royal progeny and to the continual flourishing of your majesty's monarchy.

Your majesty's most humble and faithful servant, James King, Edinburgh, 1 October 1641

8 October 1641

Read in presence of the nobility.

2 November 1641

Read in audience of his majesty and parliament, who, having called the supplicant before them and heard him make his expression and answers to some ground of challenge against him, they appoint his name to be deleted out of the summons, and that he may have a testimony to repair him to his credit in foreign nations, lest he suffer abroad as being taxed for an enemy to his country, the said lieutenant general always subscribing the covenant and bond.³