Address of the Lord Mayor and the City of London to the Prince of Orange, December 17, 1688

A printed version of the text can be found on page 179 of A Kingdom without a King: The Journal of the Provisional Government in the Revolution of 1688, edited by Robert Beddard (Oxford: Phaidon Press, 1988).

May it please Your Highness,

We, having received Your Highness's gracious letter of the 16th instant by the hands of two honourable persons, Sir Robert Howard and Mr. Powle, humbly thank Your Highness for communicating your gracious purposes to this City, and for the assurance of your kindness and protection to us. We cannot forbear to renew, likewise, our humblest thanks to Your Highness for your progress in your great and glorious undertaking for preserving our religion, laws, and liberties; and we assure Your Highness, that we shall not spare to expose our lives and estates in your assistance for those ends, and for preventing all dangers from those restless spirits that have now appeared.

For the present, we have ordered an extraordinary guard of our City Forces to be in arms, which we hope may be sufficient for our security.

We do also thank Your Highness for your promise of making speed to our assistance, and humbly desire Your Highness to accept the tender of our readiness to prepare or appoint a convenient place for your reception within this City, if Your Highness, either to be free from the resort of persons disaffected to your great self and glorious design, or for your better safety, shall be pleased to accept the same.

Your Highness's most humble servants,

The Major, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of London in common Council assembled.

London, 17 December 1688

By their order, Wagstaffe.