Robert Greville, Lord Brooke, and William Fiennes, Viscount Saye & Sele 'The Military Oath Offered at York and Refused (August 1639)'

A Military Oath. An[no] 1639. Aug.

I doe sweare before the Allmighty, & Everlasting God, that I will beare a faithfull Allegiance to my true, & undoubted Soveraigne Lord King Charles, who is lawfull King of this Iland, & other his Kingdomes, & Dominions both by Sea, & Land, both by the Lawes of God, & man, & by lawfull Succes-sion. And that I will most constantly, & cheerfully even to the uttmost hazard of my life, & fortunes constantly oppose all Seditions, Rebellions, Conspiracies, Covenants, Conjurations, & Treasons whatsoever against his royall dignity, Crowne, or Person, raised, or sett up under what pretense, or colour soever, And if it shall come vailed under pr[e]tense of Religion I hold it more abominable before God, & men. And this Oath I take voluntarily in the true faith of a good Christian, & Loyall Subject w[i]thout any Equivocation, or mentall reservation whatsoever. From w[hi]ch I hold no power on earth can absolve me in any part./.

This Oath was putt upon all the Nobles of England, who were in the North (Anno 1639) attending the king, when he went against the Scotts; And my Lord Say, & my Lord Brookes only refused this Oath at first, whose example drew on others.