Page "Petition of Right" Paragraph 18

This message was read to the Commons later in the morning, and the MPs decided to simply ignore it, not even bothering to reply.

In response to the message, the Lords proposed eight alterations to the petition and the modification of the imprisonment clause to appease the king.

When these changes were debated on 13 May, they were all rejected except for one minor change in wording.

The Lords still favoured a compromise, and suggested the addition of a paragraph to the petition reading " We humbly present this petition to your majesty, not only with a care of preserving our own liberties, but with due regard to leave entire that sovereign power, wherewith your majesty is trusted, for the protection, safety, and happiness of your people ".

By 20 May the Commons had agreed to one more minor alteration, but had not decided whether to accept the new paragraph.

Coke made a speech urging them to reject all of it, saying that to use the phrase " sovereign power " would mean admitting that the King had the power to destroy any limitations the Petition might place on his power ".