Petition of; a parliamentary declaration of the liberties of the people assented to by King Charles I. (3 Car. I., c. 1). It was known as "the Petition" from being drawn up in that form, and was headed "The Petition exhibited to his Majesty by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, concerning divers Rights and Liberties of the subjects, with his Majesty's answer thereto." After reciting certain great rights and recent infringements of them, it prays that all such illegal acts be annulled, and that the popular rights and liberties, according to the laws and statutes of the realm, should be in future strictly observed. After some delay and evasion, the king replied in full Parliament, "Soit droit fait come est desire."