all Acts by Pretext of such Power were illegal and the adjudging any Person to death and Executing them was Treason and wilful Murther Thirdly That the said Commons had no power to make any great Seal of England and that all Commissions granted under their great Seal were illegal and all Proceedings in Law upon such Writs null and voyd to all intents and purposes Lastly That the denyal of the King's Title to the Crown and the plotting to deprive him of it and the setting it upon the Head of another was High Treason and within the Stat. 25 th Ed. 3. Ch. 2. as likewise their Subverting the fundamental Laws of the Land and introducing an Arbitrary and Tyrannical Government was High Treason at the common Law c. This was all the Loyalists could do at present by these weak Indeavours to assert the Kings right and shew the people what Slaves they were become but this affrighted not these Men who in the next place February 1 st Vote That all such Members who assented to the Vote of the 5 th of December 1648. That the Kings Concessions were a Ground for the House to Proceed to a Settlement should not be admitted into the House until they had declared their disapproval of that Vote before they sit and that such as were now in the House should enter their dissent to that Vote being only those who had before Voted in the Negative The Lords were yet sitting but no notice taken of them by the Commons for having overthrown the Monarchy they now lay aside the Lords and therefore Vote them dangerous and useless Frebruary 5 th and so Voted them down with this Proviso That they might be capable to be Elected Knights of the shire and Burgesses and so sit among the Commons Three of them only so debased themselves viz. The Earls of Pembroke Salisbury and the Lord Howard of Estrick The rest of the Peers put forth their Protestation against these Proceedings of the Commons which came forth on the 8 th of Frebruary in which they asserted their own Priviledges and the fundamental Laws of the Nation disclaiming the Votes of the Commons for Erecting an high Court of Justice for the Tryal of the King and altering the Government Law Seal c. and against their Traiterous murthering their Soveraign and disinheriting the Prince the Lawful Heir of the Crown of England and also protesting against their Vote of the 6 th of Frebruary for the abolishing the House of Peers as destructive to the beings of Parliament the Fundamental Laws of the Realm and the Lives Liberties and Properties of the people whom they had made Slaves to their Tyrannical and Arbitrary Government But this affrights not the Commons and to keep the Lords from meeting the Army set a Guard at their Doors of their House and the House now proceeds to set up a Common-wealth and to abolish Monarchy and therefore they formed an Act intituled an Act for the Exheredation of the Royal Line the abolishing of Monarchy in this Kingdom and the setting up a Common-wealth which they ordered to be published in all places And to Vindicate these their most horrid Proceedings they had their Pulpit-Trumpeters who justified their Impious Acts in all places and John Godwin and Milton to write in their Defence of putting the King to death declaring in Print That the King suffered on just Grounds and according to his Demerits And now instead of one King these Common-wealth Rumpers set up forty Tyrants as a Committee of State But the people generally seemed displeased at this Alteration of the Government and Reineldson Lord Major of the City refused to publish their Act for abolishing of Monarchy for whâ—ch he was discharged of his Office and with two Aldermen sent to the Tower and Andrews was chosen in his stead upon this the Rumpers put forth a new Declaration to justifie their Proceedings calling them A Deliverance of the people from the Bondage that was brought in by the Norman Conquest and their Maintenance of the ancient Laws notwithstanding their Alteration of some forms of the Regality which ancient Laws might consist very well with a Republick and that they had only abolished their Abuses promising to establish a safe and firm Peace and to advance the true Protestant Religion the Encouragment of a Godly ministry and of Trade and the Maintenance of the Poor thorowout the Realm Then their Great Seal came forth having on one side a Cross and Harp for the Arms of England and Ireland with this Inscription â— The Great Seal of England And on the other side was the Picture of the Commons with these words In the first year of Freedom by God's blessing restored 1648. Likewise they caused a new Coyn to be minted and stamped their Money with a Cross and Harp instead of the King's Effigies with this Motto God with us Then they took away all Clauses in any former Acts for the taking the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy and made them null and a new Oath framed and tendred to all that were to have any publick place of Trust and assumed to themselves both Judicial and Legislative power of the King and both Houses of Parliament and the Executive power they committed to a Council of State of forty Persons of the most Active men in the Army and others of desperate Fortunes Six of the Judges viz. Justice Bacon Brown Beddinfield Creswell Trevor and Atkins quitted their places not being able to bring their Consciences to Act under this Arbitrary and illegal power six other of them continued who were Justice Rolls St. Johns Pheasanâ— Baron Wild and Baron Yates To their new Council of State they gave Power tâ— Command and settle the Militia of England and Irâ—land Power to set forth Ships and such a Considerable Navy as they should think fit Power to appoinâ— Magistrates and stores for England and Ireland and tâ— dispose of them for the Service of the Nation Anâ— power to Execute all the powers given them for a whole Year to come They had two Seals appointed a great Seal and a Signet Cromwell was made Chaiâ—-man of this Committee and an Oath framed for eveâ—â— Member to take to be true to the Parliament as they termed themselves not to disclose their Secrets anâ— to adhere to the present Settlement of the Government 〈◊〉 a Republick without King or House of Lords Abouâ— this time the Officers of the Army at a Councâ—â— of War debated Whether they should not put to the Sword all that were of the King's Party to secure the Nation to themselves and it was carried in the Negative but by two voyces so near were they to a general Massacre And many Petitions came from several Counties that at least three of the most eminent of the King's party in each County might be put to Death to free the Land from Blood-Guiltiness Cromwell by this as you may perceive had gotten all the executive Power of the Kingdom into his own
Speech shewing them some reasons for the necessity of their being dissolved he peremptorily declared them to be dissolved But the Speaker refusing to leave the Chair Cromwell began to huff and fall into a passion telling them they were a company of drunkards whoremasters Hipocrites Knaves and Oppressors and commanded that the Bauble the Mace should be took from them and no more carried before them and Harrison taking the Speaker by the Arm lifted him out of his Chair and having thus turned them out of doors he lock'd them up and set a Guard of Soldiers at them and at all the Avenues that they might not meet again in that place and thus exeunt Tyranni one Devil driving out another to make way at last for their Lawful Prince This done Cromwell returning to his Council of Officers told them of his Exploit and let them know that now they must go hand in hand with them and justifie it by their lives and fortunes they having advised him to it He told them that when he went to the House he did not think to do it but perceiving the Spirit of God so strongly upon him he would no longer consult Flesh and Blood for the Parliament intended to have perpetuated themselves This Action of his tho arbitrary illegal and tyrannical was generally applauded by all sorts of people these Rumpers were grown so very odious by their tyrannick Usurpation And the King's Friends both at home and abroad were not a little joyful to see this Turn and to behold them dethroned and trampled on even in the midst of their Laurels obtained for their Victories over the Dutch Grievous Muttering they kept for this violence done to them by their Servant as they stiled him thinking it none when he did the like to those secluded Members that would not vote with them against the King but as mad as they were they saw no help for it and it was not possible for them to get together tho they would not own themselves dissolved and thus our usurping Junto went out like a Snuff with a Stink smelling very unsavourly in the Nostrils of the whole Nation Thus far have I traced out to you the Lines of the Image of Arbitrary and Tyrannick Usurpation and how ugly and grim a Representation it is you who have seen it truly delineated may judge You have seen this Titular Parliament unjustly seize upon the Government by murthering their King and against all Laws thrust out two of the States of the Land the Lords Spiritual first and then the Lords temporal and having now grasp'd the Government with rapacious hands with the like Injustice and Arbitrariness turn the greater part of their own Members out of Doors and rule by a few bloody and tyrannical Usurpers You have likewise seen after what manner they have swayed the three Nations by their own Arbitrary Wills and Pleasures as so many lawless Tyrants upholding an Army only to cut the Peoples Throats and to over-awe them burthening them with Taxes and oppressing them with a standing Army and free Quarter taking away their lives by an Arbitrary Court of Justice contrary to the known Laws of the Land and robbing and spoiling all men of their Estates that opposed them filling the Jayls thorowout the three Kingdoms with Prisoners The Liberties of the Subject overthrown Magna Charta and all the Laws and Ancient Constitutions of Parliaments trodden under foot and disregarded so as no man could call any thing his own And in fine all the People of England made Slaves by these the Keepers of their Liberties so that it was no wonder that there was a general rejoycing at their fall tho as yet it was but out of the Frying-pan into the Fire having exchanged two hundred Tyrants for one as Lawless Boundless and Arbitrary as they or a Rump for an Oliver I should now proceed to give a further Display of this Arbitrary and Tyrannical Government under the Usurpation of Oliver Cromwell who had pull'd these down only to set up himself but before I enter upon it I think it will not be ungrateful to the Reader and not impertinent to my Design to shew you what a sort of men these were who had thus long usurped by a brief Character of some of the chiefest of them and what benefit they made of their pretended Godliness giving one another Estates out of the Kings Queens Bishops Deans and Chapters and Delinquents Lands And I will begin with Oliver Cromwell the Lucifer of the rest who out-witted them all and ruled by himself with greater Power and more absolute Sway than ever any Monarch of England did He was very well descended of a Knightly Family in the County of Huntington being born in S. John's Parish in the Town of Huntington the twenty fifth of April 1599 being the Son of Mr. Robert Cromwell who was the third Son of Sir Henry Cromwell a Gentleman of great worth honored and beloved in Court and Country whose eldest Son Sir Oliver Cromwell a Gentleman well known for his Loyalty and Uncle to this our Oliver was his God-father and gave him his Name His Mother was thâ—â— Daughter of Sir Richard Steward of Ely They therefore were much mistaken who said he was the Son of a Brewer tho indeed his Mother even in his Father's Life-time did manage a Brew-House by their Servants and after her Husbands death continued the same as an honest means of Livelyhood the Patrimony of a younger Brother being but small He was observed in his Youth to be ambitious willful and head-strong which improved with his years and always and upon all occasions exercised the Impostor under the mask of Hypocrisie However he was bred at School where he got some smattering in the Rudiments of Learning but was so violent and head-strong and so very prone to robbing Orchards and Dove-Houses that he grew the terror of the Country and past his Tutor's Correction It was about that time he dream'd he should be King of England if it were not more than a Dream a suggestion of some evil Spirit for he would often confidently report it in his Youth tho rebuked by his Father for it and flash'd by his Master Dr. Bernard for his constant avouching it And acting in a Play in the School going beyond his Cue he took a Crown and put it on his own Head and as if inspired spake some big words with great authority Thence he was translated to Cambridge where he was more noted for Foot-ball Cudgelling and Wrestling than for his Studies to which he little gave his mind and after his Father's death left the University and returning home fell to all manner of Licentiousness and Debauchery and grew so distastful to his Mother and Neighbourhood that she sent him away to London and enters him into Lincolns-Inn intending to make him a Lawyer but finding this place not agreeable to his humor he stayed not long before he returned back into the Country where he fell to his
on by the secret and forcible Machinations of Oliver and his Cabal The second day being Monday the 22 d. of January the Court met again and the Solicitor Cook urged extreamly for judgment against the Prisoner unless he would own the Authority of the Court which the King constantly denyed to do and offered his reasons against them but they would not be heard The 3 d. day being January 23 d. the King was brought again before the Court who had in the Painted Chamber the day before Resolved That the King should not be suffered to argue the Courts Jurisdiction and had ordered That in case he offer'd to dispute the Authority of the Court that the President should let him know that he ought to rest satisfied with this Answer That the Commons of England assembled in Parliament have Constituted this Court whose Power may not nor should be permitted to be disputed by him And that in case he should refuse to answer or acknowledge the Court the Lord President should let him know his Contumacy should be recorded But the King still persisted in the denyal of their Authority upon which the Clark reads Charles Stewart King of England you are accused in the behalf of the Commons of England of divers high Crimes and Treasons which Charge hath been read unto you the Court now requires you to give your positive and final Answer by way of Confession or denial of the Charge But the King told them he could not acknowledge a new Court set up contrary to the Priviledges of the People to alter the fundamental Laws of the Land The 4 th and last day was the 27 th of January 1648. where appeared about fifty six of those Commissioners who sate when judgment was given against the King by their President Bradshaw But the King having moved to be heard before the Lords and Commons in the painted Chamber promising after that to abide the judgement of the Court they withdrew for half an hour and returning they told the King This was but another denial of the Courts jurisdiction and therefore if he had no more to say they would proceed to Judgement Upon this after Bradshaw had made a long Speech endeavouring to justifie their Proceedings on this false point That the People are the supream Power whom the Commons represented he commanded the Clark to read the Sentence which was drawn up in Parchment in these words Whereas the Commons of England in Parliament have appointed them an High Court of Justice for the trying of Charles Stewart King of England before whom he had been three times convented and the first time a Charge of high Treason and other Crimes and Misdemeanors was read in the behalf of the Kingdom of England c. Here the Charge at length was read after which the Clark proceeds which Charge being read unto him as aforesaid He the said Charles Stewart was required to give his Answer but he refused so to do For all which Treasons and Crimes this Court doth adjudge the said Charles Stewart as a Tyrant Traytor Murtherer and a publick Enemy shall be put to Death by the severing his Head from his Body After this wicked Sentence passed by these Miscreants the King was had away to Sr. Robert Cotten's and thence to St. James's the rude Soldiers in his passage by them blowing Tobacco in his Face and one spit on it which he wiped off with his Hand-kerchief without taking notice of it But when he heard some of them to Cry out Justice Justice he said alas Poor Souls for a piece of Money they will do as much for their Commanders On the 29 th a Committee met in the paintâ—d Chamber to consider on the time and place of the Kings death which they ordered to be the next day before his own Palace Gate which was approved of by the Commissioners and a Warrant Signed and Sealed by them directed to Hacker Hunts and Phare and order that Marshal Nye Caryl Salway and Dell should attend on his Majesty and to administer to him spiritual help but the King would not be troubled with them and at his desire Doctor Juxon Bishop of London was admitted to Pray with him in private in his Chamber and to administer to him the Sacrament and his Children permitted to come to see him But John Godwin was also sent to be an over-looker of their Actions In the mean time the Junto Pen a Proclamation which they afterwards caused to be published making it high Treason for any man to proclaim or publish Charles Stewart the Son to be rightful Heir and Successor to the Crown of England after his Fathers death or any other of that Line King of England and that no man under Pain of imprisonment or other Arbitrary punishment which they should think fit to inflict shall Preach Write or speak any thing contrary to the present Proceedings of the supream Authority of this Nation the Commons of England assembled in Parliament The Sunday before the King dyed it is reported that some of the chief of the Army and Parliament tendred the King a paper to sign with promise of Life and some shew of a King the Power being wholly invested on themselves and was Destructive to the Fundamental Laws of the Land to the Religion established to the Liberties and Properties of the People one Proposition whereof was To continue the Power of the Sword to the Army and to have as a standing Force under the same general Officers forty Thousand Horse and Foot they to have the Choice of their own Officers among themselves by a Councel of War and to settle a constant Tax upon the People by way of a Land rate for the payment of the said Army and to be collected and levyed by themselves and a Court martial to be Erected of an exorbitant Extent and Latitude But his Majesty disdaining to read them all flung them aside and told them He should rather become a Sacrifice for his People and dye by their Hands than so to betray their Laws Liberties Lives and Estates the Church and Honour of his Crown and so to make all Slaves to the Arbitrary Will and Tyranny of an Army O Glorious Prince Oh height of Impudence of armed Arbitrariness See yet how they proceed on the 29 th of January the Junto Vote That it be enacted by this present Parliament and by the Authority of the same That in all Courts of Law Justice Equity and in all Writs Grants Patents Commissions Inditements Informations Suits Returns of Writs Fines Recoveries Exemplificationr Recognizances Processes and Proceedings at Law c. Within the Kingdom of England and Ireland and Dominion of Wales c. Instead of the Name Style or Title of King heretofore used should thence forward be used and no other than the Name Style or Title Custodes Libertatis Aâ—glie Authoritate Parliamenti The keepers of the Liberty of England by Authority of Parliament and the date of the Year of our Lord and no
was interwoven with the Laws and was most necessary to be assumed For that the Title ought to be accommodated to the Laws not the Laws to it as they must if he continued the name of Protector That new titles were ever suspected and that the name of Protector had still been unfortunate to the Kingdom and to themselves That it being given him by the Soldiers it smelt too much of Conquest That the Roman Empire never thrived so well but was alwâ—ys full of confusion under the titles of Consuls Dictators or Prince of the Senate as it did under the title of Kings untill Caesar came to settle the Empire they also lay'd before him the reasons for the changing the Title of Lord to King of Ireland in the time of King Henry the 8 th for the better and more regular Government of the Nation But their main Argument was drawn from the Statutes of 9 Edw. 5. and 3 H. 7. by which all persons were indemnified that took up Arms for the King in being and would be a great security to himself and the people to have it thus setled upon him by Act of Parliament But for all this for the Reasons aforesaid his fears surmounted his Ambition he at last gave them a peremptory Refusal telling them that it was against his Conscience and that he could not offend so many Godly men and Officers of the Army who had declared against the title and office of King but he desired that the Title of Protector and the Government by a single person might be confirmed by consent of this Parliament Upon this his refusal which was cryed up as a great Vertue and sign of his Humility the Parliament confirm him in his former title and dignity and an explanatory part to the Petition and Advice was prepared in respect of the Protector 's Oath his Counsels Members of the House of Commons and of the other House as they called it instead of the House of Lords which were to sit and to consist of 60 odd Lords of Cromwell's making The chief heads of the Petition and Advice were 1. That he should exercise the Office of Chief Magistrate under the Title of Protector of England Scotland and Ireland and to govern according to the Petition and Advice and that in his life-time he should appoint his Successor 2. That a Parliament should be called every three years at farthest and that it should consist of two Houses 3. That the Members of Parliament legally chosen should not be secluded the House but by consent of the House notwithstanding this he did not re-admit the secluded Members of this House which he had cast out 4. Shewed certain qualifications for the Members to be chosen 5. The power of the other House was declared 6. That no Law should be altered repealed or made but by Act of Parliament 7. That the constant yearly Revenue of the Army and Navy be setled and that to be a Million of Pounds Sterling and 300000 l. more for the support of the Government besides other Temporary supplies as the House of Commons should see necessary and fit 8. That the Protector 's Council should not exceed the number of 21 nor to be under 9 and 7 of them to be a Quorum 9. That the chief Officers of State to be chosen or approved by the Parliament 10. That his Highness should incourage a Godly Ministry 11. That the Protestant Religion should be professed and that he should cause a Confession of Faith to be made and that none should be permitted to reproach it or revile it by words or writings With some other matters of less importance With this the aforementioned Acts with an Act for Assessment of 60000 l. a month for three months Another Money Act for 50000 l. for England 6000 l. for Scotland and 9000 l. for Ireland with some others concerning Trade were presented to Cromwell to Sign by the Parliament To whom returning them many thanks he said That he perceived that among those many Acts they had made that they had taken great care to provide for the just and necessary support of the Common-wealth by those Bills for Levying of Money and understanding that it had been formerly the practice of the chief Governours to acknowledge with thanks to the Commons their care and regard to the Publick therefore he very heartily thank'd them and acknowledged their kindness therein And after he had signed these Bills and the Petition and Advice and Articles therein He told them That he had undertaken one of the greatest burthens that ever was laid upon the back of any humane creature and therefore he asked their help and prayers to God that he might have the divine Assistance for the discharging of this great trust And that for his part nothing should have induced him to have taken upon him this unsupportable burthen to flesh and blood but that he had seen in the Parliament a great care of those things that might make clearly for the Liberty of the Nations and for the Interest of such as feared God And if that the people were not thank full to them for their great care it would fall as a sin upon their heads With much more of the same nature This being done they prepare for the Solemnity of his Inauguration or Investure anew for though he was before solemnly inaugurated into the Protectorate as you have heard according to the Instrument yet it was thought fit that it should be done again for the greater confirmation of the business because the Articles of this Petition and Advice were different from the former Instrument For now there was to be another House and whereas before his Council was to name his Successor he had now power to doe it himself so that he was an absolute Monarch and might leave the Succession to his Son if he pleased A Committee being appointed for this purpose on the 26 th of June 1657 before a great assembly of people and with much more Ceremony than before he was installed in Westminster-Hall under a great Canopy of State in great pomp and much magnificence too long for me here to relate the Great Seal being carried by the Lord Commissioner Fiennes and the Sword by the Earl of Warwick The City Sword by the Lord Mayor Tichbourn all bare-headed The Dutch and French Ambassadors being also present The Speaker of the House of Commons presenting him with a Robe of Purple Velvet a Bible a Sword and a Sceptre making a Speech to him in presenting them Telling him that the Purple Robe was an Emblem of Magistracy and imported Righteousness and Justice The Bible containing the Holy Scriptures was Christ Veiled and Revealed and contained both Precepts and Examples for good Government The Sceptre not unlike a Staff was to shew he was to be the Staff of the poor and weak of ancient use for that the Scripture says The Sceptre should not depart from Judah and that Kings and Princes were called by Homer
Johnson and Josiah Berners These under the Mask of the Good Old-Cause begin to â—urn afresh to their old Villanies and to the enriching themselves with the poor remainers of the spoyls of the â—eople On the 12th of May Lambert accompanied with Desborow Barksted and 12 other Colonels of the Army â—resent a Petition to the House from the Army containâ—â—g their desires concerning the Government That the Government might be a free State and Common-Wealth without a single Person Kingship or House of Peers That there might be a due regulation of the Laws That an Act of Oblivion might be passed That the Laws and Ordinances made in the several changes of the Government and not to repealed may be good in Law That the publick Debts might be paid That a Liberty of Conscience be granted to all excepting Papists and Episcopists That a godly Ministry be incouraged That Universities and Schools of Learning be countenanced and Reformed That all Royalists be discountenanced and not suffered to have any place of Trust That none may have places of Trust but such as are eminent for Godliness Constancy and Faithfulness to the good Cause and Interest of the Nations That a provision be made for Succession of Parliaments That Fleetwood may be the Lieutenant-General of the Army That the Legislative power may be in the Representatives of the People consisting of an House successively chosen by the People That the executive power may be in a Council of State consisting of a certain number of qualified persons That the Debts contracted by his late Highness and his Father might be paid and that a Revenue of 10000 l. per Annum might be setled upon the late Protector and his heirs for ever and 10000 l. per Annum more during his Life and 8000 l. upon his honourable Mother during her Life c. This was the Armies project of Government for which they receive the thanks of the House by their Speaker and are told there are many weighty things contained in it which they would take into their Consideration And upon this before they would make any settlement upon the late Protector they send to him for an Acknowledgment of his submission to the Government which he formally sent them in hopes of the Settlement with a Schedule of his Debts But they refuse to pay them and delay making any Settlement either on Him or his Mother for they were a sort of Persons who never lov'd to give away money from themselves Yet to please him and to remove him further from them they give him 2000 pounds to discharge some part of his Debts and required that he and all his Dependences remove from Whitehall in six days Fleetwood began to grow discontented at this slighting his Brother but to please him they Vote him to be the Commander in Chief of all the Armies and Land-Forces in England Scotland and Ireland for one year and that he should have power to Sign Commissions and nominate Officers under him as should be approved by the Parliament But upon the second Reading of the Bill for this purpose they altered their minds and ordered all Commissions for the Land and Sea-Forces to be Signed by the Speaker and delivered to the Officers Gratis They also Order the Government of Ireland to be by Commissioners and Henry Cromwel to be removed 'T is thought if he had stirred at that time being much beloved by the Officers of his Army there he might have disappointed this Parliament of any further proceedings but being over persuaded he quietly left his Authority Scotland was yet a trouble to them which they knew not how to get into their hands for General Monk kept all things in so great Order and quietness there and was so prudent in all his Actions that they could not find fault with him nor mistrust him but believed him really their Friend They now begin to proceed vigorously and cause the Protector 's Seal to be broken and confirm their own old one of which Terryl Fountain and infamous Bradshaw are made Commissioners very busie they are of preferring one another to places of proffit and about the beginning of June keeping close to their Good Old Cause of Gain they ordered a Bill for publick Sales to be brought in And now White-Hall Somerset-House Hampton-Court and all that Cromwell had kept for himself are ordered to be sold for ready money And beginning with the Deer they fall to selling them by five or six Brace at a time And that no Stone might be unturn'd for the getting of money they project to make all such persons who had assumed Dignities or Titles of Honor heretofore conferred on them by the late King taken away by Act of Parliament to pay the summs forfeited by the said Act. Then they offer at an Act for the makeing all honours conferred by Charles Stewart voyd and null Then they fall to their old trade of raising monies by Assessments and continue the Excise and Customs to the 1 st of October And that they may hook in all they can they authorize the collecting of an Assessment granted by the Parliament 1656 for 3 years one year of which was yet behind and uncollected this was 35000 l. a month on England 6000 l. on Scotland and 9000 l. a month on Ireland thus they owned not the authority of that Parliament yet they owned their mony Assessed by them and put it into their own pockets They next revive their Committee of plundring Ministers and make an order for impressing of Seamen which they wanted Then they make their speaker Custos Rotulorum of Oxford shire and Berks. Sir Hen Mildmay of Essex and several other places to the cheif of their members following their old vocation of shareing all among themselves The Government of Jersay to Coll. Mason Cooper Zanker Sadler and Lawrence have Regiments given them in Ireland All things seem to submit to their power and Fleetwood Lambert Desberow and the rest are forced to receive their Commissions from their General Mr Speaker which tho' dissatisfied dissemblingly they submit to It was very much admired that the Parliament should imagine that the Armie would be true to them or that any Oaths would hold them when they had seen them so often break their former Allegiance to themselves and to their late Protector and on the other side it was as much admired that the Armie would thus trust this Parliament or Junto they had so grosly abused for they could not believe that the Junto would not remember their doings and so provide for their own security and establishment as to ruine the Armie if they could But out of all this evil God was now a forming good For the Government of the Armie under the Speaker the General they made 7 Commissioners namely Lieutenant General Fleetwood Sir Hen. Vaine Sir Arthur Hazlerig Colonels Lambert Desborow Ludlow and Berry These were very active in their authority placeing and displacing many Officers in the Armie by the Parliaments
Palace their broad roots are tost Into the air So Romulus was lost New Rome in such a Tempest mis't her King And from Obeying fell to Worshiping On Oeta's top thus Hercules lay dead With ruin'd Okes and Pines about him spread Those his last fury from the Mountain rent Our dying Hero from the Continent Ravish'd whole Towns and Forts from Spaniards rest As his last Legacy to Brittain left The Ocean which so long our hopes confin'd Could give no limits to His vaster mind Our Bounds inlargment was his latest toyle Nor hath he left us Prisoners to our Isle Under the Tropick is our language spoke And part of Flanders hath receiv'd our yoke From Civil Broyles he did us disingage Found nobler objects for our Martial rage And with wise Conduct to his Country show'd Their ancient way of conquering abroad Ungratefull then if we no Tears allow To Him that gave us Peace and Empire too Princes that fear'd him grieve concern'd to see No pitch of glory from the Grave is free Nature her self took notice of His death And sighing swelâ—'d the Sea wiâ—h such a breath That to remotest shores her Billowes rol'd Thâ— approching Fate of their great Ruler told Vpon the late STORME translated out of Mr. Waller's fine Piece of FLATTERY THen take him Devil Hell his Soul doth claime In Stormes as Loud as his King-murthring Fame His cheating Groans and Teares has shak'd this Isle Cleft Brittains Oakes for Brittains funerall Pile Now at his Exit Trees uncut are tost Into the Ayr So Faustus once was lost Rome mist her first so London her last King Both kill'd then wept and fell to worshiping We in a Storme of wind our Nimrod lost King'd him then Sainted him then cursâ—d his Ghost In Oeta's flames thus Hercules lay dead In Worcesters flames he on his raving Bed He some scraggâ—d Oakes and Pines from Mountains rent This stole two brave Isles from the Continent Ravishâ—d whole Towns and that his Spanish Theft As a curs'd Legacy to Brittain left The Seas with which our hopes God had confin'd The Devil made too narrow for his mind Our Bounds enlargement was his greatest toyle He made our Prison greater than our Isle Under the Line our enslav'd crys are spoke And we and Dunkirek draw but in one Yoke From broyles he made he best could dis-engage From his own head diverts our purchas'd rage And by fine State-art to his Country show'd How to be Slaves at home and Theeves abroad Confederate Usurpers quake to see The Grave not under th' power of Tyranny Nature shrunk up at this great Monster 's death And swell'd the Seas with much affrighted breath Then to the Bounder'd Shore her Billowes roll'd Th' approching fate of Europes troubles told ENGLAND Still freshly lamenting the Loss of her KING with several of her Dearest CHILDREN which have been beheaded hanged and shot by O. CROMWEL and the Long-Parliament In a Brief Collection of the remarkable Passages that have happened to this Land from the year 1640 to the year 1660. IN sixteen hundred thirty nine we then Did think and say we were unhappy men Because that we in many years before Had not a Parliament nay I 'le say more We then did murmur and we did complain Of many pressures we did them sustain Ship-mony then a burden was unto us O Lord these taxes we cry'd will unto us This coat and conduct mony is unlawfull Lord sent a Parliament to make us joyfull Shall we be made such slaves unto the will Of such a King that seeks out lives to kill And our estates will take away by force Yea our Religion which of all is worse A Parliament Lord send us was the song Of rich and poor the old and eke the young Well God did hear us and into the heart Of our late King did put it to his smart To call a Parliament as I remember For to begin the third day of November Which is now nineteen years ago compleat And doth sit still with grief we may repeat Then presently the Taxes down were voted Which were so great as I before have noted Star-chamber then and high Commission Court Were then put down t is true what I report Then did the King grant unto them to sit In Parliament so long as they thought fit And then for a Triennial Parliament An Act was made mistakes for to prevent Then joyfull were we this same news to hear Rung Bells made Bonfires as it did appear But now behold consider and look back And see how we have been put to the wrack For first a hundred thousand pound was rais'd To give the Scots at which we were amaz'd For their good service done some time before This recompence they had then for their lore Besides in sixteen hundred forty six Just twice as much the Parliament did fix And give unto them ' cause they should deliver The King unto them the like I think was never Thus was the King by our dear Brother sold For no less mony than before was told Likewise an hundred thousand pound scarce less Was raisd the Irish Rebells to suppress And after that above three thousand pound Was raisd for Souldiers which was quickly found And listed were to fight against the King What think you now was 't not a goodly thing The fifty subsidies were raisd beside Pole mony also which men did deride And other Sums of money freely given Tot set out Ships for Coals they were so risen Then did they order every one to bring His Plate to Guild-Hall to the very Ring Bodkin and Thimble brought to maintain the cause All which was done and that with great applause And those that would this order not obey The twentieth part of his Estate must pay Such was the greedy Appetite of those Who seem'd our Friends but I think were our Foes Besides all these yet see how great vast sums From every Hall and Corporation comes And other places which if I should name 'T would add no glory to them nor good fame Then was there not a far more worse device Laid on our Backs a thing call'd the Excise For we Excise did pay for meat and drink And all things else that they upon could think Besides at Brainford when there was a fight We sent the Souldiers with such great delight Cart-loads of victuals with great store of Cloaths With Shirts Shoos Hats and many a pair of Hose And mony too by some was freely given By those who thought thereby for to gain Heaven All which was done as they said with intent To bring the King unto his Parliament And make him glorious and a happy King This was the cry though they meant no such thing Likewise in sixteen hundrrd forty three The Parliament did order there should be The worth in mony of a good meals meat For every one that was i' th house did eat For half a year together it was paid Oh was not this a very gallant traid Likewise in sixteen