Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	king_n	parliament_n	time_n	11,363	5	3.8259	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88210	L. Colonel John Lilburne revived. Shewing the cause of his late long silence, and cessation from hostility against alchemy St. Oliver, and his rotten secretary; as also of the report of his death. With an answer in part, to the pestilent calumniation of Cap: Wendy Oxford (Cromvvels spie upon the Dutch, and upon the English royallists, sojonrning [sic] in the United Provinces) closely couched in a late delusive pamphlet of the said Oxfords, called The unexpected life, & wished for death, of the thing called parliament in England All vvhich, vvith many historicall passages, giveing light into the unvvorthy practises of the English grandees, is contained in three letters (The first to a friend in the United Provinces, The second to a friend in Scotland. And the third, to the honourable, Colonel Henry Martin, in England VVritten by L. Colonel John Lilburne.	Lilburne, John, 1614?-1657.; Oxford, Wendy. Unexpected life, & wished for death, of the thing called parliament in England.	1653 (1653)	Wing L2128; Thomason E689_32; ESTC R206981	43,475	37

the manageing of my busines she doe it soe as that it is like the action of the wife of J. Lilburn and that to the General nor Haselridge nor none besides she by promise c. ingage not for me in any thing that is dishonourable to me for I assure her before hand I wil keep and perform nothing in that kinde she promiseth to them in my behalf notwithstanding which if she should doe that which is unworthy my wife I am confident it would take such a deep impression upon my Spirit that notwithstanding my now entire affection to her I should never owne her again as the wife of my bosome while I breathed although I should force my self thereby to live in a voluntarie Widdowhood all my dayes which truly in my present apprehensions of it would be a condition almost as upleasant to me as to live under Cromwels bloody tiranny And in her last Letter to me she tels me she is now vigorously going about her said petition the consequence of which nor nothing else can make me delay any longer from speedily and effectually endeavouring to appeare in print again because one of Tho Scotts Spyes whom he sent over on purpose to contrive my murder as I have too evident and apparent cause to judge hath lately published a Book at the Hague called the unexpected life and wished for death of the thing called Parlament in England wherein he incites all the Princes and Potentates of Europe to rise up in armes as one man against them and to extirpate them from the earth as a pack of the bloodiest wickedest and faithlessest Tyrants that ever breathed and to Re-inthrone his gracious Soveraigne Charles the Second in his three Kingdomes The book is dated from his Lodging at Delf the first of September 1652. but I could never get sight of it untill a little before Christmas hollydaies and reading it over and over very seriously I clearly perceived that in the 20. 21. 22. pages of it the wicked and lying Villaine hath layn a notable and close designe to have me murthered I having already for his former villanous practises in that kinde acted upon me in Amsterdam by Scotts instigation as Cromwels chief Agent put him in Print in my late printed Epistle to Cromwel in May last intituled As you were Page 1. 2. by the name of Capt. Wendy Oxford where I positively accuse him as being a Spye in pay for Cromwel and Scot among the Hollanders and Caviliers but the impudent knave takes no notice of the accusation to make any defence against it it being too true and too evident to be denied and too easie for me as he very wel knows punctually to prove and which in a Letter to an eminent person in the Hague I have already proffered to prove face to face before the States General themselves but he being at Amsterdam discovered by me to be in truth what he was and thereby in danger not onely to loose his large Salarie as being no farther usefull to Scott but it might probably be his life also to gull and cheat the Credulous Cavaliers and Dutch men and the better to take them off from the conceit of his being a Spie I beleeve with the advice or consent of Tho Scott himself he hath published his said Book for his Wife alias his Whore as she is avowedly by divers reported to be hath severall times since I came into these parts gone and come to and from England from Mr. Scott and I could name her the City and the Person where she either begged or borrowed money the first time she went to beare her charges thither and I could also tell her of a Message that that very Person from whom she had the said monie immediately after brought me to Bridges from her pretended Husband And the knave to be revenged to the purpose of me knowing the Kings partie to be so madd against al those that were actors in the taking away of the late Kings life that about 18 of them in the Hage in May 1649. beset the house of Doctor Dorislaus the Parlaments Agent there and slew him therefore although at most he was but one of the petty under actors prosecutors or Lawyers to pleade against the late King at his tryall and if one of the inferior prosecutors of him in the Cavaliers thoughts deserve forcibly in his own lodgeing to be stabd and murdred then what in their opinion must one of the chief complotters and layers of the designe deserve But in the foresaid pages he accuseth the people nicknamed Levellers to be the principall contrivers of the Kings death and me by name to be one of the principallest among them and therefore if I have any affection left to my own life and being notwithstanding all my Wives irrationall perswasions to be quiet and silent or any reason left in me to judge of things it behooves me well to look about me and not too long delay to publish my Vindication in this particular Especially considering besides the attempts that have been upon me by this very Rogues underhand meanes at Amsterdam as I have too cleare cause to judge which are partly mentioned in my already printed books At my coming from Holland to Bridges to meet my Wife I was certainly informed that as I past through that City at my first coming out of England where I lodged but two nights ther was a conspiracie to have stabd or pistold me there the actors in it as my information told me were to have been a Major or such an officer of the late Kings and two of the Duke of Lorraigns soldiers that were hired for that purpose as I have too much ground to feare by the foresaid Oxford and the first of the three came into my Lodging though unknown to me to view my person and countenance that so when the intended blow should be given me they might not be mistaken in my person and thereby destroy another for me and upon a jealousie of a person in the world asking the reason of his earnestnesse to know me the intention was discovered and prevented and the said Cavilier for his intended rashnes could render no other reason for it but that I had been a devilish or zealous Parlamentier an active man against the King in the late warr which actions and sayings makes it evident to me that my Friends that petitioned for me to the Parliament upon the 20 of January 1651. English stile before I came out of England which Petition is recorded in my Apologie to the people of the Netherlands Pag. 53. 54. 55. 56 were no false Prophets in that assertion of theirs there laid down viz. that my banishment in relation to my person considering my affection to Parliaments and my zeale to and for publique freedome renders all forraigne nations so unsafe to me as that in effect as they say I am bannished into a wildernesse exposed naked to the furie of Beares and Lions Whose affection

ever wrought by me or for me But to return from this digression I say my forementioned carriage or practise is not onely full of peace and tranquillitie of minde to me but also in my own apprehension and upon my most serious scrutinie and examination I never yet found my self a loser by it no more then the old and famous Common-wealths of the Acheëns or Romans did judge themselves to be loosers by the like of which Acheëns Polybius the Grecian in his wise and wel-pend Historie fol. 414. gives this worthie testimonie viz. That they were estranged from deceit towards their friends to advance their power by which they would not vanquish their enemies holding it neither noble norfirme if they did not vanquish by prowesse and in open fight Wherefore they ordained amongst themselves that no man should make use of hidden armes thinking that an open Combatt hand to hand was the true determining of warr Finally they declared themselves to their enemies and signified the warr when they were once resolved to undergoe the danger of the battle The like they did of the places where they would decide it And in the fame page he goes on and saith there is yet in his time which was in the life of Hannibal the great that cut his way in the depth of Winter through the mountanous Alps of Italy to get his armies as nigh Rome as their swords would inable them remaining in the Romans some reliques of their antient humour in such affaires they signifie their warr before and they seldome use any ambushes fighting readilie hand to hand Let these words saith he be spoken against the affection which is much more readie then is needfull in malicious practises policies and ambushes amongst Princes as well in affairs of warr as policies And Plutarch in his Historie fol. 139. relateing how that the old renowned Romans by their Generall Consull Camillus made warr and besieged the strong citties Falerians which being a very strong place in all parts made the people within very secure which their General Schoolmaster to their Children perceiving he for his own treacherous ambitious ends led the Children day by day out of the walls to play and at last presented himself and them before the Roman Generall in hopes of great matters from him for so doeing but the vertuous gallant old heathen Roman although he brought him the chief mens Children of the cittie said to those that were about him Warr of it self surely is an evill thing because in it many injuries and mischiefs are done neverthelesse amongst good men there is a law and discipline which doth forbid them to seeke victorie by wicked traiterous meanes and that a noble and worthie General should make warr and procure victorie by trusting to his own valiantnesse and not by anothers vilenesse and villanie Therefore he commanded his Sergeants to teare the cloathes off the back of this vile Schoolmaster and to binde his hands behinde him and that they should give the children rods and whips in their hands to whip the Traitor back again into the cittie naked that had betraied them and grieved their parents which when the Falerians heard that the Schoolmaster had thus betraied them all the cittie saith Plutarch fell a weeping and men and women ran together in one anothers necks to the town walles and gates of the cittie like people out of their witts they were so exceedingly troubled at the losse of their children but when they see their children bringing back the traiterous Schoolmaster as is aforesaid and calling the Roman Generall Camillus their father their God and their Saviour not onely the fathers and mothers of the children but generally all the other Cittizens did conceive in themselves a wonderfull admiration and great love of the wisdom justice and goodnesse of Camillus so that notwithstanding the great strength of their cittie they presentlie called a Counsell and there concluded to send Embassadors forthwith unto him to put their lives and goods to his mercie and favour who sent their Ambassadours unto Rome where having audience before the Senate the Amstassadors said because the Romans preferred justice before victorie they taught them to be better contented to submit themselves unto them then to be their owne men at libertie confessing their vertue did more overcome them then any force or power could doe where upon the Senate left all to their Generall Camillus to doe in it what he pleased and he used them so as became a man of a truly noble minde that rather desired to overcome their mindes with love then their bodies with feare terror and thereby choosed to have their subjection out of the lasting principles of love rather then to have it by the cobweb ties of feare And as full of noblenesse and justice was that act of Fabricius another of the Roman Generals towards Pyrrus King of Epirus a dangerous and formidable adversarie to the Roman Common-wealth and who forced their Generals and Armies in divers pitcht Battles against whom his own Physitian for the hopes of filthie lucre conspired to take away his life for the accomplishing of which he writes a letter with his own hand into the Roman Camp in which he profered to poyson the King his master in case the Roman Generall would promise him a large reward for his paines and for ending their desperate warrs without further danger But Fabritius detesting the wickednes of the Physitian and having made Quintus Aemylius his collegue and fellow Consul also to abhorre the same wrote a letter unto King Pyrrus and bad him take heed for there were that ment to poison him the contents of the letter were these Caius Fabricius Quintus Aemylius Consulls of Rome unto King Pyrrus greeting You have ô King made unfortunate choise both of your friends and of your enemys as shall appeare unto you by reading of this letter which one of yours hath writt unto us for you make warrs with just and honest men and doe your selfe trust altogether the wicked and unfaithfull hereof therefore we have thought good to advertize you not in respect to pleasure you but for feare the misfortune of your death might make us unjustly to be accused imagining that by Treachery or treason we have sought to end this warr as though by valiantnes we could not otherways atchieve it which letter procured the execution of this physitian for his treachery and a high admiration in King Pyrrus of the Romans worth and noble gallantry Plutarch Fol 409. O Renowned and worthy heathens far surpassing in honestie and farr surmounting in Iustice and rightiousnes our great pretended Christians the governors in England that Judge noe meanes nor wayes though never so abominable in themselves too vile for them to undertake for the accomplishing of their owne ends whether it be treacherie murder prejurie breach of faith or what ever it be and who have cheated all manner of Interests that ever yet in their lives they delt with and

more louder would the cry of many righteous Abels be against me whose blood must of necessitie in the eye of reason have been shed should I have taken or now should take such a course as to indeavor revenge of the whole for a mischief done me by those that oppresse the nation in generall in a great measure as bad as they doe me and I know it was Judah and Jerusalems condition in the day of her great adversitie as Jeremy in his Lamentations witnesseth amongst all her lovers to have none to comsort her and to have all her friends to deale treacherously with her and to become her enemies for which she wept sore in the night that the very teares remained on her cheeks and their lamentations were beyond expression which made her in the bitternesse of her Soul to cry out to the Lord her God and say Render unto them a recompence O Lord according to the work of their hands give them sorrow of heart thy curse unto them persecute and destroy them in anger from under the Heavens of the Lord. And these their prayers and outcries were not in vain unto God as a little before may partly be seen in Edoms case for the Apostle James saith chap. 5.16 that the efectuall fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much All these confiderations laid together though my provocations are many and aggravated very much not onely by the slightings and forgetfullnesse but also by the base and unworthy dealings with me by some of those for the preservation of whom and their estates I have apparently ran the hazard of a totall ruine to me and mine and my straits as to the outward man great yet through the goodnesse and loving kindenesse of my good God by his speciall assisting me with the foresaid and other the like considerations and by the immediate necessities of self-preservation that my adversaries basely and unworthily have brought upon me the way of my present goeings is not onely cleare to be just and righteous in my own understanding judgement and conscience that lively voice of God speaking in my own soul but I am confident I have so deliberately rationally and justly gone on hitherto in the progresse of my businesse that I am confident through the assistance of God I am sufficiently furnished with a just and grounded plea to answer fully what ever can be objected against my present proceedings by the most maliciousest and cunningest of my adversaries or the scrupulousest of my friends in England And although in my own imagination and invention I have of along time laid down a method to my self which I would not willingly goe from by me to be used in my appearing in print again to the world rationally and methodically to prepare and make way for my formall appeale to the body of the people of England which my wicked and unrighteous judges have severall yeares agone viz. Vpon the 4. of Janury 1648 in words voted to be their masters or the Supreme fountaine or orginall of all just power in England as you may largely and particularly read in the second part of the History of independency Pag 55 56 57 as alsoo the grounds and reasons that moved them soe to vote which I resolved on in my owne thoughs come life come death before I left England which was upon Saterday first of Feb English stile in which appeale seeing my cruell judges meerly for the accomplishment of their owne ends the more coullorably to take away the Kings life that so when they had slain him they might take possession of his power estate and at their pleasure divide it amongst themselves their slaves and by the strength and power of it domineer arbitrarily and Tyrannically over the lives liberties and estates of the antiently free people of England and maintain themselves unaccountable by the strength thereof either to God or man law or reason have in words voted the people of England under God to be the Originall of all just power there but never intended it that ever in actions or reallitie they should in the least injoy it I will by Gods assistance doe the best I can in my appeale to discover the cheates of Alchemy Saint Oliver and his gracelesse Tribe in that vote and also I will instruct the people of England in the best way method or form that I can to set themselves in to obtain the reall exercise of their declared rightfull supreme power and also produce them severall presidents from the practise of the people in the Ancient most famous Common-wealth of Rome and the Ancient Grecian Common-wealths of Athens Corinth Thebes c. how they practifed their supreme power upon many occasions even upon the greatest Generalls Patricians Noblemen Senatours or Parliament-men they had and there is abundantly more reason and ground for the people of England now to contest even to the death for the election from amongst themselves of Tribunes or keepers or desenders of the peoples liberties indued with ample power to preserve them against the annhilating mcroachments that their present Tyrannicall Riders have already made upon them then ever in the dayes of old there was for the old Plebeans or Common people of Rome to contest with their Patricians or Senators for such protectors of their Liberties because even when tbe contests begun or were at the highest in Rome when the people in their numerous and cemented body betook themselves to Mars-Field against their Lords they were abundantly though Pagans and Infidels more just compassionate lesse Lordly and lesse domineering and more free-hearted to the people of Rome then ours are to the poor people of England And also I will shew them grounds reasons to demonstrate clearly to them that ther is in a manner as great a necessitie for them to contest for the establishing by a law as to contest for the preservation of their lives those two essentiall Maxims without which England in a Common wealth can never be free viz First that the chief commander of their Militia or the Generall of their Forces by Sea or Land be often removed at least once every two years upon paine of immediate death upon the least refusall to surrender his command And Secondly that they make strickt and sure provision for the keeping out at one and the self-same time divers of one family or kindred in their chiefest offices And if by the help and benefit of this intended Appeale the people of England come to assume unto themselves the true exercise of their publique declared Supreme power that their present Tyrants in words have already instated them in and deal with my grand adversaries thereby according to their just deserts let my bloody and malicious adversaries thank themselves in not letting me alone to sit under my own Vine in peace and quietnesse when I as much indeavoured it in my own understanding and judgement as much as ever I did since I was a man indeavour to preserve my life

when it was in danger A late Book of one Captain Wendy Oxfords a Spie in pay to Cromwell or Scott of the Counsell of State at white Hall and the hazards accruing to my life and well-being thereby hath at the present put me out of my intended method and because there is an absolute necessitie that one thing which already I have writ saving a short introduction to it be published in print before my answer at large to that false and lying Book of Oxfords comes out and yet the perfecting of that Introduction will take up more time then in prudence and wisdome is fit for me to delay being already lately allarumd from severall places and from severall of my loving friends by more then bare hints that a private Pistoll a dagger or a potion of Poyson is my speedy defined ruine by reason of the charge upon me in the 20. 21. 22. Pages of that Book some of which the foresaid Author Wendy Oxford was in hopes by his wicked cowardly and bloody instruments had so operated upon me that he hath alreadie all over Holland reported me to be dead as a late letter from a speciall friend of mine there doth signifie unto me and therefore in the interim I have judged it convenient to send herewith unto you a copie saving a few words of alteration of a late Epistle of mine sent to Scotland in which this book and the designes of Oxford is so farr mentioned as the publishing of it may at present be a rationall securitie to my person till a further answer come from me which I hope a little time will effectually produce also seeing my foresaid piece which is purposely pend for the use of England the greatest part of it being long since in Mr. Peters hands on purpos to communicate to Cromwell to teach him if he were capable of receiving good counsell or instruction to be wise be times will be delayed a little by my going on with this and seing as from England I am informed divers of the rationall sort of people there are a little awaked once more vigorously to looke after the injoyment of their often and long promised liberties and seing also by the like information I am informed the officers of the Army are also againe at worke to find out a speedy convenient way for the procurering of a new representative for that end as they pertend have chose lately a committie of officers to consider of the busines which according to their names sent unto me I Judge out of a long knowledge or experience of them to consist partly of evident knaves or creatures Secondly of neuters and lastly mixed with some of their honestest Officers they have but in the whole I looke upon the establishing that committie to be in its intention a perfect cheat as all the actions and pretences of the Officers of the Army to the peoples liberties are set up on on purpos to gull the people and to keep of if it be possible from acting a more serious honester and through paced generation of men The Grandees straits at the present being very great as to any knowing man in the affaires of England may evidently appeare by there calling for to debate in the house the long-winded act for a new representative their common and well known cheat to gull the people and to draw in there immaginations the peoples affections to them when they are in great straits and that they are in great straits and great feares evidently appeares to me more fully out of these considerations First I know when I was in England it was the master piece of Cromwells and his Knipperdollings Achitophels or wise Oracles or Counsellers designes to perpetrate their arbitrary and Tyrannicall power over the people of England so to make a peace and league with the Hollanders if possible that if hereafter he and his perjured faith-breaking party should any wayes by the people of England struggling for their liberties come into any straits that then for his help and ayd he might have some sure friend in Holland to give him assistance against them but being not in his defired way able to accomplish this his intrest led him to ingage in a plundering war wirh Holland to begger if it were possible and spoyl their Merchants and thereby destroy their trade that so the averse people in Holland to an agreement with him might thereby be themselves necessitated to desire peace with him in a manner upon his own termes and having in his own thoughts by his said plundering warr and by his underhand tamperings brought his designe at least in his own imaginations to a great perfection before van Tromp his late foyling of Cromwells Generall Blake which action hath given Cromwell and his Knipperdolings or Counsellers a cleare demonstration that the Dutch will not be brought to his bow in his way and also he clearely now sees that if the warr with them hold long in a lingring way it will unavoidably proove soe chargable to him that in a short tyme it will sorce him to increase the taxes in England to that extraordinary hight that in the eye of reason must mad vex the people and by consequence occasion the apparent ruine and destruction of him and his wicked and cruell tribe in which regard and to avoyd that eminent danger by lingring out the warr they are resolved at once to put all to a push and either as in our English proverbe we say in England winne the horse or loose the saddle in order to which their interest leads them not only to make all the preparation that the strength of England is able to furnish them with to offend the Dutchat Sea but also to make it so strong as that in their imaginations at least they shall be inabled therby to be absolute Lords at Sea this next summer against all comers goers by consequence therby be able to land in their own season when where they pleas a formidable land-army of Horse and Foot to be commanded by one or both of those notable shrew'd men viz. Leutenant Generall Monck or Major generall Deane only here is their alone feare that now troubles them viz. That in the absence of their land-armie the true lovers of the liberties and freedomes of England should have an oportunitie thereby to imbodie together and so force the establishing of their long-promised and long-contended-for rights and freedoms and then good night Oliver and all his hypocriticall cheates To countermine and delude whom once again if it be possible I am confident Cromwel and his Caball associates hath under hand set the said Committie of the Armie a foot To over-ballance whose specious pretences even to the publick view of the people of England with reall actions of transcendent good done by gallant old Heathens and Pagans who in actions were better Christians then our great ones for their own Countrey and their oppressed Neighbours I have sent you a

to me I meane the said peritioners even in that one particuler alone I can never in my own thoughts value at too high a rate but especialy the contrivers of it whom I very wel know But the said book of Oxford I could never gett asight of till about tenn days before Christmas last that a freind brought it me from Amsterdam since which time I have been allarumd from severall places and persons that I know wish me well either speedily to answer that book or look to my self and I must confesse as soon as I red it I apprehended my owne danger sufficiently and apprehended that Cromwel and Scot by whose consent or at least the one of them I am as confidently perswaded as that I am a man it is published doubt not but by the assistance of God in the answering thereof to render cleare and evident reasons for the evinceing the truth of my perswasions or belief had three things in their eye one of the which they judged would necessarily follow upon the publishing of that book First that either I would not answer it and then undeniably they would have had a great part of their end and be in hopes my silence would tacitly grant the truth of it and thereby would speedily cost me a Stabb or the like by some of the Kings madd blades or Secondly if I did answer it and doe it flatteringly then I should therby lose my interest in England amongst my friends there which is the thing they so much desire that so thereby I might be rendered but a single man uncapable by vertue thereof any more to wound or shake their Tyrannie or Thirdly if I answer it home throughly to the full justification of my former actions in the warrs then they hope I shall so provoke and inrage the Kings party here thereby as that from their hands for my so doing I shall be in as much danger from them as if I were totally silent for its apparent to me these or some of these considerations must be his and his setters on ends in taxing me with that notorious falshood I being very well known clearly long since published in England that I said more to the Grandees teethes against their intended taking away the Kings life I am confident of it then all the Caviliers put together in one avowedly durst have done and after it was done being all his triall and execution 200 miles from London at my coming home I runn more apparent hazards in Speaking and publikquely in the face of the Sunne acting against the essence and being of all manner of High Courts of justice then all the Cavaliers in England put together again in one man durst avowedly doe and in my zealous manageing my publique testimonie in bearing wittnes against all the Murders committed by the said high Court of justice I am confident I clearely gave an apparent and evident testimonie that if I had had two sons of my own that had sate as Judges therein and if I had had the chief judiciall power of the Nation in my hand as once that famous and renowned consull Lucius Brutus had in Rome I should undoubtedly have acted by his president have given sentence of death my self against my own two Sonnes as grand Subverters by being of and sitting in the high Court of Justice of the fundamentall securities of all English mens lives liberties and properties viz. juries tryalls by which are as equally justly due to the grossest wickedst English man whoever in all cases whatsoever as to the justest and semingest righteous English man that breathes and have seen their heads chopt off as he did therefore who being Consul or chief Magistrate of Rome did passe sentence of death against his own two Sons and see both their heades chopt off in his presence for con spiring to overthrow and betray the liberties of that famous common-wealth into the hands of its adversaries as you may reade in Plutarks History in the life of worthy Publicola fol. 101.102.103 And that I was thus zealous against all their proceedings whatsoever by a high Court of justice the understanding Author of the three parts of the most remarkable notable history of Independency doth abundantly sufficiently witnes for me in his second part thereof Pag. 32.61.129.133.135.136.138 154.156.161.162.165.166.168.178.179.180.181.197.201.151.257.263 and in his first part though he often useth my name yet he neither speakes contemptuously nor reproachfully of me as there you may reade Pag. 35.50.63.98.114.120 the said Author was Cavalier sufficient even in the highest as his book plentifully witneses for him and was as great an enemy to all the Kings judges and the high Court of Justice as could be as his putting his judges names in his 2 part Pag. 103.269 in red letters and his Commentaries upon their names and acts doe plentifully witnes as also his bitter and resolute assertions and protestations against them and their setters up in his 2. part Fol. 177.266.267 where he expresseth himself thus viz. This kingdome of the Brambles now set up viz. Oliver Cromwel and his purged little party in the House being onely able to scratch and teare not to protect and govern I further declare and protest that this combined trayterous faction have forced an Interregnum and Justicium upon us an utter suspension of all lawfull government Magistracie Laws and Judicatories so that we have not de jure any lawes in force to be executed any Magistrates or judges lawfully constituted to execute them any court of justice wherein they can be judicially executed any such instrument of the law as a lawfull great Seal nor any authority in England that can lawfully condemn execute a thief murderer or any other offender without being themselves called murderers by the law all legall proceedings being now Coram non judice not can this remaining faction in the house of Commons shew any one president law reason or authoritie whatsoever for their aforesaid doings but only their own irrationall tyrannicall votes and the swords of their Army and also saith he our words were free under Monarchie though now not free under our new free State so were they under the Romans Tacitus an 1. subfinem speaking of treasons facta arguebantur dicta impune erant These horrible tyrannies considered saith he and being destitute of all other lesse desperate relief I do here solemnly declare and protest before that God that hath made me a man and not a beast a free man and not a slave that if any man whatsoever that takes upon him the reverend name title of a judge or justice shal give sentence of death upon any friend of mine upon this before mentioned or any other illegall act of this piece of a house of Commons I will and lawfully may the inslaving scare-crow doctrine of all time-serving State-flatteriing Priests and Ministers notwithstanding follow the example of Sampson Iudith Iael and Ehud and by poyson poniard pistoll or any other

of what kinde or sort soever you have slayne with your Swords Sterved or adjudged to death in the 3. nations and which is the only Iustifiable reason that can acquit you in the thoughts of any rationall man in the world from rendring by your most reproachfull and perjured actions religion and the power of godlines more reproachfull and contemptible in the Eyes of the Sonnes of men then ever the foolish ridiculous actions Fathred upon and said to be conmitted at Munster in Germanie by Iohon of Leyden Knipperdolling whom in folly murder madnes ridiculousnes you have visibily in the face of all the world outstripped and already made good the truth of the worst of the Kings sayings against you or the sharpest bitterest of his penns against your and who in History to future ages must leaue behinde you the blackest name that ever the sonns of men did and for whom noe defence or excuse or a shadow of a bare figg-leafe covering can be made for you without the speedy doeing the thing aforesaid to the full performing all your promises made for good unto the English people therefore woe woe woe unto you if speedily and effectually you doe it not before once againe you have made England an Aceldama or feild of Blood as by the breach of your solemne faith publique oathes and promises you have 3 or 4 severall times already done since it was in your power as clearly it was in 1647 rationally to have made it the freest and happiest nation in the world and thereby Iustifie your fore Fathers in all their wickednes yea and by many degrees farr out strip the worst of those you have destroyed for the Capitallest offences that so upon your heads as Christ saith Math 23.29 to 36. might come all the righteous Bloud shed upon the Earth from the Blood of righteous Abel even unto this very day Farewell JOHN LILBVRN To the Honourable and his very good Friend Colonel HENERY MARTIN a Member of the Parliament and Counsell of State of the Common-wealth of England At his house in Cheynel-Row in Westminster These present Honoured Sir HAving found you by many years experience to be one of those amongst that great Assembly and Counsell in which you sit that principally minde the real good of their Countrie and of the generalitie of the inhabitants thereof I am thereby encouraged now and then in my banished condition to trouble you with some of my scribleing lines and sometimes to give you an hint of something concerning publique good which at this time I shall make the subject of my penn It is not long since I wrote a letter to you by two masters of Shipps at their earnest intreaty and therein gave you some reasons why it was requisite that a speedy convoy should be appointed and sent for the convoying in safety that rich laden fleet of small English Vessells at Ostende to London And the Masters to your commendation at their return hither told me you were active to get and did procure for them an Order for a speedy Convoy often good Ships sorthwith to be sent for that end Which Order being as yet unaccomplished give me leave without offence to put you in mind of it again and to use now but two reasons unto you the first whereof shall be drawn from the utilitie and gaine and the second from the honour security that will arise from so doeing Now for the first I cannot imagine but your great publique expenses drive you sometimes to a little straites for money so that all wayes for supplying you cannot but in reason be very acceptable to you especially those that are just and honest Now here are divers rich laden Vessels at Ostend whose cargo or loadeing is worth several hundreds of thousands of pounds which as divers of the Masters averre to mee they are confident will bring the Parliament in more Custome and Excise then either your late East-India Fleet did for whose Convoy you judged it requisite as I have been informed to send Sr. George Askew his whole Fleet to Plimmouth or then your Turkey or Straits Fleet will bring you in for whom your Shipps or men of warr in those parts have runn so many hazards to preserve and convoy them For some of the Masters have informed me that some of those little English vessels besides great store of Threads and Linnings both rich commodities have 40 Bailes of Silke every Baile of which paies custome in England 35. poundes besides the Excise Which will amount in the whole in Custome and excise to no inconsiderable summe of money Secondly As for the point of honour and safety I judge the reputation pf a Nation especially in forreigne parts to be no small part of its honour and by consequence of its safety Now what a dishonour is it for those that lay claime to the Sovereigntie of the Narrow Seas not to be able or not to dare to venture to fetch home so rich a Fleet of Shipps that are but 6 or seven houres good sailing from their owne doores in five or six moneths time for so long some of them to my knowledge have bin ladden and waited for a Convoy For shame rather then they should lie 20 daies longer send the whole Fleet for them who if they should all come hither for that end would be in the rode-way to daunt and offend their adversaries as much as for any thing I know they are in any part of the Seas which they can sail in The second point of honour and safety lies in this that you shall by doeing thus very much encourage the Sea-men who must now under God be your walls and bulworks and make the trade for these parts English And in the not doeing hereof you cause the traffick of these parts to be in a manner wholly in Flemish bottoms which I am sure of it is neither for your profit nor for your honour And again by the neglect hereof you cause the poore Sea-men to hang downe their heades which I am sure of it at the present at least is not for your safetie And besides by the neglect hereof you give just cause to all rationall men in these parts that are lookers upon you to account you a weake-witted people not able to mannage your busynes as you should or else a careless regardles People that will not doe it as you ought might which allso I am sure of it is neither for your honour nor safety Wherefore as you love the honour safetie of your countrie let me as your true freind advise you to strive effectually to get a speedy convoy sent for them though it be of your whole Fleet if a lesser number dare not come to fetch them I have prevailed with the bearer my very good freind present neighbour to promise me with my wife to deliver this unto your owne hands in a few words besides to set it home to you if it be needfull

found great store of corne and of gold and silver which he secured and within a short while after through many Straites and difficulties the foresaid Corinthian succour arrived with which their Generall Timoleon joined so that all his forces put together made up about foure thousand men With which he marched forth towards Syracusa to releive his men in the Castle there Whereupon Mago the Carthaginian Generall in a kind of panic feare and supposition of some treason hastens away with his great Armie and Fleet in to Africa from whence he first came Yet Icetes having got great spoiles together and secured him selfe with great store of men in a very strong part of the Cittie would not yeild till Timoleon desperately stormed him on every side and so tooke the Cittie Where he puld downe the tyrants strong fort and made councell Halls and places of justice to be built where it stood and did establish a free-state or popular Governement suppressing all tyrannical power And because that Cittie and many others were by the crueltie of the tyrants and by the warrs much destitute of inhabitants hee and all his Captaines did write to Corinth to send People out of Greece to inhabit those desolate Citties Which letters being arrived with the Syracusian Embassadors the Corinthians did not saith the History greedily desire to be Lords of so great and goodly a Cittie but. First they proclaimed by sound of trumpet in all the assemblyes and solemne feasts and common playes of Greece that the Corinthians haveing destroyed the tyrany that was in the Citty of Syracusa and driven out the tyrants did call the Syracusians that were fugitives out of their owne Country home againe with all other Sicilians that liked to come and dwell there to enjoy all fredome and liberty with promise to make equall and just division of the lands amongst them the one to have as much as the other Moreover they sent out posts and messengers into Asia and all the Islands where they did understand the banished Syracusians remained to perswade and entreat them to come to Corinth and that the Corinthians would give them Shipps Captaines and meanes safely to conduct them to Syracusa at their owne proper costs and charges ö most worthy and compassionate most noble and gallant old Heathens hereby truly shewing themselves reall actors in the true fruites of the true knowledge and adoration of the supreme Diety who prefers Mercy and righteousnes before all services sacrifices whatsoever and therein far out stripping our great and fair-seemeing Alchemy christians at this day ruleing in England These heathen Corinthians dealeing hereby a thousand thousand times more honorably nobly justly and righteously with the Syracusian strangers and aliens then our great Hypocrites in England deale with their owne Countrymen and brethren notwithstanding all their many solemne faire and glorious promises to the contrary and notwithstanding in an extraordinary and free measure they have bin assisted by them against their Enemies with abundance of their bloud and treasure In recompence of which most noble and commendable acts of the worthy Corinthians they received saith my Author every mans most noble praise and blessing Nevertheles such of the Sicilians as repaired to Corinth upon this proclamation being but a small number to inhabit so great a Countrie besought the Corinthians to joine to them some of their owne people and others of other parts of Greece Which was performed and there were Shipped to the number of about tenn thousand which with others that Timoleon had got together from other parts came to about threescore thousand persons With all whom he dealt so virtuously honourably justly and compassionately as he rather seemed to be an indeared and tender father unto them then a valiant and victorious conquering Generall over them And havenig setled that great Citty in freedome and in a way to flourish he resolved to set all other Citties in that famous Island at perfect liberty allso and totally and utterly to roote out all the tyrants of Sicily And the better to obteine his purpose he went to make warrs with them at their owne doores And first he began with the forementioned Icetes who by flight had saved his life at the takeing of Syracusa and him he compelld to forsake his league with Carthage to raze all his strong holds and to live a private life And Leptines the tyrant of Apollonia and divers places there unto adjoineing out of feare submitted unto him whom he sent to Corinth And when he had done this he forthwith returned to Syracusa about the establishment of the Commonwealth assisting Cephalus and Dionysius two notable men sent from Corinth to reforme the Lawes and to helpe him to establish the goodlyest ordinances for their Commonwealth that might be invented After which the Carthaginians perceiveing they were totally like to loose their footeing which they had in Sicily came downe with an Army of threescore and ten thousand men with two hundred gallies and a thousand other Shipps and Vessells which carryed all sorts of provisions for warrs Against whom after severall of his people and soldiers had fainted in the way Timoleon with five thousand footmen and one thousand horse resolutely marches eight dayes journey with a full intention to give them battle in the open feild And observeing his advantages when he came nigh his Enemies he got to the top of an Hill where a mist ariseing and the Sunn after a while it being in May breakeing out made the valley wherein his Enemies were cleare whiles the mist continueing on the top of the Hill hid him where he could see his Enemies and the warrlike manner in which they passed over a River where he suffering a great many of them to come over tooke his advantage allthough they were fronted with armed carts and wagons before them and gave a most furious and soldierlike charge upon them both with his horse and foote Where comenig to the close fight of Target-and-Sword with them who were heavily armed and being much helpt by providence from Heaven that sent a mervailous tempest of thunder lighteing wind raine and haile that bet full in the Carthaginians faces after he had slaine the front of their choisest men the rest fled divers of them being slaine and the rest drowned by reason that the raine newly falne had much encreased the river There were three thousand naturall Carthagenians and of their noblest families and seven thousand of their mercenary or hired soldiers slaine in this battle and five thousand prisoners taken with their whole Campe and Baggage being very rich After which Icetes and Mamercus the tyrant of Catana perceiveing that tyrants could looke for no peace at Timoleons hands they made a league with the Carthagenians againe and wrote unto them that they should send another Army and Captaine suddenly if they intended to preserve any footeing in Sicily Whereupon they sent Gisco thither with seventy saile of Shipps Who haveing done severall mischeises unto Timoleon and