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A30774
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A letter from Mercvrivs Civicvs to Mercurius Rusticus, or, Londons confession but not repentance shewing that the beginning and the obstinate pursuance of this accursed horrid rebellion is principally to be ascribed to that rebellious city.
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Butler, Samuel, 1612-1680.
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1643
(1643)
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Wing B6324; ESTC R5573
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26,143
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35
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of the City Thirdly never to beare any Office in the Kingdome Fourthly to be committed prisoner to Colchester Gaole for two yeares and lastly at the expitation of that tearm to give security for the good behaviour such as the Parliament if they then sare should then thinke fitting and in case the Pariament were dissolved such as the Lord Keeper for the time being should approve of how will this Sentence for ever justifie the severest that were ever given either in the Star-Chamber or High Commission That did doome a man to ruine for no other fault then what themselves had authorized and judged it against the Liberty of the Subject to oppose it even by their owne Order The Committee for the posture of Defence being by these dishonest practices made Lords of the Militia and being armed with as much power as will to serve the most desperate Treasonable designes which either Say or Pym should suggest they now goe on without checke or controuâ—e and beate downe all before them that stand in their way On Triviall pretences or for necessary obedience to the Kings Iust Commands they remove honest Sir Richard Gurney whose name in after Chronicles will outshine famous Walworths and upbraid this Rebellious City to all posterity from the Governement of the City and 〈◊〉 his place substitute Little Isaac rejecting the Olive and advancing that Bramble out of which I feare will come that Fire which will consume this seditious City Now the People are authorized by Ordâ—nance of both Houses and encouraged and pressed even in point of Conscience by their Boutefeau Lecturers to List horses in Moorefields send in money and plate to Guild-Hall for the service of the King and Parliament and because they would be sure to have an Orator in every Pulpit to quicken the people to poure out their wealth Liberally to further the Rebellion intended they cause the very dregs and sâ—um of every Parish to petition against the Orthodox Clergy who being imprisoned or fle they sequester their Livings for the use of their owne Levites so that at this day there is not a true Orthodox Minister left freely speaking his Conscience and exercising his Ministery in the whole City so that whatsoever they pretend that they take up Armes for the defence of the Protestant Religion if they meane the Protestant Religion as it is by Act of Parliament established in the Church of England I assure you Brother were you here you could no more see a face of the Church of England then you can at Amsterdam They have not onely banished all Decency and Order together with the established Liturgy out of our Churches but in stead of the Gospel our new Preachâ—rs entertaine their Auditories with newes which upon examination prove but fictions and Lyes to blind the people or else with bitter invectives against the King and his Government and as for Faith Charity and Repentance they are laid aside as impertinent arguments all their exhortations now are to Treason and Rebellion So that as in the Holy League of France as my Author speakes our pulpits are made the Chaires of Iuglers Nay the very Sacraments escape not their Blasphemy and Prophanation â—o these vile purposes I doubt not but you have heard of M. Case his Invitation of the Congregation to the Lords Table who in stead of you that do truly and earnestly repent you of your sinnes and be in Love and Charity with your Neighbours and intend to lead a new Life c. bespake them thus You that have freely and liberally Contributed to the Parliament for the defence of Gods cause and the Gospels draw neere To the rest he threatned Damnation as comâ—â—ing unworthily to the holy Sacrament it were endlesse to 〈◊〉 unto you it deserves somâ— mans labour in particular to acquaint you and the Kingdome with the Blasphemies Prophanations and Absurdities which he and his Brethren in Evill vent every day in their Extemporary Prayers and Sermons Yet were aâ—l this Treason set out mix'd with wit or did they preach Rebellion aduantag'd by the alluring helpes of art and Elâ—quence it might perswade some amongst us not to turne Recusaâ—ts from their Assemblies but they are the dâ—yest and the dullest beasts that ever peepd over a pulpit while these remaine in the City Rotheram the Lecturer never needs feare to be heard in his deprecation that we might never see such a famine here in London as was once in Samaria where an Asses head was sold for fourescore pieces of Silver Thankes to him and the rest wee have great plenty here and while we have so many there is no feare that they will ever rise to so high a price But when people are disposed uâ—to a Reâ—ellion small helpes will serve their Turne a Rams-Horne is as good as Shebahs Trumpet yet they have one art and I may not forgâ—t it because it takes much with the People and it is this you shall have one and the same argument possesse most of our Pulpit on the same day the same matter is the Subject â—iâ—her of their rayling invectives or Rebellious Exhortations The undiscerning multitude not piercing into this Imposture fâ—ndly are perswaded that this is no lesse then the inspiration of the Holy Ghost when God knowes this is no more then an Iâ—timation given from the Heads of the Faction to Calamy and the Iunto that meet at his house from whom their Emissaries receive directâ—ons what concernes the present opportunity and is necessâ—ry to be preâ—ched unto the people By these and the like Arts 't is a wâ—nder to see what â—orces have been raised what summes have beene advanced and pourâ—d out to further this Rebellion It is the Opinion of very wise men amongst us here that have observed the severall hâ—lpes which the City of London haâ—h contributed to this present unnaturall Warre that they have supplyed the Treasury of the Rebells with no lesse then Three Millions of money and their Aâ—my with threescore Thousand men first 〈◊〉 then recreâ—â—ing their mangled bâ—aten Regiments at so great Expence both of Treasure and Blood hath this proud unthankfull City been to disthrone the King and râ—ine the Kingdom And that they might not want supplies of men to keepe this Rebellion on Foot they have cancelled or dispensed with all the Obligations and Tyes of Religion Nature and Lawes They have given the Sonne power not only without but contrary to the parents commands to List himselfe and take entertainment in their Army the same liberty they have given to Apprentises and Servants to take Armes not only without but contrary to the command of their Masters and Mistresses How many poore Pâ—rents how many poore Trades-men nay how many poor Widdowes and their distressed Orphans be here in this City that had no other Subsistence but what was hardly earned by their Children or Apprentises industry and labour are now all like to starve or are necessitated to fly to the Almes of the Parish though the
the Liberties and safety of the People all possible art was used to possesse the Kingdome but especially the City with strange â—ealousies and Feares and therefore besides the often inculcating the fained intention of introducing Popery great preparations in France and Denmarke to invade the Kingdome to inable the King to governe Arbitrarily to the subversion of the fundamentall Lawes of the Kingdome together with the Liberty and Property of the Subject Theames that did continually possesse both the Pulpit and the Presse which how truâ— though most impudently affirmed the World now sees each day did produce a discovery of some new Treason and to indâ—â—â—e the City the more it must be so contrived That in these monstrous fictions you shall continually find the Parliament and City fained to be involved in the same danger To possesse the Kingdom how mortally the Parliament and City the two vitall parts of the Kingdome as Pym calls them were threatned in the time of the Recesse they take opportunity of the Petition delivered by the Troopâ—rs from the North and by an order from the Committee they appoynt strong watches to be kept in all high-wayes Villages and Townes within twenty miles of London that Travellers into all parts of the Kingdome passing through these Guards might report when they came home in how much danger the Parliament and City were for their sakes And that the Credulous People might not think but that this was done on good grounds a Letter is writteâ— from the Parliament Commissioners in Scotland M. Hampden M. Fiennes and the rest to M. Pym and the close Committee here to inform them of a strange conspiracy discovered in Edenburgh to seize on the persons of the Marquesse Hamilton and the Earles of Argile and Lanâ—ricke the Committee wisely considering that it was no stâ—ange thing for Treason to make a step out of Scotland into England instantly provided against it at least so they would be thought by publishing an Order commanding the Iustices of Peace of Middlesex Surrey and Southwarke to secure the City and the places adjoyning from all danger by strong guards well armed and give this reason for their Order Because the Mischievous designes and conspiracies lately discovered in Scotland against some Principall and Great men there by some of the Popish Faction gives just occasion to suspect that they may maintain correspondency here and practise the like mischiefe Presently upon the neck of this M. Pim's life to the great detriment of the Kingdom and Nation is indangered by a contagious plaister of Plague sore wrapt up in a letter and directed to him but God be thanked the infection did not take though throwing away the plaister only he put the letter in his Pocket he being reserved for another manner of death we hope then to dye privately in his bed with a few spectators to bear witnesse of his end Then comes a Tailor out of a ditch in Finsbury fields having miraculously escaped being runne nine times besides the body for like a wise Tailor wheresâ—ever he made ilotholes he would be sure to make none in his own skinne though to gain credit to the relation and he tells a strange discovery of a Treason which he overheard two men talking of a Conspiracy against the life of the Lord Say and some of the chief Members of both Houses A thing so improbable indeed so Ridiculous that had they not thought that the world stood prepared to receive any thing for truth which came from them 't was a wonder how they durst own it And now I have named a Taylor it puts me in mind of Perâ—ins my Lord Say's Taylor who at a Common-Councell produced a copy of a Letter from an I know not what Irish Lord in Paris to such an other Irish Lord in London intimating some strange designe against the City which took as passionately with the People as if it had been certified from M. Strickeland his worship himselfe Embassador for the two Houses uâ—to the States-Generall of the united Provinces But the most monstrous of all the rest aâ—d that which if the people had not been accursed to believe Lies was the invisible Army quartered under ground at Ragland Castle discovered by Iohn Davis servant to Mistris Lewis an Inne-keeper at Rosse to Alderman Actons Coachman except the blowing up the Thames with Gunpowder to drowne the City one of the most dangerous plots that ever affrighted London And as by their own fictions they endeavoured to possesse the People with Iealousies so whatsoever the King did never wanted a sinister interpretation glossed to the multitude to traduce His actions as if in them there were ever some evill intended to the City and Parliament When the King removed Belfore from the Lieutenancy of the Tower and placed Sir Thomas Lunsford in that charge the Citizens and their Wives could not sleep quietly in their bedds for feare of having their houses beaten down about their eares To satisfy their Clamours though nothing were objected against him the King reassumes the Trust and presently deposites it with Sir Iohn Byron the Faction were as ill satisfied in him yet it was not easy what to object against him nay it was a Query that did not a little trouble them in what to quarrell him at last Lieutenant Hooker the Aquavite man and Nicholson the Chandler complaine in the Common-Councell that since Sir Iohn Byron came to be Lieutenant of the Tower the Mint to the great prejudice and dishonour of the Kingdome stood still Those that knew what trade these men drove by the poor retaile of Broomes Candles and Mustard their chief merchandize to improve brasse farthings into Groats and Sixpences accounted the Objection as inconsiderable as the Authors that alleadged it yet as meane and false as it was it served some mens turnes to slander the King to His People and raise a Clamour The King out of the abundant goodnesse of His Nature hoping to winne them by some condescendments which now the world sees is impossible Puritans being of another manner of Temper then to be overcome with kindnesse removes Sir Iohn Byron and confers this great trust on Sir Iohn Coniers a man of whom the Faction it seems conceived better hopes and indeed hitherto if you consider his exaction upon the Kings friends in his custody or retaining the name of Lieutenant but resigning the power contrary to his expresse oath and that on his own Petition to the Train bands of the City he hath not given them any occasion to repent them of their acquiescence in him It were endlesse Brother Rusticus to relate all the meanes used to heighten the fears of this miserable City and by consequence of the Kingdome especially after the Faction in Parliament had shewen them the way by publishing that great Buggbeare to affright the People the Remonstrance of the state of the Kingdome At last to make experiment what good effect all these arts had produced the maine Engineers resolve on