faithfulnesse Of ev'rie Soule And suffer not vaine jars Among your selves to multiply contention Lest you thereby both make these present wars To bring forth an incurable dissention And hinder as you have already done That Work which God among you hath begun Such differences obstructions have begot Retarding Peace But doubtlesse for the same To your great Senate there belongeth not An imputation of the smallest blame Nor were it faultie though it could be said And proved too that some among them now Their weightie consultations had betrai'd And to your Foes their secrets daily show Nor ought they to be blamed though you see A Spider sent among them for an Ant A Butterfly or Hornet for a Bee Or those that wit or honestie do want For such when they are found they still cast from them With as much forwardnesse as doth become them But they they only do deserve the blame Of all those falshoods which these Lands disease Those brainlesse fellowes who had so small shame And little grace to make their choice of these Those falsly termed free-men who for porredge Would sell their birth-right and who to uphold Their lawfull freedomes have not so much courage As to maintaine them though they see they could They whom a pettie Justice by the nose May lead to what absurdities he pleases And make them think he favour to them showes When he their losse and slaveries increases These and their fellow Burgers have undone you Their slavishnes hath brought these plagues upon you These to the House of Commons sent that Rabble Of Runawayes and Traytours which betrai'd Your liberties as much as they wereable And on their heads the bloud is justly laid For what you suffer These were first unjust In sending in to be their Deputies In stead of men Pride Avarice and Lust Oppression Folly Fraud and Vanities These having neither honestie nor wit Nor care to make a prudent choice of those To whom so great a Trust they should commit Some persons for the publike service chose So like themselves that wonder it is none To see so many do as they have done For such a choice they passed that unlesse Some prudent Boroughs and some wiser Shires Had made elections with more warinesse And sent brave spirits forth to ballance these You had been quite undone and you and yours Of all the Christian world had been the scorne Perpetuall Bond-slaves to malignant Pow'rs And hated of your children yet unborne For ever therefore let that providence Which so provided for you be renown'd And let there be a blessed difference On them and on their seed for ever found To honour them and mark them out from those Who to the publike welfare now are foes And let your Burgers and Free-holders learn In time to come how much how neare it may The publike and their private weale concern To be advis'd on whom their trust they lay For what is more unsafe or more unwise Then to commit as manie times they do Their goods their persons liberties and lives Yea and the meanes of their salvations too To their disposures whom they rather fear Then well affect of whom no good they know Of whose corruptions frequently they hear Of whose injustice sinsible they grow Whose worths are their revenue and whose wait Is meere formalitie or nev'r-a-whit What can be more absurd then to suppose They are the wisest men in all the Shire And fit'st for publike service to be chose Who wisest in their own opinions are Who come uncall'd and shuffle out their choice By suit and friends or having got perchance The overplus of one poore single voice With much ado their purpose to advance Or what a greater indiscretion showes Then to elect for Giver of your Lawes A fellow that nor Law nor Gospell knowes Nor difference 'twixt a good and evill cause And till that day pursued no other course But hunting hawking or else somwhat worse What more dishonourable can be thought Then to your Court and Senate most supreme For which the worthiest persons should be sought To send a foole or knave to sit with them Whose reverend presence should not be polluted With such companions or what one thing may A truer signe of madnesse be reputed Then thus to foole their dignitie away For since they cannot their debates decide But by most Voices what else will ensue If manie places be with such suppli'd But those events which all the Land will rue When worst designes are by the most promoted And reason shall by noise be over-voted There never was a time in which you ought To be more carefull of your choice then now If you recruit your House For men are taught By this long Parliament so well to know Each others minde each others interest And inclination that unlesse you see The number wanting in due time increast And made compleat by men that worthie be You will be as assuredly undone As if the King had tyranniz'd nay more For to oppresse you there had been but one But then you shall perhaps have many a score And therefore as you here fore-warned are In your elections use more prudent care Thy Letters of Advice ere while directed To those in whom the choice of these doth lie Have partly signifi'd what was effected And what events will still ensue thereby While such are chosen And what Caveats ought To be observed that a better choice May be hereafter and that men be sought Who wit and conscience have aswell as voice For these defects breed vip'rous wormes within The verie bowells of the Parliament More dangerous then outward foes have bin And if the Members wanting be not sent With better heed then heretofore you tooke For peace embracing truth in vain you looke Let therefore those true Patriots which are left Put forth a strong endeavour to compleat Their wasted number e're they are bereft Of power and meanes themselves to re-beget Into a perfect bodie And let none By fallacies delude you with a feare It may not now as legally be done As when the Members first convented were For that they are lawfull Parliament Although the King be absent 't is confest Ev'n by the King In whom now to prevent Their being so the power doth not consist Nor ever did of right while cause you know Why SALVS POPVLI should have it so Believe it whosoever shall pretend This Parliament hath not a legall power Her bodie to recruit is no true friend Nor fit to be a Councellour of your For seeing they have power to make a Seale It were a great absurditie to dreame They had not legally a power aswell To use as make it And if you in them Allow an use thereof that private men The benefit of justice might obtain It should much rather be allowed then In things which to the Publike-right pertaine And most especially in all affaires Concerning their own being and repaires If really a Parliament they be As without peradventure they are One Then
due reward By plotting packing siding or partaking By hiding that which ought to be declar'd By cowardly an honest Cause forsaking If he hath under blame or censure brought Those innocents who meerly out of zeale Vnto the Publike have sincerely sought His folly or his falshood to reveale And knew it true although their proofes did faile Let him his cruelty in that bewaile And let your Parliament take speciall care Of this abuse lest els a ground be lai'd Whereon their cunning foes may engines reare Whereby they may be wrong'd if not betrai'd For though in justice they should vindicate The honour of their Members whensoever Rash levitie malignancie or hate To injure or asperse them shall endeavour Yet when good probabilities induce The well-affected to mistrust or feare Some publike dammage danger or abuse By that which they shall either see or heare By any Member either done or said Why should it not unto his charge be laid If where it ought a secret be reveal'd If for the publike without private spleen If past due time it hath not been conceal'd If probabilitie thereof hath been If he that speaks it be no way defam'd And of concernment if the same appears Why should the speaker be reprov'd or blam'd For thus disclosing what he thinks or hears If it be false th' accused need not feare it For if he be not otherwaies suspected None without proof unto his wrong will heare it And if he blamelesse be and well affected The zeal of his accuser hee 'l commend And count him his because the Kingdoms friend Your Senators their priviledges have Not for their own but for the publike sake And they abuse the trust their Countrey gave Who any further use of them shall make And who can judge it reasonable then To make the people more afraid to wrong The priviledges of your Single-men Then those which to the Commonwealth belong Were it not fitter to adventure on Dishonouring a Commoner or Peer Then suffer all of them to be undone Through want of speaking that which you shall hear Let them who Freedoms-personall would cherish To publike dammage with their freedoms perish This way the Royallists did first begin To screw up their Prerogative to that Which made it more indulgent to have bin To serve their turnes then to secure the State And if there be not still a prudent care That Priviledges clash not and that they Which are subordinate may not appeare In force untill their Betters give them way Destruction will succeed Let therefore so Each Member on his Priviledge insist That both by claime and practice he may show They are not to be used as men list Or turned into Bug-bears to affright The Common-wealth from claiming of her right Let therefore care be took and quickly too That her due rights the Common-wealth enjoy That private men their duties better do And that divisions do not all destroy Let not those foolish Toyes who do besot Themselves with arrogance presume to prate As if a Parliament had them begot To be the heires-apparent to the State Permit you not Religious-Melancholy Phlegmatick-Av'rice or Zeale-Cholerick Nor an excessivenesse of Sanguime-Folly To make both Church and State grow deadly sick Nay rather mad and in their mad distractions To teare themselves into a thousand fractions Let not your King and Parliament in One Much lesse apart mistake themselves for that Which is most worthy to be thought upon Or think they are essentially the STATE Let them not fancie that th' Authority And Priviledges upon them bestown Conferred to set up a Majesty A Power or a Glory of their own But let them know 't was for another thing Which they but represent and which ere long Them to a strict account will doubtlesse bring If any way they do it wilfull wrong For that indeed is really the Face Whereof they are the shadow in the glasse Moreover thus informe them that if either They still divided grow from bad to worse Or without penitence unite together And by their sin provoke him to that course GOD out of their confusions can and will Create a cure and raise a lawfull-lawfull-power His promise to his people to fulfill And his and their Opposers to devour Yea bid both King and Parliament make hast In penitence united to appeare Lest into those Confusions they be cast Which will affright them both and make them feare And know there is on earth a greater-thing Then an unrighteous Parliament or King More might be said but that which is behinde Requires another season Thou therefore Another opportunity must finde If thou desir'st to be informed more Perhaps thou hast already more exprest Then many will approve if thou reveale it Yet if thou look for any temp'rall-rest Let hopes nor fears compell thee to conceal it Thy Scorners in derision lately said Thou art a Prophet but when all is told Which is behind their pride will be afraid Thaâ— some ensuing things thou didst behold And that what e're thou art thou hast declar'd Those Councells whereof notice should be took Those warnings which are worthy of regard And like a true-man and a free-man spoke Let it be therefore spoken without fear And Let him that hath eares to hear it hear The VOICE here left to speake and here will I For this time leave to write and fit and mourn For Britains and mine own iniquity Vntill that VOICE with perfect Peace return O GOD returne it quickly and let not This portion of it be divulg'd in vain Or so despised be or so forgot That Words of Peace we never heare again Speak Peace how ever to thy Servants heart Speak to his Soul in grace and mercy LORD That from thy wayes he never may depart Or dis-obedient be unto thy Word Forgive him all the vanities that lurke Within his heart All deeds by him misdone And every word and thought whereby this worke Defil'd hath been since first it was begun Of outward-mercies and of some more ease From his afflictions too he should be glad But since ther 's as much bane as blisse in these Give what thou knowest fittest to be had And let an Eccho from this VOICE redound Vnto thy praise an everlasting-sound Amen FINIS
Vox Pacifica A VOICE TENDING TO The Pacification of GOD ' s wrath and offering those Propositions or Conditions by the acceptation and performance whereof in some good measure a firme and continuing Peace may be obtained It is directed to the KING PARLIAMENTS and PEOPLE of these Islands BY GEO. WITHER Esquire a Commander in this War heretofore their unneeded REMEBERANCER of Plagues and Deliverances past and their timely Forewarner of the Judgments now come He hath disposed it into six BOOKS or CANTO's whereof foure onely are contained in this VOLUMNE and the other deferred to be hereafter published as there shall be Cause To day if you will heare this VOICE harden not your hearts c. LONDON Printed by Robert Austin in the Old-Baily M DC XLV The meaning of the Frontispice A Trumpet sounds a parlee to this Isle And over it a Hand displayes the while A Flag of Peace that this new Signe at doore May draw you in to view a little more We hung it forth that these besotted Nations May heed the season of their Visitations And grow more carefull to conforme their wayes To what this VOICE and their known Duty sayes Though yet the most our words no more have mark'd Then if a Cat had meaw'd or Dog had bark'd You see the building you have seen the Signe And if it pleaseth you may tast our Wine You view the Type and Title of the Play Our Argument and where the Scoene we lay And that for which the Maker dearer paid May when you please for little be survai'd Ev'n for as little as you thinke it worth When he at that low rate can set it forth And that we offer no unwholsome Wares Our Licence and our Priviledge declares Neglect not courtesies when few are done Nor Opportunities till they are gone Nor doubt your usage though abroad you heare Our Authour in reproving is austere For they who bring a well-composed minde In his most harshreproofs will mildnesse finde And none have been his Adversaries yet But they who wanted honesty or wit When his owne failings have to him appear'd Himselfe no more then others he hath spar'd And did what he supposeth him became Let ev'ry Reader strive to do the same And shortly here in substance will be seen What in this Embleme hath but shadow'd been VOX PACIFICA PAX VOBIS TO THE KING PARLIAMENTS AND PEOPLE OF These BRITISH ISLES NOt to petition King or Parliament Or Court the People suits with his intent Who sends you this Nor is it come to crave Your Favours or your Patronage to have It is almost too late and 't was too soon At this time therefore he expects that boone From One who better knowes him and from whom This VOICE doth to your sight and hearing come And had he alwaies done so he had lost Lesse labour and escaped with lesse cost He hath no mind to flatter if he had To flatter at this time were to be mad And perad venture also he hath now As little cause as mind to flatter you For Courtship on that LADY who bestowes That poore despis'd deform'd and aged growes Who sleighted him and left him to dispaire When she was wealthie lovely young and faire Yet that those old affections may appeare With which by him you alway served were And that he may not give a just offence By seeming carelesse of the reverence Belonging to your Greatnesse he professes That meerly for the sake of these Expresses The freedome of bold-language he assumes And that he nothing for himselfe presumes Nor means to honour love or serve you lesse For your unkindnesses or your distresse The Newes he brings accepted if it be Will warrantize the Speaker to be free And if it be despised he conceives Some will grow bold ere long without your leaves And make you heare with ruder complements A blunter Language and to worse intents For dreadfull things are murmur'd and unlesse Men more conforme to that which they professe You 'l find ere long he dareth without feare To speak more truth then many dare to heare What ever He what e're his Language seems Your Persons none more values or esteems None loves your Honours or your safeties more Then he yet doth and hath done heretofore None oft'ner his own blame hath ventur'd on That others might not wholly be undone Or is more free from aimes at that which tends To personall respects or private ends And thus professeth he that you might grow More honourable by believing so He that hath done GOD'S errand was ere now Reputed a * 2 King 9.11 Mad-fellow Some of you Have so been pleas'd perhaps of him to say Because he hath appear'd in such a way As never since the Christian-paths were trod Was traced by a Messenger from GOD. But times have been and this is such a time In which the People much regard not them Who speak in Ordinary And then must Some Ploughman or some Herdman forth be thrust To help awake them and He perad venture With Riddles Signes or Parables must enter Or els by some unusuall straines proceed To make his Hearers give the better heed And know the Spirit stoupeth from on high Somtime ev'n with a vulgar * 2 King 3.15 Minstralfie Be pleased therefore not to under-prize Him or his Present lest when his disguise Is taken off you find him somwhat els Then you have thought or his appearance tels Permit you not the crafty Polititians In either Faction to beget suspitions That he who wrote this VOICE hath some Intents For compassing whereof he now invents A Fancie and pretends the publike-Peace When really he aimes at nothing lesse For that his purposes no other were Then he professeth plainly shall appeare To men of ingenuity or wit Who weigh things past with what he now hath writ For whosoe're hath observation took With what impartiall-freedome he hath spoke To either side nor sparing Friend nor Foe Nor caring who displeas'd or pleas'd shall grow Can never draw that false conclusion thence Without much folly or much impudence Yea since it is apparent that his Pen Hath spar'd himselfe no more then other men Since he hath now nigh five and thirty years This Freedome used and nought yet appears To be thereby acquir'd but sad events Disgraces losses close imprisonments Despights and mischiefs how can you suppose His folly such that now the world worse growes He thinks this course will him advantage more Or bring him fewer mischiefs then before He knowes there is the selfe-same basenâ—sse yet The same corruption the same little wit And malice which in former times was here Though now in other habits they appeare And act another way He knowes what then Best pleas'd and what will now yet takes agen The selfe-same Course Because he knowes from whom His messages and warranties do come And that it shall be more his reputation To be undone by such a Generation For doing of his Dutie then therby To be advanc'd
fourth Canto While here our Authour doth recite His Muzings after Naesby fight The VOICE returnes and doth begin To shew us what must usher in Exiled Peace Then told are we How kept our Vowes and Covenants be How we reforme and fast and pray What Thankfulnesse we do repay What must in generall be done What by each Individuall-One What course both King and State must take E're they their Peace with GOD shall make What he expects from ev'ry Nation From ev'ry Town and Corporation And ev'ry House in some degree Before our Peace renew'd will be These faults are discovered in the printing which the Reader is desired to mend with his pen and to pardon such other as are over-seene PAg. 3. line 30. read rectifie pag. 15. lin 9. read tezed p. 18. l. 8. read yee p. 41. l. 4. read in p. 50. l. 16. read clean p. 52. l. 1. r. Treatings p. 57. l. 23. r. yee p. 105. l. 36. r. this war p. 123. l. 36. r. fore-show p. 128. l. 24. r. you l. 25. r. your sorrow p. 130. l. 28. r. inward p. 142. l. 29. r. winning p. 144. l. 12. r. Our losses by the Sword werepossesse p. 145. l. 27. r. invokes p. 155. l. 3. r. oppressions p. 159. l. 19. r. though ibid. l. 28. r. Christian-libertie VOX PACIFICA OR A VOICE preparing the way of PEACE AND To that end dedicated to the KING Parliaments and People of these British Isles The Contents of the first Canto First here is to your view prefer'd When where and how this VOICE was heard What kind of Muzings were the ground What worlds and wonders may be found Within our selves what safe-Retreats From those oppressions frauds and baits Which are without how little feare Of Terrours which affright us here How plainly there a man may see The villanies that acted be For private ends with publike showes How generall the mischiefe growes Why to acquaint you with this VOICE GOD by so meane a man makes choice Then shewes how our grand-hopes deceive us And prayes his aid that must relieve us I Who before my Harp was tun'd or strung Began to play a descant on the Times And was among the first of those that sung The scorn and shame of VICE in English Rymes 〈◊〉 that have now just halfe the Age of Man Been slashing at those Hydro's heads of sin Which are yet more then when I first began And more deformed growne then they have bin I that have spoke of Truth till few believe it Of taking heed till Follie hath her doome Of Good-advice till no man will receive it And of Deserved-Plagues till they are come Once more appeare with an intent to say A needfull Word in season if I may The Sun hath run his course through all the Signes And thirteen times the Moone renew'd her light Since last I limb'd my thoughts in measur'd lines Or felt my heart for Numbers tun'd aright For ever since my Musings in the Pield The close whereof a Voice of PEACE fore-tells With such disord'red thoughts I have been fild As use to thrive where sad distemper dwells And we have All so broken that Condition On which our wished Comforts founded are That of accomplishing our hopes fruition Not many certaine symptomes yet appear Though therefore I have silent been till now My slownesse blame not neither murmure you The Muses are not still at my command Whereby those Informations are acquir'd Which many have expected at my hand And somwhat out of season too desir'd The VOICE there mentioned was but a Sound Not then articulated into words The perfect Forme thereof I had not found Nor what interpretation it affords If I had spoken e're I had mine Arrant Beyond my wit my forward tongue had went If I had run before I had my Warrant Well might I for my labour have been shent There is for all things an appointed houre And Times and Seasons are not in my power My Vessell stirreth not till that Wind blowes Which never blowes but when and where it list Drie is my Cisterne till that Fountain flowes Whose flowings-forth I cannot then resist Somtimes in me so low the Waters lie That every Childe and Beast is trampling on me Somtime againe they rise they swell so high That Princes cannot make a Bridge upon me Had King and Parliament the other day Commanded from me that which now I write To save my life I knew not what to say Of that which was inspired yesternight And being now as full as I can hold Though none they please my Musings must be told Mistake not tho as if it should be thought That by Enthusiasme now I write Or that the matter which to me is brought By GODS immediate dictates I indite Far is that Arrogancie from my Pen The Objects of my Contemplation be The same which GOD affords to other men The Muses challenge a peculiar phrase And freedomes not so well becoming those Who are confined to observe the lawes Of common speech and tell their minds in prose For whereas these have but one worke to do I have in my Intentions often two To reason out a Truth is their perfection That so mens judgements terrifie they might Thereat I aime But how to move Affection And set the motions of the Will aright Is my chiefe work And to that end I catch At all advantages of Place and Time Of Actions or Expressions and I watch For ev'ry meanes of well improving them By which endeavours and for ought I know By some aid more then ordinary too Mixt with mine own Conjectures I fore-show Some things which GOD requires or means to do And when I apprehend such things as these They neither are conceall'd nor told with ease As when a portion of new spritly-wine Is in a close and crazie Vessell pent Which neither can sufficiently confine The working Liquour nor well give it vent Ev'n so I far'd For though I felt my breast With matter fully stor'd seaven daies I strove My swelling Thoughts in Words to have exprest Yet neither could desist nor forward move But on that night in which our Monethly-Fast Had swallow'd up our greatest Festivall My Muse broke loose And now the stop is past Will run her Course what ever may befall And since to speak her mind she hath begun Resolves She will be heard e're She hath done Once more therefore yee BRITAINS lend an eare KING PRIEST PEOPLE mark what now I say And if you shall be pleas'd this VOICE to heare Take heed you harden not your hearts to day For if your pride and follie shall despise The gentle VOICE that now salutes your eare Ere long there shall another VOICE arise Which will not such a peacefull note preferre It shall not move with so becalm'd a Breath Nor be dilated through so milde an ayre But from the wombe of Hell and Jawes of Death Be thund'red forth with horrours and despaire And few shall hear that VOICES dreadfull sound
what those Conditions are Whereon it is his pleasure to return That Blessing to them for which yet they mourne It is not for thy sake that now his eyes He fixeth not on persons eminent Or hath not chosen one more learn'd and wise By whom this weighty Message might be sent But rather to abase and vex their pride Who carnall Pompe and outward showes adore Vouchsafing scarce to turn their eye aside To heed the suits or counsells of the poore And that to humble them they may be faine Perforce to hear and to accept from him Whose guifts and person most of them disdaine The Way of Peace which he shall offer them Or else through pride grow hardned in that sin Which bringeth Desolation faster in This is the Course which Providence hath took When selfe-conceit and sin befooleth Nations And Carnall policie doth over-look The lowly meanes of timely preservations Thus that the Jewish-pride he down might bring When they the pompe of heathenish-Kings affected He made one Seeking-Asses their first King And them unto a Shepheard next subjected When their proud Pharisees and Priests beleeved That He who came the Kingdom to restore Should from their power and wisdom have received Chiefe aid thereto he rais'd it by the poor From their formalities his eyes he turn'd And chose the meek-ones whom their pride had scorn'd And GOD thus dealeth still when he intends To purge a People and refine a State Making one motion move to sev'rall ends As it to sundrie Objects may relate Who should have thought that saw a while ago The Prelacie in pompe advancing thorow This potent Isle it should be baffled so In height of all it pride at Edenborough Who could have then supposed that a Stoole Flung by a sillie woman in her zeal When policie did labour to befoole Your brethren and the Dragons wound to heale Should have in thousands kindled such a flame Of zeale as from that meane occasion came Who would have thought the late despised Scot A Nation whom your elders dis-esteem'd A Nation whom your Fathers loved not And of whose friendship carelesse you have seem'd Should first have rouz'd a passage to have broke Through that Attempt which will if unrepented And wilfull sins obstruct not breake that yoke Which Heresie and Tyranny invented Who would have been perswaded but erewhile The Scot should faithfully for you have kept Your nigh-lost footing in the Irish Ile And while the Flame into their borders crept Should brother-like contribute their chiefe powers To quench the Burnings which your Towns devours Or who would have beleeved having heard The scandals and malignant jealousies Wherewith some do their love yet mis-reward That Scotland should for Englands aid arise And in their marches through your fruitfull lands More conscience make than you your selves have shown Of laying violent and griping hands On them whose wounds and losses are your own But GOD is pleas'd these things should come to passe To humble and abase that high conceit Which falsly of your selves admitted was And that both you and they might have a sight Of his great Providence in so proceeding And Good and Bad confesse it merits heeding For by this course he doth effect his will Within them by them and upon them too Both Friends and Foes all actions good or ill Promote the work which he intends to do They who long time have wilfully persisted In crooked paths from which they call'd have bin And in those Calls the Spirits Voyce resisted Or carelesly proceeded in their sin Shall blind with malice and obdur'd with pride Sleight all the counsels tendred now by thee The Tenour of this VOICE they shall deride And madly stubborne in their Courses be Till on their heads those judgements down shall come Which are an unrepentant Sinners doome And when with plagues deserved they are stung In stead of Penitence or filiall awe As doth a Dog at whom a stone is flung So they shall snarle and so the weapon gnaw Or rather as it was fore-told of those For whom GOD his fifth Violl should prepare The greater still their feare or torment growes The lesse to be reform'd will those men care They to the Throne and Kingdome of the BEAST True Vassals being will GODS name blaspheme Or else be stupified at the least When GOD with stripes or counsells visits them To these this VOICE will no good Omen sing To these no Peace no Comfort will it bring But they who by their chastisements for sin Are humbled so so school'd and made so meeke As to admit that true repentance in Which makes them gladly Truth and Mercie seeke Ev'n they shall from this VOICE receive content And not disdaine the Wine of consolation Though in an earthen Vessell it be sent But take it with a thankfull acceptation And if of these that number found shall be For which three wicked Kingdomes may be spar'd You shall from Rulne once againe be free To show the World that what few now regard Prevents more mischiefe and more safetie brings Than potent Armies Parlaments and Kings For Kings and Parlaments and Armies too When crying sins in any Realme abound Advantage not so much as they undo As by a late experience you have found A King you had who was at first conceiv'd To pitie and to pietie enclin'd Such he was really of thee beleev'd Yet of those Vertues now small signes you find The Cup and Fornications of the WHORE Do seeme to have bewitcht his royall brest With bloudy sins his Realmes are flowed o're Defil'd with crimes that cannot be exprest And more in danger to be quite undone Than ever since a King first fill'd this Throne He takes a Course which if pursu'd will do him More dammages than all his forraigne foes And all their malice could have brought unto him Yea so improvident a path he goes As if by his Fore-fathers or by Him Some sin had been committed which hath shaken His verie Throne defac'd his Diadem And for which Vengeance must ere long be taken For though he knowes the peoples griefes and feares Though sprawling in their bloud he sees them lying Though he beholds the flames about their eares And in their deaths his honour daily dying Yet seemes he nothing to heare know or see Which for your safety or his own may be The Royall Pow'r that should the Realme have guarded Is to the ruine thereof mis-imploy'd The Perquisites allow'd to have rewarded Deserving-men by Ruffians are enjoy'd The Dignities ordain'd to have been placed On them whose deeds their noblenesse declar'd To Slaves are prostituted and disgraced By being on Buffoones and Clownes conferr'd His Councell-Table was become a snare His Court a Sanctuarie for Transgressors The Iudgement-Seats were engines to prepare Advantages for Bribers and Oppressors The Soveraigne from the Subject is estranged And Kingship into Tyranny is changed But though the King be partner in these crimes 'T is you who have your selves and him undone For as Idolaters in former
times First made carv'd Images of Wood and Stone Perhaps but meerly for Commemoration Of some deceased Worthy and at last Improv'd it into sottish adoration So Those on whom the Government was plac'd By prudent Counsell Base men by degrees So idolized and with flatteries So long in servile manner bow'd their knees To their Self-will that first to tyrannize The peoples blockishnesse and basenesse brought them Yea how to be Oppressors they first taught them And when Kings saw the peoples foolishnesse Did make themselves beleeve that their owne Creature Had therein an inherent awfulnesse Advancing it above the humane nature They quickly from that folly and that feare Advantages assumed to improve Their pow'rs It made them greater to appeare And in a more Majestick Orb to move The slavish gestures and the servile phrase Long us'd in Court did thereto so much add That he who like a man declares his cause Is judg'd unmannerly or somwhat mad Nay to that height the Royall claime is brought That none but Slaves are now true Subjects thought A Parliament you have which you obtained When you were most desirous to have had it You thereunto a priviledge have gained Which now more fixt than formerly hath made it The House of Peeres is of a party cleared Whom leaning to your Common-Foe you doubted Whose power you felt whose policie you feared And whom long since some gladly would have outed Yet had Corruption over-fill'd it so With honour'd Titles worne without deserts And with so many raised from below To sit on Princely Seats with Slavish-hearts That when your troubles well-nigh cur'd you thought Far greater mischieves were upon you brought Your House of Commons though when first convented It fill'd you with a hopefull expectation Hath ev'ry way so truly represented The Common Constitution of this Nation That little hitherto hath been effected To mitigate your Feares or settle Peace According to the issue you expected But ev'ry day your sorrowes more increase So great an inundation of confusion Is broken in upon you that in vaine You hope or labour for a good conclusion Till GOD himselfe make up the Breach againe And you with more sincerity confesse Your Guilt your Weaknesse and your Foolishnesse Betwixt You and your King there is of late A cursed Fire broke forth whose raging flame Each others ruine threatens like to that Which from Abimelech and Shechem came So damnable a Spirit of Contention Is conjur'd up that his designes are brought Past all those remedies and that prevention Which by the wit of mortalls can be wrought So madly you each other do oppose That ev'ry one consults and acts in vaine What one reares up another overthrowes What one destroyes another builds again And nothing is the vulgar expectation But ruine if not utter Desolation For crying-sins do gen'rally prevaile The Rules of Order quite aside are laid The prudence of the Counsellour doth faile The honestest-Designes are most gain-said The Grossest Falshood soonest is believ'd His cause best speedes who aimes at basest-ends The worst-Transgressour shall be soon'st repriev'd The veriest Knave shall find the Lordliest friends And when Foundations thus are overthrowne What can the Righteous do what likely hope Have Husbandmen when all is over-growne With Briars and Thornes to reap a thriftie crop Or what can by a Parliament be done Where all are with Corruption over-grown With Warlike Forces too now strongly arm'd You do appear and Martiall men abound As though each Township Bee-hive-like had swarm'd And Horse and Armes sprung daily from the ground But what have these availed in regard Of expectation Nay how multiplide Are these afflictions rather which you fear'd By their dissensions insolence or pride Your Treasures Stocks Fields they have nigh wasted Their avaritions fury to allay Yet as if they had Pharoah's kine out-fasted So greedie and so hungrie still are they That all the plenties of your peacefull years Will hardly quench that vast desire of theirs Want of sincerenesse in your chiefe Commanders Too much ambition much respect of friends Most men that hear this know these are no slanders Fraud Envie Cowardice or private-ends And gen'rally defect of Discipline Or to be plaine want of that honestie Which these Forth-breakings of the Wrath-divine Hath now required in your Soulderie Have set licentiousnesse so much at large And made most Officers presume upon Such loosnesse and so slackly to discharge Their duties that you likely are to run By your owne Forces as the matter goes Not much lesse hazard than by open Foes Your Common men this will disparage none Among you Martialists that blamelesse are Have not in misdemeanours been out-gone By many who the States opposers were They cheat rob lye curse sweare blaspheme and rore They equally oppresse both Friend and Foe They plunder scoffe insult game drink and whore And ev'rie day corrupt each other so That if this plague continue but a while You and your King so many Rogues will arme That throughout ev'rie Township of this I le This curse brood of Lice will crawle and swarme Till they have quite devoured those that fed them And pine in that starv'd Body which first bred them For though the highest honours temporarie On Souldiers are conferred whose true worth Whose vertues in employments militarie With an illustrious candor shineth forth Though they who to defend their Countries cause Themselves to death and dangers do expose Observing duly GODS and Natures Lawes Not only to their friends but to their foes Though these deserve all honours no expression Is full enough to make an illustration Of their ignoble and their base condition Who triumph in their Countries desolation And as the raskall sort of Tinkers do Pretend to mend one hole and then make two For these foure yeares of Discord have so changed The gentlenesse already of this Nation And men and women are fo far estranged From civill to a barb'rous inclination They are so prone to mutinous disorders So forward in all mischievous projections So little mov'd with robberies or murthers And so insensible of good Affections That they whom you have arm'd for your defence Will shortly ruine you unlesse preventions Be interposed by that Providence Which frustates diabolicall intentions And therefore now Conditions are propounded On which a Restauration may be grounded Yea now when Med'cines that most soveraigne were At other times have multiply'd diseases When all your Policies quite routed are To intervene a Timely-Mercie pleases Now that your Armies King and Parliaments Which were your hopefulst meanes of preservation Are made by Sin imperfect Instruments And leave these Iles almost in desperation Thou shalt once more to dis-respective men A Herald-extraordinarie be And carrie them conditions once agen Whereby they from these troubles may be free And that those Angels which now smite these Lands From Desolation may with-hold their hands Now then for Overtures of Peace provide Silence thy Trumpets let thy Drums be still Furle up thy Colours lay Commands
had That some intrusted do their trust betray Your Priviledged Persons will advance Their freedomes to the Publike hinderance Through some obstructions your most noble Court Which is the Sanctuary whereunto Oppressed men by multitudes resort Yeelds lesse reliefe then it had wont to do For publike Greevances are so increast That time and leasure hardly can be gain'd To heare how men are privately opprest Till they are quite undone who have complain'd Beside which in Committees oft is done By making friends to come or keep away Vnwarranted advantages are won To wrong the Truth or Justice to delay Thus when the Peeres or Commons are but few A mischiefe unexpected may ensue For when Reports or Motions should be made If they who make them will deceitfull prove Occasions doubtlesse may be watch'd and had Injurously both to report and move Since they who shall report if to their choice The times be left may their designes propose And get it passed by a Major-Voice E're their appearing who the same oppose Yea 't is nor hard nor strange to watch and wait A weâ—k or two for such advantages And gaine a Vote for that by this deceit Which in a Full-Assembly would displease Thus by mans wickednesse a mischiefe springs From justest Courts and from the noblest things And if you soone returne not from your height Of Falshood and Injustice that which was Your Idoll and the Glorie of your might Your hope of bringing mightie things to passe Ev'n that shall also fail you in the end That shall augment your manifold vexations That shall become unable to defend Or save it selfe among your desperations Nay that shall by degrees it selfe corrupt To such a Monster as will fright you more More grieve and more your quiet interrupt Than all oppressing Tyrants heretofore For when in sinning men presumptuous grow GOD makes their strength to be their overthrow It was not meerly in the Government By Kingship that you were opprest of late It was not that which brought the Detriment Dilacerating so both Church and State The Princes errours and the Peoples crimes Increasing by their aiding of each other In wickednesse have made them in these times A mutuall scourge and both now smart together By godlesse counsells you misled your King Then kept him standing in the sinners way And to the scorners throne him now you bring Whereon if once he settle as he may If God prevent not you as yet but see Beginnings of those plagues that felt must be Vnlesse by penitence you break off sin Your Parliamentall Members when long sitting And fewnesse of the number shall bring in Both meanes and opportunity begetting Such knowledge of each other as is now In some Committees shall much represent The Lands Corruptions and make perfect show By whom and from what body they were sent For then on Priviledges to insist Meer-personall more then on Publike-Right To say their pleasures and do what they list In Lawes contempt and Equities despight Shall grow in use till you and they shall run Another Course to be yet more undone You then shall see though under other notions Your old Oppressions to return again As much false-play for profit and promotions As when you to your King did first complain Then you shall see your monstrous high-Commission Your Councell-Table your Star-Chamber too New-shapes assuming to their old Condition Revive and act as they had wont to do That Insolence that Pride Prelaticall Those corporall and ghostly Tyrannies Which in your Clergie lately had a fall Shall rise again cloth'd with a new disguise And act what they who plaid before did mean Although they change their Habits and the Scoene For then some Priestlings who as guiltie are Of your Divisions as the Prelates-traine First kindling and fomenting still this warre As much as they will make their meanings plaine Yea by divisions and by subdividing According as their maine designe requires Opposing some and with some other siding As best may serve to compasse their desires Shall Schismes Sects and Fancies multiply Beyond compute and from the truth shall steal So many hearts by fained sanctitie By counterfeited honestie and zeale That all your other Foes shall not disease Your private and the publike Rest like these For though enacted Law doth now of late From Secular-employments them exclude To intermeddle with Affaires of State They will by many meanes themselves intrude By gath'ring Parties they will plots contrive To make those greatest who will them obey To make them rich by whom they hope to thrive And to such ends will study preach and pray Joyne hands sollicite covenant petition The Publike-good still their chiefe aime pretending And whatsoever stands in opposition To their Designe shall want no such commending As floweth from implacable despite Or from the malice of an Hypocrite And if e're long there be not some endeavour To keep them to their Calling and to bound Their meddling with Lay-matters you shall never Be free from Faction while the Spheres go round Like Salamanders these can never live But in a Flame nor long themselves conforme To any Reformation For they thrive In Changes best and swim best in a Storme And many diffring Sects of these there are Some to an Independancie incline Some to a Presbyterian-way adhere Yet really themselves to neither joyne But rather take advantage to make use Of that which to their ends may best conduce To limit these to some Parochiall Charge Were to imprison them For they well know From Congregations gather'd up at large What Profits and Advantages do flow A Parish Income though they largely grant Both Tythes and Pensions is but verie small Compar'd to what that Priest itinerant Can gather up who hath no bounds at all A Parish is too narrow for his Pride Or Avarice And in one place perchance Should he be long compelled to reside He could not so conceale his ignorance Or cover failings in his Conversation As by an Vnconfined-Congregation Had these been regulated and reduc'd To that Conformitie which Reason would The Simple had not then been so seduc'd Nor had the Common-People so been fool'd Had these and their Antagonists been charm'd By prudent Discipline and made agree Your King and Parliament had not been arm'd Against each other as this day they be Had these been conjur'd downe that Pietie That Prudent-meeknesse and sweet Moderation By which a Part of that Fraternitie Doth wrestle for a blessing on this Nation Should more be honour'd and ere long prevaile For curing of those Plagues which they bewaile For these oft suffer the deserved blame Of Demas and Diotrophes and share By being of their Calling in their shame When of their Faults they no way guiltie are And these are they whose Prayers and Examples Whose good advice and whose well-temper'd Zeale Shall keep your State your Cities and your Temples From desolation and your Plague-sore heale If therefore Wit profane or Scurrile tongue Shall any of our censurings apply To do
both becometh so dismaid That he receiveth benefit from neither But hazards Soule and Body both together So while you laboured at once to heale The desperate Diseases which of late Endangered both Church and Common-weale Such longings then your double-zeale begate To cure them both together and so strove Your Zelots that from both at once they mought The Cause of their distemperatures remove That great Confusions upon both are brought Yea both of them are now exposed more To scandals losses errours perturbations And hazards of destruction than before That whether now you seek their preservations Together or apart you shall not yet Obtaine that blessing which you hope to get For you must first be cleared of the sin Which hinders from enjoying your desire And that which lately might have cleansed bin With water must be purged now with fire Yea since your follies and your sins have brought Those great Confusions both on Church and State For which the meanes that might their cure have wrought Are now too feeble and will come too late Since into such a Chaos all is changed That all endeavours usefull heretofore Have daily you from Concord more estranged And made your mischiefes and your sorrowes more No ordinary-course can set you free From those distractions wherein now you be This being knowne and in what great distresse You plunged are to you it appertaines With penitencie humbly to addresse Your suits to him in whom your help remaines And ere you make approaches to his Throne There must be as was told you some purgation From those omissions and those deeds mis-done Which make your prayers an abhomination The Zimri's and the Cosbi's of the time Of whose uncleannesse and whose impudence You talk of yet but as a Veniall crime Or laugh at as a triviall offence Must with more zeale more speed receive their due Or else their sins GOD shall avenge on you For these are so impure that in their Sin They are unsatisfi'd unlesse the same Hâ—th with some circumstances acted bin Which proves them double-guiltie without shame They are not pleas'd in Simple-Fornication Vnlesse thereto Adulteries they add Nor seemes that now sufficient violation Of Chastitie unlesse the Crime be made Yet more abhominable by beguiling Some Innocent or else by offring force The Bed of Honour with bold vaunts defiling Nay there is found among you if not worse Vncleannesse more unmanly and more strange Adult'ries by consent and by exchange But these are the defilements of your Peace Where yet they have not felt the rage of War Where yet the Course of Justice doth not cease And where great shewes of Pietie yet are And if such impudence may there be found If there you so corrupt already grow Oh I how do those Vncleannesses abound Where cruell Outrage her grim face doth show Sure words are insufficient to expresse The Rapes the Ravishments and loathsome sins Where War gives way to all Vnrulinesse And Tyranny and Lust the conquest wins When sin and impudence is acted there Where Justice on her seats doth yet appeare Behold this day ev'n whilst with Desolation The Land is threatned you have now let in A crying witkednesse which to this Nation Was ever thought so hatefull to have bin That though among the Jewes a Law they had Inflicting Death upon it you have none Because a Law is verie rarely made Concerning things unlikely to be done Who would have thought there being neither Beare Nor Wolfe nor Lyon on your English ground To seize upon your little Children there That many Beasts and Monsters should be found In humane shape to steale and beare away Your Infants whilst before your doores they play Who would have thought that for so small a price So many could so quickly have been got To joyne in perpetrating of a Vice So horrible and yet abhor it not That their hard hearts could heare poore Children crie Vpon their fathers or their mothers name Till peradventure in an agonie Of extreme passion livelesse they became Or which is worse preserv'd them to be sent To Bondage whilst their Parents almost wild Were left in everlasting discontent By musing on their lost-beloved-child This Crueltie hath in your streets been seen Thus high have your corruptions heightned been In these sad times while GODS afflicting hand Lies heavie on you and with sword and fire Pursues through ev'rie Corner of the Land And reall Penitencie doth require In stead thereof the People now begins To grow more daring and to practise crimes Beside the old or Epidemick sins Which were unheard of here in former times Blasphemous Heresie among you growes Like Sprouts at Spring-tide from a new lopt tree And so detestable are some of those That pious men afraid to name them be Lest they who love the sinfulnesse of Sin Should thereby let such mischiefes further in Death was the punishment which for this crime Was judged by the Law of Moses due And well it would become you at this time That Law among these Nations to renue And if you should observe how little sense Of Perjurie men seeme to have of late And what bold use is made of that Offence To serve the will of Malice and of hate Or with what ease Oppressours thereby may And sometimes do not only ruinate And honest Fame but also take away As well their pretious lives as an estate From Innocents Death would not seem a Law Too strict to keep those Wicked ones in awe The Land through Oathes and Curses also mournes For some have learn'd new oathes and imprecations Not heard of heretofore and GOD returnes On their owne heads their wished-for Damnations In Cursings they delighted and they soke Like Oyle into their bones They took a pride In wishing Plagues and lo as with a cloke Therewith now wrapt they are on ev'rie side You lov'd not Blessings but when you enjoy'd Peace plentie health and safetie you despis'd Those Mercies and behold they are destroy'd That they hereafter may be better priz'd You long have partners been in ev'rie sin And now each others Hang-men you have bin When ev'rie neighb'ring house is in a flame You store your owne as if no danger were In Honestie 's and in Religion's name You credit get and publike Robbers are To lye and to be perjur'd for the Cause Of GOD your King or Countrey is a gin To catch Opixion whereby most he drawes That is most bold and impudent therein By some pretence to benefit the State Religion to promote or aid the King You colour your oppressions slander cheat And put in practice almost any thing You by a shew the Gen'rall to preserve Particulars unmercifully starve You wrong the meaning of your Parliament When their estates you seize who are their Foes To their undoing who are innocent And blamelesse though the Creditors of those And were it our Designment to accuse Particulars as to informe and warne In gen'rall termes that they who yet abuse Their power more humanitie might learn
We could have instanced in many things Discov'ring that their number is not few Whose Crueltie Reproach and Curses brings On those Proceedings which they did pursue With Prudence and with Mercie should relieve The Publike more and private men lesse grieve One part of you contributes to the King The other Partie to the Parliament To these you personall assistance bring To these you liberally your goods have lent Yet most of you who thus ingaged are Are both to King and Parliament untrue For many signes your faithlesnesse declare And many things your giddinesse doth shew You are most firme to that which you conceive Your private weal or safety best promotes While that is doubtfull you Demurs can weave When that is plaine you quickly turne your Coats And to that end you craftily provide Quaint shifts to serve your turnes on either side Some by Intelligence themselves indear Or by some service acted under-hand By secret Favours Friends you can prepare Who in the Gap for you at need shall stand Some have a Son a Father or a Brother Who Ledger with your Adverse-party lies To make good Terms of Peace for one another According as Occasions may arise And to advance this Project they who spend Their Blood and Fortunes with a single heart Indeavouring truly for the noblest end Engaged are to act a desp'rate part Which into present mischiefs them doth cast And into feares of greater at the last You have not Faith enough in GOD to trust Though wonder-working Faith you do pretend And that hath tempted you to things unjust That makes you on your arme of flesh depend That makes you bold when you should rather feare And fearfull grow when you should bolder be That makes your Foe so vigilant appeare And you so many things to over-see That makes you for your Ayd poor tricks devise And take that Course which Scandall on you draws That makes you think that false Reports and Lies Are meritorious in an Honest-Cause And by these fallings you your peace delay And justifie your foes in their lewd way They who abhorre Pluralities in other And in your Clergie hate non-residence Can Office unto Office joyn together And in themselves suppose it no offence Some can heap up Command upon Command Share or take all the honour and the pay When but for cyphers nay for lesse they stand And other mens true value take away Some when the Publike was in great distresse Though they Commanded few had pay for many Yea some of you who better minds professe Were paid for souldiers when you had not any And some have took who yet for payment call In Plunder and Free-quarter more then all Of Orphans cries and of the Widdowes tears Whose Fathers and whose Husbands for your sake Have spent their lives and fortunes in these wars More heed more care more pitie you must take When at your doores and at your feet they lie To crave a part of that which is their own To feed them in their great necessity More Bowells of Compassion must be showne And they who to contribute have not spar'd Paines Councells Prayers Persons nor Estates In publike duties must finde more regard Before the furie of this Plague abates For who can hope the GOD of Righteousnesse Will shew forth mercie to the mercilesse They who in Peace the blood of War have shed As Ioab did or have expos'd their friends And faithfull souldiers to be murthered To hide their Plots or to effect their Ends Must not be winked at nor they who dare So partiall in their judgements to become As to inflict on those that equalls are In their transgressions an unequall-doome For of this partiall dealing there is found A murmur in your streets and Common-fame Reports injustice so much to abound That he speedes best who merits greatest blame And that for sin when Accessaries bleed The Principalls find favour and are freed Your Beasts of prey who live upon the spoile And by the publike ruines fat are growne Must either quite be chased from this Isle Or from their dens be rouz'd and hunted down Your Ambodexters who are neither true To GOD nor Man to King nor Parliament Must learn a better temp'rature to shew And of their fraud and ficklenesse repent Those Rotten-Members those false Officers And those Committee-men who have deceiv'd The Kingdomes Trust must for that guilt of theirs Passe other doomes then yet they have receiv'd Before those wrongs and practices do cease Which keep away your much desired Peace They who have almost perfected the times For desolation by habituating Themselves in Sodom's and Gomorrah's crimes And by an impudently imitating Of their impenitence ev'n they that had The pride of life sacietie of bread And liv'd in idlenesse must now be made To taft their suffrings who are hunger-fed To feele the paines of their laborious life Who sweat in good employments and the scorne Which humble-men have long without reliefe By their oppression and ambition borne These must be humbled and perhaps destroy'd Before your expectations are enjoy'd Your counterfeit and rash Reformers too Must change their hearts and regulate their zeale Ere you shall compasse what you hope to do In matters of the Church or Common-weale Your Scribes and Pharisees who by long prayer Devour poore Widdowes houses and by shewes Of honestie and by pretending faire To pietie good meaning soules abuse They who in tithing mint and annise are More strict then in the weightie points of Law And burthens great for other men prepare When they themselves will hardly lift a straw These must e're perfect Peace you here shall see Be more unvizarded then yet they be Your pettie-Tyrants must be likewise fewer Then now they are e're GOD will condescend To ease your burthens or your griefes to care Or bring your dis-agreements to an end For how in equitie can you expect Your GOD should free you from those injuries That Sov'raignty-abused may inflict Whilst you on one another tyrannize Or how can possibly true Peace be there Where well nigh all are Tyrants to their power And as they get advantage domineer Insult oppresse impov'rish and devoure For this oppression you may plainly see In some of everie Calling and Degree Nigh ev'rie one the King exemplifies In usurpation of Prorogatives Above his due Nay that which he denies Vnto his Prince injuriously he strives To take unto himselfe The Peer upon The Commoner usurps The Husband so Vpon the Wife The Father on the Son And on their Servants thus the Master do In everie Corporation thus presume The Governours yea thus the Magistrate Of lowest ranke doth on himselfe assume What in his Chiefe he will not tolerate And they who their own Freedoms fain would save Are alwaies willing others to inslave These and such Scabs and Tetters must be sear'd E're they will heal And you must cut away Those Members whereon Gangrieves have appear'd Which els this Kingdoms body will destroy For multitudes of those among you
behalfe they have subscribed hands Thereby deluding wilfully the State He had our soulderie at his commands To execute his pleasure and their hate And hath so far prevailed that unlesse The mercie of the State vouchsafe with speed The suffrings of her servant to redresse And him and his oppressors better heed For ought he sees his Countrey he may serve With faithfulnesse and yet his houshold starve Why should my person from that place be driven In which I best know how to serve the State Of what to me by publike grace was given Why should I be depriv'd by private hate What knew they in him whom they more befriended But that he was this Realmes professed foe Or why to do me wrong have they contended Except because I never will be so They who were wont to gloze and fawne upon me When I was arm'd among them and while they To their Designes were hopefull to have won me Now snuffe and turn their nose another way And think that they themselves now quite have freed From him who mark'd and hindred their proceed For that Confed'racie within those parts Where then I liv'd and maugre whose intent I there commanded having rotten hearts Vnfaithfull alwaies to the Parliament Perceiving me unlikelie to be made Their Instrument and that my presence there With such repute and power as I then had Might marre their works which they contriving were They so prevail'd that from my Garrison I was removed if thence not betray'd For many things suceeded thereupon Which made me think that so it may be said And all our neigh'bring Countrie ever since Hath dearly paid for my removing thence When I was gone a part of those arose Encourag'd by some other underhand And my estate as chiefest of their foes First seiz'd and then the place of my Command In which forth-breaking some went on so far That ever since they open foes have been Some went as far as fooles and cowards dare And then slunck back in hope they were not seen But some of them so cunningly did act That though they are as guilty as the rest By circumstances yet by open fact Their falshood is not perfectly exprest And these by cunning such effects have wrought That knaves and fooles our faithfull men are thought These have a way invented how to arme The dangeroust Malignants of the Shire And make men hope their Foes will do no harme Till sheathed in their Chest their swords appeare These have a trick to make their neighbours dreame A double Taxe increaseth not their cost And that though their designes have begger'd them Their wit alone sav'd all from being lost These have so laid their Scoene and acted so That though we daily heare and plainly see What course they bend and what they mean to do When all things to their purpose rip'ned be We strive in vain their projects to prevent And gaine but mischieves for our good intent Nay this new Junto doth so strong become By their conferring Offices and Places By adding-to and by removing-from By secret-commendations and disgraces And by deluding of a simple crew Who by these Polititians may be brought Their own perdition fiercely to pursue That they have almost compast what they sought And they will gain the rest if not prevented For by their diligence they have removed Vndone discouraged or discontendted Most men whose faithfulnesse was most approved And they whose power these cannot yet destroy Do act with small successe and little joy Had I conceiv'd that now it would have been As needfull as I find it to collect Such proofes of that which I have heard and seen To prove their faithlesnesse whom I suspect Or know unfaithfull that I might have made Such proofes to others as I have whereby To prove it to my selfe I should have had Enough to make me able to unty That knot of Vipers which now to unknit Is not so easie But my aime hath bin To mend particulars and bend my wit In generalls alone to strike at sin And that hath rendred now my power the lesse The mischiefs of this Faction to suppresse These having long and many severall wayes To root me from among them tride their wit And failed heretofore in their assayes At last thus hapned to accomplish it Within that Village where my Spoilers made A prey of that estate which I possest A Captain of the Kings a Chattle had With which the Parliament did me invest He is that person who protected was As I have here exprest had they a thought By countenancing him to bring to passe Their purpose and have gained what they sought For I who serv'd my Countrie thence am chas'd And he that spoild it in my room is plac'd I grudge not mercie when it should be showne Nor is my heart so churlishly inclin'd As not to spare a portion of mine owne Where Objects fit for mercy I shall find But when I see my selfe ungently us'd Those favour'd who my life would have betray'd Authoritie deluded and abus'd And plots to ruine and disgrace me laid I cannot think it Patience to be mute In such a case or that with charitie Or with a manly prudence it can suit To passe at all times such abuses by Or that we may not justly on our foes Repaire what in this lawfull war we lose Why should it grudged be that by the Sword We by the Sword our losses repossesse Why should our Partie to their friends afford Lesse favour then to those that merit lesse So well deserving wherefore should he seem Who put the State to hazzard and to cost That all his great estate he should redeem For lesse then at one skirmish I have lost Of those reliefes why should I be defeated Which do by right and grace to me belong Thereof why should I be dispoil'd and cheated Both to the States dishonour and my wrong And wherfore should I not expect and have A confirmation of what once they gave For who will in our Senators confide Or prize their Orders which are made by them If they permit them to be vilifi'd And their Ioynt-Votes loose Members to contemne To say they heeded not what things they granted So prudent an Assembly mis-became To say they power to make it good have wanted Would wrong their power and bring us all to shame And to affirme that they regardlesse are To vindicate their grant for his relief Who to advantage them his life could spare Were to averre what merits no belief How comes it then that I dispights have born And that their favours now from me are torn Why hath it openlie by some been spoke Ere question put or anie vote made known That there is an intention to revoke What by the Commons was on me bestown How dared he who rather should uphold The Commons lawfull Right in what he may How dared he assoon as it was told By whom I claim'd in sleighting wise to say T was but the Commons Order as if that Were not
without limitation they are feee To do what may by Parliaments be done And that is ev'rie reasonable thing Which to their weale and safety may belong And their abilitie to passe may bring If to Divinity it be no wrong And whosoe're in these extremities Perswade that they should take upon them lesse Vnto the publike peace are enemies Yea they deferre or marre your happinesse By weakning of their hands who are your friends And strengthening his who now your spoile intends Let them not therefore act as if they had But halfe a power or seemed to be lame Or as if they a Parliament were made To be no more but only so in name With prudent conscience and with confidence Let them proceed in what they undertake And in what e're pertaines to their defence On just resolves let them no haltings make Through want of presidents For power they have To make new presidents as well as they Who liv'd before them And if they will save Their Countrie and themselves this is the way Since in an extarordinarie Cause True Reason binds as firmly as the Lawes And though it greatly grieve you as it ought Yet suffer not the absence of the King To foole you with so frivolous a thought As that a diminution it may bring To their authority For wheresoe're He bideth when his Parliament shall sit The Kingship vertually is alwaies there And cannot possibly divide from it The Person of a King may ramble forth As his own fancie hurries him about Or do things derogating from his worth Or die or from the Kingdome be cast out And yet the Kingdome and the Kingship too Continue still as they were wont to do The life of Bodies-naturall indeed Departs out of them when their head is gone And thereunto no other can succeed To make it live or not a headlesse-one So 't is not in this Bodie-politike The vitalls of it in the body lie Not in that head-ship and though it be sick When that falls from it yet it doth not die A King is but a substituted-head Made for conveniencie And if thereby The bodie seem to be indangered If Power it hath it hath Authoritie To take one off and set another on Aswell as at the first to make it one And when that Body shall be represented As this hath been according to the Law Or shall be by necessity convented Therein resides that Soveraignty that Awe And Rule whereto the Lawes of GOD and nature Injoyne obedience and not in that thing Corrupted which was but that Creatures creature And which to serve it was first made a King When therefore GOD injoynes you to obey And honour Kings these duties are not meant To those who from their Kingships run away But rather to th'essentiall Government Of whatsoever kind by Law ordain'd Or by a strong necessity constrain'd For were it otherwise the pride and lust Of an injurious Arbitrary power Would all men out of their possessions thrust And all the freedomes of mankind devoure Let therefore neither fear nor flattery Prescription or vaine custome make you cleave Vnto an accidentall Majesty And that which is substantiall quite to leave At this time chieflie take a speciall care As of what verie much conduceth to Your Peace and Safety that as now things are Your just advantages you let not goe Lest by a faint and conwardly endeavour You loose your freedoms and be slaves for ever And yet take heed that zeal to Innovations Nor private fears nor hopes incline your minde To subjugate these Kingdoms or these Nations To Governments of anie other kind But rather use your utmost diligence To rectifie those things which are amisse In that which is establish'd and from thence Cast out or purge whatever therein is Repugnant to those Charters which by grace Or nature were confer'd And let your care Be so to settle it that place you make The Throne of CHRIST among you up to reare Lest when his Kingdome comes you els be fain To pull your new-devices down again Take likewise heed that you no meanes neglect Whereby the King may be reclaim'd and won GODS honour with your safetie to respect And do the duties he hath left undone For by rejecting him how just soe're The Causes be you shall delay the peace Which is desir'd And make your quarrell here With much more difficultie to decrease But if your industrie shall win him home And he return sincerely to his charge It shall a blessing to these Islâ—s become Your honour and your joy it shall inlarge And as CHRISTS Vice-Roy he shall sit upon A righteous and an everlasting Throne Walk therefore prudently in this straight path And turn not to the left hand or the right That pow'r which GOD to you committed hath Improve for him according to your might Him in the reasonable-meanes attend With Faith and Patience that he may at last Your King new-moulded back unto you send Your King new-moulded back unto you send Or him out of his ruin'd Kingdome cast If possibly he can his course repent GOD will restore him yet If you amend Then all these Troubles and this grievous Rent Shall in true Peace and sweet agreements end If both conforme Both shall true Peace enjoy If both be wilfull GOD shall both destroy But heark my Scribe I heare a dreadfull crie Of wounded men and therewith as it were The shouts of those that have a Victorie Of much concernment Therefore go and heare What now is done For somewhat hath been wrought From whence if well it shall improved be Enlargements of those meanes will forth be brought Which may effect what thou desir'st to see As soone as thou hast Information had Of what is rumoured and duly weigh'd What profitable uses may be made Of that which either hath been done or said Retire thou hither and give eare again To that which to your Peace doth appertaine The fourth Canto The Contents While here our Authour doth recite His Musings after Naesby fight The VOICE returnes and doth begin To shew us what must usher in Exiled Peace Then told are we How kept our Vowes and Covenants be How we reforme and fast and pray What Thankfulnesse we do repay What must in generall be done What by each Jndividuall-One What course both King and State must take E're they their Peace with God shall make What he expects from ev'rie Nation From ev'rie Towne and Corporation And ev'rie House in some degree Before our Peace renew'd will bee WHen from attention to that Silent-tongue heard Which without words reveales what you have I came abroad the Streets and Temples rung Of Victories and Signalls there appear'd Not only of a valiant Resolution In those that conquer'd but of some divine Disposure of them too for execution Of that which GOD himselfe did fore-designe The scornfull Adversaries rushed on To Policie and Strength themselves commending The LORD of Hosts our Friends reli'd upon With Prayers fighting and with Faith defending And lo GOD
calling understand And lay their many failings more to heart For most have liv'd as if to idlenesse And to debaucherie they had been borne And large estates for nothing did possesse But for supplies of lust to serve their turn A die a cocke a hound hawke horse or whore Were chiefest objects of their contemplation Their sinnes alone are though you had no more Enough to bring a Land to desolation And they have been chiefe cause and instruments Of all these Plagues for which this Realme laments But much will want of perfecting a peace Vntill your Men of Law perswaded be To mourn apart For they will re-increase Your quarrells else assoon as you agree By their formalities and slow proceeding Your remedie for injuries is made A mischiefe the disease oft times exceeding And if some eye unto them be not had So many places in your Parliament They will supply and fill so many Chaires In your Committees that much derriment Vnto the Subject and some close impaires Of publike freedomes e're you be aware Which slip upon you if you have not care They have already made the common way Of Trialls very greatly to inlarge Your troubles by impertinent delay And circumstances to the suiters charge So strong a party they have alwaies had That your Great-Charter which doth interdict Delay of Justice was in that point made E're since the grant a Law without effect But when their Courts and practises have reach'd Oppressions height They as the Clergie were Shall downe into another Orb be fetch'd And taught to keep a constant motion there This Work upon some Courts hath been begun Another time it shall be fully done Let ev'rie Oiconomick-Government And ev'rie single person through the Nation In ev'rie Family apart lament And take his wayes into examination For all Estates and Common-weals that be Consist of these And whensoe're you shall Those Pettie-Governments reformed see You then are in the way of mending all If ev'rie Houshold-Prince and Officer Within his Jurisdiction would but please To make compleat a Reformation there The Work-desired should be done with ease Let each one therefore take the same in hand In all relations wherein he may stand Let ev'rie Master prudently direct And ev'rie Servant faithfully obey Let ev'rie Husband husband-like affect And ev'rie Wife a wife-like love repay Let Parents parent-like their hearts enlarge Their filiall duties let the Children do Let singly all of these their parts discharge Both to the Family and Strangers too Yea let each person individually Now take himselfe apart and all alone His heart examine what Impietie By him hath been occasioned or done Whereby your Peace was broke and then assay To help renew it by what means he may But chiefly let the Royall-Family Admit this Discipline that others may Receive encouragement and light thereby To find a Penitentiarie-way Oh I let the King if ever he expect To see the Citie of his Throne in peace Go mourne apaâ—â— and let his thoughts reflect Vpon his folly and unrighteousnesse Let him like David and not Ahab-like Take meekly those reproofs that GOD shall send And let them on his heart so kindly strike That he enraged grow not but amend With that great Patterne of true Penitence When he like sheep beholds his people slaine Let him not look too much on their offence But rather let him of his own complaine That they may do the like and GOD perceiving True penitence quit both by free forgiving Let not the Jezabel of Rome delude him With her black witch-crafts and her fornications The cup of her delusions if in vaine His warnings prove the deepest he shall sink Into that Lake whence none can rise againe Because he hath not only had a sight Beyond them all of her seducing waies But also hath acknowledged that Light And wilfully himselfe to her betraies Yea and to make his sin and shame the more Betraies the bloud of others to the Whore Yet that he may have all the meanes to fetch him Back from perdition if he be not gone So far by wilfulnesse that none can reach him Let him be personally call'd upon To look unto his waies And since you know His Flatterers present him their false glasse Himselfe thereby unto himself to show And make him seeme the man he never was Help thou to undeceive him lest he may With his three earthly Kingdomes now halfe lost Fool desp'rately a heav'nly Crown away And think he shall redeem it at the cost Of trimming up the Western end of PAVLS By Fines extracted from afflicted Soules First bid him call to mind with mourning for them The sins which did his Fathers-house pollute And in his heart so seriously abhor them That it may bring forth penitentiall fruit The bloud of War that hath in Peace been shed The manifold uncleannesses therein The superstitions thereby cherished Offences known and those that hid have bin The prosecution of the royall-bloud In Arabella guilty of no crime Except it were offensive to be good And to have had her being in his time The matchlesse prophanation of a Day For Gowries death his many great oppressions The fooling of the Kingdomes wealth away And Subjects lives by cheating Expeditions With whatsoe're offences of this kind He shall upon a strict enquirie find Wish him with like affections to recall The slips of his own Reigne and of his life The mischiefs which to Him and you befall In hunting for a superstitious Wife His making of Nobility a scorne By dignifying men of base-condition By choosing Counsellours to serve his turne In setling things unworthy his fruition By suffring of his royall Proclamations To be abused to injurious ends By making showes of verball Reformations For publike good when rapine he intends By faining fears when cause of feare none give him And by protesting untill few believe him Let Him consider that all those for whom Against two Kingdome he in Armes appears And whose Protector He is now become Are men whom nothing but their sin endears Let Him consider what a sea of bloud In his three Kingdomes hath of late been spilt For those who share among them all his good And make him culpable of all their guilt Let him consider that what now he strives And fights for is but power to be undone Or that he may by his Prerogatives Without controule unto the Devill run For unto him that power or that supply Which may be for his good none shall deny Let him remember what the German-horse Should have been sent for Let him call to minde Distressed Rochel And that which will worse Afflict him when his feeling he shall finde Poore gasping Ireland whose wide-gaping wound Calls out for vengeance and his honour taints With deep-di'd staines His flat'rers feigne a sound From Straffords bloud and other such black-Saints But that Illusion will not keep him long From hearing Ireland For two Kingdomes more Have sent in bloud to make a triple-Song Which will so dreadfully so