Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
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A41738
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The Gracious answer of the most illustrious lady of pleasure, the Countess of Castlem---- to the poor-whores petition
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1668
(1668)
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Wing G1472; ESTC R40918
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3,294
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1
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The Gracious ANSWER of the most Illustrious Lady of Pleasure the Countess of Castlem To the Poor-Whores Petition Right Trusty and Well-beloved Madam Cresswell and Damaris Page with the rest of the suffering Sister-hood in Dog and Bitch Yard Lukeners Lane Saffron Hill Moor-fields Ratcliff-Highway c. We greet you well in giving you to understand our Noble Mind by returning our Thanks which you are worthy of in rendring us our Titles of Honour which are but our Due For on Shrove-Tuesday last Splendidly did we appear upon the Theatre at W. H. being to amazement wonderfully deck'd with Jewels and Diamonds which the abhorred and to-be-undone Subjects of this Kingdom have payed for We have been also Serene and Illustrious ever since the Day that Mars was so instrumental to restore our Goddess Venus to her Temple and Worship where by special Grant we quickly became a Famous Lady And as a Reward of our Devotion soon created Right Honorouble the Countess of Castlemain And as a further addition to our Illustrious Serenity according to the ancient Rules and laudable Customs of our Order we have cum privilegio alwayes without our Husband satistied our self with the Delights of Venus and in our Husbands absence have had a numerous Off-spring who are Bountifully and Nobly provided for Which Practice hath Episcopal Allowance also according to the Principles of Seer Shelden c. If Women have not Children by their own Husbands they are bound to prevent their Damnation to try by using the means with other men Which wholesome and pleasing Doctrine did for sometime hold me fast to his Religion But since this Seer hath shewn more Cowardize than Principles or Policy in fearing to declare the Church of Rome to be the True Ancient Uniform Universsal and most Holy Mother Church Therefore we tell you with all the Sisterhood That we are now no longer of the Church of England which is but like a Brazen-Bason tied to a Barbers wooden Pole viz. Protestant Doctrine and Order tied by Parliamentary Power to Roman Catholick Foundations Constitutions and Rights c. And are become a Convert to and a professed Member of the Church of Rome where the worthy Fathers and Confessors as Durandus Gentianus with multitudes of others who were not neither are of the Protestant Puritanical and Fanatical Conventicling Opinion do declare That Venerial Pleasures accompanied with Loosness â—â—â—â—uchery and Prophaneness are not such heynous Crimes and crying Sins but rather as the old Woman of Loven said they do mortifie the Flesh And the general Opinion of Holy Mother Church is That Venerial Pleasures in the strictest sence are but Venial Sins which Confessors of the meanest Order can forgive So that the Adoring of Venus is by the Allowance of Great Authority Desirable Honourable and Profitable But when we understood in your Address the Barbarity of those Rude Apprentices and the cruel Sufferings that the Sisterhood was exposed unto especially those which were in a hopeful way of Recovery and others that were disabled from giving Accommodation to their Right Honourable Devotaries with the danger which you convinced us our own Person was in together with the remembrance of our two New Corivals with Little Miss We were for many hours swallowed up with sorrow and almost drownd in Tears and could not at all be comforted until the sweet sound of the Report came to our Ears That the L. C. J. K. and his Brethren with our Counsel learned in the Law had Commission and Instruction given to frame a Bill of Indictment against those Trayterous and Rebellious Boys And to select a Jury of Gentlemen that should show them no favour At which our Noble Spirit revived and presently we consulted how we might express our Grace and Compassion towards you and also seasonably provide for the future safety of your Practice and exercise our Revenge upon those that so grosly abused you and therein offered such an insufferable Affront to our Eminency that we cannot bear without great Indignation Imprimis We engage to contribute to your Losses either out of the Annual Rents which we have begged 〈◊〉 out of the next Moneys which shall come to our hands by our own Practice or as soon as our standing Revenue shall be established For should we part with a hundred thousand pounds worth of our Jewels since so much English Money hath cross'd the Narrow Seas we fear that our Goldsmiths will not be able to raise it upon them Item For your Safety we do conjure all French Irissh and English Hectors to be a Guard to the whole Sisterhood and to take up their Quarters with them for their better security and if they want Money for their subsistance let them put on Courage and take it up on the High-ways and if any of them should be taken in the Fact we shall upon our Honour procure them Pardons Or else let them cheat and cozen and they shall have Protections Item For your Honour doubt not of having what countenance Authority of holy Mother Church can give you And for the increase of our Practice the Master of our Revels shall give License for the setting up as many Play-houses as his Holiness the Pope hath Holidays in his Kalendar that the Civil Youth of the City may be Debauched and trained up in Loosness and Ignorance whereby the Roman Religion may with ease be established in Court Church City and Nation the most effectual means for the accomplishment of our Designs Item We have taken special care that our Sisterhood and the whole Corporation may be restored by Charter to all their former Liberties Priviledges and Immunities whatsoever Item That Sir Berkenhead and Sir Charlton two worthy Patriots together with Sr. W. M. lately become zealously tender of our Honour be appointed to bring in a Bill upon Wednesday next for a full Toleration of all Bawdy-houses Play-houses Whore-houses c. that all the Adorers of Venus may come to their Worship without Molestation And that this Previso may be inserted That all Preaching Printing Private Meetings Conventicles c. may be forthwith suppressed except those that are Connived at as Members of Holy Mother Church Item We have appointed the Right Reverend Seer of Canterbury with other Reverend Seers viz. the B. of Rochester the B. of Gloucester and Dean Hardy the E. of Loutherdale Mr. Brounkerd and Bab May or any three of them to be a close Committee to consult the Grievances of the Sisterhood and to remove all things that may hinder their happy Restauration with all Freedom Safety and Honour Item That all Members of Parliament of our Religion during this Session and no longer may use their Priviledge in sending for such of our Sisterhood to their Chambers as they have a Mind to upon their own terms considering they have so Freely and Unanimously Voted Taxes till their Own Revenues will not maintain them That the Ingenuity and Gentility of the Sisterhood may appear to all the World That we are better bred than to slight those that have so Nobly provided for us Item We charge that none of the Sisterhood take any more Cirsingles or Cassocks to pawn of any Churchmen either Romish or English when they reel into their Quarters because they turn not to Accompt Item That if any Alderman will Eat Flesh in Lent or deal in Prohibited Commodities Our pleasure is That they pay and be paid soundly for it least they build London-again contrary to the intent of those that burnt it Only let Sir T.B. That would Piss out the Fire and Lieut. Col. Rouswell with their Brethren that took care That the Fire should not be quenched and also withstood the Common Council in sending their Petition to the Parliament when such full and pregnant proof was made that the City was burnt by the Good Roman Catholicks have all the Courtesie Immaginable But above all We desire them to be kind to those who have to this day out of their good affection to the Roman Interest prevented by several Artifices the putting of the aforesaid Petition into the Hands of Sir Thomas Allen that Fanatick Zelot who was appointed by the Court of Common-Council to deliver it to the Parliament who now to our great Joy will be Prorogued before they can do any thing in it Neither let those Worthies be forgotten who in despite of the Importunities of several busie Citizens have till now hindred the preparing of a most necessary Additional Bill for the Rebuilding of London Which Work it is hoped will now cease there being no time before the end of this Session to carry that Bill through all the Formalities of Parliament Items That the same Kindness be shewed to all Officers both Civil and Millitary that came to the Relief of the Sisterhood in the time of their necessity And let those Papists which are now drawing from all parts of England and Wales to this Place be acquainted with the Habitations of the Sisterhood and delight themselves together and consult the weighty Affairs now in hands But for our Adversaries with the Rebellious Citizens Let them look to it when the French are ready who as yet drop in by small Parties and lie incognito with the rest of the Catholicks we shall deal with them as we did with their Brethren in Ireland Item To any other then â—ere directed give no Entertainment without Ready Money lest you suffer Loss For had we not been careful in that particular we had neither gained Honour nor Rewards which are now as you know both conferred upon Us. Given at our Closset in Kingstreet Westminster Die Veneris April 24 1668 CASTLEM