O Yes, O Yes, If any one can give me notice of four great Ships laden with Money, lately at Gravesend, to be passed without Search, by Ordinance of Parliament, and can helpe to take them, he shall be well paid for his paines, and have many thankes.

O yes, O yes, If there be any more Fools or Knaves will go soul and body to the Divil for an heretical, persidious piece of a Par­liament, Incendiaries, Boutiseu's, Faus of Faction and Sedi­tion, with brazen Faces and feared Consciences, having nothing but Perjury & Lyes in their Mouths, Falshoods, Treasons, & Mis­religions in their hearts, dayly Murders, Roberies and Oppressi­ons in their Actions; Let them repair to the red-nos'd Rebell, Thieftenant Oliver, or his blacke General Tom.

Who helpes to disthrone the King, to change Monarchichal Government, to subvert the Protestant Religion, and Lawes of our Land, to cry down Presbytery, and Crown, the Kinglings, the Bussones, the Mountebanks of Westminster.

Who saves the lordly Lurdanes (after seven yeares misrule, un­doing of the Kingdom, imprisonng and abusing of the King, and suffering Haman to strike him) from taking leave of their Allies at Tower-hill and Tyburne?

O yes, who sacrifices the City and Countrey another seven yeares to their insatiable avarice?

Who helps them to pill and poll them by their ravenous Im­plements (the Committees and their Substitutes) for more Mo­ney to send beyond Sea?

O yes, Who buyes Bishops, Malignants Lands? Who buyes Pauls Steeple? Who buyes the Kings cast shooes and boots? Who buyes his Guards Coats? Who buyes Sun and Moon?

O yes, Who sends them thankes for their Ordinance for forc­ing taxations for their four last Bills and Declaration against the King.

Who beats the Boyes from Catsapellet and Stool ball? Who sights with Poyer, with the Lord Iuchrquin, with Colonel Iones of Dublin, and our Brethren of Scotland? Who? and they shall have new Snap-sacks in hand, blew Bonnets, and Capon tailes, when the Scotch and Welch be conquared, Promises enough for present, and as much Pay at last as those that have been turned off with nothing.

In the beginning of this Hell-spew'd Sessions, we had as large Promises of happy Accrewments unto this Church and Nation as subtle Treason could in slie and specious Language possibly suggest. We had them usher'd in with a Protestation in the first place; in which our Religion, our Lawes, our Kings Honour, his Parliaments Priviledges, our own Liberties and Pro­perties were the common Theames. We had them waited upon with an Oath after the a Covenant, which neverthelesse were only to be as the passages at which Jephthaes Souldiers tried the lisping Ephramites in their Sibboleth, witnesses your Answer of the 26^th of May, 1646. unto our City Remonstrance in the latter end of p. 2.

We had many Pamphlets commended dayly unto us, The inte­grity of a Parliament, how that it could have no sinister end, as if a Multitude could be void of Knaves to contrive, and of Fooles to concurre in Mischief. Many Plots were discovered dayly against our Religion and our Lawes, in which ye Machiavils of West­minster, ye Malevolo's might have claimed the chiefest Livery, as Beelzebubs nearest Attendants in that kinde: but they must be fathered still upon our old Iusticers, (and indeed they can do lit­tle, that cannot bely an Enemy, ye thought it best to cry Whore first) that in them you might be little and little undermine our King and Vs,; and sacrifice our Religion, our Lawes, our goods, our Lives and Liberties, yea, our very Soules too (for ye have silencenced almost all our able Guides, and daily burne their Escripts) unto your own boundlesse Lusts, Ambition, Pride, Covetousnesse, and Pleasure. These were the Originals, the Springs of your after-acted Villanies; not that candor and zeal so often dissembled in your glossie Declarations. It is now suffici­ently manifest by your Actions, the truest Interpreters of mens intentions. How would you have us thinke you really intend as you pretended, when the courses you run conduce to the very contrary ends. Whilest the King and his Faithfuls retained their Places of Dominion, we enjoyed such golden Dayes of Peace [Page 3]and plenty as we must never see againe so long as you Harpyes you sucking purse beeches and your implements be our Masters:

Were we not enough damnified with your souldiers during the time of the warre, but you must still burden us with them now 'tis ended? Did not Taxations then light heavie enough upon us, but you must continue them still? How could you con­sume more then twenty millions of money upon such slender ar­mies in so few yeares? The Souldiers have had little else save bread and cheese, which have come from the Countrey over and above those vast summes: ôh your Coffers be not yet full enough; Some of your munkey brats be not yet provided for; but hye you hence 'tis best you Irchins, you Caterpillers of our Com­mon-wealth, to New-England and the Spaw, after our gold you have sent away, lost on a sudden we send you to Styx with­out a penny in your mouthes to pay your passage to your God Pluto: Our brethren of Scotland, and the Lord Inchequeen will finde you more worke then the boyes in Moore-fields and Strand: Your goodly glozings and rabble-serving Collusions have been but like water-men upon Thames, looking one way and rowing another; and now you see your holy Cause will not succeed by opposition, you come up, and would cloze (since Money will not work upon our brethren of Scotland) with our City in the Presbyterian Government, in the restitution of the Militia and Tower; but for the Protestant Religion, and our old Rubricke, you still wave them.

I pray you let me aske your honesties a question? Could Say and his Confederates have their nocturnall meetings so frequent­ly, and not have some treasonable Designes, which the rest of the Houses and our selves might not be privie to: We may see now the reason of your Bill, to sit as long as you listed; we trust­ed (such rare men were you in leading our faith and belief so in a string) the ground thereof had been the redressing of the ma­ny grievances of the Kingdome, and transaction of the Irish af­faires as was pretended; but it proves otherwise; That, which (had you been honest) would have made this Nation the happiest under Heaven, you have made the bane and ruine of all good people: You have demeaned your selves meet, as an aged Gen­tleman said of you, when he heard the King had signed you that Bill; You would (said he) grow so ambitious that you would set all the Kingdom on fire; and when once you had got Your fingers [Page 4]into its purse, you would become so insatiately covetous, that you would never seek the settlement of peace; whether this man guessed aright or no, let any who hath his five Senses judge.

We likewise call to minde your other Bill for his Majesties referring the choyce of his Privie-Counsell unto you (colour'd by your out-cries against those his old faithfulls) and your disho­nest proceedings against them; your framing scandalous Petiti­ons amongst your selves, and sending them abroad for hands; a notable way to worke upon exasperated minds, and to exaspe­rate mindes to work upon against them; but a way which may destroy any innocent man: While the Shepherd had his dogs, you Wolves could not raven his flocks; but since you supplant­ed them, what prank you and your Creatures, your Substitutes have playde, we have seen and felt; and you or they, or all of you, may one day answer for; We may say now, as no King­dome or State ever yet could, scarce one honest man in Office amongst us; but no marvaile: We know the Proverb, like Ma­sters like men.

Oh but we wrong you, you are speciall Patriotes: 'tis you, Presbyterians may be no further trusted; you be the honesties, there is no nay: and take it as granted, though nothing more questioned or so questionable: We thought your exclusion of Bishops out of the upper House, and bedaubing them with the goodly habiliments of Arminiannme and Popery, had been for some other end than that for which you expulsed the eleven Members; to paucifie the number of those you conceived would countervote you, that you might easilyer doe what you lusted, and lead the left shallowlings volens volens in the trace of dark­nesse; and that you might unquestioned adhinnire after fresh Maiden-heads and neighbours beds; Ill courses cannot endure good Discipline; for this very cause, had the Prophets and Fa­thers of old, Nay, our blessed Saviour and his Apostles, lived here in England in these dayes, they had certainly been made new Papists by this Quintescence of villany this wicked piece of a Parliament and their hellish helpers: We thought your Votes against pluralities had been for promotion of the Gospel, not di­vision of the Clergy; and to make the wiseakers, the looke like geese, the naughty part of them (that will be any thing for pre­ferment, omnium horarnm homines) for you: neither did wee till now of late imagine your possessing your selves of his Maje­sties [Page 5]Shipping and [...]y [...] Ports (so finely shadowed with the remembrance of the late spoiled Spanish Fleet, and your Disres of the Kingdomes safety) had been the Prologue to this tren­cherous Tragedy you have since acted; much lesse our selves should be the last Scene thereof: yet herein wo must needs ac­knowledge Heaven just in our punishment: for it was we Pres­byterians that enabled you to your impious illegal courses of slaughter, Plunder and Sequestration (contrary to the known Lawes of this Land, your selves know it very well) against the King and his Survants: who (I am now perswaded in my con­science) being farther discerhing than our selves, aimed at nothing but bringing you to the trial of the Law for your Treasons, that we might enjoy the benefit of the Lawes of our Land, and the Protestant Religion, as it stood established by our Law: God forgive us our amisnesses.

I pray you, If a man might aske your high and mightinesses a question, What meant you displucing of the Eurle of Essen, and your after poysonling him? (for 'tis certain you did so, many of us know it, deny it as much as you will) and your putting of your Scoundrel Army and their Mechanidke Captaines under the command of Fairfax and Cromwell, two atheistical Independents? What meant your late force done upon our City and the eleven Members; your displacing and imprisoning our Lord Maior and Aldermen? For it was you that went away to the Army that for on them, though now you say, you knew nothing of the last Plot: Had those that were Cavalietish plaied us such trickes of Leger­de-main, we would have cast in their teeth: what not?

But you (or dear Brethren) are men of another stamp; yet hard to say, Whether Barrell better Herring, I hope you did it out of Em­plicity, with a good, charitable, pure intent, to promote and set forward the holy Cause. You would sain say something for your selves, but I know not what, You meant well, But the Ape hath discavered himselfe to be so by cracking of Nuts. Thus doth Ma­lice, Ambition, and indiscrcet zeal make many men loose their wits they know not where. Indeed such tricks befit well your In­dependent Cause: not to be promoted but by collusion: but your transported fawcy Spirits may haply in the end be taught to be more submisse and sparing in abusing them from whom you had your power. You would sain come off with us now, but stay a little, good Mr. Musties, You thought it easie to enslave us English [Page 6]to strangle in the birth our Classicall Projects, our Consitorial Practices, and Con [...]l Designes of zealous Brethren in the Land: such Illuminates you counted us: you sure thought our braines made of the pap of an Apple, and our hearts of Aspen­leaves: Religion (which should be the Rule) must be onely a Re­sult of policy, a stalking Horse to catch Fooles, and be pretended onely to serve Bakylonian turnes. But go you serve Baal and Ash­teroth, if ye like it; we will no popular Cantonings of dismem­bred Scripture; none of your Missives prophetical Determina­tions in their heretical Conventicles. We will not build our Sal­vation upon the facing impudence of such light skirts, such hol­lish Impostours: let the Truth they teach, and your Parliamentary Proceeding come to scanning, the Turkish Alkaron, and Cades, and Kets, and Piercies and Nevils Actions will be as warrantable, as sutable with the Word of God and Law of this Land. Though you have ecclysped the Lampe of Light, you must not thinke us as Geese, which (when they are driven on by night, and a long staffe held over them) will go without noise or reluctancy holding down their heads? We Protestants are not so crest, fallen, as that we shall go on as you Independents would dispose us; if you gifted men with their new learning (for old they have none) can teach us more than yet we know, or you with your new policy can contrive us better Lawes than those we have, we will yield, and thanks them for such instructions, you for such legislati­ons. I beseech you, Will your Wisedomes or common Sense, or understanding, or what you will call it, approve of nothing in our Common Prayer Book, that you present us with an Inane nihil, a new Directery of a noddy Synod: or finde you so many defici­encies in Monarchical Government, that you should look to in­troduce an Ochlocracy, a People Sway. You know the King can do no wrong: and we know that by Him we had redresse (which very few could obtain from you or your Officers) of wrongs: Why then sought you to depole Him, and to change the Regal Government? O, it was to crown your Selves and undo Vs. But bear ye, Sequitur superbos ultor à terga Deus, If you believe there is one, Pride will have a fall. Lo, even the very touching of the Crown hath already crushed you, hath made the People every where forsake you, and all the wiles and flatteries in your bo­lomes will not regain them, Would you not give the Maker leave to dispose of his Creature? Shall not be governe by what [Page 7]Substitutes he pleases, but they must be supplanted by you? Be­held, ye misborne Elves of Lucifer, your implous Actions; in this very thing ye joyn your selves unto Apollyan, ye encampe against God that made you; and know asuredly, that Though ye may escape punishmant in this Life, ye must die, and rise, and come to judgement: but we hope our, Brethren of Scotland will shaw ye the Suburbs of Hell in this World. Our People see enough now your jugglings, and how, you turne Catith Pa [...], and shift off things from your selves to your Army. Yet while ye seemed to look and run two several wayes, and now ye do so again; but like Sampsons Foxes ye joyned together in the tail. We observed how that the Army (when the Kingdom murmured at the Sur­prisal of the City) professed herselves your Servants, and your carriage of those businesses, and that you and the Heads of your Army, have since taken an Oath to live and die together: and that you shift off the Imprisonment of our Lord Maior and Al­dermen from yourselves to Fairfax, and he to you again; but they must lie in Prison howsoever, they must not be restored unto their Places. I pray ye, Whose hands then still the Militia and Tower be in if they be restored, Prechyterians or Independents? Take notice my Fellow Citizens of this slurre, If we should assist them in another Warre, we should again be bassled and muffled by them.

We remember that Ordinance of yours in or about August last wherein you threaten Imprisonment, Plunder, and slaughter by Fairfax and his Army unto those that shall refuse to pay any your illegal (and now that the Warre is ended, unnecessary) Impositi­ons, by way of Excise, Loane, Myzes, Weekly and Monethly Assesments: though to go after the rest of Leavies, the advance­ment of your selves and implements, and your Brats, not pub­lique Service of the Kingdom. I pray you, may I aske your Knaveships (neither better nor worse, but even so) how stands that Ordinance with our Liberties and Properties, the two wonted Sonnes of your former Declarations? and you have the other Week stopt the payment of Debentures, and Pensions to those that have lost their Limbs and Husbands in your Service, to let us see which way our Monies must go: and your Souldiers what they shall have at last from you.

We guesse the reason of your sending away the King to the Isle of Wight; the peoples hearts were too much hazarded when he [Page 8]was neere; your selves and your taxations could not be long enough liv'd; You feared Petitions, & impeachments, if he should get power to call you to his Barre, and that your accounts should be reviewed: You have carryed your selves well in your places the while, have you not? Or thought you to tutor him with a bit and a bob into observance of you, as men doe apes? when you had him there, and much up in a stinking new built roome under severs looks, and made him his own scussion when his fire wanted repaire, and Haman bestowed some bussets on him, and all appearance of succour kept from him: you thought he would for his enlargement doe any thing; but know you, we take notice what it was you would have had him done, and or these your subtle wayesed being it to passe: that which you so­licited him for was the signing of the foure Bils, whreh had been (if you could have forc't it stom him) the utter ruine of us all, and of our posterity after us: you would have brought us into worse condition than Turkish slaves; you would have had more power from the King to abuse (now you have a Ras­call army [...] to enforce) than himselfe, or any of his Predecessors had to use over this free-borne Nation; What Mor­dec [...]ies would not have bowed to you, or who ever should im­peach you of evill, should have been straight way made more mi­serable than Job: the Sabaans your Committees should fall upon his oxen, his Cowes and sheep, your Sequestrators should fall upon his rents, and the Caldeans should fall upon his Campels, your Troopes should fall upon his horses, and you your selves would ssterve him in prison, you would finde some publick use for his private estate: We thanke you heartily for your good pro­jects; Be these they you have been this seven yeares in hatching? If the King had signed you those bils, how should any man make his will, and barre you from being his Executors? but we hope God in his due time will release us, and pay you the wages of your wicked wayes: our Kings suffering for us, shall for the fu­ture teach us our duty better towards him: We know what of­fers of gracious Acts he hath from time to time proposed; but because they were conducing to our good, not your ambition and avarice, therefore you refused them, and say they were not fit for you to receive: We think yet upon your late Declaration against him, when you had before hand traduced him all ouer the Countries, by you miscreant imps of the father of lies, (troop­ing [Page 9]independents) as guilty of his late Fathers death, and shut him up, not giving him leave to answer it, or so much as notice of it; but bidding Haman tell him you would trye him for his life; This was an honest part in you, was it not? yes, like as honest as your other dealings; you drew low upon the lees of Malice, when you had nothing left but a recapitulation of former lies and slanders: you shall have thanks for it, yes marry shall yee: Send again your Petitions to Taunton. Deane in Sommer­setshier, and Rumford in Essex, or some whether else: happily some body may thanke you now: Will you take my counsell, and thanke one another, so shall you not goe without thankes: You Rake-shames, hot burning coales be your portions; when you deale so basesly and so treacherously with your King; What Iu­stice may your fellow-subjects (a little while your slaves) looke for from you; But what may men expect from impudence and wickednesse in the abstracts; from men (doe I say men) from Devils, from things worse than Devils, so often guilty of per­jury, murder, robbery, oppression, and treason? You cursed Ca­tiffes, how suits this with the Law of God or of the Land, with your Protestation and your Covenant? You would seeme to al­ledge many reasons for that Declaration: but those that moved you thereto were much otherwise than those you lay downe; they were the finall accomplishment of your first intended treasons: the exterpation of Monarchichall Government, the Coronation of your selves, & our slavery, which to bring about (now that you had lost your selves in our opinions) you devised this recapitulati­on of your pristine forgeries, with which you had somerly befool­ed us all: Confiding it would put out of our memories the late Seales of your Legerd dermaine dealings, and reprint in us those jealousies and disaffections towards our gracious Soveraigne, which in severall they did before: but stay, since he chooseth ra­ther to endure your disconsolate prison, than passe you such Bils as may be ours and our childrens mine, you must (rake you hell for lyes, and skum the Devils) never more look againe to divide our hearts from him: you have discovered your selves too farre to regaine any interest in our affections: wee would enjoy our Religion and our Lawes, which we must not look to doe, till we get you to the block and gallowes: When we looked for a settlement of our King and Kingdome, Loe you false your words and break Covenant with our brethren of Scotland: you [Page 10]provide Armes and Snap-sackes, and prepare for more Warres: Never were Rake-hels, Buffoones, Rebells, Vermine, so desperately set to undo their own native Soil, and Church in which they were baptized; but we know the reason, Yelive to well, Ye fare to full (Ye can have your Feasts each day of all the dainty Cates our City Cookery can devise) Ye grow too fat in bag and bodie, by fishing in troubled waters to desire Peace: neither regard ye the empty Purses and hungry Bellies that ye have made in the City, especially since your lurching it out of the Presbyterians command. Ye may see if ye would (but ye will not) multitudes of thousands (who formerly had Trading and Worke enough for subsistency) now sit hunger-sterved in chimney-corners without imployment to get them bread. Ye know that since ye took the Tower and Militia from us, and sent away our King, the City hath had no Trading, and yet Ye send not for him home, but Ye can send for your Taxations, as if our Trade were good. Ye have made this famous City of London not onely poor but the ve­ry Scorne and Mocke of all the World, by your force done upon it in August; and as if Ye had not then enough wronged our streets with a handfull of your scummie Armie; and in derision as Ye passed along, bid us Go buy more Swords for our Apprentices. Had ye not meddled in the businesse, but made nse of us, we could have ruled them without slaughter, and would; but so ye may peer it, Ye weigh not our dishonour nor their bloud.

I may seem a new Britannicus for thus phrasing you, but it was ever held lawfull to call a Spade a Spade, it is good to uncase such Imps that they may be known what they be, it is good to disco­ver such Pauthers, least when you have allured more with the sweet scent and party-colourednesse of skin (I mean your calum­nies against our Friends, and your sugared Declarations) you as those Beasts prey upon them with bloudy Tallens, as aheady you have done upon us, Saint Paul gave not Elimas any gentle termes, nor did Saint Peter speak Butter and Honie to Simon Magus; our Saviour himselfe (that Man of meeknesse) called Herod a Fox, and Iudas a Devil, when they deserved it. Since ye aime not at Peace, but make it your [...] your whole endeavour, your special studie day and night, by all kinde of iniquitie to keep Faction and Se­dition on foot, and maintain opposition even where it needs not, Ye are to be curried in your kinde, and rubb'd as ye deserve; not [Page 11]to be smoothed or sleeked over, least ye please your selves too well in your impierie, and our oppression never have redresse. Ye talked much in the beginning of your Sessions, that ye would open Obstructions of Law, not stop the course of justice and equity: but hear a little your own falshood, and go chew the cud, as when ye receive Letters from Scotland.

Give us leave to let our Neighbours understand the Suites late in Chancery betwixt one Wilkes and one Dutton of the Neigh­bourhood of Nantwich in Cheshire, and two Knaves providers, of your Independent Faction there, one Becket and one Gellicorse: The businesse was thus, Wilkes and Dutton (good honest Presby­terians) had much Cattell and Cheese taken from them In the time of the Warre by Becket and Gellicorse, without any Order from the Councel or War there; and the goods not converted to the use of the Publique (as was pretended) but imbezelled by the two providores: now (since that the Courts were opened) Wilkes and Dutton repair to the Chancery for Reliefe, the Exchequer at Chester being not as then open, or not daring to meddle with any of yours for fear of a snub, and Becket (for himselfe and Gellicorse) hasteth to Sir William Brereton, goodly Sir William Brereton, who forth with makes Relation of the matter unto You his Brethren of the two Houses; and you (all of you apprehensive enough of what might betide your selves and your honest Committes as well as the providores, if such Suites had audience) presently di­spatch a private Ordinance unto all the Courts then open in the Kingdom, commanding that no Lawyer should plead nor Iudge determine in any such Case; whereupon the Plaintiffs were sent home with double losse, (case thus unjustly in Charges) and ma­ny Threats for desiring justice; and their Solicitour forc'd to fly the Court for looking after the businesse. Was this honest deal­ing? Was this an opening or obstructing of Law? Tell now, and call your selves Knaves. Ye are brave men to steer a State, Be ye not? The City and Kingdom both have known enough of such like seazures: but we shall straight finde a way to strip Aesops Mag-Pie out of her plundred Plumes.

You made out many Ordinances that your under Officers should not wrong the Publique by vertue of any Act, Order or Ordinance of Parliament, or without Warrant, by Taxing, Lea­vying, Collecting or Receiving; by Seizing, Selling, Disbur­sing, or Disposing any Moneyes, Goods, Debts, Rents, or Pro­fits, [Page 12]of Friends or others, or by Setting or Letting to Frame De­linquents Lands and Tithes. But you never held them to the ob­servation of such your Rules, nor punish any Frauds or Misde­meanours in any such kind, though Iustice were required, but would send away the Plaintiffs (as you would have done the Warwickshire Gentry, had they not been so many and so earnest, as that you feared the revolt of that County) with threats be­daubing them with the norions of Malignancy, and desires to divide you amongst your selves: For whereas there was a great Subsidy granted about November, 1642. for the then pre­sent affaires of this Kingdome, and of Ireland: the one moity of the said Subsidie paid (at least in most places) by the severall Counties to Commissioners, according as the same Act appoint­ed; Neverthelesse there hath since Warrants issued forth (which are kept safe to be produced, if time once serve for such accusati­ons) signed with the proper hands of some of your Members, amongst the other your Committees, for the re-collecting of the said money paid before, and much more by colour of the said Act: And whereas you made an Ordinance, bearing date October the 16. 1644. for the supply of the British Army in Ireland, ordering a weekly pay, to last for the space of a yeare, and the one moity of the assessement to be in Corne (at least in many places so) the other in moneyes; the same Ordinance was not put in executi­on (I could tell you where) according to the tenor thereof; but about July, 1645. Warrants were sent out by some of your Members then in the Countries, and Counsels of Warre, for the raising of divers great summes of money amounting to more than twice so much as was limited by the said Ordinance; and immedi­ately upon the former Collections, new Warrants sent abroad for vast summes to be paid weekly, without any Orders from you (and yet you neither can find any Law for your taxations) and in default of payment, our goods and chattels by violence (as well to the person as goods of the party) have been distrain­ed, detained, and sold without speedy payment, according to the Collectors demands, with a Command to the high Sheriffe (de­legated by him to the under Sheriff) not to grant any Replevyn for our goods and chattels so violently taken away, contrary to the liberty of the Subject, and the knowne Lawes and custome of this Kingdome.

You talked of calling for accounts, and seemed to doe so; but [Page 13]we are certain that the revenewes of Delinquents estates would have defrayed all, or the greatest part of the charge of the warre, without any so great burthens to the Countrey as have been laid upon it, had they been faithfully and really disposed of to the best advantage, and benefit of the publique but you have all made up your accounts honestly, it must needs be so; and indeed where one thiefe must account before another, who thinkes any great discoveries will be made; but let me tell you (and I'le tell you truly) how accounts were made; you nominated Committees for examination (men as much in fault as the Accountants) who put their hands to all reckonings, as they were presented without looking, if they were just and straight or no; meet thus you tryed accounts, who may thinke that those broak­en-fortuned and beggerly knaves (of which sort of people for the most part your Officers consisted) could compasse such estates, as they have done in so short time, and bring in just and true ac­counts; I trow not man: nay your own accounts (if they were examined as they should be) would prove no juister then the others; else, how come you by all that money you have from time to time send beyond Sea; We remember how vehemently you startled and exclaimed, when some of our City would have had an account of the proposition Plate.

You made an Ordinance, that your Sequestrators, and their under-Officers, the Collectors and prizers should occupie no se­questred Farmes; but the most of them did hold very good de­measnes of 2. or 3 hundred per annum, and payed not a penny rent to the use of the publick for them, neither wanted they their pay from other levies.

You likewise made an an Ordinance, that they should sell Ma­lignants goods at the best rate for the advantage of the publick; but they have been suffered to take what they pleased to them­selves, and the rest they have sold to their Favourites many times for lesse then halfe so much as others would have given for them.

You made an Ordinance that they should take no bribes, and yet neither they nor you would ever doe any curtesie, or act of distribitive Iustice without a bribe.

There was (in many Cities, and Townes taken in) booties seized, better worth then two hundred thousand pounds in mo­ney and Plate, and Iewels, and houshold furniture, I could tell [Page 14]you where, and yet your Committees, your Prisers and men that sould them have not been asham'd to say, They made but thir­tern thousand pounds of such vast Bootie, though it hath been pub­liquely known they have had above nineteen thousand pounds in money and plate out of one house, and fifteen thousand pounds worth of one mans Goods out of another; but truly, how they should put things to the best, I cannot see, running the wayes they did; for they would first proclame a Day of Salt, to fetch in the Countrie Chapmen, and when they were come, put the day off again, to weiry them out of the Townes with expence, and then the non-fighting Officers would take the best and most of the prey unto themselves, besides selling Robbin Hoods penny worths for Bribes: this was the deportment of many of them. Ye should have summoned in the Countrey, and the Cavaliers to have shewed what money, and goods, and provision was fetched from them from time to time, and by whom, and have compared their notes with your Accountants, ye should have examined the Musters of your men, and so ye might have found out Receits, and guessed what Disbursements might have been; and this would soon have been done by many Officers, and many Divisi­ons of the Countles. And who but such as are altogether void of honestie and shame would carry themselves thus unrighteously, or bear with it? These things ye could not chuse but know; for those of you that were abroad in the Warres were eye-witnesses of the same, and yet ye never minded to redresse them.

After this manner have you ever looked to the publique Wel­fare, and no otherwise; besides it was usual with your Independent Faction (though no fighters) at taking of Townes to get Orders from Committes (by scraping legs and crouching) for Cavaliers houses, and then take goods, is all for their own use, without pay­ment of a penny for them to the Publique: this is not unknown to many: and as if you would leave no trickes unpractised by which you might beguile and abuse the Countrey; ye devised an­other tricke to get more of their monies: your Committees must lend ye, but what? The monies they have gathered from the Countrey by Loanes and Mizes, and the Countrey must pay eight per cent. interest for loan of the same. Thus do ye daily onely con­sult how to delude and abuse the Countrey; thus do ye continue your sitting for no other end, but that ye may sucke up the fat of the Kingdom, but ye shall see now it hath found your Knavery, it [Page 15]will shortly turne ye over another leafe, it hath provided a trap to catch your Foxes: ye cried out upon the King for heavy Taxes, which neverthelesse by your own computation amounted but to 700000. l per annum, in the whole thorow out the City and Kingdom, which was no great Summe to build and maintain so many ships and Souldiers as his Majesty then had for the desence of his Kingdomes; and ye quarrelled the manner of his leavying such monies (forsooth) because there was no Statute law for the same; as if the pater patriae might not, where the Letter of the Law fals too short, make use of his own and his Counsels discre­tion for his Peoples preservation. O, but had he made you the Collectours, that you might have lick'd your fingers, as ye have done since ye put your selves into Offices, all had been well enough: but for the masse of money levied, if your Proposition money, your fifths and twentieth parts, your continual Loanes and Mizes, and your other innumerable Taxations, your Seque, strations of Goods and Lands, your plunder and pillage, your Souldiers Free-quarter, and provisions for your stores were or could be cast up, they would be found valuable to buy twenty times 700000. l. per annum. Thus have you good State-phisicians medicined our Diseases: yet we cannot deny you to be cunning Doctours, ye have kept our Purses so long in Phisicke. And I pray you, Had ye any president in the Law to imprison men un­convicted of vice, and make them ransome themselves with great Summes of money, as ye did (when ye sent the Propositions tho­row the Countrey) those that refused to furnish you according to your demands? I trow not, ye know it is a breach of the Law, and an infringement of the Magna Charta, both which ye form sworne wretches swore to maintain. Ye accuse the King of neg­lecting Ireland, and I o since the War was ended here, what care ye have taken to relieve it? ye have sent sometimes handfuls of men over to be cut off so soon as they came there: ye might as good have hang'd them here before they had gone, as sent them thither by such inconsiderable Companies. This is the great care ye take of those Plantations, and of this People of England. O, but now you'l mend in that point, ye are beating Drummes all over the Countries for Souldiers for Ireland, but the truth is, it is to retruit your Army here: ye mean to send them into the West to fight (you'l tell them when they come there) with Irish Rebels newly landed; ye have not men enough to spare hence; and if we should [Page 16](sayes Cromwell) draw our Army off the City, it would follow us in the Rear, and being but such a handfull as we now be, they would cut us all off. We are in a pitifull case now, to stay or go we know not: stay, and the Scots and the Lord Inchiquinn come in upon us; go, and the Citie followes us. I smell a Rat, the blazing Comets are going out with a filthy stinke. An Ordinance of Parliament to passe four great ships without search laden with money, and now at Gravesend, or newly put to Sea. Nay, but your Souldiers a rai­sing are for Ireland, ye have a while ago made an Ordinance for the leavying of 20000 l. per moneth, for their maintenance: so ye made out before in August, 1644. for the promotion of that Ser­vice, but the Cavaliers took 60000. l. of that money at Leicester: Dublin ye had not then: I pray ye, Was that the way to Corke and Kingsale, or Youghall? Ye fault the Cavaliers of Cheshire for stop­ping some Cloathes bound for Ireland, and yet the Apparell given by those of the City for those Souldiers use was all (which was worth any thing) sold to the Brokers in Long-lane, onely a few ragges that would not make money here, were sent away. A man might here go farre enough to put ye out of your own practice, who, if ye had not so much honestie as to forbear ca­lumniating your Enemies, should have had so much diseretion as not to accuse another of that, which had ye had that good signe of a bad Cause in ye, blushing, might ashame ye, being by recrimi­nation retorted upon your selves. We have beard much your out­cries against the Whore of Babylon: and your charging (with much hitternesse and vehemencie) of her vices upon the See of Rome, and its Disciples, whose foot-steps ye trace in your fediti­ous courses; but if ye would look a little into the signification of the word, and into your selves and your proceedings: what Towers of Babel ye are erecting, what imaginations, what Anar­chy and confusion ye are setting up, what Missives ye send abroad to broach all sorts of damned Heresies, those Locusts of the bottom­lesse pit, your gifted men as ye call them, your suppression of godly and learned Divines and their Escripts, and your countenancing and licencing any thing that favours of the Stygian Lake, ye would finde something reflecting upon your selves: the word Babel signifies confusion, and that which is chiefly observable of a Whore, is, her prostitution of her selfe to all, her wiles by which she enticeth her Lovers, and where with enticed she retaines them to her: now whether ye have not prostituted your selves unto all, [Page 17]let all England judge. In the beginning ye solicited by five or six several Letters Sir Arthur Aston, (a known Papist) before his Majesty entertained him, and yet you cried out against the King for accepting his Service. Ye sent five hundred Iewes (Enemies unto the Christian Faith) in your Armie to Newbery, there was a hundred of them slain upon the ground, known by the marke of Circumcision, ye have pleased and run on with the rude multitude the froathy scumme of the People in their worst and wickedest humours. Ye have suffered them to deface the earthly beautie of Gods earthly houses, to rend and tear in pieces our Common pray­er-book, and the Priests Surplice, a badge of innocencie; to pull down Crosses, the proper Cognisance, by which the World might know to what Master this Kingdom did belong; and now at last ye invite men to deny the Master too; Ye countenance Atheists and Heretickes, and frown on them that defire to quell them; nay, ye fight with them, and kill them; ye have continu­ally during the whole time of the Warre (and since too, now ye might better have restrained them) suffered every Rapscallion (that bore Armes amongst you) to abuse and trample on (as he pleased) the Free-holders of the Countrey, to lord it over them, to beat and command them and their houses, where they quarter­ed or passed by: Rogues that before mended Pots and Kettles, or begd with butter-milke Kannes about the Countrey, must now call for roast, and beat all the house if it be not to be had: neither when such Grievances were made known unto you, Did ye curbe or checke the saucinesse of your Soaldiers herein, but rather deride the Plaintiffs? How stood (thinke ye) such abusings with the Free­domes of the English Farmers, and with the Kational Covenant and Protestation. And as a Whore hath ever her slights by which she inveagles her Lovers, so have ye had yours; as the Venetian Courtezans, at their first comming to the Citie to serve their Duke, send out a Crier through the streets to proclame their Beauties and the price thereof; so ye in the beginning of your Sessions sent abroad your Declarations in the specious notions of liberty, property, and priviledge; and the price, some proposition-money or some plate; and even as Whores, when they have drawn in silly Shallowlings, will ever finde some trick to retain them till they have brought them to a morsel of bread, especially if they doubt their starting, so have you still drawn our apprehensions off your perfidious. Actions, and kept our braines busied and de­luded [Page 18]with your Diurnalls and your Ordinances; which you have ever studyed for and set forth to this very end, not that which you expresse in the front of them, the satisfaction and right Information of the Kingdome: when you had discovered your cloven feet in August, and saw the peoples grumblings, you thought an Ordinance for making up accounts would be a piece of satisfaction for the present; and you knew the vulgars [...]raines retaine not long the phantasmes of things; but what per­formance was of that I have before in some part (as I could) shewed.

You have moved rumors likewise oft times, and tell us again [...] every day of sending for the King, and setling the Kingdome, only to keep the people in suspence; and by vaine hopes of you, [...]o retard our endeavours for our own relief: by that you may still by disarming Townes get more power to continue your Tyran­ny, now growing towards an end: for you never intend it, you are such notorious abominable Traitors, You have so much abus­ed his Majesty, his late royall Mother, and his Royall Spouse, his Children, and us his people, that you dare not doe it; How oft of late have we heard, that Hampton Court hath been ma­king ready, and that Cromwell hath been gone to fetch him this day, and that, and the other; and it nothing so.

Your diurnals buzz'd us in the eares with much good newes of many victories (lest we should have set from Dan and Bethel towards the Temple) even the first yeare of the warre, when our Armies went to wrack every where; and we had soon found it, had not our brethren of Scotland come in to our assistance: yet you send them (you say) to prevent misinformation: but when they began to speak against you (as after your taking away the Militia of this City of London, a thing I never heard nor read before, that any Parliament had to doe with all) they must be silenced till the peoples thoughts were drawn aside: we have been often slattered in the Countrey with casement of our Taxes, and free-quarter, if we would pay one small weekly payment, and quarter but a little longer: and loe presently you have sent (I am sure to many places of the Kingdome) for whole multi­tudes of vast summes, one in the neck of another, that we have almost nothing left: Thus have you in your Consultations, even from the beginning of your Sessions, even unto this vsry day, de­vised nothing but how to delude and begger us all. and how to [Page 19]keep warre on foot; else why accepted you not those many fair-offers of a gracious King, but still as you got more power in­croached both upon him and us, Why send you not for him home, but still delay us, 'tis not farre to him: We will study a way henceforth to ease our selves of such Magistrates, such sheen­clad wolves: It is not your going back to the Articles presented at Hampton Cours shall now make your attonement with us: You never took a way yet to make him a glorious King, or to re­forme, but deforme Religion, or to settle us under our ancient Lawes, or in our native Liberties: had you power we know your minds; We give you no thanks for your pretending to settle Presbyterie, since you wanted power to hinder it; nor for your late Ordinance against Hereticks: put on your consi­dering Caps some what closer to your Cocks-combs, and see now if you can reingratiate your selves with our City: See if it will thanke you to transferre its Malitia, and Tower, (one of these in those they now be) into other Independents hands, and yet you did not that till very now: See if you can ingage your Brethren in the City, and us in a new warre, and we shall observe who be ready in the same; See if you can or dare force us Presbyterians or our apprentises to accompany you, and they shall carry away your weapons, and joyne with our friends your enemies: You must no more looke to force or mugle men with the name of a Parliament (being but a prevailing party,) and fill your Coffers by deceit: We will believe you no further; nor Fairfax, though he goes again to hear the Lord Primate preach at the Temple, or proclaime for King, or King and Parlia­ment: Carry you the King captived along with you which way ere you goe: as strictly as you have watcht him, he hath given the Prince power to contract for him; We are got before-hand with you in that; Counterfeit his Seale, and make what Procla­mations you will hereafter in his name, none shall believe you; We have been told the ends of your laying open Rochester: but if our Brethren of the Association, cannot get into a readinesse to stop your passage, the power of three Kingdomes shall shortly follow you.

We heard of your late Designes against our City, before we took notice of them, and we hear your intentions are to proceed, and to draw up both Horse and Foot to atchieve the same. I saw some of their Leaders here the other day, and their men not farre [Page 20]off, it is not denying and seeming to over-run your said Designes, shall make us negligent of our own safetie, if ye know not there­of, Why do ye (to obstruct Discoveries) refer the Examination to men accused, viz. Ireton? How can you daub over this? or why, (if you set not on Fairfax in August last against our Citie) did ye go from the Houses to him? and why did ye not since vote him a Traitour, as ye did the Lord Inchiquin? My Brethren look over Diuruals, and ye shall see him ever acting in relation to the Hou­ses. Our Brethren of Essex came but peaceably with a Petition, and this prevailing party derides them gone, calling them Essex calves, but thankes to Face, yet delaies, that if they can quiet them a while, they may after make them the Spoil of the Iudepen­dent Army they declare against. Look to it Gentlemen, disperse not your selves till ye see it disbanded, and the King settled.

Ye must ever have some cloke for your knaverie; when your late Designe against our City grew ripe, your Maior (a very Horse and a Traitour to our City, as many others of the common counsel and cap­tains be) must quarrell the Boyes at recreations, that ye might get another colour to draw your Army again upon the city, and do that which then ye durst not, get down our chaines, that when the time of your necessitie came, ye might disarme us, command our purses, and force us and our servants against our consciences, though now again ye are forc'd to pull in hornes; and bring ye up your County Souldiers (as we hear ye have) we shall make ye aking hearts yer ye obtain your wils: ye are loath to leave us; but (since we know your good will) well shall look to ye as we can: We trust our Brethren of the Association will be ready to assist us. We have heard now of your private compliance with Irish Na­tives, and your Letters lately taken at Sea, wherein ye promite liber­ty of conscience, and many immunities, if they will let ye alone. Thus have I given you a little sight of the Babylouian Bel like Idol, A brasen Parliament, and of the collusion and voracity of the Idol attendants, this prevailing party of both Houses, who have so long deluded ye with devices, and like Belt priests wasted up­on themselves and theirs those vast Contributions and Leavies which should have been expended on the publique Service; and do desire (now time is like to serve for it) ye would endeavour your own freedom from the yoke of these men.

God save the King and Kingdome.