WEE your poor and humble suppliants, the Catholike and other well-affected Subjects of your Magnanimi­ous Uncle CHARLES, sole Monarch (under God and his Holinesse) of Great Brittane, doe (as in duty bound) render unto you from our yet sad foules, all possible love and thanks for your so timely and wil­ling assistance, in a cause so highly concerning the per­petuall prosperitie of the true Roman Catholike Religion, and the reesta­blishing of his Holinesse ancient Authoritie in these his Majesties Realmes and Dominions, which for many ages past, hath made the Common­wealth prosperous, and the Crowne glorious. But great and grievous have our miseries and afflictions now of late been, wee have had wonderfull burthens laid upon us for these many yeeres, and yet wee have born them with unparaler'd patience. Our Abbies have been demolish'd, our Prie­ries pull'd downe, and all our memorable Monasteries either defaced, or converted to profane uses; Our Masses have been scnff'd at as ridicu­lous, and our Priests and Jesuites executed as Traitors; Our holy Beads have been taken from us, that we might not be able to render to our Lady a true account of the number of our Prayers: wee have been forc'dito goe to Church before any dispensation granted by his Holinesse, and since we have gone willingly, they have tooke away the same prayers in English, that they would not suffer before in Latin; But that that herghtens the sorrow of our soules, is the generall abuse of that Name that ought not to [Page 3]be mentioned without wonderfull reverence; his Holinesse hath not only been dispitefully reproach'd and rail'd upon amongst the common peo­ple, but they have touch'd him with unhallowed hands, and soil'd him with poluted tongues, even in their Pulpits; No marvell though Preaching were cryed downe by the Bishops, when Peters suceessor (their head) was cryed downe by inferior fellowes in their Sermons: But besides this, wee must (forsooth) neither worship our Lady, nor make use of our Ladies Psalter, but still they have threatned to punish our bodies, for seeking to save our foules; wee must goe new wayes to work and entertaine a new Faith, and Doctrine, they would faine make us beleeve that wee cannot merrit heaven by giving Almes, but we must heare Sermons, and every one make his owne Prayers, or pray by the spirit, and so take a great deal of paines more then we need, to learn that we need not, and forsake the old Religion we are acquainted with, for a new one we understand not. After we had thus suffered a great deale of persecution, with a great deal of patience, perceiving our resolution to be immoveable, they began to lay new crosses upon us by taking away our old ones, no corner was left un­search'd for Crucifixes and other Pictures, our Altars were throwne down, our Candlestickes turned into Coine, our Coapes into Cushians, our Sur­plices into Smockes, and that wee might take the lesse pleasure in our de­votions, our Singing-boyes, Ho-boyes, and Organ-pipes were doom'd to eternall silence. Alas, before this wee went to Church as well as best of 'em, and tooke as great delight i'the Service, nay sometimes wee sate out a whole Sermon: for indeed upon the discharge of Reverend Can­terburles lest Canons, the tyde began to turne, and many learned men preach'd good Roman Doctrine, sin and hell were mention'd with lesse violence, and judgement with more mildnesse, great faults were little aggrevated, and small ones altogether wink'd at: wee had libertie from their owne mouthes to use honest recreation on Sundaies, and though for fashion sake (and to keep ordinarie judgements from apprehending their drifts) they spake against Poperie, yet we know their mindes well enough: but alas others (soone) knew 'em too well, they were quickly found out, accus'd and condemn'd, but (being Cannon proofe) a hundred of 'em are still living with near a Living amongst 'em. These being suspected to be of our side, because we were perceiv'd to be on theirs, were thrust out of the Church, and a company of Round heads put in that will not give his Maiestie his old title Defender of the Faith in their prayers. But He­roicke Prince our greatest griefe of all arises, from the voting out of the Reverend Bishops, the onely upholders of our hopes, this hath blasted all [Page 4]our comforts, and driven us into dispaire of ever recovering, unlesse it be by the sword.

Mightie Prince wee make humble tender of these our grievances to thy veiw, that the consideration of our calamities, may raise thy high spi­rit yet a little higher, and put a new edge upon thy valour: for we cannot but be confident that our rising or falling lies upon thy sighting or flying. Thy valour wee doubt not, but be pleas'd to let us perswade thee to per­forme principall actions at principall seasons, fall not to plundering Prince when thou shouldest be a fighting, this is an errour wee suppose thou seest not in thy selfe, and therefore make bold to acquaint thee with, that thy noble endeaours hereafter may prove more successefull. O deare Prince, (for deare thou hast beene to England) now shew thy valour for the Catholike cause, let thy sword flie like lightning in the head of thy Ar­mie, be true to the Roman Church, and as salse as thou wilt otherwise, play the man when thou art in the battell, and the thiefe when thy leisure will serve thee and spare not: for thou shalt become famous for that too, as well as for killing, thy names up alreadie, thou art seldome call'd Prince, but Plunderer is added as an addition to thy Honour. Follow thy fortune still Prince, purchase yet more wealth and more titles, let them call thee at their pleasures, and do thou rob them at thine, borrow their horses, their plate and money, and if they demand restitution pay 'em with thy Polax. Thou art a Prince of the Blood-Royall, let them not catch thee and they cannot question thee: but sweet Prince keepe out of their clutches by all meanes possible, if occasion serve make use of thy horse, and force him to make use of his heeles; stand not altogether upon thy strength, nor too nicely upon thy honour; runne rather then be taken, thou hadst better be calld a coward behinde thy backe, then a prisoner to thy face, if thou com'st once within the reach of the Round-head, looke for little mercie and lesse manners; if they rip not up thy body, they'l rip up all thy faults to thy face. O thou shalt sinde them terrible fellower. They'l upbraid thee with all thy valiant exploits and enterprises, and make them (if it were possible to appeare odious in thine owne eyes. They'l say thou art an impudent young man to rob that countrey so shamefully, that hath paide for thy nutsing and breeding so carefully; they'l tell thee that theft is a bominable, rape execrable, and murther damnable. They'l doe their best to make thee beleeve, that tis felonie in England to burne houses and steale horses, and that Turks and Infidels would have showne more mercie, and lesse crueltie then thou hast done heere. They'l per­swade thee (if they can) that villanies committed in this world, must be [Page 5]answered for in another; that ther's a God above before whom thou shalt one day appeare, that will make no difference at all betwixt the greatest Prince, and the meanest peasant; and that ther's a place car'd Hell prepa­red of purpose to torment bloodie Tyrants and cruell Persecuters. And thus by degrees (if thou should but give eare to them) they might per­haps stirre up remorse in thy conscience, and repentance in thy foule, And where were we then? What would become of our religion that hath cost so much blood in Christendome if thou shouldest fall from us? Though we have wasted our brains and hazarded our lives these many yeers past in plotting the ruine of these Round. heads in vain, though our great expecta­tions that the Popes absolute dominion should have bin resotti'd here, by the powerfull assistance of the great 88. Armado were utterly frustrate, though our failing of blowing up the Parliament House blew up all our hopes of ever prospering by any powderplot, though all our former indea­vours to have poison'd and stabb'd Queen Eliz. came to nothing; yet we were never daunted nor dismar'd, but stil kept up our spirits, & held up our heads; but if we faile now we fall utterly, this is our tallest and our strong­est building, if this decay no more Babels, nor no more builders, no more Catholikes nor Catholike Commanders, the glory of Rome must lie r'the dust for ever. But Heroicke Prince sticke thou close to us, keep can faith above our feares till this brunt be over, and all's our owne. Nor that your Highnesse may goe on with the more courage, wee humbly present unto you these Considerations. Note illustrious Prince, that in former times we had alwayes a King or a Queene as well as a State to oppose us, and yet though wee fair'd we never fainted: but now wee have a King to countenance us, a Queene to encourage us, politicke Councellers to in­struct us, and two or three great Armies on foot to fight for us; besides the brave and resolute Irish (already bloode'd in the quarrell) to assist us, and is this ods nothing? shall wee be discourag'd now, or suffer any conceit of a nearer cut to heaven then we are acquainted with, to cut off the leggs of our resolutions, i'the middle of our journey? No Prince, wee know (being imbark'd) thoul't not strike saile though the winde be against thee, and wee are resolv'd to venter the vessell, if thou't hazard thy person; heer's Sea-roome enough, though there are some Shelves and Quick­sands, Rocks and Remora's, and thou canst nor saile a League but thou shalt meet with a Prize. O 'tis a brave thing to be a thiefe when a man has authoritie to bear him out in't, and a fine easie thing for a multitude of Arm'd men to rob a few naked people. Men were wont to take pur­ses, and breake houses in feare. Stand and deliver were dangerous words; [Page 4]but now the case is alter'd, he that was a thiefe before, is now better then a true man, and hee thats a true man now is worse then a thiefe, Thou hast many such brave blades in thy armie Prince, that deserve to be of thy Life-Guard, they are so neere thee in spirit and condition, tis fit they should be neare thy person, make much of 'em. Wee dare not but ac­quaint your Highnesse with the great noise that flies about the kingdome of an overthrow you had at Yorke; but we admire what Kings raigne 'ewas in, for King Charles and his Councell at Oxford made Bonefires at the same time for the same victorie; and shall wee beleeve his Majestie will turne Round, or make lesse fires then of whole Townes, for the glory of the Round-heads? No, wee'll beleeve that newes neere the more for their ringing, and new-made holy-day at London, 'tis nothing but a trick to discourage us; but the truth is we should be loath to beleeve it though we know it to be true: Yet noble Prince if thou hast received any losse, if they have kill'd and taken more of thy Men, Horse and Armes then thou canst well spare, thou knowest how to help thy selfe quickly, here are men enough in England, and thou hast wayes enough to win them; flie abroad againe, range the Countries, try all thy friends in the North, make use of thy owne Dukedome, force all such as call themselves Pro­testants, to fight for the Protestant Religion; and yet where good words will prevaile, use no violence, set thy Engineers on worke to try their tempers and discover their humors, that according to iudgement they may incurage the fearefull, flatter the foolish, and threaten the obstinate, till all are become sufficiently perswaded they shall fight for the honour of the King, the preservation of the Lawes and the Libertie of the Subiect; and then tell them Stories of preferment, and promise them wealth and honour, that they may be earnest and eager in the battell; and for their greater glorie set them still in the Front, and put them upon the Forlorne­hope, that their friends and they may kill one another valiantly, whil'st we keepe safe r'the Reare, and laugh to see our enemies die so willingly for the securitie of us and our Religion, This is the depth of the plot Prince, carrie it closely, you may be sure there will be no Catholikes against you, and therefore feare not to kill them, and such as are on your side indea­vour to preserve them, for why should wee hazard our persons against an enemie that will undergoe the danger himselfe and doe our worke for us: But that your Highnesse may recrute your Armie with the more facillitie and celeritie, we have made bold to present you with the draught of a Proclamation, that perhaps you may be pleased to make use of for that purpose.

But for your souldiers medling with women, or killing of men, wee al­together leave that to your Highnesse owne disposure, none knowing bet­ter than your selfe how to order your men 'ith affaires of flesh and blood, [Page 8]we are confident that the publishing of this or the like Proclamation vvill be a meanes to animate divers that have not yet tasted the sweetnesse of your Highnesse bountie (at the cost of the Kingdome) in the vvay of vvarre to come into your assistance: for vvhich vvee have thought it our duties to give you this hint.

This vvay (if any) vvill raise men quickly, and make your High­nesse able to recover Yorke againe before we shall be able to beleeve 'tis lost: But ther's another report Prince of a sad disaster befalne thee, They say the Parliament Dog-killers have knock'd thy Spaniell o'the head; this we are loft to beleeve to, being so well acquainted with thy Dogs courtlike and vvarlike behaviour and condition, he hath done many exploits, been in many fights, and scap'd many dangers, and being Mus­ket proofe as well as thy selfe, we are confident hee's a living Dog to this houre, and will still be a help to thee in dangerous expeditions: But thou best knowest his breeding Prince, make use of him, if he has any more vvit then a dogge get it out of him, and imploy it for the advantage of the cause. Consider Prince the great vvorke thou hast to do, and the wa­ges thou art to receive, and fall to't hard; the Irish now helpe thee, and Ireland expects thee, do but ruine this kingdome, and thou shalt have that for thy labour. O thou't be entertain'd and imbrac'd there by a people according to thine own heart, a vvarlike Nation, noble spirited, right Ro­man Catholike subjects, such as will be ready at all times to loyne with the Spaniard against the Holland, English and Scottish Protestant Rebels, Therefore good Prince dispatch, doe that thou cam'st for, spoile all here as fast as thou canst, make an end of the Protestants in England quickly, and we shall not only think our selves bound to pray for your Highnesse long life and happy Raign in Irland; but also be ready to venter our estates and lives in your service, till we shall see that rich Diademe impale your victorious brow.