' TWas once a saying of the famous Aristotle, that for a man to be afflicted, it was Humanum; to be derided, 'twas Turpissimum: And upon that good Rule Mr. Prynne had spared me the labour of a studied derision if he had once shew­ed himself ingenuous in any thing save the Con­fession of his own shame, which truly he has plentifully done very lately in a great number of peevish & most unadvised Pamphlets. A Man, (one wou'd think) that might have learn'd the Conse­quence of seditious Scribling, long e're this time, if his guilt had taken half so deep an Impression upon his heart, as his punishment hath left on his Head: But his violent humour is now (as it seems) grown incorrigible; he proclaims open hostility against all this side of the terrestrial Globe, and appeares like an inhabi­tant of the Antipodes point blank against all men.

Ther's a Martial Law amongst School-boyes, that after the first blow given by one of the Combatants, the other may fall on, and defend himself though his standing on his own guard cost his adversary a Bloudy Nose, or a Black Eye. This Gentle­man is the first that hath bidden defiance to us all, and himself too; his high spirit and animositie has incouraged him to make [Page 2] the first Onset; and what quarter can he expect from either Enemy or Friend, who asperses both, and tells them to their faces he scorns them? Certainly, mighty is the Mans Courage, who dares attempt these things; great his prowesse; invincible his valour; to give you one proof of his Magnanimity for all; do but reflect upon, and well consider the grand Action, or ra­ther Passion of His life, and tell me who more daring, more po­tent, more venturous than He, who in the twinkling of an Eye, Praesto, while a man could say What's this? run his head thorow an Inch-thick board.

Often have I made it matter of admiration, when I have seen an abusive Copy of Verses (that hath been but the product of a green brain) of a Malapert Youngster against his Schoolmaster, in revenge of that severity which his own folly justly merited: My wonder has been more increast, when I have read a Libel penn'd against a Country Iustice of the Peace, by an oppress'd or sportive Gentleman: but for a Man, an old Man, a Lawyer, Bencher of Lincolns Inne, about the period of his days to raile at all Authority, all kinds of Government, to make himself dia­metrically opposite to whatsoever is called the Present power, in good earnest I think there are more wondērers at it than my single self. Against Kings, against Liturgy, against Bishops, a­gainst those that are against Kings, Liturgy, and Bishops; pro and con, con and pro, for, and against. I lately perus'd a Paper, the title whereof was this, The names of the Lords of the Other House: having read it over, and over again, I was somewhat troubled at his late Highnesse's oversight or forgetfulnesse, in leaving out this Gentleman's name, for (without all peradven­ture) [THE LORD PRYNNE] would have sounded very emphatically, and He would have quitted himself in the dis­charge of that function very worthily, which consists (as I am in­form'd) altogether in exercising a Negative voice over all the good People of this Nation, which I'me sure he would have done from the highest to the lowest. Negatives are indeed a good Periphrasis for the Deity; yet very dangerous (as I conceive) for any man to a pro [...]rine to himself or make a Monopoly on especially a Man that never was a Lord in this world, nor ever is like to be one.

[Page 3] This is the Man, the error of whose Judgement, and impar­donable instability is to be imputed to the losse of his two Bi­asses; for if a Bowle's deviation from the Jack is occasioned here­by, much more a rational Creature's à fortiori. This is the Wil­liam, whose passion is the Conquerour (as Cleaveland sayes in ano­ther case.) This is the eminent Wit of all London, abating one­ly one Creek, which they call Billingsgate; there indeed is a nur­sery almost as eloquently gifted as himself.

But, among all the scurrilities, and absurdities he is guilty of, I am most of all offended at two things, which constantly, duely, and inseparably accompany his writings, 1. His Mon­strous Title-Pages, and 2ly. His abhominable frightful Margent: As to the first of these; Any Man now-a-dayes who but sees a single sheet in Quarto on a Booksellers stall (be it but in tran­situ) all-to-be-close-Printed in the Front, he never makes further enquiry after the Author's name, but presently makes as quick, and nimble Conception of Him, as a beggar does of an Ale­house, when he spies a Red Latice; or an Whoremaster of a Baw­dy house, when he sees a torn Smock hang out at the window. The words in the Title page (poor miscreants!) how they croud one another for elbow room! truly (in my judgement) the great Bush (to use the old Saw) renders the wine suspicious, and may well drive the Reader upon the Poers Interrogatory,

In general this may be affirmed, that whoever shall trouble himself to read over all his works, titles, and all, may ehance at the conclusion to meet with a fate parallel to that same good Fellow's, who walking the streets early in a morning, found a Pacquet, curiously bound up, and seal'd, but having taken the labour to open the first paper of the bundle, he finds another, and another, and a fourth, fifth, and sixt paper, till at length he found in the midd'st of all, what think you my Masters? why, even (saving your presence) a Surreverence.

Then for his Margent, or Commentaries, Tom Farnaby ne­ver [Page 4] cramm'd Persius worse than he loads himself, Quotations, Statutes, figures, &c. which a man had better believe to be all as he sayes, than turn over so many volumes to disprove him: In a word, I am almost so foolish as to approve of his two con­ceits who resembled His Text, and Comment, to a Calve's head and Poartenance; or an Owle encircled with a multitude of lit­tle Birds.

But I beseech you Sirs! why Mr. Prynne no Parliament man this bout? why must he reply with Bacon's Brazen noddle, TIME WAS? why an excluded member? Are they not all Keepers of the Liberty? and does not hee assume to himself as much Liberty as any Freeman in England, or t'other two Na­tions? Truly all the reason that I hear of for it, is that which exalted him, January 30. 1637. meerly his tongue, and pen, the turbulencies of his language, and abuse of his excellent parts. The maintaining of a Paradox has been counted of old the gal­lantry of great Wits; but then, these Paradoxes were so quali­fied, that their Author's Iudgement might plainly appear to be clean different from what he therein argued for discourse sake. Certainly no man can be so farr besotted to suppose the offspring of his Invention (produc'd at first probably out of a frolique) to be in good sober sadnesse a truth, a reality, to be adhaered unto, admir'd, ador'd, that a man ought to prize it be­yond flesh and blood: I am so charitable to believe His first Essay, in this nature, was intended only for an experiment of His Parts, and Sophistry, however it comes to passe now that hee seems to make that his Faith, which was but once at best, Opi­nion: with the Melancholy Nobleman's Son who once acted the Beggar's part in a Comoedy, and ever after perswaded him­self to be in his whole life, what he had personated on the Stage for one hour. And now what better recreation in the intervals over a pot of ale, than to produce Mr. Prynn's Re­publican? what better sport than to hear Mr. Needham's Emis­saries to cry through the nose, Mr. William Prynn's Good Old Cause rightly stated, and the bad uncased, &c. All this while, the whole series of all his designs aiming at Authority, and the Pilots that sit at the Helm of State. But what are they that bark at the Moon? The busie fly makes many an attempt upon [Page 5] the candle, till at last his singed wings compel him to an inglo­rious retreat. The filth which a man spits at Heaven, com­monly lights on his own pale.

Mr. Camden tells a story concerning the antient Britons, that at their first plantation in Armorica, being forc'd to take wives of that Counrtry, they were no sooner married but they cut their wives Tongues out, to the end (sayes he) that their Children might not learn that Country language from their Mothers. A stratagem truly, very commendable: I am not so cruel to wish the like doom to our Lawyer, because 'tis his most necessary im­plement; but I could wish it restrain'd, and bridled, to pre­vent the hazard of our Childrens becomming as bad Shimei's as Himself.

A word or two in the Quakers tone; William Prynne, cease thy Scribling; Plague not the Presse with rallery any more; Obey the Magistrate; Murther not the Law; Maim not the Gospell; Cease to speak ill of the Powers above thee; Leave off thy reviling, evill speaking, thy factious, seditious spirit; Be humble, be lowly, lest a worse thing betide thee.

To conclude; I wish him a through conviction of his infir­mities, and such a one as may render them as odious to him­self, as they are to all the VVorld, of sober, moderate men. I wish him Repentance, and if he be incapable of that, I wish him once again a Pastboard Rongrace, to protect his beauty from ranning by the Sun-beams, when the State shall think fit.