The MAIDS Petition. To the Honourable Members of both Houses. OR The Humble PETITION of many Thousands of the well-affected, within and without the lines of Communication, Virgins, Maids, and other young Women not married, &c. And in the behalf of the whole Kingdome, for their lawfull dayes of Recreation. With their Declaration, to hold out stifly and to comply with the Apprentices or others for their tollerable Tolleration.
Presented on Tuesday the 9, of August the 2d. Recreation day for Apprentices, 1647.
LONDON, Printed for AL, in the yeer of Englands freedome and Liberty, 1647.
The MAYDS Petition.
WEe the Mayd-servants in generall of the City of London, & in behalfe of the universall sisterhood of the same servitudinous ranke and quality; beeing fellow-feelers of the like underlying condition (not meaning the naturall posture in reference to wedlock, which is very tolerable) but that uncessant drudgery essentially relating our too much kitting occupation or family function by reason of the uncontrolable impositions of our surly Madams; who in despite to all bodily respite, will perpetually enjoyn sencelesse and fruitlesse motions without intermission. Upon these and the like considerations and to avoid all strodling or stragling intentions or actions, on dayes consecrate:) Humbly prostrate our selves to the honourable members of both houses, in the way of Petitionin for a comformity of Recreation with the Apprentises, which doth appeare very modest, for although their indentures do engage them to stand longer upon constant duty to one particular Master, yet things happen in so that upon the point we oftentimes lye longer under odde services in respect of diverse Mistrisses, likewise the primary priviledge of rationall creatures is to be sociable, being great a benefit to reason, therefore great reason that wee should have this benefit; Which we professe cannot be attained without [Page 2] the egresse and regresse one with each other, not meaning the Convinticle confinement of in and in: harmelesse love is multiplyed by communion, and scornes limitation, being of a diffusive more then an infusive nature: therefore our desire is, to shut up out Kitching doores from eight in the morning, till eight at night, every second Tuesday in the moneth, unlesse some extraordinary busines happen (betwixt) to keep them open: (if so to enjoy an equivalent and Consciencious liberty another day, but our City dames are so nice that they will put in any thing for an exception, and in case of rainy weather, they may detain us: therefore we petition the members that we may not be thus handled, but that they will be pleased absolutely to inact what they intend (onely) (except before excepted) and so much the rather, because of the additionall foul weather that we shall have at home, likewise the lowring of a scold is worse then the lowring of a skie. Therefore let it raine, haile, snow, or blow never so fast; we would have leave, at our discretion to take up our coats, and steere our course as we please, and if vegetable creatures cannot blossom without watry distillation, how can sensible, both proceeding from the earth. These being granted, we do engage our selves under penalty of being committed with or by any Iustice of the Peace, to abandon all uncivil meetings, to speake or do all things modestly, by talking or walking by couples, not committing any unnaturall or unlawfull exploit by way of ryot, beeing a threefold mischiefe, drinking no more then will satisfie nature, by way of sypping, abhorring that staggering [Page 3] vice of Drunkenesse, which argues so much bodily weaknesse: To which stream of iniquity we may be a convenient stop, to dam up there overflowing cupping with importune and opportune interpositions; likewise, we may so qualifie their Recreations that they will bee altogether indisposed to play longer then from eight in the morning to eight at night, either at Cards, Dice, or Bowles: Wee may bee such a rub in the way, but least wee should not hold Byas with our Mistrisses, wee will hold our tongues, humbly craving, that you would at length bee pleased to stand to what wee so reasonably desire: Till then, wee'le remaine your Vassalized Virgins.
The Maids Declaration.
WEe the subordinate subjects of this Commonwealth, doe declare our selves (by reason of the Epidemicall difference) to joyne with the Apprentices of the City of London, not by way of combinatory siding, but down-right honestly intending the increase of the City force, approving their locking in the Members untill they made themselves voyd: By way of nulling the Proclamation of Treason, which was meerly ravisht from the Armifyed Parliament: The same ravishment being taken into serious consideration, doth justly put Us into a bodily feare, beeing the weaker vessels & therefore the more subject to an arbitrary leake, which is below the degree of an Ammunition: Whereupon to prevent all hostile incursion, the Apprentices shall freely enter us by way of listing, and if they doe advance (which wee hope will never be beyond the line of Communication) wee shall bee vilely troubled to secure our forts from the multitude of Tub-preachers, who will never bee out of exercise, and doubtlesse the Coblers of single-soled Consciences, which they call tender, with their independant pumps on: Meaning liberty will eyer bee skipping into our Trenches; who being of an upright Occupation, may underlay Us at last. Patience the Taylor will goe nigh to make us mad with his Heriticall Thimble. Bat the foule purblind Coxcombe will never leave fluttering about our sconces [Page 5] in the way of a Spy. Pricheares the Wyerdra [...]er, who was formerly frighted out of Foster lane by the spirit of a Pudding-pye, will tempt us to a surrender with his stiffe-standing Longitudes. Bulcher the Chicking man with his newly hatch Errors will documentise our Bulwarks alive or dead. Humble the Hostler, with his scrubbing titillations will seeke to undermine. Wyat the Prick-louse, will nittifie our Corps with the small shot of reproofe; the Millenary, may threaten to bee a thousand strong: But not this yeare the slye Anabaptist must needs pretend Dipping, and so sneake privily into us to Cast our water, that hee may know where our strength lies: Not unlike the late mundifying of our late Members, this fellow and a Jesuite are the Divels quacksalvers. The innocent Adamite, though hee be stript of all offensive Stratagems, yet he is ever prepared to beat up our quarters, and having naked truth, for his Standard will often bee ready to enter our sensative out-workes, yet the rogue quickly spends his Ammunition, carrying but one charge at a time, therefore we feare not his encounter. The Seekers may disturbe our night watch beeing ever groping in the darke, but their weake judgements will reach no further. The Brownist may come flourishing with his new Creed and trusty colour: thinking to ravish our beliefe by way of Articles, but wee bid defyance to all treaty. And in spight of the Antipolicall crew of them, according to our feminine faculty, wee will keep them at a distanticall posture, vowing a Mayden magnimity in opposition to all Convernicling conjugation, sostanding a tiptoe [Page 6] upon the conscientious liberty of our unvassalized Virginity wee here unanimously Vote with our fore-runners, for King Charles his comming home and residence with his Parliament, being free and unarmifyed as the onely conclusive meanes against fictions and factions, our flesh and bloud cannot endure, base by attempts, therefore stand to it fellow doers and sufferers.
Wee will live and dye, stand and fall with you and for you.