THe Officers of the Army propound (but it is admirable with what face they can do it) that so much and so much should be allow­ed to the late Protector and his Mother, because of the deserts of old Oliver. Certainly the Gentlemen are in jest, or else they partake highly with the said Oliver, his bad intentions, and therefore judge him meritorious lest they should condemn them­selves. What has he deserved, that pul'd down the King, and enthron'd himself, and ruled over the people with a rod of iron? His late ambitions o­ver-plainly shew the hypocrisie of his first actings. And the Parliament had more need to save the mo­ney propounded by the Officers, to pay the com­mon Souldiers, and other great Debts the Nation is engaged in, by the wild ambitions of the old Pro­tector, then needlesly to throw the same away up­on those that have enough of their own to live ho­nourably and comfortably upon.

Yet if the Parliament shall in their wisedome think fit to give some honourable Pension to the Son (and Mother for his sake) I hope it shall be as a reward of his own Virtues, his modesty, true se­renity, gentle and manly deportment; and not as a [Page 2]sacrifice to the Insolence, Turbulence, and Boyste­rous usurpations, and Jehu-like proceedings of his Father. To reward the Virtues of the Son, may be of good use to posterity; but to palliate the Vices and Enormities of the Father, will be perni­cious, and an encouragement to the next person that shall have the ambition and opportunity, to in vade the Commonwealth, and Caesar-like to crow over his Masters.

Yet the truth of it is, since the Parliament, con­trary to the wounted Policy of all Common-wealths, did continue one man so long General, and thereby thrust him into temptations which he was not able to bear, he is the more excusable as to his memory, and they the less to be pityed for their interruption. And it is to be hoped they will never again continue any one man long in the command of the Army, unless they intend he shall command them out of doors, as their Caesar did.

And if they shall be tempted (which God for­bid) for the continuance of their own Session, to comply with the chief Sword-man, to perpetuate him in his Command, upon condition he shall continue them for ever sitting; it were to be wished they would please to remember, how ill such Policy has formerly succeeded.

And now being loath to harp any longer upon these not so tunable strings, I shall observe to the Reader the happiness of a Commonwealth, even in this one instance of the liberty of Printing; that our mouths are open. For it suits not with the [Page 3]Interest not with the Magnanimity of a true Commonwealth to stop the Press. This is a thing for the petty and pedling way of Princes, that are afraid of every thing, and whose ravenous Hang­by's must screw money out of the Weekly Intelli­gence, and all mouths must be stopped save only one or two that shall play the Sycophants so far, as to nauseate every ingenous Reader. And let me tell you, Country-men, That when ever you see a restriction upon the Press, then know that your hoped for Commonwealth is taking its leave, and base selfish designs and interests are getting head again. The liberty of Printing, as it satisfies the impulse of the spirit of those that write, and con­tents the Reader, and puts him in hopes and thoughts that we are free men, because our mouths are not stopped: so it may (if they please) give great light to the Parliament all along; yea, greater light then any they can receive from those who speak only pleasing things for their own ad­vantage, to get into places of trust and employ­ment, &c. And indeed ever since the Abolition of Kingship, the Nation has enjoyed divers effects of freedom. Mens wits have budded forth with new Inventions in all Arts and Sciences, even to admi­ration. Whereas in the times of the Kings, mens souls were made like Mill-horses to go round in a certain path of book-knowledge, which the Bishops and their Confederates in the Universities had tracked out under the name of Orthodoxism, not only in Religion, but in all other knowledge; which tended to benum and stupifie the Wits of the Na­tion, [Page 4]and to hinder them from seeking into any thing farther, or getting more light; that so they might not discover the works of darkness of the u­surping Prince and Parasitical Prelates. Since the removal of Kingship and Episcopacy, the wits of this Nation have been rouzed as it were out of a Lethargy: which may be seen in a world of new in­ventions communicated by the Press, and a world of accommodations in the Commonwealth, which mens wits set at liberty have found out for their own profit, and mutual accommodation one of another. And indeed, my soul was tormented within me to see the Nation returning under the late Protector, to blockishness & brutish adoration of men, and forms, and methods, and to be ready to receive the paltrie, but princely shackles of Ortho­doxism in all kinds of knowledge, to fetter and en­slave their wits, and to put a non-plus ultra to all fu­ture Inventions. But I hope the great God of light, and all useful liberty, has once again broken the Bands of darkness that were in fastening about the Understandings of the people of this Nation; and that he will cause Light so to increase, that all the lovers of deeds of darkness may be ashamed, and either repent, or at least finde no opportunity to shroud their ugly self-seeking practices from the eyes of the people of this Commonwealth; but that they will be forced to turn honest in despight of their great noses, or any other sumptoms of the Fox, for fear of being uncas'd in their Craft: and that after they have been honest a while perforce, [Page 5]they will find so much sweetness, honour, comfort of Conscience, quietness of spirit, health of Bones, and length of life attending upon the waies of honesty, which is the only true wisdom (and the rest falsly called wisdome, but jugling knavery, and stinking fox-like shuffling) that they will blesse God for that juncture of affairs which brought them into such a condition, (which is an heaven up­on earth) and ever after abhor all Legerdemain, and profess and practise that sincerity, which only be­comes a true man.

And for their encouragement, let them remem­ber, that if the old Protector had not been so much a Fox, he might in all probability have lived now a Man in great favour and power, and General of the Armies of the Commonwealth of England; whereas craftily, but not wisely, catching at a sha­dow, and enamoured of those baubles he some­times scorned, (viz. the Mace, &c.) he lost his peace, tranquillity, health, comfort, applause of his own Conscience, of God and Angels, and sincere men, to find the empty blandishments of servile Parasites, vaine pageantry, trouble of mind, and un­timely death in great disquiet of soul and spirit.