ARTICLES OF High Treason Exhibited against CHEAP-SIDE CROSSE.

WITH The last WILL and TESTAMENT of the said CROSSE.

And certaine EPITAPHS upon her Tombe.

By R. OVERTON.

Newly Printed, and newly come forth; with his HOLINESSE Priviledge, to prevent false Copies.

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LONDON, Printed for R. Overton, 1642.

The Author to his Muse.

MY Muse scarce hatch'd erects her spiring eye,
And through the aire sees flocks of Muses fly;
And wanting Wings, shee skipt into this paper:
And after flyes, puft up with windy vaper:
But hasty Muse take this advice (I pray)
In this thy flight keep in the Middle way;
Fly not too high, for feare of scorching beames;
Nor yet too low, for feare of vvatery streams;
Thy vvings are paper, if thou dost aspire
Sols fiery throne, he'll set thy wings on fire,
To trident Neptune if thou dost descend,
He'l vvet thy vvings, and bring thee to thy end:
Thus to the Meane I leave thee: let none be
Offended at thy flight, nor yet at me.
R. O.

ARTICLES OF HIGH TREASON Exhibited against Cheape-side CROSSE, Dialogue-wise, Betwixt Master Papist a profest Catholike, and Master Newes a Temporiser.

Papist.
WHat Newes I pray thee, thou canst tell I know.
News.
You must go upright, and forget to bow,
The Crosse in Cheap-side it's ac­cus'd of Treason.
Pa.
O fie, thou speaks without all sense or Reason;
The Crosse accus'd of Treason! heavens forbid:
Sure 'tis accus'd of what it never did;
The Usurers bags thou mayst as well accuse,
And say they'r stuft with Traitors (M r. Newes)
[Page 2] The Cut-purse too, stands guilty of high Treason,
Who by his slightlets Traitors out of Prison.
What's free from Treason now: Oh dismall yeare!
The very Horne shrouds Traitors too I feare.
Alas poore Crisse-Crosse who would ere have thought,
Under the Horne a Traitor should been caught:
Hast thou fore-run the Alphabet of Art
So long, and now to act a Traitors part:
'Tis not thy part alone, theres others share,
And are arraign'd for Traitors at the Barre.
It's not enough those Reverend Fathers stand
Impeacht of Treason by so High an hand?
But this poore Crosse, whose glory hath erewhile
Grown big with honour through this famous Isle,
Should be condemn'd? oh what an age is here!
We shall be all prov'd Traitors now I feare.
But Master Newes, how comes this thing about, Is't not effected by the Rabble rout?
Ne.
Peace Sir, what now? the Rabble rout ye knave?
Tis Patience that brings Crosses to the grave.
Cheap-side with patience long hath borne the Crosse,
But now't must be disburthen'd of that drosse.
Pa.
What hath the Crosse committed, M r News,
That you and others should it thus abuse?
What harme doth it? do'st not adorn the City?
If't be accus'd of Treason mores the pity.
Ne.
What though Vox populi hath past this doome,
If you'll have Crosses, you must go to Rome.
Pa.
I need not Sir, what greater Crosse can fall,
If this fall down, we shall have Crosses all.
Crosse here, crosse there, we must resolve on losses,
Come what come will, we shall have store of Crosses.
But what's the Treason this blest monument
Is now attacht of by such joynt consent?
Ne.
[Page 3]
Ple tell you M r. Papist if you please
The Articles against it, they be these.
The ARTICLES.
  • IMprimis, That this Idolatrous Crosse hath most trai­terously gone about by her evill example, and by many and sundry suggestions, to seduce his Majesties liege Subjects from the true Protestant Religion, to the Romish Cathalike faith, to the utter subversion and ruine of the Kingdome by civill warre.
  • Item, That the said Babylonish Crosse hath traite­rously endeavoured to bring in the Popes supremacy, by in­stigating all the superstitious Crosses in this Kingdom, to joyn with her in that Iesuiticall designe.
  • Item, That this prophane Heretike hath most traite­rously introduced sundry and divers innovations into the Church, as, the Crosse in Baptisme, Images, Crucifixes, and the like.
  • Item, That this Romish popish Idoll, this Diaboli­call overtwhart hath most tratterously supported the por­tractures of Cardinals and Bishops, to the confirmation of popery, the countenancing and vindication of Traitors.
  • Item, That this Judaicall Tiburne hath most traite­rously gone about to crucifie the Author of Lambeth faire.
  • Item, That this huge great papisticall Image hath se­ditiously occasioned divers tumultuous insurrections, politi­ticall and Nationall disturbances, to the great overthrow of trading and Merchandary commerce.
  • Item, That this vilanous piece of superstition, this pestiferous Romish relique, under pretence of frightning the Divell out of the Market, hath brought the Divell or some Familiar spirit of knavery amongst them, to the chea­ting and undoing his Majesties poore subjects, their wives and children.
Ne.
[Page 4]
Thus M r. Papist you have heard the Bill
Whereof she stands accus'd against her will:
She is convicted and condemn'd of Treason,
And dye she must while Crosses are in season;
And I am sent here to declare her fate;
Then Crosse prepare, for thou must end thy date;
Vox populi hath doom'd thee to thy end,
They'll let thee live no longer to amend.
Then make thy Will to all the holy Tribe,
Here stands a Papist let him be thy Scribe.
At which sad Newes the Crosse began to shake,
And all the pictures there began to quake,
As if an Earthquake had possest the place,
Which made the Popes nose shatter from his face:
That Babels whore looks as she'd got the pox,
Then woe to him that next takes up her smock.
In this affright the Virgin lost her Crown.
Hands they flew off, and legs came tumbling downe.
The Crosier staffe was broke, which might have kept
His Holinesse from dogs, while he had slept.
The Pilgrims they were fit to step aside,
For on the Crosse they durst scarce there abide.
Such frightning terrour so possest the Beast
That nere an Image there could be at rest.
Yea 'twas so mighty it was thought by most
The forlorne Beast would then giv'n up the Ghost.
But after that the Crosse had paus'd a while,
Shee forc'd these words out with a scurvie smile.
Oh dismall doome, oh more accursed fate,
The Crosse in Cheap-side quite crost out of date!
And must I downe? tell him that passes by,
I liv'd a Crosse, and by a Crosse I dye.
Now holy Brother if you please to write,
My Will and Testaement, I'le thus indite.

The last will and Testament of Cheap-side Crosse.

IN the name of the Virgin Mary, and of his Holinesse, Amen. I, the Crosse in Cheap-side in London, profest Catholike; be­ing fore sick in body, but in p [...]rfect memorie, do m [...]ke my last Will and Testament, in manner and forme as followeth.

Imprimis, I do bequeath my Catholike ghost of consecration to him that gave it, my body to be buried in the divine Sanctum San­ctorum of S. Pauls, in full assurance to be Canoniz'd a Martyr, and for ever eterniz'd in his Holinesse Rubricks.

Item, I give and bequeath all the Lead that is about me, to the hostile Catholikes in Ireland, to make Bullets to confound that cur­sed crew of Heretikes.

Item, I bequeath the Miters that invest the sacred Temples of my Cardinals unto the Reverend Fathers the Bishops of this Land

Item, Their Crosier statics to the Catholike Shepheards of this Kingdome, for Sheephookes.

Item, I bequeath the Iron about me to make a Clapper for his Holinesse passing-bell.

Item, My poore Pilgrims that stand with their faces against all mind and Weather, I recomm [...]nd unto his Holinesse of Rome,to report the sad tydings of my most miserable and immature destru­ction.

Item, The gilt that is about me, and such other sacred Re­liques as my Executors shall think fit, to be sold next Lambeth Faire, for the discharge of my funerals.

Lastly, I constitute and ordaine the Graces of Canterbury and of Yorke, my Lawfull Executors for the administration of this my last Will and Testament.

Sealed and Delivered in the presence of &c. Dated, Anno ultimo Guilielmi.
The Crosse ✚ her mark.
This being done the Crosse set such a groane
Would pierc'd an heart that had beene made of stone.
Each Cardinall and Picture that was there,
To heare this sigh, gave up the Ghost for feare.
But the poore Pilgrims crampir'd by the back,
Withstood the storme, till that the Crosse did crack:
A second sigh the Crosse began to breath,
But sighing breath'd her last, and took her leave.
At which the Papist stood as one halfe dead,
And swore by th' Masse he'd rather lost his head.
But since it was so come to passe, he would
See her with honour brought unto the mould.
Which was perform'd in such a pompous glory,
That I want art for to expresse the story:
One thing except, and that I will reherse
Some Epitaphs which were pin'd to her Hearse.

Epitaphs upon the death of Cheap-side Crosse.

COme here all you that faine would learne to weepe,
And aske who's here, that in this tomb doth sleep,
You may receive an Answer, that will make
Your eye strings burst your heart to yearne and quake,
But must not be reveal'd, lest it bring in
A second Deluge on the world for sin.

ALIUD.

Sure Death and Hell do now conspire in one
T invent new torments for us when we'r gone,
For by-gone Ages thrown into the Dust,
Rest in their Graves, to shew the Grave is just.
But he that next shall here possession have,
He shall poore man find Crosses in the Grave.

ALIUD.

Here lies, I'le tell you if you please to know,
A certain thing where at men us'd to bow;
But Death hath bowd it (that unhappy Knave)
And sent it for a Token to the Grave.

The AUTHOR to his Muse.

REturne my Muse, perchance thou wast too blame,
But if thou beest crave pardon for the same.
Pardon shee craves for this presumptuous flight,
It she offend, she'll vanish out of sight.

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