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book_n	great_a	see_v	word_n	2,798	5	3.6685	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79495	A remonstrance to the valiant and well deserving souldier, and the rest of the creditors of the common-vvealth; concerning the publique-faith souldiers arrears, and other publique debts of the nation. Written by Samuel Chidley, solicitor for the payment thereof till the time of the dissolution of the late Parliament, April 20. 1653.	Chidley, Samuel.	1653 (1653)	Wing C3841; Thomason E692_5; ESTC R206990	8,416	16

waiting on them were put to much difficulty to keep some of the Committee together whilst they fetcht more And when they had brought them in then sometimes the first would slip away pretending other business Many a weary step have some of them taken to finde them out in their nooks and crooks with lanthorn and candle light have they been sought by night and by day have they been followed whether Frost or Snow Wet or Dry 't was all one The necessicies of the people were such that they could admit of no delay Their patience was used and also abused with much ado were they perswaded to hold it fast without using violence to the violators of their promises but that the Solicitor for the publike Faith pacified them with his constant attendance and great patience for experience sake to see the end of their many Orders promises and fair speeches which most deceived the people and did the greatest injury as is thought by some who admired at the patience of others but Solomon saith Better is the end of a thing then the beginning of a thing and the patient in spirit is better the preud in spirit But though it was more difficult to get a Committee together to do us any good then to hale five Bears to a stake yet we had Committees divers times through much industry and importunity but when they came they did little or nothing but trifle and spin out the precious time and took upon them to amend the Bill when the House pressed no such thing in their Orders but only for the names of the Commissioners And they razed out such lines which most savoured of honesty and tended best to the satisfaction of the people that the Act might begin with these words Be it Enacted without expressing a ground for it so making as if the Parliament were to rule by their own Wills and not like the best law makers to render a Reason for the Laws they make whereby the people should be informed and have some ground work to obey through love as well as serve in fear And when the Committee mer and altered a few lines they thought they had made a large progress in it enough for a whole week a line or two to be mended was well the week following another day to mend a word or two was something at another meeting to change or alter a letter was good But all was as good as nothing what catches and snatches was at it one while they were of one mind at another meeting of a contrary opinion doing and undoing playing fast and loose as if they had a mind to undoe the Creditors of the Commonwealth and had agreed together to weary them out and keep the Solicitors for the Publike Faith to serve apprentiships to follow their footsteps in their delatory proceedings And when the business depended before the House much adoe there was to get any thing done to good purpose for they resolved to pass Acts for Delinquents Estates upon doubling and do other things that might prove as spoaks in our carriages and thereby strike off the Chariot-wheels of that gallant Bill depending before them and lying now in the Speakers Box for general satisfaction of the debts of the Nation relief of the poor and other Publike uses in order to the easing of the people which they read 30. Novemb. and by several Orders Ordered it be read againe the second time the first business and nothing to interveen the first business and nothing to intervene yet they never did it first nor last when they could they would not and now if they would they cannot God hath removed them and now I find the words of understanding men to be true which they have often spake at the Bell-savage and elsewhere which I desired might have proved otherwise That the work which I had in hand was too good too great for God to honor this Parliament with And whereof I did admonish them in my printed books which I delivered at the Parliament door But I thought I would never give over till I saw the utmost of it believing the words of the wise would prove true He that being often reproved and hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy For I had a designe in it for God and for the reputation of the Nation beyond the satisfaction of a thousand men who under their hands entrusted me to act and manage their business for them But the Parliament still pretended other weighty business and that something else must be done before and to say the truth they sate so little a while together but three hours in a day and four dayes in a week that is twelve hours in a week but a dayes work at the most but fifty two dayes in a yeer that they could not do much good for the Nation so that justice at the most came by drops and did not run down as it ought like a mighty stream And how was it possible for weighty matters to be well done and dispatcht when there was so much time spent in idleness between And by Calculation they have not sate of this thirteen yeers the space of three for twelve hours in seven dayes is but according to one yeer in seven yeers Therefore the Triennial Parliament upon this account would not have ended their three yeers sitting till the time of three Apprentiships were compleat and fully ended The Appendix YOu welaffected and valiant Souldiers that have born the burden and heat of the day You bear not the Sword for nought And you that have lent Money Plate or other useful materials for the Commonwealth do not repent your bargain You welaffected Creditors of the late King c. The right Successors must pay their Predecessors lawful debts And you that have been plundered by the late Kings party and lost upon the publick account The Parliament gain'd when you lost and now their losse is like to be your gain I suppose many of you are not unacquanted with the Parliaments propositions promises and invitations in their many Declarations when they were in distress and fear they promised very solemnly that they would be willing and ready upon all occasions to assist and protect all those that were imployed in the service of the Commonwealth in the Battle at Edge-hill with their lives and fortunes to the utmost of their power and ordered the same to be recorded in Parliament Book declar pag. 744. The 29 Sept. 1642. They promised that the lenders upon the publick faith should be repaid their mony with interest at 8. per cent and should be taken into consideration for a further recompense for their forwardness Jan. 7. following they acknowledged the peoples forwardness and promised to be as careful of their safety welfare and reimbursment with interest accordingly as of their owne The 30 of Jan. 1643. they declared that those who have the publick faith engaged to them for their security and have been faithful and so continue should be publickly considered their losses fully repayed and such persons regarded and honourably rewarded and not slighted or neglected but one way or other should be remembred to their owne honour and good of their posterity and that the Delinquents Estates should be imployed for payment of publick debts relieving of the common burthens and repayring particular losses Theys have promised to Order the revenue in such a way that the publick charge might be defrayed the Souldiers pay justly and duly setled and the debts of the Commonwealth satisfied and to remove all grievances and oppressions of the people and to establ●●● peace and righteousness in the land and this they say they declare not in word onely but really and speedily they intend to effect and accordingly they expected Gods blessings on their proceedings What could they say more then they said or what could they do less then they did in pursuance of what they promised What incouragements was there upon their promises and what a multitude of discouragements in driving them to performance thereof They made the people feed upon the ●in●e and follow after the east-winde and fed them with the bread of tears and gave them vinegar and gall to drinke and made them live in misery and dye in distress crying to God agaist them in the bitterness of their souls While I was your solicitor at the Parliament-door I learned experience and was more acquainted with the sorrows and grievances of the Nation then before and sympathized with the peoples afflictions And who was more sensible thereof then my self How many have come to me with sighs and groans in their spirits and tears flowing from their eyes enough to melt the stoutest heart unless he were without all sense of humanity In my Parliamentary pilgrimage I saw so many objects of misery and to me they made their mournful applications and pitiful complaints which caused me to expostulate with my self in my minde at the Parliament Am I the messenger of tears travelling as it were in the valley of Megiddon between the high and shady rocks of Adamant inhabited with Satyrs under the sable clouds of affliction And must I be laden with bottles of precious tears in evil times times of war in mourning times in such times wherein one man ruleth over another to his hurt Then said I to Laughter Thou art mad and to Mirth what doth it For the red ●o●e of war prevaileth and peace is taken from the earth and the chambers of the world are hang'd with discontent Nevertheless I was resolved not to fear though the mountains should be moved in the midst of the seas But I wished for some man like Job who sate as a King in the Army to search out the cause he knoweth not and pluck the prey out of the jaws of the wicked to relieve the fatherless and make the heart of the widow to sing for joy This is the Nations expectation And although my desire is not fully accomplished yet to that man or those men whom God raiseth up to be the Supreme Authority of the Nation I shall make my application upon their declaration or manifestation and rest Your friend and Procurator to his power Samuel Chidley Belsavage April 22. 1653. GOD Grant Repentance to our Enemies GOD Give Salvation to the holy Separated Church GOD Preserve the peace of the Commonwealth of England Amen FINIS

they altogether broke the yoak of their Engagements and burst the bonds of their Promises which they se● appointed and made to the Creditors of the Common-wealth puting them off with Orders from day to day from week to week from one fortnight to another from month to month yea and we may say from year to year for by their Order in January 1652. they faced about as they were in Ianuary 1651. as may appear by the books left in the Parliament House So did they make the poor Publique Faith to go round like a horse in a Mill and thereby ground the faces of the Poor and stopt their eares at their cry Oftentimes have they been earnestly desired to make no further delay but to ascertain and satisfie the said Debts by Discoveries Cathedrals and other Particulars according to their own Orders and Acts read in the House and several times by themselves appointed to be read again Therefore the Creditors did make it their humble Request that the same might be done without fail and have a free and speedy passage as adjudging it to be both honourable and advantagious to the Common-Wealth and much tending to the glory of God and the just equal and orderly satisfaction of the many Thousands of their well-affected Creditors who drew out their Souls for Good in times of publike and general calamities and for whose relief reparation and just satisfaction the Parliament would have been more forward if they had loved the Common-Wealth better and preferred the Publique good before their private self-interest And although it concerned them in an especial manner to vindicate the credit and reputation of the Publike Faith to succeeding Parliaments that after ages in cases of eminent danger extreme necessity might not startle at the engagement upon the Publike Faith of the Commonwealth of England but respect credit look upon it as the most substantial security in the world Yet they pretended other business intervening that they could not dispatch this business of great importance al●hough they oftentimes ordered it to be done the first business yea and nothing to intervene and entred the same in their Books which were daily before them in the House yet neither their own words de die in diem and Orders to make speed in the business would drive them nor the excessive pains of the Solicitors for the Publike Faith draw them nor the multiplicity of their promises and engagements in conscie●ce oblige them nor the cries of the poor following them in the streets and at the Parliament-doors terrifie them nor the fair speeches of their cordial and bosome-friends woo them nor the extreme necessities of the Creditors compassionately move them nor their own Honour which lay at the stake rationally perswade them to be true and faithful in their promises to the Creditors of the Commonwealth of England but they like men of high degree not being as good as their words but breaking their own Orders Promises Engagements from time to time as if the just God had given them up to hardness of heart and the selfish cares of the world choaked them and covetous thoughts stupified their senses and made them like men bewitched with their own fancies both sensless and shameless Therefore the poor people were put to a stand not knowing what was the matter for they were more and more distressed and their Solicitors spent their precious time in fruitless attendance for they saw there was little good to be expected without great pains and importunare sollicitations a whole yeer for that which might be done in a day because there was no good settlement nor a total removal of corrupt Lawyers and other mercenary self-seekers out of the House who were the prime obstructors of the Act for the ascertaining and satisfying of the debts of the Nation and were averse to all discoveries which should be made for the benefit of the Commonwealth saying Tush they will come to nothing as if they feared lest themselves or some of their relations should be called to account concerning the Publike Revenue although they had passed the Act of Oblivion And the pretences of such corrupt men in great places being foreseen by the well-affected divers fair Proposals were made and presented to the Committee of Parliament for matters of great importance with the engagement of the undertakers tending to the full and speedy satisfaction of the debts of the Nation to be satisfied out of Delinquents estates undisposed of and not remitted in the Act of General Pardon and Oblivion And all the concealed estates of the late King Queen and Prince Bishops Deans Deans and Chapters Prebends c. and All moneys in Treasurers and Collectors hands which they have not yet accounted for but concealed from the Commonwealth And every particular mans just right and legal interest preserved and industry considered the Mynes Forests and Waste lands and other particulars justly belonging to the Commonwealth and of little or no use or benefit to the State as the Popish Cathedrals were proposed for the satisfaction of the publike Debts And by the Order of the House April 27. 1652. the aforesaid Committee was appointed to sit in the Court of Wards to receive Proposals for the Publike Faith and according to the appointment of the Chair-man of the Committee the Undertakers which were Thomas Pride Dennis Gourdaine Daniel Norman Francis Finch Francis Bloomer Roger Smith Thomas Sherman Robert Mallory Clement Oxenbridge Esquires William Allen Hoogan Hovel and Praise Barbone Citizens of London had notice given them to meet in the Court of Wards and accordingly coming there where they sate in Committee upon the business there they owned the Engagement which they subscribed and undertook in relation to the satisfaction of the debts of Nation to manage the business and disburse all sums of money requisite for all incident charges whatsoever thereunto belonging provided they might be reimbursed out of the discoveries for the undertaking of which worthy work they deserve to be had in perpetual remembrance For whose encouragement divers other Gentlemen of good rank and quality engaged to disburse one moyety for promotion of so good a work and to be reimbursed with them and to take the security of the aforesaid Undertakers for the same The engagement of the Undertakers and Proposals being received by Order of the House it was expected that the Committee would have made a speedy progress and that the House would make an Act to impower the said Undertakers accordingly for ascertaining and satisfying of the Publike debts according to the former Proposals But contrary to expectation the Committee took no care of this weighty business of the Commonwealth neither could they be got together without great difficulty at the times and places appointed by the House for one or other would be still wanting and when there was a full number for a Committee the Chair-man would be absent and they would not appoint another in his room and people in