when my body is by famine spent And all these woes the more t' augment our Curse Are but sad Prologues to an Act that 's worse Yet though our woes be great and still increase We 're not desirous nor prepar'd for peace But so bewitched with their fawning knavery We bind our selves to an eternall slavery For if that any peacefull Treaties are Those mannage them that have begun the war And how unlikely is 't it should succeed When Malefactors judge and Traytors plead CHAP. XVII THe loyall Subjects mourn and grieve to see The Realm destroy it selfe by policie To prevent ruine and will be as far From blowing as from kindling this our war Not out of cowardise or fear to die But they desire to have a reason why This Realm is not better preserv'd by peace Then by such ruine-bringing wars as these They see no cause so great why 't was begun As now they doe why it should soon be done They love the King in earnest and believe His presence doth a perfect essence give To Parliaments which though they don't adore They duly honour and do wish for more Though not for such and they think them to be If right the Kingdomes sole felicity They think them not omnipotent but be Men Subjects prone to err as well as we They love Religion and don't hold it fit To have it alter'd by each Cockscombs wit They would not have it puppeted with showes Nor rudely stript start naked of its Cloths As if there were no better way to cure A Lethargy but with a Calenture The Surplice which so much is rail'd upon And term'd by some the Whore of Babilon Wise men will not believe 't is so or wer 't Whores smocks will serve to make a Rogue a shirt Or if whores do weare smocks we do not know Why honest people should not weare some too It is not zeale of those that rob us of it But 'cause 't was whorish therefore they do love it Oft Preaching is not counted an offence Least Treason and Sedition flow from thence For it is known they that do Faction teach May what d'ee call 't but neither pray nor preach Good Preachers are as contrary to these As is our Zenith to th' Antipodes Those like not peace that go about to draw The Gospell from agreement with the Law And would have so much difference betwixt These two as 'tween their Doctrine and their Text 'T is our desire to make them friends againe That so the Gospell may the Law maintaine They are though two one Word and should agree As their two Authors in one unitie We hate Court-lazy-Clergy and withall The new State-Levites too pragmaticall We pray for peace the Physick of our Nation Not sprung from Warr but from Accomodation CHAP. XVIII WHy then you tott'ring Bases of our Land Who at this wave-tost Kingdomes Sterne doe stand Why did you first begin why do you still With all your force strive to prolong our ill Can't all our sad Petitions can our charmes Of people groaning under the Alarmes of bloodie broiles nor slaughter'd Subjects cries Move you to end our endlesse miseries Sheath up your Swords and let your quarrells cease Or drown themselves in a desired peace The King and State are individuall And both must needs decay if one do fall They 're like the twins of old Hypocrates Both live together both together cease And what a glorious triumph 't is to see Both Prince and People kisse in Unitie Our God is all-sufficient and as far In peace he 's to be trusted as in war He can as well wisdome bestow and skill To treat as pow'r to fight and as he will Both have successe 'T is man-like to contest By disputation force is for a Beast Those that do save a State from perishing Do truly love the Kingdome and the King And as much honour will to those accrue That save a Kingdome as that gaine a new You that are call'd divine nay Gods why then Do you degenerate to worse then men And have no share of what should in you be The chief of Attributes just Clemency Is 't not as great a glory to forget An injury as take revenge for it The injur'd Subject would be glad to heare That mutuall love might triumph over feare What if we have been injur'd heretofore Must we to help us make our wrongs the more If we were wet before shall we desire No remedy but a consuming fire And can there be no temperate Region knowne Betwixt the Frigid and the Torrid-Zone War is a pleasant Theme to those that do Not what it is nor what it bringeth know But they will get as much that first began These broiles as he that ploughs the Ocean Nothing but stormy Billowes War 's a Play Which both the Stage and Actors will destroy 'T is like an Estridge hot and can digest Men that are valiant men of Iron brest VVould you 've Religion 't is no godly course To write upon mens consciences by force Faith is destroy'd and Love that cemented The Head and Members now from both is fled VVhere 's then our hope God did not hold it good That hands which had bathed themselves in blood Though in a lawfull war should ever build A Temple to his name mens braines are fill'd With Faction so that all who lent a hand To uncreate Religion which did stand Established by Law now each is left To his own fancy how he please to hav 't Now here will be no Church each pate will be A Crosse to Christ a second Calvarie Nor can the earth bring any fruit that 's good When it is dung'd with its own Childrens blood But how melodiously the accents sound Of Peace when full-chapt plenty does rebound And answer like an Eccho Peace is the Nurse of Truth the strength of Lawes Law Truth and Peace are all Synonoma's This is the good mans darling from this springs The wealth of Subjects and the grace of Kings CHAP XIX BUt an unbias'd reason may suppose Which side by th' Sword does prove victorious Will so insult o're his inslaved foe That whatsoever does but make a show Of leaning to 't though in it selfe most good Will without Law or Reason be withstood Which side soe're doth rise by to'thers fall Will still remain too great and that too small And such a victory it selfe will be A greater war a longer miserie For should the King prevail 't is to be fear'd We justly are from Parliaments cashier'd And without those what can we look for lesse Then an untrue or else a slavish peace So while we pole away his naturall power He 's periwig'd with greater then before 'T is the best conquest when the Prince is Lord Of 's peoples hearts by love not by the Sword For what 's the King with a full pow'r to sway When there are left no Subjects to obey And if the war to th' States a conquest brings Have at Prerogatives and pow'r of Kings For
a poison both to Church and State New Lords create new Lawes one brings a branch From Amsterdam some to new England lanch To Scotland Rome Judea Turky some Some to Geneva Back agen they come Fraught with Religions new of each a feather All in a Chaos bundled up together Which makes our Church all particolour'd show Like Iosephs coat or Aesops theevish Crow A Pantheon of Religions Mean time our guiltlesse prayers which have stood Writ in the Characters of Martyrs blood The grace of Christian Churches the delight Of God and godly men are conjur'd quite Out of the Church b' extemporary stuffe Which though three houres yet are not long enougâ— To reach to heav'n And though their non-sence dâ— Gore at the Clouds yet never shall come there By these extremes Religion 's from us flowne And our one Church growes many therefore none CHAP. VII BUt Church State being Twins and none can The one but straight the other falls with it The Court that should a Sanctuary be To vertue and the Bourse of Pietie The throne of Justice and excell in right As 't did in state in dignity and might Became th' Asylum of Ambition Envy and fraud where vice doth tread upon O'reswayed vertue and doth seem to be Vertue it selfe vail'd o're by pollicie Injurious persons of all sorts resort As to the hornes o' th' Altar to the Court CHAP. VIII THe Laws themselves grew Lawlesse and the Tribes O' th' Gown entayl'd their consciences for bribes Like cobwebs Laws the lesser flies entrap But great ones might breake thorow and escape They were no more defence but grew to be A legall violence licenc'd injurie Courts were call'd Courts of Justice but it is Because there 's none there by Antiphrasis The ambidextrous Judges brib'd rebrib'd And lesser gifts to greater still subscrib'd Queen-money made and un-made all decrees And Justice grew adulterate for fees It had a balance but so falsifi'd That it inclin'd still to the weightiest side If bribes did plead they must needs grant the Sute For gifts have pow'r to move although they 're mute They had got pearles within their eyes that so They scarce the truth from injury did know Instead of Judges Pride Oppression Fraud Injustice violence the Bench invade Justice the junior Judge sate like a block Or puisne Baron but to tell the clock What ere the cause be whether bad or good It must be felt ere heard or understood CHAP. IX THe under-Foggers with their dagled gownes Like Sampsons foxes tailes inflame the Townes Make Suits as Conjurers raise winds and why That they might lay the same and get thereby They did intaile their Clients and their Suit From Terme to Terme and every Term renew't Till the poore Client had no Suit but that And starvâ—d his purse to make their pouches fat How slenderly a Cause is spun when 't is Bandy'd between Clotho and Lachesis They must annoint their jawes with bribes or els Their venall tongue nor truth nor falshood tells Their tongues Angelicall their consciences Strung to their Clyents purse where no pence is The Clyent is discharged of his pain Till to his cost he do recruit again They hoise their Fees 'bove Statute Law or task As if 't were Law to pay what they did ask Whose cheverle-Consciences stretch'd far and wide And they still wore them on the wrongest side Yet these dunce-Deskmen to such wealth did rise Their State nobilitates their families Who ere began a Suit theyl'd draw them on To the third and fourth Generation As if th' were tenants in Fee-simple to them And they had power by degrees t' undo them They can't a Cause for one year calculate Like Erra Pater 't was nere out of date So he that hath bin wrong'd and comes to these For help 's like one that leaps into the Seas To 'scape a storm or like the sheep that goes To a bush for shelter from the cold and lose His wooll and so by that is render'd more Unable to indure it then before For so much cost and trouble there is in it That the poor Clyent when he did begin it Though he should have the best on 't he were better Be overthrown and would be greater getter What an eternall Term on 't will they hold When Causes come wrapt in a showre of gold There 's no Vacation then Like mastiffs they Destroy the Wolves because they mean to slay Or fleece the flocks themselves The other twin That did run round i' th Zodiack of sin CHAP. X. WEre spirituall Courtiers these were more sublim'd In their injurious cunning and they climb'd To a diviner stile what ere they do Though ne're so wrong was Law and Gospell too Each Proctor at his pleasure could derive T' himselfe the Churches pow'r legislative Who not appeares or is behind in Fees The Church must whensoere the Sumners please Excommunicate give up to Satan till God gives him grace to pay his Lawyers Bill Bawdry was bought and sold and for a Fee Men might have licence for their lecherie â—f any had offended th' only curse Was the dear penance of an empty purse And for a yearly custome an old Bawd Might have a Patent to set up the trade Upon the Sabbath they allow'd to play But if one wrought upon a Holy-day Oh 't was a crime that nought could expiate But the large bribing of an Advocate He 's in a wretched case each Christian knowes That has no better Advocate then those CHAP. XI THe Gallenists those Factors for our health Were so infected with this love of wealth That generally our wounds and all diseases Were slight or mortall as the Doctor pleases And all our maladies were ever dated By th' purses strength as if th' were calculated For all nativities what ere they be The purse is still purg'd by Phlebotomie The poor's incurable the rich must have An endlesse gowt in 's joynts that wiâ—l not leave Till all the money from the purse be done Then he that could not go before can run Besides those Quacks that strumpet to each slave For a small price that smaller art they have Who without Judge or Jury basely kill More then they cure to exercise their skill Who need no plague but their own ignorance Accompani'd with their Arts masters wants The State-Physitians more perverse then these Cur'd bad diseases with worse remedies For sicknesses do usually fall On Bodies politick like naturall These prov'd right Empricks and without all doubt Wrought the States end to bring their own about For most that seem'd to be the Kingdomes friends Tipt publique Justice still with privat ends These made the three Professions of the Gown That were the grace the odium of the Town CHAP. XII THe spring being thus corrupt the streames can be Nothing but currents of impuritie From this red Sea of sin a crew there came Differing in nought from Locusts but in name Monopolists that Priest-like had a share In every trade but more then Tythes
Cedars and their drops from high Made th' poor like under-woods to starve and die That in what place we saw so many poor Some great man liv'd not farr we might be sure Now these that so imperiously did awe When they perceiv'd men did not care a straw For their commands but that the shrub began To be as stately as the Gentleman Then they though not for conscience sake oppose Them that t' infringe the Kingly pow'r arose The truly noble Heroes for there be Two contrarieties in each degree Are by the blindfold people made to beare In suffering though not in sin a share For when the vulgar to be Judges come Then all must suffer for the fault of some They quickly saw when the bold Subject dares Usurp Kings Rights 't is time to look to theirs The vulgar knowing little but b'ing led By th' Priests or Gentry joyn to make a head Each as his phansie leads him Some ambidextrous villaines took one part And yet held with the other in their heart Such men desire our Warrs may still increase And feare of nothing but a needy peace Mean while the Newters Jacks of both sides stand Poysing themselves on both yet neither hand Like Goddesses of victory attend To take the Conquerors part i' th' latter end Those that are wisest were they Argos-ey'd And Bythian-like had every eye supply'd With double sight yet they could hardly see Which side to take and save their Bacon free So betwixt both these civill warres ore-whelm Th' whole superficies of this wretched Realm This land that was a Canaan while 't was good Is now the sad Aceldama of blood CHAP. VII ANd now the great State-gamesters plainly find All either stir'd in body or in mind The instruments prepar'd to work they fall Ambiguous oaths Treasons Originall They now invent impose First men are made To sweare amisse and then they do perswade Those oaths bind them to do what these intend Stretching poor soules to bring about their end Now jealousies and feares which first arose From the polluted Consciences of those That were the first contrivers these divide The limbs from th' Head nay from themselves beside One won't confide in t'other this although It rose from nothing to a world did grow Nor did it lose by th' way like Balls of snow It bigger still as it did go did grow Both separate themselves and each intends Distance a great advantage to their ends Those that had active bin on either side Are mutually accus'd sent for denyed This makes both stick to what they had begun And each his course more eagerly did run First they fall to 't by pen which did incense Both parties with a greater vehemence From hence names of disgrace at first arose And each to other made more odious And the amazed people did invite To lay aside their tedious peace and fight They plainly saw the warr before they could Discern the Cause on 't and they might behold Th' effects though not the quarrell they well knew That they must feel the warr and end it too Warr like a Serpent at the first appear'd Without a sting that it might not be fear'd But having got in 's head begins to be The sole Monopolist of Monarchie Thus by degrees we ran from peace to go Downward was easie but b'ing once below To re-ascend that glorious hill where blisse Sits thron'd with Peace oh what a labour tis Our floating eyes in seas of teares may see The heav'n we 're faln from but our miserie Does more increase to Tantalize to th' brink In happinesse when yet we cannot drink Now we must fight for peace whose worth by most Was not discern'd till utterly 't was lost None know the good of peace but such as are Broil'd in the furnace of intestine warre CHAP. VIII NOw having us'd the effeminate warr of words Which did enlarge the jarrs at length the swords Apparelling themselves in robes of blood Sate Doctors of the Chaire which never stood To heare the Cause but quickly does decide All that comes near and without skill divide All individuums 'T is a fearfull Case When undiscerning swords have Umpires place That have two-edg'd to wound but have no eye To sever Justice from iniquity When rage and Ignorance shall moderate That understand no Syllogisms but straight Turning all method into curst confusion Majors to Minors bring both to Conclusion And now the great Reformists only care Is how to help those miseries which were Of their own rearing Faction like a Snake Stings those from whom it did a quick'ning take First all the Kingdome to a need they draw Then make that need they 've brought their only Law This Mint of Lawes stands not on observation Of Statutes fixt the Birth-right of our Nation It 's turn'd a warlike Councell and no more A legall Senate as it was before Now Sâ—lus Populi begins to be The generall Warrant to all villanie Of which themselves are Judges lawlesse need The conqu'ring Rebell to all Lawes does plead A priviledge what e're they say or do New need still make them act contrary too When any injur'd Subjects did complain These two Lawes paramount could all maintain Religion too and fundamentall Lawes Are both o're-ruled by a Law call'd Cause CHAP. IX OUr quarrell is a working jealousie Fixt in a sever'd Kingdome both sides be So diffident of each they 'l rather die Then trust each other such Antipathie Springs from this ground Subjects dare spill the blood Of their anointed Soveraign for his good Th' ungratefull Son forgetting natures Lawes Dares kill his Father for the good of 's Cause Fathers their sonnes and Brothers Kinsmen Friends Do seek their Brothers Friends and Kinsmens ends Armes that long uselesse lay for want of warr Are now call'd forth more summoned from farr English to English are become a terrour One wicked action is a seconds mirrour Each strives in mischief to transcend another And every Christian is a Turk to 's Brother Blowes seldome fall upon a barren ground But beare centuple crops they still rebound Rage begets rage men do in vice climb higher And all bring fuell to increase the fire Conscience rejected men their forces bend Which shall the rest in height of sin transcend Now faith and loyalty grow out of date And Treason is the Gole that 's aimed at The sacred league 'twixt body and the soule Which Lawes preserv'd inviolate and whole Is daily broke and that sweet Bridegroom forc'd From his beloved Spouse to be divorc'd Each man is drunk with Gallus and growes mad Nor can there Hellebore enough be had To re-instate our reason in its throne Nor have we sense enough to feel we 've none Th' Age was so vile the Iron Age of old Compar'd with ours may be an Age of Gold We in the times of peace like th' Ocean were Impenetrable till Divisions tare Us from our selves and did divide us quite As the Red Sea was by the Israelite And we like walls
moile And care to rake together â—s quickly gone Like a scrap't portion on a scatt'ring sonne Gold which we made our God and did adore Is but a cause to make our Plagues the more The worldlings Mammon which he did suppose Made him nor love his friends nor feare his foes Is now his snare nay 't is become a sin Now to have wealth which heretofore hath been Our only vertue We call those good men That swell'd with goods not goodnesse now 't is grown Our only innocence if we have none The idle Souldier doth devoure the store That painfull men have labour'd for before Unstock the grounds and clean deface the fields Th'untutor'd ground scarce any harvest yeelds The grasse for want of Cattell dries away And without labour turnes it selfe to hey Corn while it growes is eat or trodden downe Of if it happen to be reap't or mowne Right owners do but toile the more about it To bring 't to them themselves must go without it They work fare lie hard all to maintain Knaves So that at best they are but Troopers slaves And now in them is Adams curse made good They with much labour get a little food Some men will toile no more to till the ground Because no profit of it does redound Unto themselves or which is worse for want Of Horse or Hinds those that would do it can't CHAP. XIIII ALL which do usher in a famine that Comes seldome unattended Graves grow fat When Captaine Lack comes with his hungry Troop Of fell diseases and takes people up To victuall death a Garrison then all That 'scape the Sword must by the Famine fall We to our griefe shall find that Axiome true Who die without the sword die by it it too Need will create new foes for hunger growes A warrant to all villany and knowes No Property nor Right wrongs legall be By that authentick Law Necessitie Spurr'd on by this no man will passe or care So he may have 't from whom how when or where Commanders make a mizmaze of the Warre And all their battells subtle motions are If one remove his men the other will Move after him and so they follow still But yet they have a Precept that confines Each in the compasse of their mutuall Lines And not molest each other they agree To share our goods and set each other free By mutuall change Thus that great Idoll Cause To whom they 've sacrific'd the mangled Lawes Of God and Man is but a cunning paint To make a Devill seem a heav'nly Saint While we like Turkish slaves are bought and sold Imprison'd and releas'd and all for Gold From one to t'other Now we need not feare Algier abroad we have too many here And what ere they pretend their quarrells are They only fight which shall have greatest share In our estates by rapine and by stealth And thus they mean they fight forth'Commonwealth This lacks a house and that desires a field And new injoyments new desires do yeeld The Victors know nor modesty nor measure Of their desires but their gain pompe and pleasure No moderation bridles or keeps in The head-strong force of a prevailing sin And the Commanders too that ought to be The Remora's to th' Souldiers crueltie Somtimes transcend the rest in vice as farre As they b' Authority above them are Beggars on horse-back that no art can do Whereby we may them from inferiours know But by their injuries and those do stand As a sure Argument of their Command Nor fight they as our Ancestors did fight By force to get our Law-denied right But cauponate the Warre they sell and buy A Town a Castle or a Victory What ere an Enemy shall do or say Is all for given if he will but pay These Garrisons are Sanctuaries still To shelter those that do and maintain ill They 're Purgatories too we go about To bring in Popery while we drive it out CHAP. XV ANd yet these Souldiers go t' undo us quite And steale our reason as they have our right Both say they fight for our Religion And Laws which all our safety stands upon Yet they 'ld bewitch us so we should not see That by this warr both violated be Unlesse we take prophanenesse for the true Religion and injury for due If prisonment be liberty and peace Be made by open warres if truth increase By new broach't heresies then Churches are Maintain'd by blood and Kingdomes rul'd by warre If in those two a Gordian knot were knit 'T is fit that wisdome then should open it And not the sword Warr is the Common nurse Of Barbarisme Souldiers add curse to curse Those rude Profeffors o' th' reforming Trade How unfit instruments will they be made To rectifie the Church that hardly name God but in Oaths when wine or wrath in flame Themselves above themselves or if there are Men of more conscience then the rest or care 'T is but to gloze their Actions we all see Their courses are full of impietie How can we exercise Religion now When want of Lawes doth liberty allow To all prophanenesse Such lewd men as they Have made the Warr a Common Holiday To all licentiousnesse We hardly can Serve God aright so vile is every man Nor live uprightly in such times as these Being so wicked in the daies of peace Is this Religion when each Souldier dares Become a Bishop to correct our Prayers And new-coine all our orders each retaines A publique Synod in his factious braines Temples which pious Fathers have erected For Divine VVorships how are they rejected Made stalls for horse and men more beasts then they Where God did feed his flock horse feed on hey Garments to Churches giv'n by Saints t' adorne The Sheep by sacrilegious Wolves are worne And harmlesse Railes which stood in the defence O' th' Table from irrev'rent violence They have thrown down as if they would allow No railing but such as from Pulpets flow VVho e're but sees these acts must needs allow Gods House was n'ere more den of thieves then now Such bad effects or more pernicious farr VVe must expect when an eternall VVarr Cures a divided Church the victorie VVill prove more pestilent then the War can be CHAP. XVI OLd Lawes cannot be us'd or new ones made VVhen generall lawlessenesse doth all invade Custome and Liberty have made mens mind Uncapable of curbs that should we find Lawes re-establish'd with a pow'r to sway Men are more prone to suffer then t' obey The eylesse Sword 's unable to decide But with it's two-edg'd skill it doth divide The Client not the Cause Our Liberties Which they pretend to save before our eyes Are still infring'd they ev'ry day divorce Us from our livings by that law call'd Force Nor have we Judges to appeal for right Nor law to live by but a greater Might That should we by such courses purchase peace 'T would be dear bought at such high rates as these Nor would I thank their bounty that present Food