perjury rapine and bloud It may seem a cruel piece of Charity to deprive of Christianity for the better intitling to Grace and Excellency Who came at the last hour in the Gospel was allotted a reward equalling that of the first comers Such converts as are the joy of Angels should not be the Envy of men Some will have the Low-Country a Nursery for Soldiers but the most unsuccessful Academy for Religion and Loyalty who expos'd their souls and bodies Mercenaries to in the cause of a Rebellious Commonwealth were vainly expected good Subjects to a Prince Generous persons are apt to entertain their Title in their beliess can suppose our General no ignoble Soldior of Fortune who fighting long under her colours at length attain'd the giddy Idol for his constant Mistress He deserted no Masters till they deserted him a Low-Country Religion both oblig'd him to a Party and disoblig'd when he wanted an exchange for Loyalty he exchang'd it and when giddy Patriots of the then espoused Cause were return'd fairly to take away his Commission he as honorably relinquish'd the deserters of themselves and him It is a blasphemy to affirm him a Deity though we may justly allow him an Hannibal a Fabius an Hercules a worth equalling if not superexcelling all the Antient Heroes some foolish Sycophants will intitle to more wisdom than God ever intrusted to mere humane Nature yet while they strive to deifie make him the Fool that said in his heart There is no God He who can take Oaths with an intention to violate them it must be a strange excess of Charity which can allow him a God in his Creed General Leshly told Potter a Trumpeter sent to him by the Royal Martyr That he would serve his Majesty as faithfully as he had done the Parliament The Scot gain'd an easie belief and in charity we may believe intended what he promised he served them for Money and for gain which was his Religion would have expos'd to sale his Masters But while a necessitated Prince could not go the price a King not to be equal'd by Millions is passed in exchange for Two hundred thousand pound Nothing is more pleasant then the junior story of this Bony Jocky who ran away with blith Jenny stealing sixteen shillings sterling from an old Mistress at Edenburgh to defray charges yet by temptation of so vast a sum though much mowing and many Bearns she reap'd not Matrimony till her fingers being as light as her heels a plunder'd Portion made up the March which was a muckle day of joy as the gude Countess told the Right Honourable Lady of Oxford when her Husband from a common Soldier had arriv'd to be a Scotch General and by heading a Rebellion became an Earl to give a reputation to his future Villanies Snakes though warm'd in the most Royal bosoms will requite their entertainment with a sting Though Factions may seem to lose their heads which are taken off by Honor yet they are rarely wanting to fresh opportunities for mischief Our generous Champion when he had espous'd Loyalty and acquir'd deserved Honor by the evil principle of no mercenary spirit made Conscience a Prostitute to the lusts of Faction Who would wound our Heroe in the weakest part find him there most impregnable Honor Conscience and Gratitude appear in his vindication and that cruel necessity which can make batteries on the strongest Resolutions none will phancy it brutish sottishness or that the most daring of men would be affrighted out of Reason by an inconsiderate Huffer the great tie of Christianity which injoyns satisfaction and the preserving of a generous Family famous through a long series of Ancestors might be no lesser inducements to Marriage If in some things he resembled an Alexander the Great in others he exceeded the more victorious Julius Caesar an Husband for all mens wives excellent above his fam'd Ancestor a Fourth Edward or a Philip who surnamed the Good wanted his Virtue Our Heroe was not captivated by that which inslaves the proudest Victors and made him whose labours fill'd all the world ridiculously to truckle to a distaff in this a more than Hercules who by an invincible fortitude endur'd a Confinement which might intitle to a quotidian incountring of Monsters and not less frequent triumphs o'er wild Beasts in Passions In requital if he found a Wise not rich she made her self so some can phancy the riches accruing to her Husband and Heir by this frugal Womans means made the proudest Dowry in three Nations scarse her parallel for a Match It was a rare felicity in Ages when the Parents virtue was the childs dowry who neither gain by inheritance nor acquisition are only reputed contemptibly poor where Money answers all things Riches where Worth Virtue may seem the best portion and most acquirable of perfections Though Lycurgus Dogs seem to make an infallible demonstration they are too incharitable in their censures who can believe that no temptation either of gain or profit could intervene in which with the transform'd Cat in the Fable the humor of mousing not return'd It is reported of Theophilus that he burnt a rich ship of his wives disdaining that the covetous folly of a woman should exchange the Title of an Emperour to that of a Merchant Some can hope a more cruel Traffick found no acceptation from our Induperator others can fear an Harpies Talons laden were never an ungrateful Oblation He who pluckt the Thorns out of the Crown it is Charity to believe he would plant no new pricks or Canaanites resembling them in his side whom he had return'd to a Land of Promise Who mov'd in so high a sphere of Glory as our Heroe could not but attract Clouds of Envy which by their blacker interposure might vail that lustre which they could not obscure Envious Folly the most obnoxious to mistakes rarely makes not more bright what she intends most to darken A sober scrutenist may find our General the lest conscious of what the Rabbles Idol Report the Common Lyer broaches from frothing hogsheads either for advantage or impairing of Glory The giddy Strumpet Fame which is every Ideots Prostitute makes no stop betwixt the Extreams of Honor or Infamy she cherishes that which we intends to blast by the cold wind of an envious displeasure and while active as fire she would gratifie Grandeur consumes what she intends only to inliven by a warmer commendation The selling of a Prince was a fatal Prognostick may the sale of Loyalty be more propitious The God of this world did so dazle foolish eyes that nothing was to be seen in the most Execrable Trator beside unparallel'd Excellence Treason was only a subtil reservedness or a pious fraud for Royal advantage The Mammon of unrightousness was not imploy'd to provide Heav'nly places but to promote Earthly interests Some can think the greatest Judas here might have found no cause of desperation where so many Pieces might have intitled to Honor and Office Mr. Case may serve
out of many Centuries of observations who a constant Servant to his Royal Master through all Changes prov'd a Setter of Olivers pearch'd high by Mammon in this last and more happy Revolution defaming him for disloyalty to have bin so grand a Virtuoso on Record as might evidence to have receiv'd no lesser Stipends for annual courses of Treason Though he who makes hast to be rich cannot be innocent yet who would guess the greatness of guilt by the vastness of a contracted Treasure may be mistaken in their Arithmetick The Generals Offices of Profit and Places of Honor none can justly deny him nor a wise man the frugal improvement his Retinuo was rather beneficial than chargeable who put neither to the Expences of Wages or Diet. The Courtiers and his own Servants who revenge by their tongues the loss which they have sustained by their teeth rarely speak well of him whom they will have the Author of Board-Wages at Court and to have sav'd half in his own daily allowance The Poulterers ware as sacred must be untoucht if it met no maim at his Table was injoyn'd new roasted to revisit it next day incompany All Excesses are equally dangerous if he observ'd the truly golden mean to inrich a Family it could not be dishonorable The story of Actaeon may seem no Fable where the bloud of Families hath bin swallowed for their Healths and the merciless teeth of a fawning Retinue have devour'd their Masters But among giddy Reports none can be more incredible than the menacing of an only child with disinheriting for expending Five shillings at supper in which sum a Capon a bottle of wine beer ale roots must be included though perhaps wine might lend the only occasion to the Passion which he who allows to children adds fire to fire and by a fond indulgence contributes to the ruine of a Name when debauch'd Nature to quench the preternatural heat renders them such spunges as orecharg'd by liquor serve only to expunge their own and Ancestors Glory The Philosopher would have crack'd his spleen to have seen vast piles of muck provided the ground left unmanur'd where nothing could be wanting that well imploy'd might have render'd it sertil I knew a Pedant of so strangely scrupulous a conscience that he could number it amongst his sins to make a Boy more learned than his Father which he could suppose might unlearn him that duty which hath the promise of long life It must be a larger portion of knowledg which can edifie for perfection the traders in small parcels gain only some windy inflations which can puff up some will not allow it above a windy distemper which so long discompos'd our body Politick and made that duty forgot which is a just tribute to the Parent of a Country Not a few think of learning what Matchiavel says of Religion That it is an impediment to great Actions Blindness begets boldness and folly must be intitled to fat and fortunate or else the plump Schismatick could not gain so great an Harvest of foolish Ears which every blast of false doctrine can teach to bow in compliance to the most pernitious Ignorance Folly may be pearch'd high like the Fablers Crow yet not secure from a Foxes Crast Our schismatical Reynards by provoking fools to cant make the meat in their mouths a purchase or fail not thus to gain themselves food Though the General had a mighty spirit as I heard one phrase it the Woman was not so narrow soul'd as her Husband if of any religion she was a Presbyterian in the time of the Plague sent Five pound to a Non-conformist Sermon-maker bestow'd 12 d. a piece on fifty poor Widows caus'd her Son to send two broad pieces for Plaisters to the goutie Versifier of the Gang whose feet were more deservingly nimble for her Lords honour in the Northern Expedition they will not allow him a dragm of charity who cast no mite into the treasury of the Saints but we can hope though a Souldier he coded not the Hypocrits trumpets and the Alms he gave in secret will be rewarded openly However while there are Churches Colledges Hospitals or any publick Monuments of Charity he will be acknowledged a Benefactor who seem'd to rescue them from the jaws of that sacrilegions Wolf who would have glibly swallowed all things facred under the pretence of zeal and reformation He could not be ignorant of the six thousand pounds his Wife had intentionally devoted to an Alms-House which he made his own act by an Approbation it may be imputed to an improv'd Religion and Loyalty if he grown wiser by time was a less zealous Patron of those pernitious House-creepers who lead silly Females captive to whom a Paradise would be displeasing without the taste of prohibited fruit If he took no care of what some can call the Houshold of Faith none can deny worse than an Infidel by taking no care of his own Family what some can call sordidness if equally considered may be found a noble frugality which would not leave so vast a Pudding contemptible for want of Suet. Some will affix to a greater Statist then our General the Maxim on which the Indians ground the neglect of God and the worshipping of the Devil but evil Council is ever worst to the Councellory the cunning are rarely not catched in their own snare and he who digs a pit for Loyaly may fall so deeply in as the most loyal may find no Resurrection There are who will not allow the greatest pretenders to Loyalty to have had an equally obliging nature with that of the Pikes who devour their own kind last where the Proverb will have a Dog lov'd for his Masters sake he who could but snarl and bark in the Cause knew never how to fawn on his enemies to be be lost to all respect might call the Grand Monopolizers of Loyalties truth into question Many could have been content to have dy'd that others might enjoy that sight to whose enjoyment they ow'd a cruel death It can be no Paradox to aver that sincere Loyalty can never want either a Friend or Reward and yet what is most strange that contradictory assertion may seem equally true that to no fucated Loyalists the most wish't for of Restaurations by the extirpation of more loyal Families hath prov'd a more fatal enemy then the War In a baptismal vow we renounc'd the World the Flesh and the Devil Ingaged in the Royal Cause we might seem to fight against those three grand Antagonists if the younger Brothers in Loyaltie who had wasted their Patrimonies on the Harlots of Schism and could be content like the Swine to be fed with the husks of every false doctrine if the return'd Prodigals are receiv'd into favour why should the elder Brothers repine having the assurance of a promise no wise man would trifle away time to gather Cockles on the Shore when he may set sails unto another Country where are no fickle joys hopes or
The incens'd Rabble like to Heathen Idols must have humane blood for a Sacrifice though the soolish overflowings of their Galls can be pacified by no more grateful oblation than that by which they express all ills Ingratitude seldom not gratified by his Ruine who might most seek their Preservation Though Strafford was allow'd to be no President yet some will ever propose him for an Example and no Act of Oblivion will make us so lost to our memories that the most unfortunate Earl will be forgot who incomparably loyal was impeach'd by such Arch Rebels as by introducing the Scots were guilty of the highest Treason the most implacable enemy of Traytors fell their sacrifice When putrid members were to be cut off the body politick was depriv'd of the sounder part which might have secur'd it from encroaching mischiefs while an unparallel'd Princes clemency which gave fears to none and left not the greatest villanies destitute of hopes administer'd in the Grand Statesmans ruine if not a just an unhappy cause of his own untimely period The gratifying of the weakest heads with the loss of the wisest as a most bloody so is rarely not a most succesless Policy The Athenians might be thought to have a veneration for an Owl only who could estrange Worth by an Ostracism Some will have the greatest of English Statists to have perish'd by their own weapons One wise head like Galba's wit not ill plac'd may exceed in value not only many Millions of Money but Armies of Men. Good intelligence and bold truth some say could unfix a no undeserving relation of the Generals whom nothing except his displeasure unrivited from the greatest office of Trust in which the Successor may seem not the least of State Riddles but mysterious Grandeur is such an Abyss as Fools will fondly guess at the depth of that which the Plumets of the most comprehensive reasons can never fathom Some who are uncapable of the diviner mysteries can put themselves to the troublesom admiration how the extemporary trash of a canting and long winded Schismatick in a Chamber can be preparatory to the more sober devotion of the Chappel-Royal or how the truly Loyal and religious Grandee's our incomparable Converts can keep Chaplains to assert with paper pellets that schism to which they must be the greatest strangers if not estranged to their Allegiance and to defile their new honours have not suck't up their old vomits The Actors on the worlds Theater by shifting Cloaks and Beards act different parts and interchangeably fill up the Play of life with calamitous scenes of misery or ridiculous interludes Nothing is more pleasant in our revolutions then to hear the grand enemies of the Prerogative and the Lordly Branches the most confident assertors of the Priviledges which the King and Lords may most justly challenge and the same persons formerly could most unjustly impugn who deprived the Throne of Supporters will ever stand in need of one to cleave to and secur'd by the Unicorn can be dreadless of the Lyon The least Friends of the loyal Clergie will ever want the benefit of it in a Psalm of mercy How appositely is the Princes Prerogative pleaded in the favour of scism by the Protosticklers of it which would allow him none in Religion And yet thus they can hope a priviledge for such as void both of tenderness and conscience to its Prince could deny him a liberty they would have indulg'd to the meanest Subjects There may be no improbable conjecture as well as other Grandees a confident ignorance might easily impose on our Heroe The intrusting so valued a body with such an illiterate quack as some would have disdain'd to have made the Farrier to a beloved or generous Beast lend no small suspicion the Patronage of the Stroaker some will have a too pregnant example Age in it self an invincible disease might assure no easie conquest of a concomitant distemper which might be intitled old yet twenty years of superannuation and twelve of deafness were esteemed inconsiderable in a nonagenarian woman when a wonder-working hand could appear for the recovery the Stroaker G. and sent by the General to restore her so long estranged Hearing Simon Magus Apollonius Pere grinus Philosophus Alexander Paphlago who appear'd with lying wonders to give a disrepute to Primitive Christianity could not be more confident then this gracious babe of the Presbyterian Reformation while the Puritans accuse the Papists for their holy Maid of Kent they forget Elizabeth Barton their Wench in the Wall As if stroaking could cicure the wildest Adversaries every party hath been provided by a thus trifling Impostor Men in power should not make themselves conscious by such a bruitish connivence as calls Gods and his Vicegerents Honours into question The bold folly of Stroakers may seem a mocking of Majesty and the intrenching on that Prerogative which conferr'd by a St. Edward the Confessor and a St. Lewis on the Kings of England and France to cure by touch must be reputed sacred such a Jewel as cannot be alienated from a Crown Miracles need not be call'd into the Scene where natural causes can be ascrib'd Stronger frictions can cure some intercutaneous Maladies should the balsom of a sweating Palm be deni'd conducive by the effluviums of wonder-working Atoms A Knight a Relation to the Duke and Son to the Grandeve Patient of the Stroaker gratifying my curiosity with the converse of the Trifler I heard him as confidently propose Moses an example for his doing of Miracles as if he had been to lead the Jewish Tribes of Pharisaical Presbyterians through a Red Sea into a Land of Promise and the Invasion of France being then nois'd the English by a cunning Man might hope the recovery of what they had lost by a wise Woman If the Braggar't or a vouching Comrade were to be believ'd the General was so indear'd by the recovery of his Kinswomans eye that he would not allow him a nights absence to gratifie the importunity of Relations Sinking men will take hold of Reeds Stroaking which could hear abominable superstition and Jesuitical contrivance in the Papists must give a reparation to the declining cause of Presbyterians The wonder-working Lieutenant was the most affecting discourse of that party which had he been of a different phancy for his lying wonders they would have intitled him an Antichrist Whom some would have a Candidate for a Cardinals Cap others will have Probationer for a Fools while he could countenance a stroaking Friar to enter contest with a Prince and show a Chappel less efficacious for miracles then a Banquetting-house It not a little perplex'd Sir K. D. and made not a few merry that an eminent Churchman with an Honourable Title and the not disingenious Son of a Grand Virtuoso expos'd an innocent to danger and themselves to be ridiculous The solemn Pageantry which attended the simple Irish Priests stroaking to wiser heads of their own profession seem'd a discretion rivalling theirs who with Kettles