satisfaction to the people By which gracious demeanour being highly mounted in the major part of his Subjects it is impossible the malice of his Adversaries should extend to the ruine of his Person or to the prejudice of the Regall Dignity without some sharp and swift Revenge upon the traiterous Abettors Thirdly the Houses having rendred themselves odious both by their Ordinances and Agents even among those which have beene heretofore then fast-â—runds who finding nothing but oppression upon oppression with daily Rapes committed upon their Estates and Persons as the onely recompence for all their Service which they have done them and no likelihood as yet that their miseries will have an end by reason of that stubburne distance which they keep still from all probability of an Accommodation with His Majesty the people begin now to looke upon him as one abused and much to be pittied they behold him as the onely Restorer of Liberty and upon whose Restauration depends their owne as indeed it doth together with the Happinesse Peace and Tranquillity of the Kingdome Is it not the common voice wee shall never see a good world till the King bee in his Throne What lesse then can be expected by reasonable men but that the whole Body of the People tired out with extremities will ere long bee inflamed into an unanimous designe upon the Houses as the Authours of all these dist actions And then as they set on Tumults from the City to drive away His Majesty from Westminster so it 's probable an universall Tumult may bring him back again to be revenged upon his Enemies Fourthly seeing the Houses have had now His Majesty a long time in durance the highest and boldest Attempt which can bee made upon a Prince and the lowest condition hee can be driven to and which if it bee a Plag e to a private man must needs bee an Hell to a King and yet notwithstanding all their Batteries by Perswasions and Frights they have not been able to shake him from those Royall Principles whereupon his Interest is firmly founded and which are indeed his maine Security To what end do they keep Him and his People any longer in Bondage without all hope of Settlement Let them consider that what they have done hitherto they have attained by the love of that part of the People upon whom they have had the luck to prevaile by their artificiall Pretences But now that the Vizard is taken off and every man is seen with his owne face now the Curtain is withdrawne and every man appears what he is in the close of the Tragedy and how he hath Acted all this while a knavish part under a religious disguise they must needs at length prove a shame to each other and a scorne to their Adversaries when their Considents shall withdraw their Affections and expose them to the malice of the oppressed and unruly multitude or yeeld them up a Sacrifice to the mercy of the Laws their injured Prince Fifthly If all other wayes of ruine should saile yet being divided into Factions there is a necessity they must at length become their owne Executioners as they have been in part already in that businesse of Impeaching many of their Brethren in iniquity in both Houses In the prosecution whereof though they coole at present as it is wisedome so to doe and there be a kinde of friendly correspond betwixt both the Factions yet the friendship is but like that of two Mastives tired with fighting which still and pant over each other till the one can recover breath and advantage to fall againe upon the other The reason why the Presbyterian doth not bustle is because as yet he cannot and dares not though his Appetite be keen enough and the cause why the Independants are so moderate toward the Presbyter is because the pride of that Faction being quelled themselves become the only men of power they are contented to let the other live by them like Brethren though no otherwise but as underlings to serve their ends upon them which condition they are glad to accept of but not without much regreet and disdaine against the Independent Conquerours so that as by their mutuall Bickerings they have made each other contemptible so this forced love and seeming unity must upon every alteration of Affairs break forth into such flames of dissention as will in short time prepare them for final ru ne and destruction Lastly Since these things are so we must necessarily conclude that as it is contrary to Conscience for the two Houses not to contribute their utmost indeavours to restore a firm and happy Peace after such a cruell War to receive the spirits of their dejected Countrymen so it is apparent to all the world that there is no visible way left to procure this Peace but a speedy Accommodation with His Majesty by sending to him such Propositions as may agree with Right Reason Conscience and Honour And if the Peace of their languishing bleeding Country be not a sufficient Motive yet let a tender regard be had to their owne security in this their tottering condition Retreat Retreat Gentlemen with speed you have beene at your highest pitch long since and now in the opinion of all wise men are declining take heed of a fall it will be the most dangerous one next to that of the bottomelesse Pit the eies of the Kingdome are upon His Majesty as the rising sun that must cleare up their clouded spirits and dispell all those mists that are about him and upon your selves as the only hinderers of his and their happines While ye have time make use of it for the night is far spent the day is at hand wherein God will judge with righteous judgement As yet ye may save your credits in part if you please as yet it is possible ye may recover your Friends and allay the splenes of your old Adversaries but remember my words if ye sin wilfully against all the obligations of Religion Honour and Policy a time is comming wherein ye must repent with sorrow confesse that you neglected those things which so nearly concerns the happines of your selves of these Kingdoms The Case of the King in relation to the Army Having made it manifest unto the world how His Majesty hath beene abused from time to time by the two Houses we come now to consider of his usage since he hath been under the power and disposition of the Army After that this Army under the command of Sir Tho. Fairfax had cleared the Kingdom and wholly suppressed the royall party having no enemy to incounter and being the only forces considerable in the Kingdome for number and Reputation and being elevated with the opinion of their own merits and the Houses committing that great over-sight of not disbanding the major part of them which had been sufficient to prevent those Inconveniences which have since ensured these sword men having little further use of military Counsels began to reflect
to the Scotish Armie about Newarke upon Trent The Scots they entertained I will not say they sought it as an happy Occasion to bring their owne Ends about with the Houses and knowing that the Person of the King in their hands was a Jewell that the two Houses would purchase at any Price they not thinking themselves secure without such a Possession it was not long ere they strook a Bargain to deliver his Majesty into the hands of Commissioners appointed by the Houses to receive him which was done accordingly Proh Deûm atque hominum fidem and the Scots received 200000 li. in part of their Arreares and had a time set for tho paiment of the Residue His Majesty thus yeelded up to say no worse of it was conducted by Commissioners to reside at Holdenby during the will and pleasure of the Presbyterian faction which then ruled the Roste and mued him up there many Monethes in hope to tire him out of his Noble Principles and make him submit to be yoked by the Propositions yet all in vaine But the Army under Sir Thomas Fairfax quarteridg round about and being most of them of a contrary Faction and trampled upon by their Opposites confederated with high Resolution to make that advantage of his Majesties person which others had done before And because it was an Attempt of an high Nature which might seem upon a suddain to reflect upon the Authority of the Houses wherein their Adversaries then bore sway the superiour Officers agreed to carry it so cleanly that they would not be seene at first to have any hand in the busines but it was left to a select number of the private Souldiers over whom a Coronet by name Joyce was set Commander in Chiefe to seize upon the person of the King and carry dim from Holdenby which was done with expedition and though the Superiour Officers disclaimed the Act at first yet they began to owne it by Degrees and carried him along with the Army from place to place giving him and his party great hopes in their severall Declarations of their candid Intentions to restore him to hs just Rights with Honor and Safety and the Kingdom to a speedy Peace by which meanes they won the hearts of all and rendred themselves so formidable that they beate downe the adverse faction over-awed and subdued the City and brought the Houses to act wholly for them and their Party At length after his Majesty had been settled some time under the power of the Army at Hampton-Court where he still continues they having likewise been used to Rule became loth to return to the condition of Obeying forgetting the establishment of his Majesty according to promise thought of nothing but which way to establish Themselves in a Military Posture of 30000. for a perpetuall burthen to the Kingdom and have left his Majesty to be vexed again with Propositions from the Houses as unreasonable as the former yea worse insomuch that the Independents little finger proves heavier then the Presbyters loynes which gives us just occasion to suspect that seeing now at the last cast they meane to make no end and give us no hopes of a settled Peace by tendring such Propositions as his Majesty may with Conscience and Honor accept both they and the Houses have some desperate ends upon his Majesty as well as their brutish Adjutators though at present they seeme to drive contrary waies For what may we expect when we see so little hope of an end Hath not His Majesty been a Prisoner a long season Is he not so still and what hope is there of his deliverance let all Loyall-Subjects lay this to their heart For the experience of former Ages and our owne Histories will tell us that a King long a Prisoner in his own Kingdome is like Lazarus in the Grave and can hardly expect a Resurrection but by miracle For his Adversaries knowing the crime of Imprisoning to be unpardonable will be tempted at last to some further mischiefe for their own security according to that of Seneca Scelera sceleribus propaganda and that part of the Devils Lecture in Machiavell that he which once drawes his Sword against his Prince must throw away the Scabbard Thus have I stated the whole progresse of affaires according to Truth betwixt His Majesty and the two Houses wherein who sees not how grossely he hath been abused both in the originall and continuance of this uncivill Civill-Warre to the apparent hazard of Monarchy it selfe the danger of His Royall Person and the desolation of His Kingdomes what then remaines but that the Houses should enter into a serious consideration First that though it being neither desired nor expected that they should make an open Recantation of their former proceedings unto the world it being a rule among Statesmen never to repent in the sight of men whatsoever they do before God for feare of losing their Reputation yet it is wisedome to retreat as speedily and with as little noise or reluctancie as may be out of an erroneous Ingagement Nor is it safe to dally with old out-worne Pretences any longer now the people begin to be convinced daily and in all Countries to see how strangely they have been deluded For though the multitude are usually as pliant as wax and apt to be inamored of any Novelty that promises much to them of Ease Liberty Reformation c. which are the most taking Pretences that can be made use of to inveigle them and the onely Allurements first practised by this Parliament to draw them on yet when they finde their expectations defeated and themselves laden with oppressions worse than the former nec Bellua saevior ulla est Quam servi rabies in libera colla furentis Their Splenes are ready to burst with Revenge they carry all before them like a furious Inun lation and usually become the first Executioners of their friendly Pretenders Secondly it is true that Histories tell us that Subjects have prevailed so farre as to depose and execute direfull Tragedies upon their Soveraignes and I could wish that our owne Island and the memories of some of our Ancesters had never been stained with the guilt of so Prodigious a Crime But then withall you shall finde that those executions were attempted only upon such as were vicious in their lives cruell and savage toward their Subjects and incorrigible in their Government But as for our gracious Soveraigne Charles hath he not been of an unspotted life catechise your consciences and tel me what one habituall vice can he be taxed with hath he not all his daies been a Patterne of admirable Clemency even to his very Enemies hath hee not obliged heretofore most of those which have been the Ring-laeders against him those Monsters of Ingratitude with many speciall benefits and favors And touching his Government if any thing were amâ—le as all the false colours begin now to weare away never did any of his Predecessors condescend so low to give
his Majesty and with the consent and love of the whole Kingdome when they have restored his Majesty Fifthly their Party being wholly broken here and the Houses likewise themselves there is no hope of serving their ends any longer in a Parliamentary way but upon the King they may and serve him too So that they have no way left to procute an Interest again to any purpose in this Nation but by closing with the King Sixthly notwithstanding their former Parliamentary engagements they are not to seek of a cleanly pretence to stand for his Majesty as long as the Covenant is in being and the Houses and Army have broken that Covenant by their palpable endeavours not only to ruine his Majestie 's Person but also to root out the very Principles of Monarchy both which both They and the Houses have Covenanted to defend Seventhly there can be no doubt of carrying the work through because the miscarriages of the Houses and the Affronts of the Army have wholy made ship wrack of the Affections of the City as for the rest of the Kingdom variety of oppressions hath made them absolutely the Kings own reckoning their own deliverance to depend on his Rostauration Lastly though it may be objected there is a great distance betwixt the Scots and the Royall Party in matter of Church-Government and so little hope of a cordiall uniting betwixt them yet I am bold to imagine that since all the world knowes the Design of a Presbytery by them upon this Nations was only to quell their Adversaries the Bishops that were the only men which vexed them and hindered them from thriving so well as they desired in this Kingdom and so to make a sure footing here by trampling them under it will be no hard matter to reconcile them so far as to let us have Bishops again upon condition they may establish themselves here with them And it is probable they will be contented to save their own souls in their Kirk of Scotland and let us alone with ours if their Bodies and Purses be well provided for in the Common-Wealth of England The Case of the King in relation to all his Loyall Subjects VVHat the Spaniards have often boasted of themselves as the only Nation under Heaven most zealous of the Honour of their Princes might with as much truth and more modesty have bin verified in former times upon the English Nation it having bin an old received Maxime of State amongst them That the glory of the Kingdom consist much in the State and Majestick splendour of their King And God be blessed this Loyall principle is not yet worne out unlesse it be in the hearts and pract ses of some few in these later yeares who have sold themselves to work wickednesse and been Ring-leaders in an open and most horrid Rebellion wherein they had drawn in a great part of their fellow Subjects to serve their own factions and ambitions ends as hath been manifested sufficiently in stating the severall passages betwixt his Majesty the two Houses and the Army Now it remains in the next place to shew how the City of London and the rest of the Kingdome hath been abused likewise as well as the King and what obligation lies upon them all for the immediate entring upon some Course for the Restauration of the King and the deliverance of the Kingdome from the slavery and oppression of a tyrannicall Parliament and a more tyrannicall and insulting Souldiery No way more ready to finde out how the City and Kingdome have been abused than by recounting the innumerable Tricks that have bin used to milk the Purses of the people in pretence of maintayning the Warre when the least part God knowes hath been imployed that that way but either treasured up in the purses of the Members or laid out by them in rich and fair purchases at home or transported to serve their turnes abroad against a rainy day while the Souldiers have pined for want of pay in their religious cause and devoured the poore Countrymen by Free quarter For whereas one or two wayes well ordered would have served the turne they have made use of so various wayes for raising of vast and incredible Summes of money as were never heard of before at a time in one kingdome whereof I will here set down the Catalogue 1 Royall Subsidy of 300000 l. 2 Pole-money 3 The Free Loanes and Contributions upon the Publique Faith amounted to avast incredible summe in Money Plate Horse and Arms Bodkins Thimbles and Wedding-Rings of the zealous Sisters 4 The Irish Adventure for sale of Lands a first and second time 5 The weekly Meale 6 The City-loane after the rate of fifty Subsidies 7 The Assesments for bringing in the Scots 8 The fifth and twentieth part 9 The weekly Assesment for the Earle of Essex his Army 10 The weekly or monthly Assesment for Sir Tho. Fairfax his Army 11 The weekly Assesment for the Scotish Army 12 The weekly Assesment for the British Army in Ireland 13 The weekly Assesment for my Lord of Manchesters Army 14 Free-Quarter at least connived at by the State because the Souldiers having for a time subsistence that way were the lesse craving for pay whereby their Arrears growing stale must at last either be frustrated by a tedious Committee of Accounts discount it out of the Commanders Arrears whereby the State saves it 15 The Kings Revenue 16 Sequestrations and Plunder by Committees which if well answered to the State would have carried on the work which may be thus demonstrated One halfe of all the goods and chatrels and at least one halfe of all the Lands Rents and Revenues of the kingdome have bin Sequestred And who can imagine that one halfe of the profits and goods of the Land will not maintayn any Forces that can be kept and fed in England for the defence thereof 17 Excise upon all things this alone if well managed would have maintayned the warre The Low-Countreys make it almost their only support 18 Fortification money All which amounting to about forty Millions have bin expended heretofore whereto wee may adde since the sale of a great part of Bishops Lands which the unmeasurable summes arising still by Fines for Delinquents Compositions with the continuance of the Excise and yet not so much as a penny disbursed for the pay of the souldiers insomuch that they threaten every moment to come and levy their Arreares within the City of London which is become now the common mark of all intolerable affronts and injuries that the ingratitude of the Houses or the insolent threats of the Souldiers can cast upon them And the Countrey groanes still under those three heavy burthens Excise Taxes and Free-Quarter without hope when or how they shall have remedy But rather on the other side they see nothing but a cloud of perpetuall misery and slavery hanging over their heads ready to fall upon them by the late Votes of the Houses and the generall Councell of the