The Levellers levell'd OR The Independents Conspiracie to root out Monarchie AN INTERLUDE Written by Mercurius Pragmaticus No King the Levellers do crie Let Charles impeached be And for his conscience let him die When hey boyes up go we Wee 'll have no Ruler Lord or Peere O're us for to command Wee 'l levell all alike we sweare And kill those that withstand Bring forth the King chop off his Head We ne're our wish shall gaine Till we upon his trunk do tread His Blood must wash our staine Roome for these Traitors now they come To act upon the Stage Strike up lowd musick Fife and Drum For Tumults War and Strage Nemo me impunè lacessit Printed in the Yeere 1647. THE PROLOGUE Spoken by Mercurius Pragmaticus I That have lasht base Traytors to the bone Have whipt ambition pride and spared none Plaid the Man-Midwifes part and with my pen Have dig'd the eyes out of rebellions men And with my keen-edg'd Muse gone thorow stitch Squeez'd out the bowells o' th Genevah Witch Have prov'd the monstrous children of the State Ignobly born and illegitimate Now flie and higher pitch and on the Stage Present to view the Monsters of the Age These sonnes of Belial you must onely read And yet this Play was acted once indeed Whether I fall or rise thus I conclude I shall be fam'd above the multitude PERSONS The five Adjutators or Levellers Apostasie Conspiracie Treacherie Democracie Impietie Englands Genius Two Independent Ministers Regicide Patricide Orlotto or Lillie the Almanack-maker Chorus A Souldier A Woman A Servant To my Soveraigne Lord Charles who maugre the fury of the Levellers is yet by the grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland King and futra for their slanderous imputations Defender of the true ancient catholike and Apostolike Faith c. DRead Lord even the apple of Gods eye Jesses great sonne did tast adversity Though that his Subjects rose not yet his Sonne Stir'd up his people to rebellion And this most damn'd insurreâ—tion ' gainst thee Is but a second Absalonisme But here 's the difference their base desire Was to inthrone the Sonne divest the Sire But these hell-hounds their utmost doe assay To make both Father and the Sonne away Hiding the face of their most black designe Under a vizard Lustrious and Divine So like the fiend when he appeares to sight Refulgent like an Angell of the light Do they disguise themselves unto the rude And many headed Beast the Multitude Who now have found their errour and repent That ere they trusted to a Parliament But now their hands are ti'd their strengh is gone And they are vassalized every one The knot of the State Mountebankes they curse And of their basenesse make their whole dscourse The names do stinke of Hollis Pym and Strowd And now Give us our King they call aloud But there 's a Remora the pack of traytors A bed of snakes congeal'd the Adjutators Reply you must not yet enjoy that good The earth a second time must drinke their bloud We will be Kings which we shall never be Lest CHARLES be sent unto Eternitie Therefore upon the eleventh of November He breathes his last an Independent member Shall cut his thread of life in twaine t is well This good we owe to Peters and to Dell. But thou our dearest Lord hast scap'd the net The which those bloudy huntsmen for thee set And forc'd for safety to withdraw a while Into a nooke of thy divided Isle Live there and see thine enemies to fall By their owne Engine and mean time we all Will pray to thy preserver to possesse Thy Royall soule with peace and happinesse So prayes your Majesties most humble and dutifull Subject Mercurius Pragmaticus The Levellers level'd Or The Jndpendents Conspiracie to root out Monarchie Act 1. Scene 1. Confused Musick Enter Englands Genius WOe is me where shall I seek for safety the murmuring Drums and brazen Trumpets deafe my eares nothing is heard but shreikes of murdered men Bellona rides in triumph ore dead men her horses wash their feet in humane bloud rebellious hands are every where imployed to root out Loyalty harke me thinkes I see them grapple hand to hand and are now in the field Where Lightning raiseth it selfe to the Skies The earth shines round with Armour sounds doe rise By men forc'd under feet wounded with noise The hills to heaven reverberate their voice Into what nook or angle shall I fly to gain a little respite Curst be the traytors that cry out no Peace let Sampsons tailed messengers beare hence these fatall Fire-brands to some other soile or let them make their way to their owne houses there consume devast their houses and their granaries let all their sonnes run mad and trace the streets like frantick Bacchanalls and while they there seek for refuge be cut of by the all devouring sword Let them be slaves and labour at the mill and let their wives and daughters beg let them be ravisht first then slain Let basenesse be intaild upon their name too firme for all recovery these are the Devills that do grin at Heaven and jeer all Lawes both Morall and Divine The red and white Rose strove for Soveraignty but these contest to set up Anarchy confusion and the worst of ills that Envy can imagine thunder great Jove upon these traytors heads that like curst Lucifer and his rebell troops dare bid defiance to thy face While I into some hollow cave do run And curse the hell-hounds that this warr begun Drum within beating a March. Exit Genius Enter Apostasie Treachery Conspiracie Democracie Impiety Apo. Stand. Trech Give the word there Consp Stand. Apo. Thus far we are victorious my Cohorts crown we our heads now with triumphant Bayes for England now is ours Couragious Rupert Hopton Glemham and the rest we have brought to the ground we have not left a loyall Dog alive all 's ours all 's ours those fooles that say I am apostated from my first principles know not what honour meanes or what 't is to be great I le sell my King my Countrey and my soule To be one of those rule without controule Trech And would the Sophies of the State not tremble were but our brests transparent they might view their pictures stab'd with ponyards and each killing a Member in his heart Can they imagine those that have rebell'd against their Soveraigne for ambitious ends will yeeld them homage no they were the stone that pasht K. Charles to peeces and with the same wee 'l grinde them unto powder Me thinks I see them tottering on their seats now that our hands are shrunk from their supportance sink till you see hells bottome while we rise high in honours compassed with pleasures who 'd care to see the world burn round about him Con. Which to effect 't were best we strengthned our designe by entring into solemne covenant here 's Catalines Effigie if you intend to prosecute your wishes through blood
and vengeance to reach your glories maugre the furie of the world sweare by this sacred Relique Pulls forth a Picture They lay their hands upon the picture Omnes Most religiously Con. By the fam'd memorie of this brave spirit that once made Rome to tremble at his nod who took the horrid Sacrament in blood to levell her proud battlements sweare not to lay down armes till King Charles be sent to the invisible land till all Lawes are repealed and abrogated meum and tuum on pain of death not meâ—tioned Omnes We sweare Consp So now we may be open to each other now Charles his Crowne shall be ours and we will share it to attain which 't were best to stirre the people those ravenous Kites will flock to any prey we must make them our stilts on which we walk and burn them in the end to warm us we must propose them more immunities tell them they hitherto have been abus'd basely by Kings but worse by their Trustees a Declaration shall be fram'd forthwith inciting them at once to joyn with us for ENGLANDS FREEDOME the SOULDIERS RIGHTS Demo. The plot is laid as I would wish this to effect we will depose our Generall he is not mad enough to be our Guide we can create a new one with a word John Legislative John shall be our Captain And ' cause he famous John of Leydon imitates we henceforth will him John of London call but this we must not yet divulge but let the choake peare hang till it be ripâ—r he that doth fish for the rude multitude must cast forth golden nets some rare unwonted liberty which we declare to be our native Rights and therefore are agreed and resolv'd to maintain them with our utmost possibilities against all oppositions whatsoever being compelled thereto not only by the example of our Ancestors whose bloud was often spent in vain for the recovery of their freedoms suffering themselves through fraudulent accomodations to be deluded of their victories but also by our owne wofull experience who having long expected and deeply earned the establishment of those certain rules of government which wee propound and yet are made to depend for their settlement and freedom upon him that intended our bondage and brought a cruell warr upon us Imp. You meane the King whom we will now call to account we cannot be secure while he doth live Apost Of that we will debate when we next meet in Counsell in the mean time give it out that we intend to give the people freedom to Levell the inclosures of Nobilty Gentry and property and make all even now let the Genius that did wait upon grim Spartacus desperate Cethegus and fell Cutaline prompt us to action and till we have set up our Oligarchie no peace to England Omnes No peace Apost Let Regicide and Patricide be sent for from their two heads we will distill a juice stronger then Stibium banefuller then Hemlock Trech 'T is then concluded that K. Charles must die His bloud dissolves the English Monarchie Con. Let 's in to counsell for I long to see The first Scene acted of this Tragedie Exeunt Conspirators Enter Pragmaticus Prag Infernall Firebrands whom the very teares Of groaning England while she mourning weares Cannot allay Nor yet the bleeding veins Of desparate Ireland which even now remaines A very Golgotha cannot asswage Whole Babes the earnest of another age Taste of your salvage courses and doe ly The Lambe-like Martirs of their cruelty Let Catesby Piercy and that bloudy knot Be Sainted now or else at least forgot And let these vipers vindicate their crimes In every Almanack for after-times O damn'd Projectors whether will ye run Having usurp'd the Chariot of the Sun You drive amaine till all about is hurld And your base folly fires our English world O England dost thou yet want eyes to see How many Rogues are digging graves for thee Doth not thy very heart consume with paine When thou considerest thy Soveraigne Even with chaines unto the earth is held His sufferings being unparalleld Seest thou not his Religious constancy His patience care and zealous piety And canst thou still give credit to these Elves Who suck thy bloud for to make fat themselves These Hippocrites clothed with holy zeale Are thy obnoxious Fates destroy thy weale They are meere outsides have an holy tone Yet are but Devills masked every one Their insides full of murther lust and pride Sacriledge treason and all ills beside For shame then sit not still untill you be Struck dead and throwne to hells profunditie Exit The end of the first Act. Act 1. Enter Regicide and Patricide Regicide ANd are they still so foolish to implore his poore assistance who 's their prisoner their vassall made so by the chance of warre a cake of ice whom with their breath they may dissolve to nothing Patri Yes Commissioners forsooth are now imployed to move him yet to signe the PROPOSITIONS Now by the happy Issue that I wish to all our Plots I grieve to see their vainnesse and supercillious folly is' t not in them for to degrade him doth the bare empty name of King affright them O I 'm mad starke mad with rages it must be so we will remove this block that so choakes up our passage Regi Sic est in satis how Lord-like shall wee reigne when hee 's remov'd I that have far'd so well causing him troubles shall fare much better having caus'd his death then I and thee will become the Archflamins of this Age the Metropollitans of our new Anarchy nor wine nor women will we want spending whole dayes and nights in luxury the world knowes PETERS ever lov'd a whore therefore t will bee no novell newes to them the pit pat Blacke-coats shall not date to speake save what we shall prescribe them that lived corâ—ell that once durst affront me yea bang me backe and side for that I tasted of his wife and mutton his mutton and his wife shall amply taste of sorrow Patri As little Love will I shew unto LOVE my ancient antagonist who thwarted mee even in the Temple before our Senators bidding defiance to my utmost Acts O the brave times that we may injoy Saturns golden Age was a meer hell to what we shall injoy O the sweet discourtes on Capon and Cocke 〈◊〉 the halcion dayes that wee are now in hope of make us to vaunt too lowd but what 's the newes abroad how doth it fare with the mixt multitude I meane the ARMY how doe the Linsey Woolsey men at Westminster that medly of decrepid age and youth agree in their desires Regi I 'll for the Kingdome but most well for us the Army have already purg'd out all that are not of their Faction the Adjutators of five Regiments Apostacy Conspiracy Treachery and Impiety have broke the â—ce to our Designe and op't a gap for Liberty to enter sever'd themselves from their Coleagues drawn up a manifesto to the Kingdom divulg'd
hold of his weake stay And once againe recovered the brinke And so escap't the Whirle-poole of decay And now in triumph through the streets are borne Trampling upon all those that Loyall are And at poore Englands miseries do scorne While King and Peoples Lands they ' mongst them share For them both Land and Seas are searcht the Skies Cannot afford them foule enough they make All that is Englands Treasure lawfull prize Killing those that the least resistance make For now with Lucifer their raigne being short They rage extreamely and blaspheme gainst heaven But now the Traytors want their chiefe support Their props are all pul'd forth their Rocke is riven Exit The end of the third Act. Actus Quartus Enter the LEVELLERS Apostacie Conspiracie Treacherie Democracie Impietie JOHN OF LONDON Regicide Patricide cum nova partu Apost NOw to the point of the businesse how doth our Printed Papers take Con. As well as heart can thinke the people swallow them amaine Treach But what meanes shall we use to draw the rest of the Army on our side It will be hard for us alone to bring to passe our great design without there be joint consent of all we run a desperate hazzard Rege For that my Brother Patricide and I have so well dealt that the whole Army at next Rendevouâ— resolve for to declare for Anarchy and live and dye with us Patri For to depose their timerous Generall who seemes to be averse to such designes terming them wicked and to be abhorr'd Impiety But here 's our Noble John whom wee 'l elect to be our Captaine Generall to guide us through all difficult adventures and actions 〈◊〉 to be atchieved John Wee 'l cut our safety through their Coates of Steele and write our Lawes as Draco did in bloud I that have dar'd for to encounter 〈…〉 death when Leggs and Armes did quarrell in the Aire shot off from mai … 〈…〉 and hewed my passage through an host of Royallists have been a 〈◊〉 Traytour against my Prince and stood as sole Antagonist 〈…〉 will lead you Gentlemen through all assaies and make my way with fire and vinegar over the frozen Alpes of Highgate Hill nor put my Armour off till I do strike my Sword on London-stone and be proclaimed Lord of London Demo. Thy resolution is magnanimous and worthy thy great selfe renowned Hero but yet let us joyne Policie with strength and do our best to â—ring our Cohorts in we are yet but an handfull if compar'd with those vast Legions that may joyne with us Con. I shame to heare you run so rashly on without consideration and sell the Foxes skin ere he is taken know you not that King Charles doth live he that sixe yeares maintained feirce War against us and did His utmost to race out our names from under heaven is He not now at Hampton-Court respected like a King and yet in hope once more to graspe the Scepter Trech 'T is true and while he is we cannot be Impi He is the run unbiasses our Boules be the ground never so Levell and while He breaths we are not sure of life Con. Is there no one that dares put forth his hand and gall His vitall thread Regi Yes here stands one that for his Nations good and for the promulgation of the Gospell dares hew downe that tall Cedar John Doo 't Regicide and be renowned for ever Posterity shall solemnize thy name in Songs unto the Timbrill the Virgins of our Land shall decke thy head with Anadems of flowers and thou fill up a Page in the Callender Regi Patricide and I will undertake to do it yet will not act the bloudy deed our selves our Ministeriall Coate prohibits that but we will see it done Con. What meanes shall we provide Trech I hold it best by poyson Ioh. He is too wary what he eateth it must be by assault Tâ—eâ—h Now I thinke on 't tomorrow he rides forth on hunting about the time that he sâ—ts out I le lay an ambush in some covert place and with an hundred bold adventros Blades surprâ—ze his person beare him thence to some place that 's farre remote there keep hâ—m clogg'd with Irons till we take order for his death Regi And yet meane time if opportunity will aptly aid us wee 'll save you so much laour Ioh. Thanks to you all for your kinde choice of mee now to your severall Regiments you knâ—w tomoâ—row is a busie day and with the rest o' the Army you must meet 〈…〉 where I will be but in a 〈◊〉 manner where if the rest joyne with us Futra for all our Foes He make the House of Lords horse one another while I doe lash their Buttocks the Presbyters shall peepe through Pillories and he that hath most money prove most miserable Come on and let 's away My soule doth long to see the dismall day Exeunt Omaes Enter PRAGMATICVS The cursed trap is laid the â—oile is set That they intend to take the Lyon in And thus one ill another doth beget While they make knowne that sin must thrive by sin Thinke what after may be tide And that sinne beares a sharpe wâ—â—p at her side The Devill that at first was wont to stirre The People up to their owne woe and losse To bring their Coine and Plate it to raise warre All Lawes both morrall and divine to crosse Get into their Trustees and forc'd them on To act a priviledg'd Rebellion From them the Spirit went into the Traitors That now had plotted for to kill their King And told them it concerned Adjutators To LEVEL all community to bring And when he is cast out where will he goe There 's none besides that can be tempted so The end of the fourth Act. ACTVS QVINTVS Enter JOHN Solus JOHN VVHat direfull Planet is' t that thwarts my hopes did I but know I 'de seale Joves starry roofe there seize upon 't and throw it down from thence like Lucifer from Heaven O my accursed Fate this ominous day hath blasted all my hopes Enter Aposiasie Apost Flye flye all that we hop'd for quite is crost even our owne are fallen from us and proffer their submission Enter Treachery Treach What make you here Doe you not know Sir Thomas so hath wrought by mild and gentle Speechs by his discreet and wise depoâ—tment that not onely our owne protest against us but doe acknowledge their revolt with teares Joh. Curse light upon ' embase unstable Grooms Enter Conspiracy Con. This Rendevouze at Ware hath marr'd us all the souldiers of our several Regiments have pull'd their Protestations from their Hats and doe excuse them to the Generall as drawne away by our pernicious Counsells Enter Democra Democ. The fate of Monarchy is not yet determin'd for a subversion the King is fled away from Hâ—mpton-Court and our designes are frustrate Iohn What an harsh melody this Quire of Scritch-Owles make Mischiefe findes many Messengers Enter Impiety Imp. With our owne Mines our Castles in the Aire are all blowne up The Souldiers of our severall Regiments are once more all turned round nothing is heard amongst them now but protestations of obedience unto their noble Chiefe Sir Thomas Fairfax Enter Regicide Patricide Ioh. Here comes two Ravens more what will they croak Reg. The Heavens conspire against us which way can wee looke and not behold our ruine Patri Let Whirle-windes enter spâ—ngie hills and beare them thick and threefold on our heads untill we buried lye in deeper graves then those of old that durst attempt the Heavens I see the Almighties selfe with his Sword drawne bearing his dreadfull Thunder in his hand arm'd cap a pe with lightning riding on the swift Windes stands ready to defend CHARLES and his CROWNE against all Conspiracy against him Iohn 'T is vaine to strive against the Destinies let each shift for himselfe And let the world know this that those which strive ' Gainst lawfull Kings their Plots shâ—ll never thrive Exeunt Enter PRAGMATICUS THus Traitors for a while may hope To bring their ends about But in the eâ—d embrace a ROPE Or else are whooted out Our dearest Lord great CHARLES doth live Us comfort yet to bring And maugre those would him deprive MUST Reigne GREAT BRITAINS KING Le Heaven showre upon his Head The blessings of the Day And when his soule is thither fled Grant that his Sonne may sway Exit FINIS