A brief Historical RELATION Of the Empire of RUSSIA AND Of its Original Growth OUT OF 24 Great Dukedomes INTO One entire Empire Since the yeer 1514. Humbly presented to the view and serious perusal of all true-hearted English-men that love and honour the peace and happiness of this their native Country By J. F. London Printed by J.C. for William 〈◊〉 at the Blackmoors head neer Fleâ—â—-â—â—â—ge 1654. READER THe clear Fountain of pure Justice Judgement and Mercy springing forth in its clear and free current to all degrees of men without respect of persons is that which truely advances a Nation brings glory to God peace to the mindes of a distempered people and true honour and safety to the Supreme Ruler who thereby becomes embraced by all in the arms of Love and born upon their hands of Sasety and most freely on all occasions supplied with their gifts of bounty The impartial observation and administration of this by Borice the Elected Emperour of Russia made him so famous and ingraved him so deep in the hearty affection of all the people as that they accounted themselves more happie and safe in him then in him or them whose right by birth at that time the Empire was as in the following Story will appear It was the impregnable Staff of Justice and Mercie by which like a Shepherd he led the people and by which like a most valiant Champion he quell'd and beat down to the ground all his enemies and all that ever dared in the least to oppose or appear against him It was That that became a Wall of Peace and Safety to him and an unexpressible happiness to that Nation during the whole time of his happie Reign This happiness from my soul I wish and desire may ever attend him whom God hath at present placed over us and by whom as by a second Joshua the Lord hath done great things and hath brought mighty things to pass for us yea such as all our Chronicles and all the Stories of Europe and Asia cannot parallel For which select Instrument duty bindes us to return glory and praise to God and to beg that the Lord in mercy to this Nation would keep his heart close to himself causing him to walk close to the Lord by the impartial Rules of Justice Judgement and Mercy knowing in some measure by his own expressions that it is the desire of his soul so to do even to walk close with the Lord and humbly with his God But methinks I hear some Christians say That they dare not approve of these high Titles of Honour to be attributed seeing they do not reap the fruits of Liberty and Justice according to the Reformation promise for that they still see Iniquity Bondage and Oppression to bear the sway the dens of Cruelty upheld the Law streaming forth in as corrupt a delatory chargeable current as before the Adversaries encouraged and his and this Nations true Friends slighted My answer and humble Christian desire to all such shall be onely this That they would be pleased to possess their souls in patience wait upon the Lord and doubtless are long their eyes shall see and behold the salvation of God deliverance wrought yea mighty things brought to pass by him seeing new the Lord hath been pleased to put the power into his hand For it cannot enter into my heart to think or believe that ever his Highness for whom the Lord hath done so great things and if this be not enough will yet do greater things should so far dishonour God and himself and all that have taken part with him by putting their hand unto the Work as to suffer these Norman evils to continue or that ever he should fall off from the pious Rules of Justice Charity and Love so far as to slight those his friends who have ever been faithful to him and this their native Country and have suffered for him Surely Grace and Goodness teacheth him who is in mercy sanctified therewith far better things and will enable him to bring this to pass and much more mangre all his and this Nations enemies Therefore let us not resist lest we be found fighting against God and let him but keep close unto the Lord his God and then go on and prosper I say as I said long before Go on and prosper Now the God of all grace mercy and peace who hath bound up his life in the bundle of his grace sanctifie him thorowout by his holy Spirit perfect his work by him and by him make bare the arm of his mighty power for us against all the potent enemies of this Nation who threaten his and our destruction and this Nation 's ruine and cause his Highness still to be the Lord 's powerful victorious threshing-instrument upon his and this Nations enemies as also the Lords happie instrument of justice and mercy to the people of God and to all the poor distressed oppressed and enslaved to the widow the fatherless and strangers in this Land that so his fame may ring thorowout the world and his name become as a sweet odour in the nostrils of all men All which are and ever shall be the constant addresses to the throne of grace in that behalf for him and the moâ—â— hearty desires of His Highness and this Common-wealths most humble and faithful servant in the Lord during life J. F. Most honorable and Truely honored and Beloved in the Lord Jesus THe Lord having caused me in the days of this my Pilgrimage even from my youth up to taste both of sweet and bitter waters to partake in forraign and domestick Princes Courts abundance of Prosperity and in my own Country the like measure of bitter Adversity for these fourteen or fifteen yeers past In which my days of travel and residence at home some part of the Raign of the two late Kings of England I was diligent to note and observe the most remarkable passages presenting themselves to my Genius and in special some which happened in the vast and potent Empire of Russia to some of which passages I was an eye-witness Of which as also of the original rise and growth of those people of Russia to one entire Empire I have been often for many yeers past by many sollicited to make some brief description or relation In answer therefore now to their earnest desires and according to my best intelligence I have adventured to set pen to paper for their further satisfaction in brief as followeth The people now called Russians or Moscovites are said to be originally descended from the ancient Scythians and those of them now called Belorusians are said to be descended from the Ruthenians whose chief City then was Navagradia and the Ruthenians principal City was then called Wolodeemer who upon the incursions made by Tamerlain the great Cham of the Tartarians into those several parts many thousands of them were scattered or sown abroad into the remotest parts and clodest climates of that vast Continent and thereupon
intituled themselves Ros-seyans which signifieth A people sown abroad upon the face of the earth The people in process of time divided themselves into four and twenty several Dukedoms and so continued until the yeer 1514. At which time John Bazilious Chercaskee the then-Duke of Volodeemer most subtilly contrived and raised a discord amongst all the Dukes of Russia by means whereof they having weakned and destroyed one another the said John Bazilious within very few yeers gained the Conquest of them all together with the Kingdoms of Cazan Astrachan Chorelia and Sibiria and uniting them into one entire Empire he was in the yeer 1524 declared and crowned Emperour of Russa placing his Imperial Throne in the City of Mosco the then-chief City of the Dukedom of Moscovia where it remaineth to this day In his days the Cham of the grim Tartars invaded Russa with an Army of Four hundred thousand men besieged the Imperial City of Mosco some three months burnt and spoiled all the Country many hundred miles in compass and upon his departure he required Homage of the Emperour which was That the Emperor of Russia should come forth of the City of Mosco on foot attended by his Princes and Nobles of Russia bare-headed and that the Emperour should then bring Oats in his Cap and present them to the Cham of Tartary his horse he himself then sitting upon his horse-back and to feed the horse out of his Cap All which for the saving of the lives of many thousands of his people and utter devastation of his Empire the Emperour performed feeding the great Cham of Tartary's horse with Oats out of his own Cap or Colpack This Homage being performed the Cham of Tartary stroaked the Emperour of Russia three times on the face and beard presented him with a Cymiter and a Bowe and Case of Arrows and so departed carrying many thousands captive This John Bazilious the Emperour towards his latter days grew a mighty Tyrant delighting much in blood causing many of his Nobles on the least occasion to 〈◊〉 themselves upon their own swords to 〈◊〉 thrown alive unto Bears Wolves and Lions some he caused both men and women to be tyed to spits and rosted alive till they died some to be torn asunder by horses and many other unexpressible inhumane cruelties were by him practised who after he had like a second Herod reigned 35 yeers being very aged he died of a Dropsie at which time there was a Note of the names of seventeen persons under his pillow A Note sound of 17 persons by him appointed for death appointed to die To him succeeded his son Theodor who being of a shallow capacity and from his youth addicted to blinde devotion and ringing of bells did thereby neglect the great affairs of the Empire whereby the people though acquitted from his father the Tyrant yet their burthens of Contention and Oppression by his folly increased They then by and upon their humble Petition to the Emperour and by his consent and permission chose the then-Lord General of the Imperial Army Borice Feodorowick Godoonove Lord Protector of the Empire who though illiterate was a man endowed with many excellent natural parts being of a deep judgement a strong memory and of a discerning spirit endowed with much sageness being also a great lover of Justice the last of these crowned all the rest of his vertues raising him high in the hearty affections of the people so that to this day his fame rings thorow all that vast Empire like that of Queen Elizabeth in this Nation By him were all their exorbitant abuses of their Law regulated and brought to their pristine condition all the Provincial Vayvodes and Chancellors were for acts of injustice and oppression severely punished in their persons and by their estates compelled to yeeld satisfaction to all parties by them wronged by false Judgement Note this well The long-usurped power of all the Arch-bishops Bishops Priests and Friers in Secular affairs quite extinguished And by fear and terrour of punishment without respect of persons Justice in its purity was compelled from the corruptest persons in Authority which forced also the greatest refractory persons formerly in power to vail and crouch before the Lord Protector seeing the peoples affections thereby become as a wall of brass for his safety and preservation from their secret plottings of his destruction by shooting their secret arrows of detraction abroad to his defamation for which many of them not long after by his impartial hand of Justice were made exemplary Thus after the Emperour Theodor had possessed the Imperial Diademe 15 yeers he died in the Imperial Palace at Mosco 1566. At which time the Lord Protector Borice retiring to the Maiden Monastery seemed to resolve the leading of a Monastick life and to wave the Government of that great Empire which occasioned his secret enemies though before seeming friends to display their Banners of reviling speeches against him endeavouring both by themselves and their instruments to render him odious to the people Yea many of his own servants appeared then in their colours which afterwards caused many of their heads to cleave to the block For the Souldiery over whom he still remained as Lord General during the time of his Protectorship and the Commonalty whose affections he had gained by acts of Justice and Mercy exercised by him without fear or flattery did all unanimously make their repair to him to the said Maiden Monastery and there openly declaring his Paternal care and prudential disposing of the affairs of that vast Empire with all the several conquered parts thereof in the days of their late Emperour Theodor Evanowiche did press upon him the acceptance of the Imperial Diademe Upon whose acceptation they forthwith declared him for their Emperour and soon after his repair to the Imperial Palace he was with very great magnificence and acclamation of the people crowned Emperour of Russia being a Gentleman of an humble spirit constant in his resolutions and carried always an open ear to the complaints of all poor and oppressed persons doing them speedy justice His custom was to sit three days in the fore-noons with his Privie Councel and in the afternoons to hear and answer Petitions causing his Orders and References always to be drawn up in his own presence punishing all Chancellors and other Officers for their corrupt and partial dealing and for their slighting of his Decrees and falsifying of his Orders and References He also called all the Provincial Judges and Chancellors to a strict account yeerly and most impartially heard all mens complaints against them and such as were found corrupt and faulty he punished severely in their persons and by their estates compelled them to give full satisfaction to all persons by them wronged in Judgment or any ways oppressed or defrauded He carried also a vigilant eye over all the Lords of his Privie Councel so that none of them durst tread out of the path of Impartial Justice either for
reward favour or affection to any of their neerest allies or dearest friends He also ordered the determination of all Controversies and Suits in Law to be within 40 days and the charges of a Suit in Law not to exceed a Greevna which is 12 d. English viz. 4 d. for the Citation 4 d. for the Warrant and 4 d. for a copie of the Decretal Order And for any one that had commenced a false and vexatious Suit against any he was to pay treble damages Pure Justice and to suffer the like punishment which he intended thereby to have inflicted upon the person by him unjustly troubled O what happiness what peace what concord would such a course of Justice produce here in England And for the sale of houses and lands of Inheritance he ordained a book to be kept in every Province called The everlasting book or as here in England it was called formerly when the practice of the Law ran in its pure current The Dooms day-book which is there continued to this present By which means all vexatious Suits unjust Claims and all Frauds are prevented The people there cannot mortgage nor sell their Land Houses nor Leases two or three times over to several persons as usually here in England nor is any there cheated of their Patrimonies nor constrained to sell or mortgage their lands or goods or both to maintain a long and tedious Suit in Law by giving content to their insatiable Cormorant-Lawyers Attorneys Sollicitors as we do here in England where the recovery of a debt of 20 l. hath cost some men above 200 l. in Law Yea some thousands of families have been ruined in defence of their rights by the present abusive practise of the Law Neither have they there nor in any Country under the whole heavens but in cruel England any murthering dens and dungeons of cruelty for imprisoning men and women for debt till they starve and die in prison contrary to our own ancient Statutes yet in force See the book intituled Liberty vindicated against Slavery fol. 8 9 10 11 12 13. 25 Edw. 3. chap. 4. 21 Edw. 2. D. 172. 13 Edw. 3. B. 153. 8 Hen. 4. chap. 18 20. 34 Edw. 1. chap. 4. 23 Hen. 6. chap. 10. Magna Chart. chap. 35. Westm. 1. ch 26.3 Edw. 1. ch 26.25 Edw. 3. chap. 4. Nor is there any arrested nor imprisoned upon frivolous false and vexatious Actions unjust Orders Reports and Decrees daily as they are here in England Nor is there any such Horse-leeches to suck the vital blood of men and women committed to their custody into Gaols and Prisons as we have here For all which unexpressible cruelties doubtless the wrath and vengeance of God will ere long fall heavie upon the Nation if not remedied according to the several Vows Protestations Declarations and Manifesto's made to God and this Nation many yeers since both by Parliament and â—rmy In this most noble just and famous Emperours days the cruel the mighty nor the oppressing Miser durst not wrong nor oppress the poor the widow the fatherless nor the stranger The Judges and Chancellors durst not step aside our of the strait path of Justice for money favour nor affection witness that exemplary just Sentence of his passed on the Chancellor of the Province of Rezane who for 100 Robles bribe which is 50 l. had most unjustly decreed a poor widows Land of Inheritance from her whereof proof being by her made to the Emperour the Lord Chancellors was by him degraded and sentenced to have the like bag of money hang'd about his neck and to be whipped by the common Hang-man from the great Chancery-Office to the Market-place and back to the said Office there the money to be melted and poured down his throat All which was done accordingly O if this pure Justice and Mercy were exercised here in England how unexpressibly would it elevate his Highness in the affections of all the people and engrave him in their hearts whereby he would then become like to the famous Queen Elizabeth who upon any motion abroad from her Palace had many thousands attending on the high-ways to congratulate her with their loyalty and loud acclamations sent up to heaven for her Majesties long life health and prosperity In her days there is said to be but one Serjeant at Law at the Common-Pleas bar called Serjeant Benlowes who was ordained to plead both for the Plaintiff and Defendant for which he was to take ten Groats of each party and no more and to manifest his impartial dealing to both parties he was therefore to wear a party-coloured garment and to have on his head a black Cap of impartial Justice and under it a white linen Coyf of Innocencie All which was in the days of King James turned to Injustice Oppression and Bribery Serjeants were by him made in abundance and a Serjeants place was then sold for 800 l. but in the days of the late King the price of Iniquity was raised to 1500 l. who at one time made thirteen Serjeants at Law I will wade no further into this sea of Wickedness lest some of the old stamp and long Robe should finde themselves agrieved but resolve to return to the matter in hand The like punishment was by this famous Emperour most justly inflicted upon the Great Lord Chancellor of Mosco who for passing an unjust Decree was degraded and whipped and had thirty lashes by the common Hang-man upon the Cozoel or wooden Gate before his own Office The like was by him inflicted on the Vayvode or Governour of Vasema who for injustice and oppression was also whipped and his estate decreed to satisfie the persons by him wronged I would instance many more the like acts of Justice which flowed from that truely-magnanimous Prince as also how the subtil deceitful knot of a number of grand oppressors was by him broken who by their subtil contrivances in and by their accustomed corrupt practices in and by their Law had enslaved the Nation to their corrupt wills and ruined thousands of families But I hopâ— that little that hath been related is sufficient for any to take consideration of and to make it their own most honourable practical example to the glory of God the good of this Nation and their own eternal honour And thus after the poor oppressed man's Patriot even this famous Emperour had happily reigned 36 yeers he departed this life whose death was much lamented by all the people for many yeers to whom succeeded his son Theodore who being about 17 yeers old reigned but six months In whose time one Demetrius who from his youth being brought up in the Free-School of Warsovia in Poland gave himself out and was credibly said to be the son of John Bazilious the first Emperour who having married Marinca the eldest daughter of Sandomerskee one of the Electors of Poland was by Sigismundus King of Poland supplied with 20000 horse who thereupon entred this great Empire of Russia with an Army of
240000 horse encountred with the Emperours great Host consisting of 50000 horse and 150000 foot and after four several set Battels he overthrew this great Imperial Host marched up to the Imperial City and after Summons causing the young Emperour Theodor to be strangled he entred the City and being forthwith crowned Caesar or Emperour he possessed the Imperial Diademe 28 months He was a Gentleman very comely of personage active of body and a great Scholar highly affecting the English Germane and Polonian Nations being also himself for his valour and generosity of spirit greatly beloved of all his victorious Army But coming to possess the Imperial Throne and the glory thereof he gave himself up to all maner of delightful pastimes referring the management of all State-affairs to his Privie Councel and being wholly led by his chief Secretary Panne Boochinskee he confined his ear to the said Boochinskee and some other few Polonian Flatterers and Parasites about him receiving also into favour some of the Russian Nobility and conferring places of Honour and Trust upon them hoping thereby to win and endear them to himself who notwithstanding became as stinging Serpents in his bosome and proved the fatal instruments of his ruine But that which proved most advantagious to his enemies and fatal to himself was his not admitting any into his presence as that famous Emperour Borice with all freeness used to do but such onely as those Parasites and Flatterers pleased to admit for affection favor or reward stopping his ears against the cries of the poor oppressed Petitioners he neglected to answer their Petitions whereby the hearts of the people were exasperated against him The reins of injustice tyranny oppression were let loose to all oppressors the Lords of his Councel acted by the Rule of their own wills his Secretary Boochinskee became lawless and graceless none durst prefer a complaint against him Every one of these his Flatterers made hay for themselves whilst the prosperous sunshine of his Majesties Imperial favour displayed his rayes upon them without any real affection or conscientious care in them for his Majesties honour and safety the fruit whereof proved not long after to be the fatal loss of their own lives and great estates so impiously gained For the irreconcileable old Imperial subtil Nobility Gentry Chancellors and Clergie having ingratiated themselvs with him did by their instruments at a distance incessantly in secret render the Emperour odious to the people and guilty of all those grievous burthens of Injustice and Oppression which by their own unjust complotted practices they had laid upon the people whereby they most subtilly accomplished their diabolical end which was the untimely destruction of his Royal person by the cruel hands of Basilius Shuskee one of the reconciled Nobility who not long before for some treacherous practice had his head upon the Block yet the Emperour in his clemencie pardoned him who not long after through the intercession of some of the Russian Lords was made Privie Councellor whereby he was the better enabled to compass his resolved barbarous designe which was the cruel destruction of the Emperours person and of the lives of all his victorious Army consisting then of 25000 valiant men being all Polonian Germane and Hungarian Horse who were all of them massacred the same day and their houses rifled their wives and children exposed to misery and very many of them cruelly butchered by the rude multitude within the City of Mosco which inhumane act caused a Sea of blood to have its current thorow many of the streets within the said City Thus the glory of this victorious Heroick spirit was extinguished in one day and all that truely adhered unto him suffered with him both in their estates and lives about the 20 of May 1604. Bazilius having thus butchered this gallant Prince and removed all obstacles by destroying the Army he was proclaimed Emperour of Russia by Mighayla Scopeene General of the Russian Army and speedily after crowned who being scarce warm in the Imperial Throne began forthwith to display the Banner of Tyranny in restoring the covetous Clergie to their former power and jurisdiction in Secular affairs and most perfidiously contrary to his oath and promise made to the people at the time of his election he loosed the reins of injustice and oppression to all the Vayvodes and Provincial Chancellors and began to lay great Taxes on the people and like Richard the third of England he beheaded some who were the primary instruments of placing the Imperial Diademe on his head causing also Mighaylo Scopeene the General of the Imperial Army to be secretly destroyed by poyson Which acts of his rendered him odious to all degrees of men exasperated the spirits of the Nobility against him and alienated the hearts of all the people from him and chiefly for that their grievances were not heard nor their burthens of oppression taken off in all the six yeers time of his Reign which at length emboldened the Nobility and Merchants of the City with a resolute spirit to lay hold of him wherein a Citizen one Theodor Andronave was a prime actor who gagg'd him bound him fast in a Sled and sent him post prisoner unto Sigismundus King of Poland laying to his charge the murthering of their late Emperour Demetrius who being arrived at Warsovia in Poland he was ordered to safe custody where he ended his days most miserably in the yeer of Christ 1610. The Nobility and flattering Clergie forthwith proceed in electing Uladislaus the King of Poland's eldest son for their Emperour who thereupon sent one Panne Zoltefskee with 10000 Horse to take and keep possession for him upon whose arrival into the Imperial City of Mosco the Citizens made some opposition but were soon appeased by the Lords of the Councel The Polish General thereupon gained a greater strength into the City which caused several tumults the Lords thereupon caused all the Citizens to be disarmed and but one hatchet left to every three houses to cleave their wood which act did mightily enrage the Citizens against the Lords and Polonians Zoltefskee well weighing the power of the Citizens and weakness of his Army to keep possession of so vast a City did thereupon administer an Oath of Loyalty to all his Souldiery commanding them on the sixth day of the then-month of May every one at one of the clock in the morning to fire their lodgings and not to spare man woman nor childe which was done accordingly and above 130000 persons massacred besides those that were burnt in their beds and houses Thus the buildings of that famous City said then to be 26 miles in compass were all turned into ashes in one day except the three stone-walls environing each other at a very great distance and the Emperours Palace with some Monasteries and other buildings of stone but the fourth wall which environed all the rest together with the suburbs without that wall reaching above three miles in length were all burned
the wall being all of massie timber and earth But the unsavoury fruit of this their bloody Tragedie was by the just hand of heaven returned into their own bosomes for the Country forthwith raised two mighty Armies under the conduct of the Lord Troobetscoy and the Lord Pazarskee who besieged the Polonians in the City close on every side for the space of two yeers and through extreme famine enforced the Polonians to yeeld up that famous Metropolitan City and therewith the Prince of Poland's right to the Empire of Russia so as of 35000 valiant men there returned not twenty persons into Poland Those few hundreds that yeelded up the City coming once to plenty of victuals died with meat in their mouthes through meer weakness having not tasted a bit of bread in six months before In which Siege a loaf of bread sometime was sold for a thousand Robles which is 500 l. Sterling During the time of this cruel Siege wherein I continued 22 months being lodged in the Imperial Palace several objects of misery presented themselves to my fight and observation from the besieged as the eating of the flesh of horses dogs cats and all sorts of leather boyled in ditch-water which served in stead of Tripes But that which took most impression of grief upon my spirits was to see many Russian Ladies nobly descended and brave young Gentlewomen who not long before scorned that the moist earth should have touched the soles of their feet were now become miserable constrained to go bare-footed and for food to prostrate themselves to every mean persons disposal yea when they were discarded by some I have seen them with tears in their eyes profer their service to others and all for a miserable livelihood which then called to my remembrance this old saying Pride must have a fall and Hunger will break stone-walls But after the famine grew very great and all women children and aged persons turned out of the City to the Russians who received them very courteously â—ery much condoling their miserable conditions there followed a very great judgement of God upon the Polonians obâ—â—inacie and hardness of heart who all bound themselves by Oath and receiving the Sacrament upon it not to yeeld up the City to the Russians so long as there was a man of them alive which brought them to that extremity that they by casting lots who should die next to maintain the rest alive did devour one another from 3000 to 400 persons And at the surrender of the City divers Commanders of the Russian Army seizing upon sundry large chests conceiving them to be full of treasure having them broken up found in them nothing but the bodies of men slain for food to the living Upon the regaining of this Imperial City in 1612. forthwith followed the free election of Mighaylo Theodorowiche of the lineage of Borice that famous Emperour by the two National Armies consisting of 13000 Horse and Foot who was crowned the 5 of August 1613. This young Prince for a time walked in the path of that Princely myrrour of Justice Borice under whose Government after a few yeers of trouble the Nation enjoyed Halcyon days of peace and tranquillity after the cessation of that long intestine War between the Emperors of Russia and Charles Duke of Swethland and his son Gustavus the late King of Swethland which was accomplished and the Country of Scythia restored to the Russian by the mediation of King James and the indefatigable restless pains and travel of the truly-honorable sage States-man Sir John Merick employed Lord Ambassador there for that work for the space of three yeers and eight months who accomplished a League offensive and defensive between the two Crowns of Russia and Swethland in 1617. which is since ratified by the now-Emperour Olexey Michaylowiche and the Queen of Swethland This worthy States-man Sir John Merick was by King James employed upon a second Embassie unto the said Emperour of Russia in the yeer 1621. being accompanied by six Gentlemen of quality of whom Robert Kelloway Esq was first in degree and by 60 followers all in a rich Livery who accomplished his Embassie with content to the King and very great honour to himself and this Nation In both which great Embassies I had the honour to be with him all the time Thus after this peaceable Emperour had reiâ—ned 35 yeers he died to whom succeeded Olexey his son who being yet of tender yeers and not knowing the great and weighty causes and motives inducing his Princely predecessors to grant that great Charter of Free-trade unto the English Company of Merchants thorowout that vast Empire free of Custom and all other duties hath as is supposed by the aggravation of some Dutch Resident there deprived the English of that Charter But now I hope upon better information and apprehension of the constant love of the English to his Majestie and that Nation and their readiness on all occasions from time to time to serve and supply his predecessors with all necessaries even in the times of their greatest straits will be a sufficient motive to him most honorably and freely to restore unto the English Merchants the said Charter of Free-trade and will thereby manifest his Princely affection to our victorious Chieftain or Caesar who hitherto hath been the Lords threshing-instrument of terrour to all the potent and raging enemies of this Nation both by land and sea All which the Dutch as well as others have been made very sensible of and of which they above any others can make a most true Narrative if they please to the glory of God the honour of his Highness and this nation and to their own correctiâ—e instruction for the future lest their insulting pride draw them down by a second Duke d'Alva to the gulf of destruction and enforce them once again to intitle themselves to our Caesar The poor distressed States of the Netherlands as they did in the days of Elizabeth Queen of England who purchased those United Provinces from the Spaniard by the inestimable life-blood of more then 100000 English-men besides Scots and Irish and the expence of more then two millions of treasure Never to be fully satisfied by the worth of all the Netherlands But if any shall be offended at these my foregoing expressions touching our presentâ— victorious Chieftain or Caesar I shall humbly desire them to look back into the recorded transactions of all the Worthies in former ages and see if they can comparatis comparandis balance those many several noble and victorious acts of his with any of theirs in the scale of Honour and true Magnanimity by him accomplished in three famous Kingdoms viz. England Scotland and Ireland and all within the space of 3 or 4 yeers without the least foil or repulse at any time by him received from his this Nation 's potent enemies Wherein in my judgment he surpasses the Romane Caesars the furious Goths and Vandals the valiant Scanderbeg Prince of Epirath the
triumphant Godfrey of Bullein and the victorious Gustavus Adolphus King of Swethland who was the terrour of Germany And as the Lord in raising him up hath thus by him brought home peace to every man's door in these three Nations so I desire and wish from my soul that with all due thankfulness he and we may return praises to his great and glorious Name for those his rich and abundant mercies by this his select instrument Oliverus conferred on us it being the onely true way for the continuation of his showers of mercies on us and in stead of kicking against the pricks to rest satisfied and wait patiently upon the Lord and then doubtless the salvation of God will appear for he that believeth maketh not haste For that sacred Power that hath hitherto by him accomplished mighty things for us will assuredly perfect his work even his own great work so that the enemies of God and all that hate us beholding it shall stand amazed shall be enforced to confess and say that it is the Lords doings and it is marvelous in their eyes And when once according to his sundry expressions at several times to that effect he appears mighty in pulling down the strong holds of Satan and advancing the thrones of Justice Judgment and Mercy to the glory of God the good of this Nation and his own eternal praise then shall his enemies be abashed and England's enemies confounded but on him shall the mercies of God flourish For it is Justice and Mercy exalts a Nation and the administration thereof without respect of persons is the honour of a Nation and of him that is the Head of the Nation Witness those unalterable decrees of the Medes and Persians and Solomon tells us that the throne is established by justice and upholden by mercy Prov. 20.28 For he that ruleth over men must be just honourable and unalterable in his word and promise ruling in the fear of God 2 Sam. 23.3 And he set judges in the land city by city and said to the judges Take heed what ye do for ye judge not for man but for the Lord who is present with you in the judgment for there is no iniquity nor respect of persons with the Lord nor taking of gifts 2 Chron. 19.5 6 7. This undoubtedly was the lesson which our just Alfred King of England gave to all the County-Judges and Chancellors in his days and this was the charge of that renowned Emperour Borice and this I hope will be the Rule and unalterable Charge of our victorious Caesar And in so doing he shall assuredly retain the favour of God the love of the whole Nation and make his enemies vanish like the smoke And so doing go on and prosper the Lord shall give thee thine hearts desire O that the Lord in mercy to this Nation would turn the present tyrannous destructive Norman law of England into a law of mercy preservation to the people thereof that so they might not be thereby in their estates rights liberties and lives daily sold as sheep are in Smithfield-market and by Bayliffs and Serjeants most spitefully daily haled like dogs to several dungeons of misery from their families and callings and cruelly destroyed in prisons their estates by piecemeal torn and rent from them for a trifle and their wives and children enforced to beg their bread yea many poor hang'd for ten or twenty shillings whilst those that rob this Nation of their estates liberties and lives and that by a Law escape the halter Wherefore my most humble and earnest suit unto his Highness the Lords threshing-instrument 15 That he would be pleased to take seriously to heart the misery of this Nation as good Nehemiah did who accounted their misery his misery their bondage his bondage their flesh as his flesh and their children as his children And lo saith he you suffer to be brought into bondage your sons and your daughters causing thereby the enemies of God to blaspheme Neh. 5.5 9. and the oppressed to groan under the burthen The works and words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood but the mouth of the upright shall deliver the oppressed Prov. 12.6 And also seriously to consider the admonition of Solomon saying If thou forbear to deliver those that are haled to death or dungeons of death and if thou sayst Behold I knew it not doth not he that pondereth thy heart and keeps thy soul know it And so of the Lords judgement denounced by Jeremiah against the Rulers of Judah saying Ye have not hearkned unto me in proclaiming liberty every one to his brother and every one to his neighbour nor loosed the bands of wickedness nor undone the heavie burdens nor let the oppressed nor enslaved go free Therefore will I proclaim liberty unto you even to the sword to the plague and to the famine Jer. 34.17 And do we not see the anger of the Lord kindled against us by troubles abroad jealousies at home and fears on every side Therefore take away the Cause which is Injustice Cruelty and Oppression and the Effect will cease assuredly For when in these things a mans ways please the Lord his very enemies shall be at peace with him If therefore the Lord in mercy to his Highness and this Nation be pleased to incline his heart to loose the bands of wickedness by abolishing the Capias and to let the oppressed go free to pull down the thrones of iniquity and to break every yoke Then shall his light break forth to the Nation as the morning and his health shall then spring forth speedily his righteous acts shall then be his van-guard and the glory of the Lord in the power of his might shall be his rere-guard For blessed shall he be that considereth the cause of the poor especially those that are of upright heart the Lord shall deliver him out of his enemies hands and he shall be blessed upon the earth yea his enemies shall be destroyed but he shall be established in righteousness and his seed after him if he despise not the counsel of the poor whose trust is in the Lord if he cleave not to the generation of cruel men but ease this Nation of this cruel Norman bondage and deliver the inslaved for debt out of the several dens of cruelty in this Land causing speedy justice to have its free current without respect of persons that so all that are oppressed and defrauded of their estates lands or goods may gain speedy restitution with damage for false imprisonment or detention of their estates unjustly All which once effected will assuredly appease the wrath of God against these Nations unite the hearts of all this great people to his Highness as the heart of one man and will enable him to go in and out before this great people in the strength of the Lord and the power of his might in peace and much safety maugre all his enemies and all that strive to disturb his and this Nations peace
of the first Rebellion in Kent For both which I never to this day received one peny as a recompence or reward from any And what my fidelity and many yeers cruel sufferings have been for Parliament and Army and in especial to his Highness is well-known to thousands in the City and Countries and manifested by the several Tractates written and printed by me in defence of the Cause and of his Highness honour even at that time also when black-mouth'd envious Infamy had opened her mouth wide against him from which I shall never vary nor cease to vindicate his honour in the way of God wishing from my soul that all men were even as I am which is so far from acting wishing or thinking any hurt to him or his as that I shall spend my life and be ready to be spent for him yea although he should suffer me to be overwhelmed with sorrow penury and the raging power of my slanderous adversaries For the real truth of all which I appeal to the searcher of all hearts who knows that I lye not and to whose sacred hand of justice and mercy I refer my adversaries concluding with David's words Plead my cause O Lord with them that strive with me Fight thou against them that fight against me and From evil and deceitful men O Lord deliver me For they that work evil shall be wrapped up in evil Slander and reproach proceed from the proud in heart but vengeance lurketh for them as a lion yea Anguish shall consume them before they die and they shall be taken in the same snare The tongue of the hypocrite destroyeth his neighbour by lying words yea he worketh deceitfully without ceasing I wish this Age hath not brought forth many such monsters who bend their tongues like a bowe for lyes and take great pains to do wickedly Witness the numberless number of backbiters false accusers Knights of the Post forgers of Deeds tormentors of poor men and women by frequent vexatious Arrests Imprisonments and tedious Suits in Law of Ten Twenty Thirty or Fourty yeers continuance I cannot but with grief of heart confess that we live in the very last of times wherein Malice lurketh Revenge rageth Cruelty sucketh the vital blood of the poor Envie suffereth not the poor to live Oppression stayeth the needy the poor is despised of his neighbour his faithfulness contemned and his services not regarded if he be not armed with the spirit of boldness impudence and base flattery as many are who have thrived best and prevailed most since these distracted times and have made great gain by the bare profession of Godliness but of true godliness small gain to themselves in the practical part thereof Some such are they who have troubled me perplexed me persecuted me defrauded me and endeavoured to destroy me by lying words The Lord in mercy forgive them and give them hearts to walk more answerably to their profession and preserve his Highness from being deceived and deluded by any such Vipers It was the approved wisdome of that famous Emperour Borice Not to trust any reconciled Enemy nor to intrust them in any place of power nor to credit any their Blemishes and Odiums in secret cast upon any of approved fidelity to his person This Rule produced peace and safety to him but confusion to his enemies and to all their Machavilian plots and enterprises against him On the other hand Credulity and Security and favouring of reconciled enemies was the destruction of that Heroick Spirit Demetrius the Emperour who by their Flatteries lulling him asleep in their treacherous Cradle of Security made thereby his Friends appear to him to be his Foes and themselves that were his mortal Enemies to be his onely Friend by his confining of his ear unto them An eminent Example we have for this in the late King who upon the competition between the Spanish and French Faction of his Councel granted the pre-eminence to the Spanish Faction as to Cant ' Arund ' Cott ' Wind ' and others by confining his ear solely to them which proved his confusion For the Plot being laid long before by the Pope and Jesuites to make the King of Spain UNIVERSAL KING these Machiavels knew no surer way to accomplish this then in rendering the King odious to the people by multiplying of Taxes and countenancing the several Judges in their corrupt practices The Bishops by the High-Commission-Court new invented Orders in their Churches and the Oath Ex Officio Putting the King also upon requiring Knighthood-money Ship-money the Forests and others of that nature being confident that this would move the people by them called Hereticks to rebel and so cut the throats one of another and thus the Catholikes might but stand by and laugh at their destruction and then the King of Spain with much facility might of England and Ireland gain the possession which done the Netherlands would soon follow and France also be brought into subjection How far they prevailed in this their hellish Plot I appeal to all knowing persons and what good the Lord produced to this Nation out of evil by them intended is manifest at this day The Lord perfect this his Work of Mercy to us by granting us the assurance of his love and favour in Jesus Christ which cannot but produce honour to his Highness and peace and happiness to this Nation Which is the hearty desire of Your faithful friend and servant in the Lord J. F. POSTSCRIPT For the help and enabling of all poor oppressed â—â—eatures that are not able to wage Law or to undergo the chargeable corrupt practice thereof for recovery of their Rights THat his Highness would be pleased to cause a Proclamation or Declaration to be made thorowout the whole Nation thereby declaring that all Decrees made against any person or persons in any Court of Justice or Equity without hearing of the party or Counsel for him upon the making thereof being contrary to the Laws and Statutes of this Nation shall become void And that those Judges that be living of them which made the said Decrees shall answer and pay unto the party damnified thereby his full loss and damage sustained by reason thereof within certain days to be limited after Oath made of the demand thereof and upon failer therein that then an Extent to issue of course without any circuit of Action or Suit at Law against the said unjust Judge or Judges their estates both real and personal and then to pay double damages for their said failer And that the said Proclamation or Declaration shall be a sufficient warrant to any Sheriffs or Officers whatsoever to levie all such money as shall appear to be due for the reasons aforesaid any Statute Law or Ordinance to the contrary heretofore made in any wise notwithstanding And whosoever hath illegally in the time of a prisoners restraint intruded and gotten into the possession of any of his lands or goods and received the profits thereof converted them unto his or their own use and do still unjustly detain them If any such person or persons do not after so many days limited as aforesaid upon demand deliver the possession of the said Lands quietly unto the parties so wronged or unto such as he shall appoint with all the profits thereof and goods by him or them or any of them so taken away That then to restore fourfold and for such as have no estates to give satisfaction may receive corporal punishment The Law of England being a Law of mercy and preservation and not as it 's now in the practice thereof become a Law of rigour and destruction to the people therefore it is further humbly prayed 1. That none may be arrested nor imprisoned for debt but that after three several citations the debtor not appearing judgment to pass and execution on his estate This will make all men cautious of running into debt and others wary whom they trust Whereby Trade will flourish as in Germany Holland Flanders other parts of the world It will preserve Gentlemens heirs from being ruined before they can possess their estates by Usurers Brokers and Extortioners as thousands have been 2. That all Cheaters and such-like may walk with their nostrills stil in stead of a cropt ear as in Germany Russia c. 3. That none may be put to death for theft it being consonant to the law of God 3. That all Wastes and Commons may be e-equally divided among the poor of each Perish 5. That all groundage at sea may be abolished goods imbezeled to be restored freely to the owners In which act of justice and mercy Turks and Pagans surpass us far at present 6. That the Norman power ad Conquestum being at a period therefore all Villanage Vassalage Fines and Heriots to be abolished together with Court-Leets and Barons 7. All controversies to be determined by three men in every Hundred Town-Corporate and those to be changed yeerly with freedom of appeal to the Provincial Court for any act of injustice by them passed injudgement 8. That a Register be kept in every County for the sale of lands leases houses and farms and all private sales to be accounted illegal 9. That the yeerly progress of the Prince may now again be founded on its original basis as in the days of K. Alfred viz. to see justice have its free and clear current thorowout the Land without respect of persons These nine particulars not varying much from the Armies Petition of July 14. 1649. will I hope finde a favourable acceptation from him on whom the Lord hath now conferred the power of all at present and hath I hope set him over us for good and not for evil though the Royal party backbite him and speak evil of him daily wishing and plotting his destruction and the destruction of all that love him and adhere unto him But that sacred mighty power which hitherto hath kept him safe will still preserve him causing his mercies to flourish on him maugre all those that hate him If he do the work of the Lord thorowly and faithfully FINIS