Worcester's Mannor at Hartlerow Sir Arthur Haslerig had the Bishop of Durham's House Park and Mannor of Aukeland and 6500 l. in money given him Lord Gray of Grooby had the Queens mannor House Park and Lands at Hâ—ldenby Sir Will. Constable restored to Lands sold to Sir Marmaduke Langly worth 25000 l. Sir Will. Purefoy had given him 1500 l. Wal. Long 5000 l. given him Michael Oldsworth keeper of Windsor Park and had a share out of Sir Will. Compton's Office worth 3000 l. a year divided betwixt him and his Lord. Tho. Scot a Brewers Clark had Lambeth House Mr. Ashurst 1000 l. given him besides every Member of the House which was when full 516 Persons by their own order allow'd themselves 4 l. per. week a man which amounts to 110000 l. per annum They gave to Collonel Hâ—mond Governour of the Isle of Wight for his Table 20 l. a week a 1000 l. in money and 500 l. a year Land Collonel Mitton 5000 l. in mony Cornelius Hâ—lland a poor Boy and waited on Sir Hen. Vain when Comptrouler of the Princes House Made Commissioner for the Revenue of the King Queen and Prince Farmer of the Kings feeding Grounds in Buckinghamshire worth 2000 l. per annum at 200 l. per annum Rent Possessor of Somerset-house Keeper of Richmond House Commissioner for the Garrisons of White-Hall and the Mews an Office in the Mint which enabled him to give 5000 l. with his Daughter this was one of the Kings Judges Sir Hen. Vain Senior had the Bishop of Durham's mannor and Park at Evenwood and had given him 5000 l. and was Chair-man of the Kings Queens and Princes Revenue Sir Hâ—n Vain Junior a subtil Cunning pated Man a fifth Monarchy-man he was made Treasurer of the Navy worth 6000 l. a year Sir Tho. Trenchard given him 1200 l. He marries his Daughter to a Malignant gives security for the Payment of the portion being 1200 l. gets his Son in Law sequestred discovers the Debt and haâ—h it given him for his Fidelity to the State A new way to pay Portions Will. Bingham Governour of Pool had 1000 l. given him To Collonel Joh. Sydenham 1000 l. Joh. Glyn Recorder of London was Clark of the Polls worth 1000 l. per annum and afterwards Lord Chief Justice Joh. Bell an Apothecary beng intrusted with money was sued and said he could not answer without breach of Parliament Sir Walter Earl Collonel of Horse and Lieutenant of the Ordnance worth in times of Peace 1000 l. per annum in War 5000 l. per annum Alderman Atkins Treasurer at War Gregory Clemens a Merchant and one of the Kings Judges John Rowles had given him one thousand five hundred pound out of Sir John Worsenham's Estate Edward Ash a Woollen-Dâ—â—per Treasurer for the providing of Cloaths for the Irish Souldiers Sir John Danvers by a Parliamentary proceeding overthrew his Brothers Will and got the Estate worth 30000 l. Hen. Herbert given him 3000 l. and the Plunder of Ragland Castle To Fenwick 500 l. Gilbert Millingâ—on 1000 l. and Chair-mâ—n to the Committee of plundred Ministers To the two Darbys 5000 l. Robert Cecil Son to the Earl of Salisbury Collonel of Horse Serjeant Wild a Judge a 1000 l. given him after the Hanging of Captain Burley out of the Privy Purse and it is said he had 1000 l. more after the aquital of Mr. Rolf who was accused for an intention of murthering the late King Of the City several Aldermen Common-Councel and others who had great Benefits by this Parliament some of whom were of it John Warner Lord Major was one of the Treasurers of War and Treasurer of the receit of all Monies due upon the Ordinance of 3 d. August 1643. Treasurer of the loan money Purchased the Arch-Bishop of York's best House Castle and Mannot of Caywoood Sir John Wooleston Alderman Treasurer of War Treasurer for Plate Treasurer for loan Money Say-Master of the Mint Trustee of the sail of Bishops Lands Purchased the Bishop of London's Land at High-Gate Alderman Gibbs got seven or eight thousand pounds by melting the Plate and Bodkins at Guild-Hall one of the Treasurers for 20000 l. to pay the Scots a Trustee for Bishops Lands and Treasurer for Rents and Monies raised by them Alderman Fowks a Commissioner for the Customs refused to account upon Oath because of a tender Conscience Treasurer for the payment of Wagoners a Trustee for Bishops Lands and Controuler of their Accounts had first 200 pound per annum and after by their Additional Ordinance 300 per annum more standing Fee Alderman Pennington was Lieutenant of the Tower being intrusted with 6000 pound discovers it to the Parliament beggs it and had it granted Alderman Pack Commissioner for the Customs Treasurer at War and bought the Bishop of Lincoln's House and Mannor at Bugden Alderman Andrews Treasurer at War and Commissioner for the Customs Alderman Avery Commissioner for the Customs Treasurer for Sequestrations and Trustee for the sale of Bishops Lands Alderman Culham Commissioner of the Excise worth 1200 pound per annum Alderman Foot the same Alderman Edmonds the same Owen Roe Lieutenant Collonel and keeper of the Magazeen for stores Alderman Dothwick Treasurer at War With many more too long to be named They allowed for their Military Officers a Collonel of Foot 30 s. day a Lieutenant Collonel 15 s. a Major 9 s. a Captain 15 s. A Collonel of Horse 30 s. a day for himself and for six Horses 21 s. a day a Lieutenant Collonel 15 s. a day for himself and for six Horses 21 s. a Captain of Horse 24 s. a day and for six Horses 21 s. a day A Collonel Lieutenant Collonel and Major received their Captains pay beâ—â—des So that it was no wonder so many of the Parliament men got Commands in the Army It was thought that there was near twenty Millions shared in Lands Revenues Incomes and money amongst them To Bradshaw their President of their High Court of Justice the Kings House and Parks at Eltham was given and to Bultrode Withlock Greenwich Barksted Lieutenant of the Tower a poor Goldsmith bought at two or three years purchase as much Bishops Lands as cost 10000 l. Mr. Boon who they say had been a Tapster a Member of the House had given him 6000 l. To Harry Martin 3000 l. To Blackstone's Wife and Children 3000 l. out of the Earl of Nâ—w-Castle and Lord Withâ—rington's Estates and 500 l. to his brother Upon the General out of the Lands of the Duke of Buckingham's Estate and his Brothers the Lord Francis Villers 4000 l. per annum Clarendon Park bestow'd on the Earl of Pembroke 4868 l. to the Lord Lisle To Bradshaw more 2000 l. Land per annum and 1000 l. in money Cook for Acting the part of Attorny General against the late King had bestowed on him St. Crosses Hospital The new Park in Surry bestowed on the Citty that they might not want Venison Collonel Martin's account brought into the House
Rocks Nor the People into the like Rebellion in seeking to avoid Arbitrary Government or some Shadows of it bring it upon themselves totally to the subverting the Monarchy and the Fundamental Laws of the Land To the intent then that they may see the difference between the happy Reign of lawful Kings and usurping Tyrants we have Collected the illegal Acts and bloody Persecutions of those Usurpers of Arbitrary Government the Rump and Oliver that by the matter of Fact the People may be convinced and deterred from thinking of Rebelling against their lawful Prince since 't is the only way to bring in Arbitrary Government whose most horrid Picture is display'd in the following History Arbitrary Government displayed to the Life in the illegal Transactions of the late Times IF we mount up the Hill of Time present and thence take a view on either hand lyes Time past and Time future or to come the latter is continually hidden in a Cloud and we are not able to take any Prospect of it unless by Divine or Prophetick illumination which tho certain is rare yet a wise man by looking back on Time past and Comparing the certain Effects resulting from several Causes may give a shrewd Guess of what is to come and thus from Experience he will pronounce that Fears and Jealousies betwixt a Prince and his people being wrought to the height will produce on the one hand Severity on the other Rebellion If the Prince gets the better of the People after they have run into actual disobedience it is not to be expected he should whilst he Lives slacken the Reins of his Power but by keeping them under extend it to the utmost of the line If the people thrive in their Rebellion the certain sequel is Usurpation Tyrannick and Arbitrary Government as hath been seen in several Ages and recounted in several Histories which we shall not mention our Design being to confine our Discourse to our own late Affairs and Transactions from the first setting up of the Rump in the place of Monarchy to the Restauration of our present Monarch whom God grant long to Reign If we look down from this Hill of Time presents thorow the Optick of History on Time past we behold the first Ages as in Landskip only not in a due Proportion being much lessened in Relation the middle Ages are more clearly viewed and lye open to discovery and are more largely Displayed in History but again the more near or next to the Mountain of Time present are also covered in a certain obscurity and as it were over-shadowed by the Mount of Time present that Truth is traced with a faint touch and usually things are not so clearly seen as at a longer distance But since every day renders the Prospect more clear We hope in this our short Relation of the late Usurpers and of their Tyrannick and Arbitrary Government to shew to the People a most lucid Picture of that dreaded Monster which they do and may most justly fear Arbitrary Government Fears and Jealousies fomented and heightned we may say begot it and Rebellion brought it forth for it was the foul Issue of our bloody Civil Wars It is not my task to write the Transactions between the late King and his Parliaments nor to draw forth a Scheme of that most unnatural War which robb'd England of it's Peace and devoured so many brave and valiant Subjects this hath been sufficiently and fully by several Pens already performed But I shall begin the rise of my Historical Collections from the time of the Exclusion of the greater part of the Members of the house of Commons called the long Parliament and when the Tail or Rump as they are called of the said Commons against all Law and Right usurped the Regal Authority of the Nation and placing it upon themselves Exercised a Tyrannick and Arbitrary Government with any shadow of legal Authority for altho it is not to be doubted that the bloody War commenced by the long Parliament against their sovereign Lord and King was illegal and unjust yet I say by that Bill passed by his late Majesty together with the Bill of attainder against the Earl of Strafford on the 8 th of May 1641. for the continuance of that Parliament and that it should not be Prorogued or Adjourned but by act of Parliament and on the 10 th of the same Month had the Royal assent gave them I say some Colour or shadow of Authority and extreamly inbroiled the Kings affairs The advisers to the passing of this Act are not certainly known some attribute it to the Lord Say others to the designing Marquess Hamilton who brag'd of it in Scotland as his Act but whoever they were it prov'd most pernicious to the King and seem'd to Authorise the Rebellion by his own Act. But before we enter upon the Actions of these Usurpers we shall only make mention of some preliminary Acts of illegal Arbitrariness of this Parliament before their Votes of Non-Addresses to the King and their sceluding their fellow Members and of their growing up to that perfection of Evil in taking upon them the Administration of the Government and of that unparallel'd-Murther of a great Monarch their soveraign Lord and King The first was under the Notion of maintaining the Protestant Religion their entring into a solemn Protestation or Association among themselves and also imposing it on the Consciences of all others who should bear any Office either in Church or State Secondly their raising men arming them and forming an Army and so running on into actual Rebellion against their Head and continuing that most Bloody War with so much Heat and Animosity hearkhing to no Treaties c. Next their flinging the Bishops out of the House and imprisoning twelve of them for asserting their Right only by a Protestation And which was absolutely against the Priviledges granted to them by Magna Charta and a lopping off one of the Estates of the Realm Then their putting a difference between the Kings person and his politick Capacity raising War against him in his own Name for as yet the Keepers of the Liberties of England were not thought of but the Style ran in the name of the King and Parliament making the King to fight against himself and to War with himself Next their illegal imprisoning their fellow Subjects and disseizing many of their free Holds for their Loyalty to their Prince and for not lending them Money to carry on their Rebellion and also putting to Death the Hothams all contrary to Magna Charta and the Liberty of the subject and full of Arbitrariness Next their endeavouring to perswade the People that the Soveraignty law wholly and radically in them and so effectually in the Parliament on House of Commons for they now began to be esteemed only the Parliament Then by their Endeavouring â—o take the power of the Sword out of their Soveraigns â—and and to put it into their own thereby to make him a King
with whom Cromwell by private Messengers held them in hand of a Treaty putting them in hopes of reconciling the Business without blows which made them neglectful till Fairfax and Cromwell fell upon them in their Quarters unsuspected their Horses being most at Grass at twelve a Clock of the night routed them and took about four hundred Prisoners of which only three were shot to Death the rest pardoned by Cromwell's Intercession to ingratiate himself with the Army One Thomson and two more dyed very Resolutely This business being over the General and Cromwell come to Oxford where they are feasted and made Doctors of the Civil Law And now the Army were fain to submit and accepted their Lots for going to Ireland which were these following Ireton's Scroop's Horton's and Lambert's Regiments of Horse Collonel Abot's of Dragoons And of Foot Collonel Eure's Cook 's Hewson's and Dean's to which were added three new ones Cromwell's Venable's and Phayer's Cromwell was made Commander in Chief with the Title of Lord Governour of Ireland and Fairfax was left at home to attend the Junto In the mean time the Keepers of the peoples Liberties were as fast as they could taking away the Lives of several Persons in several places whose Loyalty and Consciences had engaged them for their King as Lievtenant Collonel Moris and Cornet Blackborn who â—uffered at York the former having been Governour of Pomfret and one Beamount a Minister was hanged at Pomfret by Sentence of a Court Marshal Major Monday was shot to Death at Leicister Poyer a brave Gentleman in Covent-garden for the Welch Insurrection Sr. John Stowell and Judge Jenkins were arraigned at the Kings-Bench Bar as Traytors against the Government for their Loyalty to their King but they would not own the Courts jurisdiction yet they were not yet Sentenced but their Estates seized and Judge Jenkins kept long a Prisoner And that the people might the better see their Freedom and Liberty this Rump lay upon them a standing Tax of ninety thousand pound a Month for the maintenance of the Army these were the Persons who made such a stir about Ship-money The Lord Major of London Reynoldson is fined two thousand Pound for refusing to proclaim their Act for abolishing Kingly Government Then upon a report from the Councel of State they order The Kings's and Queens Lands to be sold Thirty thousand Pound to be taken out of it for the use of the Fleet and the rest to be distributed amongst the most considerable among them for Satisfaction of Losses sustained Thus they had killed and were now taking possession and several of the Kings Houses and Mannors were bestowed amongst them And besides this they had twenty thousand Pound a month out of the Fee-Farm Rents Now that the World might perceive what Liberty should be granted to the people they Order That no Minister in his Pulpit should meddle with State affairs and this in others was Oppression and tying up mens Consciencâ—â— But for all that new Lights as they called them increased and about this time one that was a Soldier came to Walton upon the Thames in Surry and in the Church-yard having a Candle and Lanthorn with him met the Minister and People coming out of the Church and told them he had a Vision and five new Lights were shewed him which they were to receive from him under pain of Damnation The first was That the Sabbath was abolished The second That Tythes were abolished Third That Ministers were abolish'd as Antichristian Fourth That Magistrates were abolish'd as useless and Fifthly That the Bible was abolish'd for Christ was come in the Spirit and Glory and so drawing a little Bible out of his Pocket he set it on Fire before them The War with Holland being now about to break forth the Earl of Warwick's former Commission is made voy'd and three Generals of the Fleet were made who were Popham Blake and Dean Before Cromwel's going to Ireland a Fast was kept at White-Hall where among the Militant Preachers Oliver stood up and in his Prayer he desired God to take off from him the Government of this mighty people of England as being too heavy for his shoulders to bear About this time also a third Book of John Lilburn's came sorth Called The Picture of thâ— Councel of State wherein he fully set forth all the illegal Arbitrary Violent and Tyrannical Proceedings of that Councel Lilburn Overton Walwin Prince and others had been before Clapt into the Tower intending to try them for their Lives Lilburn was ordered to be brought to the Kings-Bench Bar upon his Habeas Corpus but Cromwell sent to the Lieutenant of the Tower that he should not be brought who was obey'd not the Judges By which may be seen of what force the Laws were with them Then some thousands well affected Women petition the House in behalf of Lilburn but the Junto answered them He should be tryed by the Law for his Book called Englands new Chains discovered and they bid to go home and wash their Dishes Who reply'd they had neither Dishes nor Meat left This John Lilburn was tryed by a special Commission of Oyer and Terminer in October 1649. where he so notably pleaded his Cause shewed the illegality of the Parliaments Proceedings and so punctually cited all the Statutes and Laws of the Land in the behalf of the Liberties of the Subjects and so bafled the Judges the Attorney general Prideaux and their Councel that they could not Effect what they desired the taking away his Life upon an Inditement of High Treason put in against him but was found Not Guilty by his Jury to the great disappointment of his Enemies Their chief business now was to give one another Estates out of the Delinquents Lands as they called the Loyal Party whom they now sequester and made an Order That no Malignant or such as had been in Arms against them should come within twenty miles of London or go five miles from their own habitations Bishops and Deans and Chapters Lands sold and disposed to one another at easie Rates some got for three years Purchase for none but themselves would buy them About this time they send their Embassadors Oliver St. Johns and Walter Strictland into Holland for Satisfaction for Doctor Dorislaus who drew up the Charge against the King his being Assassinated in Holland by some Cavalier's but they were there affronted and forced to return Re infecta in great Discontent which exasperated our new States against the Dutch Ascham another of their Creatures was murthered also in Spain And tho the Dutch sent afterwards their Agent Myn heer Joachim with Complements and excuses our Junto could forget it and by it took an occasion to forgo their Friendship and prohibited their Fishing upon the English Coasts and the importing of any forrain Commmodities except in English bottoms or such as were of the Countrey whence the Commodities came This brought on the ensuing War commenced the next year between these two
in great Pomp. William Lenthal the Speaker of this House of Commons had at one time given him by this House six thousand pounds for his good services besides as Speaker he got two thousand pounds per annum and as Master of the Rolls three thousand pounds per annum more besides Sales of Offices And then he was for some time Chamberlain of Chester Chancellor of the Dutchy of Lancaster worth to him one thousand two hundred and thirty pounds per annum and one of the Commissioners of the Great Seal worth fifteen hundred pounds per annum Buestrode Whitlock Commissioner of the Great Seal worth to him fifteen hundred pounds per annum and had two thousand pounds given him out of Mr. Minn's Estate Edmond Prideaux once a Commissioner of the great Seal worth to him fifteen hundred pounds a year Then by order of the Junto afterwards he was permitted to practise within the Bar as the King's Council worth to him five hundred pounds per annum was also Post-Master General worth to him a hundred pounds ever Wednesday night and his Supper the Earl of Warwick had the benefit of foreign Letters which was worth to him five thousand pounds per annum Oliver S. Johns Solicitor to the King afterwards made Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and was one of their Embassadors to Holland he had the passing of all Pardons upon Commissions worth to him forty thousand pounds he was called The Dark-Lanthorn-Man a knowing Man in the Laws and had the wit to keep out of danger being against the putting the King to death but a great Privado of Oliver's to whom he preferred his man Thurlo who was his Secretary when he went Ambassador and became afterwards Oliver's Secretaty of State he died at Utrecht in Holland since the King came in being favourably looked upon by his Majesty and honored for his parts Roger Hill a Barrester of the Temple of no Practice and little Estate till this Parliament had from the House the Bishop of Winchester's Mannor of Taunton-Dean worth twelve hundred pounds a year after the lives were out Humphry Sulway had given him the King's Remembrancer's Place worth two hundred pounds per annum Francis Rous was made Provost of Eaton worth six hundred pounds per annum and had a Colledge Lease worth six hundred pounds per annum more John Lilse a Barrester of the Temple was made Master of S. Crosses a place for a Divine worth eight hundred pounds per annum and afterwards one of the Commissioners of the Great Seal He was one of the King's Judges and stabb'd beyond Seas since his Majesties Restoration Sir William Allison an Alderman of York made Clerk of the Hamper worth a thousand pounds per annum and given to him Crab-Castle worth six hundred pounds per annum more belonging to the Archbishop of York Thomas Hoyle another Alderman of York was made Treasurer-Remembrancer in the Exchequer worth twelve hundred pounds per annum Tho. Pury first a Weaver in Glocester then a Country Solicitor had given him three thousand pounds and a place in the petty-Bag Office worth four hundred pounds per annum Tho. Purey the younger Son to the former was made Receiver of the King's Rents in Glocester and Wilts and ClerK of the Peace of Glocestershire worth two hundred pounds per annum and Captain of Foot and Horse who at the beginning of the Parliament was a Servant to an Attorney of Staple-Inn William Ellis made Steward of Stepney worth two hundred pounds per annum Miles Corbet at the bâ—ginning of the Parliament much in debt made one of the Registers of the Chancery worth seven hundred pounds per annum besides Chair-man for Scandalous Ministers worth a thousand pounds per annum one of the King's Judges and afterwards advanced to be a Judge in Ireland executed at Tyburn since the King came in John Goodwin made a Register of Chancery worth seven hundred pounds per annum Sir Tho. Widdrington a Commissioner of the Great Seal worth fifteen hundred pounds per annum Edward Bish made Garter-Herald in the place of Sir Ed. Walker worth six hundred pounds per annum Walter Strickland Agent in Holland for the two Houses of Parliament worth to him five thousand pounds Nicholas Love made one of the six Clerks of the Chancery worth two thousand pounds per annum Sir Gilbert Gerard was Pay-master to the Army had three pence per pound allowance worth sixty thousand pounds and Chancellor of the Dutchy worth five hundred pounds per annum John Selden had given him five thousand pounds John Bond Son of Dennis Bond made Master of Trinity-Hall in Cambridge Sir Benjamin Rudiard given him five thousand pounds Lucas Hodges made Customer of Bristol Sir John Hipsly given him two thousand pounds in money and made Keeper of three of the King's Parks Maribone Hampton and Bushy Parks Sir Tho. Walsingham had the Honor of Elsham To Benjamin Valentine given five Thousand pounds To Sir Henry Heyman 5000 l. Denzil Hollis 5000 l. Nat. Bacon 3000 l. John Stevens out of the Lord Astley's Composition 1000 l. Henry Smith made one of the six Clerks worth 2000 l. per annum Robert Reynolds given him 2000 l. besides Abbington-Hall and Lands worth 400 l. per annum Sir John Clotworthy was made Treasurer for Ireland John Ash given him out of Mr. Coventry's Composition 4000 l. out of Sir Edward Moseley's 1000 l. out of Mr. Phillips's 1200 l. out of Sir John Stowells 8000 l. and Chair-man at Goldssmiths-Hall John Lenthal Son to the Speaker made one of the six Clarks worth 2000 l. per annum Francis Allin once a Gold-smith made Customer for London Giles Green Chair-man for the Navy Francis Peirpoint had the Lands of the Arch-Bishop of York lying in Nottinghamshire William Peirpoint had 7000 l. given him and the Earl of Kingston's personal Estate worth 40000 l. John Palmer made Master of All-Souls in Oxford in Dr. Sheldon's place a Divine John Blackstone a Shop-keeper in New-Castle returned a Burgess and had 3000 l. given him out of one Gentlemans estate and out of others as much as made up 12000 l. a Colemeters place worth 200 l. per annum and the Bishop of Durham's Castle at Durham and Lands to great value Tho. Ceyley long a Prisoner for Debt made Recorder of Bridgwater To Mr. Scawen given 2000 l. Isaack Penington once Lord Major of London had 7000 l. given him and purchased good store of Bishops Lands Samuel Vassell 1000 l. given him Sir Will. Brereton had the Arch-Bishops Lands and House at Croydon Ed. Harvey a Silk man made a Collonel and had the Bishop of London's House and Mannor of Fulham Rich. Sulway a Grocer made a Collonel Joh. Ven a Collonel Governor of Windsor had 4000 l given him Phillip Skippon Serjeant Major General of the Army Major General of London and Governour of Bristol had 1000 l. per annum Lands of Inheritance given him Tho. Westrow had the Bishop of
AN EPITOMY OF English HISTORY WHEREIN ARBITRARY GOVERNMENT Is Display'd to the Life In the illegal Transactions of the late Times under the Tyrannick Usurpation of OLIVER CROMWELL BEING A Paralell to the Four years Reign of the late KING JAMES Whose Government was Popery Slavery AND Arbitrary Power But now happily delivered by the instrumental means of King William Queen Mary Illustrated with Copper Plates By THO. MAY Esq a late Member of Parliament The Third Edition Printed for N. Boddington at the Golden Ball in Duck lane 1690. The Common wealth ruleing with a standing Army The Fruits of a Common wealth THE INTRODUCTION OF late since the Spirit of Discontent hath possessed a great part of this Nation nothing more hath been discoursed of and feared next to that of the Alteration of the Protestant Religion than Arbitrary Government which I suppose is the Rule of any Person or Persons by their own Will and Authority without being tyed to the Rules Methods and Directions of the Laws of the Land and a Converting of this most glorious Monarchy into Tyranny The fear and Jealousie of this Government hath been exceedingly of late fomented among the discontented People by the sly Arts of those who are and ever will be Enemies to the Religion Peace and Tranquility of this Nation and no doubt but the Machivilian Jesuite and the Zealous Papist have been the cause of all the imbroils of England hoping by that Gate to bring in their own Religion and Arbitrary Government The thing so much feared by the People of England And truely in this Casâ— they are not to be blamed Religion and Liberty being the two chiefest and most valuable Jewels belonging to the Crown of Life And when they cast abroad their Eyes and behold the Arbitrary Despotical and Tyrannical reign of the Princes of other Countries they may well be desirous of Conserving their own happy Government in the Monarchy of this Nation which is so equally divided betwixt King and People That the one cannot do injury or wrong to the other unless the one become Arbitrary and the other Rebellious The Constitution of the Government of England is so sound as it is not 〈◊〉 be shaken or altered with every small Occasion for it must be absolute Tyranny on the one Hand or absolute Rebellion of the other that must break it to Pieces and bring in the so much feared Arbitrary Government And therefore it is against the Interest both of King and People to intrench upon one the other the one to invade the Prerogative of the King the other the Priviledges of the People For so equally bangs the Ballance between them that as it is the Envy and admiration of all other Nations so is it the Happiness and strength of our own for the one side cannot Preponderate or weigh down the other without breaking the just and equal Constitution of our Government If therefore the Kings of this happy Nation should at any time thorow the Evil advice of their Councellors go about to invade the peoples Liberties and to think or hope to bring in Arbitrary Government it would not be so easie a thing to effect it since the mutual Bonds and Obligations between the King and People are already so strong as it is almost impossible to attain to that end whilst the three Estates of the Land have a being and without whom no alteration can be made The people therefore need not be in those Fears and Agonies on every the least Occasion of the evil Ministration of some of the chief Officers of State of their Kings Intentions of bringing in of Arbitrary Government for no doubt the Kings of England are as great and Imperial Monarchs holding their Crowns of God only and so account themselves as any other Monarch whatsoever Nor can we see how a lawful Monarch can any ways better himself or become more great by such unlawful Arbitrariness who by the Laws of the Land and the Love of his People wants neither Power nor Money the only things a Tyrant can pretend to It is therefore the Cunning Arts of the Enemies to Englands peace who so needlesly seek to buâ— it into the Ears of the People that their King intends to bring in Arbitrary Government upon every Occasion given by any of his Ministers of State in the management of those Affairs they cannot see into the Bottom But since the greatest Ministers are Accountable for their male-Administration to Parliaments there is and can be no such Fear I say of ever attaining that end so long as Parliaments have a being and without which our happy Monarchy cannot subsist totally But many cry out against Arbitrary Government and know not what it is not being sufficiently sensible of their living under and being ruled and governed by a legal Monarch Tho some Faults and Miscarriages may be sound or appear in his Ministers for the King himself can do no wrong since he Acts nothing of himself but by Ministers who are all Responsible for their Actions Yet the People are not to be blamed for their abhorrency of Arbitrary or Tyrannick Government which always attends Usurpation since it is not so many years that they have felt the burthen thereof and if we look back into all the Actions of the most Arbitrary and Tyrannick the lawful Kings of this Nation we shall find the Arbitrary Government attending Usurpers in the little time of their Usurpation to be more horrâ—d and dreadful and brought on this Nation more Misery Blood and Persecution than any of them nay all of them together I cannot think therefore that any are serious who cry out on the Phanaticks as indeavouring or desiring a Common-wealth for I do think there are none of them so really mad as to desire any such thing that would bring on them the dreaded Arbitrary Government they so much Fear since they found it by so late Experience to be no remedy to their Evils and cured their Fears and Jealousies with a Plaister of Poyson And this also I look upon to beâ—a Stratagem of the same Enemies on the other side to Create a Jealousie in the Head of the Prince and his Ministers and to make them Construe every Action of the People tending to that end which may be and no doubt is as far from their thinking as it is from that of the other in bringing in of Arbitrary Government Since the Fears and Jealousies of either side are alike much heightned by the indeavours of several sorts of evil Persons and by some well meaning People by being too severe in uncomely and bitter Expressions and thorow the Toleration of the many Licentious and Scandalous Papers which daily fly abroad the Author of these true Collections of the Miserie 's this Nation suffered under the Arbitrary Government of Tyrannic Usurpers Exposes it to the Abhorrency of the Nation that they might behold it in a Glass and that the Governours of our Common-wealth may not run upon the same
Speech shewing them some reasons for the necessity of their being dissolved he peremptorily declared them to be dissolved But the Speaker refusing to leave the Chair Cromwell began to huff and fall into a passion telling them they were a company of drunkards whoremasters Hipocrites Knaves and Oppressors and commanded that the Bauble the Mace should be took from them and no more carried before them and Harrison taking the Speaker by the Arm lifted him out of his Chair and having thus turned them out of doors he lock'd them up and set a Guard of Soldiers at them and at all the Avenues that they might not meet again in that place and thus exeunt Tyranni one Devil driving out another to make way at last for their Lawful Prince This done Cromwell returning to his Council of Officers told them of his Exploit and let them know that now they must go hand in hand with them and justifie it by their lives and fortunes they having advised him to it He told them that when he went to the House he did not think to do it but perceiving the Spirit of God so strongly upon him he would no longer consult Flesh and Blood for the Parliament intended to have perpetuated themselves This Action of his tho arbitrary illegal and tyrannical was generally applauded by all sorts of people these Rumpers were grown so very odious by their tyrannick Usurpation And the King's Friends both at home and abroad were not a little joyful to see this Turn and to behold them dethroned and trampled on even in the midst of their Laurels obtained for their Victories over the Dutch Grievous Muttering they kept for this violence done to them by their Servant as they stiled him thinking it none when he did the like to those secluded Members that would not vote with them against the King but as mad as they were they saw no help for it and it was not possible for them to get together tho they would not own themselves dissolved and thus our usurping Junto went out like a Snuff with a Stink smelling very unsavourly in the Nostrils of the whole Nation Thus far have I traced out to you the Lines of the Image of Arbitrary and Tyrannick Usurpation and how ugly and grim a Representation it is you who have seen it truly delineated may judge You have seen this Titular Parliament unjustly seize upon the Government by murthering their King and against all Laws thrust out two of the States of the Land the Lords Spiritual first and then the Lords temporal and having now grasp'd the Government with rapacious hands with the like Injustice and Arbitrariness turn the greater part of their own Members out of Doors and rule by a few bloody and tyrannical Usurpers You have likewise seen after what manner they have swayed the three Nations by their own Arbitrary Wills and Pleasures as so many lawless Tyrants upholding an Army only to cut the Peoples Throats and to over-awe them burthening them with Taxes and oppressing them with a standing Army and free Quarter taking away their lives by an Arbitrary Court of Justice contrary to the known Laws of the Land and robbing and spoiling all men of their Estates that opposed them filling the Jayls thorowout the three Kingdoms with Prisoners The Liberties of the Subject overthrown Magna Charta and all the Laws and Ancient Constitutions of Parliaments trodden under foot and disregarded so as no man could call any thing his own And in fine all the People of England made Slaves by these the Keepers of their Liberties so that it was no wonder that there was a general rejoycing at their fall tho as yet it was but out of the Frying-pan into the Fire having exchanged two hundred Tyrants for one as Lawless Boundless and Arbitrary as they or a Rump for an Oliver I should now proceed to give a further Display of this Arbitrary and Tyrannical Government under the Usurpation of Oliver Cromwell who had pull'd these down only to set up himself but before I enter upon it I think it will not be ungrateful to the Reader and not impertinent to my Design to shew you what a sort of men these were who had thus long usurped by a brief Character of some of the chiefest of them and what benefit they made of their pretended Godliness giving one another Estates out of the Kings Queens Bishops Deans and Chapters and Delinquents Lands And I will begin with Oliver Cromwell the Lucifer of the rest who out-witted them all and ruled by himself with greater Power and more absolute Sway than ever any Monarch of England did He was very well descended of a Knightly Family in the County of Huntington being born in S. John's Parish in the Town of Huntington the twenty fifth of April 1599 being the Son of Mr. Robert Cromwell who was the third Son of Sir Henry Cromwell a Gentleman of great worth honored and beloved in Court and Country whose eldest Son Sir Oliver Cromwell a Gentleman well known for his Loyalty and Uncle to this our Oliver was his God-father and gave him his Name His Mother was thâ—â— Daughter of Sir Richard Steward of Ely They therefore were much mistaken who said he was the Son of a Brewer tho indeed his Mother even in his Father's Life-time did manage a Brew-House by their Servants and after her Husbands death continued the same as an honest means of Livelyhood the Patrimony of a younger Brother being but small He was observed in his Youth to be ambitious willful and head-strong which improved with his years and always and upon all occasions exercised the Impostor under the mask of Hypocrisie However he was bred at School where he got some smattering in the Rudiments of Learning but was so violent and head-strong and so very prone to robbing Orchards and Dove-Houses that he grew the terror of the Country and past his Tutor's Correction It was about that time he dream'd he should be King of England if it were not more than a Dream a suggestion of some evil Spirit for he would often confidently report it in his Youth tho rebuked by his Father for it and flash'd by his Master Dr. Bernard for his constant avouching it And acting in a Play in the School going beyond his Cue he took a Crown and put it on his own Head and as if inspired spake some big words with great authority Thence he was translated to Cambridge where he was more noted for Foot-ball Cudgelling and Wrestling than for his Studies to which he little gave his mind and after his Father's death left the University and returning home fell to all manner of Licentiousness and Debauchery and grew so distastful to his Mother and Neighbourhood that she sent him away to London and enters him into Lincolns-Inn intending to make him a Lawyer but finding this place not agreeable to his humor he stayed not long before he returned back into the Country where he fell to his
3 d. July 1649. his Arrears amounting to 25000 l. order'd him and 1000 l. per annum Land to be setled upon him and his Heirs To Collonel Feilder 1300 l. To Scobel their Clark once a poor Clark in Chancery and wrot for 2 d. a sheet a Pension of 500 l. a year and an Employment in the sale of publiâ—k Lands worth 1000 l. a year and 6 s. 8 d Fee for every Order taken forth More given to Bradshaw Somerhill belonging to the Earl of St. Alben's To the Lord Brohill 2000 l. I am afraid I have tyred my Reader in going about to enumerate the many Gifts they order'd one to another but tho I might name much more this may suffice to shew what this Parliament did with the Kingdoms monies to gratifie one another and to share the prey among themselves of the Kingdom who groaned under Taxes and of the Kings Queens Princes and Bishops Lands of Malignants Estates Composition Excise c. The like never was read in History and therefore you may not wonder that these men should be so unwilling to leave their Seats and disband but to sit to advantage themselves if they could By what you have read it plainly appears also what sort of men they were most of them or very many of them of the scum of the people upstarts of mechanical breeding sordid covetous Wretches Hypocrites pretending Religion and making Godliness their gain I have done with them and shall name but one or two more Dr. Dorislaus who was Kill'd in Holland had been formerly a poor School-Master in Holland whence he came to Oxford and read the History-Lecture there in which he then decry'd Monarchy was complained of and forgiven by the King's Benignity He then became Judge-Advocate in the King's Army against the Scots and had the like Employ afterwards against the King under Essex and then under Fairfax gaining well in his employment and by that of drawing up the bloody Charge against the King for which some Cavaliers some say Irish others Scotch-men in revenge of Hamilton's Death kill'd him His Wife and Children had allowances by the Parliament but I cannot here forbear to mention Haselrig's bloody proposition upon his Death who moved That six Gentlemen of the best quality Royalists might be put to Death in Revenge of Dorislaus to deter men from the like attempt hereafter This was a Rumper's Justice and may serve for his Character a blind Zealot furious hot-headed rash unjust and an hypocrite a great Commonwealths-man and an Enemy to Oliver Harison was a Fifth Monarchy-man a great Speaker after his Canting way acted with Cromwell till he saw he set up himself instead of King Jesus and his Saints such as himself then a stiff Opposer of Monarchy and would again have brought in Anarchy and Confusion a man of no extraordinary Parts but resolute and turbulent ever heading a faction and dyed impenitent adhering to his wicked Principles Lambert was a good Soldier had a great designing head Ambitious but outwitted by Cromwell of great Power in the Army and beloved by the factious Sectaries some have thought he was then a Papist for he prov'd one since and carried on the Jesuits designs Fleetwood was a person of a pretended great Devotion but of a secret and violent Ambition and it was thought glad of Richard's fall hoping to succeed but fool'd by Lambert as well as formerly by Cromwell and though General had not the resolution of a man in his place and therefore called the meek Knight Jones was a flattering Sycophant Desborow a sordid Clown Pride an upstart Dray-man Hewson a Valiant Cobler Whaly a Merchant Sir Henry Mildmay an unworthy Turncoat and Rebel The rest much of the same stamp They had their Clergy too of the same Cloth as the Post-Priest Vavasor Powel the Fool Cradock The Incendiary John Goodwin Love Jenkins of both sorts Presbyterians and Independents who served their turns to trumpet forth Sedition to the People and to extoll their Acts for which they shared in the prey But above all the rest was the notorious and blasphemous wretch Pander and Buffoon Hugh Peters and because he was Chaplain in Ordinary to two great Potentates Lucifer and Oliver Cromwell I care not if I give you a little larger account of the man His Father was a Minister of the Church of England living near Foy in Cornwales where his Son Hugh was born and bred up by him at School instructed well in the Principles of the Protestant Religion sent thence to Cambridge and admitted into Jesus College but was soon Expelled the University for his lacivious life He gets to London and there turns Player in Shakespear's Company usually acting the Jester or Fool but weary of that by means of a Gentleman he became acquainted with he got a Free-School with the Stipend of 24 l. a year at the Gentleman's dispose in Essex After some time this Pedant growing familiarly acquainted with a Gentlewoman near who liked his Drolling discourse and used to entertain him being one that had an Estate he so ordered his business that he one night surprised her in Bed and getting in to her had a Comrade that came and surprised them before the strugling Gentlewoman could get forth of his Arms who saluting them Man and Wife caused the trepanned Woman to avoid the shame to consent to marry him After this he takes Holy Orders and was by Doctor Mountaine Bishop of London Ordained Priest and Deacon giving the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy to him which he took And now beginning to Preach he grows popular and was much applauded among the females whom he ever sought to please so that he got to be Lecturer of St. Sepulchres in London and continued there near Twenty years Here he turns Independent and his Wife being dead he lead so beastly and scandalous life that being detected and prosecuted at Law for many Misdemeanors he flyes over to Amsterdam where continuing the like pranks he goes at last to New-England where he Marries another Wife but that not keeping him Chast he began to grow odious amongst the Brethren and the Wars then breaking forth in England he returns and is entertained as a rideing Parson in the Army and at last becomes the Parliaments great Zany Preaching for the Cause and jugling the Women out of their Thimbles and Bodkins by which means he became Oliver's great Privado and with Ireton was admitted of the Cabal in contriving his late Majestie 's Death for which and his other good Services being a Col. under Oliver in his Irish Expedition he had given him 300 l. per annum out of the Lord Worcester's Lands in the Woulds in Worcester-shire and as they say the King's Library at St. James's and was Chaplain in Pay to fix Regiments But at last had a more deserved Reward an Halter being taken in Southwark was at last Executed for his Treasons and dyed like a Sot I shall conclude with him and now proceed to the second
and perceiving them might not in the same age at least run into the like nor pull the like fatal consequences upon their heads as Usurpation and Arbitrary Rule and Tyranny either in many or in one which God avert and send peace and tranquility in our dayes But yet the Memory of this Man is adored by many to this day and he is the Idol of some who will yet speak great things of him though without reason and putting our decay of trade upon the present ill management of affairs when indeed it is but the consequence of our Civil Wars and the great expence of Money drained away from the Royalists the vast sums raised on the people by Taxes Assessments and Excise which coming into the Soldiers pockets they set it going into motion which with the vast sums raised on the sale of the Kings Queens Princes Bishops and Delinquents Lands made a flood of money for the present and nothing of want then appeared which was the effect rather of the Tyrant's rapacity than good management for when this glut began to fall again into the private sinks of rich men who lived by the use of money and others who had any great sums fallen to their shares fearing the iniquities of the times and knowing no man could promise himself to be long master of his own especially money where the Will of the Tyrant was Law and whom to disoblige was fatal they remitted vast sums for their security into the bank in Holland making them rich by trading with our money whilst we sat contented with 3 l. per cent for to be secure so that our trade fell and in some time after a scarcity of money appeared which such who only look on the present time and considered not truly the reason attributed to the ill management of the present Governour or of those who sat at the Helm And therefore we may say that the low ebb of Trade in our time had its beginning in Oliver's time And we may likewise consider that in his short Usurpation which was but four years and nine months there was shewn so much Tyranny Oppression and Injustice as excepting the time of the Rumps sitting was not to be parallell'd in any of the Kings since the Conquest Besides in his latter dayes when his fears began to render him cruel he valued neither honesty or honour when they stood in the way of his Ambition and therefore to me 't is a wonder for what it was they admired this Man and must be caused either by partiality or ignorance As for his Politicks his Peace with France and his War with Spain was certainly against the Interest of England in lessning the latter and making the former too great for Christendom and loosing the ballance which England ought carefully to keep between those two Monarchs And then his impolitick Peace with the Dutch on so easie terms when brought with great expence of English Blood and Treasure to that extremity that England mought have had what terms they would so that the whole world thought him infatuated in losing so great an opportunity of doing good to this Nation Then there is nothing more certain that all the Persecution that hath since hapned in France of that King's Protestant Subjects was the effects of his joyning in a League with France at that time by which means that King humbled Spain and made way for his Conquests in Flanders since atchieved and inabled him to subdue all Factions at home which were then arising and brought him into a condition to need none of them being grown since the scourge and terrour of Christendom His shamefull defeat at Hispaniola with the loss of 1500 Merchants Ships to the Spaniard in that War as was made appear to Richard's Parliament and in his spending such vast sums of money and yet leaving a vast debt upon the Kingdom as appeared by the Accounts brought into Richard's Assembly may stand in ballance against his Victories and shew that he was not always successfull and that he had not managed his affairs with that frugality and wisedom as some have thought he did when as by his own accounts it appeared notwithstanding the great incomes he had and the many Parliamentary supplies he had contracted a debt of no less than 1900000 l. As for his Tyranny and Oppression 't is needless to mention it that may be seen throughout this History Yet I cannot but instance here that injustice of his to John Lilburn who had been tryed for his Life by the Long Parliament and acquitted and by them discharged yet because Oliver knew him a dangerous man and one that might give him a trouble caused him to be tryed a second time and though then also cleared by the Law yet according to his own Arbitrary Will against Law and with all injustice and cruelty imaginable kept him close Prisoner so long that he was almost consumed by sickness that he turned him out only to dye Again What greater injustice could there be than that shown to Mr. Cony who being a Prisoner at Cromwell's Suit and being brought to the King 's or upper Bench-bar as they call'd it by an Habeas Corpus causes his Counsel to be violently taken from the Bar and sent to the Tower for no other reason than the Pleading his Clients Cause such an Act of violence as cannot be parallell'd in all the History of England Yet this blessed man is admired As for his ingratitude that appeared to Sir Henry Vain who above all persons in the world was the cause of his advancement and had long espoused his Interest yet he studied to destroy him both in his Life and Estate because he would not adhere to his perjury and falseness And because Vain opposed him he imprison'd him and would have proceeded farther against him In Richard's Assembly upon the complaint of several Prisoners kept close in the Tower many being sent away most inhumanely and sold for Slaves beyond Seas the Lieutenant being sent for and demanded by what Authority he had kept those in his custody so long Prisoners he produced a Paper written all with Oliver's own hand in which were these words Sir I pray you seize such and such persons and all others whom you shall judge dangerous men doe it quickly and you shall have a Warrant for it after you have done Upon which Richard's Assembly Voted this Commitment of the Complainants to be illegal unjust and Tyrannical as no doubt it was This was a spice of his Justice whereby any man was rendred obnoxious not only to himself but to the malice or spleen of his Lieutenant though he were never so innocent And at this rate he might take up and imprison whom he pleased and no man was in safety and that by the chief Governour 's Warrant who by Law can Commit no man by his own Warrant And this too without any cause shewn why or wherefore And the same men Voted that those banish'd or sent away were unjustly
and against all Law so sent away for the Law says no English man ought to be banished by less authority than by Act of Parliament and ordered forthwith the Prisoners to be set free without Fees or Charges and had they sat longer had undoubtedly punished the Lieutenant too Then after publick faith given and the party restored to Common Privileges he caused that most horrid Order of Decimation to be put in execution on the poor Cavaliers by his Janizaries which was by the ensuing Parliament damned as an unjust and wicâ—â—â— breach of Faith This however is the great the just the brave victorious pious and most renowned Oliver who as I have said is yet by some remembred even to a kind of Idolatry but I shall leave him having long since received his deserved reward and conclude with the rapture of Sterry who Preaching his Funeral Sermon had these blasphemous expressions of him As sure says he as this is the Bible which he held in his hand the blessed spirit of Oliver Cromwell is with Christ at the right hand of the Father and if he be there what may not his family expect from him for if he were so usefull and helpfull and so much good influenced from him to them when he was in a Mortal State how much more influence will they have from him now in heaven The Father Son and Spirit through him bestowing Gifts and Graces upon them I shall now proceed to the second Scene of this single Usurpation and Tyranny which brought his Son short-liv'd Dick upon the Stage Oliver being thus dead on the 3 d. of September about three of the Clock in the afternoon he was opened and embalmed but he stunk so filthily though wrapt in Cearcloths and Lead with Aromatick Spices that they were fain to bury him privately but a Coffin was carried to Somerset-house where after some days with his Effigies made for that purpose he seem'd to lye in great state pomp and magnificence to which sight crouds of people daily pressed The out-rooms all hung with black with Scutcheons hanging on the Walls but the room where the Effigies lay was hung with black Velvet and the Ceiling of the same having a large Canopy of the same deeply fringed the Effigies being Robed in Purple Velvet laced with Gold-Lace and furred with Ermins with strings and tassels of Gold In its right hand a Sceptre in its left a Globe on his head a Velvet Cap furred with Ermins and behind his head placed high on a Chair of Tissued Gold was set an Imperial â—â—wn Eight Silver Candlesticks of about five foot high stood about his Bed of State with large white Waxtapers burning of three foot long all invironed with Rails and Ballisters covered with Velvet within which stood men in Mourning bare-headed which was continued for many weeks and then the Effigies was removed into another room and vested as before set up in a standing posture with the Crown upon his head which it seems he now obtained though he could not wear it while alive Thus they continued this Pageantry to the 23 d of November following when his Funeral was made and he carried in great pomp to Westminster with more cost and state than ever was bestow'd on any King of England costing they say 26000 l. or more and at last was interred among the Kings and Queens of England where he lay till the 30 th of January 1660 when he had a Resurrection to another Exaltation at Tyburn where he was a second time interr'd under the Gallows according to his demerits with his great Counsellors Ireton and Bradshaw But we will leave the dead and relate in bâ—ief the Transactions of the living Oliver being gone the Privy Council met and a search was made in the Protector 's Cabinet for a Paper safely lay'd up wherein he had nominated Fleetwood for his Successor but it was not to be found therefore they send to him and Desborow to know if they did acquiesce in the Declaration of the late Protector which made his Son Richard Cromwell Protector To which Fleetwood sent word that he cordially acquiesced in that Declaration of the late Protector 's concerning his Son's Succession though any other Paper should be found in which he had been formerly nominated his Successor This done the Council wait upon Richard to Condole with him for his Father's Death and to Congratulate him as Protector Then Skippon and Strickland were sent to the City to acquaint them with what was done and the next day they caused a Proclamation to be made subscribed by â—hiverton Lord Mayor the Council of State and several Officers of the Army at White-Hall Charing-Cross Fleetstreet and several places in London Proclaiming Richard Cromwell Protector of the Commonwealth of England c. After which the City-Sword by the Lord Mayor and the Seal by Fiennes were resigned to him and his Oath was given him by Fiennes one of the Commissioners of the Great Seal in which he Swore to maintain the Protestant Religion in its purity and to govern the three Nations according to the best of his power and skill according to the Laws After which he dispatches Messengers to Ireland to inform his brother Harry Deputy there and to General Monk in Scotland to inform them and to know how they stood affected to his Advancement And presently he receives Addresses from most of the Counties in England contrived and made at White-Hall and Protestations from the Armies in England Scotland and Ireland to live and dye with him Also Addresses from the Independant Churches as Goodwins Nyes and the rest of them many giving Adoration to this rising false light forgetting the true Sun yet in Eclipse beyond Sea and the fawning Poets Waller and Dryden among the rest praised to the Skies in their Elegies the dead Tyrant Richard was proclaimed both at Dublin and at Edenborough and all things ran smooth on his side But however General Monk liked not the Tyrannical sway of the Army in England but so early began to form the happy project of his Majestie 's Restauration without which he well perceived these Kingdoms would not be in any setled posture but be still subject to any Usurper or Usurpers the Army should set up but this was a great work and time not yet ripened for it he kept the secret in his own breast and intended to take opportunity by the forelock complying for the present as others did but in the mean time with great diligence he reformed his Army and purg'd it from those ill humours as he knew would soon bring it to destruction but this also he did wisely and cautiously and by degrees for fear of causing too early jealousies of his design Richard seeing the many Addresses made to him from the People and Army and the caresses and flatteries of great ones being a man of no great reach thought all had been real and now began to form to himself an Imagination of setling himself in his
hundred forty five 'T was ordered also every man to give A penny a week of every Family For one whole year together 't is no lye And this was sent poor Ireland to relieve If those that order'd did not us deceive Then after this they laid on us great Taxes To hew us down as if it were with Axes And sixty thousand pound a month a year They made us pay as it did well appear And some years ninety thousand every month was paid For a whole year together undenayed Besides a hundred twenty thousand pound Was paid a month by all a whole year round All which to many millions doth amount Far geater than the wit of man can count And whosoever did not pay his Seasement Was either plunder'd or prison'd without releasement And by such means some thousands are undâ—ne And knew not how or which way for to run And children likewise are made fatherless That knew not how their wants for to express With multitudes of widows that none knows The number of them or their wants disclose Besides the maimed that want hands or feet And wounded so 't would grieve one for to see 't And yet besides the thousands that are slain Which can't be numbred for it is in vain Then burning houses followed out-right With castles wasted and demolish'd quite And Towns and Cities are by wars undone The souldiers spoiling all that they had won And every place is so impoverished For want of trade to buy the people bread The Churches likewise they were much defaced And made like stables wherein horse were placed They took away the vessels every one And ornaments I think they left not one Thus did the Churches their privileges lose And sects and errours were brought in to choose And God's true worship it was laid aside And in blasphemies they did take a pride And toleration of such things that 's evil Was given them the like did not the Devil Thus have you heard the truth of things in brief And yet not half nor do I think the chief Of what they did in twelve years time they sat But if you 'll mind the next shall tell you what The first beheaded on the Tower Hill Was Earl of Strafford sore against his will Sir Alexander Carew was the second That lost his head for so it must be rekon'd And Captain Hotham after him succeeded His Father also next day after bleeded The Bishop then of Cantorbury next That was beheaded after he preach'd his text But now my heart doth fail the next to tell That lost his life since which we ne're were well O Gracious God was ever such things known A King so kill'd by subjects of his own May that accursed act of killing Kings Drink deep the dregs of the infernal stings Lord Capel next Duke Hamilton another The Earl of Holland also was the tother These three together at Westminster were headed For being true to 'th King this Parliament did it Next Collonel Andrews and then Sir Henry Hide Both on Tower-Hill were headed and there dyed And Captain Bushel in that very place Was headed there when he had run his race Next Mr. Love and Gibons in one day Were both beheaded of a truth I say Loe here 14 to 'th dozen in 12 years Beheaded were by these sad Parliamenteers Besides what others in far remoter places To us unknown who never saw their faces Next you shall know how many we have seen Hang'd in the City and shot to death have been First Challoner and Tomkins in one day Were hang'd in London this is truth I say Tomkins at Fetter-Lane tother at the Change Thus did their madness round about us range About some four months after was another Hang'd at the Change whose name I mean to smother And then another whose name I forgot At Westminster was hang'd for I know what He was a Spy they said came from the King And he must suffer therefore in a string The next in order though not he himself Was Sir Johns Greenevils picture foolish Else That hanged was at the Exchange for why Cause he left us and to the King did fly Then Poyer Pitcher Lockier went to th' pot These three at several times to death were shot All these near London and near thereabout Were hang'd and shot to death which they found out Besides all others throughout the Land If 't could be knowen we should amazed stand They haâ—ing sat twelve years then commeth Cromwell And turns them out which Act it doth please some well But he his part doth play as did the rest And fals to heading hanging like a Beast The first was Gerard that did feel the smart Of his keen Axe which went unto the heart Next Doctor Huit in that very place With Henry Slingsby Knight of comely grace Both in one day but who can tell for what 'T was never known nor never we shall that Then Mr Vowell was hangd at Charing Cross And Marston also hangd to his friends loss But after all comes Betterly on the stage Who in Cheapside was hangd in Cromwell's rage And afterward his bowels burnt in fire ' Cause they against him He said did conspire And then another hang'd was in Tower street And at the Change another we did seeâ—t These eight by Cromwel in the City dy'd But God doth know how many more beside Were hangd and headed within these three Nationâ— Of whom I cant make any true relations POSTSCRIPT FRom the 3 November 1640. to the 20 April 1653. when Oliver Cromwel turned out the long Parliament there hath been 29 Thanks giving days for several victories obtained by them against the King and at least 15 days of Humiliation besides the monthly Fasts which was once a month for very neer 8 years being cast up together is at least 90. which in all make 105. And from the time of their turning out to the 25 December last 1659 there hath been 10 Fasting days and 6 Thanksgiving days so that the total number of the Fasting days to the 25 Decemb. last is 15. and the Thanksgiving days are 35. In the late wars hath been killed above 100 Lords and Knights above 400 Officers besides the common Souldiers above 1000 Ministers put out of their places and died of grief FINIS He was to have been made Earl of Essâ—â—e and Knight of the Garter his Sâ—n of the Bed-chamber to the Prince Ireton â—ord Lievtenant of Ireland 1640. 14 May 1641. 23 Decemb. 1641. 1 Jan. 1644. 2 Jan. 1644. 10 Janv. 1644. 30 Jan. 1648. 9 March 1648. 22 Aug. 1650. 4. March 1650. 29 March 1651. 22 Aug. 1651. 5 Jul. 1643. 19 July 1650. 28 Nov. 1643. 1 Apâ—il 1644. 1 March 1643. 29 De. 1648. 21 Ap. 1649. 27 Apr. 1649. 10 July 1654. 8 June 1658. 10 July 1654. 10 Aug. 1654. 7 July 1658. 9 July 1650.