Selected quad for the lemma: law_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A54971
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Plain-dealing, or, A Second dialogue between Humphrey and Roger as they were returning home from choosing knights of the sheir to sit in Parliament
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Humphrey.; Roger.
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1681
(1681)
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Wing P2350; ESTC R8054
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4,684
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2
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PLAIN-DEALING OR A Second Dialogue between Humphrey and Roger As they were returning home from Choosing Knights of the Sheir to Sit in PARLIAMENT Roger. WEll overtook Neighbour I see you are not a man of your word did not you promise me when we last met that you would Vote for our old Members that sat in the last Parliament to be Knights of the Shire to sit in the Parliament at Oxford Humphery I thought to do so but by my brown Cow I have been over-perswaded to the contrary by my Landlord and his Chaplin Mr. Tantivie and a pestilent fine man I think they said he was a Courtier that lay at my Landlords house and what with Arguments and Wine they drew aside my heart and made me Vote against my Conscience Rog. 'T was ill done neighbour Numps but all their Artifices would not do we have carried it by some hundreds for our old Members that stood so bravely for their Country Hump. I am glad on 't with all my heart for to tell you truly tho' my Landlord had my voice the old Members had my heart and I 'le never do so again Rog. I hear most of the Counties in England are of the same mind and all the Burgess-Towns Cities and Corporations but what arguments could they use to alter thy mind Hump. First I say They made me continually drunk and then my Landlord used me so very civilly and gave me so many good words and fine promises what a kind Landlord he would be that I forgot all your Instructions and methought he had invincible Arguments to perswade me Rog. What were they Hump. Nay I have forgot them but I thought no Counsellour at Law nor any Bishop could have contradicted them I now remember one Argument that took with me you know I was ever for the King and he told me the King did not love the Old Parliament-men and therefore I should not Vote for them But I being bold asked him how he knew that Rog. What said he then Hump. Why he laid me as flat as a Flounder that is he fully convinc'd me for said he if the King had lov'd them he would not so soon have Dissolv'd them I think that was demonstrable Rog. 'T is no matter tho' the King did not love them they lov'd you and your Country and you should so far have lov'd your self as not to have betray'd your own Interest What said the Courtier Hump. Faith he said not much to me but I suppose he had said enough to my Landlord Rog. And was this all your Landlord said to you had you nothing to say for your self you spake rationally the last time we were together Hump. Nay I was forward enough to speak I 'le assure you And I told them I was sure our old Members would be for the rooting up of Popery and would stand stiffly against Arbitrary Government Rog. What said they then Hump. My Landlord laugh'd at me and told me I had been among the Presbyterian Whiggs and bid me have a care of being cheated into Rebellion by those two words Popery and Arbitrary Government Then he shewed me a printed paper I think he called it The Mistris of Iniquity which shew'd as plain as the Nose on my face that in 41 they did as we do just now and that by that means they brought one K. to the Block and so they would now do by our present Soveraign God bless him Rog. Alas alas and that frighted you did it Hump. Frighted me ay marry did it I think 't would affright any honest Man you know I was always a Kings-man and I would be taught to joyn with those or give my Vote for such who under the notion of crying against Popery and Arbitrary Government would pull down the King and the Bishops and set up a Common-wealth again Rog. Well Nump I believe thee to be an honest Man and there be many in this Land of thy condition that are not of any great reach in pollicies and tricks of State-Mountibanks and so may be easily perswaded upon false grounds to betray your Country your liberties lives and Religion Hump. Nay that was not all he then read another princed Paper with an hard name I think it was Hercules Rideing or something of Jest and Earnest which he laught heartily at and me thought there were some things called Querks which made a gingling and noise in my Ears that I thought there was some Spell in it for it seemed to joyn with Mrs. Iniquity to make all the Presbyterians Traytors and most of the people of England mad and factious Rog. There is as much heed to be given to those Pamphlets as to the gingling of Morrice-bells They are hyred to set the people together by the ears and are Papists in Masquerade things set up to affright the people out of their senses with the buy-leave of 41 Wise Men see thorow them Honest men are not affrighted at them Fools and Knaves onely are led aside by them Hump. But don't we do now as formerly before the last Wars don 't we run just in the same steps as they did who caused all the late bloody doings as those Pamphlets would make us believe Rog. I cannot tell what they mean by Roads and High-ways pray Hodg we are now rideing in the High-road to the next Market-Town before the last Assizes in this very Road 3 or 4 Highway-men rode in it too and rob'd several persons committed many villanous Murthers and were at last caught and Hang'd for it now therefore because we are Rideing in the same High-way must we Honest men be accounted Thieves Robbers and Murtherers all other who travel this Road that 's an hard case Hump. You say right Neighbour Hodg tho' the Gallows stands in the High-way we need not run our Heads against it nor do any thing to deserve it Rog. But to speak plain to your capacity neighbor if the Court be corrupt and that those who should do justice and maintain truth who should only seek the good of the King his Kingdom for the ones good is inseparably the others and should Act According to Laws do notwithstanding all things quite contrary and by Unjust and Undue Unlawful Sinister ways means seek to oppress and enslave the people and to set up Arbitrary Government and the Religion of Rome to maintain their own Greatness and Interests shall not the People who feel the Burthen and groan under the Oppression and having no other way of Redress but a Parliament desire and Petition for one and cry out against such Illegal and Unjust Proceedings but presently they must be termed by these Fellows Seditious Factious and such as would Dethrone the King and pull down the Bishops Then all men must hereafter be afraid to Speak to Vote or to Petition against Grievances lest they should be termed Rebels Villains and Traytors and to run the same Rode of Forty One Humph. Indeed Neighbour 't is
hard not to wince when the Beast is hurt yet I have basted my Horse for doing it Rog. Such Asses would these Fellows have English men to be still to be subject to their Tyrannical Cudgels but God be thanked the Nation generally are of another mind and what ever these Trumpets of 41 sound in the ears of the vulgar there is no such complection in the Affairs now on foot as in those of 41 excepting what lies on their part and in that also I think there is this disparity that we have a more evident cause of complaint our Grievances being more than ever and especially by that of the first Magnitude the apprehension of a Popish Successor Hump. Nay I had that up too and then Mr. Tantivy took me in hand as to that and made it a clear case that 't was no better than down-right Treason to deprive the D. of the Crown or to put a Barr in the way of his Succession nay he used the Presbyterians old Text to me as I heard they made use of it in 41 to a quite contrary sense Curse Meroz and sufficiently ban'd all such as Enemies to the Church of England as was against his succession whatever religion he 's of Rog. I wonder that Mr. Tantivy expects to get by it to be made a Prior or an Abbot does he imagine a Popish Successor will not bring in his own Religion sure he can't be such a fool or is he so very fearful of the dissenting Protestants that he will adventure the setting up of the Mass rather than shake hands with a Presbyterian and yet we see many of the Clergy and those of the leading Cards of Mr. Tantivy's opinion which is beyond my apprehension Hump. I do believe Mr. Tantivy will never burn for his religion that 's my opinion but I assure you he fears no more the coming in of popery than I do going to Bed Rog. Some men are wilfully blind such may be the first that would repent the bringing in such a Successor as the Men of Norfolk who set up Queen Mary were the first that had the honour to be her Martyrs Hump. I am sufficiently convinc'd that a Popish K. of Engl. will not be very acceptable and that we should be in danger of turning Papists and Idolaters or of being burnt for Hereticks I don't much care to have my name in a New Book of Martyrs with my picture encompassed with Faggots and Flames I am affrighted at the thoughts of it Rog. And yet you put it to the venture in voting for one you know not one set up on purpose by interest to put by our good trusty old Members Hump. I confess I deserve to be half-hang'd but good Neighbour what is this Arbitrary Government so often spoke of my Landlord ask'd me what it was and in good faith I could not answer him but Mr. Tantivy said it was the Government of a proud malipert Arbitrary Presbyterian Clergy-Man in every Parish and that the people are setting up again Rog. So all the Tantivies in England interpret it but Neighbour I 'le tell you what I mean by it in a Word It is a Government of the Prince or Monarch by his own will without circumscription of Laws then God-buye to all the peoples priviledges and properties and our long-kept Liberties so dear to all true English-men then you may be made the princes slaves to bear the burthens of his Janizaries and not dare to complain not suffer'd to call any thing your own to pay Taxes Impositions Gabells Excise at your Princes pleasure and not by your own consent The Prophet Samuel very lively describes such an Arbitrary King to the Israelites in the 8th Cha. of the first Book of Samuel He is such a one that will take your Sons to be his Servants to attend on his Chariots and his Coaches and to be his Foot-men and Lacquies whether you will or no your daughters to be his Cooks and Drudges He will take your Fields your Corn your Houses and all you have at his pleasure and to satisfie the rapacious humour of his Courtiers and Concubines He will seed his Servants with your bread and cloath them by your labour and toyl what you sweat for they shall enjoy He will rule you with an Army with Captains of thousands of hundred and fifties and you shall not dare to complain of Oppression and this Neighbour is the true Character of Arbitrary Government Hump. O Neighbour my heart trembles what a Rogue was I to Vote at Random when our all lies at stake I did not think we had put such a Trust into the hands of our Parliament-men I thought alas as many do that we chose only for Form-sake and that they were only called to Parliament to give the King money and to do what he would have them and we have paid so many Taxes already and given so much money that I wished in my heart there would be no more Parliaments in my days Rog. You see you were mistaken 't is the greatest trust that can be put into the hands of men when we send to the Parliament our Representatives for we entrust them with our Religion Lives Liberties and Property all we have for they may preserve them to us or give them from us and therefore Neighbour we ought to be careful in whom we put this great trust and not to be perswaded by our Landlord or by any flattering Courtier or Horn-winding Tantivie of them all to choose those whom we know not and are not well assured of and that we dare not Confide in Hump. I hope generally these who are now chosen to Sit at Oxford are Men of sound Loyalty to their Prince and of the Establish'd Religion of the Church of England of honest Principles and lovers of their Country Rog. Such as fear not the Calumny of Pamphleting Whislers and will if they may be permitted heal our Breaches maintain our Religion and secure our Property and priviledges And God in Heaven bless them and prosper their good Endeavours and so Neighbour Good-night Hump. And let all good people say Amen Farewel FINIS London Printed for T. B. in the Year 1681.