Selected quad for the lemma: prince_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A65206
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A letter from one of the trained-bands now in the armie vnder the red and vvhite regiment to his vvife in London sent from Farnham-Castle, Novemb. 2, 1643.
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A. W.
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1643
(1643)
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Wing W1; ESTC R14555
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3,056
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9
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A LETTER From one of the TRAINED-BANDS Now in the ARMIE Vnder the Red and VVhite REGIMENT To his VVife in LONDON Sent from FARNHAM-Castle Novemb. 2. 1643. Printed in the Yeare 1643 Loving Wife WHen I looke backe upon my wayes and consider from what happinesse I am fallen and into what misery I plunged I am so opprest with sorrow and grief that to take up the words of the Psalmist My soule is even melted with heavinesse O how it pierces me to the very heart to thinke how I have dishonoured God disobeyed my King scandalized my Religion betrayed my Faith disgraced my Friends shamed my Country undone my Family and hazarded my owne salvation So that I have made my selfe a laughing stock unto mine Enemies and unworthy of the least pitty The heavens frowne upon me hell triumphs and the earth casts me off as unworthy of her nourishment My Conscience flyes in my face and will not suffer me to take any rest So that even the Curse of Cain is fallen upon me because I thirsted to spill my Brothers blood that I am forced from mine abode and am become as a fugitive and vagabond on the earth and as I accounted it a note of malignancy to desire Peace and would have no Peace with others so now my soule is filled with naught but Warre So unhappy is that soule whom God forsakes and misery is sure to attend the disobedient man Where sinne dwels there is trouble and though it may seeme never so sweet in the committing it will prove full of bitternesse in the end 2. Sam. 2. 26. How suddenly and strangely is my state and condition altered upon what a precipice doe they stand that trust on earthly things how soone is the face of them changed In a moment is our plenty turned into scarcity mirth into sorrow peace into war riches into poverty liberty into bondage order into confusion loyalty into rebellion and wisedome into folly Hath not God in his just judgement recompenced my wayes on my owne head For I that heretofore wallowed as it were in pleasure and delight having God scarcely at all in my thoughts am now acquainted with naught but trouble I that sent my servant like a sheepe to the slaughter cheating his parents of their son and their money both at once am now come to be sacrificed in the same manner my selfe I that have had servants at my command am now my selfe commanded rather like a slave then a servant I that accounted Charity a Popish vertue am now glad to be relieved by the Charity of others and whereas I have beene able to give to others I am now oftentimes by necessity compelled to beg my bread I that had a house to hide my head in am now exposed to all extremities of weather and am faine to imbrace the cold earth for my Lodging I that rejoyced at other mâ—ns miseries am now become more miserable then they I that cursed the King in my thoughts am now filled with naught but crosses I that in the pride of my heart said I should never be moved am now brought to a very low estate having as Esau sold his birth-right for a messe of pottage passed away my estate for the Publique Faith and I know not what and brought my person in danger every minute to be lost I that made a God as it were of the Parliament have found them to be but men and the words of the Psalmist to be true That it is better to trust in the Lord than to put any confidence in Princes I that despised to receive correction feel now the heavy hand of God upon me I that contemned and mocked at Gods Ministers wilfully hardning my selfe against the truth am now given over to a reprobate sense that I should onely beleeve a lye My feet were swift to shed blood therefore as it followes Rom. 3. 16. destruction and misery are in my wayes For these other sins is the wrath of God come upon me my fellow-Citizens that he hath even suffered the Divell to have his will of us who hath forced us as he would as served Job to curse God to his face Hath he not beene in our City and Army-Prophets as he was in Ahabs foure hundred and fifty a lying spirit teaching us Rebellion and Sedition inciting us to plunder and take away other mens goods to prophane Gods house to adulterate his worship to imprison his messengers to reproach the footsteps of his Anointed Psal 89. 51. to abuse his Word to Covenant against him and our King that neither should rule over us to contemne his ordinances to persecute his servants to wrong our neighbours to breake the Lawes to overthrow the power of the Magistrate every man taking the sword into his owne hand to betray and kill one another thinking therby to do God good service and all this for the advancement of Religion as the only way to make an happy Reformation But our sad experience doth sufficiently prove the contrary they may as wel perswade men that the next way to come to Heaven is through Hell by breaking Gods Commandements I should have been loath to have layed open my owne guilt and discovered my nakednesse but that I hope others would be warned by my example to have a care lest they be drawn away as I was with faire pretenens to the indangering both of their bodies and soules To conclude I may even bewaile the unhappy estate of my Country at this present in the words of the Prophet Ieremiah in Lament O Lord how is our gold become dim how is the most fine gold changed our monies are parted from us and we are like the hungry man Isaiah 29. 8. He dreameth and behold he eateth but he awaketh and his soule is empty So we for the monies that we have exhausted dreamed of mountaines of gold but being awakt we find them no other then the price of blood and sums layd out to purchase our own misery Our beauty is turned to ashes the glory honour of our Nation is quite eclipsed we that were once the admiration envy of other Nations are now become their laughing stock and scorne The young children aske bread and no man breaketh it unto them the Souldier sweeping all away leaving nothing behind him but penury and want They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets they that were brought up in scarlet imbrace dunghills Our Nobility and Gentry are despised and trampled upon by vile persons and though they dwelt in houses of Cedar are forced to lye in a loathsome prison The anger of the Lord hath divided us he will no more regard us we have not respected the persons of the Priests nor reverenced our Elders For we have hated their persons slighted their message â—equestred their meanes and not suffered them to passe the streets in quiet For which our Inheritance is turned to strangers our houses to aliens which are Schismatiks and Separatists Other men enter into our possessions take our dwellings from us without a cause We are Orphans and fatherlesse our mothers are as widdowes We have drunke our water for our mony out wood is sold unto us our goods are taken from us at other mens pleasure and for our mony restored to us againe Our necks are under persecution we labour and have no rest what we take paines for others injoy and reape the fruit of our labours we are made slaves unto their wills who command not only our servants and our estates but even our lives also Servants have ruled over us and there is none that doth deliver us out of their hands The joy of our heart is ceased our dance is turned in to mourning all our delights are passed away and we are compassed about with sorrow on every side The Crowne is fallen from our head the King who was our glory is driven from us and is banished from his owne habitation his Palaceâ— is left desolate and scarce any man dwells therein Our Temples are shut up that we have even forgot how to praise thy Name We have nothing but complaining in our streets and we goe mourning all the day long Woe unto us that we have sinned For this our heart is faint our eyes are dim Turne thou us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned renue our dayes as of old Remove thy judgements forgive our sinnes Unite our hearts cure our wounds open our eyes that now at the last we may behold those things that concerne our Peace Amen Your ever loving Husband A. W. From Farnham Castle Novem. 2. 1643. FINIS