be informed so that were he a Janus he might employ all his Opticks and backward or forward behold his own untruths and scandalls Mr. Thomas Haslerigge is a Gentleman of such Universall abilities and so richly furnisht with Forraine and Domestick experience that every Country is his own and he is a Stranger no where Collonell Wren and master Thomas Dalavall are Gentlemen no lesse 〈◊〉 serving and make up an accomplisht Triumvirate of fidelity and merit they have improved the States service to the utmost given satisfaction to all reasonable men and are every way worthy of their great Employments Collonell Wren hath ever been an active faithfull Gentleman and though it was his misfortune to suffer some obscurity by the disorders of his Souldiers suborn'd and hired thereunto perhaps by some mens malice to prejudice the Collonell yet never any thing was charg'd upon himselfe and the merit of his own deportment did soon expunge that casuall blemish which translated him only from his military attendance to doe the works of Peace nor was he dismist but lent us by the Generall we borrowed him oth'Army and he was conferr'd upon the County to examine the actions and censure the Injustice of the Lilburnes who not for any miscarriages but that good service doe here traduce this worthy Collonell 'T is onely objected to master Thomas Dalavall that he lived in the Enemies Quarters and well t is not charg'd against him that he lived We may say the Accuser lived i th' Enemies Quarters when he was in Prison there as he pretends and master Dalavals residence there was to him parhaps but little better However t is to be presumed he was guarded with no small slock of Innocence which could there secure him even amongst his Enemies who were more reasonable it seems and lesse injurious then this Accuser who is oblieged to be his friend 15. That the said George Lilburne being Surverer of the Bishops Lands in Bish oprick with one Edward C Iston which said Colston joyned with one Saunders and counterfeited master Duncalfes hand without his privity for the abatement of a thousand and odd pounds meerly to cousin the State thereof which cheat and â—â—usenage the said George Lilburne discovered But the said Sir Arthur Haslerigge much laboured and Sollicited the said George Lilburne to conceale the said cheat and forgery of the said Colston and though the said Colston be a man dis-affected to the present Government and married to a Papist yet doth the said Sir Arthut Haslerigge much countenance the said Colston and made him a Commissioner for the Ministery and his court keeper Had the Accuser been as busie to discover truth as to pervert it he might have been convinc't of this loud scandall two yeares agoe For master Colston himselfe gave this false charge a cleare confutation and in Print Published his own Vindication which gave full satisfaction to the Trustees Contractors and all Persons whom it did concerne and to which the Accuser may repayre if he desires or can abide the light where he shall find that all the cheat is in himselfe or Lilburne who would couzen the World of truth a Gemme more precious then any thousands What service the Councell of State or Sir Arthur Haslerigge shall impose upon master Colston no question but that able Gentleman will industriously discharge and gratifie their Trust by his Fidelity In the meane time he esteemes it next to Publique Employments of which at present t is Vacation with him to be of use to that eminent member of the Commonwealth whose noblenesse and worth he is many wayes oblieged to serve and honour and would professe as much should Musgrave every day endite new Articles 16. That your Petitioner hath been much Petitioned by the well-affected in his Country to present their grievances and oppressions and crave reliefe in their behalfe as appeares by their Letters Coppies whereof are hereunto annexed This contains nothing of Importance and onely is an Allegory which must be thus Expounded A Pack of mutinous Incendiaries that pretend oppressions to their seditious Phrensies have made Iohn Musgrave their Bell-Weather or Iack Straw as may be collected from their Letters c. 17. That your Petitioner hath lately discovered sundry concealed and unsequestred Delinquents of great Estates which will bring in to the State ten thousand pounds and more if the Commissioners for Sequestration made by Sir Arthur Haslerigge were honest and faithfull men but in regard most of the said Commissioners are Delinquents and Sequestrable themselves and all of them dis-affected to the present Government they doe what in them lies to hinder your Petitioner in the prosecution thereof The Accuser has now gone over all his Posts and left himself no marks to shoot at yet he has more Darts behind still which must be discharg'd and therefore are let fly at randome exclaiming in generall against Deliquent Commissioners which had an Answer in the return to the first Article for he but conn's his Lesson here and begins before he be quite out Orly t is observable here as all along that dis-affected to the present Government and complying with the Scotch Interest is the burden of his Song and a card that is alwayes turn'd up tramp when he would somthing but can say nothing else Indeed here is somthing of new matter and that is his activenesse in the discovery of unsequestred Delinquents as if he were more industrious for the advantage of the Commonwealth then Sir Arthur Haslerigge But the truth of all he tells plainly in his Remonstrance where he Petitions that his discovery of conceal'd Delinquents may be taken into consideration and then no doubt but he will bestirr himself to seek whom he may devoure then shall every Rich man be a Delinquent and guilty of his Estate when covetousnesse and malice shall have a Salary and Sinne have any Wages but Death For should ill Presidents passe without reproofe should it be permitted once to Scandall with Impunity and Informe cum Privilegio every one would turn Accuser and there would be no such thing as Innocence i th' world Each City would be worse then Seaâ—â— not furnisht with one righteous Lot against whom the malice of some would not Exhibit their Exceptions The Thiefe would Arraigne his Judge and the Offender Impeach his Jury There would be left no Councell of State Inviolable to Sentence or Absolve no Lord President to appeale unto Saterday the 25. of January 1650. At the Councell of State at White-hall Ordered UPon Information given to this Councell by Sir Arthur Haslerigge that one Mr. John Musgrave had caused a Book to be Printed and Published and that in the Epistle and Charge the said John Musgrave did Accuse him the said Sir Arthur Haslerigge of breach of Promise and Engagement to the Councell and for acting contrary to the same and contrary to the Councell of States Declaration The said Mr. John Musgrave being called before the Councell did acknowledge the whole Book excepting onely some Errata's of the Printer which he offered to amend with his Pen and said he would justifie it and offered to put in security to make it good Thereupon the said Master Musgrave being fully heard as to the particulars of the Epistle and Charge in his Book against Sir Arthur Haslerigge for a supposed breach of Trust and Engagement by him to the Councell and also for Acting contrary to the Councels Declarations concerning the Examining the Charge of Mr. Howard late High Sheriffe of Cumberland for the not displacing and putting in certaine Commissioners of the Militia for Cumberland who were objected against by Mr. Musgrave The Councell Declares that it doth not at all appear unto them that Sir Arthur Haslerigge hath broken the Trust reposed in him by the Councell or made any faile of Promise or Engagement to them in any of those particulars But doe find that the Imputations therein layd as a Charge upon Sir Arthur Haslerigge are False and Scandalous And doe therefore touching the said Scandals leave Sir Arthur Haslerigge for his due Vindication and Reparation to take such Course as he shall think fit Ex. G. Frost Seer FINIS
MUSGRAVE Muzled OR THE TRADUCER Gagg'd Being a Just VINDICATION Of the Right Honourable Sr. ARTHUR HASLERIGG And all other Persons herein Concerned From the Scandalous Imputations and Forged Articles Exhibited by * JOHN MVSGRAVE * His niger est bunc tu Romane caveto Newcastle Printed by S. B. 1650. MUSGRAVE Muzled OR THE TRADUCER Gagg'd c. THe Devill who still repines at the Justice of God in his Damnation doth alwayes meditate revenge against the Righteous Power which condemn'd him But because he is not able to oppose God in himselfe he assaults him in his Creatures and carryes on his Theomacky with attempts upon weake mortality And first he endeavours to make us like himselfe sons of perdition and so deprive us of that felicity which he has forfeited but where he cannot rule he tyranniseth whom he cannot pervert he persecutes like a savage enemy who being denyed the possession of a City falls on with fire and sword to ruine it Thus that wicked spirit share his malice upon the whole race of humanity seduceth us to be wicked as he did Adam or afflicts us for being good as he did Job undermines our soules or disturbs the comfort of our lives and seeks to rob us of our temporall or eternall happinesse Now the chiefest adjuncts and properties of the Devill are his malice and falsehood which two furnish him with Artillery enough to be what he is denominated Diabolus an Accuser From this grand Accuser who is both the Tempter and Informer betrayes us to bad actions and belyes our good doe proceed all those Spirits of obloquy and hatred who while they traduce other mens integrity endeavour to make them and wish they were as criminous as they pretend to prove them and so in a manner contribute to the advancement of sin study nothing but mischiefe and division and glory in the destruction of opprest innocence whereby they evidently appeare the Solliciters of Hell to be tutourd by the Devill and to receive Instructions from that spirit of Malignity and errour But Quos perdere vult Jupiter dementat And sure some Spirit of Delusion has infatuated this inconsiderate wretch to assume these desperate Resolutions and to discharge aloft this pernicious darts which may justly descend with deserv'd Vengeance upon his owne head to calumniate and provoke so much eminence and worth and like besotted Haman prepare the Instrument of his own Execution whilest the luster of that luminary which he covets to obscure grows more conspicuous by this eclipse and all the scandalous imputations make up a veile not to cloud but cover not to deface but defend him from the casuall spots and accidentall blemishes which otherwise might have sollied the purity of his high actions and great employments For false Articles are good memento's to prevent true ones and this occurrence will be a seasonable advisce to this Honourable Personage to beware of reall miscarriages since forged and pretended ones give such loud Alarms That Innocence how singular and superlative soever should be depraved is a contingency inevitable in this World which is composed of good and bad In Shimeâ—'s mouth David is a man of Belial Joseph was accused of Incontinency meerly because he would not consent to be dishonest and suffered for that impiety which he refused to commit No wonder then to heare the clamours of this Rabshekah who onely vomits out his own shame and proves himselfe the retainer to that filth which he hath with so much impious sedulity raked together and delights to wallow in For all the guilt proceeds from his corrupted mouth and can be traced no further then his owne scandalous Pamphlet which like a soule overchar'd peece will recoyle in his own face and bestow upon him the reward of Cain due to all such who repine that others service should be more acceptable then their own and pursue meritorious actions with enmity and revenge P. Scipio Affâ—â—eanus that admirable Romane who in a plunge of Publicke calamity when all their Forces in Spaine were defeated Hannibal ad Portas and all Rome was but one coward durst onely undertake the Spanish expedition went on Victoriously conquered all Spain subdued Carthage and utterly vanquisht Hannibal was after all this cited before the Senate and a Publick charge exhibited against him by the Petâ—lis the same day whereon formerly he had defeated Hannibal and the Carthagenians But he instead of contesting with his litigious Adversaries bad them all goe give thanks for the happinesse of that day and pray for more such as he had been and so immediately repayring to his anniversary devotions drew all the people after him and appear'd more glorious that day then when he rode in Triumph through the City The consideration of this pregnant instance may give some satisfaction to the World and this worthy Person upon this occasion and be an example how to treat all such Impudent incendiaries and their seditious Articles which are best answered with contempt and deserve no other confutation then to be neglected as was the prudent deportment of this present Lord Generall Cromwell when he was bayted by a keener whelp of this accusative Litter and bespatterd with the contumelies of that Arch-boutefeu who might employ his own manufacture upon himselfe and creatures and spend all his Soap to wash his own and their corrupted mouthes There are some Pictures which at severall distances represent different Formes These Articles are such a piece of Imposture For at the first cursory superficiall view they delineate onely John Musgrave but after a serious perusall and a strict examination of particulars they evidently betray a Lilburne Our eyes or spectacles discern onely a smaller Meteor but by the benefit of a telescope we may behold a prodigious Comment ominous to the peace of this Common-wealth These conjectures may be deduced from severall particulars in the Articles For much of the injustice which is imputed to Sir Arthur Haselrigge has principall relation to Mr. George Lilburne and most of those persons which are here excepted against were great sufferers under Mr. Liburnes tyranny and were Agents and Witnesses in the prosecution of severall charges against him as Mr. Wrey Mr. Lampton Mr. Colston c. as will appeare hereafter Thus t is very probable that Mr. Lilburne is the retird contriver and close dictator and John Musgrave only the trunk he speaks through a vizard stalking horse and mercenary Soliciter In briefe George Lilburnes hackney and John Lilburnes Ape And now t is time to enter the Lists with this Hydra this monster of seventeen heads and without returning any thing to his opprobrious scurrilities which are but false fires and give no report bid defiance to his Articles which though they make a noyse and smoak are charg'd with Powder onely can doe no execution and are indeed but scandalls in array and reproaches marshalled into rancke and file The Articles 1. THat Sir Arthur Haslerigge contrary to his Engagement to the Councell of State and
Councell of States Declarations upon the Petitioners exceptions procured lately such in the County of Cumberland to be Justices of the Peace Commissioners for Sequestrations Commissioners for the Ministery and Commissioners for the Militia there as were known Delinquents and such as are disaffected to the present Government and complying with the Scottish Interest as by the charge against them hereunto annexed and another charge against them formerly exhibited to the Councell of Sate may appeare That Sir Arthur upon the clamours of a busie impertinent should give Engagement of his fidelity to the Councell of State doth shew how tender he is of the satisfaction of that great Court as to prefer their security before his own honour and after a continued series of so many yeares active cordiall important service to allow his integrity to be questioned and renew his security for his future industry As for Delinquent Commissioners if any such there be in Cumberland for in the three other Counties he objects none t is probable Sir Arthur understands them better then the Accuser has had experience of their fidelity and knows the Common-wealth may without prejudice commit Publike Imployments to their trust and how discreet happy he hath bin in his election is evidenced by their faithfull service to the Army in Scotland and by their care and expedition in raising and sending considerable and mature supplyes from these foure Northerne Counties Thus they were worthy of his choyce before he admitted them or were made so by his trusting them For we may obleige some to be faithfull and by confiding in them make many honest and t is more glorious to convert a Delinquent then to punish him Againe if there be any Delinquents made use of t is to be presumed they are in places of no great concernment or joyn'd in Commission with others of known integrity and judgement who would easily discover and over power their designes should they attempt to be perfidious and perhaps that County has been so generally over-run with the streame of Malignancy that there were few left untainted and consequently some Delinquents were admitted to prevent strangers and that crime which is anon objected unlesse such as Musgrave should have been prefern'd who by his perversenesse in this private condition discovers how unruly he would be were he backt with authority and credit and is indeed fitter to set his Clients together by the ears then mannage the peace of a Common-wealth For the giblets and garbage of his traine the Articles exhibited against the Commissioners in Cumberland because they include nothing but what is repeated here and doth serve him for all Persons whom he is pleased to bring upon the stage they will be sufficiently refuted in the Vindication of some Persons more directly concerned in these Articles For in defeating this main body of his Army those paddees will easily be routed when down-right blowes be well awarded collaterall ones can break no pates and if this triple Goliah of seventeen cubits can be conquered the rest oth Philistins without further dispute will quit the field 2. That the said Sir Arthur Haslerigge being the chief and leading Commissioners for the Ministry at Newcastle approved of such Ministers in Cumberland at Newcastle as refused the Engagement were so andalous and Delinquents and such Ministers as were well-affected without any charge removed from their Ministery and put them out of their places whereby be descovers his dis-affection to the present Government by upholding and countenancing the Malignant party in Authority and keeping under the Parliaments friends all which this Petitioner is able to prove and further refers himselfe to the Copies of Letters hereunto annexed the Originals being in the Petioners hands To this we answer that Sir Arthur is often compell'd to be absent from that Committee being diverted by many great employments and especially by his attendance upon the reliese of the Army in Scotland and taking order for all manner of Provision raising new I evies and sending supplies of Horse and Foot whose diligence and expedition in every particular sometimes out labouring common Porters and other whiles contriving beyond the most retired contemplations is a sufficient discovery how dis-affected he is to the present government which he so studies to preserve and advance If that Committee in Sir Arthurs absence have transgressed must their miscarriages be layd upon Sir Arthur He might as well charge the Councell of State with Sir Arthurs pretended Crimes and make them guilty of these Articles But t is a question whether any injustice was done or not for he onely sayes he can prove them but does not To which we answer we can disprove them but will not The Coppies of Letters which he refers us to whose Originals are in his own hands are perhaps both Copies and Originalls forgeries of his own or by his infligation or else the peevish motions of some refractory Spirits who like the â—scalites murmur in all conditions and would loathe their food-should they be cramm'd with Manna Unthankfull men who are never sull or quickly surfeit and are guilty of satiety or unsatiablenesse 3. That Sir Arthur Haslerigge undertook to the Councel of State to examine the Articles exhibited by the Petitioner to the Councell of State against M. Charles Howard high Sheriffe of Cumberland but veglected the same and came privately into the Country to Naward and there feasted with the said Sheriffe who is a dangerous and most notorious Delinquent as appears by the charge exhibited against him by the Petitioner to the Councell of State The Accuser here exclaims against Sir Arthur for neglecting to be his Solliciter in examining some Articles as hibited agaist the High Sheriffe of Cumberland whose examination he confesses the Councell of State to be quit of him had referr'd to Sir Arthur and consequently judg'd them unworthy their considerations And Sir Arthur too upon examination found them scandalous Musgrave's and such as these This is all save onely that Sir Arthur came and supp'd at Naward as if it were petty Treason for a Gentleman to visit the high Sheriffe of a County chosen and still approved by the Councell of State yet he prosecutes the fact with as much vehemency as if they had sate down to Atreus Feast and risen from the Table Anthropophagists 4. That the said Sir Arthur Haslerigge suffers Captain Howards Troop to lye upon free Quarter upon the Country for these foure Moneths last past and doth countenance one Dobson Captaine Howards Lieutenant who obeated the Troop of 1350 pound And when complaint was made to Sir Arthur Haslerigge he never punished how for the same The Free Quarter is mistaken for quartering upon trust For Captaine Howards Souldiers were some Moneths without their Pay which was assigned them in Yorkeshore and somewhat long ere it came to them but now it is distributed and their Quarters if any did goe o th score are since discharg'd T is possible Dobson did endeavour to couzen
pay M. Wrayes debts is as ridiculous as to thinke M. Lilburne will discharge them with the Gold be plundred from him 11. That the said Sir Arthur Haslerigge doth comply with and countenance Collonell John Hilton a Delinquent in armes both in the first and second War and assists the said Hilton to defraud the poore in sundry Parishes in Bishoprick or great legacies given by the said Hiltons Elder Brother In this is involv'd another grand cheat of M. George Lilburnes against the State of 300 1. per annum viz. The mannor of Ford in Bishopricke which mannor M. Lilburne himselfe caused to be Sequestred for the Delinquency of Collonell Hilton and converted the Profits to his own use and all this while not a word of any Testament or Legacy But after when he saw himselfe questioned for this and other tricks and fear'd he should disgorge some of the thousands he had swallowed he contrived himselfe a dextrous escape by rowsing a Dormant Will of Baronett Hilton made upon some discontents between him and his Brother under pretence of charity to severall Parishes where by he was to merit pardon for 30 yeares vicious life led with the Lady Shelly Pious M. Lilburne prosecuted the s uite in Chancery at his own charge and had a Decree thereupon which the Councell of State may happily retrieve and examine better the depredation of so considerable a Composition Thus we see how charitable master Lilburne is with other mens Estates how finely he robs the State to enrich the poore and had rather build Hospitals them pay his debts 12. That Sir Arthur Haslerigge brought Collonell Hacker into the Country who contrary to an Act of Parliament Quarters his Souldiers and others under the name of Souldiers who are none upon the well-affected in Bishoprick and would but pay what they pleased and in some places nothing but upon complains Collonell Hacker gave the people no reliefe but threatned them to have them before Sir Arthur Haslerigge for complaining afterwards Captain Thomas Lilburne brought the matter in question before a Councell of Warre an whitehall but by Sir Arthurs power it could nover be fully heard which if it had there would have appeared many thousand pounds kept wrongfully from the Souldiers besides the great oppression of free-quarter some Examinations whereof were taken by master Margets which Sir Arthur Haslerigge keeps hitherto from Reading and the said Sir Arthur sore threatned the said Captain for appearing for the Soul-diery and Country against him and Collonell Hacker Sir Arthur was the cause t is probable of Collonell Hackers advance into these parts considering how behovefull and necessary the attendance of that gallant Collonell would be for the security of these Northern Counties where the malignant Party had been so active and were still so numerous But straight master George Lilbourne thinks himselfe opposed in the businesse falls presently to disgust the Collonell and conjures his son Thomas the Captain to assist him with some designe againsthim Deare Tom. layes the scene with some of Collonell Hackers Souldiers betrayes them to some misdemeanors and perswades them not to pay in manv places These incivilities make up a charge against Collonell Hacker and one master Margets came busling into the Country by order from the Lord Generall as he pretended but falsely to examine it All things being prepared and the day come Geo kich and Tho Lilburnes face the busiesse Collonell Hacker attended also to receive his charge but Margets tould him he must stay for it and both he and his Souldiers immediately leave the Towne Hereupon the Gollonell complains to the Generall who sends an order to examine Margets which was done accordingly and this truth discovered and certified This is all concerns that worthy Collonell whom none but Lilburne and Mosse-troopers disaffect 13. That the said Sir Arthur Haslerigge to dissable master George Lilburne to serve his country and the more to discourage the well-affected in Bishoptick caused him to be put out of the Commission of Peace ministery and militia and much endeavoureth to Sequester the said master George Lilburne who hath commonly been reputed the most active stirring and suffering man for the good of this nations both before the Parleament began and since of any that hath been or is in the Country This is the Grand signeour Article to which the former were but Ushers and all the rest a guard and convoy This is the master waspe yet quite without a sting T was the discharging of master George Lilburne from his shriving employments that derived a gâ—â—â—â— upon all Sir Arthur's other actions But since that active stirring suffering Gentleman affects Encomiums loves to be popular and shew himselfe let him surrender up those borrowed Plumes and weare this Charecter and second Livery For his first rise was little better then from the Cloake and Trencher and of late yeares an ordinary Fitter was his greatest Title But since he scrued himslfe into the Committee for Sequestrations by letting Sequestrations to himselfe in others names for small values and bying Plundred Goods at under Rates he has purchased many thousands and now endures the burden of being very Rich and suffers the misery of a Vast Estate Quid esse nostro fortius potest Pato Ducentiens accepit tamen vivit In the Earle of Newcastles time he signed and sent out Warrants for raising men and horse for the service of the late King and when that Earle was in the North he sent out men and arms to his assistance and this is called his good affection He was so Imperious in his Sequestratorship and so shamefully over-awed the rest of the Commissioners that most of them were abused out of their stations and M. George Lilburne was left a petty monarch attended onely with his brother Richard such anothere haughty spirit as himselfe and one Tom Turke alias Coll Midford a creature of their own stamp who durst not dispease them lest they should question him for a murder he committed upon one Mr. Grosier in Newcastle upon Time The well-affected are so far from being discouraged at dispacing of him that they all deprecate his Tyranny next the Pestilence incert it in their Liturgie and prefix it to their Libera nos Domine 14. That Sir Arthur Haslerigge hath dispaced all the well-affected men in Bishoprick that were of the Committee for Sequestations there and put in their stead one Thomas Haslerigge his Kinsman and a stranger and doth continue one Collonell Francis Wren who in the head of his Regiment upon his first march into Scotland was disgracefully and justly cashiered by the now Lord General Cromwell for Plundring and other grosse and foule misde-meanours and one Thomas Dalavall an arch Malignant and dis-affected to the present Government who lived in the Enemies Quarters all the time the Earle of Newcastle had his Forces there What the displaced were the Accuser may see if he but face about and who these present Commissioners are he shall quickly