Vox Regis For their Base Vox Clerici for their Discords Vox consilij for their Treble Vox populi for their Counter Uox pauperis for their Meane Vox pueri for their Consort Vox Cali for their comfort Vox Dei The voice of this Musicke hath beene heard throughout all England and is like to grow lowder unlesse some course be taken to stop it That there are a kind of Beadles runs up and downe about the towne yelping out your destruction crying Oh the valour of the Welsh-men which are gone to kill the Scots well looke you have Leeks and causbobby and give them good words and call them bold Britains and then you may doe with them what you will That Halter and Ballad-makers are two principall trades of late Ballads being sold by whole hundreds in the Citie and Halters sent by whole barrels full to Barwicke to hang up the Rebels with as soone as they can catch them That old Iohnson the Poet being dead great moane is made for one of that quality to write the Bishops wars yet two have petitioned for the place and each of them have something for tryall which because you may see their straine I thought fit to insert as followeth 1. POET The Doughty Dane the force of Spaine Morocco rude and rout The Irish wild the English mild And Welsh men bold and stout Are taking Armes and vowes great harmes To Scotland they will bring For Bishops right they meane to fight To please their Royall King 2. POET The English-men both bold and strong The Irish stout and hardy The valiant Welsh-men will be first To take the Scots men tardy Our ships by sea our men by land Will pull their courage downe And make men know King Charles will keepe The Myter next the Crowne The tryall of these verses were put to two Iohns poetically affected who allowed of the Latter for two reasons First because the former makes them fight for Nations to one which is too much odds where the other mentions onely three being somewhat unequall too Secondly because the former forgets the Kings ships whereupon depends the hopes of the successe and honour of the Kingdome which the latter observing he shall therefore write the history but hee must not begin untill hee heare the successe of the first Battell which if it proves unfortunate then it spoyles a Poet That the newes at London is so uncertaine that no man believes it sometimes we heare of Peace and then the Papists storme and fret saying the King is too mercifull For my Lord Howard not the chiefe of the Howards hath three sonnes all Colonels newly come over from the Cardinals Campe who threaten if the King will give them leave they will pluck the Scots out of their trenches by the eares but when newes come they must fight and that wee shall have blowes for blowes then they tell us that the Kings forces are two weak for the Covenanters but as soone as the Irish will come over Dunluce and his Dimilances will drive them all into the Mountaines That such newes as this comes out by owlelight in little Bookes or Ballads to be sold in the streets And I feare it s held a prime peece of policy of state For otherwise how could so many false Ballads and Bookes be tollerated yet the next morning Sunne exhales all their vaine Evening vapours As that newes of taking Lesley Prisoner killing of Colonell Crayford and imprysoning most of the Nobility but I never beleeved it because if it had beene true Ballads would have beene sung by day light Bookes printed Bonefires made and a solemne Procession with a Te Deum at least had not beene wanting at Lambeth That I went one day to the Star-chamber to see what Lords where left at home where I heard Colonell Crosby and others fined for reporting that the Lord Deputy of Ireland going to Knight a poore man Sir Knave with a Cane hee hit him so hard as hee kill'd him when in truth hee died not untill three dayes following At which sentence little Laud made a Sermon of an houre long telling them how the Deputy had cozened the Scots in Ireland of all their armes and was providing men to weare them into Scotland against their owne Countrey-men And that it was a fortune that followeth all men in high places and authority to bee evill spoken off But it was not so of old for then the man whom the King did honour should ride in his Chariot bee apparelled with the Kings Roabes and esteemed the second person in the Kingdome but now if the people might have their wils quoth hee those whom the King honoureth should have Hamans reward with this hee concluded keeping the application to himselfe whereupon I went out and wrote these Verses following and left them in the window Now wicked Will doth raigne as King And Finch sing sweet by Windybanks The Priests placebo still doe sing But the Scots if crost will play mad prancks The next day I tooke my journey homewards and left one to take notice of passages in my absence And a first night I lay at Ware where my host shewed mee the great bed and told mee that 24. Captaines lay altogether in it and named it the bed of honour If said I honour could bee goe with lying in fether-beds few would bee without it But sure said I they will lye both worse and further asunder before they returne home againe When I came at Yorke I heard the King was bravely entertained there and that the Recorder had so tickled his eares with flattery and fables that both hee and the Major were knighted well thought I this makes good the old Proverbe Some may better steale a goose then others stick downe a feather For if the Scots had done so they had beene called fawning fellowes by open Proclamation When I came to Durham all the Drummers were drunke for the Bishop had bestowed good store of wine upon them to forbeare beating because the noise of the Drummes should not drowne the sound of the Organs I needed no guide to Newcastle for whole troopes of souldiers lay lame by the way This Towne is now called little London albeit it hardly deserve the name of Coale-Castle I went round their Towne to see the workes and thought to have seene a Castle in it but mine host told mee that the Scots had long agoe laid the Castle levell with the ground and least they should doe the like with the Towne the King had sent a garison to defend it When I came first to the Campe I was examined what I was I told them I was Chaplaine to the Lord High Crown'd Howard and was come on a message to his chiefe Upon this I had a faire pasport but never came neere him The first newes I heard there was that the Marquesse was sent to find out the floting Islands and that hee had beene round about England and most part of Scotland but could not find them
countrey men went to dinner where I was relating my Reading Journey and newes whereupon one of them puld a paper out of his pocket saying now by your Relation I understand the meaning of my verses which were bestowed on me And before now I did not well know what they meant A Copie whereof hee gave me to end my Discovery withall which are as followeth The King wants coyne the Bishops blood The Church is chang'd none dares doe good The three chiefe Arts in all the Land In Pillory at once did stand The Welsh may run the English ride To kill the Scots for Prelates pride VVhich makes men cry and curse that Age Hatcht little Laud twixt Stocks and Cage THE INTELLIGENCERS owne Discovery AT my first comming to London I heard little newes of any Scots grievances but within a little while after when I saw Burton Bastwick and Pryn promoted to the Pillory for speaking against the power of the Prelates then I began to smell a fox They rejoyced as much in their sufferings as their Adversaries did in their sentences but because they should not prate nor talke to one another as they did when they stood in the Pillory Therefore they were sent first into three severall Castles in three remoted counties and afterwards removed to three severall Ilands every one of them at their departure from the Pillory to their Prisons made two verses Tryumphing I returne my face discryes Lauds scorching scars Gods gratefull sacrifice A painefull Pastor I have beene my flock I truly fed And now in honour of Christs cause my blood I freely shed Physician 's for soule and body and Lawyer for the State All here now have lost their blood to please a proud Prelate The next Terme after this the Bishop of Lincolne came to his sentence in the Star-chamber where hee received a sharpe sensure but hee may thank himself for it in keeping two prime places in his hands when others want preferment But hee stood too much upon his trumps thinking that King James his Patents had beene now as good as when hee had them Alas good man though hee be a great Scholler not a better in the Kingdome yet hee had forgot the little Mans Motto Sic volo sic Iubeo The originall cause of this was never heard but this I learned that two flesh flyes having fed at his Table for a long time together had purposely laid a traine to intrap him and then they combined with one Kilvert A Caniball who having devoured his owne Master Sir Iohn Bennet undertooke to doe the like with him and hath hunted him so hard that the Tower is become his Tabernacle where he is like to remain unlesse hee will pull off his Miter and give it for his Ransome Long hee had not laine there ere he was roused up againe for a second course pretending that hee had given a false exposition on the great Leviathan false Mediator and the like whereupon through the meanes of a false Steward a faithlesse Secretary and a foolish Scribe he was Acteon-like puld down with his own hounds which he had fed at his trencher in his prosperity but had now fallen upon himselfe in his adversity yet his owne patience and the peoples prayers may one day be a comfort to him That when the newes came first of the troubles in Scotland Archie the Kings Foole was questioned for something against the Prelates whom hee thought was the cause of it For which hee had beene had up in the Star-chamber but that the Fool told them hee would plead the priviledge of his Coat For quoth hee if neither Foole nor wife man must scape this Court I will be neither But for all this Archie could not scape scot free for hee was led to the Porters lodge where albeit hee found favour in his lash yet he lost both his Coat and his place by it That about a weeke after I met Archie at the Abby all in black Alas poore foole thought I hee mournes for his countrey I askt him about his Coat O quoth he my Lord of Canterbury hath taken it from mee because either he or some of the Scots Bishops may have use for it themselves But hee hath given me a black coat for it to colour my knavery with and now I may speake what I please so it be not against the Prelates for this Coat hath a farre greater Priviledge then the other had when I heard him say so albeit thought I a Fooles bolt is soone shot yet perhaps hee may hit the marke whereupon I went and bought me a canonicall Coat and put my selfe into an Arminian habit which hath kept mee freer from danger then if I had beene all clad in buffe That about Christmas last all the passages of your Assembly were presented to the King and all the names of the Lords and others that had subscribed the Covenant or consenting to the putting downe of the Prelates were given in wherupon a Convocation of the Clergy of England was once resolved to be called and to have the matter disputed but the Bishops were busie and could not attend it and advised that ipso facto you should be proclaymed Rebels and all your Lands should be confiscate to the King which made some of the Courtiers mouthes so water in hopes of a Lordship that they lookt as if they had beene troubled with the scurvie That about Candlemas the newes was nothing but warre and that the King would goe in person into Scotland and had promised to gratifie those that adventured with them for cutting off the Covenanters And therefore to make them the more contemptible to the English Proclamation 〈◊〉 made in all market Townes and read in all Churches That you were base fawning fellowes and people of broken fortunes and would faine repair your ruined estates by the spoyles of the good subjects of England which Proclamation notwithstanding the faire and true declaration of your intentions so animated many of them as like Hogs in the wind they ran on but knew not whither ro fight but knew not for what hoping to be rewarded but knew not when and they may returne but know not how That of late every man at London hath beene in his humours The Courtiers were learning how to tosse tennis bals instead of Bullets The Captaines were preparing to see the tragedy of traytors the Clergy were studying a Masque for a Myter the Ministry were drawing the map of misery the Iesuits were at wilie baguilie and the Scots Bishops were at Boe peepe with the Kirke That one day I went to see the Tower which is newly rapaired there are forty new beds and lodgings provided for entertainment of the Scots traytors well let me advise yee to looke to your selves for if ever you bee lodged there the next newes after will bee your comming out to Tower-Hill where either your heads must lop or your Crags crack I came home by the custome House where there was
men by reason of their pastorall protection clap in with all the good matches about London That my countrey man Con the Popes Legate is fallen lame of late and is writing an invective against Abernathy for discovering his comming into England hee saith that if these troubles had not beene hee had got as much money in seven yeares as with the helpe of a Letter or two from the Court to the Conclave of Cardinals would have made him Pope and then if you had not yeelded to the King on any conditions he would have curst you with Bell Book and Candle That the seven Champions of Christendome are now this criticall yeare all up in Armes St. Anthony is inchanted by the Pope in S. Angelo S. Iames and S. Dennis are this summer to try their strengths in a simple combat And S. George S. David and S. Patrick are all ryding into Scotland against S. Andrew but the quarrell against him is unknowne some say because he will not wait upon S. George his Ceremonies but others say it s because hee dare maintaine that there was neither Pope nor Prelate in the Primitive Church That one Baker the Bishop of Londons Chaplaine being one morning desired to present a Petition from a Minister to his Lord for a Prebends place carried the matter so craftily that he had it for himselfe together with the Ministers curse for cozening of him but to prevent that the Bishop gave him his blessing yet it did him no good for ere night he was so puft up with pride and grown so great that the weight of his body broke his legge and so laid him and his honour in the dust yet theer be some that attribute this accident to another thing for they say that this Baker was so over-joyed with the death of some good Divines and the going away with others that he made verses of them and the same day hee made them hee broke his legge and his verses were answered the next day following Dike is dead Davis is fled And Symmons is run away Carter is flying Stanton is dying And Good wyn is left to pray Carter is at hand Baker cannot stand VVith a fall he hath broke his legge Our Bishops are flying their cause is a dying And the Scots will make them begge That when the King lay at New castle Fleetwoods newes came fleeting to London with as many lyes as lines in it but that 's no matter Colonels may lye by commission It tels us of your Iron Flailes Harrowes Knives and the like taken going to you from Sheffeild and threatens to beate you with your owne weapons Now as for your men he never mentions them because he meanes not to meddle with them But when hee comes to relate the valour of your women he cryes out the Lord bee mercifull unto us for wee shall have a bloody busines of it yet hee declares his resolution is to fly in their faces and concludes with a Protestation that his father may tell it for truth That albeit you were offended with that Proclamation which termes you people of broken fortunes They have made another against you its just like Ianus in the head and in the body like a Scorpion with a sting in his tayle For first you are pardoned if you subscribe Jgnoramus but if you doe not you are condemned before you are convicted and your trayterous obstinacies are to be cured with the sharpe sword of Iustice which being put into the hands of Papists they sweare by Peters Keyes Pauls sword shall be put in practise The body of the Proclamation breeds a Scorpion in your bosome to devoure you First your debtors must pay your money to His Majesty who because hee can give no lawfull discharge will give them a good share back againe Next all your lands are given away to such as will fight for them Lastly your tenants must pay you no more rents for His Majesty will turne Land-lord and let them their lands for a third part abatement of their old rent and promises to put them in possession before Pentecost next unlesse you prevent it That there was some whispering newes about the towne of a dissention betweene the spirituall Lords whereupon a great Politician had drawne His Majesty to command all the temporall Lords attendance purposely to be revenged on the Nobility whilst others lye lurking at home laughing in their sleeves to see how they made their enemies take up Armes to defend their quarrell In which if any of the Nobility and Gentry be slain their sonnes may prove Wards and so bring in much money to maintaine the wars That if the Prelates project succeed well t is thought Wren and VVarner should have the keeping of the great and little seales and London now like John hold my staffe being Treasurer the Clergy will have a golden time of it but let them remember this Admonition That spirituall pride brings temporall war And temporall warre brings peace That Lords and Lawyers end the jar And Prelates pride must cease That there is a new counsell Table erected at London where the Catholick Lords Knights and Superiours of the Roman Clergy meet to consult upon fitting meanes for raysing of money towards maintenance of this holy warre which they hope will either procure a dissolution of your Religion or a tolleration of their owne At this meeting divers motives and advises were drawne up for certaine Priests to move the Catholikes to contribute in a large manner towards the maintenance of those warres to the 8. 9. 10. part at least of their Annuall meanes according to the true and just value for which besides the benefit which may redound to them by their Religion the King hath called in his Commission against Recusants The Queene hath undertaken to secure all those as shall be Contributors herein and the Pope hath promised that no man which dies in this quarrell shall ever come in Purgatory That these advises and motives being discovered the Pope hath written to his Nuncio not to be too forward untill they see time for feare of discovery nor to let the Laity know too much of the Provincials minds lest they fall off nor that the Catholikes bestow so much on the society of Iesuits as other the Orders can have no part That there is a Feast of fancies at London free for any man that hath a mind to it The first dish is a Redshanks sermon instead of a sallad the second a pickl'd Projector the next a piping hot pigge and next a handsome hogge there was a red Deere Pye but that 's past instead of that they meane to have a Bishops head and bacon which will serve for a grand dish and albeit it bee somewhat out of fashion yet it is like to be in season Their bread is Bishops Bisket and Burtons bayte Their drinke is Britain's teares their dyning Roome the Castle of care Their attendants Tom Tell-troth and Bastwicks younger brother Their Musick hath for Tenour