MY criticall part corrects my phantasie , as the sage Father did his Sonne Ovid for making Verses ; but my phantasie having borrowed an argument from my Intellectus agens ( as they lay in bed together , taking counsell of their pillow ) Replyed ; Why what doe yee think of the Poets , had they no Judgement ? Yes sure , saith Crisis , they that write in Verse , are to bee reckoned next to them for judgement and wisedome who write in prose . But to tell you the truth , before the dispute was ended there was one sent with a black rod ( not to dissolve the Parliament at Westminster , but ) to charme my sences , and I fell asleep fast , for I was weary of trotting up and down in my Pilgrimage on the errand aforesaid , and yet my Pilgrimage was no pennance because voluntary . In the middest of my refreshing sleep , I fell into a pleasing dreame .

First , I began to conceive that there was a free passage from Oxford to London , for any Lord , Lady , Laundresse , &c , as if Col. Tompson our learned Littletous Agent , were bribed to make legges and faces for them .

Then I pleased my selfe with the thoughts of the Citizens Propositions for the raising of 20000 men , such as our good friends thought to hire men that would have done the Queen service enough had they never been pressed to it or rewarded for it , with the Auxiliaries victuals : Perchance some may say that Aulicus doth tell lies , and dreame truths . But as sure as can bee , the Auxiliaries were the confiding men , and yet some good simple Citizens were willing to withdraw that one meale from these trusty Auxiliaries , who made fourteen meales upon that one meale , that they might disarm , nay starve their friends , and feast their enemies ; the truth is , I laughed so heartily at this jeast that I had almost awaked my selfe with laughing .

Not long after , there came to my thinking a gallant Trumpeter to London ( their grand Garrison ) with C. R. upon his breast , who had the favour to ride unblindfolded as farre as Pindars pride or Fishers folly , and that very night Henry of the Low-Countreys , I say , not Holland rid out of London towards the Royall Quarters at Reding ; I hope no body heares mee , for I dreame as softly as if I did whisper , yet I am not willing to whisper some secrets of my dreame for fear of being overheard ; the Rebels have more whispering places then that of Glocester , a City that God hath blessed the more because our Cavalry have so often cursed it .

This dreame being over , I fell into a gentle slumber , and afterwards into a melancholly dreame , I dream't full sadly , that Alderman Pennington was to be sent on shipbord , and Sir Iohn Conniers restored to his old Lievtenantship of the Tower by whose motion , I leave to the Reader to consider : pardon me if I dreame waking .

I remember that Bellarmine ( as that Italian said ) dreamt once upon a time that he was in Purgatory , but he awaked and found that he was beshit : the Italian spoke plaine , and so must I. It is confessed that I have dreamt my selfe into a Fooles Paradise , I fancy our condition better and fairer then indeed it is ; for I heare that the Citizens begin to grumble , and feare that there is some designe upon them , they will have the Tower secured their Out-guards doubled and trebled ; nay , they are offended that some Ladies are at liberty , some Prisoners released and some confiding men imprisoned . But the last part of my dream pleased me best : I saw ( what within these two dayes some hope to see by day light ) the Kings Majesty riding into London in State , attended with — &c. hee posted by White Hall and Saint Iames's , and came directly to the House of Peeres , the Speaker of the House of Commons was sent for , and his Majesty bespake them after this manner .

My Lords , and you Mr Speaker shall see that fulfilled before your eyes upon this happy day , which you have so often begged with prayers and teares . We are now returned to our beloved Parliament of England , and are welcomed hither by the good affections of our Lords and blessings of our People . You may remember that in our Message on the 8 of April 1642. we did assure you of our Princely resolution to goe into Ireland , ( not declining any hazard of our own Person ) that we might performe that duty which we owe to the defence of Gods true Religion , and our distressed Subjects , and might settle the peace of that Kingdome and security of this by chastising those wicked and detestable Rebels odious to God and all good men . We offered to raise two thousand foot and two hundred horse in the Counties neere Westchester , where we desired that they might be armed from our Magazine at Hull for a Guard for our owne Person when we should have come into ●reland , but we could not then prevaile with our Parliament to defray the charge of raising and paying that our forementioned Guard ; And therefore we have since been forced to make use of some of those Catholikes for our necessary defence , against Anabaptists and Brownists , men we trust equally odious both to you and us . For we have reason to beleeve , that you doe now at last see your owne errour which you fell into by your caus●esse jealousies , and some unworthy suggestions of necessity and imminent danger ; for we defie the Devill to prove that there was any designe with our knowledge or privity for the dissolution of this Parliament , which we have been ever carefull to preserve according to our Act of Grace , our Act for the continuance of this Parliament . We understand that you have now prepared twenty six Articles to treat upon for the setling of a blessed peace in this our Kingdome of England : we desire to heare them read , and wee are ready to subscribe them all , which in our understanding ( of which God hath surely given us some use ) seeme fit to be subscribed .

Vpon this gracious speech , it was expected that some dutifull Answer should be returned : but the Speaker of the House of Peeres was no Speaker pro tempore , and the rest of the Lords were in as deep a dreame as mine owne .

The Speaker of the House of Commons was dismissed , and when hee came to his Chaire , he sate ammused ; but there started up a Westerne Sparke , and cryed , What Mr Speaker ? his Majesty in the House of Peers ? a dreame or not a dreame ? Is this the fruit of all our expense of blood , treasure , pains , time , spirits , and lives ? Is this the end of all our treating and covenanting ? no reformation of religion Mr Speaker ? durus sermo ; are all the Priviledges of Parliament , and liberties of the subject lost in a moment ? shall we and our posterity be condemned to a perpetuall slavery ? is there no remedy ? I hope you will have such a care of his Majesty as no Delinquents shall have accesse to his person ; I humbly conceive we must desire something which is safer for you to think , then for me to speak .

The Speech was ended , but my Dreame continued : His Majesty went from the House of Peeres to White-hall , and then all his old Friends ( whom Britannicus calls Malignants ) made their humble addresses to him , and desired him not to hearken to the Propositions for Peace , they assured him that now he had the greatest advantage of the Parliament that ever he was blessed with ; for he could not want Lords , and there might be a quicke course taken with ten or a dozen of the House of Commons and then all was cock sure ; they certified him that he had a greater interest in the affections of the City then he imagined , for now all Neuters and indifferent men were ready to declare themselves against the Parliament ; the zealous men would grow colder and colder every day . But amongst the rest , one in a Fox-surred Gowne , whose gray haires made even his iniquity it selfe venerable , having scratched his crafty pate , and stroaked his beard , cryed , Sir , if it may please your Majesty to confide in your good Catholike Subjects , all will be well ; for there are a considerable number of them lurking about this City , and their number is well encreased since your Majestie came safe to Towne . Moreover , our Priests have an interest in some Ladies , who call themselves Protestants , and you will finde them active for her Majestie ; divers of them came from Oxford on purpose to serve her at a greater distance where they might be least suspected . But one word more : Draw up your Army , especially your Irish Regiments as neare the City as you can , there will be a course taken to encourage them with money , and in time of Treatie they may march far in a night without a safe-conduct : You understand my meaning , I have opened my self to fat to so wise a Prince .

I would faine have stepped into the Citie , but my pleasant phantasie sent my man Morpheus thither , who taking a piece of transparent Glasse , and standing close in the Exchange soadred the back-side of the Glasse with a kinde of silver-lead , and brought me all the species of the Merchants mindes represented in a fixed and well proportioned image .

First there came a Merchant , who in his zeale and gravitie , with eyes exalted heaven-wards , seemed to blesse God for answering all the good prayers powred forth in the monethly Fasts , for his Majesties happy returne to his great Councell . Next came a rude , but understanding fellow , who interrupted him in his devotions with an untimely jogge , and told him he did but offer up the Sacrifice of Fooles : for believe it Sir ( saith he ) unlesse we take some speedy course , within these 24 hours at farthest , all is lost , all is lost ; for ( Sir ) you know the Committee of both Kingdomes is not now sitting , and you know the conjuncture of sad symptomes : and then he run over all the former parts of my unhappy Dreame from point to point . His brother Merchant was cleane put out of his gravity , and began to talke Treason as readily as they use to doe at Salters-Hall : Well ( saith he ) if we had been wise enough to have prevented the Kings comming , all had been safe , but now we must play an after-game : Well , call a Common-Councell , consult the Militia , petition the House of Commons , be wise and valiant , or else all is lost indeed .