SOuldier , If you please to slacken your pace a little , I would request you to Resolve me a few Questions .

I will .

Whither are you marching ?

To reduce General Monck and his Party ,

Why , Is not Monk for the Parliament ?

But are these things so ?

We know not ; onely ( according to our accustomed manner ) we asperse all we fight against .

If you fight against the Parliaments friends , who do you fight for ?

For some of our Principal Officers , viz Lambert , Packer , and the rest of the nine Field-Officers , which the Parliament Cashier'd the Army .

What! fight for your Officers against the Parliaments Forces ! who gives you Authority ?

We have taken care as to that ; for , having made Fleetwood our Commander in Chief , he shall give out Commissions , by which means we create a power to our selves ; and what is it we by our swords cannot do ? if the People will be so tame as to let us alone .

Oh! But what will you do for monies ? the nerves and sinews of War ?

Why , for that we have a Paper that past the House twice , which shall serve our present turns to raise monies by .

Then it seems that the Parliaments Authority will take place among you in order to the raising of money ; letting the People understand thereby , that the very talk of an Act , binds them to conform thereto : yet this may be gathered from it , That monies cannot be raised without a Parliament .

You speak very right : but then will we make the Act void , which forbids the raising or levying of monies , but by the Consent of the People in Parliament .

Then will we get about 40 Members into the Parliament-House , and make them to abolish that Law , and provide money for us .

Then will it appear to all men , That you stand convinced in your Consciences , That y●u have acted very unadvisedly , in turning out the Parliament , without whom you cannot Lawfully raise a penny ; and you will yet appear more odious and vile then ever in the eyes of the People ; who are so wise , as not to part with any monies , but in obedience to Parliamentary Authority .

You say true : but if there be no other way , we will make virtue of necessity , and take it by force .

Marry , God forbid ! for then should we be as very slaves as the Turks .

Why we have forcibly outed the Parliament , and made a Committee for Safety without Law , and by force made Fleetwood General ; and why may we not raise money by force ?

Then will you be in worse case then ever ; you will be look'd upon as no better then Thieves and Felons , and as Tyrants , and not fit to live . Then look to your selvs , That you be not served as were the Danes of old .

How was that ?

The People being grievously oppressed with them , determined at a certain hour in the Night , when most of the Souldiers were asleep ; That the men should rise and seize on the Guards , and the women should cut the Throats of those which were in Bed asleep ; which accordingly they did .

Alas poor Souls ! When you come once to Rule by the Sword , God will take away his restraining grace , as being out of his way , and give you up to a cruell Inhumane Spirit ; and you will work all manner of Cruelty , still passing on from one cruell action to another , till you be hated of all , and afraid to trust one another .

But I warrant you , we will not do so .

Alas poor deluded souldier ! your grand Officers make you slaves to their Lusts , and serve their turns upon you , when you are not aware thereof : Do but look back to the year , 1650. see and consider , how you and they have declined good principles , waxing worse & worse , deceiving and being deceived . How much more unchristian-like you are grown , more cruel , more prophane , more like your grand Hypocritical Officers every day then other : They themselves confessed in their Paper of April 6. 1659. when they invited the Parliament to fit again , That the Spirit of God was departed from them , and that they had wandered in the dark pathes of their Imaginations ; in which they still endeavoured to lead you .

Well , if things are so , I confess our condition is sad : Therefore do I resolve to follow your Christian-like counsel , if you please to tell me what to do .

First , consider the great sinfulness of your ways . Secondly , the misery you bring upon your selves and Families : Can you endure to have your bones broken , your Children made fatherless ; your Wives widows ; and many of your lives to be lost here ; and all to be damned in Hell hereafter . Oh! consider for God's sake , for your Wives and Childrens sakes , for your Lives and Limbes sakes , and for your Soules sakes ; and rather give over those Nine Officers of yours to the Mercy of the Parliament , and re-establish them , and return to your first principles ; and leave not the Brand of a Mercenary , Cruel , Murtherous Army upon your selves .

Sithence you have told me that I thought not of , I will follow your counsel ; for I see you are a good Christian , & love the peace and welfare of your Countrey , and good of all men , and would not have our Bodies nor our Soules made miserable here or in the world to come , and that you are a constant English-man .

Truly , I wish you peace here , and Eternal Happiness hereafter , and would not have you by your Officers be drawn in to sinful coutses , by which the Nation should be made poor , and so you want your pay as you do .

Well! I will tell all Fellow-souldiers and Officers what you say , & will perswade them to take their Force off from our Masters the Parliament , and let them sit again in peace , and we will deliver up all those Nine Men , as Kelsie and the rest , to their Mercy , which have rebelled against them , whom we acknowledged to be the Supreme Authority of the Nation , that no more bloud be shed in vain .

You will do like a good Christian , and like a valiant Souldier , if you do so .

But how do you think the Parliament will deal with these men ( viz. ) Lambert , Kelsie .

You know the Parliament are very ready to forgive : you know they gave them an Act of Pardon the other day , for as bad matters as they have done now ; yea , for five years Cruelty , in keeping them out , and setting up Cromwel . Do not fear but the Parliament will be kind to them , and to all the Nation . There needs nothing to be done , but to set open the Parliament door , and they will sit again .

Well Sir , I will do my uttermost to get all my fellow souldiers to be of my mind .

If you please , I will write these things , and you shall shew it them .

I thank you Sir , and I am the rather desirous you would do it quickly ; for I call to mind that all Trade is decayed , and the Nation is impoverished , by reason of these many Charges we have had , and our Enemies grow very high upon us , we cannot get our pay so constant as we had when the Parliament sat before : They ( indeed ) were our best Masters ; they allowed us 5 s . 10 d . a week all their time ; and our pay was never lessened , till they were turned out .

Sir , I will be as good as my word .

You will do well ; and I will pray to God , that you may have grace to do as you say ; and that all your Fellow-souldiers may agree with you ;