AS it is a truth generally received , That no state or condition on earth is absolutely perfect and happy ; so it hath been the unwearied endeavour of all that are wise and good , to attain unto happiness and perfection in every kind , as neer as humane frailty would admit . And because nothing contributes more to happinesse then Government , which by curbing the unruly passions of men , doth both help to safeguard their persons , and distinguish their interests , so as they may freely and quietly enjoy what the Law calls their property ; therefore the ancient Sages have taken a great deale of pains to find out , not onely what kind of Government is best in it selfe , but also what is most suitable and agreeable to the naturall complexion , and constitution of each particular Countrey , and accordingly our British Ancestors ( so renowned in History for their piety , prudence , courage , and loyalty ) pitch'd at last upon Monarchy , as not onely acknowledged on all hands to be the best forme of civill government , but as most proper to the humour , and most proportionable to the temper of this ancient and formerly flourishing Nation .

And because they observed that the best things corrupted , do commonly prove worst , and that it is possible that Monarchy may degenerate into Tyranny ; therefore they provided that our Government ( though Monarchicall ) should be so contemper'd , that no Law should be imposed by the King upon the people , exacting their obedience , without their consent given by their Representatives assembled in Parliament ( consisting of the three Estates ) that as a threefold Cord is not easily broken : so if any of the three should become excentrick , the other two by their mutuall concurrence , and seasonable interposition , might evenly bound and ballance it . And we have felt of late by wofull experience , that when the House of Commons grew so praedominant , as first to vote down , and then quite take away the other two estates ( which were of old more rightly , and more essentially interessed in the Legislative power then themselves ; and accordingly by assisting his Majesty should have restrain'd them ) into what an Ilias of evils we have ever since been plung'd , and how sharply we have smarted for this their usurpation and intrusion .

And because what is said of that Person that travailed between Jerusalem and Jericho , is too true of this Nation , which , to speak plainly , is fallen into the hands of Thieves , that have rob'd , and spoild it , and by so often wounding it , have now left it half dead , therefore how e're others of known abilities , do account it good sleeping in a whole skin ( passing by , like the Priest and the Levite branded in that Parable ) and will take no cognizance of our lamentable case ; least they should be ingag'd in , and either indamag'd or endanger'd by undertaking the cure ; yet by Gods grace I am resolv'd ( with the good Samaritan ) to poure in both Wine and Oyle ; that first by throughly searching the deep , if not deadly wounds of this Body politick with my Wine ; and then gently suppleing it with my Oyle ; I may do my utmost endeavour to heal and recover it .

And here , affecting brevity , I will pass by all such infirmities as a quick sight might have discern'd in the first ten years of the late Kings reign ; and I will take my rise no farther then an ordinary Politician might have easily observ'd , viz. That the Kings of France , Spain , and the States of the Low Countries , growing at that time dayly more and more potent by Sea and Land ; and some of them not onely threatning invasion , but also year after year , and almost dayly committing upon the Narrow Seas , such out-rages and insolencies as could not well be any longer endur'd : His Majesty ( not only to support his own just greatness , and the Honour of the Nation , but also both to secure his Subjects at home , and to give check to the neighbouring Princes abroad ; ( all which without far greater supplies then the ancient revenue of the Crown , could not possibly then be done to any purpose ) rais'd Ship-mony ; yet not untill such time as divers of the Judges had freely deliver'd their Opinions , that in such Articles of necessity he might lawfully do it . Now grant that the King had therein extended his Praerogative a little too far ( though when the case was argu'd , the Judges were divided about it , and one half of them stoutly & stifly maintain'd it to be Law ) yet in regard first he was in some sort then necessitated to do what he did , for the weighty reasons praealleadged ; Next in regard it was all the taxe which was then yearly paid : To both which let me add , that in regard it was but a flea-bite to each particular man , in comparison of those insupportable pressures , under which we have laien groaning and gasping ever since ; all sober and unbyassed men must , and will confesse , that it had been a great deal better for us to have patiently endur'd that single inconvenience , then so many mischiefs as have since befallen us ; and that had the Ship-mony been illegall , yet the Remedy hath been far worse then the Disease .

The ship-mony was no sooner assessed , but straight start up a discontented partie , which ( having learn'd out of Machiavil , that it is best fishing in troubled waters ) greedily laid hold upon that obliquitie , to render his Majestie odious : for they not onely denied the payment , but fell downe right into seditious and tumultuous courses : for the effectuall composing whereof his Majestie thought that the speedy calling of a Parliament would be the most likely expedient ; and accordingly of his accustomed grace and clemencie , he issu'd out his writs to convene such a great Council as by their Wisdome and Moderation might wholly salve up what was past , and secure us from all Innovations for the future . But the Tribunes of the People by ill Arts had so imbitter'd and exasperated the severall Counties and Corporations , that instead of grave , able , and worthy Patriots , few or no Knights and Burgesses were chosen but of the old puritan Faction , whom this Church and State , ever since the Reformation , have found to be inveterate and irreconciliable Enemies to Peace and Truth ; Both which though they seem'd to cry up in the Beginning of the late Troubles ; yet it appeareth at this day that they will not lay down their Arms , that they may have Peace ; nor yet leave their lying , that they may have Truth . These tender Conscienc'd Men ( so they call'd themselves ) had then an Opportunity put into their hands to actuate , what in Corners they had so many Ages together aforehand design'd ; viz. not onely the regular Alteration , but utter Abolition and Extirpation of the so truly ancient and every way excellent Government both of Church and State ; though the poor People that chose them , and many of them in the Simplicity of their Souls , neither did , nor indeed could give them any such unlimited , and extravagant Power , as that Conventicle ( being flesht with improbable Successes ) did afterwards by degrees assume to Themselves ; And I call it a Conventicle in the same Sence that the Trent-Council was so call'd , and because there was packing in Both much alike before the prevailing Faction in either could accomplish their Designs . The Members being met , after an hearty Thanksgiving among Themselves , that their Party was so numerous ; and an hypocriticall Humiliation for the Evils they intended ; they fell close to work ; and the better to carry on their Designs , they publisht a Remonstrance to the Kingdom , in which ( with accursed Cham ) they laid open their Civil Fathers nakednesse ( such as it was ) and to render Him not onely odious , but ridiculous , they affix'd some personall faults upon Him , which He was in no wise guilty of . And his over-sights ( if He had any ) they did aggravate and embroider with such malicious Rhetorick , that they did thereby gull the well-meaning People into a kind of Credulity , or at least Anxiety ; and so by little and little they did estrange and alienate their former good Opinions , and dutifull Affections from their lawfull and gratious SOVERAIGN : a Practise treasonable in it self , and so confest to be in any others ; yet , they not onely conniv'd at it in themselves , and absolv'd themselves for it ; but justified it as a Vertue both needfull and commendable ; which it is confest by their new Legislative Power they might both as colourably and warrantably do , as 〈◇〉 Lord 〈◇〉 in the House of Peers did professedly maintain that we may do Evil that good may come thereof ; and they had no other ground but his bare word ( and that expresly contrary to Gods Word ) whereon they built the whole Fabrick of their Utopian Reformation : of which we can yet see no other Fruits but the Prophanation of Churches , yea , even of Saint Pauls the renowned Mother-Church of this City and Nation , which is not onely turn'd into a Den of Thieves , but a Stable for Horses ; which seem to have as much Religion and Christianity , as some of the Menbeasts that ride them : and more horrid Oppressions by High Courts of Justice , and other arbitrary Impositions , then ever were done by colour of Authority in the Reign of all the Kings since the Conquest . These and worse are the visible Fruits of their pretended Reformation , as you shall see ere I have done . The Foundation whereof being laid in such rotten Principles , the Structure ( though like the City-Pageants , it was somewhat specious at first , as being richly gilded , and fairly painted ) was not likely to prove much better ; yet they carryed on that which they call'd the Cause ( for they were asham'd to call the Rebellion by its proper Name ) vigorously , and brought it by Degrees to that goodly Babel , and confused Chaos that now it is : For first they contriv'd a Protestation , which ( like a Viper ) had its teeth so buryed in its gums , that it seem'd at first blush an harmless beast , though the bite thereof was deadly : for though the Protestation had divers plausible Pretences interwoven in it , and was made , as they said ( like our ordinary Almanacks ) onely for the Meridian of the House ; yet as soon as the Members had taken it , it was impos'd upon the People ; and the chief ends of it were ; first , to cement the Factions fast each to other : Secondly , like a Shibboleth to distinguish an Ephramite from an Israelite . Thirdly , to fortifie themselves against the King and all his Adherents ; And fourthly , to bear them out against the Reach and Lash of all penall Laws , to which they might possibly become obnoxious in their future arbitrary Proceedings . And having thus prepar'd the Way , they fell to purging the House of all such as they call'd and counted ill-affected , and Malignants ; that is , in plain English , they expell'd all such conscientious Persons , as either out of the Fear of GOD , or Fidelity to His Anointed , would not concur in their dangerous Votes , and detestable Resolutions : and they purg'd it so often , and made their Potions so strong and fulsome , that ere long they had not left any considerable Number of honest and upright Men among them . And the Purgative Physick having wrought as well as they could wish , the next thing they Voted was the securing of some of his Majesties ablest , and faithfullest Counsellors ( as my Lord of Canterbury , and the Earl of Strafford , and others ) whom they afterwards ( as my Lord Digbie truly phras'd it ) murther'd with the Sword of Justice : for my Lord of Strafford lost his Head onely for high Misdemeanors , as they call'd them ; and the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury suffer'd Martyrdome , onely to gratify the People of the Citie ; which either out of Malice or Ignorance had petition'd that he should suffer for their Sins ( it seems ) for he was charg'd with none that were mortall ; and the Diarie of his Life which they publish't to detract from his good Name , and Fame , shall keep both upon Record to sweeten his Memoriall to all succeeding Generations . And when the Members had thus shaken , if not shatter'd these two pillars , they caus'd others of His Majesties Friends in Order to Self-preservation to withdraw and conceale themselves seing that by their Stay , though they might have hazarded themselves , yet they could not have help'd Him who must no longer ( forsooth ) be trusted with the Militia ( one of the fastest and fairest Flowers of the Crown , and without which a monarch is a king and no King ) but it must be put into suchhands as they could confide in : and that being taken away , A Vote or two stript Him of all Power , in a trice , both by Sea , and Land . All his Forts and Ports , Castles , Magazines and Ships , were not onely seiz'd by them ; but both man'd , and kept , and turn'd , and fortified against Him . And about that Time Sir Richard Gournie Lord Mayor of London . ( a Man of so singular Integrity , that the whole City for the time stood upright in him ) was committed to the Tower ; and Isaack Penington substituted ; whose Name more properly should have been Iulian ; For the Church of England never had so damn'd an Apostate , and firy a Persecutor of her faithfull Sons , the loyall Clergy , as this Penington ; during the time of whose Mayoralty most of the Orthodox Ministers were sequestred , and many of them clapt a Shipboard , and thrust into prisons , that their churches might be fill'd with such schismaticks and Sectaries , as would cry down the King and the Church , and bawl up the Cause ; Mr. Till at Saint Olives in Southwark , 1642. and some of them came to such an heighth of Blasphemy , that they blusht not to preach to their amaz'd congregations , that this Parliament had done more good for us by their Reformation , then CHRIST had done by his passion . And as it is observ'd in the body naturall ; that a raw stomack makes a rheumatick head , and a rheumatick head makes a raw stomack : So it proves no less true in the body politick , that a factious Church-man makes a seditious Common-wealths-man ; and a seditious Common-wealths-man makes a factious Church-man : For the new Lay-Levites shewing the way , soon after , some of the members fell from whispering , to speak open Treason in the House : And when his Majesty in his own Person , attended with some few of his Meniall servants , required those five might be delivered up to a legall Triall , the House , ( by the help of the City ) not only protected the Traytors ; but also Voted the Kings demand of them to be a high breach of the priviledge of Parliament : and I believe , the Pope will as soon give us in a certain List of Apostolicall Traditions , as the Parliament will do of their priviledges ; all which it is not held safe , for either Prince or People to know : These are Arcana imperii , and will help both Pope and Parliament out in all Exigences , and upon all Emergences whatsoever . The King being thus stript out of all power , and cheated out of the good affection of his liegepeople ; it was then but ask and have : The Kings Negative Voyce was voted down , and he now neither may , nor must deny the Members any thing . Then they Petition'd for a Triennial Parliament , and it was granted ; yet that did not satisfie ; for the truth is , they made use of the Trienniall , as a stalking horse to a perpetuall Parliament ; for which they had the confidence , or rather the impudence , to petition too , though they knew that the King could not justly grant it , ( as tending to the inevitable destruction of himself , and the people committed to his Trust ; ) yet they resolv'd , though the King could not grant it , yet he should not deny it : For while this hung in suspence , the Members tamper'd with Venne , Manwaring , and other Zelots ( Citizens of desperate Opinions , and despicable fortunes ) to sally with their Mirmydons down to White-hall in great numbers , & greater disorder ; whereas many Sea-men of the same strain were hyr'd under-hand to meet them by water ; that so , what with their huge numbers , and their hideous noyse , they might at last intimidate the Court ; and having thus first extorted from the King his consent to an Act for a perpetuall Parliament , they might soon after induce , if not inforce him , by withdrawing himself from the imminent danger of a popular fury , to provide , as well as possibly he could in such straits , for his present and future preservation . The King being thus forc'd to absent himself , the Members laid about them lustily ; passing Vote after Vote , and Order upon Order ; though I cannot stand to recount ( neither is it much materiall if I could to say ) either by what Artifice , or in what Order they passed them .

But to be short and plain ; A new broad Seale was made ; and by vertue thereof Commissions were issued forth to raise Forces by Sea and Land against the King , and his evill Counsellors ( as they stil'd all that in the integrity of their hearts did adhere unto him : ) Open War was proclaim'd , & the Zelots brought in to make that Calfe : Their plate , jewels , ear-rings , thimbles , and bodkins , which were first melted and then coin'd with the Parliaments stamp : Fears and Jealousies were created , and fomented : new dangerous plots were daily discovered by the authors and contrivers of them : All known or suspected Loyallists were banisht out of the line of communication : The companies of the City took their turns to march down to Westminster daily to guard the House ; and the Citie for the time seem'd to all sober men but a great Bedlam , in which , like so many mad men , they ratled with their chains , and hollowed , yea , and laughed , when in truth they did but help to hasten and lengthen their own misery . The Scots were call'd in to lend their brotherly assistance , and to this end a solemn League and Covenant was equivocally pen'd , and taken ; and impos'd as a snare , to entrap all conscientious Subjects : A Directory was publish't for Uniformity in Doctrine and Worship , which had neither the Lords Prayer , nor any of the three Creeds , nor the Decalogue in it : A Synod , or Assembly of Divines was chosen to do their jobs of Journeywork : The Bishops were first clapt in the Tower , and then voted downe root and branch , and so was the house of the Lords Temporall afterwards : A disgraceful Hue and Cry was sent after his Maiestie , and his Royal Consort , and his no lesse innocent , then illustrious Progeny were all stigmatiz'd : All that engag'd with , or but seem'd to favour Him , and his righteous Cause , were voted Delinquents , and Malignants : The Church of England ( without any triall at all ) was cast , and condemn'd : The observation of Holydayes , yea of all the Feastivals kept in commemoration of Christ himself , was swep't away with an Ordinance : The Orthodox Clergy were sequestred : Sacriledge was justified to be no sin ; and then the lands both of K. and Church were all sold : The Presbytery was set up for three years : Weekly Fasts and Humiliations then were continued from morning to night , which they us'd onely ( as the Fryar spread his net ) till they had caught the fish : Not onely Popish , but Jesuitical positions were preach'd , press'd , and practised : as killing , yea , King-killing is no murther : Curse ye Meroz , then rung aloud in every Pulpit . Tryers appointed to keep all right men out of the Church ; and Committees authorized in all Cities and Counties , as an Inquisition to exercise the faith and patience of the Cavalliers . Great was the number of the Preachers ; for a lying spirit made both some Lords , and their Coach-men ; some Mechanicks , and their Apprentices ; yea , some Mistresses and their Maid-maukins , all gifted in that kind ; which were not able to discern and distinguish between faith and faction ; reformation , and rebellion ; conscience , and conspiracy ; holiness and hypocrsie ; yea , Jesuits disguis'd like several sorts of Handicrafts men in corners and Conventicles were encouraged to sow the seeds of Sedition and Rebellion , whilest the poor people were seduc'd to follow them , & to cry them up for gifted men , and so induc'd to believe that there is no such need of preaching Ministers , since God in these reforming times has pour'd out his Spirit upon all flesh . And all men are taught of God both to pray and prophesie , if they would but stir up the grace that is in them , as these did who seem'd to have no other calling or enabling then they themselves had . The schisme was dilated ; Conventicles countenanc'd ; The Scriptures maim'd and mangled , whilest they made use of the word of Christ , to betray the cause of Christ ; divers Battails fought with various succes . Some Treaties pretended by the House , but no accomodation ever intended ; For he that draws his sword against his Prince , must cast away the scabbard , &c. In fine , his Majesties forces were totally routed at Nazeby , and he being in a very great strait , put himself into the hands of his native Countrey-men , the Scots ; who treacherously sold him to the goodly Members sitting at Westminster , who after they had cag'd him a while , and hurried him from post to pillar ( as we say ) I mean from one prison and Jaylor to another ; and finding that they held him like a Wolf by the ears ; whether they held him , or let him go , they were still in danger ; as not being able to satisfie and secure their own Guilt ; they at last set up a mock-Court of Justice , in which they formally arraign'd and condemn'd him ; and then most inhumanely murder'd him before the Gates of his own Palace , and usuall place of residence . Hic Finis CAROLI Fatorum , &c. — And here observe by the way , that though the Presbyterians , Independents , Anabaptists , and all other schismatiques and sectaries , may well be called LEGION , for they are many ; yet though they be never so many , and never so far differing , and disagreeing each from other , in their heads ; yet like Samsons Foxes , they are tyed together by the tayls : and like Simeon and Levi , they agreed like brethren in actuating this , which was as capitall a crime , and as horrid an iniquity , as ever the Sun beheld . And ( which I may not pretermit in silence ) when the Zelots first took up Arms , they pretended that they did it not against the KING , but his evill Counsellors : But God ( who is the Tryer and Searcher of the Heart and the Reins ) knew full well , that it was the Kings Person , & Office that they rebel'd against ; and therefore his Providence protected Him in the day of Battail , and put Him safe and sound into their hands : that all the World might see by their actuall murthering Him at last , that they had intentionally murther'd Him from the first rise of the Rebellion : Thus what they did with the full sway and swinge of their Wills , did even against their Wills conduce towards their making good in His Exit , what they had often promis'd in the Entrance of their damnable Undertakings ; viz. That they would make Him a Glorious King , meaning a King in GLORIE . To which let me add , that had the Sectaries been then subdued , they would then have ever hanckered after Rebellion , and cryed what glorious things they would have done , had they prospered in their pretended Reformation . And therefore Divine Providence so ordered the Businesse , that the worse Cause for the time got the better , to stop their Mouths , and let them see that their so head-strong and brain-sicke Undertakings ( though seemingly prosperous for a time ) tended only to , and ended only in their own Confusion .

The King being thus translated , and all His Royal Progeny being banish'd for the present , and by an Act of this perpetuall Parliament , for ever disabled from swaying the three Scepters of their Birthright ; and the Kingdoms themselves being strangely metamorphos'd into a Common-wealth , as some are pleas'd to call it ( The The name of the beast , 666. pUbLIke WeaLth of engLanD ) though all the naturall Subjects , and free-born Inhabitants , finde it in Truth to be a Common , or Publique Woe ; for all things are now so farre out of course , that we can neither well indure the Disease nor the Remedie ; and so it seems to fare with us at this day , as once it did with GODS own people , of whom it is said , That when there was no King in Israel , every one did that which seemed right in his owne Eyes ; and consequently , few , or none did that then which was right in GODS eyes . And this being just our Case in this Interregnum ; The Factions that were so combin'd in prosecuting , and persecuting of the King , began to fall asunder in dividing the Spoil , and each set up for it selfe .

The Presbyterians , as they had the largest share in the Plunder at first ( and so were best able to purchase the Lands lately belonging to the King and the Church ) so had they then the greatest power ; for the Generall , and the Admirall , Essex and Warwicke were both theirs . But after Essex his death ( whether it were naturall , as some say he dyed of a Surfet , he being a noted Epicure that serv'd no other God , but his own belly ; or as others say , it was violent , and that he was poyson'd ; which if true , was the just Reward of his Rebellion ) the morally Jacobite Independents out-witted their Brethren , and their Elders too , I mean the Esauite Presbyterians , and got for a time both the Birthright , and the Blessing of the Civill Power , and conduct of the Armie into their hands , till e're long the Lieutenant General O. Cromwell ( a man fast to no Religion , but Interest ) by his Absalom-like Insinuation with the Commanders , and by his preaching , praying , and other Gifts in canting , had so gain'd the generall good Opinion of the Common Souldiers , that he was on the sodain proclaim'd Protector : And though all men look'd upon him as a meer Usurper , and Intruder ; Yet he did so shuffle and pack the Cards ( sometimes making Friends , otherwhiles preventing Enemies ) that what between Love and Feare , Rewards and Punishments , he held rast what he had so unjustly seiz'd on , so long as he lived ; And if any wonder how he first got , and then held the Imperiall Dignity ? Let me tell them , that this brave Oliver , besides that he was a Gentleman born , and so had liberall Education at Home in Peace , and abroad in the Wars ; he was also a man of excellent naturall Parts , and so thorough a Politician , that he check'd at nothing which was ill : He paved his way to Preferment , through Blood , Perjury , &c. And having got the Power , he laid aside the golden Scepter , as an insignificant bauble for legimate Princes to play with , and please themselves ; and rul'd this ( which he observ'd to be a stirring , and a headstrong people ) with a Rod of Iron : If , with Alexander the Great , he met with such a Gordian knot , as he could not well untie , he strait cut it in two with his sword : And when the pummel was too blunt , then ( with Charles the fifth ) he turn'd the Point , which he kept sharp , and speedy in the Execution of Justice , be it right or wrong , as we say : And though our former Princes look'd upon Parliaments with some dread ; and both King and people have of late smarted under them : Yet this Oliver call'd , and broke them up when he pleas'd . He plaid with Parliaments , as Ladies do with Serpents without stings , and made their power fruitless , their Malice toothlesse . Briefly , he made Spain , France , and Holland , for the Time like the Sect we call Quakers , and to stand in fear of Him , whom they did not , could not love .

Richard the eldest son of Oliver was ( as Thurloe said ) design'd to succeed his Father in the Protectorship ; and accordingly declar'd by the then Council of State : and his second son Henry continued a while his Vicegerency in Ireland ; but the Members of the perpetual Parliament ( having an aking tooth against Oliver , for expelling them the House , and taking them from the Receipt of Custome ( which was indeed but a customary Deceit , feeding themselves fat by starving of us , and filling their own purses by emptying , and exhausting ours ) observing the said Richard & Henry , for want either of Reason or Resolution , to be altogether unfit to rule ; and taking advantage of their manifold wants and weaknesses , I say , the said Members then ( being countenanced by some of the chief Officers of the Army ) re-entred the House , as their ancient Inheritance and Free-hold : and between Hopes and Feares prevailed with those two Novices , to quit their places and power , without any Bustle , or visible Reluctation ; And the two tame Creatures being gone , the beasts of Prey ( which had been so long kept fasting ) grew the more keen and ravenous , swallowing all they could seize upon , by deglution : But the poor Members were much deceived in looking for an abiding Citie here , and to sit down & rest ; for e're they were wel warm'd in their Seats Lieut. Gen. Lambert ( a Prince of Oliver's Faith , who had learn't of his great Lord and Master , to keep no Oaths , or Engagements , Covenants , Vowes , or Promises , but what he wanted either Opportunity , or Power to break ) routed them again , and put them on the sodain to seek out new Habitations . And the nine dayes wonder was hardly over , ere Lambert and his Confederates found that their Head-pieces were sounder and better then their Heads ; and that they had made a great deal more haste , then good speed : for upon mature deliberation , they could not but be sensible , that the common Souldiers were then ready to mutiny for want of pay ; and that the Officers , had neither ready monies to stop their mouths ; nor any possible way whereby to raise them . Besides the Day of our Redemption drawing near ; and the people being wearied , if not worried , by such choppings and changings , as they had observ'd in Church , and State , ( which had run through all Forms of Government , without any present satisfaction , or hopes of future settlement ) and that after so prodigal an effusion of Time , Treasure , and Bloud , they had done in effect nothing all this while , but undone themselves : then as ( if GOD had put a new Spirit into the old Britains , which had opened their eyes ) it seemes that all Counties , and Corporations , and this City above the rest , had , underhand promis'd to rise as one man ; and to stand for a free Parliament , ( which they knew could not legally be called without the King ) as the onely visible meanes to redeem us , and our Posterity , from the House of Bondage ; in which we have been constrain'd so many years to make the full tale of Bricks , though our hard-hearted Taskmasters would not allow us the usual proportion of straw . But however this Animosity , and undertaking was concluded on to be universall throughout the Kingdom ; yet the rest being prevented , and for the time disappointed , Sir George Booth and his party in Cheshire , were the first , if not the onely men , ( beside Sir Thomas Middleton , with some few of the Welsh ) that took the Field in a considerable Body : The Report whereof had no sooner alarm'd these Southern parts , but a Council of Warre was call'd ; and Lambert was appointed to march North-west , to quell the Rebels ( as they called them ) yet he did not set forward till such time as the Anabaptists , and ( their spawn ) the Quakers , and all other Sectaries were put into Arms here ; as the onely godly party , in which , both the Army , and Ireton ( then Lord Mayor ) and Titchborn , with some other prime Citizens of the Faction , could then confide . And Generall Fleetwood undertaking to keep all quiet here , his Lieutenant General ( with such Forces as could well be spared ) did advance towards Cheshire : whose expectation being foil'd by the not timely rising of the Associated Counties ; the Cheshire-men were dispers'd without any great dispute ; and Lambert , without a blow , had soon return'd victorious ; but that foul-weather out of the North compell'd him to make an halt , and to put on new resolutions : for that Generall Monk had taken the Field , and was marching Southward ; though whether as a voluntary , or as invited by the Presbyterians hither ; it is not yet discovered . While Lambert was absent , he dispatcht severall Missives to Fleetwood , as so many Cautions , to keep the Members from re-admission into the House ; which though he Religiously observ'd , as far as he was able , yet Hazlerigge , Morley , and the rest of the Rump , ( for so they were abusively then call'd between the scorn and hatred of the common people ) outwitting and overpowering the phlegmatique Generall , did by such power as they brought with them from Portsmouth , force their re-entry into the House ; and did , Spider-like , eviserate and spin out themselves , and their time , that so they might not want new Cobwebs ( such as the Oath of Abjuration , and the Assessment of an hundred thousand pounds a Moneth , and such like trifles ) wherein to entangle and engage us . As the House sate , hatching these Cocatrice Eggs , they cast Lambert such a bone to pick , as beat out all his teeth , and left him no more power , then ordinarily the prince of this world gives to the children of disobedience , whom he strips and whips at last , as the Guerdon of their former service : and Lamberts forces being dispers'd by an Order of the House , Generall Monk marched on hitherwards without the least opposition ; and which is more , all the Counties which lay in , or neer the way , as he march'd , did unanimously petition him ( as if he had been some petty Prince , and Saviour of the people , as we hope he will prove , ere he hath done ) for a free Parliament ; promising withall , that in order thereunto , they would stand to him with their lives and fortunes ; but both his carriage and expressions , were then so reserv'd and doubtfull , that the Petitioners were dismissed with little satisfaction , save that the man is eminently civil . Among which Petitioners , there were divers honest men , both of the Aldermen , Common Council , and young men of the City ; who ( for shewing their good affections to such a free Parliament ) were secur'd in the Tower , and other prisons : for though the Members used to give thanks to such as presented them with Petitions , fram'd in the House , and subscrib'd both in City and Countrey , according to their direction ( which decoy was grown stale , and almost out of fashion ) yet now , when they saw all parts petition for a free Parliament , ( which they resented as destructive to their new model'd Common-wealth ) they grew more impatient , and insolent , then ordinary ; especially when upon Generall Monks first approach , they observ'd his fair compliance , and forward observance of the Councill of States extravagant Order ; To break down the City gates , and to pull up their posts , and chains , a violence so unexpected , that it did not onely startle the honest Common-Council for the present ; but it so extreamly disgusted the Citizens in generall , that though soon after he laboured to salve up the matter by some healing plaisters ; yet they did not forget , that he had not onely broke their heads , but had with some dishonour made them , for the time , to pull in their Horns ; with which they had ( like so many mad Oxen ) gored the King and his party during the continuance of the War ; which as it took its first rise thence , so God grant it may not end there , as the just punishment of their factious forwardnesse .

To sweeten them again , he scatter'd a few sugar-plums among them , promising that they should have a Free Parliament : and thereupon the giddyheaded multitude straight made great acclamations , some of them openly in the streets , crying God blesse King CHARLES , God send us a King again ; and others drank healths to the King and to the General , as they were then well warm'd with strong drink , as well as with the flame of the Bonfires : And you will easily believe , that all the Bels in London rung for joy ; though the more grave and sober sort saw not then any great reason why : Yea to this day , the Rump is so far from being routed , that they are rather recruited : and so onely inabled to do more mischief , unlesse many of the secluded Members ( which are lately introduced ) are become Real Converts ( as it is not without some good grounds generally hop'd ) though for the present , the Qualifications which they prescribe to all Counties and Corporations to be duly observ'd in the Election of the new Knights and Burgesses , give the whole Kingdome just cause to suspect , that the intent and meaning of the House , is to have no free choise at all , because they will not allow any to be chosen as Members of the next , but onely such as have signally testified their good affections to this : and ( if I may deliver my mind without offence ) I cannot see ( as things now stand ) how they can legally issue out Writs to call a new Parl . without the Kings consent ; Or grant they could , why the Members now assembled , should not have altogether as much power and will to redeem their poor bleeding Countrey which they have thus imbroil'd , as the next can have , supposing it to be as good as possibly can be chosen .

Thus with the good Samaritans wine , I have search'd the yet festering sores of the Body-Politicke ; I have lanc'd them to the quick , and not only let out the impostumated matter , but taken away the proud , and dead flesh ; for God knows that it is the humble , and earnest desire of my heart and soul rather soundly to heale our wounds , then onely superficially to skin them over ; lest if they break out again , the parts that are ill-affected , should gangrene , and so the whole body perish . Now I come with the Samaritan to pour in my Oyl , and to apply an healing Balsam ; to which do you joyn with me in prayer , that God would be pleas'd to give his blessing .

The most authentique Physitians say , that the exact knowledge of any Disease , is the first step to the Cure : and that the next is a velliety in the Patient to be made whole : The former ( by Gods assistance ) we have attain'd unto by that discovery , which hath hitherto been made ; and that the latter is no lesse necessary , may be gather'd from that unexpected question , which our blessed Lord himself started to the man that had layn so many years cripled at the Pool of Bethesda ; Wilt thou be made whole ? which had been supervacaneous , but that some will not ; as the Prophet Jeremy speaks of Babylon ; We would have cured Babylon , but she would not be healed . And Christ bemoans Jerusalem , saying , How often would I have gathered thee , even as an hen gathers her chickens under her wings ? But thou wouldst not .

Thus at this day we see some of our ordinary beggars go about with scal'd heads , and running sores upon them ; who might be cured in our Hospitals , and cost them nothing ; yet they will not ; partly , that they may have the more plausible cause to beg , and partly that they may beget more compassion in the spectators ; but principally , that these visible griefs may be a supersedeas against the Statute , that provides such Vagrants should be set in the stocks , or sent to the House of Correction : And the truth is , that there be divers members at this day , both of Church , and State , that will by no meanes endure to hear of any healing Balsam , or so much as the least overture of an Accomodation ; because they are afraid , that if the times should turn , and the Law ( which is the rule of Right ) should take place ; they should then not only lose the sweet liberty , or rather licenciousnesse , to say , and do what they list , but also be constrained to refund by Restitution , and vomit up e're long all such goods , or lands , as they have ( against law and conscience ) already swallowed .