A letter from Maj. General Massey to an honourable person in London This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A50082 of text R155 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing M1037). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 5 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A50082 Wing M1037 ESTC R155 12767332 ocm 12767332 93608 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A50082) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 93608) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 698:18) A letter from Maj. General Massey to an honourable person in London Massey, Edward, Sir, 1619?-1674? Massey, William, 17th cent. [1], 5 p. Printed for Thomas Bateman, London : 1659. Signed: William Massey, Febr. 25. Presumably fictitious; but the general referred to is clearly Sir Edward Massey--cf. NUC pre-1956, v. 368, p. 321. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. eng Great Britain -- History -- Commonwealth and Protectorate, 1649-1660. A50082 R155 (Wing M1037). civilwar no A letter from Maj. General Massey to an honourable person in London. [no entry] 1659 901 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 A This text has no known defects that were recorded as gap elements at the time of transcription. 2003-11 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-12 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-01 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2004-01 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A LETTER FROM Maj. General Massey TO AN HONOURABLE PERSON IN LONDON . LONDON : Printed for Thomas Bateman , 1659. A LETTER from Major General Massey to an Honourable Person in London . Noble Sir ! I Will dispense a while with my tedious Privacy and Retirement , which the Violence and Injustice of a Juncto and their Myrmidon Oliver enforced me to , and breath a little free English Aire in the Contents of this Paper : Withall to give you to understand , that I do yet , by Gods goodness , survive the implacable malice of mine Enemies , and have a life devoted , and to sacrifice to my Countries Happiness and Honour . And this not out of Ostentation , or any Presumption of my Interest , ( for I could wish there was no such factious English word ) which is no more than the bounden Dutie of every good Subject , in promoting by all lawfull means and endeavours , the Peace and Prosperity of the Kingdom : but that these difficult times do require a Review and Copie of the former and past Transactions of the State ; wherein no man will deny I have had in both Fortunes my extraordinary share . Sir , I need not make this Defence to you for this trouble ( for you have been wened to greater ) the Universall Crie of the Nation is yet resounding in your ears , and you have still but the Rudiments , the Introduction to their future Importunities ; the People being so wary and weary of all Counsels tending to the prolongation of their Distractions , that they will make unjust Judges by their reiterated and urged Demands willing to comply . And while I think on that generall Desire of the three Kingdoms , I cannot restrain my self , but bring what I can to its conducement , and shall therefore liberally decypher to you my thoughts , and discover my self in this Pourtraicture of my mind . Towards the expiration of my Command and Government of the City of Glocester , ( a place famed for its Fidelity to the Parliament ) I found their animosity against the Kings Partie so slaked , before the War was near extinct , that I could not but examine my self ; in which scrutiny I saw the raked sparks of Loyaltie necessarily flying upward , and surmounting the clouds of malecontent and envious exhalation . Afterwards in my Publick Trust ( as being a Member of this now-sitting Parliament ) I perceived such a relenting , such compassionate considerations , of that hitherto unaccountable expence of blood , such moderate and equal ways to a Settlement , that it was most plainly apparent , as Vox Populi is Vox Dei , that without the establishment of our ancient Government , there could be neither Peace nor Order . And now since to this time , we have seen such a deluge of confusion , one oppression ushering in another , one Power crushing and crushed by the other , all of us made Brethren by Calamity , as by another first Nature : What else can be added to our misery , but that we are resolved and content to be miserable ? And this being the true state of our case , being alarum'd on all sides from abroad , awakened from our brain-sick Dreams at home , having nothing to fear within us , no danger if we be honest from without , why do we boggle at our Peace ; What 's the remora to our Safety ? a few inconsiderable Anabaptists must have the Reputation here which they had not at Munster , to be able to obstruct our happiness . Certainly never any Souldier dreaded them , for they will make as Schismatical Armies as Congregations , and be as many divisions as Conventicles . Why then do we not proceed directly to a Settlement ? I take that for no politick Maxime , The farthest way about the nearest way home , for what Lynceus eyes can spie any danger obviating such a course ? What need have we of the Fabian Cunctation ? What potent Enemy is at door , except you reckon my Lord Lambert ? Believe me , all delayes are dangerous , and our wounds rankle , and what folly is it when we may be cured gratis , afterwards to pay the Chyrurgeon his own Demands ? We are lost in a Wood , let 's make all speed to get out ; we are non-plust and baffled at our own Argument , 't will be no disingenuous fallacy [ Petitio Principii ] and beg the Question ; which an honest Subject , though a bad Scholar , may English [ Petition the Prince . ] I have made this Essay , no way doubting but that it is the onely Consult of the Parliament , and their sole Business of Concernment : To which purpose I am not so remote , but if the leaft shadow of disturbance should appeare , I am ready at all points to do my Devoir . Sir , I kiss your Hands , and remain , Your most faithfull Servant , WILLIAM MASSEY . Febr. 25. FINIS .