A LETTER from an English Merchant, who left Holland, and came to take a Prospect of our future Settlement, to his Friend in Rotterdam, which being Intercepted, is thought fit to be Published.  
SIR,  
YOU very well know, that the strongest temptations which returned me to my Native Country, were the hopes of seeing it entirely happy, the Land of Canaan, the Land of Promise. When the P. of O. Declared the design of his Expedition was to obstruct the Evil Courses of his Father-in-Law, I could never imagine he would have fallen in with the same Measures, and as bad Ministers himself. I expected a Theocracy, a Government levelled to the Common Good, an utter Extirpation of Arbitrary Power, and an Extensive Liberty of Conscience, a Consistency of one thing with another, and as much of Plato's Idea as could be reduced to Practice. Little did I dream that the P. of O. could be infected with Monarchy and that he who had been bred up in a Commonwealth, could so soon aspire to Tyranny. I did not believe that Monsieur Benting was to give Closet-Law to England, and that no Man should get into Preferment, however worthy he is of it, unless he has first settled his Accounts with my Lord Portland: But since this is the way▪ I don't doubt but we shall have more Shales every year to betray the King and our Country; and I begin to fear this man will grow as fast a Grievance as the Old Duke of Buckingham was to this Nation in the days of King Charles the First. I could not guests that D●●by, Nottingham, Godolphin, and such like, were to manage all our Affairs, no more than I could suppose that Lieutenant-General Ludlow would have been Hunted down, for having once so greatly vindicated our Rights. Here, indeed, I am astonished, that Major Wildman, Major Manly, etc. (who were Outlaws) were fit to sit with them in the Parliament-House, and at the same time Ludlow fit to be Hanged. If Kings are punishable for Maladministration, that punishment is most Wise and most Honest, that makes things most safe: And it is an Act to be repent of, that we did not make ourselves as secure at Rochester this time Twelvemonth as we did formerly. If a King is Impunible, we ought all to have subscribed to Passive Obedience, but if he can be a Traitor to the Commonwealth, he should die as such, and his Judges never upbraided for it; but when such are employed as were the avowed Fautors of unlimited Power, it is a compliment to the Ministry to Stigmatize, and cry out upon Republicans. But I am not only disappointed in our Prince, for no man could have persuaded me that my Lord Do—, and Del—, would have sold Places▪ or could have been guilty of Bribery, much less should I have feared that Hampd—, and the leading Men of the House of Commons, should have sold their Fellow-subjects for the greatest Advancement at Court. And least of all did I apprehend that the Members would be so openly Pentionary, and run as errantly into the Distinction o● Court, and Country Party, as they did in that long Parliament of King Charles the Second: But we have now fresh reason to remember who was the greatest Minister then. Thus far for Civils, but Religion is managed yet more oddly: The King has sworn positively to maintain two Religions, has changed his own, and for the sake of Episcopacy, has Exercised a Dispensing Power, and turned out the Whig Faction in Scotland. The Sacramental Test, is kept on foot to keep those out of Office who are fittest to be in it; and a new Creed is made for the Quakers, that neither they, nor any body else understand. And to conclude, with what is yet most miserable, we are crowded with Foreigners, to support and maintain this certain Vassalage, and uncertain Religion. Torys must Govern the Corporations, and Mercenaries the Kingdoms, which I shall from henceforward give up for irretrieveably lost, unless I see some Brave Patriot, have the Courage and Honesty to Impeach Benting, etc. that source of all our Miseries, who is not only ill himself, gets all ill men into Preferment for what they can give him, but has the King too under an Incantation. I am sick in Body, and perplexed in Mind, and am making what haste I can to you; in the mean time, I give you all assurance that I am, without reserve,  
SIR 〈…〉