A PARLIAMENTER'S PETITION TO THE ARMY The present Supreme Authority OF ENGLAND,  
High and Mighty Masters,  
IT hath been in every body's mouth, The Parliament were your drudges that you were twice or thrice about to discard them since they sat last: No doubt, they spoke it most of them as they would have it. Well, you have broken this Parliament, yea, you have broken yourselves and us too, ye have turned all topsie turvie. 'Tis true of you, These are they that have turned the world upside down: you have made England, Scotland, Ireland, a Chaos, without-form and void, and I doubt your Omnipotency will never speak the word for such a creation, as any honest man shall say when he hath looked upon it, that it is very good You may pardon me since you have put all out of Order, if you have disordered my thoughts, so that I observe no method, when all is without any method among us. I tell you, this action is the most faithless, senseless, bootless, ruinous action that ever appeared upon the Stage of the world: the most false hearted and traitorous: the most ridiculous and insignificant: the most rash and fruitless: the most dangerous and destructive adventure that ever men took in hand. Oh my soul enter not thou into their secrets! nor let any honest men say a confederacy with them; let them associate themselves, they shall be broken to pieces, God will find them out in due time. I beseech you what do you mean, are ye Christians and yet will not be men? to pass by all former Obligations: did you not the other day bewail your Apostasy, that you had wandered from your GOOD OLD CAUSE? did you not tell us, You took shame to yourselves, and remembered from whence you were fallen, and repent, and would do your first works; and therefore finding that God blessed you all along till you forced the Long Parliament, but after that, made you labour as in the fire, and no good came of all your after actions; therefore you assured them, that now they should sit freely, and you would strengthen their hands and be their servants. Is not all this truth in these very words, or to this effect, and much more if I had leisure to repeat; but it is fresh in every body's mouths and minds, though you have forgot it, and are you not past shame now: must we bewail your Apostasy now, as fearing since you are fallen away after being enlightened, it will be hard to restore you again to repentance; especially since ye have tasted of the powers of this world.  
But besides this, did you not every Mother's child of you Officers, did you nor take your Commissions from the Parliament, & one by one promise your obedience: Yes, that most faithful and gifted Brother Colonel Packer, promised when he received his Commission at Mr. Speakers hands, that he would not only promise them to be faithful and obedient, but they should see by his actions that he would be a true servant to them and the Commonwealth. Yea Lambert himself was the greatest stickler for the Parliament (God forgive him, for what ends I know not) and yet these men Act like as they had given the Parliaments Commissions, and trurn them out, whom they just now promised so seriously to obey: a Turk, a Heathen would have scorned this falsehood and baseness: What not 〈◊〉 faithful to our trust! O faithless and perverse Generation.  
Add to this, that flattering and insinuating Petition and Representations but the other day, wherein they so sadly bemoan themselves that the Parliament should so sharply rebuke their humble servants, their faithful servants, that meant nothing but to petition in a peaceable manner; where they artificially conceal their intentions for a General, only desire that Fleetwoods' Commission may be renewed: other things they Petition for (we understand what your Petitioning signifies) some to insinuate into the favour of the Militia; others to secure the Government of the Nation in the hands of the Officers of the Army; it is so in the effect; and the most Saintlike, promise all to be well-meaning then, to be servants to the Parliament; and the most sweet expressions imaginable. But we have tried them that say, they are Saints, they are the faithful Servants of the Commonwealth, but are not; and have sound them Liars. Who, Lambert put the Northern Brigade to petition for a General? no such matter, he persuaded them (good man) all he could against it; yes, I'll warrant you: And yet the Fift Monarcky-men, (the Mad ones of them) think now Christ's Kingdom goes on amain, and flock down in Shoals to Walling ford-house, to make way for Christ's coming; who may be coming for aught that I know, as he saith,— When the Son of Man comes shall be find faith upon the earth? Upon my word, these were fit to live and reign with Christ a thousand years, who cannot keep Faith an hundred days. Let me say with the Psalmist, Help Lord, for the Godly man ceaseth, for the faithful fail among the Children of men; they speak vanity every one with his neighbour; with flattering lips, and with a double heart do they speak.  
'Tis a most senseless, ridiculous, and insignificant action; you pleasure your Enemies, and make yourselves and us, the whole Nation, a scorn, a derision, and a Proverb in the earth. I formerly have been dealing with a Malignant Impostor, whose whole business was nothing else but to make you break the Parliament to serve his designs; for I tell you, they fear their Wisdom, more than your Power. Are the Cavaliers your friends? are ye bewitched to believe them, and to slight your old true friends; I thought I needed not to say much to answer that treacherous Cavalier; it was enough to tell you whose was the plot, to preswade you to break the Parliament; ye are cheated into a belief of his imposture. Ah me! are ye not proud of your wisdom? Whose is this Invention? who put you upon this exploit? Oh sad! Will you please your enemies, and grieve your friends. Know him or them that put you upon this gross piece of folly, and avoid them. We that put you upon calling back this Parliament, and encouraged you in the day of your straits, and told every body we met, how honest the Army would be, now they understood themselves; that they would stand by the Parliament, while they did settle the Nation upon the foundations of righteousness and truth: We, even we, are laughed to scorn; and I must speak to you in the words of Joab; ye have shamed this day the faces of all your servants, that have saved your lives, (that have saved your credits, which should be as dear as life, and that have appeared for you in the day of your distress) in that you love your Enemies, and bate your friends; for you have declared this day, that you regard neither Princes nor Servants; for this day I perceive that it pleaseth you well, though all we die, so Absalon live. We know not how to look any body in the face; though we thought we had done well when we appeared for you, against your enemies. But every one of us get away be stealth, as people that are ashamed steal away when they flee in Battle;— Not only so, but you have made yourselves the most absolute Changelings in the world; It is a Proverb beyond Seas, to express any uncertainty thus,— As certain as England.  
Our Agent Lockhart is laughed at, when he comes to treat with the Spanish Favourite: What a peace with you! who are your Masters? you have as many Masters as Moons: Go make peace among yourselves. and then talk of peace with us.  
Ambassadors here in England know not who to make their Addresses to; and have said, what shall we treat? we know not who to trust to: You will have new Masters within this Six Weeks, and then we must begin again. This is greatly for your honour; 'tis your interposing hath begot all these changes; still as we have been settling you have broke us to pieces, this is all your wit, you mend the matters wisely; if we will have any Government to hold, better heads than yours must consult it. I am loath to think 'tis your design to unsettle us; if it be, God help your heads, you will seel the smart of it in time, as well as we; you are good Soldiers, but bad statesmen, professing yourselves wise ye are become fools: Be not wise overmuch, nor take too much upon you; ye have miscaryed over and over; will you be doing again? I dread the consequence of this hare-brained Action; and there are such fools in the World, thought they should be brayed in a Mortar, yet their folly will not departed,  
Well, but the Parliament must out; why, what evil have they done? for which of all their good works do you stone them? Have they not gone through good report and evil report for the good of the Nation? Was not their hand in all that was done for the asserting the Nations Birthrights? and where they not carefully providing for us when you first turned them out; to say, They intended to perpetuate themselves, that so they * might Colour their Usurpation and Tyranny. Out of your own mouths I judge you, you evil servants; remember your Declaration, wherein you bewailed your Apostasy. Did they not return to their duties again, to serve the public if possible, and forget all your former abuses? And did they not set themselves seriously to work for the Nations welfare? and did they not do as much as men could do, that found things in so much distraction, to reduce us to better Orders? Yea verily, they did as much as mortal men could do. Yea, did they not discountenance some men more than there was absolute necessity of, to give you content? yea, did they not get you a whole Years Tax to be paid in Three Months, and a Three Month's Tax to be paid in Three Weeks, and all to keep fair with you, and to pay you your due? Did they not prepare an Act for one hundred thousand pounds per mensem too immediately levied for you; and Ordered to sell every thing almost to pay you your Arrears? and thereby drew an odium upon themselves, more than ever any other Parliament would do, since you first turned them out. And yet though men grumbled at these Charges, yet generally hoped the Parliament would make amends by doing good things for them. Yea, did not the Parliament give them new Commissions, whom the Protector had cashiered, without respect of persons, if they were judged Faithful; as Lambert his own self, though a worthy member of Parliament gave good reason to the contrary; all without respect to their opinions; dealing their respect without partiality, hoping hereby to oblige their affections? yea did they not encourage all that did the Nation service, and share their Rewards without distinction to all that deserved it; to Duckenfield and Creed, who deserve a thousand times more the reward of a Rope for their late Treason, than a Chain of Gold for their Cheshire Service: Oh ungrateful unthankful Monsters of Mankind! could it be believed, so much disingenuity should be harboured in English breasts? Nay I pray hearty, had you any reason to mistrust the Par iament? no more than I have to mistrust my own heart: Have they not been enbarqued all along in the common cause with us? is it not as much their interest as yours to consult the security of the Nation, and all that have been the Parliaments Friends? Yea, is not their life bound up in your life? They could not design to ruin the Army, but they must ruin themselves: You were and are as necessary by your Forces to defend us, as their Council to give forth such Orders as may make us happy being so defended; and enable us to maintain you as our Guards: When as through want of good advice, if the Commonwealth sink, (as undoubtedly it must without better Counsellors) ye may go and defend Jamaica; here will be no use of you. Certainly the Parliament cannot be without you, he is besides himself that thinks they can; they could no more settle a Commonwealth without your Arms, than you can without their Heads; neither could they secure themselves, but they must secure you; nor make any Laws that should be bad for you, but they must be bad for themselves; which every body thinks they would be as careful in as they could, and no body doubts but they could consult as well as any company of men that ever were in England: Yea, and say, I said so. Y u must call them back again if ever you make any work of it against the Norman Race.  
Go your way then, think upon it: What have you done? certainly, the most barbarous, savage, and inhuman action that ever was done; it seems, you neither fear God, nor reverence man; the most brutish, childish, wilful, headlong, giddy Undertaking that ever was put in practice And Woe, aye woe indeed to the Nation whose Prince is a Child: and no less woe to that Commonwealth whose Rulers are Children. Yet more, 'tis the most bootless, rash and fruitless Enterprise that ever was introduced by men that could pretend to a design: Good now, What benefit did you propound to yourselves, or the State? Do you propound no end of your actions? do you not think before hand, what you shall speak or do? But do you in that very same hour whatever is upon your Spirits? I doubt, if you have not thought of it before hand, it will hardly be given you so suddenly, how to answer me aright; What, do you overturn, overturn, overturn; and take no care for the Nation, nor yourselves; what we shall eat, or whether we shall drink; or whether we shall have any  to our backs? Is this Heathenish? Sure our Lord never taught you this Lesson, to understand him after this ●ate: Do you say to us, Be filled, be warmed, be clothed? Will this do the work? Do you design the benefit of the Nation, by disturbing our Settlement, by obstructing our Trade, by beggering the Nation, by undoing every thing as fast as it is done, by breaking our Parliaments, by setting the Sword above our ancient Birthrights? is this your providence for us? Gramercy Horse.  
But stay, what did you get by breaking this Parliament before? but subject yourselves to the pleasure of your General, who turned— out all he pleased, that would not be his Janissaries: and after Six years were forced to call them back again with shame enough. And now you have broken them again, what will you be gainers? Whoever gets the power, and not by right, will make us Slaves, and you too; insinuations and fair pretences must be used to Trepan you at first; but they that are faithful among you will be known, and weeded out, as soon as the business is effected; honest men, may be instrumental to set up a Tyrant, but are not fit instruments to keep them up; nay, honest men shall be so sure to be rooted out, that it is among their Politics, to remove all that have been the instruments of their advancement, lest they should presume that their good Services had for ever obliged their Master, or Masters, and so should not be so wholly at their devotion as others that they should gratify with their places; who were bound to deserve that, which they received without any merit. Are the pretences fairer now than before? No, there is not half that pretence that was on old Olivers side. Can you not see through them; No single Person, no by no means; we abominate the thoughts of that: What then? No body knows, unless something that is a thousand times worse, Three, Ten, Thirty, or it may be Seventy Tyrants for a while, till some one can get above the rest. The Second General Officer is an unlucky place; it was Lieutenant General Cromwell once, and then he was a Saint, a precious Saint, could preach, and pray, and promise strange matters; than it was— Is thy servant a dog, that he should do so and so: what be Protector, be King, rule by my mere will, no by God's grace I will never do it.  
But case Fleetwood will not act as General, nor grant Commissions to them that have none, them the Parliament Voted out, and those that shall be brought into the place of those honest Commanders that did their part for the Parliament, the salt of the Army, who being put out (as certainly that will be their fate, if the weather clear towards the North) the Army will stink in the noses of all Europe. I say, if Fleetwood will not, I hope somebody else will; what's next then, why not a King? one King, or another King, and then what is the benefit Richard Lord Protector is laid aside, and King JOHN the Second comes up in his place: At first it may be a Senate, but than something for the honour of England, a Duke of Venice Elective; Election will do the work to get into the Throne, but when once up, it must be theirs and their heirs for ever, if it be not made hereditary, I'll warrant you they know whom to nominate their Successor, for it will not be prudence to leave that matter undetermined to go out of the world, lest these Disciples should fall together by the ears about the question, Who should be greatest. If you will not believe your own experience, who can help it; I hope by this time your Commander in chief may make bold to put in and pull out who he please; out with an Overton, a Rich, a Harrison, and in with my Son Falconbridge, my Cousin Lockhart, and the rest of his well affected kindred: and I shall not pity you a jot.  
But if it should hap to Lambert's chance to be Dominus fac totum, I hope those thorough-paced Protectorians who laughed so hearty when his Lordship was turned out of service by the Old Protector, some of whom told me, when I complained of my Lord Protectors carriage to him, that it was no matter, never was any man less pitied, or lamented after, he was all for himself, he hoped to be next Protector, and because nominating a Successor was agreed of, therefore he was discontented. I say certainly these men will now be contented to yield their places to men that were better affected, and are the more endeared friends of his Lordship: hitherto then, you have notably well projected for yourselves, ye are shrewd Politicians. What then shall you Govern the nation yourselves, a great purchase, a burden to any honest man, more than a benefit: how many of you are like to share in this if that were true? two or three of your Grandees, and there's your design; no you hate the thought of this, we mistake the matter, and do you a great deal of wrong to suspect this. What then? you shall be better paid: that's well guessed in good sooth, how will you have it? why one way or other, any how rather than fail, we will have it by foul means, if it will not come fairly: no no, you abuse us, nothing shall be gathered; but what is levied by the people in Parliaments; so far you are right, and if ever you see a Parliament in England that will take so much care of you as this Parliament hath taken, and was a taking for you, that will raise you 120000 l. per mensem, or 100000 l. per mensem, as they have done for you, if you could have kept yourselves honest: then spit in my face, and tell me I lie. No, 'tis this Parliament that must hazard their Reputations to pay your Arrears, and the Debts of the Nation, and then future Parliaments may be more easily persuaded to grant such a Tax as may keep us always out of your Debt. What then, hath the Parliament Voted 9 of your Commanders out of their places: doth this anger you, and is this the bottom of the business, and is this all your design to be avenged of them, and the Nation for it? goodly great ones) What are these men trow, that their particular concernments to be kept in Pay and Command, should stand in competition with the Ruin of Three Nations, a huge reach indeed: But pray, was it without good reason? could the Parliament do less? had not some of them promoted a General being of the Northern Brigade; notwithstanding after the Parliaments dislike of it, and after the Petition and Representation of the Army was presented and debated in the House, which though it did not expressly require a GENERAL, yet did strongly imply it, and required some things of less consequence.  
I say, after this, these 9 Grandees combined together in a Letter signed by them all, to engage the subscriptions of a Regiment thereunto, which was produced in Parliament, and could have no other construction, but if the Parliament would not grant their commands, they should be made to do it: which deserved a greater severity than being put out of their places. The like practice they also set on foot in divers other Regiments.  
If this became faithful servants, I wonder who are Masters; but for the honesty of the matter they thus combined to effect, to instance only in one particular, No Officer must be displaced but by a Council of Officers. What is the mystery of this iniquity? why all must turn out that will be faithful to the interest of the Nation, and the trust reposed in them, they would pack their Officers to their own minds: shuffle and cut both: verily then, if they should Petition in a peaceable way (as they call it) a privilege not to be debarred the meanest Englishman: I wonder what Supreme Authority durst say them Nay: this is a thousand times worse providence, then to grant them a General, and to give him power to place and displace at pleasure; worse providence for the Nation I am sure: we might possibly find one honest man in England whom we might trust, if it could not otherwise be avoided, but how to make a whole Council of Officers honest; most of whom have sprouted up from no very generous principles this is next of kin to an impossibility. What a Corporation of the Army! what the Army the Representative of England? Must your General (as of late) be the Archon, or Sole Legislatour; your Council of Officers our Senate, and your small Officers the people of England; out upon it, this is too bad in all conscience: why not a Corporation of the Navy too? as much reason every jot. What, the Supreme authority of England, that pay you your wages, that can put in and out at their pleasure (and it is reason they should) the Lords Keepers of the Great Seal: the Judges of the Land: the greatest Officers of State: yea and Besides whom none can give you Commissions: but they are Rogues, & Robbers, as bad as any High-way-men, and worse, who take upon them to act and have no Commission from them; it is the case of some among you.  
'tis a Combination and a Conspiracy among you to make a GENERAL, and give him Commission, and then he to give you Commissions, or to set up any number of men as Supreme: but such as the good people of the Land choose) and then to take Commissions from them, this is Idolatry to fall down and worship the work of our own hands, and to cry aha! we are warmed, aha! we are warmed. What not the Supreme Authority be able to remove a Lieutenant, an Ensign, a Sergeant, a Corporal! But by your leave most omnipotent Council of Officers, 'tis true, it is dangerous trusting a General with this Power, he may turn all to his own interest, which most commonly accords but little with that of the Nation, you have had wonderful experience of this already; but the Parliament whose interest is the interest of the Nation; and can be no other: that their noses should come under the girdle of an Army, Oh sad contrivance!  
What was it the Good Old Cause that the Parliament must have the Militia, and not the King; was it then reason they should command the Sword, who carried the Purse, and carried the interest of the Nation among them? and poor King must he suffer death ●or standing upon his terms with them; And now when the Parliament is by Yourselves declared the Supreme Authority of England, now they must touch none of your anoiyted; now they must not so much as remove one single Officer of your Army, but through the meditation of your grace and favour: could the Pa liament say Amen to this part of your Petition and Representation, and not betray the Nation and their trust, and make themselves the scorn and hatred of the Nation, and future Parliaments? Yea, could they understand this private Combination, to force this unreasonable desire, and proceed with less tokens of their displeasure, and not give the Nation a jealousy that they would betray them; And is this the reason why you hug these 9 powder-plotters, to effect this most horrid, hellish mischief. I can imagine nothing so like the truth of the Design, if there be any design in it as this; well should this be effected for you that you should give Law to England, pray what will be the design of it? to what end I pray? to bewray your deep insight into the afrairs of State? To gain yourselves Honour and Renown for your rare Conduct of the State; no I fear shame would be your promotion; you would have little better success than you have had; you may jolt your Jobernouls together long enough, before you can hammer out a Settlement for us; no body thinks that saying true of you, I am wiser than all my Teachers: Where will be the Design, if when you have run yourselves out of Wind, and out of your Wits too, you shall be reduced to the like exigency as of late, and be forced to bewail your Blindness and Apostasy again; I say, what is become of the Design then?  
And it is not in reason to foresee how you can manage the Chariot of the State long, but all must run into disorder; your Sin, yea and your undertaking will be a burden, a punishment greater than you can bear: Very considerate men think you can hardly carry it a Moon. Oh shallow, oh incogitant, oh pitiful, oh foolish Army! who hath bewitched you? you did run well, who hindered you? will you now altogether run in vain? will you lose the things you have wrought? will you sell the righteous for nought? Our Laws, Liberties, our Good Old Cause for less than a pair of Shoe? Will you harm us, and do yourselves no good? Oh peevish! oh wilful! Are ye Children? are ye Fools? are ye Mad? Do you discover your Gallantry by grappling with Impossibilities? For shame men, for shame give over. Oh but you mistake us all this while, our Design is, To carry on the Refined Interest, the Spirit of the Cause.  
Good! good! is this the business? what is this new thing nothing, you may make sp●rt withal, a Refined Interest; the spirit of the cause; hard words what is the English on't: I wonder, whether Sir Henry Vane hath opened these abstruse terms to your understanding: you apprehend things more nimbly than it seems, then honest old English-spirited Sir Arthur Haslerig●e, that most highly deserving patriot; I think it will be hard to understand the thing you drive at, by the terms you dress it in; you will teach us to speak English after a new cut; certainly such an Interest, was never till now phrased a Refined one. The Refined Interest, saith Mr. Harrington is that which carries so much reason in it, and so much the Interest of the Nation, that it being once understood, and we in possession of it; needs not a Mercenary Army to keep it up: Is your Interest refined in this notion you so much bless yourselves in? what course will you take for the carrying on the spirit of the cause, the Refined Interest? what will you preserve our choice inviolable? shall that power rule us, and you, that we choose so to do? No, this would hazard the Refined Interest I'll warrant you. What then, shall all the old Friends of the Parliament, that are no more Turn coats then yourselves; and have served the State as well as yourselves, shall these in every County, City, and considerable Burrough, choose their trusties for the Supreme Authority? No, there hath been a great Apostasy and Back-sliding; honest men shall be chosen, who are true to the Cause; who are fit to be Kings and Priests, and to reign for ever and ever; such as have the Spirit, and these will know what Israel ought to do; and will make good Laws and Statutes, and execute judgement in the Gate; these will hate the Whore, and burn her flesh with fire: Is this the Refined Interest? what such another Gimcrack, as that little Mongrel thing that Voted itself a Parliament; any thing in the world that will keep our Faction in heart; that will carry on our design, this is the Refined Interest; whether it be honest, or whether it be just, it matters not: many men extol that Junto to this day, though the very Con&; stitution of it stinketh in the Nostrils of every considerate man; as tending utterly to cheat us of our Choice.  
And what do not men magnify now adays, that will but say as they say? Beshrew that Christian policy that would ride over our Rights and privileges, under pretence of a Refined Interest. Those that will forget to be Men, will not long remember to be Christians.  
They that will dash the Second Table of the Law to pieces, will hardly keep the First Table as they ought.  
Will you rob us of our Rights, and kill us by Famine and decay of Trade? Surely we must all be Soldiers ere long, and then we shall get a Vote among you.  
Will ye kill? will you steal, and say, Ye are delivered to work all these abominations? No, you are out all this while: We will be honester than you think for; we will have Parliaments still, chosen by the people: But it cannot be safe for the Godly, unless we choose a Select number of faithful men; Faithful to the GOOD OLD CAUSE, that shall be a ●heck to the Parliament, an Influencing Senate, as Mr. Stubs hath it; who hath written a Book on purpose to prove Sir Henry Vane no Jesuit.  
Sure Mr. Stubs did not find this in Mr. harrington's model, which he admires as if it were a pattern out of the Mount. No certainly Mr. Harrington hath more Wisdom and more Honesty: His Senate is only to give light; he doth not propound a Senate to be the Interest of the Commonwealth; to secure the Honest party; nor yet an Influencing Senate to be chosen by a few men, that call themselves the Godly party: But to be chosen by the people as the other House. These two Senates are as contrary as White to Black.  
And if Mr harrington's Model came out of the Mount, I wonder from whence, from what Manuscript this Library-keepers Noddle did bring our his. If there must be a Senate, surely none better, certainly none can be honest, and just, but that which the people choose, as Mr Harrington saith. Pray why should the Army choose? Are there not as Honest men as themselves in every part of the Nation? What, I'll warrant, the major part is the worse part, therefore they must not be trusted; But the Council of Officers.  
I wonder indeed, how the major part of the Council of Officers, can take themselves to be honest; who first declared against  
A Single Person: Then routed the Parliament: Then set up a Mock Parliament: then pulled it down: Then made their General Protector for life; then made him to beget a Protector: Then broke this Government: Then suffered the Parliament to sit again: Now have broke them again. What comes next? That which they will break again ere long. One can hardly give a worse Character of Men: Meddle not with them that are given to change,  
And must these choose us an Influencing Senate? It is like to be well done; Well, and when all is done, carry on your Refined Interest as well as you can, your Mock-parliament, or Severty Elders would never agree; some would see further into Mi stones than others, and had a more Glorious Cause to carry on then the rest; and then this would be the Refined Interest; there would be no end, till we fall all to Errand popery: Yea, you Senate and your Parliament would agree like Cats and Dogs, they would never unite; where then is your Design?  
Have you no Guts in your Brains? Why do you rage, and imagine a vain thing? As sure as you live, nothing but honest and righteous things will be a Foundation for us to bottom upon, if we mean to stand against the Winds and Waves that are like to beat against our House.  
He is no Designer now, that will not be Honest: Nothing but Honesty, and a public heart can carry us with credit and safety through these Discriminating times. Never were such days of Trial in England: They may go to School again that have Machiavil by heart; there hath been and is another Game going in England, than these Gamesters are ware of. He must have been purely honest, and not much prepossessed, that hath not gravelled himself in these last twenty years. Ye have many Flatterers but few real Friends.  
Glad my heart, and do Righteous things, you that are Honest: Ye cannot wipe your month, and say, What evil have we done now? Ye cannot have such a Face of Brass; such a Whores Forehead: Repent, repent: Deny us not our just Rights; let Righteousness take place: so shall you repair the Breach you have made upon us; so shall we be established; for God established the Just. And let us by no means talk deceitfully for God.  
To say no more, It is the most ruinous, the most dangerous and destructive action that ever was taken to task. Parliament broken, Nation unsettled, Friends discontented, no body but blames you, Laws and Liberties all a going; the Sword Rampant, the Nation undone, your Enemies more numerous and mighty; the Common Interest of the Nation in jeopardy; your Good Old Cause at stake; nay, your own Throats ready to be cut; as if you were going like an Ox to the slaughter, or a Fool to the correction of the stocks; like a Bird snared in an evil Net, like a Bird that hasteth to the net, and knoweth not that it is for his life: What say Friends and Foes;  
The Army would not refer the Nation unto the ear of this Parliament, that were, as one should say, Flesh of their Flesh, and Bone of their Bone; surely no Parliament will ever do good upon them since this could not: If any other Parliament cross them, than they must turn out for Malignants: With this word in their cars, What shall we be Governed by them we Conquered but the other day?  
Are there no English spirits in the Nation?  
What can you expect, but a general Revolt of the people? and that all the Nation should be in Blood: Surely it is as good for us to die as to live the Slaves of our Servants, most of whom our purses have raised from the dunghill.  
Sir Geore Booth is an inconsiderable Traitor now; you may be ashamed to Sequester his Estate, who did but endeavour to do what you have done; and had more to say for himself ten to one then you.  
Every thing looks black abour us at home, and abroad; Neighbours at home ready to cut our throats and yours too; at this very instant you have disobliged your friends, and yet foreign Nations threaten us hard: It is in every body's mouth, and I doubt 'tis too true, Ambassadors are coming to offer us CHARLES STVART upon Terms, if we will not, than they will bring him in by Force; If this be so, Lord have mercy upon us: here are thousands in England would rather the Turk should come in, than things should be as they are: and you have broken the hearts of your best friends, who will have small courage to assist you in keeping out our COMMON ENEMY, since when it is done, we might be sure to return to our former slavery.  
France and Spain look at us untowardly, others besides would put to their helping hand to Ruin us; for all whom we should not have cared Three skips of a Louse, if you had not disturbed our SETTLEMENT, we should have been formidable to all Europe, yea, to the World, as the Author of that Book, — France no friend to England— hath put his Christian Majesty in mind of.  
This is the kindness you have done for yourselves and us, whereby you have made us careless of our own and of your safety; wherefore let me speak to you in the words of Joab,  
— Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortable words to your servants; for I swear by the Lord, if you go not forth, there will not tarry with thee one this night (when this night of troubles comes upon you, which hastens apace, our Sun being almost set) and this will be worse unto you then all the evil hath befallen you until now.  
I am not humoursome, nor have I so much interest going in this parliament as some of yourselves, ten of them do not know me I am certain; if you could call another parliament fairly, whom you could and would refer yourselves unto, I should be silent, and glad that the salvation of the Nation might come that way; and so I dare say would most of that parliament you have now shut out.  
But I doubt, yea I am confident this will not be, can there be a parliament fairly chosen that shall so much be concerned to secure what we have been contending for hitherto, They cut off the King's head: they Voted d●wn Monarchy, and the House of Lords: they set up the Commonwealth; they are concerned to venture their credits to get you money: do you think they are not most concern to keep up what they have set up another parliament would strain at a Gnat, and think it a Camel if they should swallow an act for 40000 l. per mensem; these men as far as I can see, must do the drudgery, and make way for another parliament, by putting all out of debt, and putting things into a Method for a new Election, and then things may go on handsomely; else I fear it much, we shall see no settlement.  
All things look with a sad face, the clouds threaten us from every quarter of Heaven; the Ship of the Commonwealth is now launched out into the Ocean of Confusion, and it is greatly to be feared, the Voyage will be with hurt, and much damage not only of the Lading and Ship, but also of our lives, however the Masters of our ship have persuaded us that the Haven wherein we were was not convenient to winter in, and have hoist sail intending to run a desperate course and the wind now blowing softly they suppose they have obtained their purpose: but I doubt me it will not be long, ere there arise against it a tempestuous wind, an Euroclidon, which will catch the Ship, that they cannot bear up in the Wind, but must let her drive, when if they can come by the Boat, and use helps for undergirding the Ship; 'tis well, they may strike sale, and be driven for fear of the quicksands, and to day light the Ship of the Goods, and to morrow cast overboard the Tackling of the Ship with their own hands.  
Verily now there is no small tempest to lie on us, and neither Sun no Moon hath appeared for these many days, but a●l hopes that we shall b● saved is well nigh taken away: we sounded Wednesday, and found it twenty fathoms, Thursday, and found it fifteen fathoms, and in grea● fears we are of falling upon the Rocks, though but the other day we deemed that we drew nigh to some Country, to some Setlement; however our Ship-men discovering a certain Creek, that they knew not what Country it is, minded to thrust in the Ship, but are fallen where two Seas meet, and the Ship is run a ground, that it sticks fast; and great fears there are all will be broken to pieces and all lost: those Mariners that but now managed the Ship are almost gone, but call them back by all means; you might indeed have harkened to your friends, and not to have loosed from Creek (from Westminster) and so have gained this harm and loss; but put all again into their hands that are your best Pilots, they w●ll by the blessing of God bring off the Ship safely; I dare warrant there shall be no loss of the Ship, nor of any man's Life among you; Howbeit, as Paul said to the Centurion, and to the Soldiers, I am confident I may say so to you, Except these men abide in the Ship (for a while) ye cannot be saved.  
FINIS.