A LETTER FROM A Parliament man TO HIS FRIEND, Concerning the Proceedings of the House of COMMONS this last Sessions, begun the 13th of October, 1675.  
Printed in the Year, 1675.   

A LETTER from a Parliament man To his FRIEND, Concerning the Proceedings of the House of COMMONS this last Session, etc.  
SIR,  
I See you are greatly Scandalised at our slow and confused Proceedings. I confess you have cause enough, but were you but within these Walls for one half day, and saw the strange Make and Complexion that this House is of, you would wonder as much that ever you wondered at it: For we are such a pied Parliament, that none can say of what Colour we are; for we consist of old Cavaliers, old Round-haeads, Indigent Courtiers, and true Country Gentlemen; the two latter are most numerous, and would in probability bring things to some Issue, were they not clogged with the humorous uncertainties of the former. For the old Cavalier grown Aged, and almost past his Vice, is damnable Godly, and makes his doting Piety more a Plague to the World, than his youthful Debauchery was: For he is so much a By got to the Bishops, that he forces his Loyalty to strike Sail to his Religion, and could be content to pair the Nails a little of the Civil Government, so you would but let him sharpen the Ecclesiastical Talons; which behaviour of his so exasperates the Round-head, that he on the other hand cares not what Increases the Interest of the Crown receives, so he can but diminish that of the Mitre: so that the Round-head had rather enslave the Man, than the Conscience; The Cavalier rather the Conscience than the Man, there being a sufficient stock of Animosity as proper Matter to work upon.  
Upon these therefore the Courtier mutually plays: For if any Anticourt motion be made, he gains the Round-head either to oppose or absent, by telling them, If they will join him now, he will join with them for Liberty of Conscience. And when any Affair is started on the behalf of the Country, he assures the Cavaliers, If they will then stand by him, he will then join with them in promoting a Bill against the fanatics. Thus play they on both hands, that no Motion of a public nature is made, but they win upon the one or other of them; and by this Art gain a Majority against the Country Gentlemen, which otherwise they would never have: Wherefore it were happy that we had neither Round-head, nor Cavalier in the House; for they are each of them so Prejudicated against the other, that their sitting here signifies nothing but their Fostering their old Venom, and lying at Catch to snap every advantage to bear down each other, though it be in the destruction of their Country.  
For if the Roundheads bring in a good Bill, the old Cavalier opposes it; for no other reason, but because they brought it in. So that as the poor English Silk-weavers, are feign to hire a Frenchman to Sell their Ribbons: So are the Roundheads a Cavalier, to move for those Bills they desire should pass; which so sowers the Round-head, that he revenges that Carriage upon any Bill the Cavalier offers; and the Rage and Passion of the one and other, are so powerful, that it blinds them both, that neither perceives the Advantage they give the Courtier, to abuse both them and their Country too: so that if either of them do any Good, it is only out of pure Envy against the other. Thus you see how we are yoked, and seeing this, you may cease your admiration that we offer at all, and do just nothing.  
Nor is this Division alone of the House all we have to lament (for Death, that common Cure, does now every day lessen this evil) but that which is more our misery, is, that those Gentlemen who are truly for the Good of their Country, will not be persuaded to stand upon the sure Basis of Rational Principles (like Workmen too presumptive of their Judgements that will not Build by rule) but rather affect the most loose standing on the Sandy foundation of Heat and Humour: By reason of which they often do as much harm as good, and yet perceive it not; this is the sore evil we are under. For I would not doubt the Countries carrying it from the Court in every Vote, let the Courtiers use all the Art they could, would the Country Gentlemen but give themselves the trouble to inform their understandings a little, and not suffer themselves to be hurried by a heedless Inadvertency into vulgar Notions. Which, if well examined, are directly contrary to their honest intentions; For lack of which they totally mistake their Interest, fall foul on their Friends, support their Enemies, and carry on the designs of the Court, whilst they aim at the Service of their Country. For if they would take the pains but to think what is the greatest Enemy in the World, that English Law and Liberty always had, still hath, and ever must have; It may be the result of such a thought would say, it was Encroaching Prerogative. Well, if then they would but beg from themselves but so much seriousness, as to think this second thought, to check this Prerogative, which is so dangerous an Enemy to our Laws and Liberties, peradventure that thought would answer, In suppressing all they could its Creatures and Dependants, and supporting such, whose Interest it is to keep Prerogative within its just bounds. Now could they be prevailed with but to think a third thought, it would Land them at the full and satisfactory Solution of the Question, and will hold in every thing. But I will put it in a Case wherein we are most apt to Err, and wherein we reckon it no less than Piety to play the Fool, to the end you may see how miserably we are cheated and abused, by sucking in the untried Notions that Education, the Arts of others, or our own Ignorance have imposed upon us.  
The third thought therefore shall be this: Which are most the Creatures and Supporters of boundless Prerogative, Prelates, or dissenting Protestants? The answer to which must, and can be no otherwise, The Prelates. Well then, if we would now reduce this to Practice, and say, The greatest Friends to Prerogative are the Prelates, the greatest Enemies to our Laws and Liberties is Prerogative. The only way therefore to restrain Prerogative, is to do, What? To fortify and strengthen the Yoke of the Prelates over the Neck of the People? No: (Surely this were an odd and a barbarous kind of Reasoning) But to give Liberty to dissenting Protestants, as the best means to keep up the Balance against boundless Prerogative. For these must and never can be otherwise (unless by Accident, and by Mistake) than Friends to Liberty: But the Prelates neither are nor can be otherwise than Creatures to Prerogative, for all their Promotions, Dignities, and Domination depends upon it.  
The same might be said concerning the only Ancient and true Strength of the Nation, the Legal Militia, and a standing Army. The Militia must, and can never be otherwise than for English Liberty, 'cause else it doth destroy it self; but a standing Force can be for nothing but Prerogative, by whom it hath its idle Living and Subsistance. I could instance also in many other Particulars, but our Inadvertency in this, is demonstration enough how much we are cheated by the common and hackney Notions imposed upon us; and this is almost the cause of all the Error we commit. For missing our true Footing, you see we have run in the mistaken Notion of being for the Church so long, till we have almost destroyed the State, and advanced Prerogative so much by suppressing Nonconformity, that it's well nigh beyond our reach or power to put Check to it; and had not Time, and but an indifferent Observation, showed us how much we were abused in this matter: And that a Lay-Conformist and a Fanatique can live as quietly and neighbourly together (would the Prelates but suffer them) as any in the World, we had ruined ourselves past all recovery. For by our Bovying up the Bishops in their harsh and irreconcilable Spirit, in stead of Healing, we have so fed and nourished the Discontents throughout the Kingdom, that I think nothing keeps the Fire from flaming out afresh in another intestine War but the bare circumstance of Opportunity only; and how long that will be able to restrain Passions that are made Wild by Oppression, is worthy a very serious Consideration; and therefore there is hardly any thing more a Wonder to wise Men, than to see the Clergy run at this rate upon the Dissenters: wherefore since the Nonconformists have given so large and ample a Testimony of their willingness to live Peaceably, if yet notwithstanding the Clergy will not suffer them to be quiet in their Families and their Houses, I doubt, they may at one time or other, drive them into the Field, and then it may exceed their Divine Art to Conjure them down again; for he sees but little, that sees not the English Temper is better to be Led than Driven. And therefore I think it would not be more a Vanity, to compel the Ladies to wear Queen Elizabeth's Ruff, than to force the Nonconformists to be dressed in her Religion.  
Nor yet are these all the Arts we are under: For we have a Gang that Huff, and bear themselves high on the Country side, but earn only for the Court; these lay out their Craft in putting the House upon little trifling things, and spend and waste the Mettle thereof, upon such pitiful Pickadilloes, as 'tis next to a shame for an English Parliament so much as to mention. These start a fierce Dispute about some little Matter, and keep a bluster as if none were such faithful Patriots as they, when they do it on purpose only to while out the Time, and thin the House, by tiring the honest Country Gentry in so tedious, fruitless, and trifling attendance. Do but move things worthy a Parliament; as that we may have our old known Rights of Annual Parliaments ascertained: That none that are or shall be Bribed by any Place or Office, shall ever sit in this House: That Parliament ought not to be Prorogued, Adjourned, or Dissolved, till all Petitions are heard, and the Aggrievances of the People redressed; with many things more of as great Importance; O then, forsooth, their pretended Loyalty (which in plain English is easily understood) will not abide such unmannerly and clownish Debates as these, and twenty such little shreds of Nonsense are impertinently urged in stead of Argument.  
But further, These Country-Court Engines, after they have taken the Measures of the House, at the opening of every Session, by our thanks for the gracious Speech, which being the true Pulse of the House; if it happen to come so hard as speaks us but saint and cool to the one thing necessary, (the matter of Money) than they know what will follow, that the Court will get no Grist that Sessions; and though the Court in indignation could turn them Home on the Morrow, yet it must consult its Reputation a little, restrain its Resentments, and suffer them to sit about a six weeks, or two months, and then they assure the Court, since they can get no good by them, they shall take no harm; and therefore to stop them from some worthy Undertaking, they by their feigned Zeal against Court-Corruptions, put them upon Impeaching some Treasurer, Councillor, or Minister of State; and having spent half our time about this, the rest is spent for the Clergy upon Churchwork, which we have been so often put upon and tired with these many Sessions: Though Partiality unbecomes a Parliament, who ought to lay the whole Body that we represent a like easy, Nonconformists, as well as Conformists, for we were chosen by both, and with that intention that we should oppress neither. To lay one part therefore of the Body on a Pillow, and the other on a Rack, sorts our Wisdom little, but our Justice-worse. You now see all our Shapes, save only the Indigents, concerning whom I need say but little, for their Votes are publicly saleable for a Guiny, and a Dinner every day in the Week, unless the House be upon Money or a Minister of State: For that is their Harvest, and then they make their Earnings suit the Work they are about, which inclines them most constantly as sure Client's to the Court. For what with gaining the one and saving the other, they now and then adventure a Vote on the Country side; but the dread of Dissolution makes them straight tack about. The only thing we are obliged to them for, is, that they do nothing Gratis, but make every Tax as well Chargeable to the Court, as burdensome to the Country, and save no Man's Neck, but they break his Purse. And yet when all is said, did but the Country Gentry rightly understand the interest of Liberty, let the Courtiers and Indigents do what they could, they might yet at last deserve the Name of a worthy English Parliament; Which that we may do, is not more passionately your desire, than it also is of,  
Sir, Your most humble Servant. T. E  
FINIS.