VOX JWENILIS: OR, THE Loyal Apprentices VINDICATION OF THE Design and Promoters of their late Humble Address to His Majesty.  
IT has always been the Policy of our Fanatic Machivilians to obtrude the Execution of their Rebellious Designs upon the most Rash and unthinking sort of men: And upon this Account we find in the Story of the late Times, That the giddy Multitude being betrayed into Insurrections by the specious Pretences of Contending for their own Liberties and Rights, was thought the most likely Way to work the Subversion of the Government, as well Civil as Ecclesiastical.  
And for the same Reason were several Apprentices of the City of London imposed upon, and made use of by the Broachers of that horrid Rebellion: for that some of them wanting the benefit of Education, and all, of Experience, they might be the more easily instigated to give the first Onset upon Magistracy. Accordingly in the Year 1640. May, 9 We find a Paper fixed at the Exchange, to Exhort the Apprentices to Sack the House of the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth; which about 500 of them were drawn in to Attempt accordingly, though they were there repulsed, and some of them afterwards made an Example for their Insolence: And this we may conclude was a Project not Originally their own, but of some Factious Engineers, who thought it their Interest to set them on work.  
The next Account we have of them in the History of those Times, is when no less than 600 were disposed to March to White-Hall to demand Justice against the Earl of Strafford, whereof the greater number were Apprentices.  
And again to draw nearer in their Affronts to Majesty, we after hear of several Mutinous Apprentices, who in a Tumultuous manner resorted to White-Hall and Westminster, to the Affrightment of the King himself.  
And to fill up the measure of their Wickedness, In the next place we find many of them in the Year 1648. Listing themselves into Essex's Army, by the invitation of the Rebels, who had taken care to free them from their Servitude upon that Condition.  
But the Ingenuous Lads could not always be so abused, For when his Late Majesty was a Prisoner, in detestation of so vile an Act, we find the Apprentices take Courage enough to set upon a part of the Trained Bands, and very fairly rout them; divide themselves into Parties, whereof one goes towards White-Hall, and was there suppressed, But at Night they rally again, Surprise the two Prisons of Newgate and Ludgate, seize a Drake-Piece from the Lord Mayor, and in the Morning labour to get Arms, and break open some Salesmens' Shops of Ammunition, and muster the Magazine at Leaden-Hall, Crying out FOR GOD AND KING CHARLES: and though by this bustle they could do the King no Service, yet we find that Loyalty still sprung in their Hearts; for when General Monk was on his Journey to London, he receives Advice from Commissary Clarges, that several Apprentices had made Insurrection in Favour of him against Fleetwood's Party, and had declared for the restoring A Parliament and Magistracy, which they said was suppressed by the Committee of Safety (who (by the way) had Emitted a Proclamation to prevent getting hands to Petitions:) In this Affair were Twenty wounded, and Two killed, and at last they were all Defeated by Coll. Hewson.  
In short, we find our London Youngsters bravely veering about, and demonstrating their earnest desire to re-establish King CHARLES the Second, in His Rightful Throne.  
And there he is, and that he may there sit undisturbed and safe from the Treasonable Designs of any kind of Rebel either Papist or Fanatic, 'tis the firm Resolution of the Loyal Apprentices of the City of London never to be wanting to demonstrate their Loyalty and Readiness to assist the King with their Lives and Fortunes too when they come to enjoy them: And that no Villain should dare to affront their good Prince, nor any sly insinuating Rebel have any Hopes to corrupt their Allegiance as they did heretofore, they have declared to the World their steady Loyalty, by their late Address which was presented to his Majesty, and received a favourable Acceptance.  
The Subscription of which by many Thousand Hands, is not all neither, For we make no doubt but that there are Twenty Thousand more, as Brisk and Valiant Young Men that have not had the opportunity to give this Testimony of their Loyalty, or else have been forbid to do it by their Ill-principled Masters, or else whose Names are Lost in Gathering by the Malicious Contrivance of no Good Subjects to his Majesty, whose wills are as ready, and their Resolutions as strong to stand by his Majesty, and to Guard his Person from his Enemies under what names so ever distinguished, and that think their Lives too little to spend in his Service: And let all the Enemies of King CHARLES II. take this for granted and Beware.  
But since a sort of unmannerly Backbïters have endeavoured to represent the Design and Promoters of our Address in as ugly a Shape as they could; We are resolved to speak a word in our own Vindication, where by the way we shall not do Mr. Janeway the honour to take any further Notice of his scandalous reflections than as they are common to others of his Church. But we will suppose whatsoever Objections Malice itself can raise against a thing of this nature.  
First, Some suggest that we are set on work by Papists, Jesuits, and the Lord knows who.  
Secondly, Others, That the Authors and Designers of the Address are scandalous Ruffians, as Mr. Janeway is pleased to call us.  
Thirdly, That we procured Subscriptions by indirect Means, drawing in idle Fellows by Pots of Ale: And that the Subscribers are all Persons of no Reputation.  
Fourthly, Suppose we were never so good Boys, and did it for never so good Ends; yet, forsooth, it doth not belong to us, and that Apprentices ought not to meddle with State-Matters.  
And Lastly, That it is a ready way to create a misunderstanding amongst the People, And that it being a kind of Combination, may cause a Disturbance amongst the Youth of the City.  
For the first, That we were influenced by Papists, 'Tis false; for the Contrivers were all of the Protestant Religion, as it is now Established by Law: And we are certain there was never a Jesuit in any Corner of the Room where it was first Debated. And besides, our very Address declares the contrary; for Papists, as well as others, are the Party we aim at.  
To the Second, That the Projectors of this Design are Scandalous Persons and Ruffians. To the Suggesters of this, the Scotch-man's Answer to Bellarmine is sufficient; 'Tis a loud Lie: for we are all Honest, Sober Fellows, and born of honest Parents.  
To the Third, That by indirect ways we procured Hands. We answer, that we never crossed the Water to the Hope on Bear-Garden days, to offer to get Hands there; nor were ever concerned to create a Bull-baiting, on purpose to draw the Rabble in, to fill up our Number, as some of the famous Essex-Patriots did to fill up their Petition for a Parliament. We never went to any Country-Fairs, amongst the Ballad-singers; nor in all Humility addressed ourselves to the little Boys of a Free-School to pleasure us with two or three hundred Hands. We never hired any one to subscribe, nor ever told a Refuser that we would put him in our black Book, as Mr. S. H. did those that would not sign his Good old Cause-Petition. We never called a Conventicle, to get the Wellwishers together: but honestly left our Papers where we thought fit, though the Republican Rats had so little Manners to gnaw them in pieces when they were full of Hands.  
As to the Persons that subscribed, let those have a care that scandalise any one Man of them.  
And as to the next Objection, and that which has done Us much prejudice in our Proceed, That we meddle with State-Matters that don't concern Us.  
We Answer, That truly we think it belongs as much to Us to Thank the KING for His Good Government, and to Testify our Resolutions to Serve and Defend Him, as it did the Porters and Broom-men that Subseribed Sir G's. Petition, to tell His Majesty when 'twas Good for Him to call a Parliament.  
But as for State Affairs, we find none in the Address, we purposely did avoid it; and upon that account, though we love to hear talk of the Succession going in the right Line, yet we said never a word about it.  
But if our Thanking His Majesty for His Gracious DECLARATION be a matter of State; we Declare, we thought it had been for the satisfaction of Us as well as Our Masters, or any body else; for when the World made such a Noise about the Dissolution of the two last Parliaments, and some were so Impudent to speak hard words of our KING about it; we were very glad at such a time to see His Majesty Condescend to tell the World, and Us amongst the rest, that He had very good Reason to do what he did, whereby He removed all cause of Complaints or Jealousy.  
Now as we are infinitely sensible of the Great Benefits and Advantages, which his Majesty hath been pleased to hold forth unto us in This his most Gracious Declaration; so we likewise Account ourselves bound, by All the Ties of Loyalty and Gratitude, humbly to present our Dutiful Acknowledgements to the BEST OF SOVEREIGNS, and to declare unto the World our Firm and Unalterable Resolutions to Expose our Lives and Fortunes in the Support, Maintenance and Defence of our King and his Government. And though the sense of Honesty, Justice and Allegiance was the Principal Motive that led us to This Address, we had likewise some regard in it to the Vindication of our Credits, from the Infamy that was cast upon us by a Pack of Common Scribliing Rascals, that made the whole Nation ring with the Story of a Conspiracy among the Apprentices to Engage the Nation in new Troubles; and the City in a Desperate and Bloody Tumult, Insomuch that we could not do ourselves Right, but by some Public Manifestation of our Innocence.  
Lastly, As to the Pretence of Those that Enviously Reflect upon this our Proceeding, as a Design to Create Divisions and Misunderstandings among his Majesty's Subjects, we have Diligently Informed ourselves concerning the Opinions and Practices of those People: and we find them to be, for the most part Men of Dangerous Principles, as Anabaptists, Separatists, and other sorts of Dissenters from the Church, and no less Enemies to the Civil Government. So that their Quarrels to us is not for any fear they have of our Disturbing the Public Peace; but for the Disappointment which our Conjunction hath given to their Designs; which they can never be able to put in Execution against so powerful an Opposition.  
So that if they call it a Combination we must needs maintain that it is both an Honest and a Good One, and that it is so far ftom tending to make a Mutiny and Disturbance, That it has given the City sufficient security against both; For certainly our very Address itself is sufficient, to convince the World that we are sensible of our Duty to our Sovereign; and supposing that, The same Good Principle must necessarily influence us to pay that Obedience and Respect which is due to all those that are in Authority under him: And seeing all the Subscribers have therein really devoted themselves to his Majesty's Interest, 'tis very improbable that they would make themselves guilty of any thing so contrary and prejudicial thereunto, as are Mutinous and Disorderly Insurrections.  
And as the Intentions of our Hearts are Fair and Peaceable (for we will rather die than entertain so much as the least thought of any unlawful Enterprise) So was the Time that we Pitched upon for our Address as Seasonable too, and much more proper, than for the importunity of Peremptory and Factious Petitions. For when the fanatics daily made their Boasts concerning the Number of their Party; which Confidence made them so bold as to extend their Affronts even to his Sacred Majesty, and which (for aught we knew) might give them hopes to attempt the Subversion of the Established Government, which (the better to Accomplish their Design) they had been so Industrious by Libelling and other base Methods to defame: And seeing that several Essays were daily made to make his Majesty's Subjects forfeit their Allegiance; and particularly upon ourselves by some that endeavoured to amuse us with unnecessary Fears of the loss of Religion and Trade, and such like specious pretences: We thought it not amiss (at such a time) according to the Example of our Superiors, humbly to Address ourselves to his Majesty, To Acquaint him what a Multitude of Brave Loyal and Truehearted Lads he has near him, whose Hearty Affections to his Person and Government, and their Loyal Union among themselves, would make them not afraid when by him Commanded, To Confront the most Resolute and Formidable Rebel: and whose Number would render them (if Occasion should be) no inconsiderable Guard to his Royal Person.  
And therein to convince all the Insinuating Factious Crew who endeavour to seduce us, That we will never again be decoyed out of our Duty to our Sovereign, and that though the Papists make the fanatics their Tools, yet we will never become the fanatics.  
To conclude, our Address having been honoured with his Majesty's Princely Approbation; and seeing the Design of it was Peaceable and Seasonable, as well as Loyal and Dutiful, the World has no Reason to blame it, nor we to be ashamed to own it.   

LONDON: Printed for Charles Read. 1681.