England's Lamentation. OR, The outcry of the PEOPLE against Opression and the Opressors.  
The good man is perished out of the Earth, and there is none upright amongst men; they lie in wait for blood, they hunt every man his Brother with a Net, that they may do evil with both hands; and the great man uttereth his mischievous desire, so they wrap it up; the best of them is as a briar, the most upright is sharper 2.3. than a Thorn bedge; The day of thy Watchmen, and the day of thy visitation now shall be their perplexity. We may also lament with Jeremiah, The Elders have ceased from the Gate, the young wen from their music, the Joy of our heart is ceased, Our dance is turned into mourning: the crown is fallen from our head, woe unto us for we have 15. sinned. We may say of our Elders, that for many years they could not fit in the Gate for reeling, like hogs which have made themselves drunk with the Lees or dregs of Wine. Oh! woe un●o us that we Englishmen should be so Ruled and Governed by such beastly Swine, who have been routing their Noses in the dirt and filth of this World as Swine does, preparing themselves for the day of wrath. 
Micah 2.3. 
Lam. 4. 15.    
We did complain and ●tlive against a sprig of Birtch, but we have brought upon ourselves a Rod of Iron. Our Rulers hath been like unto Mircuris Images which look one way and points another in their Declarations, sometimes swear very beautiful, but in their operation like unto an Apple in the West-Indes, which is very pleasant to the eye, and sweet unto the nostrils; but poisons the eaters, which makes and causes the good people to mourn. 
Manchenel apple.   
A common liar who will believe, and a continual Thief who will trust; but poor England hath been plagued with both in their Governouts; who have broken all Oaths, Covenants and Acts of Parliament; and contrary to the trust reposed in them by the Good People of the Land, Tyrannically wrought into their own hands other men's Estates and Lands; Yea, such Lands, as they pretended should be for the use and benefit of the public, have they converted to their own private covetous ends. Oh! how England groaneth under the burden of Treason, Rebellion and Oppression! How is the country charged, and Trading decayed, by such treacherous, Rebellious cruel governors, who who changes Government as they please, and forces the good people of the Land to obey them; Drawing out arms from one place to another, marching up and down the Land for the accomplishing of their own ends, their Honours and Opinions, to the utter undoing of many thousands for want of Trading, in City and Country. The cunning Artificer has no work, the shopkeeper languisheth, all Arts and Sciences is decayed. We may say, that since the breath of our nostrils has been gone the mariner mourneth, the merchant languisheth; the mariner for his practice, the merchant for his goods, and the Owner for his Ships. Misery and calamity hath beset us, and will swallow us up, without scme remedy.  
Secondly, How many have enriched themselves by the ruins of Noble persons, and the sele of the late King's Lands: such Members of the stump are known better than they ought to be trusted; but how to have these Lands again from such persons, for the commonwealth, a King, or single person is not difficult, if Law and Justice might be put in execution against the Committee of Safety, for their opression, Treason, and Rebellion. First, for coming in a Hostile manner with Horse and Foot, upon what pretence soever, to the Parliament, not to demand 5 Members, but to bringforth, and to dissolve that which they themselves did bring together, and did acknowledge to be a Lawful Parliament, and received Commissions from them, and drew out an Army against Sir George Booth to maintain them so to be, to the loss of blood and limbs, and the great impoverishing of the good people of this Nation; for less guilt of Treason, murder and Rebellion, then might be found in our governors.  
KING CHARLES had 3 Kingdoms rent from him, and his Life also, and with him the Lands and Lives of most honourable persons, whose Lives are much lamented for by the poor of this Nation, for their wonted charity, to clothe their backs, and feed the bellies of the poor, who is so much oppressed by England's Tyrannical governors; For these things our hearts are faint, and for these things our eyes are dim; But shall England die to preserve such Tyrants to live, to deceive and destroy the good People of this poor Nation, to make their own Interest? Woe unto us, men hath shed and lost their blood upon such mould which hath brought forth Weeds, to poison and famish them rather than fruits to feed them. Our governors hath often pretended themselves to be men fearing God, and of tender Consciences: and therefore did allow Liberty of Conscience, And we find also, that they have taken to themselves Liberty enough, and have made their Consciences wide enough to swallow up the poor of this Nation, saving only such which are guided by the fame Spirit; which Spirit hath declared itself by the fruits thereof, which hath been to make use of the Lives and blood of men, to accomplish their own covetious ends; and that which adds to our misery, is that from men we can expect no Reformation, Hippacrites are so mixed together in this Nation. If we have a Free choice in this Nation for a Free Parliament, though we know that to be most legal, and the eyes of the whole Nation is upon it, and does desire it for to be instrumental for to bring in Commerce and trading in the Nations, and to remove burdens and opressions, and to take off that Iron Rod off our Backs; but we never had, and we fear never shall have, such free and full trading as England had, when all Christian Princes sent ambassadors to a Single person, which was a power to Treat with. But for our changes, neither Prince nor Peasant can have fast hold with them, who hath been the ruin of poor distressed and distracted England; yet, although we can put no more confidence in man, yet in the Mercy of God, we have hope, that He which for our sins hath thrown us down, in his due time will raise us up; and that he who hath so wounded us, will heal us with that plaster that shall heal us. see be it.  
WILLIAM WHITFELD.   

LONDON, Printed for the Author, 1660.