A LETTER FROM Amsterdam, TO A FRIEND IN ENGLAND.  
LONDON, Printed for G. H. 1678.   

My kind Co-operator,  
THat from you of the eighth Instant I received, and am entirely yours, God speed the Plow here, and in England. I hope in short time to give you a good Account of my little Embassy in this place. No body at the Hague knows any thing of it yet; nor shall they. Be sure no Post to fail me; else I and my Fellow-Labourers here, shall be to seek in our Business. Tell our Friends I cannot go quick and through with it, unless constant returns be made hither, to fill the Bag and the Bottle. These are the Baits that I must fish with: the surest way to catch an Amsterdamer is by the Belly.  
We were last night no less than Three Nations together at Supper; but all of a Knot: nothing can untie us but want of Money. My Scots Fugitive was so sharp and quick upon sight of Fleshmeat, that he laid aside his long Grace, and without blessing God, or cursing the Duke of L. he fell to, and fed like a Farmer, whilst I, snapping a bit now and then, fell to tunning up Old Hock in Min Heer the Burgomaster; for our Companion is of such a humour, that till he be topful, he never vents his Oracles against the house of Orange, and Court of England. But in this Pickle, the Man is old dog at driving Private Trade, and public Counsels: So e're Supper was done, we became ripe for business.  
About half an hour after, came in two or three more of the magistrates, and with them same Scots of the Common Persecution: Then the Romer having walked a round or two more, and our Letters of Intelligence from all parts being red, your Accounts from England pleased me best; other from France were not much inferior, and most welcome to Min Heer, because as Monsieur Louvoy whistels, the Louvestein Party dances. No wonder then that the influence from hence hath made such foul weather at the Hague. That King saw 'twas best way to quit the Flemish campaign, and divert his Army, when less than one quarter of the Charge may save his Stake in Flanders till another Season, and perhaps without the striking so much as one stroke, spoil the design of Arms out of England and Holland.  
He had Intelligence the Tide is turned in England: that whereas last year some of us were for War against him, We now are the Men that cry it down: I perceive charging of Pistols by a French hand, may sometimes do more than all their Cannon: The Court some Moneths ago were reviled as Men against the War, and Pensioners of France; Now I hear the Court Ministers begin to retort the like jealousy upon you and your Friends: Verily, the Dutch say, yours is either the Floating iceland, or founded upon Quick silver: and this part of the Continent here, being a Quake-mire, is movable too, though not so quick; The French offer now as well as we to the Shrine of De wit, the Martyr and Saint of this republic; and his Louvesteiners resolve that you and our Scotch Friends shall not get All; For they, if they can, will do as much of his business as the best of you: only they take it not well to be so shamed with that broad story about a pretended Project of Peace betwixt France and England in favour of the Swede; The Nassauvians now at the Hague, conclude it was but a French piece of Gullery, to choke the Current of the General Confederacy: A mere State-stratagem to blow off the Prohibition of French Commodities in this country.  
'Twas neatly done, and had like to have taken effect, thanks be to you( SIR) and the rest of your Friends, who gave the occasion of disputing it here, by yoking yourselves to the Prohibition first, that this State might remain at liberty to lurch you afterwards, if they think it convenient. 'Twas delicately done also to worry and hurry one another into Resolutions for a War before you were ready; and now when 'tis resolved on, to clog and clap on Weights to hinder it. At this rate things must needs very kindly operate: Your last hath given me and the rest of your Friends here admirable satisfaction; go on and prosper in all the particulars of your contrivance; the day's your own: if we can but apply fresh Leeches to the Posteriors of the Kingdom, we shall soon recover. Those that are here for the interest of republic will be forward enough too, if France be cordial( which we doubt not) to our Party. He hath his end in it upon them, and us: However, our Brains shall stretch hard but we will out-reach him. What a fight 'tis to see our Friends in England, Holland, and Scotland, so well twisted! This Three-fold Cord is strong enough to hang, or hamper all our Adversaries.  
Methinks I see your Grandees lodged in Truckle-beds already; 'twill soon be done, if we first handsomely divide the Courtiers, and make use of the envy of some of them at their Fellows; then put them like Pellets to drive out one another.  
The only way to wheedle them into it, is, first by round charges to endeavour a remove of the Ministers in possession; 'tis the ready way to come at the Master; the hope of their Places will engage the rest of them to help on the work. Set but this wheel a going, and these are the Cogs that will turn round the Mill. What though you have hitherto had but ill luck in lifting at them? If one Broadside do not sink a Vessel, another may: it was a wise Providence that reserved our Confessors last year for this purpose. The treating of such Men with Sugar-plums, and Sweet-meats to throw among the people, did Strafford's business, and yours, and the Kings's too. It was thought the ready road to sweetening and Quiet; but behold a Troop of Thousands! yielding in one point made way to ask All, and the Multitude to believe all were guilty as well as one. A tacit Court confession of guilt by one Sacrifice, past for Proof enough that all was true of the rest. If the same point can be gained again, be it but an unbloody piece of work, so it amount to a removal of any one principal Man, it may perhaps take the more easily, and do the Feat as well, if not better: Shape your vengeance as it may not startie the Nature of their Master. So Court places may fall one after another; their's your reward upon Earth, whatever else you may expect from Heaven.  
Ply His Majesty with warm Clothes if ye can; tell him he is Just and Good; but Counsels are ill, or weak, no matter which. Drive any peg that will go; soothe him in hope to smite the other: A dogged humour of no Money will please the People, and plunge him. Start up difficulties, promote his necessities; then work upon 'em: and make bold to tell him, only new Friends can remedy ' em. red your Lectures backward, say the War was most advisable last year, when he had neither Preparations nor Moneys for it: but not now you have got him into it. Bring on new Accounts of Growth of Popery and Arbitrary Government: Charge them upon evil counsellors: Be sure to lift 'em, at any hand lift 'em: noise may do it: ah ▪ but Tumult is wanting! Then burn the Pope again, to fulfil the Revelation: that will draw together the Rabble: But forget not Cakes and Ale for 'em: Pot-valiant will do as much as Press-money, if you bid defiance to a Standing-army, though it be but in the Clouds.  
If this will not do in the City, then once again press Grand Jury-men in the Counties, to Petition for a New Parliament. It was well and wisely done to sand them down the late Books, to inspire and quicken ' em. The Judges will not dare to hinder, if in the mean time you Rattle them roundly for what they have done. If you perceive them sturdy, then cast dirt at 'em: it will stick, and spot too, it being upon Scarlet. You have men of Law enough that have done you service, who gape for their Places: 'Tis fit their mouths should be stopped, that they may open with Alacrity at Prerogative and Allegiance.  
'Tis fine, to see our Scottish Friends trace the old Method of of 1640. And how every thing hits to improve the Brotherly Correspondence: Lords and Grievances came then together out of Scotland: God sand us good luck: you know what followed. They then went to Court one day, another day to Conventicles, and Conclaves, in London: advice them to do so now, A new bustle against that Government began An. 1674. We and our Party at the same time began the like bustle at Westminster: They, and we have walked hand in hand like Brethren ever since. What have we to do next, but to revive and rak that Phoenix the COVENANT, out of its Ashes?  
Be it your Care to time the Business: my Scotch Confidents here do say, no time so fit at home, as when the KING is Engaged abroad: then it will do the French work, and ours too.  
Methinks 'tis fine music when these four Nations play in Concert: and 'tis Glorious for Scotland, that it hath the Honour to led the Dance.  
What a dull Brute of late is the Subject of England! Therefore( as the old Song saith) Blew Cap for me. Our men of that Nation writ, Preach, and Fight too: they have got likewise the right knack of Distinction, and understand the way of Supplicating the KING'S Person against His Authority. The sum of all is, get out the great Loon there, and perhaps none else can Saddle or Mount 'em for His Majesties Service. I like that Course consulted by our good Friends, that if he cannot be Impeached in Scotland, 'tis but turning the Table, and you may do it at Westminster. The Pitcher hath two Ears: if you cannot lay hold on one side, take him by t'other, and dash him to the ground: Remember his name is not only Lauderdail, but guildford too. The honest Covenanters have been whetting their Pens at him these Five years; so have we our Spleens in England, we have spent the most part of our gall in Ink-pots; Try what the rest will do in a round Charge or two. Nevertheless, writ on still: I am sorry we have lost the Prime Pen: therefore make sure of Andrew. he's a shrewd man against Popery though for his Religion you may place him, as Pasquin at Rome placed Henry the Eighth, betwixt Moses, the Messiah, and Mahomet, with this Motto in his Mouth, quò me vertam nescio. 'Tis well he is now Transprosed into politics: they say he had much ado to live upon Poetry. What a blunt-tool the people's become! No mutiny? However, let him whet on till they take an Edge, and be sure that you and the rest of our Comrades whet him.  
'Tis time now to Say, or Print any thing that will sharpen. Blacken the whole undertaking: Say, in this Marching Army is couched a Standing one. Rant roundly at Adjournments: Say, Neutrality is better now when we are armed, than it was when we were not: Say all you can to befool the foreign Confederacy, and frustrate it: for, what was Wisdom last Summer, is none now. Do all you can to spoil this Meeting also; then follow ▪ No Money: Urge that point long and loud: it may force the Court to do that for supply, which we may have occasion to Rail at afterwards and Rouz● men with a Witness. I Ply the Northern Supplicators, and let them ply you.  
Gather the Quakers and Fanaticks under the wing; and allow them now for Protestants for all the Act of Uniformity: be kind, and give 'em a little Opium; So they may forget the tyranny of their Elder Brother, and be all one again; then the New Cause may prove as good as the Old one.  
If you will hatch somewhat like a Remonstrance, I like it well; go back to 41. There's your perpetual Pattern; matter enough to deal with any King in Europe: Nothing in Heaven can more fermentate and leaven the whole lump: But be sure you do not call it Remonstrance; a new name will do better to cover the purpose: and for a new Model of State, and States-men, commend me to the Nineteen Propositions, to begin with.  
To crown the work, and make all things easy, only one thing is wanting to turn the World. Archimedes, to effect it, required but one point to stand on without the Circumference: Do you gain but one in the Centre, and you'l do it as readily; that is the King's Point. If He move, and tread never so little aside it, the stoutest will stagger, no man will stand to it.  
Just now Letters are come hither from the Hague, where two Twins are struggling in the Womb of their Business; many thanks to you( SIR.) Whether the delivery will be now by the hand of a French Midwife, or an English, is not to be understood yet. They are come to the birth: Some would have the Name of the first-born to be Prohibition: others would have the second be name Neutrality, because he laid hold on the heel of his Brother, which as our Friends of Louvenstein imagine, must signify, that the Younger is to trip up the heels of the Elder.  
Remember me to, &c. and let me be answered in the main of my former.  
I am Yours, &c. Amsterdam, 18th of April, 1678. English style.  
FINIS.