The danger of TREATIES WITH POPISH-SPIRITS.  
OR, A seasonable Caveat, and Premonition to our present most renowned PARLIAMENT, touching the frail trust in the Vows and Protestations of Popishly-affected Princes, for Peace and Reconcilement with their Protestant Subjects.  Abundans Cautela non nocet. 
ALthough it must needs be granted, that (as the Poet sings) pax est dulcissimarerun; Peace (especially married to truth) is a most sweet & precious temporal blessing, and a most amiable and desirable thing; And that, that of the Apostle, Ro. 12. 18. is most true, If it be possible, as much as in you is, have peace with all men; And although I therefore do most justly and ingenuously acknowledge, that our most renowned Parliamentary Worthies do most holily and honourably both before God and all good men in entering into Treaties and Propositions for peace, and thereby do most prudently and piously l●berare animas suas, and stop the slanderous mouths of malignants: yet it must be as necessarily granted that it is a most essential part of prudence, to be most careful and circumspect in the managing the results and settlement thereof unto such safe and secure issues for succeeding times, and (if it be possible) for the more certain avoiding of future dangerous after-claps, as themselves, and the Subject may receive certain content and comfort therein for future times, especially after a promised and (though most deeply) protested reconciliation with popishly affected, and atheistically principled Malignants formerly offended with their Protestant Peers and people. In which respect, O the most sad and sanguine, O the base and bloody after claps, and calamitous, catastrophes, and most lamentable events which have followed and fallen upon the plain and honest-hearted peacedefiring people and Protestant Subjects of popish Princes, under the name and vicious vizard of pretended and protested peace, forsooth, end reconcilement with them! Most worthily, therefore, says the fountain of truth, the Spirit of God, by the pious Prophet David, though he himself was a very virtuous and holy King, Put not any trust in Princes, nor in any sons of men. Which is most true, not only in respect of the brevity and shortness of their lives, but also of the inconstancy of their words and promises; for; how did joab one of David's Princes or famous war-worthies, under show and semblance of pretended love and peaceful embracements, most treacherously murder both Abner and Amasa, two other most renowned worthies of Israel, whom, otherwise, in open hostility he could hardly have wronged? And how was that ancient and famous City of Troy (so renowned by Poet's pens, especially Homer and Virgil; we will not dispute the authenticness of the history, but only make use of the morality of it) suddenly, even in one night, so ruinated and depopulated, that as they sang of it, Sedges, nunc, ubi Trojasuit. And all under the Sinonian deceit, and fraudulent pretence of a holy (or rather hollow) horse, by Pallas or Pelasgan art and policy built and brought into the walls of Troy; which in one night, I say, utterly ruinated that most renowned City, which ten years siege and war before could never conquer or overcome: So that, seeing the Trojans would not timely listen to Laocoons' counsel or wary watchword, Timeo Danaos & dona ferentes, they were therefore made a proverb to posterity, by a Serò sapiunt Phryges'.  
But, what need so far fetched and ancient examples, since we have so many manifest and remarkable ones of this kind, more modern and nearer home? Whereof (for brevity's sake) I will only instance in two most eminent ones, and most pertinent to our present purpose; the one out of France, the other out of Germany: both which being seriously read and ruminated, let the wise reader rightly judge, and truly tell me, whether our present most renowned and pious Parliament, both eminent and excellent Lords and Commons, yea and the most loyal Senate, and City of London too, with them, have not extraordinary need and great cause to take special care and caution, with all Christian providential wisdom and circumspection, as our good and most wise God (being first sought unto) shall enable them, how they make a peace, and how fare they will trust and rest on the fairest promises, and profoundest Protestations, that Princes or Courtiers can make unto them, especially, as I said, being popishly, or atheistically, and malignantly principled, and in their deepest and dearest relations and engagements addicted and devoted to Popery, Atheism, and Malignant, enemies of true piety and honesty.  
The first serious example (then) most pregnant to this purpose, shall be that of Charles the ninth, King of France, Anno 1571 the year of that most execrable, base and bloody massacre at Paris. Oh the most horrid and hateful, the most deep and devilish dissimulation of the King, and his (then) Queen-mother, merely and mainly under a colour of love and reconcilement to that most famous Admiral of France (a most wise, magnanimous and pious Protestant, yea, (under God) the main pillar and prop of the French Protestants) and by deepest vows and promises of peace and high privileges and immunities, for his sake, to all the rest of the protestants in France: And yet all this only to ensnare and entrap this most renowned Admiral (and with him the rest of the prime protestant Peers of France) into their pitfall at Paris, there the more commodiously, (or rather accursedly) to massacre and murder them, (as afterwards they did) in a most barbarous and butcherly manner; but to give you a few most material particulars for the most full clearing of the thing. Oh how did this King Charles, at the first, (with most exquisite Machivilian hypocrisy) bind himself by most deep vows and protestations, yea and execrations of himself, on the contrary, to give the Admiral full assurance of his fair and clear intent and resolution to settle and confirm all acts and edicts, and all desiderable privileges, for the advancement and confirmation of the league and religion of all his protestant Subjects in France, backed most firmly (so see to) with the marriage of his daughter to the young King of Navarre, a protestant Prince, and by this means also in a special manner got the foresaid renowned Admiral, the King of Navarr, the young Prince of Conde, another Protestant Peer of France, and all or most of the most eminent protestant Nobility of France, joyfully and unjelously to assemble together at Paris, (the appointed Theatre of the ensuing Tragedy) for the more solemn celebration of this mischievous marriage; How did the King also at this time (to take away all jealousies and mistrusts) receive the said Admiral (being now, by these wiles drawn to Court) with all French compliments, and eve● extreme demonstrations of love and embracements, yea with large and liberal recompenses of all the Admiral's losses, sustained in his wars, by the gift of 100000 Frankes; besides the present grant (for one whole year) of all the revenues which his brother the Cardinal of Chastillon enjoyed, being then lately deceased in England, gave him a place in his privy Council, advised with him touching the managing of his greatest wars, then in Flanders, and made show to be governed by his only advice and counsel; yea, honoured him with the most plausible name of Father, and treated with him so familiarly, that the popish party began to murmur and say that Charles their King not only favoured that Huguenot, (for so in France they nickname the Protestants, as our malignants and papists in England call true Christians, Puritans and Roundheads) but would, they scared, shortly himself also become a Huguenot; yea, I say, so extraordinarily and so extremely (as I may say) did the King seem, thus, to hug and honour this most Noble and renowned, grave and godly Admiral, to free him from all suspicious and relucting jealousies, which sometimes were put into him, by the advisement of some of his dear and faithful protestant friends, that (like honest hearted good Gedaliah, touching Ismaels' treachery) he could, now, taste no admonitions, or fear any unfaithfulness, his honest-meaning spirit was so transported with the King's counterfeit countenance and bewitching words. But now see, how (when all things were ripe for the ensuing wicked work) all those favours and fair word, all K. Charles his deep vows, promises and protestations proved but so many sugared baits to swallow down, the smoothlier, the Kings most base and bitter pills of horrid and inhuman treachery. For, when as, I say, the designed day was now come, and all things ready for plotted and resolved ruin and destruction; First, this good aged Admiral securely reading a petition, was suddenly shot at with a Harguebuse, which instantly took off the forefinger of his right hand, and sorely wounded his left arm; whereof the King being presently certified by the King of Navarr and the Prince of Conde, o how he swore and took on, for seeming sorrow! o how he vowed with most bitter execrations to take such speedy and severe revenge on the actors of this outrage, as to make his justice exemplary to all the world, and fully satisfactory to the good Admiral and all his friend's! Whereupon great search was made, and the Harguebuse found, but the actor having a brave Spanish jennet at the door below waiting on him, was fled and gone, and there was all was done. For, all this proved but a preparatory to a far more bloody Scene and accursed Catastrophe, now instantly intended: for now, the good Admiral being conveyed into a bedchamber for cure, within a day or two, at most, after this, the Duke of Guise (by the full consent of King Charles, the Queen-mother, and others privy to the plot) set strong guards of Swissers and such like bloody villains about the Admiral's lodgings and bedchamber, whereinto a servant of the said Duke's first boldly enters, and with a naked Sword runs at the good aged Admiral, as he lay wounded in his bed, and instantly and desperately thrust him through his body with his Sword, then doubles the blow on his head, another shoots him into the body with a pistol, a third sorely wounds him on his legs as he lay, and then they cast that most Noble and renowned personage dead on the floor, whom living and in health, the proudest papist in France durst not (in a martial w●y) look in the face. This done, the devilish Duke of Guise caused his dead body to be cast out of the window to him, into the street, and those butcherly villains hurled him down headlong unto him, who having wiped the blood from his besmeared face, he said, Now I know 'tis he, and so despitefully spurning him with his foot, he left him, and then set forward the rest of the murderous and massacring work all over Paris: in which interim, they left not this noble Admiral, thus, but an Italian (of the Duke of Nevers household, one of the complotters) cut off his head, and instantly carried it to the King and Queen-mother, who joyfully causing it to be enbalmed sent it shortly after, as a choice present to the Pope, for an assurance of the death of his most capital enemy in France. Nay the rage of these French Romish Tigers rested not here, but like so many mad-Dogs, the rest of the ignoble rabble ran to his dead Corpse, and one cuts off his hands, another his privy-members, and for the space of three days, they dragged his dead carkasle (as the Grecians did Hector's about the walls of Troy) with all inhuman indignity, through the streets of Paris, and then hanged up his (thus) poor mangled body, by the heels on a Gibbet, and ceased not this most horrid and hellish massacre, till they had most lamentably murdered at least 10000 Protestants, men, women and children in Paris, besides many thousands more in other parts of France, at the same time. Yea and yet to add more to all the impiety of this popish (& therefore faithless) King: He sending, now for the King of Navarr and the Prince of Conde, gave them both to understand, even from himself, that all this was done by his own special command, and with all, peremptorily resolved the death of both these young Princes too, if they on his threats had not (as wretchedly they did) renounced their religion, turning Romish Catholic (against the light of their consciences) to save their lives and enjoy their honours. And thus you have summarily seen the sad effects of this most perfidious princes former deep vows, promises and protestations; And therefore, let all the World judge, whether, in this case, that be not most true.  
Jurat? Crede minus, non jurat, credere noli;  
jurat, non jurat hostis, ab host cave.  
That is;  
Does thy foe swear? none of his Oaths believe;  
Swears he, or swears he not; fear, he'll deceive.  
The other example is little inferior to this former, for Popish barbarity, and perfidious disloyalty, and that was of Ferdinando, late Emperor of Germany, father of the now present Emperor, which in brief was thus.  
After that this Ferdinando had (for his disloyal violation of the Bohemian Laws & immunities, especially by introducing the Jesuits among them to tyrannize over their Body's Estates and Consciences) been deposed and dispossessed of that Kingdom; (over which, being Electorate, the Nobility & whole State of Bohemia had chosen him their King) afterward by the unanimous consent of the said Nobles and Magistrates, the Prince Palatine of the Rhine, unhappy son in Law to King james of England, was in his stead chosen to be their King, according to the fundamental Laws and power of that Kingdom: But not long after it so pleased the Lord (the Almighty and most wise disposer of all things) that at the great battle fought near Prague by Bucquoy, the said Emperor's Generalissimo, the Palsgrave, the foresaid new elected King of Bohemia's forces were quite defeated and overthrown by the said Bucquoy; and, thereby, the famous and ancient City of Prague was reduced by conquest to the obedience of Ferdinando, this being about 24 or 25 years ago. Now the Emperor though thus re-estated, by the sword, and in some measure reestablished in the Bohemian throne, yet, in the first place, to wove and insinuate himself the more into the hearts and affections of the Nobility (for the more sure and infallible effecting of his secretly intended devilish design) and the heads of the Inhabitants of that City, which was the metropolis of that whole Kingdom; he thought it most fit, and accordingly put in practice with dexterious Machivilian craft and policy, to make most deep vows, protestations, and promises of full and free pardon and mercy for what was past, and a fuller fruition and enjoyment of his love and favour and of their rites and privileges, than ever formerly they had enjoyed from any of his predecessors: which he accordingly forthwith performed with all present possible confirmations, and carried himself in a very plausible and exceeding well pleasing deportment, every way, to them, for the space of above one half year, at the least. But, at last, about the expiration of a such like distance of time, the Emperor pretending some important and weighty affairs of the Kingdom to be consulted of and consented to by him and his whole Nobility, for the more successful and peaceful settlement of the state of the Kingdom and their immunities, he summoned them all that were, then, absent from the City, to make their appearance at Prague, at a day and time prefixed, who (by reason of the Emperors so fair and friendly carriage to them, all this while, and there so full and free enjoyment of their promised privileges and lawful immunities) not suspecting any evil, much less such a bloody Tragedy to be acted on them, as afterward they found and felt, in obedience to his Imperial Majesty's command and gratitude for his great favours, they readily and cheerfully assembled together according to their summons at Prague; where being met, together with the magistrates of the City, and most kindly saluted and entertained with all expressions of seeming love and affection, within a day or two after, they were all by a strong guard of armed soldiers, prepared and appointed thereunto, unexpectedly brought upon a great stage, privately built up and prepared for this purpose, where the headsman stood ready; and they all, thus suddenly ensnared and utterly unarmed, both prime Nobility and chief Magistrates of this City, who had had a hand in the Emperor's former deposing and expulsion, did every man of them suffer the loss of his life, by the fury of a treacherous sword; and (which makes the abomination of this perfidious cruelty and treachery the more odious and execrable) the Emperor had appointed and placed about 60 D●ummers underneath the stage, who (much like the cruelty of that tyrannical Emperor Phalaris, with Perillus his roaring brazen-Bull) should with incessant importunity, beat upon and rattle their Drum's, during all the time of the Execution, that so the noise, cries or complaints of all these innocent Nobles and Gentlemen dying on the stage above, might not be heard or pitied, in their just exclamations of the Machavilian and most abominable craft and cruelty executed on them. But, in vain did this faithless Emperor Ferdinando think to keep that from the ears and knowledge of men which had already with a crying noise (like murdered Abel's innocent blood) reached the ears of the omniscient and bloudavenging God, who soon cut short the thread of his life, and ever since and before his Death made hiswhole most unhappy Empire to him and to his bloody Son after him a lamentable Golgotha and stage of little else but rapine, ruin and destruction. Now, both these so pregnant precedents and examples, so eminently pertinent to our present times may be (me thinks) most remarkable Memento's and worthy warning▪ pieces to us in England, even to our most renowned Lords and Commons in Parliament, and to the most loyal and active eminent Citizens of London, to take special and extraordinary care, and with great wisdom and circumspection to be very cautious and heedful what Peace they make, and what vows, promises and deepest protestations (though backed with ever so heart-amazing curses) and execrations they trust and rest on, whereof already the rotten-hearted Royalists and Atheistical crew of impious Oxonian Malignants have not been wanting, and all in the King's Name, at least, to cheat, gull, and abuse the Kingdom and bring our precious Patriots into their base and bloody snares, and all forsooth under a colour and pernicious pretext of Peace and future safety and security, whereas indeed they intent nothing less, and aim at nothing more, than the ruin and destruction of their precious Lives and Estates, and (which is most dear to them, and us all) the extirpation of the true religion. And so much the rather do I the more seriously desire to press this seasonable caution, at this time, because, even now already (as indeed it hath been the constant practice of our Oxonian adversaries in all the times of their pretended Treaties) they apparently show they go but about to cheat and gull us to our faces, with bare shows and pretences of peace and all well meaning towards us, having, indeed, honey and butter (an acknowledgement of our Parliament at Westminster to be the parliament of England) on the tip of their Tongues, but gall and wormwood at the root of their hearts: nothing but pence, pacifications and privileges, at that time, when Branford sorely bleeds, Bristol must be betrayed and divers dangerous Fine-designes are set on foot, yea, so many and so mischievous, that they know not which to set upon first, thus, heretofore and all along. And is it better or is there fairer play above board, now adays than hath been heretofore. If it be so, let Reding, Lyn-regis, Plymouth, Abington and Dover, at this time witness, even now in the nick of time of this present pretended, accommodation and treaty of peace wherein, let all the World judge (with us) if they aim at any thing else, than gros●…y to gull ●s, and (as the sad and bad Catastrophe of all) to get us into their treacherous trap and pernicious pitfall, for certain ruin and a merciless massacre even of all the best and most honest and loyal subjects of the whole Kingdom; and hereof, truly, we have had, I say, too foul and frequent experiences, namely, that their dissembled words of peace have ever done us more mischief than all their sharpest swords of War. And if they have been thus hot, hasty and foolhardy after the murder and massacring of the Kingdoms most innocent ones (witness, with the rest, that desperate and most bloody design of january the fourth 1641 in the house of Commons in Parliament, countenanced and attempted with our King Charles his own person) apparently to our faces, even then, and now (though now ada●es more craftily) when we have power to oppose them. O what may we fear for the future, when they may have fully or rather foully and faithlesly got our famous Patriots (by a fallacious accommodation) into their resistless paws and power, as those forementioned most memorable examples have remarkably manifested, 'tis possible may be. Certainly a little length of time is not like to lessen their intestine malice and malignity, but believe that to be most true which the Poet sung of Juno, (with a little inversion) Manet alta ment reposita, Invidia Principum. And let, I say, all popishly and atheistically principled Princes, and their semblable adherents protest and pretend what they please and what they can, let us in the strength and wisdom of our God, stand wisely always on our guard, and still look on them all with just and most jealous vigilancy, suspicion and circumspection, having oft in remembrance that pretty and pertinent apology (which I have read) of the Cat and the Mice, with which I will conclude all I have herein to say, which is thus related. The Cat having along time craftily preyed upon Mice, the poor creatures, at last, for their safety contained themselves within their holes; but the Cat finding his prey to cease, as being too well known to the Mice that he was their inveterate enemy, and a Cat; he deviseth this course following, viz. He changeth his hue, getteth on a religious habit, shaveth his crown, and walks gravely by the holes: And yet, perceiving that the Mice still kept their holes, and looking out suspected the worst, he most formally & fatherly said unto them Quod sueram non sii, frater, caput asp●ce tonsum; that is, I am not (brothers) as I was want to be, No more a Cat, my coat and shorncrown see. Hereupon, some of the more credulous and bold mice among them ventured forth; and were presently snatched up and devoured: But the rest seeing this, when afterwards the Cat came, thus, to entice them again, to come forth, they would no more adventure out, but when he called unto them, as before, they kept in and answered, Cor tibi restat idem, vix tibi praesto sidem. Talk what you can, we will you not believe, you still retain a Cat's heart to deceive. Thus let us (as Solomon advises the sluggard to learn of the Pismire) learn vigilancy of these Mice; And when we deal with dissemblers (as now we do) let us wisely and warily consider, that the best, safest and surest way (by God's blessing and assistance) is, that old and plain well known rule, fast bind, fast find. Yet, trust and seek God herein, above all; But, put no confidence in popishly affected Princes or Machivilianly principled Courtiers or malignants. Now the God of grace and wisdom make us all wise unto salvation, and give our most honourable and pious Patriots understanding in all things. Amen and Amen.  
Tuta frequensque via est per amici fallere nomen:  
Tuta frequensque licet sit via, crim●n habeat. That is  
A safe and common way it is through friendship to deceive:  
As safe and common as it is, 'tis knavery by your leave.  
FINIS.  
I. V.   

Imprimatur  
Ja. Cranford.   

LONDON, Printed for I. Rothwell. 1644.