A DIALOGUE BETWIXT A COURTIER AND A SCHOLAR: Wherein several Passages of State are briefly discussed for the further satisfaction of the Common People. Octob: 13. 1642  Courtier. 
SIR, YOu are well overtaken, your habit renders you to be a Scholar, and (for the present) a traveller likewise; I suppose you have been at London, and elsewhere, to visit friends, as well as I that am an honest Courtier.  Scholar. 
Sir, I am a mean Scholar, and as you conjectured, have been in London, and other parts of the Kingdom, to see some old acquaintance, which now I did the rather, lest my purpose should have been prevented by the great concourse of Cavaliers that do daily increase in all parts, which is a means of begetting and increasing jealousies and fears in the hearts of travellers.  Court. 
What say people in those parts where you have been, concerning the differences betwixt the King and Parliament?  Scholar 
Truly Sir, they tell me that they are amazed about those differences, in regard both King and Parliament, do solemnly profess in their Declarations, etc. that they do chiefly and solely intent the good both of Church and Commonwealth, and yet notwithstanding, have now at last after the loss of much time, and expense of a vast sum of the public treasure, argued themselves into a civil combustion; and engaged the Kingdom in an unnatural and bloody war.  Court. 
I pray thee Scholar tell me, since both pretend to make the common good the end that all their undertake drive at, and yet go two ways, directly contrary to effect ●t, whether of the two is best believed by the Vulgar?  Scholar 
Sir, they tell us in the general, that they never heard of any Parliament, being rightly chosen and assembled, that did ever prejudice the Commonwealth, and therefore they dare not entertain dishonourable thoughts of this, especially since the experience they have had of some, and the information they have had of others of these Worthies, hath rendered them faithful to their Country, insomuch, that what ever pretences may be made by the one party or the other, yet they are resolved to follow our Saviour's rule, in judging of the Tree by its fruit. Now Sir, I must needs tell you, they having lately seen our stately Cedar environed with the fluttering Ivy of Prelacy, Popery, and Delinquency, it makes them jealous; for they stick not to demand, why a King of England (being seduced by evil Counsel) may not say, he hath done, and will do that, which he neither hath done, nor intends to do, as well as a King of Israel, whom God had appointed to be anointed over the people, boasted that he had done that, which afterwards he confessed he had not done.  Court. 
Hath not the King of late both fully and frequently declared himself, that he will maintain the Protestant Religion, the Laws of the Land, the Liber●ies of the Subject, and the Privileges of Parliaments. I hope he is believed, and none make question of the real performance of what he hath promised?  Scholar 
Believe it Sir, the people distinguish betwixt those promises that are made by a King seduced by evil Counsel, and those that are made by him when such Counselors are removed from him yourself will say, I suppose, that, that man is very unlikely to perform his promise, that puts himself into such a condition wherein he will be necessitated to break it; His Majesty hath heretofore declared, that he will maintain the Protestant Religion, and yet by reason of the negligence (wilful negligence it's to be feared) of those Counselors about his Majesty, we have seen that Popery hath been tolerated, Masses frequented, Popish Priests and Jesuits favoured; and if at any time they have been questioned by some, and brought upon the stage of Justice, authority hath fetched them off again, as not suffering a hair of their heads to perish; whilst in the mean time, many of the faithful Ministers of Christ, faithful to their flocks, have been suspended, imprisoned, and unnaturally used, and Popish idle drones and such like, advanced and promoted: Sir, the people mutter at these things.  Court. 
It's strange that the people should have no more confidence in his Majesty's personal promises and protestations, then to draw up such conclusions as these are, and that about Religion too, which is of such everlasting concernment to us all. Prithee what cause have they to think, that the Laws of the Land, and the Liberties of the Subjects should miscarry, notwithstanding the King's solemn assurances, that he will innovate nothing?  Scholar 
The small satisfaction that people receive, notwithstanding these reiterated protestations, fetches its rice from this ground; They say, that those Counsellors which heretofore have so often flattered his Majestic into error, they remaining still near unto his person, and their whisper having a chief influence into his proceed, may prove fatal both to himself, and his good people, and in a short time woo his Majesty's resolutions out of his sacred breast, and divert his good intentions that he had towards his people. Sir, they have had large experience of the accursed fruits of these counsels, the multitude of Monopolies, the exaction of Loane-money, Ship-money, Goat and Conduct-money doc sufficiently witness this: Besides their endeavours to advance the Prerogative beyond its due limits, and their suppressing of the Subject's Liberties, their attempts to parallel the Government of this Kingdom with that of France, and this (as some conceive) hath ushered in this intestine broil, that so in case his Majesty conquer, our old and new Laws may be destroyed, and he reign over us as a conquered people by his will. And now of late their drawing of his Majesty from the Parliament, which hath been an unspeakable impediment to their proceed; the manifest retarding of supplies for Ireland, if not countenancing of the rebellion there; the late executing of the Commission of Array, the inlet of beggary and slavery; their plundering, and firering of the houses of his Majesty's Subjects, their slaying of their persons, and exercising of most barbarous and inhuman cruelties, and all because people will not renounce their Religion, Laws, and Liberties, and all that can be called theirs. Sir, these notorious acts of injustice are not the Kings ' but his Ministers, who then can expect that these unnatural Vines should ever bring forth good grapes, or that a Prince looking through the false glass of their counsels, should possibly discern, or be enabled to judge what may be good for his people.  Court. 
I but Scholar, thou know'st the King hath done much in the pursuance of his promise made to maintain the Protestant Religion by two late Proclamations, the one for disarming of Papists, and the other for prohibiting any to be of his Army, unless they should first take the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance?  Scholar 
But Sir, what satisfaction can this give the people, since it is notoriously known, that many Papists are engaged in this service, and some too necre His Majesty's person, and that in many places they have had their Arms restored, and been themselves encouraged: pray Sir, who is it that rejoices more in the divisions and distractions of this Kingdom than they? Assure yourself, their continual countenancing, supplying and assisting of his Majesty's Forces, renders them to stand a tiptoe, expecting a booty in the issue if that party prevail. Besides Sir, we know the shifts of many of them for the present, their good service here hath merited dispensations from the Pope, that will tolerate them to go to our Church, and receive the Sacrament, and to take the aforementioned Oaths, and any thing else, so they can but destroy the Protestants.  Court. 
Well, letting those things pass, thou know'st Scholar, that of late the King hath sent to the Parliament Propositions of Pacification, that some might meet on both sides, to avoid the shedding of blood, and the Parliament refuses to appoint any; what thinkest thou now, at whose hands shall all that blood be required that already hath been and is like to be spilt?  Sc. 
The Parliament hath sufficiently answered the grounds of that denial; Sir the intent of those Propositions may be guest at by that precedent Declaration, which at one clap rendered the whole Parliament an assembly of Traitors, and in that respect not capable to treat, and yet this must usher in Propositions of a Treaty; Sir the Parliament desires that justice may be done for Justice sake, without leaning to the right hand or to the left: besides Sir, where to find fit parties to treat betwixt the King and his Parliament I know not; but this I am sure of, that if it would please his Majesty to concur with his great and best Council, that treaty would soon be ended; believe it Sir, the strongest Bulwarks his Majesty can make to secure his royal Person, Crown and Dignity, must have their foundations laid in the affections of his Parliament and liege people, and not in the tottering policies of some Malignant and Delinquent Counselors, backed by the undistinguishing vulgar.  Court. 
Prithee Scholar what wouldst thou have the King to do? what dost thou conceive would give thyself and other his good people (as thou callst them) satisfaction?  Scholar 
Truly Sir, I am confidently assured, that if his Majesty would be pleased to return to his Parliament, and to concur with their Counsels, they would make him the happiest Prince this day in Christendom; and this I doubt not would give satisfaction to himself, and his Subjects also.  Court. 
Dost thou think this would bury all acts of injustice (occasioned by his evil Counsel) in oblivion, and exalt him in the affections of his Subjects: so, that upon all lawful occasions he may command their hearts, persons, and estates?  Scholar 
For my part sir, I am confident it would, especially when some few scruples are removed, as the pretended passage of those letters twixt his Majesty and the Pope; and further to vindicate his innocence from those unhappy acts wherein those wicked Counsellors had most dishonourably engaged him (by setting the saddle upon the right horse) as the publishing of the book that gave liberty to the exercising of sports and pastimes upon the Lord's Day, the authorising of the late popish prejudicial Canons, the delaying to send forth Proclamations about the Irish Rebellion, the Commissions or other authority that the Rebels pretend to have from his Majesty, the staying of the Lord Deputy of Ireland; and the stopping of provisions sent by the Parliament for the relief of the Protestants there. Sir, would his Majesty be pleased to clear himself of these and such like things, which have bred jealousies in the hearts of his Subjects it would be a means to gain infinitely upon the affections of his people, and to add a glorious lustre to his undertake, which will the more facillie be effected when it shall once please his Majesty to conclude his interest to be, to unite, and not to divide his Subjects, by which means he may lay a stable foundation of peace to himself, his posterity, and his people. Would he say to his great Council as David did to his Counselors, What seemeth you best that will I do: 
2 Sam 18. 4●  then no doubt but that all his Majesty's sayings and do would be so acceptable to his people, that it should be said of him as it was of David, That whatsoever the King did pleased all the people. 2 Sam. 3.36.  Court. 
Thou speak'st honestly, hast thou any thing more to add?  Scholar 
Yes sir, a word concerning yourself, and that is about David's resolution laid down in the 101. Psalm, where he speaks of a Court-reformation, Sir I am of opinion, that if it would please his Majesty to cashier such Courtiers as David there resolved to cast out of his presence, there would be but a few left with our King, and then what would become of you and many of my Coat I know not.  Court. 
Well no more of that, but now thou speak'st of Scripture, prithee tell me, Parson, what wouldst thou make the subject of thy discourse if thou were to preach before the King?  Scholar 
I would make choice of that portion of Scripture in the 1. King. 12.7, 8. hence I would urge the excellency of that advice which was given by the Counsellors of Solomon to Rehoboam, laid down in the 7. verse, viz. And they said, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, than they will be thy servants for ever. Then having demonstrated the worth of that advice in sundry respects, I would proceed to the following verse, and therein would show the sad and dangerous consequence of Rehoboam: disserting of the counsel of the old man, and adhering to, and confiding in the destructive advice of the young men, which was to speak roughly to the people, and to make their yoke heavier, by adding to their former oppressions; and thus I would spend the whole hour in explicating this Scripture, for I believe the weakest of my auditory would be able to apply it.  Court. 
Believe it, Parson, the Courtiers would judge thee to be a Schismatical factious fellow.  Scholar 
I care not for that, if ever there were a time for God's Ministers to cry aloud, and to tell the people of their sins; I am sure sir a Kingdom divided in itself cannot stand.  Court. 
I have but a word or two more to speak, and then I'll leave thee; Prithee tell me truly what in thy judgement thou conceivest to be the cause, that may of those great Statesmen and Counselors now with the King are so averse to the Parliament? For I do ingeniously confess, that I am convinced in this, that how ever they prerend to retain honourable thoughts of Parliaments, yet their actions carry in them a bitter malignity to Parliaments.  Scholar 
Sir, many of the Counsellors of State (his Majesty's unhappy Favourites and flatterers) whose consultations and actions ought principally to have respected the common-good, they have most unnaturally betrayed (as much as in them lies) the liberties of the subject, and most notoriously abused the trust reposed in them, by which means they have rendered themselves friends and favourers of injustice and tyranny, which makes them now afraid to look their spotted faces in the true glass of a Parliament; shunning the remedy that thereby they might increase the disease: And certainly sir, their treacherous deal are now boiled up to such a height, that rather than acknowledge any unlawful act, they will strive for an unlawful power to give it countenance.  Court. 
I am well satisfied upon thy answer. Yet I think this might have been added, for their envy and malice seems partly to spring from this: They tell us that lived peaceably and quictly before such time as this and the last Parliament were called; but now questions are raised, and differences fomented, and the peace of the Kingdom disturbed, etc.  Scholar 
Truly sir, it was a miserable peace that they and others likewise enjoyed, being it was built upon the ruins of Law and Liberty; and I believe that there are few so besotted but they can tell you of though great inroad that these men had made upon the Liberties of the subject; their perverting of the Laws of the Land, and their tyrannising over men's consciences, did cry out most vehemently for reformation, which could only be hoped for in a Parliament: And I am persuaded sir, that had not this Parliament been called, and continued as it hath been, we had been most of us long since either dead men, or living slaves. Sir, this happy constitution of Parliaments is so essential to the well being of this Kingdom, that neither the just Prerogative of the King, nor the rightful privileges of the Subjects, could be maintained without it. It was a witty simile of his, that said the Prerogative was like unto a Stag, and the Liberties of the Subject unto a Cornfield, and the Parliament like unto the Park pale that keeps the Stag out of the Corn. Now sir, I suppose you would account it folly and madness in him that should condescend to have the pale pulled up, and take the Stag's word that he will not come into the corn.  Court. 
I give thee hearty thanks for thy good company; yet this I'll tell thee before I leave thee, that though thou hast persuaded me, yet I will not be persuaded: and though thou hast convinced me, yet I will not be convinced, for I am a Courtier.  Scholar 
Sir take this with you, such hath been the corruption of Courtiers, and some State-Counsellors, that it hath begot a universal diffidence in the people; Insomuch that all the honest and truehearted Commons in England do now seem jointly to look both for their safety, their well being, yea and being itself, from the Parliament. And so adieu Courtier.   
FINIS.