A BAKERS-DOZEN Of Plain downright QUERIES, harmless and Honest: PROPOUNDED To all that expect benefit from this present POWER. Wherein is discovered, The Bawling, mercenary, accustomed Tricks, quirks, and Quillets of the Learned Lying, daggle-tailed Lawyers, Crafty attorneys, and subtle Solicitors, & c.. With a Description of the Dutch Water-Rats: And the difference between Spanish Pieces of Eight, and the Babies, puppets and Quelchoses of FRANCE.  
By George Gregory, Gent.  
LONDON, Printed in the year MDCLIX.   
A baker's dozen Of downright queries Propounded to all that expect benefit from this Present POWER.  

I.  
Whether the Officers of the Army were in earnest or in jest, when they re-invested this present Parliament in their pristine Power; And will they now own and defend it, having put it upon them; and may all well-minded People believe for a Truth, and not be deceived, but that it may appear the Mace is above the Sword?   

II.  
If agreed upon upon all hands, the People of the Land have not Reason to be satisfied therein by public Declaration, that doubts may be taken away, and all may follow their several employments without any distraction?   

III.  
Whether a Power thus made, finding the Law now in force destructive and not for the weal of the People, may not make null the old, and enforce a new Law, suitable to the safety and welfare of the Nation, that oppression may not be upheld because it is ancient?   

iv.  
Whether can Justice truly be said to be had in England at all by the proceedings of our Law; For Justice done for any other end than for Justice sake (though many fools are content to buy it) doth it not plainly prove the seller a Knave?   

V.  
Whether a Multitude of laws are not the greatest badge of an enslaving People, having always been fomented a numerous sort of governors, either for their own profit or for preferment of their favourites, or satisfying their own boundless Wills; whereas Right is couched in few words, which Reason the Foundation of Law, the more clearly sees, and sooner decides?   

VI.  
Whether is it not most agreeable to Reason, that there should be in different Judges in every County, which by their vicinity might by report of honest neighbours, know the condition of the Cause, as well as from the parties themselves; And that no daggle-rayled Lawyer, attorney or other, should plead any Cause (save their own) for that it is impossible a Judge should but lose a great deal of evidence, which is to be perceived in the carriage, countenance, and deportment of the parties themselves, which in a bold brasen-faced, dawling, mercenary, accustomed lying Lawyer, shall never be discovered to the most piercing eye upon earth.   

VII.  
Whether do not many People of this Nation for malice or revenge, make it their common practice to oppress the poor man's cause the more violently, because they know (though fools themselves) they can have a Learned lying Lawyer, a crafty attorney, a subtle Solicitor, if his Cause goes to the devil, to follow it for money, whereas admonition from a grave Judge seasonably given, may take effect in the party interested in the Cause himself: which it never doth in a Common Pleader, because gift which blinded his eyes, makes his Tongue run the perpetual motion.   

VIII.  
Doth it not too manifestly appear, that Law doth undo more than it relieves; for our Court of Equity as it is now handled, a Suit in Chancery, though it wear out both the Boots, shoes, and patience of the client, yet commonly outlasts any four Gowns of his Council, though he wear it the longer to demonstrate his Antiquity.   

Ix..  
Whether doth it not plain appear that changes in Government are most chargeable to any commonwealth. And debillitating the poorest sort for want of Trade through the distraction of the Times; is it not therefore honest policy to submit to the present power as most fittest to go on for the Common good, as having most experience by their own and others' government, and by consequence abler to avoid all inconveniences, and whether is it safest to consent on all hands from Ministers or other professing Religion, lest while they bridle not their tongues they speak their Religion vain; That a Lawyer plead not against it, unless for a place which he shall lose, the first Fee he takes by all honest men's consent; And whether the soldiery if they retard it and be not content with their pay, do they not crack an apostolical command?   

X.  
Whether though it be impossible to make all of one mind; yet may not a Government be so settled that those that will take any osfence, may not be suffered to give any in point of Faith: And for Manners morality, may not that serve?   

XI.  
Whether the common adversary do not get advantage by delays or discourses, Trades decay, and Tradesmen discouraged, whereas unity emboldeneth all, merchant's adventure, Tradesmen give Credit, mechanics live by their labours, and such as want employment find it at Sea, which if we longer neglect the Hollander, that water-Rat will get all our fish and carry it to Spain, and bring us no better return then a few small Reasons to fetch our ready money, and if they prove to be our brokers for Wine another year, they will balance the loss of their last war, with the gain of their Trade?   

XII.  
Whether the war with Spain, or the Peace with France agree best with the stomach of this commonwealth; and whether pieces of Eight be not more staple commodities than the Babies, Pupies and Quelchoses of France?   

XIII.  
Whether as the Case now stands with England and Englishmen, may they not having made a supreme power force a new Law, fit for our present Condition, having the light of Reason and the Word of God, rather than to set this Government upon the Basis of Monarchy, which with his laws will bring in himself.  
A word by way of address to the Right Honourable the Parliament of the commonwealth of England, &c.  
That notwithstanding the Nations several and sad Complaints; yet still the Audacious Impudent Lying Covetous deceitful attorneys, and bloody murdering jailers, have continued the wicked and audacious practice of injustice, tyranny and Oppression, and the still continued sale of Justice for the price of Iniquity called Bribes and Fees; None hath hitherto truly Considered the ruin of Thousands of People, Robbed of their Estates, Liberties and Lives, by Arrests, Outlawries, false Judgements, Executions, Decrees, Orders and reports, begotten and brought forth by corrupt Judges, covetous Lawyers, deceitful attorneys, Masters of the Chancery, Registers, Clerks, Sheriffs, Bailiffs, sergeants and gaolers, by whom the Poor, the widow, the fatherless, and the Stranger is slighted, scorned, devoured, yea eaten up as they eat bread, none hitherto in Authority have called for Justice nor for satisfaction to the oppressed, none hath hitherto regarded the lamentable cries of the enthralled, none hath laid to heart the miserable enslaved Condition of this Nation by Lawyers, none hitherto hath considered the afflictions of Joseph in bands, as formerly they have Protested, declared, vowed and promised to do, but hitherto not performed by them; Therefore in behalf of this whole Nation, thus enslaved and groaning under this unsupportable burden. The appeal and outcry is made unto You the abovenamed Persons, praying for speedy help, remedy and redress of these great national destructive maladies, in and by suppressing the Lawyers speedily, advancing Justice vigorously, abolishing the Capias for arrest of men's persons, and restoring the Just and undeniable Liberties of this Nation, according to Magna Charta, with full reparations to all the Oppressed, ruined & wrongfully Imprisoned in the Land. If the head of Royalty be cut off and the Power disowned, and this Nation declared to be a Free State, why then the members of tyranny suffered to flourish, and still to bear the poisonous fruits of Slavery and destruction, contrary to the freedom and deliverance, long-since by you Promised and now again this Promise by you confirmed; and why not then this Nation a Free people as of right they ought to be; That so the Lawyer may no longer rob them of their Estates and Liberties, nor the Gaoler of their Lives, to the utter ruin also of Wives, Children, and Families.  
FINIS.