An Humble ADDRESS To the truly Loyal Citizens of London, By a True Lover of his KING and COUNTRY; With a Candid Reprehension to the Intelligencer at the Stationer's Arms in the Piazza under the Royal Exchange in Cornhill.  He that speaketh Evil of Kings, Princes, and Magistrates, will be as Simple as he is Wicked, to be offended and not amend, when he is justly and moderately corrected. 
Gentlemen and Fellow Citizens,  
I Am not ignorant that whatever comes forth in Print, if it be, cum or sine Privilegio, although it assert Allegiance to the King and Obedience to the Magistrates, yet now adays it is A la mode to Libel it, and for every pitiful Mechanic Fellow to become a Censurer, Tempora mutantur; At the Beginning it was not so. It is now a great fashion for such scurrilous Persons, to be the Common Mouth in Defaming the best of our Governors; by vilifying the Government, disliking every thing which is contrary to the foolish Idea of their own minds; but from Men of such factious and turbulent Spirits; Libera nos domine: Certainly it is worthy our most serious Consideration, the shameful Actions done by some of our Fellow Citizens, whose Courage and Deportment to our Loyal Lord Mayor, and some of our truly Loyal Governors, then sitting upon the Bench: What is the reason that our brave Sir Joseph Sheldon, or Loyal Turner, must be despised at the great Solemnity of our last Election of Burgesses? We have too great cause to conceive that those hissing Persons that were there present, are the very Encouragers and Promoters of Faction and Sedition; and that when opportunity serves we must feel the poisonous Sting that is in their Tails: But we live not, thanks be to Almighty God, and our most gracious King, in so miserable an Age, that we need fear to utter Truth without a disguise. Surely many then present, were not Compos mentis; that is the most charitable Excuse that can be made: otherwise they would not have reproached and branded their Magistrates with false and opprobrious Language. I may I hope, without offence in this circumstance, use the saying of the ever renowned Lord Chancellor; Publish it not in Gath, nor let it be declared in the Streets of Askelon. Can we ever expect God's Benediction, whilst we contemn the Magistrates he hath set over us. It is a true saying, Herba crescit satis, quae nil habet utilitalis. Such Persons would have the mark of the Beast set on them, that Good and Loyal Subjects may shun them with an, Oh procul este profani—  

What ails the Fates, what moves the wand'ring Stars,  
That cause these Earthly Tumults and these Jars?  
Are Men grown with Passion now so proud,  
That their fond Humours must be heard so loud.  
Shall not these worthy Persons named be,  
And must we Cavil at their Loyalty?  
Happy are those Men that have the Kings Regard,  
And Crowned is he that hath the King's Reward.   
Pardon this small Digression from my intended purpose, I shall now come ad rem. It is to you Fellow Citizens that I shall now address myself: I shall not Apologise for myself upon the account of my ensuing Discourse; for Veritas non quaerit Angulos. I fear not the Frowns nor the Threats, nor the Censures of any selfconceited Coxcomb, nor Humorist whatsoever; my humble request is to you, my dear Fellow Citizens, that you would now in this juncture of time, continue to make evident Demonstrations to the whole Universe of your Heroic and Magnanimous Resolutions to fear God and honour the King, and join not with any turbulent Spirits, who are given to change. How many are there now a-days that make it their whole Business and Design to sow Discords and Divisions amongst us, by the many scurrilous Pamphlets that daily appear in Print; you may perceive that Greatness itself cannot, Omnibus horis, securely pass, but sometimes it is the Butt of Envy and Detraction, and meets with unhappy Vituperation, Ah dolour & sit pro dolore, mirum videtur. It must needs be strange, that in so well-governed and regulated a City as ours is, and in the face of so many of our Loyal Magistrates, so many base and scurrilous Pamphlets are permitted, without any punishment. Were but the Advice of our Loyal and Learned Recorder put in practice, which he gave upon the Election of our late Lord Mayor, Faction would then be buried in Oblivion; then we might hope to see a Resurrection of the Golden Age again: then we might expect Peace and Plenty and Prosperity, to cohabit amongst us. I must declare it, and without any Ostentation or Flattery, it deserves to be written in Letters of Gold, notwithstanding the ill Resentment some Turbulent Spirits were pleased to pass upon it; but it is evident that many ill-minded men are so wedded to their Rebellious Principles, which they have formerly imbibed, that nothing will prevail with them to be metamorphosed; but that Ancient Proverbial Saying must be verified, Immedicabileulnus euse rescindendum est ne pars sincera trahaiur, a few Scabby Sheep spoil the whole Flock. I am sorry to see the Governors of our Church vilified, witness the Weekly Packet October 3. 1679. And as for our Intelligencer, it is a great Scandal to our Renowned City, that such an Impudent Saucy Fellow should so audaciously assume to himself, in conspectu totius Mundi, to abuse Persons of Worth, as he hath frequently done in several of his Intelligences, and then to say Erravi, that he accounts Compensation enough (witness his abusing Sir Gervis Elways and his Friend, in saying, That giving Money and Drink, caused them to be Elected. What an high Aspersion hath he cast upon those Worthy Gentlemen, and upon the Electors likewise that chose them? And what a base Aspersion did he cast likewise upon Samuel Pepys Esquire, and then cried Peccavi, and thinks that satisfaction enough. It is likewise said, That our Lord Mayor, out of his great Circumspection, Care, and Loyalty, gave this Intelligencer an Order to seize all Factious Pamphlets, and he being Factious himself, perverts his Lordship's Design, and winks at the Factious ones and stifles the other; and hath the Audacity to think he shall now go on uncontrolled; bragging he hath a Licence till the 26th of January next. I would not be accounted arrogant, neither will I be so saucy, to undertake to prescribe Methods to our Governors; but if our present Laws, or the Power of our Magistrates, cannot put a stop to these Seditious Pamphlets, I hope at the Convention of our Sage and Prudent Senators, they will take it into their speedy Consideration.  
How often hath the Gazettes taken notice of his Lying News, and yet he goes on with as great Impudence as ever, as if it were Cum Privilegio; but I hope he will be made to recant openly, where the World may see him.  
It is well known to all Sober and Ingenious Citizens, who are not Jenkismed, that our Clergy have a Constellation of Theological and Heroical Virtues, not only in their Doctrine, but Unity in their Lives, and Conversation: And they are Armour Proof against all Gain-sayers; and I fear our Intelligencer will have need of an Amnesty or an Act of Oblivion for his many Scandala magnata, by him published: but Praemonitus praemunitus. Let the renowned Speech of that Illustrious Knight Sir Robert Clayton, be remembered in Memoria secuiorum omnium; and let the Counsel therein be hearty embraced by all Loyal Citizens: then we may expect Haltion Days within our City, which God of his Mercy grant: then that excellent saying will be verified, Concordia parvae res crescunt, discordia maxima dilabuntur. If that Persian Monarch Artaxerxes, with a willing Gratitude and a graceful Will, embraced so mean a present as a Dish of Cold Water from so unworthy a Vassal as Cyneta; I doubt not but you my Fellow Citizens will kindly accept of my Address, and follow the good Advice of being True and Loyal to our King, and Obedient to Governors, and to live in Unity one with another.  
VALE.   

POSTSCRIPT.  
READER be kind, and when thou seest these Lines,  
Thou'lt surely censure Poetry declines.  
Be impartial in thy Judgement and consider  
How ere usurped, the Laurel doth not whither.  
Neither impute that Science is decayed,  
Which unripe Wits endeavour to invade.  
Rather blame the Impudence of him that tries  
To act against what Nature him denies.  
But since it's frequent to direct her Laws,  
I'll crave Indulgence for another Cause.  
'Tis strange to me to see revenging Sheets,  
Lamb's Conduit Paper that in Duels meets.  
Nor dare I now presume to make presage,  
How present Influences threat this Age.  
The New World's Old, since Noah's Flood,  
And most too Old therein for to be good.  
Methinks I see most in that Evil Mood,  
Though having Manna, yet crave Quails for Food.  
Some new fond Sight, or some rare fine Show,  
This gazing World expects below.  
Now give me leave, kind Reader, to entreat  
Thy good Construction makes my Lines complete.  
Hoping that such the Union be reserved,  
Which hath so long so careful been preserved  
From being broke; as Knaves hope and Fools fear it,  
Conclude with me, Quis medio tutus erit?  
Amator Patriae.   

The Character of a Factious Libeler.  
HE is one that has nothing to do with his Business, and yet no Man busier than he, and his Business is most in his Face: He is one that forceth himself into all Company and Affairs, without being sent for or feed; his part is only an eager bustling, that rather keeps  than does any thing. His Discourse stuffed up with Faction, speaketh ill of His Majesty and his best Subjects; hath a dislike of all Government and Magistrates: Commends much his own Chimaeras, by which you may tract him; at the end maketh himself, with a great deal of endeavour ridiculous. The Worm in his Brain hath put him quite beside his Nature: He cannot be what he would, and hath forgot what he was. He is one that must be principal Actor in every Trifle. A Man very Contemplative, or rather very Active in his Bed, where he can do more by his Contrivances, than six men at Work; where we will leave him, till he hath spun Thread enough to make him fast as long as he shall live.   
FINIS.