PHYSICIAN Cure thyself: OR, AN ANSWER To a Seditious Pamphlet, Entitled eyesalve for the English Army, &c.  
Written and published for the Information and Benefit of the soldiery; and to them Directed.  
April 23. 1660.  
LONDON, Printed for H. B. at the Gun in Ivy-lane, 1660.   

Physician cure thyself, &c.  
THere's a lewd Pamphlet titled,— eyesalve for the English Army, &c.— which being but a Breviate of PLAIN ENGLISH, and the alarm, &c.— needs no Particular Answer. He that reads One, reads All.  
It is divided into 4. Heads.  
First. A Tedious and Scandalous Charge against the Late King.  
Secondly. A Groundless Invective against our Present sovereign.  
Thirdly. Reasons to the Private Souldjers: persuading them of the necessity to Alter both the Laws and Government in order to their Safety.  
Lastly. A Letter from some Regiments of the Army, to encourage the Rest, into a Revolt from the General, and an Attempt of Violence upon the Nation.  
IT were time lost to spend 20. Sheets of Paper upon the first Section, and nobody 20. Pins the better for't▪ First, the Particulars have been already answered; and Then, all before 1648. is beside the present Question. The Reason of the war, or the Transactions of it, is not the point; but why was Blood shed in the time of Peace? why did these Fellows, that during the Hazzard of the War, Vowed, and Covenanted to Preserve the King: but having got the Power of the Sword into their hands, usurped also that of the Government, and murdered him: Acting Extravagancies Themselves, far greater than Calumny itself could ever have the Face to fasten upon the King? and all this under no pretence of other Necessity, than what the foulness of their Crimes, and the Guilt of their own Souls engaged them in.  
In one word: The Question dates from the Seclusion of the Members in 1648. and That Act shows us who were Reformers, and who Jugglers.  
Now for his Clamours against the present King: As they are neither Likely in themselves, nor credited by the People; so I shall not clog myself with proofs unnecessary, to Acquit him: Referring rather what I have to deliver, upon This Subject, to the next head; and That is, His Advice to the Private soldiers; to which, I should subjoin my Own, and to whom I shall dedicate the rest I have to say.  
This eyesalve, Gentlemen, which our pretending Oculist presents you with, is a medicine of the same Composition, which (by general report) struck Milton Blind: and 'tis his Interest that You should be so too. You cannot but observe how full of Calumny and Treason it is: and One thing most remarqualle take notice of.  
Your Safety is the only Argument he employs, to engage you in the most Bloody, unchristian, traitorous, Hopeless, and Ridiculous Design that ever was projected. Consider, my Masters: you are Men, not Beasts▪ Christians, not Turks; Subjects, not governors; Reasonable Creatures, not Asses: And in fine, you have Souls to save. I should esteem myself exceeding happy to see a good event of my Wishes, and Endeavours towards you: and I do undertake by a plain evidence of sober Reasons, to show you both a clear Light to walk by; and a far safer way to a much Nobler End than he proposes.  
His Counsel is, That for your future Safety you would seriousl● mind these ensuing Particulars. And mine is the same Counsel too; mind them well, and you'll find your Safety lies in avoiding what he advises you to follow: and that his hand was in the wrong Box; For, what he calls an eyesalve, is rather a Plague-Plaster— But now to the Particulars themselves.  
First, to abandon King, and Lords, Spiritual, and Temporal, for these Reasons.  
1. They'll seek Revenge against you, for what you did against them.  
2ly. They'll have the Sword in their Hands; and Regulate their Actions by Will, not Law, &c.  
3ly. Expect the same, if not Greater Tyranny than formerly, over your Persons for Conscience sake; by Whips, &c.  
4ly. By the establishment of a Single Person, Monopolies will be upheld, and Trade destroyed, &c.—  
5ly. If the King should be established; that money which should pay your Arriers, must go to pay his Debts.  
6ly. You that have no Fortunes, will be punished in your carcases; and Branded with Scorn, and Ignominy as traitors to all Posterity.  
In Order:— and to the First, in the first place:  
1. Can any thing be more unreasonable, than to object Revenge as Dangerous to the Private Souldjers? were Ours the most vindictive Prince that ever lived (as you yourselves know the Quite contrary, so much as you know of him) They were still safe. That Revenge must be exercised either upon your Lives, or Fortunes.—  
As to your Lives: what would that Cruelty avayl him; or what should move him to employ it? a Personal pique there can be none, he Knows you not; and beside;- many of his Father's Party are mingled with you; that took up Arms for Bread, and not in Malice.— Neither are you looked upon as Designers, but as Souldjours; under command: and such, as during a suspension of the Civil Government, subjected yourselves to the Law of Arms:— You were neither Judges, nor Executioners;— your business was in the Field; and the Kings greatest Harms were done in the Intervals of Peace.— Further, your Obligations under your Present General give you both Honour and Protection. From whom, when ever you start, you are lost for ever.  
These very Circumstances, would secure you, even from a Barbarous Enemy: much more then, from a Prince, that by a Principle of Courage loves a Souldjour:— by an impression of Generosity, that loves a candid Enemy:— and by a strong Impulse of natural goodness and Divine Charity, that reckons Duty in a Subject, as a Friendship:— and softens Treason itself, in his Familiar Discourses, with the Terms only of human Frailty.— How eagerly was he pursued at Worcester, and how miraculously Preserved! yet after This; with how much tenderness, and Bounty (out of his Little Stock) did he Compassionate, and Relieve Those very Persons, in Flanders, that sought his Life at Worcester?  
Enough is said to This Point. Examine now your Danger in the Point of Fortune. (I do not find many Purchasers among the Private soldiery.) What have you got, for all your hazards, but Hunger, Infamy, and Rags? When yet your thankless Masters have put up half the Revenue of three Kingdems into their private Pockets: without the venture of a broken Head for't.  
For shame, Gentlemen, bethink yourselves. Leave these ungrateful wretches to their, Lot: and Save your Souls; your Lives; your Freedoms;— Briefly; all the Benefits which your condition is capable of, you may enjoy; and 'tis not possible for you to prevail against the present Posture and unity of the Nation. Do you consider what it is these your sweet counsellors oppose? The KING forsooth.— To That;— nobody names him, but in return to them: and the main Issue of our Settlement is committed to. This Immediate, and next Parliament; So that effectually;— You are advised to alter the Foundation of our long-established Laws, and some two thousand of you to make a War upon the whole rest of the Nation. To end this point; here's the Question.  
Whether you should rather serve a Pack of Inconsiderable, Covetous traitors; that contrary to Law, have Rifled, and embroiled three Nations; and cheated you of your Pay, that did their business for them; and then ruin yourselves too into the Bargain;— or on the contrary, Return to your Right Mastor; Redeem your honour, and your Country, by serving Him, who having Lost all that these People Got; yet succoured you? (Having been Long upon this Particular, I shall be the Shorter in the Rest)  
2ly. You are advised to provide against a lawless Tyranny  
Do so, and Quit Them. But let me tell you; They fear the Law, more than the Tyranny.  
3ly. You shall be persecuted for Conscience. (they tell you)  
No. They're afraid of being Lashed for want on't. Can you have better Security in Nature, for all Religious Liberties; than the Promise of that Prince, whose Habitual Piety;— tenderness of Nature;— Exact Faith, and Justice to his Word: and whose unalterable firmness to the Protestant Religion, under so great Temptations to desert it;— are so unquestionably evident?  
4ly. Trade will not flourish under a Single Person.  
Committee-Trade indeed it's like will down: so will the Trade of Juggling in a Pulpit;— of showing Tricks with Rings, and Bodkins. But where's the Trade These Fellows drive? They would be Major Generals again perhaps;— or is it, that Hewson has a mind to Cobble again;— and my Lord-Sir-John-Master-Jack-Berkstead would fall again to his old Trade of Thimble-making.  
5ly. Your Arrieres must go to pay the King's debts.  
No: They that Oppose the Government, will probably be Desired to pay for settling of it.  
6ly. Your Carcases shall be punished, if you have no Fortunes; and you recorded for traitors.  
These Gentlemen measure others by themselves. The First, hath been their Practice, and the Latter will be their Fortune. For traitor is a Brand upon such as Resist Authority, not upon those that Submit to it.  
Hitherto; why no King.— Now;— why the Law must run in another Name; (in truth a seasonable Consideration) and a Commonwealth be Established.  
The Reasons are so Trivial, and so Tedious, I shall not trouble myself with the Particulars. This, in short, is the gross of them.  
The Law in the King's name speaks you traitors;—