Look about you:  
A DISCOURSE DIRECTED To the Lords of the Upper House of Parliament in the first place, to the Honourable the House of Commons, to the Right Honourable Lord Mayor of the City of London, the Aldermen his brethren, and to the Commons of the said City.  
And lastly, to the whole body of the Kingdom of England, who ought to put this counsel in practice, for the preservation of their lives and liberties: Namely, Look about you.  
Written by a Lover of his Country, and a faithful Servant to the high Court of Parliament.  
London, printed for Tho. Wilkinson. jan. 21. 1643.   

Look about you.  
TO the Noble and prime Champions of this Kingdom's Laws and liberties, the right Honourable the Lords of the upper House of Parliament, is this my Discourse directed; Look about you. To you I say in the first place, you being highest in pre-eminence, do I shape my counsel; nor will you, I hope, despise it: For, out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings hath God ordained strength to still the Enemy and Avenger, Look about you: a short it is, but a most pathetical axiom; for, if you right Honourable, who are the pillars which support the reeling State of the Kingdom should not with a provident foresight survey the events which threaten the peace and safety of the people, they were likely to meet a sudden desolation and ruin. For your Honour's wisdom must needs perceive with what violent acrimony and unjust proceed the Malignants about his Majesty aim at the ruins of your lives, fortunes and honourable families; how they arm themselves, friends and followers for your subversion, and utter extinguishment, they would not leave you, a light in this our Israel, nor suffer you, to have any portion in the inheritance of your forefathers, but sacrifice your lives and estates to that Idol of their own setting up, namely, their own pride and naughtiness of heart, going about like roaring Lions, seeking whom they may devour. It is time therefore for your Honours to look about you.  
It is perspicuous to every well-affected and judicious eye, that your Honours have omitted not one point of discretion which might tend to the advancement of the Commonwealth, to reclaim his Majesty from his perverse and malignant Councillors, and to reunite him to the body of his Kingdom now assembled in this honourable & prudent Parliament; but since not only your Counsels are despised and unhearkened to, but also forces perpetually raised at home, machinations abroad attempted to bring in foreign forces, to transport arms and ammunition into this Realm for the subduing your Honours, and overthrowing that which you are in part entrusted withal (the liberty of the Subject) when no endeavour for peace will succeed, but the noise of war must still thunder through this Kingdom, rapines, plunderings and murders being daily committed upon the persons and estates of the Subjects. Surely it is then no ill advice to look about you. God in his great mercy hath furnished your Lordships with understanding hearts and valiant hands for the defence of yourselves and the people, now committed, as it were, to your charge, you are the Worthies, the chosen men of might, to fight the battles of the Lord, and he bids you look about you.  
And now to you the Husbands of the Commonwealth, the honourable the Knights and Burgesses assembled and elected by the people's suffrage for the security of their liberties, I may without offence say, look about you; you have beheld how divers of your most worthy and honourable members against the ancient constitutions and privileges of Parliament have been called into question, and by force and violence demanded in your House, where you sit to negotiate and treat about the welfare of the Republi●●. your wisdoms do daily perceive what slight value (●●s Majesty being misled by the pernicious counsels of his Cavaliers) sets upon you and your proceed. Your are sensible how much the poor distressed Subject suffers, labouring even to death under the pressure and weight of the malignants oppressions and devastations; there are rumours of wars, how true I know not, from all the parts of this Kingdom, Papists (such as ever have been, and continually will be, persecutors of the little flock of Christ) who have by murders and powderplots, fought the ruins of our Kings and Potentates, brought into the field ready armed and abilited to do mischief, and surely they will not spare the blood of the faithful; therefore I may with modesty and pardon from your honourable wisdoms presume to say to you, Look about you.  
Dangers, as I said, that great King, and sweet Singer of Israel, and the shadow of death had encompassed me round about, yet I feared nothing, for my trust was in the Lord: yourselves may apply that saying to yourselves, though (thanks be to God) these dangers have not yet come near you; for he hath protected you as the apple of the eye, and so will ever do against all assaults of your enemies; it is for him you fight the battles of the Lord of hosts, for the truth and security of his Gospel, and he will not suffer the Sun to burn you by day, not the Moon by night: the counsels of the ungodly shall be brought to nought before you, for he who is the Watchman of Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth; the eyes of the people are upon you, they have appointed you the feoffees in trust for their liberties; and certainly they will never revoke their act, but spend their lives and fortunes in the tutelage of your just and honourable proceed, they will be gathered together as one man, even from Dan to Beersheba to destroy those wicked Benjamites that have committed folly in Israel, to assist you against those wicked malignants, that have too much wrought upon his Majesty's goodness, and sought to destroy the essence of Parliaments, and you will be victorious over them, only look about you.  
And to your right Honourable the present Lord Mayor of this noble City of London, and the well affected Aldermen your Brethren & Assistants, in all humility I tender the same counsel, Look about you. You sit at the helm of government in this famous City, the Metropolis of our Kingdom, and daily behold a company of factious and pertinatious malignants, even among the Inhabitants of this our Zion, who spurn at, and set at nought your good endeavours, for the commodity not only of your City, but the whole Commonwealth; let not their malicious practices or traducing language, hinder or discourage you in the prosecution of your religious and legal proceed, authorised by order from both Houses of Parliament. It will be hard for them to kick against pricks; Wolves may howl at the Moon, but their voices can neither impeach it in its course, nor eclipse its brightness, their malice will not hurt you, but just, as if they should spit against the wind, the filth will return into their own faces; your known goodness will beat bacl their calumnies upon themselves, howsoever trust them not, but Look about you.  
Your have heard, and so have all this City, your honourable self, and some other worthy and well-affected Citizens, desire by his Majesty, as Delinquents to be given up to imprisonment, let not that thunderbolt amaze you, it is fare enough, thanks be to God, from piercing you. In your discretions consists a great part of the advancement of the present cause for the glory of God and good of your Brethren; now your hand is put to the Lords ●●ough, pull it not bacl, but endeavour cheerfully and courageously to animate the Citizens and able persons resident within your walls, to contribute largely to the maintenance of these wars, till an honourable and just peace, with which truth may walk hand in hand, give a period (and no good man but wishes it) to all these civil distractions, wars and tumults; howsoever forget not this axiom, but wear it imprinted in the tables of your hearts, Look about you.  
And you the wealthy and well-affected Citizens under the government and charge of the said right Honourable the Lord Mayor and his Brethren, it principally concerns you to look about you; you are the Indies which those bloodthirsty Cavaliers have aimed at, your wealth, your plate, and other riches, which like the Spaniards Indieses, they have still made a reckoning should fall as a prey into their fingers: and certainly they would use as little mercy to you here, as the Spaniard did to them there; it is neither respect of kindred, friends or acquaintance that should any whit moderate the rapacity of their hands, or licentiousness of their appetites, should they once gain the superiority in these wars, and enter your goodly City by force, neither your wives or beauteous daughters should escape their violent lusts, all that is dear and precious to you would be given up a spoil to their avarice; and therefore I say to you, Look about you, and do not like Aesop's Dog in the Fable, catch at the shadow, and forgo the substance; do not let a little covetousness of saving part of your wealth make you forfeit the whole, but as the Israelites in the Wilderness did consecrate all the Jewels of Gold and Silver with a willing mind toward the building of the Tabernacle; so throw you in every one out of the abundance of your store, plate and moneys, into the treasury of that sanctuary of yours and the whole Kingdom's liberty, the Honourable the High Court of Parliament, God will restore it you an hundred fold, since it is chief intended for the promotion of his service, the rescuing His Excellent Majesty from the inthralment of the Malignant party, and for the estabishment of peace again in this our Israel; in this case therefore be wise and look about you.  
And lastly, to you the Nobility, Knights, Gentry, and Yeomanry, diffused and dispersed through this Kingdom of England, to you I present the same lesson, Look about you, you have already seen the calamities of your neighbours, and felt your own; you have either had fire and sword in your own dwellings, or heard of it in your friends and fellow-Subjects, not one County in this populous Kingdom escaping the dreadful and pitiless assaults of these desperate and blood-minded Cavaliers; I may therefore with just reason advise you to look about you: and whilst you have yet time left, associate yourselves to the faithful, and conform your actions to the proceed and directions of the High court of Parliament, send forth all the able young men amongst you well prepared and harnessed for battle to their assistance against these Malignants that study to enslave you, your estates and liberties; the Parliament is the tower of your refuge, and under God, the strong hold and castle of defence you must trust to; let not other hopes or pretences deceive you, but submit your judgements to theirs, whose wisdoms will breed your welfare and tranquillity; willingly impart your estates, and lives if need be, to their defence and protection, who will defend and protect your freedoms and livelihoods from all dangers, and make this Kingdom flourishing and fortunate by their institution of God's Laws for the security of the Subject, which will in happy time be brought to good effect, if you take my poor and humble counsel, Look about you.  
FINIS.