THE MIDNIGHTS WATCH, OR ROBIN GOODFELLOW His serious Observation; Wherein is discovered the true state and strength of the Kingdom as at this day it stands without either Faction or Affaction.  
LONDON, Printed for George Lindsey, 1643.   

The Midnight's watch.  
THe harmless spirit and the merry, commonly known to the world by the name of Robin Goodfellow, having told his Fairy mistress of fleering upon strangers Elves, and the tickling of her nose with her petulant finger, and receiving but frowns for his favours and checks for his counsels he grew weary of her service, and being as light of love as he was of care he resolved to visit her no more. The troubles and commotions in the upper world had wrought his thoughts another way, and in a serious humour one night he resolved to go abroad, to observe the new courses and alterations of the world.  
The first place he came at was Windsor, where he found a good part of the Army newly come from Redding, he heard them talk as confident of victory as if they had killed the Cavaliers already, he much admired the understanding and resolution of their General, and daring not stay there any longer for fear he should be taken for a Malignant and be whipped, he made a swift dispatch for Oxford, yet not fare from Windsor he met at the towns end many Sentinels and encountered some Courts of Guard, though they were men of war he heard them much to desire peace, and freezing in the cold, Robin could not choose but laugh, to hear them comfort one another by boasting in what hot service they had been.  
When he came to Oxford, the first place he ventured into was St. Mary's Church, where indeed he found a Convocation of many reverend heads, some whereof had lately departed from London for their consciences sake, and esteemed the freedom of their minds of a greater consequence than their Revenues: they much lamented the iniquity of the times, and wished indeed (if they could be found) that abler and more learned men might supply their deserted places. Robin wondered at the gravity of the men, who with great wisdom and moderation were discoursing amongst themselves from whence the first cause of these distempers did arise, and some imputing it to this, and some to that, Robin departing from them three times, sneezed out aloud, Bishop, Bishop, Bishop.  
From thence he came to Christchurch where he found a pack of cunning heads assembled together, these were men of another temper, and indeed they were the ottachousticons of the Kings, Who whispered into his sacred ears all the ill counsels that they had contrived, Those were they that possessed him with impossible things, and induced him to believe them. They would tell him of great battles which were never fought, wherein he had the victory, and some conquests were told him to be achieved by the Parliament wherein he received no loss at all. A band or two of men, have passed for a whole Army, and a Litter on the Thames for a whole fleet at Sea. Robin much wondered that they being so near unto him the influence of so Sacred a Majesty could work no better impession in their souls; and drawing near unto the bed chamber he found His Majesty though in these distracted times yet full of native constancy, and tranquillity of mind, and secured better by his innocence then his Guard. With much Joy and Renown he departed thence, and observing as he went (for it was past midnight) many a lose wench, in the arms of many of the Cavaliers, he gave every wench as he passed by a blue and secret nip on the arm without awakening her. He heard amongst the Sentinels, as he was departing from Oxford of a great victory obtained by one Sir Ralph Hopton against a part of the Parliaments forces, wherein the Earl of Stamfords' regiments were said to be quite routed, many of his Soldiers slain, many taken prisoners and great store of Arms, and Ammunition with them, amongst which a great brass piece on which the Crown and the Rose were stamped, was most remarkable. Robin had a great desire to go thither himself, and to justify the truth of so absolute a Victory. He had not gone as fare as Eusham, but he espied the nine Muses in a Vinten ers' Porch crouching close together, and defending themselves as well as they could from the cold visitation of the Winter's night. They were extreme poor, and (which is most strange) in so short an absence and distance from Oxford they were grown extremely ignorant, for they took him for their Apollo, and craved his Power and Protection to support them. Robin told them they were much mistaken in him, for though he was not mortal he was but of middle birth no more than hay, they being the daughters of Memory, & he the son of Mirth, but he bade them take comfort for that now in Oxford there was sure news of Peace and a speedy hope of their return to their discontinued habitations: at this they seemed with much Joy to rouse up themselves, and did assure him that if what he reported did prove true, they would sing his praises throughout all generations. The Elf proud of such a favour in the name of Oberon did thank them, and did conjure them to perform it, and in the twinkling of an eye he conveyed himself to Salt-Ash in Cornwall, where Sir R. Hoptons' forces were quartered. He found the defeat given to the Earl of Stamford nothing so great as Fame in Oxford confirmed it to be. Colonel Ruthens regiment indeed was sorely shaken, and some of his men slain, and many taken prisons. With a curious eye he observed what Arms and Ammunition were taken, and above all he had a labouring desire to see the brass piece with the Crown and the Rose on it, which so much dignified his conquest: he searched up and down the Army, and in and about the Magazine but he could not find it. At length despairing of what he looked for, the venturous Elf came into Sir Ralph's chamber, and finding him asleep, and safe as Wine and Innocence, he dived into his pocket, and the first thing he took out, he found to bear the impression of the Rose and Crown, and it was a brave piece indeed, for it was a farthing token which was all peradventure that was in it. Robin ashamed to see himself so deluded could not at the first but smile at the conceit, and putting it into its Magazine repenting himself of his journey, he did swear that he would never trust Fame, nor Pamphlet more, though printed in a thousand Universities.  
From thence with much indignation, and more speed he fling away, and in a moment placed himself at Bristol, where he found the face of things just like the air of an April morning, it smiled and it reigned both at once, some were greedy of peace, and some again were as eager of war; here some stood for the King, there others for the Parliament, the greater number was for the one side, but the better for the other. The husband was divided against the wife, the sister against the brother, and the son lifting forbidden hands against the father. Robin beholding so strange a division amongst people so near in blood, wished himself again in Fairy Land; for said he, we have no such din, no such tumults, nor unnatural quarrels, but all silence and oblivion and a perpetual peace. And quickly abandoning the place, he in an instant came into Glocestershire, to a Town called Tedbury, where the more to increase his misery he met with the spirit of faction and distempered zeal. This was the spirit that was accustomed to make a great hubbub in the Churches to tear off the Surplice from the Ministers shoulders, and when the children were to be signed with the sign of the Cross (like a Devil dispossessed) to tear himself for fury, and with great noise and foaming to run out of the Temple. This spirit would feign have persuaded Robin to turn Roundhead, and told him that they were the best sort of Christians: I, replied Robin, that is even as true as God is in Glocestershire. As he was proceeding in his discourse, he was intercepted by a great noise and tumult of people, who cried out, fly, fly, fly. Amazed at the suddenness of the cry, and the multitudes of the people that came thronging by; he looked about him to understand what the business was, he found it a company of people, whom flying from Cirencester, the ignorant fury of the sword had spared. Prince Rupert had newly entered the Town, and having thrice summoned it, and they refusing to yield it into his hands, he seized on it by violence, and on his first entrance he burned a great part of the Town, the shot from the windows by the Muskets of the Town did wonderfully annoy his men, and he found no better means to prevent that mischief, but by setting fire on the houses, there was a great overthrow, and Colonel Car, and Colonel Massey, two chief Commanders for the Parliament, were either slain, or desperately wounded. Robin found this Prince to be a Gentleman of himself of a civil and serious disposition, a man few in words, and very little beholding to Fame for the many strange reports he had delivered of him; affrighted at the thunder of his Arms, Robin dispatched himself from him with as much speed as the bullets flew from the mouth of his angry Canons, and on the first summons of the Cock he came to Newarke, where either through fear of some new design upon them, or through some great cold they had taken, he found every man of the Earl of Newcastles garrison soldiers to be ficke of a Palsy: loath to continue amongst those crazy people, with an invitive dispatch he came to Pontefract, where he found the Earl of Newcastle with the greatest part of his Army gone towards York, not so much through fear as it was suggested, but for compliment rather, and to entertain the Queen of England, who was expected to be either at Newcastle, or at York. He found the Army of the Recusants, though in many combats shaken and scattered, yet not to receive so great an overthrow as many tongues too credulously have voiced it.  
Neither did he find in York Mass to be said in every Church, it being cross to the method of the close and subtle generation of the Papists to make a public profession of their Religion before they had fully perfected their intentions and by the strength of Authority made both the ends of their designs to meet together. Howsoever it being discovered that the War which was pretended, for the maintaining of the King's Prerogative tended now indeed to the innovation of Religion, and to make the Papists appear the King's best Subjects, it hath turned many hearts and armed many hands against them. The news of the Queens landing made Robin so brisk, and so overcharged him with news, that being as unable to contain it, as he was greedy to receive it, he could not take a full survey of York, nor had the leisure to go unto Newcastle to discover what good service those four ships have done to hinder any malignant vessels that come either from Holland or from Denmark from landing at Newcastle; a mad vagary took him to come up to London, which the vagabond else performed with such a suddenness, that could he be discovered in his way, he would have proved rather the object of the memory then of the eye. The first place he came into, it was a Conventicle of the Family of Love, it was then much about two of the clock in the morning, and the Candles being put out, they were going from one exercise unto another. Robin presented himself before them all, and seemed lusty as the spirit of youth when it is newly awakened from the morning's sleep; the women were well contented to stay, but the men cried out, a Satire, a Satire, a Satire, and thrusting them before them all tumbling headlong down the stairs together, they left him laughing to himself alone.  
FINIS.