A WORD TO Mr. Wil Prynn Esq AND TWO FOR THE Parliament and Army.  
Reproving the one, and justifying the other in their late proceed.  
Presented to the consideration of the Readers of Mr. William prynn's last Book.  
LONDON, Printed for T. Brewster, and are to be sold at the West-end of Paul's. 164●.   

THere was never any age before this, in which writing was so much in fashion, Scribimus indocti doctique; so as it should seem, there is a certain Lechery in Scribbling; to which I fear, Mr. William Prynne of Lincoln's Inn Esquire, is not a little given. For how much Paper he hath spoilt in this kind, I leave to the judgement of all men that are not (as he) pretenders only, to learning. When this disease first took him, he chose to make the Hierarchy his enemies, afterward the King, the Queen, and all the Court at a time; when neither his Pen nor sufferings (were he the man he would be thought) could advantage the godly party. His Books were then as they are now, stuffed with nonsense, railing, improper Instances misunderstood, and mis-applyed Authorities; only he was ever most careful of a gingling Title, as unlovely love locks, unhealthy drinking of healths, etc. And indeed, this may be said for him, His whole Book is suitable to his Title. For writing these Books, he suffered very much; and truly (as I think) not altogether undeservedly; for it cannot appear to any reasonable man, that he brought himself into all his troubles, otherwise then following his own wicked spirit of contradiction. For the Parliament as soon, almost, as they were met together, sent for him (than a Prisoner,) they review all proceed both in the High Commission Court, and Star Chamber against him, they vote them illegal, they restore what they can; his Liberty: but instead of his Ears (they being irrecoverable) he is voted 5000 l.  
A man might now without fear of being judged rash, engage himself for this man's honesty to the Parliament; but as a Dog to his Vomit, he returns to scribbling, and having catcht at the desires of wisemen (who admitted him, because of his sufferings to their company) fit some years after for publication, he not being able to hold any longer, untimely acquaints the people with what they were not then enabled to understand; by which means, divers persons staggering betwixt honesty and malignancy, quite fell off; and many others pretty well inclined to the public, began to waver: and thus fitted for temptation, soon found an opportunity of departing from us. Thus was the common enemy furnished with friends, by the folly and lechery of writing of M. William Prynne, and his companions, and put into a better condition of rebelling against the Parliament, than otherwise he could have been.  
The Wars begun, the Parliament seems something too strong for the King; the Scots in consideration of a great sum of money, present us with a cheat, which they call a Covenant, divers honest men discovering the snare, avoid it. Here's an opportunity for the Cropeared Lawyer; he sees the Parliament breaking into faction, and now he lays about him. First, he writes for the Scotch Ecclefiastick Government in England, and within six weeks (in manner) against it: The two Factions obtain names of Independent and Presbyterian, (which is malignant jure divino,) he now calls them by their names, and rails at them one after another (till within these twenty months (or thereabouts) he hath contented himself to rail only on one side.) This humour of his puts me in mind of a Gentleman that was as nimble with his sword, as this Mr. William with his Pen. It happened that two set upon one; this blade taking pleasure in fight, draws, and taketh part with the single man: now they are two to two. It fell out, that two men, friends to the single man come by, and seeing their friend engaged, take part with him; the contentious Gentleman seeing that, goes over to the other side, and making them three to three, fights as eagerly as before.  
Were we so happy, as to close up all breaches, and that all parties were now resolved into one, this Mr. Prynne would singly oppose the whole Commonwealth, and rail, as dogs bark against the Moon.  
Should the Apostles come from Heaven, sent thence to institute a Government, Mr. Prynne would descent from, and wrangle with them. I cannot therefore choose but wonder, that he should be so much troubled at his sufferings, especially at his present imprisonment: since, if he have but so much time as to look into himself seriously, he must needs find that he can live in no place, nor in any age, but that he must suffer. For making his Protestation, and Printing it, I blame him not; for I believe he could not wellavoyd it, his fit thentaking him, which must have its course; but that he should so much complain of his former sufferings, is a nonsense (though nonsense be natural to him) that becomes him not. His business is to write lies in the Name of the Lord, as the Priests of that Sect Preach. To rail, to jeer at Saints, being a name, in which he is uninterested, and misapply Scripture. By these marks (as himself, by his no Ears) hath his stile been hitherto known. I shall not advise him against writing, it being as necessary as meat and drink, a thing without which, he cannot live. But I would advise his Readers, to read him as they would read or hear a tale of Oyster women soolding with each other at Billingsgate.  
That his Books can be of no advantage to the people in general, nor particularly to any person, is most plain in themselves: for he doth not only make one discourse contradict another (which might be excused by his natural infirmity of being inconstant) but even the same discourse contradict itself. Besides, his scope is not to inform, but calumniate, to cast dirt in the face (though if he throw it, it can stick no where long) of some one or more men; and commonly he picks out the honestest and most faithful persons too, nay, saviours of the Commonwealth; Witness his Protestation, in which he endeavours, through the sides of Sir Hardresse Waller, and Colonel Pride, to wound the whole Army, by whose valour the Commonwealth is safe, and from whom only a safe and wel-grounded peace may be hoped for, and expected. He complains in his Protestation, that coming to the House of Commons to discharge his duty (his spleen he meant) for which reason he bought his membership twenty pounds cheaper than Thomas Temple, (as Master Harris told him) He was the sixth of December last stopped on the stairs, near the door of the Commons House, and that ever since he hath been restrained of his liberty, which he calls a breath of Parliament Privilege. I did intent to have given Mr. Prynne a particular answer, but because divers other gentlemen are involved in the same case with Mr. Prynne, I shall therefore give no other; Then (as briefly as may be) to show that the Army was necessitated to what they have done, and that the people could be no other way made safe, lying then upon the brinks of ruin. The King (to whom the very name of Parliament was always hateful) having so much discontented all his people, that in Scotland an Army was raised against him, which he knew not how to oppose (the English looking upon them as friends, and fellow sufferers) as his last refuge; (finding no other way to secure himself) calls this Parliament: for which, as soon as they meet together, they give him humble thanks, they bring him bills, which he (not daring to deny) signs and assents to, and with such humble reverence make their addresses to him, as if he were as much better than the best, as he is worse than the worst of his Ancestors. The King finding how weak adversaries he had to deal with, conceives new hopes of doing mischief, he tampers with divers men in the House of Commons, he corrupts some of the most eminent, as the Lord George Digby, Sir John Culpepper, with some others, but finding notwithstanding their Revolt, his party in Parliament not strong enough to carry on his base designs, he flies to other practices; he deals first with the English Army, and that plot discovered, with the Scots, to destroy the Parliament, and for their reward to take the plunder of London.  
This failing, he urgeth earnestly to disband the Scotch Army only, in which prevailing, he, against the Counsel of both Houses, in haste takes a journey into Scotland, there he contrives two plots, the one of which took effect; the most horrid and bloody that ever any age was witness to, the Irish Massacre, and Rebellion, acted by his Commission, which was sealed in his own presence, and sent into Ireland, as is confessed by a Scottish gentleman, in a book called Truth its manifest.  
Having done his worst in Scotland, he returns to London, and is received by the Citizens in triumph; his hopes are every day more and more confirmed: Some young gentlemen of the Inns of Court, with a number of dissolute, needy, and debauched Soldiers, and men of broken fortunes flock to Whitehall.  
Thus attended, he enters the House of Commons, and had he found them there, he had taken away five of their members; the next day he goes into London, and makes a fair speech, but obtains no belief; He than goes to Hampton Court, sends for some Aldermen, whom he endeavours to make his friends, them he Knighted, and gave order to be sent home so drunk, that their heads aching the next morning, all but Sir John Gaire, repenting their friendship, never did his Majesty any service. From thence he goes to Dover with the Queen, whom he sends into the Low-Countries to pawn the Crown Jewels, and then flies into open Rebellion.  
The Parliament (though all his machinations and plots are discovered to them) seek no way of remedy, but by Petition, (means very unlikely to work upon his nature) till they were necessitated to take up Arms; and when they are to declare it to the Kingdom, they cant, and tell them, it is for the defence of the King and Parliament. Had they had but so much courage, as to have informed the Common wealth of the King's guilt, and that his own faults might have been written in his own forehead, not an evil Council (a thing without body or soul, an empty name, the old grave men's harmless bugbear) the King either had not found so many abettors, or the Parliament had been able in a few months to have crushed all his forces, and to have brought himself to Justice.  
In this canting course they steer the Common wealth, from the beginning of the year 1642. to the end of 1644. both sides seeming so equally strong, that (but for the cause) there was scarce any advantage discoverable: The Parliament new model their Army, and in the mean time treat at Uxbridge. The treaty ended without success, the new Model goes on; Sir Thomas Fairfax is made General. The words, For preservation of the King's person are not inserted in his Commission, the King is now a common Rebel; we have now an Enemy to fight with, and see how God blesseth us upon it.  
They meet no Enemies in the field, but they beat them (not as in the time of the old General, that fought drawn battles (with no more advantage, than might occasion a City feast) counting it a victory not to be beaten) they come before no Town, but they take it in; and in less than eighteenth months reduce all England and Wales to obedience.  
The King thus broken in all places (lest the harassed Country should enjoy the benefit of Peace (which he might then have made) and miserable Ireland obtain relief) falls again to plotting.  
A little before the siege of Oxford, in a disguise, with one or two, he rides through Norfolk and Suffolk, endeavouring to raise new Commotions; but the Gentlemen of that Country, taking warning by other men's compositions, that design came to nothing, so he leaves them, and commits himself to the Scotish Army. After some money paid, the Scotch, his Countrymen (knowing him too well, to care for his company, even in their own Land) deliver him up to the Parliament. They, as men that never stated any quarrel, and could not tell what to have, if God should give them victory, having him now in their hands, know not what to do with him, They bring him to Holdenby, and put him into a condition of making all Knaves that come near him; in a short time he administered, and sent (by his several Agents) so much poison to the Parliament, that had it not pleased God to strengthen the hearts and hands of the Army, he had been a year and a half since restored to his place and power; and by this time, those few that had survived, had been the unhappy witnesses of a miserable Land.  
For Mr. Denzil Hollis, who was long since touched and infected by the King, and the disease being contagious, had in time infected divers of his company, as Sir William Waller, Sir Philip Stapleton, and many others, (they together making up a Committee of eleven, besides my Lady Carlisle) plotted and contrived to restore the King upon his own conditions: To which purpose they consider of how little the King may offer the Parliament, and how able they should be to persuade them that those offers were satisfactory; in haste they send Letters to the Queen, and in them their opinions, how the Commonwealth might be cheated; she returns their Papers, with amendments, which they send to the King; who (following their advice) sends to the Parliament a Message, the eight of May, 1647. Which caused all that Petitioning, and all those tumults which followed immediately after; forcing into the very house of Commons, compelling the Speaker to put what questions they pleased, and the Houses to vote them.  
Upon these just fears (there being no other refuge) the honest Members of each House fly to the Army, the Army receive them, and marching up to London, reseat them in their several Houses, and return to quarter, as before, in the Country, every day drawning further from London, lest they might seem to be a force upon the Parliament.  
The Parliament now freed from tumults, and the Heads of that Faction which had so long hindered Peace, fled into parts beyond the Seas, it was hoped that we might see an happy end of all our troubles. The Parliament consider of Conditions of Peace to be sent to the King, and accordingly send them to Hampton Court; but he refuseth them, and in hopes of doing mischief (which is the groundwork of all his designs) puts on a new disguise, and goes to try his fortune in the Isle of Wight; whither also they follow him with Propositions for Peace: But he being vir sanguinum, will have no Peace, unless such an one, as may put him into a capacity of being heavier upon the people, than a continued War.  
Hereupon, the Parliament Vote no more Addresses to the King; the Army hearing of their Vote, engage themselves to live and die in maintaining it.  
The eyes of all good men are now upon the Parliament, hoping to see the Commonwealth settled in a short time. But the Malignants having shaken hands with the Malignants jure divino, contrive a new War, which gins with Petitioning, the Counties of Bucks, Surrey, Essex, and Kent, ply the Parliament with Malignant Petitions. Wales without that formality flies into actual Rebellion: This occasions the dividing of the Army; to each party of which, it pleased God to give such victory, as that his own hand was more especially seen in every one of them.  
The Army now wholly employed, the Malignant party of both Houses send divers of their Members of the honest party into their several Countries, under pretence of suppressing Insurrections: And now (being able to Vote what they list) they call home, and restore to their places in Parliament, Mr. Hollis, Sir john Clotworthy, and eight more, whom they had not long before expelled the House, as guilty of high Treason, and other misdemeanours.  
Now they may truly be called the Kings two Houses, and as diligently act his part, as if it were their own; only this misfortune intervened, the countries' being a little beaten, inclined generally to peace; and the honest Members had leisure to attend the service of the House (a rub not easily to be removed.) However they continue their endeavours; and since they can work it no more to their advantage, they Vote a Personal Treaty with the King in the Isle of Wight.  
In this condition was the Parliament, from the beginning of the last Rebellion, to the coming in of the Army.  
In public Affairs, the King had bought the greatest part, in private their particular Clients; no Justice could be had at any Committee, nor in the House itself, without money (except for Malignants of one sort or the other,) Venalis curia Patrum.  
The Writs that were sent into Cornwall, under the Parliaments Seal, for Election of Burgesses, brought up a great number of Malignants to the House; for the Gentry of that County (who rule the people as slaves) having engaged in the Rebellion (and therefore uncapable of being chosen) sold places to men illaffected, for as much money as they could get. A Gentleman going to Mr. Harris, and acquainting him with his desires to serve in Parliament, received this Answer, That he knew not of any Burrow that was unprovided; but if any such there were, it could not now be had for a hundred pounds. To live under such a supreme power, is such a Tyranny, as never any English man was yet acquainted with.  
And this Parliament must continue till it be dissolved by Act: At the time when the Act was passed for continuing the Parliament, till it should be dissolved by Act, They had furnished the King's necessities, they had removed that War which the King by his injustice had drawn upon the English Nation, they paid the Army which he had raised, they had contracted several great public Debts, for which they could have no other security; as also that grievances should be redressed: they by reason of those troubles which the King still gave them, not having time sooner to consider of them: Besides, the Parliament was then honest, fit to reform, which it was not now, at the time when the Army came into London. If it be a sin in a particular person to neglect an opportunity of doing good, it is much more a sin in this Army, whom God hath owned so wonderfully in all their Actions, and whom (I am confident) he hath raised to do this work. It is (therefore) ignorance or malice in them, that publicly write and prate in Pulpits, and at other meetings, That it is a great Breach of Parliament privilege, to stop the Members going into the House to discharge their duty: Had it been to discharge their duty to the Countries and Towns, for which they were elected, they had not been stopped. But Mr. Prynne, and the rest of his imprisoned friends came with no such intention; they came to serve the common enemy, and to deserve at his hands the Offices, and such other things as he hath promised them, and would, should he be enthroned, cheat them of, except he chance to find a knave or two amongst them, more able to help him in cozening the people, than those fellows whom he had earlier engaged in that employment. They indeed may live gallantly, and enjoy every thing but a good conscience; and dying, shall leave their children a rich inheritance of slavery and thraldom.  
For my part, I honour Parliaments so long as they Act in Order to the public good: But if, like standing pools, they only gather mud and filth, I think it very fit to cleanse them. This trouble the Army hath taken upon them, which if they had not done, this Nation's ruin had been unavoidable. Can it be thought that the King likes the Condition that he is in? or that he took it kindly to be beaten? or that he hath already forgotten his overthrows? and that he may in a month or two, being restored to liberty with honour, safety, and freedom, forget his present imprisonment? Are not his Letters of most concernment printed by Order of Parliament, to his perpetual dishonour? Votes past against any more addresses, his wife charged with high Treason, his revenue seized, etc. Are these such provocations as may be easily forgotten? In the tenth year of Richard the second, the Duke of Gloucester, uncle to the King, the Earl of Arundel, the Earl of Warwick, with others raise Arms to redress grievances (this Army doth less, and may do more) they call a Parliament, (this Army may as lawfully (if it be for the people's good, and no other way be found) dissolve a Parliament,) try Delinquents, and bring them to punishment, (Kindred in either house was no reprieve.) The King after this seems to forget all; all is kindness betwixt him and those Lords, till the 18th. year of his Reign, when he calls a Parliament, overaweth them with an Army, enforceth them to recall his Charters of pardon, puts his Uncle to death at Calais, without any form of Trial, beheads Arundel, and banisheth Warwick into the Isle of Man.  
Better things are not to be expected from this King.  
FINIS.