ARTICLES OF High Treason Exhibited against CHEAPSIDE CROSS.  
WITH The last WILL and TESTAMENT of the said CROSS.  
And certain EPITAPHS upon her Tomb.  
By R. OVERTON.  
Newly Printed, and newly come forth; with his HOLINESS Privilege, to prevent false Copies.  
LONDON, Printed for R. Overton, 1642.   

The Author to his Muse.  

MY Muse scarce hatched erects her spiring eye,  
And through the air sees flocks of Muses fly;  
And wanting Wings, she skipped into this paper:  
And after flies, puffed up with windy vapour:  
But hasty Muse take this advice (I pray)  
In this thy flight keep in the Middle way;  
Fly not too high, for fear of scorching beams;  
Nor yet too low, for fear of watery streams;  
Thy wings are paper, if thou dost aspire  
Sols fiery throne, he'll set thy wings on fire,  
To trident Neptune if thou dost descend,  
He'll wet thy wings, and bring thee to thy end:  
Thus to the Mean I leave thee: let none be  
Offended at thy flight, nor yet at me.   
R. O.   

ARTICLES OF HIGH TREASON Exhibited against Cheapside CROSS, Dialogue-wise, Betwixt Master Papist a professed Catholic, and Master News a Temporiser.  Papist. 
WHat News I pray thee, thou canst tell I know.  News. 
You must go upright, and forget to bow,  
The Cross in Cheapside it's accused of Treason.  Pa. 
O fie, thou speaks without all sense or Reason;  
The Cross accused of Treason! heaven's forbid:  
Sure 'tis accused of what it never did;  
The Usurer's bags thou mayst as well accuse,  
And say they're stuffed with Traitors (Mr. News)  
The Cutpurse too, stands guilty of high Treason,  
Who by his slightlets' Traitors out of Prison.  
What's free from Treason now: Oh dismal year!  
The very Horn shrouds Traitors too I fear.  
Alas poor Crisse-Crosse who would ere have thought,  
Under the Horn a Traitor should been caught:  
Hast thou forerun the Alphabet of Art  
So long, and now to act a Traitor's part:  
'Tis not thy part alone, there's others share,  
And are arraigned for Traitors at the Bar.  
It's not enough those Reverend Fathers stand  
Impeached of Treason by so High an hand?  
But this poor Cross, whose glory hath erewhile  
Grown big with honour through this famous Isle,  
Should be condemned? oh what an age is here!  
We shall be all proved Traitors now I fear.  
But Master News, how comes this thing about, Is't not effected by the Rabble rout?  Ne. 
Peace Sir, what now? the Rabble rout ye knave?  
'tis Patience that brings Crosses to the grave.  
Cheapside with patience long hath borne the Cross,  
But nowed must be disburdened of that dross.  Pa. 
What hath the Cross committed, Mr News,  
That you and others should it thus abuse?  
What harm doth it? dost not adorn the City?  
If't be accused of Treason moors the pity.  Ne. 
What though Vox populi hath past this doom,  
If you'll have Crosses, you must go to Rome.  Pa. 
I need not Sir, what greater Cross can fall,  
If this fall down, we shall have Crosses all.  
Cross here, cross there, we must resolve on losses,  
Come what come will, we shall have store of Crosses.  
But what's the Treason this blessed monument  
Is now attached of by such joint consent?  Ne. 
I'll tell you Mr. Papist if you please  
The Articles against it, they be these.  


The ARTICLES.  
IMprimis, That this Idolatrous Cross hath most traitorously gone about by her evil example, and by many and sundry suggestions, to seduce his Majesty's liege Subjects from the true Protestant Religion, to the Romish Cathalike faith, to the utter subversion and ruin of the Kingdom by civil war.  
Item, That the said Babylonish Cross hath traitorously endeavoured to bring in the Pope's supremacy, by instigating all the superstitious Crosses in this Kingdom, to join with her in that jesuitical design.  
Item, That this profane Heretic hath most traitorously introduced sundry and divers innovations into the Church, as, the Cross in Baptism, Images, Crucifixes, and the like.  
Item, That this Romish popish Idol, this Diabolical overtwhart hath most tratterously supported the portraitures of Cardinals and Bishops, to the confirmation of popery, the countenancing and vindication of Traitors.  
Item, That this Judaical Tyburn hath most traitorously gone about to crucify the Author of Lambeth fair.  
Item, That this huge great papistical Image hath seditiously occasioned divers tumultuous insurrections, polititicall and Nationall disturbances, to the great overthrow of trading and Merchandary commerce.  
Item, That this villainous piece of superstition, this pestiferous Romish relic, under pretence of frightening the Devil out of the Market, hath brought the Devil or some Familiar spirit of knavery amongst them, to the cheating and undoing his Majesty's poor subjects, their wives and children.    Ne. 
Thus Mr. Papist you have heard the Bill  
Whereof she stands accused against her will:  
She is convicted and condemned of Treason,  
And die she must while Crosses are in season;  
And I am sent here to declare her fate;  
Then Cross prepare, for thou must end thy date;  
Vox populi hath doomed thee to thy end,  
They'll let thee live no longer to amend.  
Then make thy Will to all the holy Tribe,  
Here stands a Papist let him be thy Scribe.  
At which sad News the Cross began to shake,  
And all the pictures there began to quake,  
As if an Earthquake had possessed the place,  
Which made the Pope's nose shatter from his face:  
That Babel's whore looks as she'd got the pox,  
Then woe to him that next takes up her smock.  
In this affright the Virgin lost her Crown.  
Hands they flew off, and legs came tumbling down.  
The Crosier staff was broke, which might have kept  
His Holiness from dogs, while he had slept.  
The Pilgrims they were fit to step aside,  
For on the Cross they durst scarce there abide.  
Such frightening terror so possessed the Beast  
That ne'er an Image there could be at rest.  
Yea 'twas so mighty it was thought by most  
The forlorn Beast would then given up the Ghost.  
But after that the Cross had paused a while,  
She forced these words out with a scurvy smile.  
Oh dismal doom, oh more accursed fate,  
The Cross in Cheapside quite crossed out of date!  
And must I down? tell him that passes by,  
I lived a Cross, and by a Cross I die.  
Now holy Brother if you please to write,  
My Will and Testaement, I'll thus indite.  

The last will and Testament of Cheapside Cross.  
IN the name of the Virgin Mary, and of his Holiness, Amen. I, the Cross in Cheapside in London, professed Catholic; being fore sick in body, but in perfect memory, do m●ke my last Will and Testament, in manner and form as followeth.  
Imprimis, I do bequeath my Catholic ghost of consecration to him that gave it, my body to be buried in the divine Sanctum Sanctorum of S. Paul's, in full assurance to be Canonised a Martyr, and for ever eternised in his Holiness Rubrics.  
Item, I give and bequeath all the Lead that is about me, to the hostile Catholics in Ireland, to make Bullets to confound that cursed crew of Heretics.  
Item, I bequeath the Mitres that invest the sacred Temples of my Cardinals unto the Reverend Fathers the Bishops of this Land  
Item, Their Crosier statics to the Catholic Shepherds of this Kingdom, for Sheephookes.  
Item, I bequeath the Iron about me to make a Clapper for his Holiness passing-bell.  
Item, My poor Pilgrims that stand with their faces against all mind and Wether, I recomm●nd unto his Holiness of Rome, to report the sad tidings of my most miserable and immature destruction.  
Item, The gilt that is about me, and such other sacred Relics as my Executors shall think fit, to be sold next Lambeth Fair, for the discharge of my funerals.  
Lastly, I constitute and ordain the Graces of Canterbury and of York, my Lawful Executors for the administration of this my last Will and Testament.  
Sealed and Delivered in the presence of etc. Dated, Anno ultimo Guilielmi. The Cross ✚ her mark.   

This being done the Cross set such a groan  
Would pierced an heart that had been made of stone.  
Each Cardinal and Picture that was there,  
To hear this sigh, gave up the Ghost for fear.   

But the poor Pilgrim's crampired by the back,  
Withstood the storm, till that the Cross did crack:  
A second sigh the Cross began to breath,  
But sighing breathed her last, and took her leave.  
At which the Papist stood as one half dead,  
And swore by th' Mass he'd rather lost his head.  
But since it was so come to pass, he would  
See her with honour brought unto the mould.  
Which was performed in such a pompous glory,  
That I want art for to express the story:  
One thing except, and that I will rehearse  
Some Epitaphs which were pined to her Hearse.   

Epitaphs upon the death of Cheapside Cross.  

COme here all you that feign would learn to weep,  
And ask who's here, that in this tomb doth sleep,  
You may receive an Answer, that will make  
Your eye strings burst your heart to yearn and quake,  
But must not be revealed, lest it bring in  
A second Deluge on the world for sin.    

ALIUD.  

Sure Death and Hell do now conspire in one  
T invent new torments for us when we're gone,  
For bygone Ages thrown into the Dust,  
Rest in their Graves, to show the Grave is just.  
But he that next shall here possession have,  
He shall poor man find Crosses in the Grave.    

ALIUD.  

Here lies, I'll tell you if you please to know,  
A certain thing where at men used to bow;  
But Death hath bowed it (that unhappy Knave)  
And sent it for a Token to the Grave.    

The AUTHOR to his Muse.  

Return my Muse, perchance thou wast too blame,  
But if thou be'st crave pardon for the same.  
Pardon she craves for this presumptuous flight,  
It she offend, she'll vanish out of sight.