TRUTH Will never shame its MASTER.  
DEDICATED By John Pain, a Wellwisher to PEACE and TRUTH,  
To His Highness the Lord Protector OF England, Scotland, and Ireland.  
MAy it please your Highness once more to vouchsafe to reflect a favourable Construction upon these poor and illiterate Lines, wherein I humbly crave Your Highness' pardon for my ambition in presenting them to so great a Personage, they being so mean, and myself so unworthy: But in confidence of Your Highness' Clemency, and wont Favour towards others in the like nature, and also the Loyalty and Duty which I own unto Your Highness doth engage me to do this, and more if I could; In the mean time, I am, and will ever remain,  
MY LORD, Your Highness subjected, in all Loyal and Faithful obedience, till death, John Pain, Soldier under Col. Haine.   


REnowned Sir, when in my contemplation  
I think upon the danger that this Nation  
Was in of late, and so I think is still,  
If some could yet but only have their will  
To bring their ends about; as I surmise,  
From Antichrist the Pope did first arise,  
And so descended to our English Court,  
Where Priests and Prelates, as some do report,  
They had a Project, and a great Design,  
God's glorious Gospel for to undermine  
By Superstition, and indeed to me  
They altogether did so well agree  
To ruin all the Nation, except those  
That are at present your most deadly Foes;  
I know it by experience, for I see  
They are as bad, or worse, than bad may be;  
For since the Rumour of the Holland Peace,  
In Town and Country they do much increase,  
And swear they'll lay a hundred pounds to ten,  
That this late Treaty will break off again;  
Which if it should, I hope you'll have a care  
To make them love you, though it be for fear;  
It stands upon your Highness now to take  
A stricter course, than heretofore, and make  
The Cavaliers and Papists all to know  
You'll have their reason whenever they will or no.  
If that your Highness have not yet forgot,  
I gave you notice lately of a Plot,  
Which was of late discovered as I hear  
Coming to London out of Dorsetshire;  
They say that some committed are to Tower,  
And more to be expected there each hour,  
That are as deep engaged in the Plot,  
Against your Highness, for I know not what,  
Nor they themselves, I dare presume to say,  
But that You cross them in the King's highway;  
I do believe that all the aim they have,  
Is that the Hollanders will play the Knave,  
And hold You in a Treaty until they  
Have gotten all their Merchant Ships away  
To Sea for Merchandise, which only Trade  
Is their subsistence, if they can alade;  
Without the which they cannot, as I hear,  
Maintain their War with us another year;  
The which I leave unto the Lord of Host,  
Who hitherto hath kept them from our Coast;  
To whom I do ascribe all power and might,  
Because 'twas he who made Your Armies fight  
By Sea and Land, the which doth terrify  
The Nations that do round about us lie.  
I have a word or two yet more to write,  
Concerning things which I see are not right;  
But that I'll leave until some other day,  
And then (God willing) when I come this way,  
I'll call upon Your Highness, for to know  
whenever I in this transgressed have or no;  
I do confess here's neither Rhyme nor Reason  
In all these Lines, nor yet (I hope) no Treason.  
And so I'll leave Your Highness unto him  
That giveth Peace unto Jerusalem.  
Your Highness' poor  
Faithful and sure  
Servant till death,  
Here upon earth,  
I hope to remain  
For ever, John Pain,  
Here is a little Line for every Ten,  
And if You like them I'll begin again,  
Before I go for Jersie, where that I  
Have lived ere since the Islands taking by  
Your Highness' Forces, sent by Col. Haine,  
For the Reducing of that place again.  
I've one Request unto Your Highness more  
That You'll be pleased to look upon the poor  
And sad conditition which some Soldiery  
Are like to suffer, by the subtlety  
Of those that get Debenters for a song,  
That never were in Arms yet all along  
These bloody Wars, where many thousand men  
Have lost their lives, and never came again  
To see their Children, neither yet their Wives,  
Which (now poor souls) are weary of their lives.  
Alas what is it for to have a Crown,  
Or half so much, when there is due a pound?  
(For service done already for the State,  
Is now forgotten, and quite out of date)  
Besides, a third deducted for Freequarter  
To pay our Landlords for the same hereafter.  
When we are paid off our Debenters clear,  
'Twill be to many a very happy year;  
But in the mean time if there bened a care  
Many will starve for want of food I fear;  
For I myself, as plainly may appear,  
Have served the States almost this fourteen year,  
And never had one penny for my pain  
Until I served under Colonel Hain,  
Which was about some four or five year since,  
The time before was on my own expense;  
Besides I've spent, in trotting up and down  
After Committees, well near forty pound.  
There are many more I know can say the same,  
But how to remedy, or who to blame,  
I do not know as yet, because that I  
Am not acquainted with State policy,  
Which I confess is good, if't be well used,  
But I see daily it is much abused  
By some of whom Your Highness little deem  
That they should so Your Orders ,  
As do Excise-men, Treasurers, and Committees,  
In all Your Counties, Villages and Cities.   

Once more, my Lord, I shall desire to take  
My leave of You at present, and to make  
An end of these my simple Lines, and so  
I'll for Jersey, as fast as I can go:  
And there I hope, my Lord, for to remain,  
Your Highness' servant until Death   
JOHN pain.  
Truth may be blamed by some, though not by all,  
I have thrown it out, but know not where 'twill fall.  
FINIS.