A Third and Fourth Part OF PEGASUS: Taught by banks his Ghost to dance in the Doric mood, To the Tune of LACHRYMAE.  
in two Letters from Oxford, July 1. 1648.  
ACADEMIA OXONIENSIS   printer's or publisher's device 
Printed in the year, 1648.   

A Third and Fourth part of Pegasus: In two Letters from Oxford. 1 July, 1648.  
Sir,  
I Have afforded you some time of Breathing for a while an intermission of those sad entertainments which I formerly sent you from this place.  
When that huddle of violences was over upon the Earl of Pembroke's coming hither, the Visitors sat still a while to see how that would be digested through the kingdom, and what encouragement they should find to seize upon that Prey, which that weeks' Nimrod-hunting had laid before them. And the truth is, the Action was of so high an ill savour, and by themselves so apprehended to be so, that the modester of them thought fit to depart the Scene; Master Reynolds was called home by his Wife, and admonished, as Pilate by his, to have no more to do with the blood of these just persons, not to touch one penny of the Revenues of Christchurch, nor to lie in the lodgings any longer, lest the Fury that scourged young Jerome for being not so much Christian as he should, (and made him cry out, Christianus ego, non Ciceronianus) should use him thus, for taking upon him to have more of the Christianus then belonged to him. The same Conscience (I shall not say of the crime, but shame) wrought the like effect on Sir Nat. and his son Corbet, who (though M. Reynolds hath now put it over) never thought fit to see this Place, since that Exit and Plaudite after the Pembroke-Tragico-puppet-play of The beginning of the World, or The new Creation. Where, by one slip of the wheel of the Engine, there was this Miscarriage, That instead of fetching an university out of Chaos, all was returned to Chaos again. The unsuccessfulness of that week, and the Devils being (though an industrious, rampant; yet withal, like the creature, that he most commonly transforms himself into) an hare-hearted cowardly devil, gave us some kind of Truce for eleven weeks more, save only that now and then we should hear of a Head dropping off upon a crack of Thunder, a Vote of the Committee. Or that about a month ago, the Prebends of Christchurch were seized on by the State-pursevants for that great crime of not hanging themselves, as soon as ever they were condemned by Judge Pembroke & Sergeant Cheynell in their bloody Circuit: For which cause the sub-dean, Doctor Hammond was to be dispatched to Wallingf. Castle (though by a sudden accident that Castle is changed into confinement at Oxford) Doctor pain hurried up to London, for the crime of being Treasurer as well as Prebend. But I meant not to mention these and the like Passages which will be no news to you, and which I acknowledge to be absolutely necessary in order to their first great end of Reforming the Wealth, and their second, of Regulating the Learning of this university, which upon their late Confederation with the Independents of the Garrison, they have promised to level absolutely; And by putting themselves into the headships, to show them a new-model of Divinity and Latin, that never an Independent Butten-maker in the Army, the most zealous for parity of parts or Learning, shall except against.  
The only thing that I meant to afflict you with at this time, is the Table of Proscription, which this Morning (Saturday the first of July) was pasted, in the retail on several Colleges, and now altogether in the gross, on S. Mary's Door; To banish out of the Town no less than the great climacterical of sixty three, made up (of all sorts some) of fellows, Scholars, chaplains, Graduates, Vndergraduates, and a taste of a clerk, a Quirister, a Steward, a Cook, (but never an unprofitable Commoner I warrant you) to execute the whole Body of the university in its effigies or Representative; And to give assurance what shall become of the Collective Body, when they have, by this trial of our Patience found cut, that it may be safe for them to set on that Rounder enterprise. The particular Names in the Catalogue I shall not here insert, but only tell you that they are chosen and culled out from the rest that lay with them in the same mass of Non-submission, by no kind of rule or measure, made the objects of as absolute an irrespective Reprobation (without any Intuition of ill works, or of any thing which according to their own Rules might discriminate them from other men) as ever their Friends, Sub-or Supra lapsarians have fastened upon God in their bloodiest scheme. If it be possible to observe anything of order or constancy in their counsels; 'Twas sure, in every place to show an example on some of the most eminent for Learning, or Regularity of behaviour. Thus in St. John's college, M. Cheynells' Reformation (preparatory to this about a fortnight since) began with two or more of the greatest Eminence for both: And the like instance might be made of some in most other Colleges. 'Tis true indeed, some others are joined with them, of whom this cannot be affirmed; and some of eminent Deserts have Polyphemus his kindness showed them, to remain behind for their later Bit. But this is remarkable, that of the whole number proscribed at this time; There is not above one scandalously ill, to the great number of Eminently Learned. And that one, hath received a greater mark of Favour from them, than any whom they have spared (except only the most scandalous Atheist that ever this Town had, who is picked out by M. Cheynell to be placed in his own bosom, and that scarecrow Pelham, Kate's first suitor, whom the old Cornuto of Maudlin's hath set next to his beloved self in the Government of the College;) For he hath the Honour to go out handsomely in that very good Company; nor to have any thing laid to his charge but the Not-submitting to these Visitors, and so to have his drunkenness not only not punished, but rewarded with the favour of suffering only for not being perjured. So unwilling is the devil to discourage Vice, that whensoever he is forced to sentence any of his Servants, it shall be put off till they have done some one good thing, that that may bring the just Vengeance upon him. And so the new-modeled university may be drunk securely, having examples of the most special marks of Favour conferred upon the most enormous in the university, and but that one little discouragement from the Punishing of the one drunken Royalist, which is excused to them by this assurance, that 'twas not the Drunkard which was punished, but the Royalist. I need not use any rhetoric to aggravate this, but do wish you were able to pass Judgement upon the same knowledge that I can, by viewing & comparing the eminence of forty, and the little blame of threescore of this number; I shall not say with those many constant persons that yet remain; for they are sure to follow (when ever these men's fresh appetites call for them) to the same shambles: But rather with the small number of their chosen (not flock of sheep, but) Herd of Swine. And then I pray tell me, if ever there were Actions avowed by any which more owned that old saying that Campian raked Hell for, to fasten upon Luther, [Quantò sceleratior es, tantò vicinior Gratiae] which is now, cum Privilegio, englished thus, [The profanest wretch in the university is a much less dangerous person, and so more capable of the visitors Favour, than any that is owner of the most eminent parts and acquisitions, both of moral and Christian virtues. And he that hath this one qualification of being ill enough, shall have no danger wrought him, unless he be too Nice at last, and not swallow Perjury as glibly, as his other Sins.  
This Sir, is too happy a scheme to enlarge upon. 'Twould make your heart bleed to have my present Prospect before your Eyes. A Multitude of precious▪ young Men, which have no design against any Party or Garrison, but the strong holds of Sin and Satan; uninteressed in any plot, but only that one against Ignorance and Perjury, against darkness, and the Prince of it; I say, A Multitude of hopeful Young ones thrown out of the Nest, like the Callow Ravens by the cruel stepmother, for no other pretence of Reason, but that they are not as black as she. And unless God, that feeds the young Ravens which call upon him, will be pleased to take them into his almshouse, the Gradation of the punishment is sure to be this; whom the Sword turns out of their Studies, the Famine must next seize on in the Field. The same sentence condemns them to two punishments; as among the Romans, to Scourging and Crucifying, so among our new Christian-Heathen, to Banishment and starving. Some of them being Orphans, others the children of sequestered and undone Parents: And with them, The Ingenuity (I am sure the Learning) of the next Age, is voted to the same ruin and Vastation. The Lord have mercy upon their persecutors. Give me leave to weep out the rest in private, and not send you my ink and my Tears, my Gall and my Brine in the same Packet.  
Your mournful Friend, whom you know by the Title of Basilius Philo-Musus. Oxf. 1 July, 1648.   

Another Letter from the same hand.  
SIR,  
YOur friend here presents his service to you, and will needs annex to this Relation the notice of these few circumstances.  
1. That the destruction which is now wrought, is by the hands of five Divines only, men whose calling excludes them from all Judicature, did not their being Presbyterians give them title to it. O the mercy of the Lord Bishops in the High-Commission, which, though they had the power of Queen Elizabeth, and King James, and King Charles among them, the Canons to direct and authorise them, and many of the ablest counsellors and Civilians to assist and join with them, did never, in all their reign, so horribly declamed at for tyranny, censure to utter ruin so many guilty irregulars, as these five musimen or Turkish Presbyters have proscribed sober, innocent regulars in one morning! O what a crime it was in the Star-chamber to crop three men's ears for sedition at one Session, (and never another such in the whole age) a thing that was never pardoned that Court, or those that sat in it, till those Stars were fetched down from heaven, and laid in the dust, and the chief actor my Lord of Canterbury pursued by one of those bloodhounds, till he was permitted to lap in full streams of his heartblood in exchange, and by way of retaliation for the droppings of his ears? But now the Civil murder of 63. in a morning, the capitis mulctatio, the cutting them off from their people, the throwing them out into the highways and hedges, leaving them none but their Father in heaven, of whom they may beg their daily bread. This is an essay and taste of the more moderate, refined Government, that we have swum to, through such a red sea, or mare mortuum, the huge clemency, and mercy of these Presbyters.  
2. That of all the laymen that were of the Committee, there is not one barbarous enough to join in this act, or so hard-hearted as to be present at it. You remember how the Bishops were not permitted to remain in the House at my Lord of Straffords sentence, they must not be within the scent of blood, though 'twere only to give a stop to the effusion of it: But now none but Divines (but remember again Divines of what denomination, Presbyterians I warrant you) are thought fit to be, the Butchers of this Jury: No, the parties, accusers, witnesses, and, after all that, the Judges on this Bench, to pronounce this bloody sentence; For his third note, is,  
3. That the five men are M. Reynolds, Dr. Wilkinson, M. Rogers, M. Cheynell, and M. Wilkinson, (you know the characters of each) men voted into, and now well-nigh possessed of three of the greatest colleges, and five of the fairest preferments in the town, only this slaughter was necessary to be wrought, to smooth the passage, and facilitate the admission of these Mufti's into their seaglios. And wanting janissaries to serve, and to be panders to their lust and rage, they are turned the assassinats themselves, and must first lay waste the Province, before they can dare think of ruling in it; O fo● an Eliah now to these Ahab's, with his [Hast thou killed, and also taken possession?] But when they are left to their desart-governments, Conscience I doubt not will be a thousand Prophets to them, and present each of them daily, as that tyrant's fancy did him with the gaping dismal head of Symmachus, &c. with the spectacle of a young gasping Scholar sprawling at his feet, and howling in his ears this not over-cheerful Anthem, Thus saith the Lord, in the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.  
4. That every of these bloody men is so stricken already with the guilt and shame of their facts, that each of them single disclaims (to all that come to expostulate it) the having any thing to do in it, when yet the number of five is the least that can make a Committee, and so nothing can be done, if any one dissents; and then All of them together lay it upon the Committee at London, tying the upper link of this fatal chain to Jupiter Rouse's chair, which makes your friend take boldness to ask you these two questions:  
First, Whether the Committee at London are all so tame Cheynell or Wilkinson-trodden creatures as to commit all this fury upon their bare instance and directions, and then to give them leave to cast all the odium of it upon them: If a couple of tall raving Presbyters can thus inspire and possess them all, as perfectly as they did their fellow-may-pole-Pembroke here, than I must more pity them, than I have done the proscribed Scholars; these being plundered of their livelihoods only, but those of their souls; the Scholars only fitted for Sutton's hospital, but they for Bethlem.  
His second Question is, if that Committee having only power from the Houses to regulate the university at first, and since to provide effectual remedies, &c. have so far exceeded their Commission, as to vote the Answers of these men; High contempts of Authority of Parliament, when no one did any more, then to profess it against his oaths and Conscience to submit to this visitation; and most only professed themselves to want satisfaction, and therefore desired farther time to consider, before they were forced to give Answer. His question, I say, is, Whether there be never an House of Lords and Commons to call this Committee in question, for exceeding their Commission, and to repeal these enormous acts of Arbitrary power, and return the Scholars to their Books again, before the rest of the four hundred (sevenscore more already, they say, picked out of their next breakfast) be sent a-grazing after them. If you have access to any Member of either House, I hope you will let this ring in their ears, or else you have put off your just kindness to  
July the 1. 1648. Basilius Philomusus.  
FINIS.