PENDENNIS and all other standing Forts DISMANTLED: Or, EIGHT Military aphorisms, Demonstrating the Vselesness, unprofitableness, hurtfulness, and prodigal Expensivenes of all standing English Forts and Garrisons, to the People of England: their inability to protect them from Invasions, Depredations of Enemies or pirates by Sea or Land: The great mischiefs, Pressures, Inconveniences they draw upon the Inhabitants, Country, and adjacent places in times of open wars, when pretended most useful: and the grand Oversight, Mistake, Injury in continuing them for the present or furure real Defence of the people's Lives, Liberties, Estates, the only ends pretended for them.  
Penned by William Prynne of Swainswick, Esquire, during his close imprisonment in Pendennis Castle. And now published for the common benefit, ease, information of the whole Nation.  Habak. 1. 10. 
They shall deride every strong hold, for they shall heap dust, and take it.  Hosea 3. 14. 
Judah hath multiplied fenced Cities, but I will send a fire upon his Cities which shall devour the palaces thereof.  2 Chron. 12. 4. 
And he took the fenced Cities which appertained to Judah.  Dan. 11. 15. 
The King of the North shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced Cities; neither shall there be any strength to withstand.  Ezeck. 26. 11, 12. 
He shall slay thy people by the sword, and thy strong garrisons shall go down to the ground: and they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise; and they shall break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant houses, and they shall lay thy stones, and thy timber, and thy dust in the midst of the water.  
London, Printed for the Author, and are to be sold by Edward Thomas in Green-Arbour, 1657▪   

To the ingenuous READER.  
DUring my near 3 years causeless close Imprisonments, (without the least Accusation, hearing, crime, then or since suggested against me) by John Bradshaw and ●his Whitehall Associates, in the since slighted disgarrisoned Castles of Dunster & Taunton in Sumersetshire, and yet continued Garrison of Pendennis Castle in Cornwell; I had several Discourses with their Officers and soldiers (who, though seeming zealous professors of the gospel, I found very unwilling, 
* isaiah. 24. Mic. 4. 3. Lu. 2. 14. Heb. 13, 14. Jam. 4. 1, 2.  to beat their swords into Ploughshares, and their spears into pruning Hooks, and not to lift up a sword against any Christian Nation, nor to levy Wars any more, as the God and gospel of Peace prescribe them) concerning the uselessness, hurtfulness, and prodigal unnecessary annual expensiveness of those and other standing Forts, Garrisons, inland and maritine, both in times of war and Peace, as being unable to defend the Realm, or country round about them from invading foreign Enemies, or pillaging pirates, much less any parts of the kingdom remoter from them, and drawing many intolerable pressures, mischiefs upon the Inhabitants in or near them, and on the whole Nation (especially in times of Hostility when pretended most beneficial) infinitely overbalancing all the advantages that could be alleged either for their original Erection, or future continuation, if duly pondered in the Scales of right reason. Which being a theme never yet (to my knowledge) publicly debated in Print, tending much to the common ease and benefit of the whole Nation from these unnecessary Pests and Burdens, I did thereupon in my dark Pendennis Cell (where I had few Books and less light to read) in September 1652. to pass away idle hours, digest the substance of my Discourses against Forts, and Garrisous (to which I could receive no satisfactory replies from any Officers or soldiers) into these ensuing Aphorisms, which I sent from thence to a since deceased Friend in London. Where God's providence (after his death and my enlargement) unexpectedly bringing them to my hands, I was thereupon induced to make them public; humbly submitting them to the serious Consideration, Approbation, or Correction of every candid Reader, and public spirited Statesman, swordman, preferring the Commonwealth, ease, interest of the over-exhausted Nation, before his own personal Pay, Honour, Command, and self-respects. A very rare virtue in this self-seeking Age; wherein few Christian soldiers can truly say of themselves, as the Thebaean Christian Legion under Dioclesian the Emperor did; 
* Grotius de jure Belli & pacis l. 1. c. 2. p. 36.  Offerimus nostras in quemlibet hostem manus, quas sanguine innocentium cruentare nefas ducimus. Dextrae ipsae pugnare adversus impios & inimicos sciunt, laniare pios & cives nesciunt. Meminimus nos pro civibus potius quam adversus Cives arma sumpsisse. Pugnavimus semper pro justitia, pro pietate, pro innocentium salute; haec fuerunt hactenus pretia periculorum. Pugnavimus pro fide, quam quo pacto censeruemus tibi, si hanc Deo nostro non exhibemus? And wherein we may justly take up the Apostles sad Complaint in his time, as suited to ours, Phil. 1. 20. 21. I have no man like minded, who will naturally care for your Estate: For ALL seek THEIR OWN, NOT THE THINGS THAT ARE JESUS Christ's, or things really tending to the public liberty, Ease, Wealth, and happiness of the Nation; pretended to by all, for self-advantages alone; but sincerely intended, endeavoured by few or none, if VOX POPULI, or DEI, may be credited. Accept and peruse this Treatise (I beseech thee) as a New light, springing out of darkness, first Compiled, and now Divulged, only for the general Ease and Welfare of our English Nation, by him who hath ever studied, to promote God's Glory, and his Countries public Liberty, Interest, ease, more than his own private safety, or self-advantage, and desires to live no longer than he shall manifest himself upon all occasions to be,  
Lincoln's inn. December 6. 1654. His Native Countries faithful friend and Servant, William Prynne.   

Errata.  
Pag. 4. l. 25 ●lay. r. stay. l. 28. r. rovers. p. 5. l. 10. if of. p. 32. l. 11. Pruda Penda▪ Margin. p. 27. l. 7▪ Gul. Nubrig▪ l. 10. Ecclesiae. l. 14. Bromten.   

(1) EIGHT Military Aphorisms; DEMONSTRATING  
The uselessness, unprofitableness, hurtfulness and Prodigal expensiveness of all standing English Garrisons to the people of ●ngland; their Inability to protect them from enemy's Invasions, Depredations by Sea or Land, the great mischiefs they occasion in peace & open War, the oversight, injury of continuing them at the people's excessive expense, (or any other mercenary Land-forces for the present or future real defence of the people's Persons, Liberties, Laws or Estates.)  
THough Garrisons in three or four of our greatest, richest, strongest Cities (which are as so many Magazenes and places of refuge) may in some respects be necessary and convenient in times of war; especially when guarded by the Cities own Arms and Forces yet that our ordinary standing mercenary Garrisons (especially in small Castles and Blockhouses) are not only altogether useless, but most dangerous, oppressive and mischievous grievances to the Nation, both in times of war and Peace, I shall briefly evidence by these ensuing Aphorisms.  
1. THat the Principal use, end of Garrisons is only to keep a 
* 2 Sam. 8. 14. 1 Chr. 18. 6. 4, 1 Sam. 13. 3, 1, 22, 23. C. 14. 5. 22, 23. c. 10.  foreign conquered Enemy or country in constant subjection and contribution to the conquerors; therefore not to be contnived in our own free Nation by those who pretend its Freedom and Enfranchisement from bondage, unless they resolve to make us their conquered Vassals and ●ributaries, instead of English-Freemen.  
2. That all Garrisons, Castles, Forts & Block-houses throughout England if their works and fortifications were demolished, would be nothing else but mere despicable, worthless, barren Hills, or Clods of Earth, scarce worth two hundred pounds a year at their best improved value; which no wise State●man or enemy, upon due consideration, would either value, look after▪ or go about to fortify, more than those many thousand unfortified Rocks, Hills upon the Sea-coast or in inland Counties, which any foreign or domestic Enemies might, with as much advantage to themselves, and prejudice to the Nation, soon fortify and Garrison with ●ase and advantage, if they would bestow so much charge & pains, as on those now fortified & furnished to their hands at the people's cost, if once but Masters of the Field▪ which for●s would stand the Enemies in no more stead, if now slighted, than any other unfortified Hills, Rocks, or those garrisoned Hills and Rocks would do before they were fortified and garrisoned, being altogether as unuseful, unable to defend or secure the Nation and People near them from the Invasion●, Plunder●, Conquests of any Po●ent Enemy or Party stronger than these petty Garrisons, as any other unfortified, ungarrison Hills or Rocks throughout the Island of like, or as strong a situation, and really serving only to defend the bare mercenary Garrison-Soldiers in them; and the barren Rocks, Hills alone whereon they stand, not the whole Nation or Counties adjoining, in time of such Invasion, Danger, till they be either taken by, or surrendered to the prevailing Party & Enemy. Therefore to put the Nation, country to a vast annual expense of many thousand pounds each year to fortify, furnish and man such garrisoned fruitless Rocks and Clods of Earth, (not worth 200. l. a year at utmost value) which can neither secure the whole Island nor people near them from foreign or domestic, Enemi●s, and to continue them garrisoned at such a prodigal expense, is as great a Solecis●, Mad●ess●, Prodigality in true Martial & State politics, as it would be ill country husbandry for the whole Nation or private Statesmen to bestow one hundred thousand pounds every year in Planting, sowing the Hills and Rocks whereon these Garrisons now stand, to reap a barren crop only of 200. l. a year at most; which (as they are now garrisoned) yield them not one farthing towards the pub●ike ●evenue, and yet have cost the Nation very many thousand pounds out of their Purses every year, to no use or end at all, but to cast away so much money on lazy Garrison-Soldiers, to smoke T●bacco, and cry one to another, Who goes there? (as if we had still too much money in our dry-dra●n●d-Purses) and to continue them at this grand charge, only because the Island and places near them, might be endangered, if slighted, & their ruins supprised regarrison d by an enemy (who will never certainly be so mad or sottish, as to fortify any slighted Garrisons, unless able to defend them against the whole Nation) is as gross an absurdity, as to argue; we must forthwith fortify, Garrison, all other advantageous Sea-●oasts, Rocks, Hills, ●asses in England, because else any Enemy might master, seize and fortify them to the Nations, people's danger, damage; and repair, fortify all old late demolished Castles, Forts, Block-houses, upon the same reason and account, (which all the Indian Mines would not suffice to Garrison)  
3. That England being subject to the foreign Invasions, Depredation● of Enemies or Pirates, only by Sea with Ships, which no fixed Land-Garrisons can encounter, assault, board, take, sink, or pursue from place to place, nor hinder from landing under their Noses, if stronger than they; much less in any other place out of their command▪ (as is undeniable by our ancient seizing of Cadez and sundry towns, Garrisons in the Indies by Sir Francis Drak, & others, and our late invading and taking in of the Isles of Silly, Gersey, Ga●nsey, the Barbadoes and Scottish Island●, without the loss of any one Ship, and of very few men, notwithstanding all their Bl●ckhouses, Forts, Garrisons, for to secure them they are altogether useless Prodigalities; our victorious puissant Navy being the sole, best, sufficient defence against them, and only able to resist, take, sink and surprise them: That England (as Mr. Cambden and 
† M●rcator, Heylyn, Sir Thomas Smith.  others write) being 1836. Miles in compass, all environed with the Sea, except for some few Miles space next to Scotland; it is as great a mistake in point of State-Policy & as gross an Absurdity in Military-Skill, to assert or believe, that 40. or 50. standing Garrisons, Forts and Block▪ houses, distant sundry Miles one from the other, not taking up or securing 40. whole Miles of this vast Circuit, and leaving no less than 1800. Miles thereof, and near as many ●an●ing Places for Enemies and Rovers open to their Invasions; without any defence at all, can hinder either their Landing or Pillaging, or secure the Island from Invasions, by any considerable Fleet and Forces now, which they never could do in former Ages, as its frequent Invasions and Conquests too by the Romans, Saxons, Danes, Normans and others, notwithstanding all our ancient Castles and Garrisons attest. And to continue them for this very end upon the impoverished Nations drained-Purses, by imposing unusual, unsupportable Taxes, Excises on them for their support, is as gross a conceit, as to assert, that the Garrison and Guns in Dover Gast●e can forcibly keep off any foreign Fleet of Enemies or Pirates from Landing or Plundering at the landsend, Lizards Poin●, or Whitsand-Bay in Cornwall, or at St. David's in Wales; or▪ that the fortifying of the Tower of London alone, or the useless Block-●ouse● at Gravesend (which can neither slay, hurt nor sink any resolute Ship or Vessel, much less an whole Fleet in a Sunshine-day, nor yet discern them in a mist or darksome night, and can discharge their Guns at them only at roves but once at most, with more expense of Powder and Bullet to the State, than harm to the Vessels they shoot at) will hinder a Whery-Boat or Navy freighted with Soldiers at Brainford from landing in ●u●●le-Fields or Windsor; or the guarding and locking up of Crippl●-Gate alone, hinder an whole Army or Br●gade from entering into London at Newgate, or any other Gate of the City, though they all stood open, unguarded, & though all its Walls and Works (like the late Line about it) were leveled to the ground. Yea, as vain 〈◊〉 State, a Military Policy, as formerly to have built a Fort only at Tyburn to secure all London, Westminster and Southwark, against the late King's Army, without drawing any Line of Communication round about them, or placing any other Guards than those in Tyburn Fort for their defence against them; or to have placed a single Company of the London Militia at White-chapp●l, to Guard both Houses whiles they sat at Westminster, without avy other Guardians to secure them nearer hand; It being both vanity and folly to fortify only one inconsiderable part of a Town or Garrison (and so if the Island) if all therest be unfortified, and lie always open to all enemies Invasions without defence.  
4. That in all times of public Peace, or when and whiles there is no Enemy near, it is Peace itself alone, and want or absence of Enemies that secures the people's, Nations Persons Estates from danger, Plunder; not garrisons or Field Armies; which cannot universally protect their Lives or Goods in all places and at all times, when there is any open War or enemy in the Field, as Peace alone always doth, and will do still, without cost or trouble: Therefore it must needs be very ill Hu●bandry and no good State-●olicy [in these or other times of Inland P●ace] to keep up Land-Forces and Garrisons throughout the Nation at the people's intolerable costs, now there is no enemy at all in Arms amongst us, to protect the people's Persons and Estates from spoil and danger, when as our very Peace itself and want of armed Enemies, doth and will absolutely secure them both, without any charge at all, or either of these costly Lordly Superfluous Guardi●n●; which could not secure the greatest part of the Nation from the late King's Forces, Power and Plunder in times of ●●r nor yet the King's Forts, his Friends or Quarters from the Parliaments Forces.  
5. That in Times of open War, no Garrisons throughout the Nation can secure themselves and those within them against a puissant Army, or any Party stronger than these Garrisons; which will soon 
* 2 King's ●8. 13. 1 Sam. 13. 3, 4▪ Hab. 1. 10. Dan. 1●. 15.  take them by Force, Stratagem, Composition; or for want of Provision, Ammunition, and ot her Necessaries; or by 〈◊〉 reachery or mu within themselves, unless timely relieved by a ●arching Field-Army able to raise their sieges, as late experience and all Histories attest: Yea ofttimes a small Party, far less and nothing so numerous as those Garrisons, by some Stratagem of War, sudden surprise, or through security or negligence of the Garrison Soldiers, or by the casual death of some eminent Commander; unexpected forcing of a pass or routing of some of the Garrison Soldiers in their Sa●l●●s▪ and entering with them in their Retreat; the successful springing up of some Mine▪ the blowing up of a Magezine; the stopping of all Provisions for their Relief, advantage of Ground▪ divisions amongst the Garrisons, Treachery, Bribery in Officers, Soldiers, sentinels, or Townsmen, and a thousand other Casualties, have in all former ages (and will hereafter do the like) conquered sundry strong Garrisons throughout our three Nations, and in all other parts of the World: Besides no Garrisons in our Nation, without the assistance of a Field Army, either are or ever were yet able to protect themselves by their own strength against any powerful enemy's siege, who resolved for to gain them, in times of War. It can be therefore little less than apparent folly or frenzy for us, to perpetuate and maintain them still at so vast a charge in these times of inland Peace throughout the Nation, to protect and secure the whole Land or Country about them; being thus unable to defend and secure themselves in the heat o●●War from Foreign or Intestine Enemies.  
6. That Garrisons both in times of Peace and War, are so far from being a benefit, safeguard or protection to the whole Nattor, or to the Inhabitants within them, the Country about them, and the contributors towards them; that in truth they are commonly their greatest Grievance, Oppression, Loss, Damage, Mischief, and frequent occasions of their u●ter ruin both in Peace and War, as shall be evidently demonstrated for our Soldiers, State●-men, and Nations future in formation, and speedy suppression of these grandest Grievances, by these particulars.  
1. In all times of Peace, they put the whole Nation, Inhabitants, Country, to an excessive prodigal expense of moneys, which would be better employed in relieving and setting poor people on work, advancing Trade, Manufactures, merchandise, improving Lands, and supplying the people's particular occasions; to all which, and the better relief of maimed Soldiers, their continuance is and will be still extremely prejudicial: They much impoverish, grieve, oppress, discontent the People by endless Taxes, Excises to maintain them; by Billeting, Quartering, and ofttimes Free-quartering the Garrison Soldiers on them; by the frequent Mutinies, misdemeanours, Abuses, Outrages of Garrison Soldiers, and Lordly imperiousness of their Governors and Officers, over-topping, overruling, and sometimes abusing in many places the Nobility, Gentry, Ministry, and civil Magistracy, as well as common People; and interrupting the course of Justice, by protecting both themselves and their Soldiers from Arrests and Executions for just Debts, Duties, Trespasses to the People; by entertaining, listing and detaining children against their Parents, Servants and Apprentices against their Masters, Husbands against their Wives and Families good wills, to their great grief and prejudice; by keeping of many thousands of able, young, lusty men in mere idleness, spending their time in eating, drinking, gaming, whoring, sleeping, lewdness, or easy useless duties day and night, only to gaze about them; to call to one another, Stand, &c. and to spend much Match and Powder to no purpose, but to waste them and our Treasure in compliments; and in the mean time robbing the Nation of the benefit of their honest painful labours in their Callings; by their frequent running away upon discontents or misdemeanors●, leaving their Wives, Children, and not a few great Bellies and Bastards on the Inhabitants and Countries charge; running into their scores and debts for Quarters and Necessaries, and then departing without payment of them; by infecting the Inhabitants and Country with the Vices, Errors, Blasphemies, Sins, Corruptions, diseases of the worst and deboysest Soldiers▪ by occasioning many Murders, Men-slaughters, bloodsheds, quarrels, Brawls, Robberies, Thefts Burglaries, Dlsorders, Oppressions, drunkenness, idleness, Gaming, Whoring, Swearing, neglect contempt of magistracy, Ministry cod's public Ordinances, Sacraments, Sabbath's Disturbances of our Ministers and public Assemblies in and near the Garrisons by dangerous Practices to undo or vex many innocent Persons, which else would be prevented; by hindering peoples free ingress into, and egress out of Garrisons about their urgent occasions, concerning which their sentinels, Corporals, Governors strictly interrogate them ex officio, and force them to dance attendance on them sometimes many hours space▪ to extort Beer or Money from them before they can pass or repass about their business; by searching the Houses, Studies, seizing the persons Letters, Writings of divers persons by their own bare Authorities or others unlawful Warrants▪ against all Law and the people's Native Freedom upon feigned pretences, causeless jealousies, idle rumours vain fears, and sometimes secret conspiracies against their very lives and Estates, which are made a prey to these Soldiers: By sundry other abuses, in seizing their Arms. Birding and Fowling Piec s, money's Plate, Horses, Goods; and impresting their Horses, Ploughs Carts upon needless, or wrongful public or private occasions and pretences. In all which, and sundry other respects they are extraordinary Grievances to the Nation, garrisoned places and country adjoining even in time of Peace. Therefore not to be continued upon any vain pretence whatsoever.  
2. In times of War, when they are pretended most necessary, they are then most chiefly prejudicial, pernicious, destructive both to the whole Nation in general; the Places garrisoned; the adjacent Country and all contributing towards them, as these experimental Demonstrations will undeniably evidence against the erroneous Opinions and practice of all Pseud●-Politicians and Soldiers contrary Pretences, wherewith they delude, yea, cheat the ignorant people: For, in times of actual Wars (especially civil, when they are most pernicious) they bring a general mischief on the whole Nation, and that in these respects: 1. By lengthening and drawing out their intestine Wars with the Plagues and Miseries attending them, for many years' space, as our ancient and late Wars manifest) by a tedious and successive siege of their Garrisons, till reduced; to the great waste, spoil, destruction and impoverishing of the people; the innumerable increase of fatherless children, widows, poor and maimed persons, the slaughters, deaths of thousands more than if there were no such Garrisons. 2. By multiplying the people's Taxes, expenses, to furnish and maintain these Garrisons, and raise, pay a great Field Army besides, for these Garrisons security, which would be a sufficient safeguard to the Nation without them. 3. By lessening the number, weakening the strength, subtracting the Military Provisions with all other supplies and recruits of the Field Armies, in whose good or bad success, strength or weakness, the Safety or ruin, Preservation or Conquest of the Nation (next under God) doth alone principally consist; and whose Victories or ill successes the whole Nation, with all Garrisons usually do, will and must of necessity follow; their Garrisons being unable to defend them from Plunder, total and final Conquest, if their Field Armies be quite routed or destroyed; which would speedily end the Wars by Pitched battles in the Field in a few days, weeks, months at furthest, were it not for besieging and taking in Garrisons, which (through the Artifice of Mercenary officers and Soldiers) protract the Wars for many years, and continue the Plagues and Miseries of war upon the Nation far longer than if there were no Garrisons in it as, ancient and present experience must and will attest.  
2. They are in times of actual War most prejudicial to the Towns and Places garrisoned in these ensuing regards. 1. By doubling, trebling their Taxes, Contributions, Payments, charges to new fortify and furnish these Garrisons with Ammunition, Artillery, Cannons, Provisions, Magazines of all sorts; augmenting their mercenary Guards and Soldiers by hundreds and thousands in some places, to their great impoverishing and vexation; and that oft times, to betray them to the Enemy at last; yea, to lose those Garrisons in a few days or hours, which they have thus (to their vast expense and trouble) been fortifying, furnishing, guarding many months or years' space together, as the late precedents of Bristol, Hereford, with other Garrisons belonging both to the King and Parliament in England, Ireland, Scotland and elsewhere, demonstrate; and the Histories of all Ages, Countries testify. 2. By continual billetting▪ quartering and free-quartering the Garrison Soldiers and Officers on the Inhabitants, within or near the Garrisons, to their great oppression, vexation (superadded to their Taxes) oft times to their utter undoing. 3. By drawing the Field-Forces likewise into them, and free quartering them all the Winter long, or when they are out of action, for their better accommodation and safety, to add to their former affliction; and by continual uncessant qnartering of other marching Soldiers on them upon all expeditions, parties sent out upon emergent occasions; from which heavy Pressures, ungarrisoned places and Villages remote from Garrisons, are either totally exempted or ten times more free than Garrisons; which would be as free as they, were they not made Garrisons. 4. By exposing them to all the forementioned mischiefs and inconveniences of Officers and Garrison Soldiers in times of Peace▪ doubled and trebled in seasons of war, when the Soldiers are far more unruly, deboist, injurious imperious over them in all kinds then in Peace.  
5. By inviting, inducing or necessitating the enemy's Forces to besiege, and inflict upon them the saddest Calamities and Plagues of War, from which ungarrisoned Towns, and places far from Garrisons are usually exempted; or not so liable to, especially in civil Wars. To enumerate some particular miseries accompanying sieges. 1. Burning, wasting, destroying their own Suburbs, neighbouring Houses, Villages, Orchards, Gardens, Trees in or near their Garrisons, Walls or Works, and that frequently by their own Officers and Garrison Soldiers, to prevent the enemy's quartering in them or some annoyances from them; or to contract their Works for their better and easier defence of what remaiins unburnt or unwasted, to the undoing of hundreds and thousands, left houslesse and harborless by this inhuman Policy, as bad or worse than any enemy's rage; as the sad late precedents of the firing the Suburbs of Bristol, Excester, Taunton, Lincoln, York, Colchester, and other Garrisons, experiment; with some stately Houses, and whole Villages adjoining to them: To which may be added, the like frequent furious devastations of them by the Enemies, if spared by themselves. Secondly, loss of all Trading, Commerce▪ and Markets, during the Leaguers about them, when they need them most of all. Thirdly, Perpetual Fears, Alarms, Disturbances, Watchings, Frights, day and night; continual hard military duties and skirmishes with the Enemy, even by the Inhabitants themselves at their free cost, notwithstanding their hired, dear-waged Guardian Soldiers to secure them. Fourthly, Forcible seizures of the Inhabitants household-provisions of all sorts, with their Beds, Bedding, Arms, Money, Plate, to feed, lodge, arm, pay, their Mercenary Servants (then in all things, their most absolute Lording Masters) who extort and will take from them and theirs all they have, of purpose forsooth to protect them, though those their protected paymasters and their whole Families starve, lie cold or naked on the boards, want money to buy them bread, necessaries, or lie sick in greatest distress. Fifthly, The loss of many of the Inhabitants lives by Assaults, Granadoes, fireworks, Sallies, Shots, wounds, Famines, Plagues, fevers, and other Sicknesses (usually accompanying Sieges and Wars) by invented false accusations, suspicions of holding intelligence with the Enemies, or plotting to betray the Garrison to them; by sudden fears, frights, discontents, firing or beating down Houses, springing of Mines, and the li●e, during their sieges; in many whereof if sharp or long, or accompanied with Plagues and Sicknesses, above half the Inhabitants or more have frequently been quite consumed, and the rest utterly undone, though the Enemies left the siege at last. Sixthly, The Wounding, Maiming, loss of Limbs of many of the Inhabitants, multiplying of their poor Widows, desolate Orphans by Seiges, and their new charge to relieve them. Seventhly, The total Banishment, Captivity, Slaughter and extirpation of all the Inhabitants and mercenary Soldiers too in Garrisons, if taken by storm or assault, by putting them all to the Sword, Man, Woman, and child, without distinction, or the greatest number of them, and carrying the rest Captives thence, whereof there are hundreds of sad precedents in 
* Josh. 8. 21, 22. c. 6. 20, 21. c. 10. 28. to 41. 1 Sam. 13. 3, 4. 2 King's 25. 8. 10 12. 2 Chr. 36. 1●, &c.  Sacred and profane History. The famous Protestant Town of Magdeburgh in Germany, of late years was by bloody General Tilly, put totally to the Sword, and then burnt to ashes: And Tredagh in Ireland, though for the most part Protestants, always constant to the Parliament, enduring many long and sharp sieges by the Irish Popish Rebels; yet submitting to marquess Ormond (a sincere Protestant, formerly General for the Parliament in Ireland, and then for the King) and receiving a Garrison from him at the last, when their Governor entered into an offensive and defensive League with Owen Roe-Oneal (the General of the Popish Rebels) their greatest Enemy, and chief Contriver, Fomenter of the Irish Massacre and Rebellion; upon the late taking of it by storm, most of the Inhabitants were thereupon put to t●e sword, without distinction, together with all the Garrison Soldiers, by Gen. Cromwell himself and his Forces, to the great grief of many good Protestants there; which fatal desolation and total destruction they had all escaped, had they not been a Garrison. Eightly, The total demolition and burning to the very ground, of sundry private Garrisons, Castles, strong magnificent Houses of ancient Nobles and Gentlemen, and of some fair Churches too, when taken; whereof our late Wars have produced many sad Spectacles, as Rag land Castle, Basing House, Rowden House, Cambden House, Litchfiel● Clos●, Banbury, Pomfret Castles, with sundry more: And which is yet more grievous, the burning to the ground, and total desolation, depopulation, ruin of many great famous Garrisons, Cities and Towns; as Troy, Jerusalem, Tyrus, Athens, with hundreds more; and of the best and greatest part of other stately Cities, never since repaired, repeopled, whereof 
* Josh. 8. ●9, 20' 28. c. 6. 21, 22, 26. 2 King's 19 25. c. 25. 9, 10, 11, &c. Isa. 17. 1, 2. c. 25. 12. Jer. 49. 37. Ezek. 26. 10. to 15.— Amos 1. 7, 8, 10, 14, 15. c. 2. 2, 3, 5. Isa. 30. 13. c. 32. 13, 14. Ez. 26. 10, 11, 12.  Sacred and profane Stories of former ages, our own Annals, and late experience can furnish us with multitudes of sad precedents: Which fatal Subversions, Devastations, they had all escaped, had they not been Garrisoned and stood out a Siege. Ninthly, the total Spoil, Plunder, Confiscation of all the Inhabitants Goods and Estates (if not their Lives) to the Enemy, if taken by Assault or Stratagem, to their universal undoing; and yet putting them to future Fines, Ransoms, and heavy Taxes afterward, to buy their Peace, or save them from the general subsequent Plunder of all not formerly spoiled by the Soldiers; All which they had escaped, if ungarrisoned. Tenthly, The unavoidable reception of greater, and usually worse domineering new Garrisons from the conquering Enemies; oft spoiling, plundering, firing ransoming, executing the wealthiest of the Inhabitants (notwithstanding all Articles of agreement for their indemnity and Security) though taken by surrender only, not by storm; which Articles are usually much violated, and very seldom kept by faithless, greedy, rude, plundering Officers or Soldiers, who add affliction to affliction, and a new undoing to the old; to whose new Lording lawless power, Orders, Pleasures, Government, the Inhabitants must all submit, or else they & their Families must be forthwith banished out of their native Habitations, as enemies, stripped naked of all they have, and forced to wander cold & naked about the country like vagrants for bread, clothes, relief, houseroom, which they plentifully enjoyed before, to the breaking of their hearts, and shortening of their lives. Eleventhly, These Garrisons are oft taken & retaken over and over▪ and so as oft plundered, re▪ plundered, spoiled, ransomed, and new garrisoned by both sides yea those of them who were protected as friends and favourites to the one side, are sure to be most spoiled, plundered, oppressed, persecuted by the other▪ and to suffer thus in their successive turns till they be quite undone and ruined by their frequent takings and retakings on both sides; as bristol, Exeter, with other places▪ have found by late sad experience: the vicissitudes and miseries of these Garrisons never ceasing till their Wars and Garrisons cease, and they became no Garrisons. Twelfly: If any besieged Garrisons escape taking in the Wars by siege (as Gloces●er, Hull and L●me did in our late Wars; but scarce any else▪) yet, as it was more through God's mercy, and the valour, vigilancy and strength of their own Inhabitants and other Volunteers then of their hired mercenaries; so the length of Losses and damages by their very Leaguers, did more endamage, impoverish them, than an honourable composition with the Enemy at first, or the leaving their Towns quite ungarrisoned would have done; besides their exemption from all those fears; hardships and other miseries accompanying their Leaguers. There was no Garrison in the late Wars throu ghout the Nation, but if left ungarrisoned by either side, might with the quarter or half quarter of its unnecessary expenses to make and keep it a Garrison, have avoided all the Miseries, Losses, Devastations, Plunders, Pressures it suffered as a Garrison on both or either side, without an● great danger or Pillage to the Inhabitants, persons or Estates by either side: And half the charges of our Garrisons on both sides, would have defrayed the whole charges of both the Field Armies, and ended the Wars in far less than half the time they were protracted by means of Garrisons. In brief, our small Castles and Garrisons even in times of wars, are, & can be no defence at all, but great Oppressions and Grievances to the people and country; our great Garrisons are then but small defences and greater burdens and grievances to the people then smaller; yea, all of them after all their fortifications, costs & expenses, are, or may be taken by 
* Hab. 1. 10. Josh. 10. 28. to 41. 2 King. 18. 10. 2 Chron. 12. 4. c 32. 2, 1. Sam. 3. 4. Dan. 11▪ 1● Zeph. 1. 26.  forc●, stratagem▪ Famine or Treachery at the last, by any Enemy who is but Master of the Field; witness the strongest of Cities, ●yrus, Ezek. 26. and Jerusalem God's own most fortified City, of which the Prophet thus writes, Lam. 4. 12. The Kings of the earth and all the Inhabitants of the world would not have believed, that the Adversary and the Enemy should have entered into the Gates of Jerusalem; yet was it often taken, pillaged, dismantled and burnt by the enemies, 2 Chron 12. 4. &c. 2 Chron. 36. 7, 10 17, to 21. Yea, our own Garrisons were the principal seats, theaters of all our former and late Wars, epsecially when besieged by either party: Whence a Siege is usually termed Le-Guerre, from the F●ench, that is to say, THE WAR; because there is no War to speak of, till then: battles in the Field being fought and ended usually in half a day or less, and oft within one hour or two at most; when as Sieges (accompanied always with frequent Skirmishes, constant Batteries, sundry Assaults, Sallies, Stormings on all hands, or in some quarter or other) continue many days, weeks, months and years, sometimes with far greater danger and loss of men on both sides; and are usually seconded with many Skirmishes, bloody battles and encounters of Armies or Parties sent to victual, relieve the besieged, or raise the Siege, occasioning more and greater slaughters than a pitched battle in the Field alone, as all Histories and experience manifest. Upon all which considerations, all Statesmen, Soldiers and intelligent Inhabitants of Garrisons, who have any brains remaining in their heads, or consciences in their breasts) must ingenuouslye (after due deliberation) acknowledge; that Garrisons even in times of open Wars (especially intestine) are so far from being a Benefit, Blessing, Security or Protection to their Inhabitants and Owners, that they are the extremest Pressures, Grievances, Curses, Plagues, Dangers, and most destructive, desolating Instruments that possible can befall them; as bringing all the Furies, Plagues, Miseries and Extremities of War upon them in perfection, so as it were better, safer for the Inhabitants of all or most Garrisons at least, and more conducing to their safety in respect of Bodies, Goods, and Freedom from all sorts of Inconveniences by War, to continue disgarrisoned, and lie open to both parties Armies, as country Villages do, thereby to escape all the forementioned Plagues, to which Garrisons are exposed; or else (if there be cause) to fire their own houses before hand, or leave them empty, and fly with their Families, Goods, moneys, and what else they have, into Bogs, Woods, Rocks, Caves, Wildernesses (as the the wild Irish, High-landers, Scythi●ns, and all Nations wanting Garrisons do) and there to secure themselves from the Enemies, till withdrawn thence, routed, or the Wars ended; and thereby to save all or most they have for their own and Families uses; then unadvisedly of their own heads, or by the command of any in Power over them, to put themselves to an extraordinary vast expense to erect, fortify, furnish and maintain Garrisons of mercenaries to no other purpose at all, if seriously considered (Unless able to defend themselves without any Mercenaries or Taxes, but merely voluntary, when and where there is occasion only and no longer) but merely to expose themselves to all the premised Calamities of War and Garrisons, under a Brain●esse pretext and lying imposture of defending their Persons and Estates from! Danger or Molestation by the Enemies or others, the contrary effects whereunto they ever occasion, both in Peace and War.  
Thirdly, In times of open Wars Garrisons bring these manifold Evils and Miseries on the adjacent country Villages and contributing Friends and neighbours near them, instead of any real benefit or protection from them▪ which they neither do, will nor can afford them in their greatest needs, though they voluntarily or by coaction (against all Reason▪ and Conscience largely contribute to their fortifying and supplying for this end. 1, Upon the approach of any Enemy to besiege them, these very Garrisons (their Friends and Protectors) like professed Enemies, oft fire their adjourning Houses, cut, pull down their Trees, Orchards, Fences, Ditches, Walls, Pales, drive away all their cattle, carry away all their Goods, Money, Plate, Arms, householdstuff, with their very household Provisions into their Garrisons; by mere violence against their wills, entreaties, cries, tears, without any price or consideration at all, to victual and furnish the Garrisons with necessaries against the Siege, or else to preserve them (before the Enemies approach) from the enemy's possession or Plunder, who else would seize them to their disadvantage, when as the Enemies for their own better accommodation, would use them more favourably, and not plunder them half so much as these their pretended Friends and new Protectors. Secondly, They are more frequently visited, plundered, spoiled, captivated, fined, ransomed by the Enemy upon all advantages and occasions, when there is no Siege, than places more remote from Garrisons, and not contributing to them for protection, upon these two accounts. 1. To deprive or straighten these Garrisons the more of all provisions, necessaries, Supplies and Contributions from them, if not totally to withdraw them from them. 2. Because they account them their professed Enemies, for being contributors, Friends, neighbours to these Garrisons, & so all they have is lawful Plunder without dispute, unless they will redeem it, by Fines or Ransom s, or by paying as great or greater constant Contributions to them and their nex t adjoining Garrisons, as they do to those, to live in Peace; being thus made a double prey to both sides, under colour of Protection by and from both. An intolerable double Pressure and Imposition, of which our late Wars afforded many experimental precedents, in most places next to Garrisons; who if the pillaging Enemies be strong at any time, neither will, dare not aught (as they hold by the Laws of War to stir out of their Garrisons to encounter or protect their country neighbouring contributors from their Plunder, even under their Walls and view, for fear of being cut off, and losing the Garrison to them: Such notable useful Protectors are they to the adjacent country, as not to stir one foot to help them at their greatest needs, but expose them to their enemy's spoil without resistance, if unato protect themselves. Thirdly, They are more frequently than any others of the Country further of, oppressed, vexed, hindered, impoverished, with the seizing impresting of their Servants, Children, Ploughs, Carts, Horses, and sometimes taking them quite away, by both sides alike, either for public services or private occasions, to their vexation or undoing. Fourthly, They are more oppressed by labouring in, and contributing to these Garrisons Fortifications, carrying in their Ammunition and other Provisions cost-free, or for little pay & that long ere received) constant Contributions to their Garrisons; quartering, Free-quartering, insolences, outrages▪ abuses of the Garrison Soldiers, of marc●ing Parties of the Field Army itself, when drawn into Quarters, than any parties more remote from Garrisons▪ and their persons more oft Imprisoned, Beaten, Wounded, their Wives, Children, Servants, more abused, their houses more ransacked; Goods, moneys, more frequently seized and taken away upon malice, jealousies, pretences by crafty Knaves, Officers and pillaging Soldiers, than others farther off them. Fifthly, When these Garrisons are besieged (as usually and frequently they are) their Pressures and Miseries are beyond expression: The Men, if well affected to the Garrisons, are all forced by fear or otherwise from their Houses into the Garrisons, Woods or other Counties▪ if not their Wives, Children, and whole Families likewise, to avoid the Fury, Pressures, Troubles, insolences of the besieging Enemies, who fill all their houses with their free-quartering rude abusive Soldiers, eating, drinking up all their Beer and other Provisions whatsoever for man or beast, both within & without, not leaving them or their Families bread to eat, or beer to drink, nor yet any Bed, Bolster, Cushion, or ought else to rest their heads on, or Straw to lie in: Tread and eat out all their grass, Hay, Corn standing or cut, with their Horses: kill, devour, drive away all their Stock, cattle, which the Garrisons have left them, as good booty; burn up all their Pales, Houses, Wood, Timber-Trees, fruit-Trees, for firing, & soon make them all as poor as Job himself.  
6. They are more frequently than any others of the country further off, oppressed, vexed, hindered, impoverished, as aforesaid; and every new Siege by either party reiterates the same or worse effects as the first, to their reiterated beggary, as many late experiments fresh in people's minds about Plymouth, Excester, Lime, ●aunton, Bristol, Glocest r, Worcester, Oxford, York, Hull (whose first Siege produced the drowning of all the country round it in the beginning of our Wars) and most besieged Garrisons evidence beyond contradiction; which miseries Countries void of Garrisons, or remoter from them, do not sustain; the quarterings on them being neither so frequent, thick, long-lasting, or oppressive, as in places next to Garrisons, especially in Sieges. 7. In these garrisoned Leaguers their Gardens, Grounds, Orchards Houses, are frequently destroyed, digged up, or pulled down, their Trees and Timber felled, their Men, Women, Children, Ploughs, Carts, Horses forced day after day, to toil and labour in making Trenches, Sconces, Batteries, approaches, Mines, Redoubts, or carry Timber, Provisions, Artillery, arms, and other Baggage, which remoter Parishes are free from; and themselves would be so too, but for these Garrisons, which occasion and enforce these Sieges. 8. If the Opposites Field army or strong Parties from them during the Sieges, approach to raise them, or to victual or relieve the Garrisons, the oppressions of the adjoining Parts ate then doubled, trebled, and spread wider round about these Garrisons, till the whole Country, ten, twenty▪ or thirty miles about, by the long quartering and lying of so many Armies, Parties upon them, and Marches to and fro to take or relieve the Garrisons, be quite undone and eaten out; and so one or both Armies necessitated to seek out fresh quarters; or the Garrisons taken or relieved. After this the necessitated near-starved Garrisons requiring new supplies of all sorts, if not taken, extort them from the adjacent Countries, if they be to be had above ground, which adds much to all their former afflictions: And then again some other new Sieges or occasions drawing one or both Armies thither afresh, so soon as the miserable Country People have gotten any thing about them, they are, to their endless vexation, exposed afresh to all the former miseries of Wars, S●eges, and never eased of them till the Garrisons either be demolished or disbanded. From all which experimental Arguments, and real Demonstrations of undoubted verity, all rational men whatsoever, and no doubt the whole Nation, Country, Inhabitants of Garrisons, with all conscientious self-denying Statesmen and soldiers, who really intend or affect the people's true weal, ease, or safety (the supreme Law, the prrncipal end of War, Peace, Garrisons, Armies, Parliaments, Councils, Magistrates, Government and higher Powers) as the Army-Officers themselves ●emonstrated, in the very worst of their Remonstrances▪ Nov. 20 1648. making it the Basis of all their exorbitant unparallel●d Demands therein, & of their violent Proceedings in pursuit of them ever since) will and must henceforth confess, conclude against all Erroneous Opinions and practices to the contrary; That t●e raising, fortifying and holding up of Garrisons, ●ept by Mercenary Soldiers, even in times of Civil or other Wars, is so far from being a Protection, Advantage, Security to the Nation in General, the garrison Inhabitants, Owners of garrisoned Castles, or Houses themselves, or the Country adjoining to and contributing towards them; that they are their Greatest Oppression●, Gri●vances, Calamities, Plagues, Burdens, Vexations, Damages, ●or●ures, Heart-●reakings, and usually the chief occasions of their oppressio●, utter ruin●, desolati●n, devastation in War and Peace; and so in Reason, Justice, Conscience, Prudence, aught to be eternally exploded, dismantled, disgarrisoned (as well as sundry heretofore and of late, there being the self same Reason for all as for any) for the Nations, Inhabitants, country's Ease, Peace, Weal, and future exemption from all the forementioned evils and miseries attending them both in Peace and War, without delay or further dispute, by all in present Power, or by the supreme Authority of the people themselves in their wilful neglect or delay▪ out of any Sinister or self seeking ends or designs whatsoever, which their public ease and benefit should outvie.  
7. That in all times of civil or other Wars within the Nation, the true interest, safety, preservation and protection of the Island and people's Persons, Estates, Laws, Liberties, Inheritances, Rights, consist not in our Garrisons, or any Mercenary Officers and soldiers, English or foreigners, modelled or new modelled into a Field Army, since Mercenaries, as well domestic as foreign, in all ages have ever sought nought else but their own private Lucre, honour, Power, Advancement to places of greatest Authority, Gain, Trust, and frequently (after good success in Wars (presuming on their strength and merits) have supplanted, subverted, suppressed, destroyed those very Powers and Persons who first raised, paid and confided in them for their preservation, and preferred their own mercenary Officers and Generals by Treachery, murder, Perjury and open Violence to the Imperial and Royal Thrones of their Lawful sovereigns and Superiors (murdered and deposed by them) as the 
* See Entropius Zonarus, and Grimstous Imperial History.  Roman Histories and others; the practice of the M●maluhes— in Egy●; of Alexander the Great his own Captains, who notwithstanding their extraordinary pretences of honour and respect unto him and his, not only poisoned himself (as some Authors write) but murdered his own Son, Heir to his Empires & Conquests, together with his mother, wife, & all his remotest 〈◊〉 that might lay claim to his Dominions by Hereditary Right & then divided his Territories between themselves made, crowned & styled themselves Kings; and then by God's avenging Justice out of covetous, ambitious spirits, warred upon each other so long, till they had all murdered and slain each other, as Arrianus, Plutarch, Justin, Curtius, Diodorus Siculus and Dr. Usher in his Ecclesiastical Annals of the old Testament record at large; with 
† Heylyns Microcosm, p. 7. 56, 757, 758, 145, 146, 147, 613, 614, 586. to 590.  other innumerable precedents abroad; and the practice of Vortigerr, Heng●st, Horsa and divers others at Home, sufficiently manifest in all times, with Scripture precedents likewise: But our real Interest, Protection, Safety resides (next under God) in the Nobilities, Gentries, and Peoples united voluntary, unmercenary defence and protection of themselves in and by their own persons, with their own Arms, Servants, Sons, Tenants, Retainers, according to their respective abilities; as appears by the politic original Institution of ancient 
* See Cocks 1. Inst.  ●enures in Knight●-Service, Escuage, Castle-Guards, and the like; the old Charters of our Corporations and Cinque-ports, obligi●g them to find a certain number of men and ships at their own costs, to defend the Realm in times of War; with all ancient Writs, Commissions, P●ecepts for arraying the people of the Realm in times of War and danger, according to their Tenures, Estates, Customs, to defend the Realm and themselves from invading Enemies at all times (cited in the printed Argument● concerning Ship-money, and the 
* Exact coll. ct.. p. 336. & 608. 850. &c.  Declarati●ns bo●h of the King and Par●iament concerning the Commission of Array) all former Statutes concerning Arrays, Arms, Musters; and the old long continued practice of our ●rain'●-Bard in each County and Corporation, formerly reputed the Nations chief ●●curity in intestine and invasive Wars, with the late Militia'● raised on and by each County at their own vast expense to defend it and the nation, as the best & safestguard when all sorts were commanded to serve in person, (notwithstanding all Garrisons, Mercenary Field-Forces, and the Army then and since continued) as our safety. And indeed common reason proves, that as every man loves and prefers his own person, family, estate before a strangers, or any others; so he will more vigilantly, sincerely, effectually defend and protect them from Enemies or Dangers than a y Mercenaries, how trusty and valiant soever they be. And as every true S●epherd and owner of Sheep is more careful to defend and preserve them from Thieves and Robbers with the hazard of his own ●●fe, than any Stranger or Hireling whose the Shee● are no●, who will s●ie and desert, or else he●p to prey upon them, and play the ●hief himself in times of danger or advantage, as Christ himself resolves John 10. So every able private person, Family, Parish, Town County, Association (and by like consequence the whole Nation) will better, cheaper, and with less inconveniences by far, defend and secure themselves by their own unmercenary persons & Arms, voluntarily united according to their respective abilities, without any general forced Taxes and illegal Excises imposed and continued on them against their wills, than any Mercenary Officers and Soldiers whatsoever, (who making only a Trade and Gain of War will therefore spin it out as long as the Nation or People have any moneys or Estates to pay and enrich them) and will sooner conclude and settle Peace upon their own terms upon all overtures and occasions, than Mercenaries, who neither desire nor intend our public Peace in reality but interrupt it all they may, when near concluded, (as in the late Treaty) with armed violence both against King and Parliament. Uup▪ on which grounds our ancestors never usually entrusted any Mercenary Armies, but themselves alone with their own and the kingdom's defence, scarce ever imposed any Taxes on the people by public Parliamentary Authority in any civil Wars and very rarely (except a Subsidy, or fifteen now and then) for the kingdom's defence against foreign Invasion; but only for their Inva●ive, De●ensive foreign Wars in Fr●nce or elsewhere. Why then the whole Nation, Nobility, Gentry and People of all sorts, should not now again be trusted with their own arms and self-defence, as well as in former Ages, being their native Priviledg● and B●r●hr●gh, their only best security and prevention against all public Enemies and Invaders, but are forced to put their arms, Lives, Estates Protection into the hands of Mercenary Officers▪ Soldiers Garrisons, who notwithstanding ● their vast endless expenses for their Pay, have so often abused, violated their Trusts, lengthened our old, engaged us since in successive new Wars against our Protestant Brethren and Confederates themselves▪ and have almost eaten up all our real & personal private Estates, with, the whole public ancient Inheritance and standing Revenues of the Nation; let all prudent Statesmen, and Patrons of their country's Rights and privileges resolve; the rather, because our Mercenary Soldiers▪ Garrisons, Forts, are so far perverted from their primitive use, to preserve our Persons and Estates from Enemies and Violence, that they are now made the only janissaries, gaolers, Goa●s, Prisons forcibly to seize, imprison, close imprison the persons, ransack ●t he Houses▪ Studies of the emminentest Parliament Member●, Patrons and Freemen Sufferers for our public Libe●tie●, Laws, Propertiesr, Religion; and the only Instruments under the New Guardians of our liberty▪, to bring the whole Nation and all English Freemen of full age, into perpetual Wardship to these new seigniors, since the old Cour● of Ward▪ for ●nfants, only till they came of full age, is quite voted down as a Grievance, though not comparable unto this▪ of men of full age; yea, Parliament Members new strictest Wardships and close restraints under armed Garrisons and sentinels of meanest quality in these garrisoned new Courts of Wards.  
8. That Maritine Garrisons, Forts, Blockhouses at the entrance of our harbours (as Pendennis and S. Mawdits' Castles at the mouth of Falmouth Haven, Harwich, and others of that nature) are altogether useless, unnecessary expensive charges to the republic, unable to hinder the ingress, egress, or regress of any warlike ship, ships, or Navy into the harbours, much less to sink them, with all their canonshot, which I shall thus demonstrat●. 1. In dark nights, and misty days, mornings, evenings (which take up near half the space every year) they can neither clearly see nor discern any ship or vessel passing into or out of their harbo●s, much less then hinder their free ingress or egr●ss by shot or otherwise, when they cannot so much as see them. 2. In clear sunshine days, and moonshine nights, any small vessels (much more than resolute men of War, and whole Squadrons, Navies) may safely pass and repass into or out of these harbours, or anchor in them without any great danger, harm, or sinking by their Cannons; which standing for the most part high upon the Land (especially at new Flood, half Tide or ebb) and not level with the Sea at full tide; an● being likewise not half so many in number, nor so large in boar, as most Men of war now carry in one tire or side, discharged for the most part at rovers by unskilful Gunners and Matrosses one after another, and fixed upon one Platform, whence they cannot easily or speedily be removed, can hardly in several shoots so much as hit any one single vessel, much less hurt or sink it in its passage under sail by these forts and blockhouses, being past their level and danger at the first discharge of their Cannons over against them, and quite out of it ere they can be recharged; much less than can they stop, sink or mischief an whole Navy or Squadron of Men of war, which I shall demonstrate by several instances old and new, beyond contradiction. 1. Sir Francis Drake in his famous voyage to the West-Indies with a small squadron of ships, entered five of the chief Ports the Spaniards there held▪ took and fired their ships there riding under their Castles, Forts, Blockhouses, and pillaged their Towns themselves, notwithstanding all their Cannons and artillery playing upon his ships, both from their Forts, Castles, Blockhouses and Ships there riding, and that without the loss, sinking or spoiling of any one of his Vessels: And some other English Sea▪ Captains then and since did the like, as Mr. Harkluit in his printed Voyages at large relates. 2. Our English Navy in Queen Elizabeth's reign, in their expedition against Cadez, took the whole island and City in one day, burnt and took all their ships, treasure, magazine and ordnance there, notwithstanding all their forts, block-houses, numerous mounted Cannons discharged against them, without the loss or spoil of any one ship, and of very few men, as Mr. Cambden, Speed, and others inform us in her life. 3. The Hollanders both in the East and West-Indies have frequently entered the Spanish Havens with their ships, in despite of all their Cannons, Forts and Blockhouses, anchored in them, and pillaged, fired, took the Spanish Vessels riding in them under their Castles, without the sinking of any one man of war by their Cannons firing, as the History of the Netherlands, Purchas and Hackluit in their Voyages, and others record. 4. The Dutch men of war, and other Vessels have sundry times in a drunken Bravado, at midday passed in and out of our harbours at Harwich, Plymouth, Falmouth, & Southampton, without striking sail to the Forts there, and gone away without any hurt, danger, stop, notwithstanding all their cannon-shot to bring them in, as I have heard by many credible eye-witnesses. 5. Sir Robert Mansel in his Voyage against Algiers, with his boats fired sundry of their ships, drawn on shore under their Castle-walls & blockhouses, without the loss of one boat or ship, and very few men, notwithstanding many thousands of cannon and more of musket-shot from the castle and ships, as Captain George Carteret who saw it, and was active in it, informed me whiles I was prisoner in Jersey. 6. Since our late unhappy wars, two very small squadrons of our ships successively landed the Parliaments forces under the very blockhouses and forts of Scilly and Jersey, without the loss or hurt of one ship or barque by their Cannon shot, and with the loss of very few men, and reduced the Castles and lands too with a far lesser land-force than the King had there in arms to defend them. Since this, Sir George Ascough with a small Navy entered into the chief part & harbour at the Barbadoes, took & brought out thence fourteen or more Dutch Vessels, and others riding therein, passing and repassing, without the loss, sinking, hurt, of any one ship, or slaughter of one man, within half pistol shot of their castle and blockhouses, which played upon his ships all the time with their cannon & musket shot; and soon after he reduced the whole island notwithstanding all their forts and forces; as the printed diurnals and Relation of its taking, and Letters thence inform us. 7. Since this I read in our diurnals, that Prince Rupert took some of our merchant's ships riding under the Castles and Blockhouses of our English Plantations in the Indies, which played upon him with their cannon without hurt, he returning them two cannon shot for one, and riding within musket shot of them without any fear or hurt. 8. To come home to Pendennis Castle and St. Mawdits, so much cried up as the most useful and considerable of all other: Whiles they were in the King's power since these wars, as the inhabitants and some soldiers assure me, a single man of war of the Parliaments party in the daytime entered the harbour, boarded, took and carried away thence a rich ship there riding in the view of both the Garrisons, notwithstanding all their cannon shot and blockhouses, without any harm at all, she shooting as fast at the castles as they shot at her, and so departed with her prize. 9 Since my imprisonment in Pendennis Castle, a Turkish man of war at midday, in the view of all the Garrison, and myself, came up to the mouth of the harbour, and very near the Blockhouse, took a great English Lighter of thirty tun, sunk the vessel in the place, and carried away some twelve persons in it prisoners into Sally or Tunis; after which, she came close up to the harbour two or three mornings together till chased away from thence by a Man of war; One stout ship of war being a better guard against pirates and Sea-enemies than all the Maritine forts and garrisons, being able to pursue, fight and take them, which no forts or garrisons can do. Not long after a little Pink, not above nine or ten ●un, anchored some three days together just between Pendennis Castle and St. Mawdits, to carry away tin, as was supposed; Sir George Ascough sailing within view of the Castles with his whole fleet towards Plymouth,▪ some eight days before his fight with Ruttier) sent four men of war to convey such ships as were in the Harbour to Plymouth; two of them came into the Harbour, the other two plied up and down at the mouth of it, till the other two came out of the Harbour to them▪ This little Pink thereupon hoist sail, as if she were bound for Plymouth with them, without any discharge or leave from the Castles; whereupon they shot two warning pieces over, and under her, to bring her in for this affront, and to make her pay for the shot and custom of tin, which they imagined she had stolen; I looking on, the Captain, Gunners, and soldiers told me, They would warrant me she would come in and submit; but I observing her course, told them, she would no more come in to their lure then a wild hawk got loose; whereupon both Castles discharged their cannons in earnest, to hit, sink, or bring her back through fear, but she in despite of them (though there were two men of war before, and two behind her under sail) got away from them all without any hurt or stop, the whole Garrison looking on. Whereupon I laughing at their confidence, and uselessness of these castles, (serving only to shoot away 
* They have often discharged 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 cannons or more at a time to ships coming in, & the ships as many to them, since my imprisonment there: A strange prodigality!  powder and bullet in salutes and frolics) told them, That our wise Statesmen and the kingdom were very much overseen to keep two Castles, three or four Blockhouses, so many score Cannons, Gunners, soldiers, and Matrosses there, as cost them eight or ten thonsand pounds a year, under pretence to secure the Haven and Nation against Enemies and Pirates, when they could not at noon day (as they now saw by experience) so much as stay, take, hurt or sink one little Pink of nine or ten tun with four or five seamen only, and not one Gun in her, whenas there were four Men of War under sail so near her, and she had stolen customs: Much less than could they stop, hurt sink any stout man of War, or an whole squadron of Ships or Navy, or hinder them from entering the harbour, riding or landing there, and returning at their pleasures, their Pieces and Bl●●khouses not commanding one half quarter of the harbour when entered, not being able to hurt or sink them in their entry or retiring, as I clearly demonstrated to them, then and afterwards, especially by these unanswerable experiments in our late sea Fights. colonel Blake (my countryman) in his first sea Fight with Van Trump, as his and others printed Letters relate, had many scores (if no● hundreds) of broad sides discharged against his ship by the Dutch, at nearest distance, by far greater better Cannons, Cannoneers and tires of Ordinance, charged with Chain and Crossbard shot as well as Bullet, lying nearer the water then any Guns in Pendennis or St. Maudits Castles, Blockhouses, or in any other of our Forts, receiving no less than 3000. Cannon shot in his Hull, tackling Masts, Sails, After which he received in his ship as many or more broad sides and shots in his third Fight with the Dutch in their return from France with their Merchant ships; and Sir George Ascough received near as many in his ship in his fight with Ruttier: Yet all these broad sides & thousands of shot, did neither sink split, fire, nor make unservicable either of these ships, which were soon repaired, neither did they kill any store of their men with their Cannons, their Musket shot and boarding only doing their men most harm. Therefore questionless so many thousand Cannon shot discharged against any other stout single ship or man of War from these Castles and Blockhouses at greater distance, uncertainty, and higher level, with smaller Ordnance balls, by worser Guners can neither sink nor spoil her, muchless sink, hurt, spoil, stop or take an whole squadron of ships of war (which our whole Fleets can hardly do) when they cannot come near to board or fire them; & by this proportion, all the powder, cannon shot, bullets, Guns in both Castles would not be sufficient to sink or spoil one single ship riding at Anchor within their command, much less in her passage in or out, since 3000. shot in her bulk, sails, masts and tackling would not do it; and half of the Cannons discharged would not hit, but pass besides her: Therefore to keep up such Castles and Blockhouses to secure Harbours, sink●ships, and hinder any fleets or squadrons of ships from entering or harbouring in them, was but a prodigal oversight and mistake: there being never any warlike ship yet sunk by our Forts & blockhouses since their first erection, for aught I could read in history, or hear by information from credible Witnesses; nor any Navy repelled from entering, riding, or landing by them▪ had they a resolution to do it, as the premised instances with sundry others manifest. (And one since these aphorisms penned, namely General Blakes firing the Turkish ships lying under their very strongest Castle Walls, notwithstanding all their cannons, blockhouses, ships playing upon our ships, assaulting them and beating down their castle about their wars, with the cannon from our ships, without the loss, sinking, spoil of any of our ships.) A sufficient demonstrative evidence of the uselessness of Maritine forts and blockhouses, which in truth are mere idle scarecrows and bugbears to fright raw cowardly seamen, not daunt or keep off experienced resolute ships or mariners. wherefore to draw towards a conclusion, I shall only add,  
That the only pretended use of Mereenary Garrisons and soldiers,, being but to defend the people's Persons and Estates in times of necessity, when and whiles end angered by a Potent Enemy in actual arms, who are secure enough without them, when, where and whiles there is no such visible Enemy to assault them; it can be neither justice, equity, conscience, honesty, good husbandry nor true State-policy, to continue any such garrisons or field soldiers on them to their vast expense and undoing, (now there is no Armed Enemy in the Island, and so strong a Fleet at Sea to secure them against foreigners) upon endless, full and constant former pay, without any necessity or actual service till the next spring or summer, because then peradventure, there may be some new employments for them, (at home or abroad,) only to enrich the mercenary Officers, soldiers, and oppress, undo the undone people, lying down like Issachars under both these heavy burdens of Mercenary Garrisons and a Mercenary field Army too, even with broken backs and bleeding hearts, without ease or commisseration, notwithstanding all their clamours. No present ruling Potentates or statesmen (who should help and right them) will be such Prodigals or ill husbands of their own Purses and Estates, as to keep those Reapers, Mowers, who have cut down their corn and done their harvest work the last Summer, in full constant harvest pay all the following autumn, Winter and all the succeeding spring till the Summer harvest come again, without any other useful work or employment for them, till then, because peradventure they may then employ them again for a month or two in reaping and inning their next years crop, which they have not so much as sown, and are yet uncertain whether to sow or not; which if they did, would render them ridiculous to every Country Clown, who hath so much Policy, and frugality, as to discharge his mercenary harvest folk so soon as they have ended their harvest work▪ and not to keep them still idle and pay them harvest wages till the next Summer; because he can then, if need be, soon hire them or other Reapers, Mowers, when his corn is ripe for cutting, not before, for less than one quarter of the money their pay would come to if kept in hire till that time, without doing him any other service: And shall our wise new Statesmen than be such Prodigals and ill husbands of the exhausted people's purses and estates; as to keep many thousands of mercenary Field and Garrison Horse and foot in constant full pay, (who many months since have done all their summer and present public work for the people's safety,) all the ensuing autumn, winter, Spring in no actual necessary Service for them a● all, only because perhaps they may make use of them the summer following, or a year or two hence (if then) to cut down imaginary armed Enemies in the Field or Island, if any than appear to invade the people's Persons and Estates; of which there is yet no probability. Verily if they shall still do thus, every Country Peasant will despise, deride and ensure this their folly and unthriftiness, and the whole exhausted oppressed Nation condemn, if not cashier them for such gross imprudence. Certainly every rich private statesman's, noblemen, gentlemen, peasant's House, Person, in these necessitous times, when thieves are so busy in all parts of the Nation, are in greater danger of being robbed, plundered, murdered by Murderers and Robbers, than any Garrison, town or Village to be piliaged by any foreign forces or domestic Enemies, appearing in no parts of the Isle, nor likely to do it; yet none of them will be so ridiculous, prodigal, or distrustful of God's protecting Providence, as upon their own purses to hire any Horse, or foot perpetually to Guard their Persons, Houses day and night till the next summer, because some thieves and Robbers (these long tedious winter nights) may probably assault their Houses, steal their moneys, plate, goods, or murder their persons, but will ease themselves of this cost and charge, till they be certainly informed of a company of Robbers conspiring for to plunder, rob, or kill them about some certain time, or have news that they are ready to execute this design; and then they will time enough summon their domestik servants & friends to encounter, and surprise them if they come: and should they not then intrust the people's persons, estates to God's Protection and their own, at this present, without any mercenary Garrisons or Forces to guard them against their wills or desires, to their superfluous vast expense, when there is far less probability or fear of danger to them in general from armed Enemies, then to their own private persons, Houses or moneys, from thieves and Robbers? If they be thus continued on them, only to enrich the Officers, soldiers, and secure their own Usurpations, Intrusions, or over ruling powers (preferred before the people's ease or weal) under a pretext of danger from some Enemies that may or will infest, plunder, destroy the people so soon as the Army and Garrisons are disbanded; we shall then desire, that all officers, soldiers unwilling to disband upon this pretence of great imminent danger for the people's more certain security from Enemies, and meriting of their future pay, may be strictly enjoined to put on all their arms, and draw up all their forces in battalio, where they most fear the Enemies, in the field; and all their Garrisons likewise kept in a constant standing Posture▪ to receive the Enemy, in their respective Forts; and there to stand night and day in their complete arms▪ in a perpetual readiness and posture of defence, till the next summer and our fears be ended▪ without putting off their Arms; as our 
* Rogerde Hovesd●n Annal par● posterior p. 768 778▪ Mat West in An. 1 196. p. 17. Gal. Nubigensis. 1 ● 5. c. In Antique Ecclesia. Brit. p. 140 haul nshed P. 150. 151. Chron Johanis Bucōt con●cor. 1272. 1273.  King Richard the first kept the Bishop of Bev●ies taken Prisoner by his forces in the field, harnessed from head to foot, in his iron arms night and day, above two months' space, without suffering him all that time to put them off, lest some Enemies should surprise them, our Island & Garrisons on a sudden, ere they could arm or put themselves in an actual posture to receive them, if permitted once to retire into their Winter quarters for their ease; and then we suppose these pretenders of imminent danger, only to get pay, when and where they neither do nor can do the people the least real public service, but greatest prejudice▪ as the premises evince; will soon become as humble and earnest petitioners to our present swaying Powers who continue them, and to the People (who desire it) to be forthwith disbanded and sent home again to their friends & further employments as this Harnessed Bishop was to our King Richard himself, the Pope and his Brother Prelates, to be disrobed, disarmed of his heavy iron Rochet, so long kept on his back and body to his little ease and less content; it being altogether as just, equitable, and reasonable for them to keep the Army and Garrison Soldiers in this unreasonable hard constant duty and armed Posture day and night till they be disbanded, as to lay unsupportable endless Taxes, Excises on the oppressed people's backs to maintain them in constant pay to their intolerable oppression, till the next summer or longer upon the premised pretences.  

Quest.  If any now demand (as many Officers and soldiers oft do, being their chief plea against disbanding) how shall the Officers and soldiers live, after all their good Service in the Wars, if they shall be now at last disbanded to ease and pleasure the people?  

Answ.  The Answer is very obvious, just and equal. 1. How shall the poor people live or maintain themselves and families, if these Garrisons and mercenary Forces be still continued, being already like to starve? 2. How do the poor people live who are still enforced to give them full pay and maintain them in idleness without any labour, to do very little duty, & that wholly useless, in Field or Garrisons; wherein their only necessary, useless, present duty is, to stand sentinel once or twice a week, one hour or two; to take Tobacco, play, sleep, drink, and cry stand; or, who goes there? to one another in the night, as they pass by the sentinels; to as much purpose, in relation to the people's safety, as one night. Owls crying, hallowing is to another; or to demand of those that enter into the Garrisons in the day time Whence come you? what are you? what is your name? business? whom would you speak with? Have you taken the new Engagement? else you must not enter the Fort or Garrison, no not alone in these times of no danger, as if one disarmed Non Engager might surprise an whole lazy fortified Garrison, in the day time, as well as a sleeping one in the night; how much more than an armed Enemy? Which learned questions standing the Nation in very many thousand pounds every year in garrisons now kept up, as much concern the people's security from Enemies, as the Ministers interrogating of children formerly in the Church, What is your name? Who gave you this name? And to maintain near a thousand blockheaded slothfull-Gunners in Blockhouses and Garrisons only to shoot away above six or seven thousand pounds worth of powder in Courtship, and Frolicks to ships, and Visitors every year, who deserve rather cashiering for this their prodigal and only duty, for which they receive great constant pay. Certainly their Country paymasters live not by such idle, useless, fruitless, rare duties; but by hard studying, sweating, labouring night and day in their honest lawful callings useful for the public (the whole profits whereof these idle Lurdanes must still monthly devour for such ridiculous services, and new kind of Catechising the people ex officio like our cashiered unpreaching Curates;) and so must these Officers and soldiers too, if they cannot otherwise live as well as they. 3. How did they live and maintain themselves before they were listed soldiers? Surely not as now but like other christian people, by labouring daily in their lawful callings, living frugally, soberly, obediently like others of their equals, not in such idleness, luxury, pride, & state as since: And is it not possible that they may, yea just & equal that they should thus live and maintain themselves now, and not still live like idle Drones in great sloth, pomp, state, and honour upon the honey of the poor painful Bees 4. How do many hundreds of formerly disbanded Officers, soldiers now live and maintain themselves, who did as much, and good service as those now in pay? Doubtless by returning to the diligent exercise of their former callings, or some other good employments, or going to some lawful foreign Wars. 5. If any old Officers and soldiers in present service be so poor, that they know not yet how to live if they be now disbanded, certainly it is through their own ill husbandry, pride, or prodigality; never Officers or soldiers in the world being more royally, duly, justly paid and rewarded (especially in a civil War) than they have been; whereby thou●●●●● of them (especially Generals, colonels, Captains, and superior Officers, with many inferior ones likewise) are grown exceeding rich and wealthy over what they were before the Wars (which have undone most others) and are lately beyond expectation, become the greatest Purchasers in the Nation of the richest public and Private manors, seats, Revenues, Offices; this civil War being the richest trade they ever yet met withal in their lives, which makes them so unwilling now to give it over; & to continue these poor unthrifty soldiers still in pay till they grow as rich as these their fellows, is to be worse husbands for the Nation for the future, than these unthriving Officers and soldiers (who have not yet gotten enough to live by the Wars) have been for themselves in time past, and that only to maintain and enrich them with the whole Nations ruin. 6. The plain meaning of those who make this Demand is, that they expect and intend our mercenary Armies, and Garrisons shall by one means or other, be continued in pay, and our Wars not ended, our peace not settled till Doomsday, or at least so long as the people have either Lands, stock, goods, or moneys left, to pay heavy unceasing Taxes and Excises for them to live upon, at that high, lazy rate as now they do. But better ten thousand times such idle wretches should be disbanded, though they starve and perish, if they will not betake themselves to some honest vocation to live by it; then that the whole Nation should starve or perish, to keep them and our unnatural, unchristian Wars still a live, to murder our own Christian Brethren or allies, of purpose to keep our Armies and Garrisons in action and preserve them from present or future disbanding. As 
* Deut 28. 22. c. 23 22. to 27. L●vit 26. 25. to 38. 1 King's 19 17. Ezr. 9 8. Job. 19 29. isaiah. 5●. 19 c▪ 65. 12. c. 66. 17 Jer. 9 16. to 23 c. 12. 12. c. 14. 13. to 20. c. 15. 2. to 15. c. 24. 10 c. 25. 16. to 34. c. 29. 17. 18 c. 34. 17. and c. 43. 11. c. 40. 10. to 27. c. 47. 6, 7 c. 50. 16. 35, 3●, 37. Ezech. 5. 2. to 18. c. 14. 21. c. 21. 9 to 30. Jer. 4. 19 20. tos 31. 1 ay. 19 3. Cron. 15. 6.  War and the oppressing Sword of war (especially when civil) are in God's own Judgement and all wise men's, the severest Curse▪ Plague, Punishment, that God in his wrath can here inflict upon any people for their sins and wickedness, as includiug all sorts of other evils, spiritual and temporal, in its bowels; So for any to make a Trade of War, & to continue, perpetuate this heaviest Plague and Curse upon their own Native Country without absolute Necessity, or just grounds, is the worst of Crimes and Treasons; and those that are guilty thereof the worst of traitors, of christian men, unworthy the name of Saints or Christians, whatever their pretences be to colour it. If therefore machiavil atheistical infernal Paradox (applauded and oft justified in Print by his new Disciple 
* Who hath printed it man● times with approbation▪  Politicus) He that hath once drawn his sword against his lawful sovereign, must throw away the scabbard, and never sheathe it more; no, not after he hath cut off his sovereign's Head therewith; hath prevailed more with any Machivilian States▪ men or swordmen, than our Saviours own more sacred Christian gospel precept and speech to Peter, when he drew his sword, and only cut off Ma●chus his ear (not Head) coming then forcibly to apprehend our Saviour (who presently cured his ear again, and gave this command to Peter, though certain himself to be crucified▪ if then apprehended)* Put up thy sword into his sheath again; for all they that take the sword, shall perish with the 
Mat. 26. 51. 52▪  sword; and therefore upon his diabolical advice they peremptorily resolve to keep our mercenary Armies Garrisons swords still drawn, and unsheathed amongst us, without ever putting them up again, upon the people's dry drained Purses, notwithstanding all their cries and premised reasons against it; (not for the people's safey, which cannot now be so much as henceforth surmised, after this discovery of its gross Imposture, but for their own private present and future indemnity alone.)  
Let all such cheating oppressing unrighteous Machivilians assuredly know▪ that these words of Christ will certainly prove true and take hold of them in conclusion, he 
* Lam. 1. 20. Rev. 13. 9 10.  being truth itself that spoke them; and that such who resolve to live in war still, shall never die nor rest in Peace, but perish by and with 
* John. 14 6. Gen. 9 6.  the sword at last (as Pompey, Cyrus, Pruda, and others have done,) though they had all the Garrisons and Armies on earth to protect them; whom God in his Justice, if other instruments be wanting, can make their unexpected Executioners in stead of Guardians, when they wander out of his Protection in ways of violence, Oppression, Rapine, Blood, war, Discord, and will neither know nor pursue the ways of Peace and Christian unity, for the people's public Ease and whole Nations Welfare.  
FINIS.