THE FALSE ALARM OR, An Answer to a Libel lately published, entitled, AN ALARM TO THE HOUSE OF LORDS, Against their Insolent Usurpation of the Commons Liberties, and the Rights of this Nation. Wherein the Insolency and lying vanities of the Author or Authors, is described, the Liberty of the Subject discussed, and the Just Rights of the LORDS vindicated. Mendacii nomine continentur Assentatores Calumniatores, infidi consilarii, perversi educatores, qui Fontes sunt fere Malorum omnium, quibus sursum deorsum turbatur vita mortalium. 2 TIM. 5. 8. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these men also resist the Truth, Men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the Faith. Written by S. SHEPHEARD. London, Printed for john Hardesty, at the Sign of the Black-spread Eagle in Ducklane, 1646. To the Reader. GEntle Reader, This Pamphlet lately coming into my hands, and I perusing the same, finding it notoriously seditious, could not in reference to the glory of God, and in thankfulness to our Magistrates, but proceed to a brief confutation thereof; not out of a mind desirous of further debate, for I could cry out from the bottom of my heart, with Severinus the Dane, Infelix mortalitas, inutilibus quaestionibus ac Disceptationibus vitam traducimus. Unhappy men as we are, we spend our days in unprofitable questions, and disputations; but woe to them by whom offences are given; and, Mutos nasci & omni scientia egere satins fuisset, quam sic in propriam perniciem insanire, it had been much better for some of them to have been born dumb, and altogether illiterate, then so far to dote on their own destruction; and yet it were a work worthy of applause, if some second Persius would not only rebuke, but lay open the wickedness of this last and worst of ages, which doth even make me to stand amazed to survive in, living as if I lived not, to see how some men wholly led by affection, the guide of fools, to admire and extol one man's gifts to the clouds, slighting and vilifying another far more deserving; to behold the inconsiderate multitude, like so many Dogs in a Country Town, if one bark all the rest bark also, not minding the cause; to see a Scholar crouch, and be ridden and trampled on by an illiterate peasant, and like another Plaums turn an handmill, to see a Falconer or Huntsman get better wages than a Student, a spruce Lawyer get more in an hour then a plain Philosopher in a month; to see the wise thrust forth, while fools are ushered in; but I perhaps proceed too far and may be censured by some to be too sharp and satirical; but if any man be offended — Licuit semperque licebit Parcere personis, dicere de vitiis. It lawful was of old, and will be aye To speak of vice, but of the name not say. Now if thou shalt be desirous to know the name of the Author whose Libel I shall answer, the truth is I cannot inform thee of that I know not; some ascribe it to Lilburne, but the variety of repar●s leaves nothing certain: but it is certain whoever he was that was the Author thereof, he had an heart full fraught and boiling over with malice and corruption, one harbouring a greater quantity of folly than he surmised; for though the Author throughout his Pamphlet bring many railing accusations, yet the wise will easily discern he hath done both foolishly and unadvisedly; and not he alone, but his fellow Lilburne●, with their complices, though they are not all alike so evilly bend, yet Ille finistrorsum, hic dextrorsum, unus utrique Error, sed variis illudit partibus omnes. One leans on this, another on that wall, 'tis the same error that deludes them all. And indeed it is greatly to be wondered at, that these men being so frequent in Scripture, as appears by their Arguments, when they wrist the word, should not be convicted of their errors; but were there not such, how should the Scripture be fulfilled, which saith, In the last times many shall departed from the truth; that some shall privily refuse to obey Magigrates, and speak evil of Dignities, that they shall have itching ears, and despising the true Ministers of God, heap to them Teachers. These places considered, may cause us to look up to Heaven, and thank our gracious God, that hath not made us partakers of their crimes, and to desire him to be our supporter and guide, to the end we be not sunken under the pressures of calamity, or being freed there from, lose not our souls and bodies, while we wander in this labyrinth of Ills, the World. Thus Gentle Reader, desiring thy favourable acceptance of this Tract, I commit thee to his protection that made thee, and died for thee, I remain, Thine, as thou art mine, S. S. AN Answer to a Libel, lately published, entitled, An Alarm to the House of LORDS, against their insolent usurpation of the Commons Liberties and Rights of this Nation, etc. I Remember a pretty fable of an ancient author, bearing in my opinion a most excellent moral. There was, saith he, a great contention once about the weather, the Seamen complaining of contrary winds, when those of the high Country's desired rain, and those of the valleys Sunshining days; each party offered up orisons to Jove; Jupiter sent them word by Mercury, THAN WHEN THEY HAD ALL DONE, THE WETHER SHOULD BEE, AS IT HAD BEEN; and it will even so fall out with all our complainers and murmurers, that when they have wearied themselves, to procure the fulfilling of their fond fancies, they have spent their time in vain, and God guideth his Church as before. But to the matter we intent. The wisdom of our own age is the foolishness of another, the time present ought not to be preferred to the policy that was, but the policy that was to the time present; the power of the Nobility perhaps something withered, and the power of the People in the flower; the care to content them would not be neglected, were there no ends but Political, which ought to be entire and fatherly. Now were it so that the Lords were guilty of this crime of neglecting the welfare of the people, and of a desire to accrue to themselves Sovereignty over them, which no man on earth can truly affirm, than it were seasonable and very convenient to warn them, and to desire a speedy remedy; yet this aught to be done discreetly and with reverence as to our Rulers and Governors, and not rashly, and using contumelious threats. But for as much, as I said before, as there is no man on earth that can justly accuse them of the premises, save a sort of malicious, evil, and sordid persons, desirous of trouble and innovation, who because they are not suffered to proceed in their destructive courses, rail and exclaim against their opposers, and being desperate themselves, use all art both by writing and speaking, to involve as many as they may into their desperate condition; which hath been the constant course of seditious and rebellions persons in all ages, who did they but know the filth and corruption they harbour, would ●●p up their own breasts to let it forth, and according to the Divine Philosopher, and excellent Poet, * Seneca in Herc. Oet. O si pateant pectora Divitum, Quantos intus sublimis agit Fortuna metus! Brutia coro Pulsante fretum, mitior unda est. O that their breasts were but conspicuous, How full of fear within, how furious, The narrow Seas are not so boisterous. But let them proceed and make up their measure of sin; the Lord in his good time will open their eyes, and discover to them their evil ways, or else will restrain their strength and fury, and that for the good of his Church. Proceed we now to confute our cavilling Libeler. He gins thus, after an audacious manner, speaking to the House of Lords, In the first place we demand of you a reason, why you which are such ●rrogaters of Titles of Honour, should of all others slight him so far as to s●●le him only John Lilburne, though you know him to be a true born Gentleman; nor Lieutenant Colonel, though you know him to be a valiant and faithful Soldier for his Country's liberties. CHARON in Lucian as he wittily feints, was conducted by MERCURY to such a place where he might see all the world at once; and after he had sufficiently viewed and looked about, MERCURY would needs know of him what he had observed. He told him he saw a razed multitude and a 〈◊〉; their habitations like Molehills, the men like Emmets; He could discern Cities like so many hives of Bees, wherein every Bee had a sting, and they did nought else but sting one another. Some domineering like Hornets bigger than the rest, some like filthy Wasps, others as Drones; over their heads were hover a confused number of perturbations, HOPE, FEAR, ANGER, AVARICE, IGNORANCE, etc. and a multitude of Diseases hanging over, which they still pulled on their heads; some were brawling, some fight, riding, running, solicit ambientes, ●●llid● litiga●tes, for toys, and trifles, and such momentary things, their Towns and Provinces mere factions, Rich against poor, poor against rich, Nobles despised by Artificers, etc. Aptly and to excellent purpose is the world compared by Lucian to a garden of Bees; but more aptly may I apply this tale to the Kingdom of England, our habitations indeed, to our fight the strongest, but Molehills; for a blast of wind overturneth them; ourselves cannot be fitlier compared then to Emmets, for if the anger of the Lord do but blow upon us we whither away, and are gone; our Cities may fitly be compared each to a Bee hire▪ wherein we agree not like that prudent Nation; nor do we employ ourselves to suck Honey from flowers, but desire rather to suck our neighbour's blood, each envying his neighbour surviveth, and some so wretchedly inclined, that they could be content to part with all their substance that another might become poor; those ravenous devourers of the poor, that eat up the people as it were bread, may fitly be compared to Hornets, that sing P●●ns to Bacchus in Taverns, accompanied with * A Whore. La●● and * A Minstrel Zenophilus, that wear the Kingdom's spoils in their ears, and dance on the ruins of a Nation; those now placed in authority to procure the people's good, and yet as tyrants play Rex over them, may fitly he compared to Wasps, that sit as chair-men, dooming men and their causes, so as may most tend to their gain and benefit; those Neutralians that sit still and worship no God save Ceres and Bacchus, that cry out with Horace, broach the Falerne Wine, and let things hap as they will; each of these discern not the confused number of perturbations hover over their heads, which will certainly descend upon them, which punishments they shall not be able to evade. But to our libeler. In dealing with this libeler I know Quo quisque est major, magis est placabills 〈◊〉, Et faciles motus mens generosa capit. A greater man were sooner pacified, A Noble spirit's quickly pacified. But for that the vulgar are more taken with vulgar works, then with the writs of the wise, and knowing it is expedient they should be undeceived, and see the vanity of their chieftains, therefore, Whereas the libeler, in the name of his complices, We, accounts it as a disparagement to them, for that Lilburne hath not his * Titles. Titles bestowed on him, gained more by fortune then merit: I answer, that the most famous Consuls of Rome, sometime brought through the City in triumph, have upon occasion of their default and per●●liousnesse, been led through the same City in bands: is it not strange than a fellow of no worth● such an one as Lilburne should occasion as 〈◊〉 at trouble in London as ever Catiline did to Rome? but we have as valiant and prudent cicero's, who I doubt not will ere long suppress this faction, and bring them to as condign punishment as 〈◊〉 that di●urber and his complices. And whereas the Libeler chargeth it on the consciences of the Lords, that they know him to be true borne Gentleman, I answer, that if it were granted, yet only virtuous and pious actions are symptoms of Gentil●●● and i● we should can Lilburnes seditious proceed, by them we could guess him to be no other but a branch sprung from the ancient stock of renowned IR●S; but it is evident to all the would that Lilburne is not of Gentle blood, but descended of an unworthy family, being in his minority an obscure apprentice of London and if the Reader desire to be further informed, I refer him to a Treatise of mine, entitled, The Famers Famed, being an answer to a pair of Treatises, written in the behalf of Lilburne, th●one entitled The Just man in Bonds, the other A Pearl in a Dunghill. I now proceed. But if Titles were of any value, or Honour of any esteem, he deserveth the Title of Lieutenant Colonel, and the Honour he hath gotten in the field, in the defence of his Country's liberties, as well as any of you your Titles of Honour, if 〈◊〉 better, and more and more worthily; for by what ●●●ns many of you came by yours is very uncertain. See the ridiculous ignorance of the libeler, worthy to be laughed at, he saith, if Titles were of any value; that Titles are of worth, we are informed by God, speaking by the mouth of his servants. St. Paul counselleth the Romans to Honour those worthy thereof, the Elders, or rather Leaders that rule well, are worthy of double Honour; our Saviour saith, Give Tribute to whom Tribute belongeth, Honour to whom Honour is due; with infinite other places, which for brevity sake I omit. So that Titles and Honour is of value, and aught to be valued, hath been ever, and aye will be respected by the virtuous, and those that contenanc and disesteem, detract not from them, but work ruin to themselves, as St. Paul saith, sin against their own souls. And whereas the Pamphleter saith, that he deserveth the Title of Lieutenant Colonel, the Honour he hath gotten in the field in the defence of his countries' Liberties, I answer, that that Honour had been worthily bestowed on him, had he gone forth out of a sincere intent to fight for his Country, and for the Kingdom's good: but his intent in arming himself was rather to defend and secure himself from arrests of his creditors, then to offend, and bring low the enemy, as I have already made apparent to the world in my answer to two Libels aforementioned. Comparisons are odious; the audacious libeler sticketh not to parallel Lilburnes Honour with the Lords, and goeth about to prove his Honour equivolent, nay transcendent to theirs. Was ever known such brazen impudence? the ages to come will stand amazed, and read this truth but as a fiction. Neither is this sufficient, but the libeler proceedeth, not stinting till he arrive at the very height of evil, for by what means some of you came by yours, (saith he) meaning the Lords, is very uncertain. Though your ignorance falsely inform, yet the wise know and can avouch by what means the house of Peers have attained to their worthily deserved Honours, who can derive their pedigree, and make it apparent to the world, that they are the sons of those men whose Heroic actions in defence of their Country deserved no less but a far greater recompense. But I amplify too much upon so absurd an objection. And therefore in the charge you bring against him, if yet you will persist, afford him his Title; use him not altogether as a slave, though you have made Newgate his habitation, and from thence have, removed him to the Tower of London; whether to murder him privately from the people's knowledge we cannot tell, we judge little less. The charge brought against him the world knows, which generally talketh of his folly, and it is not needful to set down; he is become a byword to the sons of men; and doubtless it will be Proverb in the next age, that when any man shall be notoriously known to be seditious, he shall be said to be, as FACTIOUS and REBELLIOUS as ever was LILBURNE. But the Libeler is nettled, 'cause the Lords in their warrant afforded him not his Title; know fool that men honourable indeed, have as a reward of their misdemeanours been ere now degraded; and is it such a breach for this upstart to have a Title, whereof he is not worthy, debarred him? he hath forfeited his empty Title; a trivial power bestowed it on him, but a power full and absolute taketh it away. (But the Libeler proposeth he might not be used like a slave) his usage hitherto hath been with lenity, such as the nature of his crime merited not; and did not the Lords out of Nobleness of their nature, limmit their power, the weight of his Irons should weigh him down, (as his sin will once,) even beneath the centre; he should be brought forth, and either make public recantation of his high contempt, or else undergo exemplary punishment, what he and all other libelers and disturbers ought to suffer by the known law of the Land, I have * In my answer to two Libels, the one entitled the just man in bonds, the other a pearl in a dunghill. elsewhere shown, and therefore here shall not insert. But see the prodigious baseness of the libeler, he would have the world believe; that the removal of Lilburne from Newgate to the Tower is out of some secret intent the Lords have to murder him privately there. Sirrah, know, the greater crime, the greater punishment; and the more obdurate the malefactor is, the more sure ought be his bands; but the certain cause of his commitment to the Tower, I conceive is, for that his offences are treasonable. He that withstandeth the King's Vicegerent, opposeth the King, and indeed God, from whom he deriveth his power, so long as things lawful are commanded by him; and he that resisteth the King commanding, as aforesaid, things lawful, and not destructive to himself, is a Traitor, and as a Traitor ought to suffer. But see yet more impudencies. But by this we may discerns your unsufferable encroachments upon our common Rights, daily increasing upon us, which in time, if not prevented, will wholly enslave and vassalage us all; for it is come to this already that the Freemen of England cannot go to see their Fellow Commoner, without bazzard of their Freedoms; and it is an act so unreasonable and destructive to us, that we cannot choose but take notice of it, and let you know, that We cannot, neither will we suffer such intolerable affronts at your hands. Calvin in his * the preface. book entitled, Instructio adversus libertines saith, Cum scelesta, & perniciosa, aliqua secta pullulare O cepit praesertim vero cum auges●it, eorum quo Deus ad aedificandum, Ecclesiam constituit, officium est ire obv●am ac fortifer, resisiere priusquam, ad perdenda & e●rrumpend● omnia vires sumps●rit. When any pernicious sect gins to arise, but chief when it grows, 'tis the duty of them whom God hath appointed to build up his Church to oppose it strongly, and to appear against it before it get strength to corrupt and destroy all. Now cause the house of Lords hath done as this holy man adviseth, nay as the sacred Scriptures command, to wit, have suppressed the Author of a most pernicious sect; or if they will not yield to that, the Broacher of new heresies and blasphemies, Lilburne, therefore they unsufferably encroach on the Commons Rights, and intent to bring them into slavery and bondage. I know the Sectaries & their abettors will not stick to say, that I WILL RUN WITH THE WIND, that I am a timeserver, and soothe up the Lords in hope of gain; but let such know there is as great enmity betwixt flattery and my nature as between the Wolf and the Sheep. I know that Ministers first care ought to be of the Name of God, and next of the salvation of others, and I resolve with Horum alterum, cum intercidere, necesse fit pereat p●pa, pereant impii Magistratus * Luther in c. 9 Hos. pereant impiorum dogmatim patroni, pereat totus mandus, & salvetur Deo sua gloria suum verbum su●● cultus amen. When any thing is done by which of necessity either of those must suffer and fall to the ground, let the Pope perish, let wicked Magistrates perish, let the patrons of wicked opinions perish, let the whole World perish, and let God's glory, his Church, and his Worship be saved. But the Libeler proceedeth, and showeth that already they are in some sort enslaved for, saith he, a Commoner of England cannot go to see his fellow etc. Let any capable of sense judge whether it be convenient that one convicted of transcendent crimes ought to have his combiners and abettor have free access to him, by whose poisonous Rhetoric he may not only be more hardened in evil, but also may * as Lilburne in his inprisonment formerly hath done, to the very great disturbance of the peace of the Kingdom. deliver to them papers stuffed with language of dangerous consequence to be dispersed abroad, as may occasion the subvertment and destruction of this Nation, and the deterring of these men from their brother in evil, is thought by them to be an act so unreasonable and destructive to them, that they cannot but take notice of it, and publish to the world in print, that they cannot nor will not suffer such unsufferable Affronts; that the act is not unreasonable, but just, I have already proved, but that it is destructive to their proceed I shall easily believe; and for that intent it is performed, to wit, to impede the growth of evil, and hinder the corrupting of many; but for that 'tis said they cannot nor will not suffer (as they presumptuously term them) such intolerable affronts: all from thence to be gathered is, that these intent to rebel, and could they have Lilburne for leader, he would play Judas of Galilee, and lead forth; but which of them would return? but they speak their desires not their abilities, the points of their spears are dulled, and the edges of their Swords rebated. But he hath got a good cause, and all good people that desire not to live by oppression of others are of his side, and that your Lordships will find, for all these things will be laid open as the sun, and every man will see wherefore you call his Books scandalous, seditious, and dangerous Pamphlets; and why the Judges, Lawyers, and Monopolists are his deadly Adversaries, even because he deals plainly betwixt you all, and the people, whom you labour by all means jointly to keep in bondage and vassalage to your wills. The greatest Heretics, Traitors, or Conspirators that ever yet suffered condign punishment have pretended a good cause, was their prop, etc. and for that the Libeler saith (all good people are on his side, and that the house of Lords will find) I suppose he meaneth such good people, as under pretence of goodness act the very worst of wickedness, seditious, slanderous, and reprobated persons, no other can nor will adhere to Lilburne in his seditious and unparaleld rebellious courses; and these I hope (saying with the Libeler) the house of Lords will find, and bring to condign punishment. I hope they will make a discovery, and find out, the seditious Author of a slanderous Libel, entitled, EVERY MAN'S RIGHTS, or England's PERSPECTIVE, the Author of a contemptuous and disdainful reviling Paper, entitled SEVERAL VOTES OF TENDER CONSCIENCES, at the bottom of which Paper is portrayed a Pope, a Presbyter, termed Antichristian, and a Prelate; all these, each a dagger in hand, stabbing at an heart furnished with wings and termed TENDER CONSCIENCE, the Author of a Paper that striketh at Church and State, Emblematically called the WATCHMAN'S WARNING PIECE, the Emblem is, a man issuing forth a wood, his weapons abandoned, and cast beneath a Tree, when on a suddenly he is assailed by a Dragon, a Leopard, and a Serpent; the Author presumeth to explain his Emblem thus: would you think Independents could versify? And what is by this EMBLEM represented? The STATE, by Plots of Papists circumvented Shall I demonstrate still, to make you know, That these ( * Papists P * Presbyters. P * Prelates. P) are Papists all a row. The Dragon's head, the Pope doth represent His sharped tongued * His sting. shaft, curses which he doth vent His teeth are envy, and his horns are Power The Dragon's body, is Rome's Church that WHORE. The spotted Leopard also hath his doom This body pleads, for Prelates brats of Rome His jaws are malice, head EPISCOPAL A gaping mouth, teeth, paws tyrannical. The crooked Serpent, creeps upon the earth An Antichristian PRESBYTER, by birth His head's from Rome, his Tail and Body so With them to aye perdition, he shall go. But to the Libeler who saith, that things shall be laid open as the Sun and all men shall see why his Books are called scandalous, seditious, and dangerous Pamphlets. Things need not be made more evident than they are, and all men not besotted, see and know why and on what ground his Books are termed justly, SCANDALOUS SEDITIOUS and DANGEROUS Pamphlets, but the Libeler sticketh not to maintain most eroneus paradoxes; ineptae & fabulosae nugae, throughout his whole Pamphlet whereof this is a grand one, but saith he, his chief enemies are the Clergy, Judges, and Lawyers, and Monopolists, O unheard of insolency, he ranketh the Clergy and Judges, with the Monopolists and Lawyers; all Clergymen Judges Lawyers and all men of what craft or faculty soever, aught as they tender their welfare in this world, and that to come, to abhor, abominate, and declare against, the seditious, rebellious, and destructive proceed of Lilburne, and his wicked complices, but see he goeth further, and maketh the Lords Judges Lawyers and Monopolists ●ombiners together, using their utmost endeavour, to bring the people into bondage; alas alas, my friends, what need any go about to enslave you; who seek all the means possible to fetter yourselves; and I may boldly aver such is your ignorance accompanied with self conceit, that you differ in a small manner from the Atheists, all your life is that you love to go to Church with great Bibles under your arm, but he that knows best how to judge, saith, cor doloplenum, sonant vitium percussa malign, you will now and then, Dare operam Augustino, read Austin frequent Sermons, and yet professed usurers, mere gripes, tota vitae ratio Epicurea est, all your life is Epicurism, and Atheism, come to Church all day and lie with a Courtesan at night. Qui curios simulant, & Bachinalia vivunt. But of you enough from whom we have felt too much. And therefore it will be good for your Lordships, in this charge to reflect upon yourselves, the people are now quick sighted, not easily deluded, if it were not so Mr. Lilburne were in a sad case, for here is no less than the whole house of Peers his accusers etc. Now the Libeler, having before threatened the Lords and shown them the dangers they have run into, by censuring and imprisoning Lilburne, whom the Libeler is not ashamed; to term in the title of his libel (defender OF THE FAITH) I say having showed them into what a praemunire they are fallen, he now giveth his judgement; and adviseth the Lords, to reflect on themselves, (for the people are quick sighted) I wish it were so indeed, and that they had Eagles eyes, to discern the vanity and wickedness of their seducers, who under pretence of advising them, in matters necessary and behooveful for them, incite them to strife, malice, and sedition, the only way to work their own and this Kingdom's ruins; and it is to be admired as a sign and evident token of God's unspeakable mercy, that we are yet a people, for as the Author of an excellent Poem saith. Entitled an expostulatory answer, to a derisory Question. If waste Jerusalem were made Who therein but three Factions had This Island, how may we deplore Wherein are three times three, and more. But I know and can assure the world, that no people whatsoever they that desire to tread the paths of godliness, but their sight doth serve them and to their grief they behold the unpleasing ways to God, and the destructive ways to this Nation that Lilburn and his complices take; and for that the Libeler placeth his confidence in the people, and saith but for them, Lilburne were in a sad case, for saith he here is no less than the whole house of Peers his accusers, O vain confidence, if the people as you say, (and as I fairly hope) will not be easily deluded, alas your hopes are frustrate, remember the proverb; they may perchance some of them be so evilly inclined as to allow of Lilburnes proceed, yea and to love him therefore, but notwithstanding you will find they love themselves better, and will not to save him from due punishment, hazard their own welfare, but let's proceed. You will find that you are not yet Lords over the PARLIAMENT, you have not the least power to dispose of the moneys of the Commonwealth, much less to imprison men's persons at your pleasure. Folly mixed with impudence is unsufferable and a Liar in Print to be abhominated, it is the main plot, and chief desire of the Sectaries, could they have their desires, to raise a discord and a difference betwixt the two houses of Parliament, this the Libeler goeth about to procure; saying, and as it were menacing the Lords, you will find that you are not yet Lords over the Parliament (meaning the honourable House of Commons) they have learned machiavil maxim, divide & impera divide and prevail, but the ever to be honoured Lords & Commons, are so surely tied together in that Gordian knot of the Covenant, they stand as a rock, fixed in the sea, against which though the waves dash and murmur, as being repelled, they remain solid and unmoveable, but the Libeler giveth an instance of some division betwixt the Houses, for saith he, you have not the least power, to (dispose of the money of the commonwealth) no, why then doth the Commons send up to the Lords for their concurrence, ere any loan of money is levied or disbursed, therefore his is notoriously false and suborned, raised on purpose to bring the Lords into contempt, and for the inprisoning men's persons, their power and authority avoucheth, and they are enabled to punish notorious offenders, such as Lilburne and his complices; but how long will ye descent O ye seditious; me thinks the tumults, uproars, anguish, and dangers that attend upon it might persuade you, the more you contend the more you shall be involved in a labyrinth of woes, 'tis an Hydra's head, the more you strive the more you may, for my own part I have written in answer to you, knowing the most obdurate have been convinced of their error, Nemo desperet meliora lapsus. And now for as much as I have little reason to expect but as is your manner, to all whom you affect not, to be vilified in print, but this is my buckler. Integritas virbusque suo manimine tata Non patet adversae morsibus invidiae Virtue and integrity, are their own fence. Care not for envy, or what comes from thence. I say do even as your malevolent spirits shall prompt you; while I admire your folly, and lament your punishments. FINIS.