STRANGE NEWS FROM CAMPANIA A Province in ITALY: BEING A true Relation of one who slept at noontime of day, how his spirit was transported into the Province of Campania in Italy, by chance, near unto the Lake Avernus, also his discourse with an old man of that Province, concerning the present distempers in those parts, not unlike these in England, who after his recovery out of an ecstasy (by reason of the Cruelties, and bloodsucking oppressions in that Province) writ these ensuing Lines:  Psal. 1.1. 
Faelix ille animum qu●m non de Tramite recte,  
Impia sacrilega flexit contagio turba.  
Imprinted at ATTALIA, in the Year MDCXLVII.   


Pluto's dark Dungeon, Dedalus Labyrinth,  
Great Lucifer's night-star, and the Berecinth,  
Which these threeheaded Hydra's worship more  
Than Christ their Saviour; and that Devil adore,  
Because of Profit it on them bestows,  
Greater than horn mad Votes, and forsworn Vows.  
It is bewitching to their ears that itch  
For Reformation, it goes thorough stitch:  
The devil's Plot, for sure in hell 'twas hatched,  
And some Scotch Calvin thence this Monster fetched;  
Whereby the Devil's agents work their feat,  
And cast Campania in a bloody sweat.  
Cerberus' strong Choler for't doth tie men fast,  
If once they take't, they never more can gasp  
One blast of Loyal breath; it suffocates  
The widest Windpipe, and consumes their pates.  
It's Charon's Moat indeed, no bottom's found  
Of its illegal, impious, wicked ground.  
It's Pluto's Dungeon; for who enters there,  
Before his eyes hath never set Gods fear.  
'Tis Dedalus Labyrinth guided by a Thread,  
(And fit 'tis to barn then for to read)  
Who enters into't, he perhaps may prove't  
Worse then that Labyrinth;  he can removed  
He must lie with the Minotaur, and beget  
A monstrous birth withal, and worship it.  
It's Lucifer's night-star, that great Devil's guide,  
Which doth a thieving through the Kingdom ride,  
And both the King and People hath undone,  
Clad with false coloured Reformation.  
It's Sibyl's Image; they so much adoreed,  
Becaused hath bettered down the Royal Fort.  
Excise, Sequestration, Plunder, Loans,  
It gained, to gnaw our flesh, and bruise our bones.  
So all old things are grown to a new fashion,  
By Covenant-ingaging Reformation.  
And yet this Hellhound hunting up and down,  
Pursues each loyal heart from Town to Town,  
With yelping, yelling, and a hideous roar,  
Till it have left them never a Mite in store.   

Whilst yet he spoke, behold another sight  
(With great amazement) did my ghost affright:  
Whole multitudes were gathered on a knot,  
And close unto a stately Palace got,  
Near to the Luke Avernus situated,  
Where (he told me) their business was stated:  
If you be pleased (quoth he) we'll go along,  
And hear what's to be done in yonder throng:  
Agreed (queth I) and thence we went away,  
To see what would betid the State that day.   

When to the Palace we approached near,  
The groans and cries of widows we did hear,  
Lamenting for their husbands who were slain  
The Causes of the wicked to maintain.  
Sighing says one, let us go to the State,  
And know if they our sorrows will abate;  
Agreed, said all, and strait they thither went,  
And how they sped, to you I'll represent.   

What is the matter here (quoth L.) with these  
Perverse ungodly women? seek to please  
A woman's mind? let's rather seek to sell  
Or half sequester all the devils in hell.  
Quoth H. that suits well with a new translation,  
And balances our blessed Reformation:  
If we should give the Public coin away,  
Our Soldiers (as they do) would want their pay.  
It's well (quoth S.) O 'tis a curious Plot,  
If we should do't, how should we pay the Scot,  
For if he be not paid, an alteration  
May hinder our unheard of Reformation;  
And on a sudden sink that in a stream,  
Which for this six year's space hath swom i'th' Main.  
Be cautious then (quoth V) what you do spare,  
Our Grand-Committees must be paid their share;  
And let our Sub-Committees have their due,  
Because they faithful were to us, and true;  
And added to each private Pocket more  
Than ever our great Grandsires had in store.  
What must th' Excise men do, said P. must they  
(For all the pains th' have taken) want their pay?  
They have themselves like honest men demeaned,  
And much o'th' Kingdom's Treasure they have gained  
For thee and me: The hungry they Excised,  
And like the Devil himself have tyrannised.  
A Member must not be forgotten says M:  
For if we Members want, we are not men,  
Our Sequestrators must rewarded be,  
And every Pettifogger have his fee:  
Then when to thee, and me all's paid that's due,  
We will again begin our Trades anew.  
Like Tytius' Vulture we will knaw the hearts  
O'th' Common-people; we will act our parts  
In highest nature, and in every thing  
That may our profit, and our pleasure bring.  
we'll heap up Treasure, we'll enrich our store,  
we'll serve the devil for wealth (that) if not more.  
They all agreed with acclamation, vowed  
What M. had spoke they every one allowed.  
so every one shated of the Public Coin,  
And sent their servants out more to purloin:  
But all this while the harmless women gained  
No restitution for their slain or maimed.   

Forth with I asked my guide what all this meant;  
It is (quoth he) our blessed Parliament,  
Which hath slain guiltless blood, and murdered many,  
And never pitied the complaints of any:  
The Widow's tears, and eke the Fatherless  
Can never find of them a just redress.  
Let him declare (if there be any one)  
To whom one act of justice they have done;  
Survey the Land (who will) from East to West,  
From North to South, and let him do his best,  
For all his travel he shall never find  
A grain of mercy in their perverse mind:  
One drop of Balsam will not be applied  
By our grave Senate to the putrified.   

O God (quoth I) what wretched men are ye,  
Tied with a boundless chain of slavery!  
Have you no way yourselves for to redress?  
Have you no means th'oppressors to suppress?  
Seek all the world throughout; never be tied  
To a perpetual bondage, by their pride;  
Whose thoughts are never fixed on that is good,  
Whose feet are swift to shed the guiltless blood;  
Their tongues speak lies, their lips are full of guile,  
Their Counsels Treason hatch, by ever wile.  
Let all your Conscript Fathers be transformed,  
And let them be by every Peasant scorned▪  
Let all your Deeijs Christian Persecutors  
Be rendered to the Session's Executors.  
Then shall your ancient Liberties be shown,  
And every honest man enjoy his own.   

The good old Man deep sighing thus replied,  
I'm afraid (quoth he) this will not soon betid,  
My heart could wish to morrow was the day  
They were all hid, or else would run away;  
If it should happen so (even for their sake)  
I'll drink their health of strong Avernus' Lake;  
I would (in memory of them) keep that day  
A joyful feast; and will for ever pray  
That all those Traitors who their King withstood,  
May die (like Pilate) voiding guts, and blood;  
And after that, they Ixion's pains may feel,  
By turning a perpetual burning wheel;  
Or keep a Senate with their Grandsire Nick,  
And in his Kingdom play him such a trick  
(As they have lately in Campania done)  
And become heirs of his eternal throne;  
There's work enough for them, and all their rabble,  
Their Clerks may be made Knights of his round table.  
His Kingdom's large, employments they may have,  
And every thing he gives, if they can crave.   

Whilst yet he spoke, behold within our view  
Came trooping o'er the bank another crew  
Of warlike Soldiers; but their  were thin,  
The State turned Shearemen, and had pinched their ●kin.   

What mean these men (quoth I) that they repair  
Unto this place? what business have they here?   

These are the States old beaten Soldiers, who  
Want their Arrears, dew many months ago:  
They come to ask them; I am full persuaded,  
With States high looks, they scarce will be out-Jaded.  
They are stout men, they have a resolution  
To bring to try all each State's man's transgression,  
And in a week redress our grievance more  
Than our brave State hath done sixty before.  
Well then (quoth I) let's hear their full discourse,  
And see which of 's Master of the Purse.   

Out comes the Speaker with his hat in hand,  
And briefly thus gins; What's your demands?  
What service have you done for what you crave?  
Or how can you account for what you have?  
Your service must unto the world be known,  
And what 've had must unto us be shown,  
Before we can dispense upon Areares,  
Or any thing be done, but what appears  
For th' public good, and not for private ends:  
I am in haste, adieu my honest friends.   

Well said brave Speaker, thou hast uttered more  
Than all thy fellow Senators before  
Have ever done; when thou dost us confound,  
Thy Pay shall be one hundred thousand Pound.  
First we demand all our Arrears thats due,  
For what we crave our service is in view  
To all the world: we ventured have ourselves  
T' enrich a crew of all devouring Elves.  
We have been Traitors. Tyrant's to maintain;  
And still we Traytored are if we do claim  
That is our due from you; O blessed State!  
Yet to your Country most inveterate.  
Forty Millions you have already had  
O'th' Public stock: must not account be made?  
You have disposed of it amongst your friends,  
Not for the Public, but to private ends.  
Thousands of harmless men for you have died.  
Maintained your Treason, Tyranny, and Pride.  
But now your cheating is found out and crossed,  
And if you look not to't all will be lost.  
As we are Soldiers, we'll be very fair,  
You shall not what's our due amongst you share.  
Be wise in time, consider what you do,  
Beware your after-wits prove not your woe.  
So we departed and the State adjourned  
Until the morning, and my Spirit returned  
Unto its former Pristine habitation  
When it had viewed Campanias' desolation.   Quis talia fando temperate a Lacrymis▪ 
FINIS.   

in the Nation ought to preserve the Nation as much as in him lies; It is a universal principle, non nobis solum nati sumus, etc. We are not born for ourselves alone; but the Country in which we live challenges an interest in us, this principle made many rejoice in dying, esteeming it, dulce & decorum pro patria mori.  
3. The Law of this Kingdom (by which we may expect to stand or fall) secures us in this Kingdom, we have this Maxim, that solus populi is suprema lex, The safety of the people is the supremest law; this was the hinge we moved upon, the Kingdom's safety was endangered, and withent a speedy application of a timely preservative was likely to be consumed: the best preservative we could see, was the security of his Majesty's person, which our act hath effected. Whose enemies are so dull, and whose understanding is so stupefied & sottishly blind, but may remember and know what a sad disaster hath befallen the Kingdom, in the expense of so much blood and treasure, by the surprising of his Majesty's Person in the late wars▪ who can but know, had they not had his person for their designs had proved abortive: We well know there was a design to seize on his Majesty, to raise a new Army, and unnaturally to involve this Kingdom in its own blood, and so to render our latter end miserably worse than our beginning, but this we thought ourselves bound to prevent if possible, which we still judge and doubt not to prove it, and is yet lawful for us to do. As the King is by the law of this Kingdom bound to govern and secure us according to the Law, so are we engaged to secure his Person against the violaters of the Law, which we have, through the blessing of God accomplished, Our end was not his enthrallment, bondage and ruin, as by our actions may appear, but his safety, and the Kingdom's preservation, which otherwise we justly fear, had both been endangered; suppose the King through ignorance of traitor's intention to destroy His Person or His Kingdom should expose himself to the mercy of him that sought his life, do you imagine it would be treasonable for any one to remove his Majesty though without hi● consent from the place the traitor sought his life in, and to preserve him? but the case is yet more fair for us, His judgement being satisfied, his will w●● likewise concurring to his remove, we hope this our action will be recented in good part by all the Nation for whose good it was effected. Had the King been surprised, another army been under his name raised, the Nation once more wallowed in its own blood; then surely but too late, would the people have cried out, oh that some had been stirred up to have stood in this breach.  
FOUR The Commission from the Parliament (whom some say though with more boldness than judgement, more malice than wisdom, and more envy than prudence or honesty, we have rebelled against and acted contrary to in this action) acquits us, for by our Commission we are bound to seek the preservation of the King's person, whether we have not so done let all the Kingdom judge: what hurt to his person have we done? what hurt to the Kingdom have we done? we are not constions to ourselves that we have in this done amiss, who hath cause to complain, surely none can nor will, except those who had thought to have made all men dance after their pipes, kiss their hands, and resign up their birthrights, liberties and lives to their arbitrary and tyrannical, lawless, boundless wills, these Human-like are mad to think a poor Mordecai will not stand cap in hand, bow his knee, and bend unto them.  
FINIS.