A Whisper in the ear. OR A DISCOURSE BETWEEN THE KING'S MAJESTY, AND THE HIGH COURT OF PARLIAMENT. Concerning a Pacification, and Conditions of PEACE. By a Scholar of Oxford, and a Citizen of London. OXFORD, Printed by Leonard Lichfield, Printer to the University, 1642. A Conference between a Gentleman of Oxford, and a Citizen of London. Cit NOble Sir, y'are welcome, more, and most welcome all the degrees of welcome, thrice welcome you have been, and shall to my house, and to the best entertainment I may or can afford you. Gent. Deserving friend, you have really shown it, and I have experimentally found it; for which, I must ingenuously acknowledge, that I am deeply engaged in the debt-book of your love, and so fare ●●nae in arrearage upon the score of your favour, that for the present, though I am your obliged debtor, yet for the future I shall endeavour by all fair and civil respects to demean myself as your vowed, devoted, and most grateful servant; for to you I may well say, as sometimes Aeschines said to Alexander, Debeotibi meipsum, I own you my very self. Cit Sir, you transcend the sphere of my deservings, and assure yourself, I am all yours. Gent. You are all goodness, the cord of whose fidelity hath so firmly tied me unto you, that I am yours solely, and yours inseparably, yours perpetually, upon all occasions, wheresoever, whensoever, or in whatsoever you shall vouchsafe to command me. Cit Sir, all the favour that at this time I shall request of you is only that you would be pleased to impart unto me the late passages and occurrences which have been in agitation at Oxford, where His Majesty hath been and is now resident: The state of the whole Kingdom is concerned therein; and we Londoners are of the Athenians humour and disposition, desirous and inquisitive to hear news. Gent. Indeed, 'tis the demand of all men now a days in all places wheresoever they come, what novelty is abroad: hark in your ear, the times are now grown so perilous, that to be an honest man its a dangerous matter, and who is truly religious in these distracted days, (wherein most men have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof) its a difficult question to determine. There are so many Sectaries sprung up amongst us, that more for number, and the like to these for nature, was never known in the memory of man. Hence it is, that so many men, so many towns, Cities, nay whole Counties are divided. Some are for the King, others altogether for his great Council, the Parliament. Wiltshire, and the County of Salop are wholly for the King, as by their engagement and resolution doth appear: Hartfordshire and Buckinghamshire, (cum multis altis) are as much for the Parliament, and are fully resolved to hazard their lives in the Parliaments cause. Cit 'Tis strange that such divisions should be amongst such loyal subjects under so royal a Sovereign; for though Prince and people have been happy a long time, (to the admiration of other Nations) yet never did the King and Kingdom suffer more than both these have done of late. Gent. 'Tis not so strange as true: I'll tell you the ground of it. Hark in your ear. In these our present distractions, when foreign forces threaten, and probably invited, and a Malignant Party at home offended: The Envious one, that grand Impostor hath cast a bone, & raised a contestation between the King and his two Houses of Parliament touching the Militia. His Majesty claims the disposing of it to be in him by right of Law; the Parliament saith, rebus sio stantibus and nolente Rege, the ordering of it is in them. That ordinance of the Militia without the King's consent, hath been a fomenter of his Malitia, and was one of the bones of our unhappy division. Cit I am of your mind, that that was the first fuel to the fire of this unnatural war. Gent. There was not wanting other matter to increase this flame: Listen, and I'll tell you, the keeping the King out of Hull, and taking his Arms and Ammunition from him. Cit But with your favour Sir, these were not taken from the King, but for the King: and good ground is there for it; for the high and honourable Court of Parliament is His Majesty's just and faithful Council, and what soever they do, or have at any time done, is upon grave advice, and in mature deliberation, and doth undoubtedly tend to the good and benefit of the King and the whole Kingdom. Gent. You say well, yet give me leave to tell you that the King's Counsellors at Oxford are of another opinion: They confess it is so pretended, but the quere is, whether is he so intended: If it be, why is his Navy at sea employed against him? why have they made an ordinance for settling Customs without an Act of Parliament? when an act of this Parliament declares, that no Custom is due without an Act & all such persons as receive the same▪ incur the forfeiture of a praemunire. Hereupon His Majesty hath set forth a Proclamation at his Court at Oxford the 16. day of this present month, prohibiting the payment and receipt of Customs, and other maritime duties upon that late ordinance of both Houses of Parliament. In the Proclamation His Majesty doth relate, that the monies arising from these duties, are to support an unnatural rebellion against him, and to foment an intestine and civil dissension; and doth thereby declare to all his people of what sort soever, that whosoever henceforward shall by virtue of the pretended Ordinance of Parliament, pay any monies for custom or other duties therein mentioned, other than to his proper ministers, what is due to him by the known Laws of the Kingdom, that he will proceed against him or them in due time, as an ilaffected person or persons to the peace of this Kingdom. Cit 'Tis impossible that such an aggregate body as the Parliament is, can or should do any injury either to the King, or his three Kingdoms. Gent. I assent to you in that. It is not the Parliament, (for that assembly is, Fens justitiae) but some Malignant members of the representative body, which have been taxed by the King, in his several Declarations. Cit The King stands for his Prerogative, the Parliament for their privilege, about these there are a great distance, and grievous difference between them both, insomuch that both are displeased, and ' it's much feared that nothing but the sword can decide their controversy; I would to God it were once sheathed; I am sure so long as it is brandished over our heads, 'tis a sad Omen of fatal destruction, and doth menace ruin and desolation to the Kingdom of England. War is the way to destroy all, and of all war a Civil war is the worst, and at this time our land is so fruitful of such monsters who like so many nero's, are ready to destroy their own mother. How many Myriads of barbarous men are there amongst us, who delight in nothing more than in the effusion of blood: These are the hotspurres of the times, whose spirits have no spirit at all to peace. All are not well-affected unto peace: But it is, and shall be my prayer to the God of peace, that the wounds of this distractive war may be healed, that our peace may be, as formerly it hath been, again restored; and to this end, I pray God amend all those that are malevolently disposed. Gent. Amen say I. Cit And further, may it please God to take away the wicked from the King, that his throne may be established in righteousness. Gent. You wish well, but who (I pray you) are those wicked ones▪ Cit Why, the malignant party, and they are the Cavaliers, and evil Councillors that have been, and are still about his Majesty, who have seduced our good King, and withdrawn him from his great and best Council. Gent. I wish that all who have been engines in withdrawing, or main actors of withdrawing the King from his Palace at Whitehall and from his Parliament at Westminster, 〈…〉 labour and invention. For had not His Majesty 〈…〉 from us, there had not been such an unhappy 〈…〉 his present there is. Cit That I verily believe; but I pray, Sir ●…elolve m● who those main Ropes are (a rope take 'em) in withdrawing the King. Gent. Hark in your ear, for fear one of 'em may overhear me: Though my brain●… be muddy, I would be lo●● to have them washed in the kennel, by those rude, unruly, headstrong, and gl●…diheaded Schismatics. They are rabble of ●rownists, and Anabaptists, who have been and continue still the chief disturbers of the peace both of the Church and Commonwealth. By their factious meetings and illegal tumules, they have driven His Majesty from us: The King himself professeth no less in these words, No other reason induced 〈◊〉 ●…ve our City of London, but that with honour and safety We could not stay there, and it was in regard of them; therefore they are a most dangerous and mischievous generation: They are li●●●he Devil himself, Legion multitudes of them are now resident in the City of London, in every Parish round about us. Cit I cannot confide in all that you aver. Gent. (Hark in your ear) There are a great many of ●●ese wasps now at this instant in the Countries, and in the Parliaments Army. Cit Say you so: Pray Sir what have they done? Gent. What have they done? nay what have they not done? Their barbarous and sacrilegious inhumanity hath been of late exercised in Churches, as in Canterbury, Worcester, Oxford, and other places, where they have perpetrated 〈◊〉 committed such horrid and unheard of outrages, as Jews and Atheists never practised before. Cit I am sorry whi●… my h 〈…〉 o hear it. Gent. I would ● had no 〈…〉 ●…e it. At Canterbury in Kent, they no sooner entered the Church 〈…〉, but giantlike, they began a fight with God himself; overthrew the Communion Table, tore the velvet cloth from before it, defaced the goodly ●…eene, violated the monuments of the dead, spoiled the Organs, broke down the rarest windows in all Christendom, with the ancient rails and seats, and the brazen Eagle that did support the Bi●●●, forced open the cupboards of the singingmen, rend some of their Surp●…s, gowns and bibles, and carried away others, mangled all the Service books and books of Common Prayer, bestrowing the whole pavement with the leaves thereof. Cit If such an outrage was committed, may they answer for it that did it. Gent. Nay this was not all: For as if all this had been too too little to satisfy the funy and madness of these miscreants, they further increased their malice and cruelly upon the Arras hang in the Choir, representing the whole story of our Saviour, wherein observing divers figures of Christ I tr●…ble to express their blasphemy one said here is Christ; swore that he would stab him; another said here is Christ, swore that he would rip up his bowels, which they did accordingly, so fare as the figures were capable thereof; besides many other never the like heard of villainies: And not content therewith, finding another statue of Christ in the frontispiece of the South gate, they discharged against it forty shot at least, triumphing much when they hit it in the head or face, as if they were resolved to Crucify again the Lord of life. They threatened the ruin of the whole ●a●rick and would have done more mischief, had not Colonel Sandis with some others come to the relief and rescue. Cit I pray God amend all that is amiss. Gent. The times are grown so bad that better they may be, but worse they cannot be. We heard lately at Oxford that many of your Citizens have petitioned to the Parliament for peace; their Apprentices likewise, and divers well affected young men of London have supplicated to the two honourable Houses for a blessed Accommodation. Cit 'Tis true, there are some for it, and some against it. Gent. Sir Robert Heath sometimes Lord chief justice of the Commonpleas, after glad to have the favour to plead as a Common Sergeant, now Lord chief Justice of the King's bench, is in great fame and favour, with his Majesty. Cit So are many more at this present, but the Parliament are fully resolved to proceed against two persons, (Delinquents) as the main promoters and fomentors of this unnatural war upon the Subjects, thereby to give satisfaction to the world in an example of Justice to be excuted upon them. Gent. Who are they. Cit The one is the Lord Digby, whom fame taxes to be the adviser of his Majesty to come in person to the House of Commons in a hostile manner, to accuse the five members of high Treason. This Lord failing of his end in that design, advised a war upon the Parliament, as it evidently appears by his actions and preparations both beyond sea and here in England, and by several letters which have been intercepted. The other person demanded to be proceeded against, is the Earl or Newcastle, who hath put the sword into the Papists hands, who hath in a most rigorous manner tyrannised over the King's good Subjects in Yorkshire, imposing upon divers, men great and grievous taxes as upon some, 2000, 〈◊〉 upon others 3000 〈◊〉 Gent. This is one ground 〈…〉 marquis of Hartford hath of late, declined the service his 〈…〉 him in, for that the King ●ath not 〈◊〉 given way to the ●…ling of a Popish army in the North, but hath granted Commission to the marquis of Worcester a known Papist to be General of the Forces in those parts where he is, whose Army consist most of professed Papists. Cit Have you heard yet of Colonel Go●…es late landing at Newcastle? Gent. I have. 'Tis for certain that that faithless Colonel, once Governor of Port smouth, who afterwards desired banishment, and promised never more to serve against the Parliament is yet for all his vow and promise come over again, and hath taken ●…es contrary to his faith. He is landed with a regiment of a thousand old experienced soldiers, eighty brave Commanders, and twenty pieces of Ordnance, with all Ammunition and equipage promotionable: besides he hath bro●…ht with him arms for ten thousand men, and her Majesty's Standard, which is to be the blazon of her army, and erected at the head of it (called the Catholic Army) under the command of the Earl of Newcastle. Cit They say there are three Regiments more coming from the Northern Counties to the said Earl of Newcastle, which army of Papists come completed will prove more formidable to this Kingdom than is at present imagined. Gent. 'Tis credibly reported likewise, that in Nottinghamshire the Cavaliers do make a p●●●y, having possessed themselves of Newarke upon Trent, and put 400. men into the Castle, and command the passage there over the River. Cit But I'll tell you of a strange thing, the like you never heard of; 'Tis of a Pamphlet that was on Saturday last published and printed, entitled, A complaint to both 〈◊〉 of Parliament. The author and publisher of it hath scattered man● of them in divers places, as in Paul's Churchyard, in Westminster-Hall, and Westminster-Abey. The aforesaid Pamplet is stuffed with intolerable language, full or bitterness and invectives against the Parliament, and their legal proceed: therein that great Council of the King and Kingdom is called a corporation of Projectors, and most unjustly ●…ed for doing nothing these two years past tending to the good of the Republic. Gent. In that the Pamphleteer (or rather scandalous Libeler) is most injurious to our grave Senate; for the world knows, and we can all sufficiently relate what memorable acts, and never to be forgotten things, the indefatigable labours and endeavours of those Worthies have effected, and brought to pass for the public good (against all opposition whatsoever) ever since their first Session, to this present day. Cit Blessed be God for it, and I pray God still bless and prosper them in their determinations and consultations. Gent. And as that scandalous Pamphlet is condemned to be burnt by the hand of the hang man, to may the malignant author, contriver, &c publisher thereof be stigmatised and branded with the perpetual mark of infamy for defaming so renowned an Assembly in that false and infamous and libellous Pamphlet. At Oxford lately at the Council Table, the Earl of Bristol made a speech, the effect whereof was to animate His Majesty not to lay down Arms, but to prosecute the Parliament with all vigour: And at the same time the Earl of Dorset risen up, and spoke bravely for a happy agreement and concurrence between the King and his Parliament. Cit Pray Sir, how stands His Majesty affected? Gent. Our gracious King desires it, and would willingly upon honourable terms, embrace it with all his heart So doth his Nephew Prince Rupert, if we may believe that speech which he lately spoke to His Majesty and the Lords of His Privy Council, at his return from Redding to Oxford. Cit I shall love Prince Rupert the better for this, and am now persuaded that he hath suffered more by the obloquy and detraction of factious spirits then ever he deserved. Gent. That I verily believe. For my part I think there's no good man but desires peace. Cit May peace be within our walls, and plenty a●●ine within our dwellings. Gent. May the clouds of discord, discontent, d●… and difference be all dissipated, that there may be a clear and right understanding between the King and the parliament. Then, come 〈◊〉 or war, life or death, it is, and shall be our prayer, God save the K●●g. Cit And preserve the Parliament. FINIS.