A DISCOURSE BETWEEN LAW AND CONSCIENCE When they were both Banished from PARLIAMENT. In the first Parliament of K: James the Seventh.  

LAW to CONSCIENCE.  
HOW now, my Lord, how is it so,  
That thus in sable-weed ye go?  
what means this sudden alteration,  
That you have lost your Veneration,  
And due Benevolence that ye owe  
Unto your Country, now brought low?  
In yonder Court ye ought to sit,  
A Freeborn Member ye're of it,  
And well acquainted with the Laws,  
Go and Defend your Ancient Cause.   

Conscience Reply.  
A Lace said Conscience well you wit,  
In yonder Court I dar not sit,  
Unless that I betray my Right,  
And dictat Laws against my light,  
Your Parliament it looks awry,  
For I sat in it yesterday,  
And Voted never a Vote but an;  
And they against me did exclaim,  
With lusty words both high and big,  
They swore that Conscience was a whig,  
For him they have no veneration,  
'Cause banish him out of the Nation;  
And prayed the Clerk to word it better,  
Then to put Conscience in a Letter,  
To send unto his Majesty,  
Who bears a mortal feed at me;  
For treason, which they say, I thought,  
Into the year forty eight,  
For which I wandered too and fro,  
Even since the year sixty two,  
That I was banished from the Court,  
By Lords and Earls of great report,  
Though I should famish starve and die,  
Yet none of them would harbour me,  
I rapped rudely at their Got,  
But never entrance could get,  
I knocked and challenged as I can,  
Yet none recev'd a banished man,  
The little shelter that I found,  
Was in the Presbyterians ground,  
Yet many of them me sore abused,  
And most untenderly me used,  
Some took Bonds, some took the Test,  
Some to the Kirk were sorely pressed,  
Some with their course untender walk,  
Some with their proud unseemly talk,  
Some with their giddy wild opinions,  
Would banish me from these dominions,  
And now since they have served me so,  
To foreign Lands I think to go,  
To see what residence I find,  
Pray Brother Law, what us your mind?   

Laws Answer.  
ALace! my Lord, how can I hear,  
Your dollourous and heavy cheer,  
When your afflicted, I do mourn,  
We both upon one wheel do turn,  
If Conscience once do lose the Van,  
Law is a broken bankrupt man,  
When conscience turns like weather-cockt,  
Then they will cut the Nazeren Locck,  
My strength lies in the Penal Laws,  
Cut they off these; well lose the cause,  
Our honours both in this doth stand,  
A Dum Man yet won never Land,  
We will be trusty to our Nation,  
An humble suit is my intent,  
That we may sit in Parliament.   

Conscience Reply.  
My Brother Law where is your wits,  
Think you of us they will permit,  
To sit in court who thus have used us;  
And formerly hath thus abused us,  
Should I my wrongs denominate,  
Or could my grief demonstrate,  
What I have suffered would appear,  
From them above this twenty year,  
It's long since they me cauterised,  
But now they have me stigmatised:  
And for to make me hold my peace,  
They put hot iron upon my face,  
Like Collilian they will me make,  
Some suffered shipwreck for my sake,  
How can you think that such men mind  
Our Laws, and Conscience to be friend  
Or ever give a free consent;  
That we should sit in Parliament,  
My dearest Brother than I pray,  
Tthat you may not retard away.   

Laws Answer.  
A Lace! my Lord, will you be gone,  
Then I may mourning go alone,  
If Noble Conscience leave the Land,  
Who then will Popery withstand,  
For Law will prove a broken Reed,  
When Conscience goes in Pilgrim's weed,  
You Protestants may be a gaest,  
And may prepair you for a blast,  
When Law and Conscience are abused,  
And worse then broken Merchands used,  
In Abay's they will shelter find,  
But none to us will prove so kind,  
But yet I humbly do you pray,  
My dearest Lord go not away;  
To yonder Parliament address,  
Some friend you have will entercess,  
Themselves, what you and for your plead,  
Some place at Court may yet be had.   

Conscience Reply  
MY Brother, I would be content,  
T'regain my place in Parliament,  
But for these men they'll never grant it,  
A pick at me they never wanted,  
I know there's severals to pretend,  
For to propose me as their end,  
But let them once be contradicted,  
They'll look as if they were convicted,  
If but one Lord should them control,  
They'll swear it was an Hyperbole,  
Like as I often have it found,  
Pretended friends give many a wound,  
Have always falsely proved to me;  
Farewell Brother, farewell ye   

Laws Answer.  
MY dearest Lord, my Counsel take,  
Not for my own but Country's sake,  
If you desert these Courts and go,  
To forrgain Lands and live them so,  
They will establish with their hand,  
That Popery shall overspread the Land,  
Once more I humbly you entreat;  
And begs this favour I may get,  
To signify you are content,  
To supplicate the Parliament.   

Conscience Replies.  
WEll Brother Law, I am content,  
To supplicat the Parliament,  
And your to blame Brother not I,  
If they shall raise the HV and CRY,  
Come let us join with Veneration,  
For to present this supplication,  
For to Vot freely for thee Laws,  
Your Country, and your Ancient Cause.   

The humble Address of Conscience and Law, To the house of Parliament.  
MY Lords, and Gentlemen, here lies  
Two Objects lie before your eyes,  
Conscience and Law two Nobles born  
To whom the Country once was sworn,  
But now desered as you see,  
By Inorred perjured Treachery,  
Yet we're content to pardon that,  
And humbly here to supplicat,  
Ye would be pleased to permit,  
Us in the Parliament to Sat,  
To serve our Country and our Cause,  
And to descend the Penal Laws;  
My Lord, our Loyalty you know,  
Some further proof we mind to show,  
We shall Vot nothing but what's good,  
Our wrong is great to be gainstood,  
My Lord Comissioner, if your Grace,  
Would hearken to our words of peace,  
We would you teach, how you should be  
True to your King, your vows and Me  
And my Lord Chancellor we would crave  
That Popish tenets you would leave,  
The Ancient Faith ye would embrace,  
Else you will ne'er condol our case.  
And you Lord Bishops, where you sit,  
We little trust to your commit,  
You who betrayed our Ancient Cause,  
You would take off the Pennal Laws,  
Conscience nor Law you'll never defend,  
What ever truths you do pretend;  
I know once Us two ye loved dear,  
But we're forsaken for a King's ear;  
And for obeying man's command,  
Ye are thrust from the Holy Land.  
You honourable house of Commons all,  
For your assistance we do call,  
Keep Law and Conscience in the Land,  
And against Popery stoutly stand,  
If you refuse so just a thing,  
Then know I am, repute a King,  
And I will exercise my Law,  
On you when you can not withdraw,  
And make you were you better fellows,  
Like Judas run unto the Gallows!  
Or else like Spira to discover  
Your knavery all the World over,  
And for the mischief you have acted,  
My terrors make you go distracted,  
My Sceptre over you I'll Sway.  
In Time and in Eternity.  
This to your wisdom we commend,  
And on your Answer we Attend.   
FINIS.