A LETTER FROM A MERCHANT AT LONDON To his Correspondent in Amsterdam.  
THe present state of our affairs makes me call to mind an Italian Epitaph, which I have been  told, is in some part of Tuscany, in these words: sto qui per esser meglio.  
They say, that he who caused it to be inscribed on his tomb was a man of one of the healthiest constitutions in all that country, and that being persuaded by an empiric, he would be much better by making use of his medicines, he was prevailed with to take them, and by that means passing from a vigorous health to a speedy agony, he had the charity to admonish posterity by this Epitaph, that when men are well, they should keep where they are.  
This is easily applied to what has lately happened amongst ourselves. Our nation was in the most flourishing condition we could desire, we enjoyed a full peace with out any apprehension that it could be disturbed by our Neighbors, our commerce brought us not only the riches of all Europe, but also those of the whole East and west, our liberties and properties were in an entire security, we lived under a lawful Authority which exceeded not the bounds prescribed by the laws, and tho' the Popish Religion served for a pretext to those who hoped to find their account in the change of the government, yet such as were both clearsighted and sincerely concerned for the quiet of their country laughed at those fears which were pretended on the behalf of the Protestant Religion; there being a thousand Protestants amongst us for one Papist, and so few of this latter sort amongst the King's Forces, that how great soever his desire might have been for the advancement of the Religion he professed, he could not have procured it any greater advantage than what the Parliament, and consequently the whole nation would have consented to; in a word, we had nothing to desire but the continuation of the happiness we enjoyed, and nothing could have destroyed this but the desire of greater happiness than 'tis lawful for subjects to expect.  
Now we have met with the empiric, who has seduced us, and made us take medicines so violent that they have destroyed the vigour of our natural constitution. we were not able to endure an army tho' of our own nation, and composed of none but our own Relations and friends, who could never have been employed against ourselves; for which reason they are either dispersed or transported by him, that there might be no obstacle to his designs. 'Tis likewise to heal us of all our distempers that he has brought over whole armies of French, Danes, and Germans already, that he now dispatches Count Solmes to the Princes of the Empire for the fetching 15000. men( or more if possible) from the same country, and that he labours to get men from the Suisse Cantons, Sweden, and all the countreys of Europe for the making such a compound as may be able to disperse our ill humors: and those sentiments of liberty so opposite to the speedy effect of his medicines. 'Tis also to prepare us for it by frequent Bleedings that we now hear of nothing but such extraordinary and insupportable impositions, that it is not to be doubted but in a little time, together with the want of commerce, they will( according to what he has projected) weaken the nation to that degree that it will not be in a condition to struggle any more against arbitrary Government, or that any Parliament hereafter will dare to ask him, or those he employs in executing his designs, any account of their actions.  
I am likewise well assured, that he could not hold from telling some of his confidents, that as soon as this great number of foreign Troops( which he designs rather for the subduing us than making war upon our Neighbors) shal have deprived all the honest Gentlemen of all liberty of speaking and acting, he will give us to understand that he expects a blind obedience to his will, and that such as have had the boldness to propose the making it High Treason to bring in any foreign Forces in to the Kingdom, shall soon feel the effects of his revenge, and serve for a terror to others who might be inclined to give the same testimony of their affection for their country, and resolution in case they had any hope of being seconded; which possibly as yet they may have, there being hitherto vigour and force enough left in the English nation to oppose the slavery they are threatened with and rescue the common liberty: but this will soon be at an end, when the nation is burdened with so great a body of strangers, which are brought in to it for no other purpose than to subdue it.  
In fine, if we do not take ourselves quickly out of the hands of this empiric, it is not to be hoped that we shall long preserve either our Estates, our liberties, or our lives. we may judge also, by what he has done at one time against the church of england, and next against the Presbyterians, that he is resolved to favour no Religion but what is most submissive to his will, and that he will omit no means which may help him to gain an arbitrary power over us, and to exterminate those who shal oppose it.  
This, sir, is what all the reasonable men of this Kingdom think concerning the present posture of our government, and yet never theless we all continue in a lethargy most unworthy of so brave a nation, and one which has always been so jealous of its liberty. However we ought not to despair but that ere long some Patriots will appear bold enough to encourage the rest, and that they will be followed and supported by all those who are enemies to tyranny and usurpation. I desire you to keep secret, what I writ remaining, &c.