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<DATE>7-17-14</DATE>
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<NAME>John Latta</NAME>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>Theeves, Theeves: OR, A RELATION OF Sir IOHN GELL'S proceedings in <HI>Darby&s;hire,</HI> in gathering up the Rents of the <HI>Lords</HI> and <HI>Gentlemen</HI> of that County by pretended authority from the two Hou&s;es of PARLIAMENT.</P>
<P><HI>Printed in the Yeare M.DC.XLIII.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="proceedings">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD><HI>THEEVES THEEVES:</HI> OR, A Relation of Sir <HI>John Gell's</HI> proceed|ings in <HI>Derby&s;hire,</HI> in gathering up the Rents of the <HI>Lords</HI> and <HI>Gentlemen</HI> of that County.</HEAD>
<P>_IT was mo&s;t happily ob&s;erved by His Sacred Maje&s;tie, upon occa&s;ion of the <HI>Ordinance</HI> for the Twentieth part, that <HI>The &s;ame power which robbed His Subjects of the Twentieth part of their e&s;tates, had by that made a claime, and in|tituled it &s;elfe to the other nineteene, when it &s;hould be thought fit to ha&s;ten the generall ruine:</HI> in which His Maje&s;tie hath proved but too true a Prophet. For when the&s;e great <HI>A&s;&s;ertors</HI> of the publique <HI>Li|bertie,</HI> had found &s;ome po&s;&s;ible hopes to prevaile in that, among&s;t the wretched and infatuated people of the <HI>Citie</HI> of <HI>London,</HI> they forthwith flattered them&s;elves into a beliefe, that they &s;hould finde as much obedience, and as pernitious in&s;truments to effect their ends in the <HI>Country</HI> al&s;o. They practiced fir&s;t upon the <HI>Citie,</HI> as anciently unskilfull <HI>Empericks</HI> did on their &s;laves and &s;ervants; not doubting if they thrived and pro&s;pered in that <HI>experiment,</HI> but the whole Kingdome &s;hortly would become their <HI>Patient.</HI> And there|to they would goe no further at the fir&s;t attempt then a <HI>twentieth part,</HI> which was conceived to be no pre&s;&s;ing impo&s;ition: know|ing full well, that if the Subject could be brought to &s;ubmit unto it, they did immediately deve&s;t them&s;elves of that <HI>right</HI> and <HI>property,</HI> which by the wi&s;edome and ju&s;tice of former <HI>Parliaments</HI> was pro|vided for them; and that it would be no hard matter for the next new <HI>Ordinance</HI> to take all at once. He that is once &s;o skilled in the
<PB N="2" REF="3"> Art of gaming, as to play at <HI>Pluck-penny,</HI> will quickly come to <HI>Sweep-&s;take:</HI> and &s;o it proved in the event. For what did follow hereupon but loane upon loane, and leavy after leavy, untill the &s;umme of the executions amounted to two millions of money, as hath beene openly affirmed in the Hou&s;e of <HI>Commons:</HI> and after &s;uch a va&s;t effu&s;ion of the Trea&s;ure of the Kingdome, a loane of 6000^l to be rai&s;ed at once upon that Citie; a leavy of 4000^l a mo|neth to be rai&s;ed for ever, if they &s;it &s;o long; 8000^l a moneth im|po&s;ed to fortifie the Towne again&s;t their <HI>Soveraigne;</HI> collections under &s;everall &s;tiles to the &s;ame ill ends; and on refu&s;all of the <HI>twentieth part</HI> &s;o unju&s;tly called for, the whole e&s;tate of many a rich and wealthy <HI>Citizen,</HI> forcibly taken from him, again&s;t Law and Ju|&s;tice, under pretence of a <HI>di&s;tre&s;&s;e;</HI> and he him&s;elfe committed to &s;ome common Goale, at <HI>Colche&s;ter, Yarmouth, Harwich, Roche&s;ter,</HI> or where&s;oever el&s;e the&s;e offended powers, tho&s;e <HI>lae&s;a numina</HI> (for they are more then <HI>Kings</HI> already) have been plea&s;ed to &s;end them. And at this in&s;tant a de&s;igne to lay an <HI>Exci&s;e</HI> on all the <HI>Wine</HI> and <HI>To|bacco</HI> to be &s;old in <HI>London,</HI> for &s;peeding of the which, their <HI>Generall</HI> is expected to come &s;hortly thither; that by the terrour of his Armes it may pa&s;&s;e the ea&s;ier: which if it take effect upon tho&s;e commo|dities, and in the Citie of <HI>London</HI> onely for the pre&s;ent time, will quickly be extended to all kindes of <HI>Victuals;</HI> and finally obtruded upon all the Kingdome.</P>
<P>This tryall made upon the <HI>Citie,</HI> though they found more relu|ctance and re&s;i&s;tance in it, then they had promi&s;ed to them&s;elves; their next de&s;igne is to attempt the like inva&s;ion on the whole bo|dy of the Realme. Accordingly an <HI>Ordinance</HI> is made by the Lords and Commons, <HI>for the &s;peedy rai&s;ing and levying of money,</HI> (that is to &s;ay, 150000^l <HI>per men&s;em) for the maintaining of their Armies, to be a&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed upon the Cities of</HI> London <HI>and</HI> We&s;tmin&s;ter, <HI>and every Coun|ty and Citie of the Kingdome of</HI> England <HI>and Dominion of</HI> Wales; <HI>Commi&s;&s;ioners</HI> appointed to impo&s;e and collect the &s;ame, after the formes of &s;everall Acts of <HI>Parliament</HI> made this pre&s;ent Se&s;&s;ion, proportions predetermined of for all the Counties and chiefe Townes, according to the platforme (never knowne before) of rai&s;ing the 400000^l to di&s;charge their debts; &s;everall penalties en|joyned, and diver&s;e extraordinary Acts of force and violence autho|rized thereby, to compell the Subject to yeild to &s;o unrea&s;onable
<PB N="3" REF="3"> and unju&s;t a Taxe; and pretty &s;lights devi&s;ed to betray tho&s;e men into their power, whom they could neither terrifie by threats, nor compell by force. Of this la&s;t kinde one of the fine&s;t Artifices was to make them&s;elves the generall <HI>Lardlords</HI> of the Common-wealth, and bring the <HI>Tenants, Bayliffes,</HI> and other Officers of the <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Gentry, to be re&s;pon&s;all unto them for their Rents and Duties: it being declared in the &s;aid <HI>Ordinance, That the Collectors of this Taxe &s;hould have power re&s;pectively to enquire of any &s;umme or &s;ummes of money due, or to be due to any per&s;on &s;o a&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed, (which &s;hall refu&s;e to pay the &s;aid monethly rates) from any per&s;on or per&s;ons, for any Rents, Tithes, Goods, or Debts, or any other thing or cau&s;e what&s;o|ever; and to compound for any of the &s;aid Rents, Tithes, Goods, Debts, due to the per&s;on &s;o a&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed, re&s;pectively as afore-&s;aid, with any per&s;on or per&s;ons, by whom the &s;aid Rents, Tithes, Goods, Debts, or other things due unto the &s;aid per&s;on &s;o a&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed, re&s;pectively ought to be paid and accompted for; as al&s;o to give full di&s;charge for the money by them &s;o received, upon compo&s;ition or otherwi&s;e; which di&s;charge &s;hall be good and effectuall to all intents and purpo&s;es.</HI> So farre the Letter of the <HI>Ordinance.</HI></P>
<P>And to &s;ay truth, it &s;tood with Rea&s;on and with Ju&s;tice both that it &s;hould be &s;o, that they who had relea&s;ed them&s;elves of all &s;ubjecti|on to their Soveraigne Lord, &s;eized on His <HI>Revenues,</HI> prohibited the &s;erving in of His accu&s;tomed <HI>Provi&s;ions,</HI> applied the ordinary <HI>Cu|&s;tomes</HI> impo&s;ed on Merchandize to their owne proper u&s;e, and &s;top|ped all wayes, as much at lea&s;t as in them was, by which His Maje|&s;tie might &s;ub&s;i&s;t in the condition of a private Gentleman, &s;hould al|&s;o free and <HI>manumit</HI> inferiour per&s;ons from all manner of <HI>&s;ervice</HI> to their Lords, appropriate unto them&s;elves the whole <HI>Revenue</HI> of the Kingdome, and in conclu&s;ion breake in &s;under as well the bonds of <HI>Oeconomicall</HI> as of <HI>Politicall</HI> obedience. For though it was concei|ved at fir&s;t by &s;ome moderate men, who would faine nouri&s;h <HI>confi|dence</HI> where there was no <HI>hope;</HI> that this was onely done to content the <HI>Citizens</HI> in making them believe that all the re&s;t of the King|dome &s;hould beare the burden of the Warre as well as they; and that it was not to be put in execution, but where the people were already inured to bondage: yet this was but a <HI>&s;ickmans</HI> hope, which u&s;ually layeth hold on any thing that comes next to hand; it being
<PB N="4" REF="4"> re&s;olved from the beginning to exerci&s;e this <HI>prodigie of Arbitrary power and tyranny</HI> (as it is called mo&s;t ju&s;tly by His &s;acred Maje&s;ty) in all parts and places, where either their <HI>partie</HI> was &s;o &s;ervill as wil|lingly to yeeld unto it, or their <HI>authoritie</HI> &s;o &s;trong as to force obe|dience, which being perceived by His Maje&s;ty he cau&s;ed a <HI>Procla|mation</HI> to be publi&s;hed, dated <HI>March</HI> the 8. <HI>forbidding all a&s;&s;e&s;&s;ing, collections, and paying of the twentieth part, and of all weekly taxes by colour of any Orders or Ordinance of one or both Hou&s;es of Parlia|ment,</HI> under &s;uch &s;everall paines and penalties to the <HI>A&s;&s;e&s;&s;ors, Colle|ctors,</HI> and &s;uch as &s;hall <HI>a&s;&s;i&s;t</HI> therein, as are there expre&s;&s;ed. His Maje&s;tie had good rea&s;on to expect of the <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Subjects, who have beene anciently &s;o zealous of their native <HI>Liberties,</HI> that wil|lingly they would not helpe to betray each other to a &s;hamefull <HI>&s;er|vitude:</HI> e&s;pecially when as His Maje&s;ty appeared &s;o vi&s;ibly in de|fence thereof, not onely by his <HI>Declarations</HI> and <HI>Proclamations</HI> which might be valued as a cheape and ea&s;ie favour, but by adven|turing his owne life and fortunes to pre&s;erve their Priviledges.</P>
<P>But notwith&s;tanding all his care of his &s;acred Maje&s;ty to Pro|tect his Subjects, &amp; the pre&s;umptions that he had to find His people an&s;werably mindefull of their native property: there want not many in mo&s;t <HI>Counties,</HI> (in all <HI>Counties</HI> &s;ome) who feare not to bee looked upon as the betrayers of the <HI>Lawes</HI> and <HI>Liberties</HI> they were born unto, &s;o they may bring about tho&s;e ungodly ends, for which they have engaged both their faith, and fortunes. And among&s;t the&s;e I meete with none more practicall then <HI>Gell</HI> of <HI>Darby&s;hire,</HI> who being notoriou&s;ly guilty of high Trea&s;on again&s;t His Maje&s;ty, and publikely pro&s;cribed by <HI>Proclamation,</HI> is come at la&s;t to that condition, that he hath little rea&s;on to hope for better, or feare to fall into a wor&s;e e&s;tate, then he now is under. In this regard, he with the re&s;t of his <HI>Accomplices,</HI> Pretending or having a Commi&s;&s;ion from both the Hou&s;es of <HI>Parliament,</HI> hath undertaken to di&s;charge this dreadfull <HI>Ordinance,</HI> in all tho&s;e parts and places where he hath authority, or can procure authority by his power and Armes: e&s;pecially on tho&s;e well-affected Gentlemen and others of more eminent note, who have the courage not to yeeld to &s;o wilde a <HI>Ty|ranny;</HI> or &s;o much loyalty and common prudence, as to a&s;&s;i&s;t their <HI>Soveraigne</HI> in their owne defence. And to this end he &s;ends out
<PB N="5" REF="4"> warrants unto the <HI>Con&s;tables</HI> of each <HI>hundred</HI> within the veirge of his <HI>Commi&s;&s;ion,</HI> with notice to the Tenants of all &s;uch per&s;ons, who&s;e names he anexed in a <HI>&s;chedule,</HI> to appeare before him and his <HI>A&s;&s;ociates</HI> at a place appointed; and to compound with them for their rents, promi&s;ing to abate the fourth part, and give acquittance for the whole; and with the&s;e &s;ubtle Acts and promi&s;es, mingling &s;uch powerfull threates and terrours, as were conceived to have mo&s;t influence upon <HI>Vulgar</HI> &s;pirits. One of which warrants com|ing by good luck to my hands, I have here tran&s;cribed, that all the Subjects of this Kingdome may perceive at la&s;t (if willfully they have not put out their owne eyes) how neare they are to that gene|rall ruine of their <HI>Rights</HI> and <HI>Liberties,</HI> to which they have betray|ed them&s;elves by their <HI>blinde</HI> obedience,</P>
<Q><TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<HEAD>To the Con&s;table of <HI>Ackmanton.</HI></HEAD>
<P><Q>Whereas the&s;e unnaturall warres at this pre&s;ent, are fomented &amp; maintained by <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> and <HI>Malignants,</HI> to the utter undoing of ma|ny hone&s;t men, and the ruine of the whole common-wealth: for the better preventing of which mi&s;erie, and to do the be&s;t wee can to put a &s;peedy end to the&s;e de&s;tractions, according to the tru&s;t repo&s;ed in us by the <HI>Ordinance</HI> of <HI>Parliament,</HI> we thinke fit and do command you that pre&s;ently upon receipt hereof, you give notice to all the <HI>Tenants</HI> within your <HI>Con&s;tablerie,</HI> if any of the Per&s;ons named in a <HI>Schedule</HI> herewith &s;ent you, that henceforward they pay all their rents due to any of tho&s;e per&s;ons or to any other that contribute, or beare Armes again&s;t the <HI>Par|liament,</HI> to the <HI>Committee</HI> here at <HI>Darby,</HI> or to &s;uch other Per&s;on or Per&s;ons as the &s;aid <HI>Committee</HI> &s;hall nominate. And we all pro|mi&s;e that &s;uch of tho&s;e <HI>Tenants</HI> that &s;hew their forwardne&s;&s;e to bring in their <HI>Rents</HI> to the <HI>Committee</HI> at <HI>Darby</HI> by our <HI>Lady-day</HI> next, or within four dayes afterwards, &s;hall have a di&s;charge a|gain&s;t their <HI>Landlords</HI> of the whole rent, and &s;hall have a fourth part abated them; And tho&s;e <HI>Tenants</HI> that are refractorie and come not willingly to us, &s;hall not onely be forced to pay their whole rents, but al&s;o &s;hall be proceeded again&s;t as <HI>Malignant</HI> Per&s;ons, and &s;uch as endeavour the continuance of the&s;e troubles.</Q></P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>Given under our hands, <DATE><HI>March.</HI> 1642.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="postscript">
<PB N="6" REF="5">
<HEAD>Po&s;t-&s;cript.</HEAD>
<P><Q>You may let &s;uch of the&s;e <HI>Tenants</HI> know that if they cannot procure the whole rents &s;o &s;oone as is appointed, yet if they bring part to the <HI>Committee</HI> at <HI>Darby</HI> at that time, then they &s;hall have further time for the re&s;idue, and &s;uch abatement as the <HI>Committee</HI> and they &s;hall agree of.</Q></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>&s;igned.
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>Iohn Gell.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Tho. Gell.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Iohn Gre&s;ley.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Matt. Hallowes.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT></Q>
<P>Nor were the Per&s;ons who&s;e e&s;tates were thus di&s;po&s;ed of, of any ordinarie ranke and quality, &s;uch upon whom <HI>experiments</HI> of this dangerous nature, might be tried mo&s;t &s;afely: but the mo&s;t choy&s;e and eminent men both of <HI>Nobilitie</HI> and <HI>Gentry</HI> in all that County, as you intelligent reader, may perceive by their very name, being the&s;e that follow in the <HI>&s;chedule.</HI></P>
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>The Earle of Newca&s;tle.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Earle of Devon&s;hire.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Lord Maltravers.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sr. Andrew Kniveton.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sr Wil. Savil.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sr. Ioh. Harper of Caulk.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sr. Io. Fitz. Herb. of Ti&s;&s;ington.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Barne&s;ly.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Iohn Bullock.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Rowland Eyre.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Poole of Spinkehill.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Pu&s;ey.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Humlock.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Will. Millard.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Hen. Gilbert.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Iohn Cuffe.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Francis Cavendi&s;h.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Iackson.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Earle of Shrewsbury.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Earle of Che&s;terfield.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Henry Ha&s;tings.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sr. Edward Mo&s;eley.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sr. Ioh. Harper of Swarstone.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sr. Io. Fitz-Herbert of Norbury.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Hen. Merry.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Iohn Merry.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Powtherell.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr: Iohn Fretchwell.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Iohn Shawcro&s;&s;e.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Iohn Byram.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Stanford.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. A&s;ton Cockaine.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Edw. Loe.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Will. Stanhope.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Eltoft.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Burridge.</HI></ITEM>
<PB N="7" REF="5">
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Chri&s;topher Eoe.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. How&s;on.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Savill of Backwell.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Th. Bag&s;haw of Ridge.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Nic. Brown of mar&s;h.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Richard Cooke.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Sidenham.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Iohn Pale.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr. Boden of Boden.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mr, Rich. Carrier.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>He mu&s;t be needs abu&s;ed to an infinite dulne&s;&s;e, who findes not &s;en&s;ibly how utterly de&s;tructive the&s;e proceedings are of the <HI>rights</HI> and <HI>Liberties</HI> of the <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Subject; when once the <HI>Tenant</HI> is &s;e|duced to deceive his <HI>Landlord,</HI> to play the <HI>knave</HI> by the authority of <HI>Parliament,</HI> and to be tempted to it by &s;o faire a baite, as the a|baitement of his rent in &s;o large a mea&s;ure; which doubtle&s;&s;e is prevailing <HI>Oratorie</HI> with mo&s;t country people: needs mu&s;t he be extremely &s;tuped, who &s;eeth not what poore and groundle&s;&s;e hopes the lower <HI>&s;hrubs</HI> may have to avoyd the blowe; when once the Axe is laid unto the Root of the&s;e goodly <HI>Cedars.</HI> For how&s;o|ever mo&s;t if not all of the&s;e who&s;e names we meet with in that <HI>&s;che|dule,</HI> may be comprehended in the &s;tile of <HI>malignants</HI> and <HI>delin|quents</HI> (termes of no &s;ignification in the Lawes of <HI>England</HI>) as they are mo&s;t commonly; yet who &s;ees not, how ea&s;ily that man may be called <HI>malignant,</HI> or Voted up for a <HI>delinquent,</HI> who&s;e large <HI>reve|nues</HI> may invite them &s;o to &s;tile the owner, in hope to benefit them|&s;elves by the confi&s;cation. Do we not &s;ee, that to be an <HI>hone&s;t man</HI> is to be a <HI>Malignant,</HI> when tho&s;e who guided by the rules of com|mon <HI>hone&s;ty,</HI> make <HI>con&s;cience</HI> of paying their Rents unto any other then their rightfull <HI>Landlords,</HI> are pre&s;ently declared to be <HI>Malig|nants,</HI> and threatned in <HI>Gell's</HI> Warrant produced before, to be pro|ceeded again&s;t as <HI>Malignant Per&s;ons?</HI> And if that <HI>common hone&s;ty</HI> be thought &s;ufficient (as it &s;eemes to be) to make men <HI>Malignants;</HI> thinke we that <HI>loyaltie,</HI> being a duty of more excellent and more publike nature, will not as ea&s;ily be found &s;ufficient to make men <HI>Delinquents?</HI> If &s;o, as &s;o a&s;&s;uredly it is, then let us &s;eriou&s;ly con&s;i|der to what degree of <HI>tamene&s;&s;e</HI> we have brought our &s;elves, when per&s;ons of &s;uch de&s;perate fortunes (as tho&s;e who are imployed mo&s;t commonly in the&s;e guilty offices) are furni&s;hed with a power to re|ceive our Rents, compound for our Debts, di&s;po&s;e of our E&s;tates, and fell our Goods: and finally to undoe tho&s;e poore hone&s;t men,
<PB N="8" REF="6"> who &s;hall not readily betray their <HI>Ma&s;ters,</HI> or put a cheat upon their <HI>Landlords. Quid Domini facient, audent cum talia Fures?</HI> If <HI>Gell</HI> and &s;uch as he have this power upon us, 'tis time to give up all to the&s;e awfull hands, the <HI>little finger</HI> of the which is grown <HI>heavier</HI> to us, then the <HI>loynes</HI> of all the Kings that have reigned in <HI>England,</HI> were on our <HI>Progenitors.</HI> And yet &s;o tender would they faine be thought of the Subjects <HI>liberties,</HI> that when their Generall had &s;ent out a warrant for rai&s;ing 52 l. out of the Towne of <HI>Richmond,</HI> to|ward the payment of his <HI>Souldiers</HI> quartered thereabouts; it was complained of, and condemned in the Hou&s;e of <HI>Commons,</HI> as being de&s;tructive of the peoples propertie, by which it &s;eemes to be a|gain&s;t the Priviledge of <HI>Parliament,</HI> that any but them&s;elves &s;hould contribute to the ruine of the Common-Wealth.</P>
<P>Nor let them thinke, who hitherto have beene the in&s;truments of this wretched &s;ervitude, or have beene wrought upon &s;o farre as to contribute Armes and Money to their owne undoing; that they live in <HI>Go&s;hen,</HI> and that not one of all the <HI>Plagues</HI> which afflict their <HI>neighbours,</HI> &s;hall come neare their <HI>dwellings.</HI> The frequent plunde|rings of their friends, as well as of &s;uch others as affect them not; and Ma&s;ter <HI>Pyms</HI> defence of <HI>Long</HI> on the like occa&s;ion, that <HI>many things are to borne with, if they conduce unto the great and nece&s;&s;ary affaires of the Common-wealth;</HI> &s;hewes evidently what their friends mu&s;t looke for, when they have &s;erved their turne upon their enemies. And that will prove in fine &s;uch a churli&s;h curte&s;ie, as <HI>Polyphemus</HI> promi&s;ed to his loved <HI>&V;ly&s;&s;es;</HI> which was to keepe him till the la&s;t, and not to eate him till he had devoured all his fellowes. With how much better hopes of &s;ucce&s;&s;e and fortune, may they permit them&s;elves to be <HI>di&s;abu&s;ed,</HI> re&s;ume the u&s;e of their owne <HI>&s;ences,</HI> and not give up their <HI>intellectuals,</HI> nay their very <HI>&s;oules,</HI> to the lu&s;ts of tho&s;e, who all this while have held them captive, and &s;hortly mean to make them follow their <HI>triumphant chariots.</HI> With how much fairer po&s;&s;ibility to enjoy their <HI>rights,</HI> may they unite both hearts &amp; hands to defend His Maje&s;ty, con&s;idering that by &s;o doing they de|fend them&s;elves: and rather choo&s;e to give his Maje&s;ty <HI>nineteen</HI> parts to pre&s;erve the <HI>twentieth,</HI> though tis our hope that we &s;hall never be reduced unto tho&s;e extremities; then by &s;o giving up the <HI>twentieth</HI> part, or indeed any part at all to loo&s;e all the re&s;t, which of
<PB N="9" REF="6"> all likelyhood will follow after, if not timely remedied. I ad no more, but that if the&s;e con&s;iderations and examples prevaile not on us, and that we do not &s;omewhat &s;peedily to a&s;&s;ert our <HI>liberties,</HI> the ble&s;&s;ing of <HI>I&s;&s;achar</HI> will fall heavy like a cur&s;e upon us, and we of this brave <HI>free-borne</HI> nation, which heretofore hath beene the won|der, as it was the envy of the <HI>Chri&s;tian</HI> world, will come to be the <HI>&s;trong A&s;&s;e</HI> which the Scriptures &s;peak of, <HI>crowching between two bur|thens: &s;trong</HI> onely in our patience of induring pre&s;&s;ures, and <HI>crow|ching</HI> to &s;o poore a degree of &s;lavery, as to be brought to <HI>ki&s;&s;e the rod,</HI> wherewith all the &s;courge us. Which as it is the greate&s;t infamie, the &s;evere&s;t bondage that can be po&s;&s;ibly impo&s;ed on men borne to &s;ervitude; &s;o is it farre more odious and un&s;ufferable to men of judgements and courage, then the &s;harpe&s;t death.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
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