A Letter to his worthy Friend Msr IOHN PYM Eſquire.

I Shall not need to tell you with what tenderneſſe of care I have hi­therto obſerved your commands concerning the diſperſing of thoſe bookes you ſent me, but I find my Arts now to faile, and that which herefore was wont to find a wil­ling, is now to ſeeke a receit; the Malignant party have infuſed ſuch principles into them, as begin to ſhake the whole fabricke, which with ſo much induſtry (I am ſure on your behalfe) hath beene built. From a right underſtanding alwaies proceeds a right judgment, (now thoſe I have to deale withall, as they want of the firſt, ſo they ever are forward in the latter: and now that their ſufferings hath prevailed above your Rhetorick, I am no longer able to reſtraine their raſh Judgments of you and many other worthy Members of the Houſes, accu­ſing you as the prime Inſtruments of their miſeries. And2 what more ordinary then the frequency of ſuch like ſpeeches as theſe? have we at all mended our condition ſince this Parliament? Nay are we not fall'n almoſt into termes of abſolute ruine? do we not ſee our eſtates, not onely taken away without, but againſt Law, (and that by their authority, who pretended to protect us againſt all Arbitrary power whatſoever? (Had wee borne the illegall (as they termed it) lay of Ship money even to the period of ours, and our childrens dayes, it had never layne ſo heavy upon us, as this one of the twentieth, be­ſides the guilt that gnawes us, for that it is imployed a­gainſt our lawfull King. Nay, as oft as any Order hath iſ­ſued out from either or both Houſes (ſince the decerning ſpirit of our good King, whom God hath ſet over us, hath beene abſent) hath not the event beene Prophane­neſſe, murther, diſloyalty in the higheſt kind, not onely not to aſſiſt, but to reſiſt the higher powers? And as oft as our impieties have (for our ſins) ſeemed to proſper, ſo oft hath thanks been given unto Almighty God; and thoſe things, which in time paſt were marks of proſperi­ty, are now badges of publike calamities. And if any Or­dinance of Parliament hath bin ordained, new & ſtrange by flattery or baſe and abject ſufferance; how have we cried it up, as proceeding from the infallible Committee Chaire, as if wee had tyed our faith to their ſleeves; whoſe garments have not beene waſht from their fil­thineſſe, nor their hands from ſhedding of innocent bloud? Now for the King, what fault hath Hee com­mitted? whom hath Hee offended, that Hee hath not trebly ſatisfied? whether was it, that He was likely by his unparallell'd virtues, to bring forth an unexampled3 and every where envied happineſſe to the Kingdome of England, with a true and lawfull progeny, to muzzell the mouthes of all pretenders, to eſtabliſh our peace? or would we, that there ſhould be brought into the Imperi­all dignity the iſſue of a great Horſe, or ſome ſuch abor­tive Governours? To be ſhort, wee are dealt with by cunning Sophiſtry, with odious Treaſon, to rid our ſelves of our allegeance, and then 'tis an opportunity of no leſſe favour to them, if we will part with the twenti­eth part of our eſtates, there being no way to maintaine one wickedneſſe, but by another.

Thus are wee brought into danger of our lives (by the Parliament Clients) who ſhadowing themſelves under the name of the people by thoſe uſuall termes of Religion and Law, have notwithſtanding in effect over­throwne both, having done that under the name of Peace, which would hardly have happened in Warre. Firſt, Armes are taken againſt the King, there wanted onely a Captaine, which in a Tumult was eaſily found. The King now might eaſily leave the Citie, ſeeing at a becke (in His preſence) ſuch Tumults were raiſed: What hath beene His demeanour ſince, but a continu­all wooing of us, not to undoe our ſelves for the private ends of a few, whoſe deſerts have beene onely the ſhed­ding of the Earle of Strafford's bloud, followed with an Ocean of that of Ireland, and now of England? Bribery from Papiſts, ſeparating of Proteſtants, countenancing of Anabaptiſts, and all other Sectaries, inhibiting good Preachers; favouring ill, yea, even Coach-men and Coblers: Plundring of Houſes, Robbing of Orphans, exhorting to all manner of Rebellion and Lewdneſſe,4 while they themſelves have Lorded it, free from all dan­ger, and care, but by printing ſuch plauſible lies as might draw things into a farther confuſion, and by hoording and ſending beyond Seas thoſe ſummes pro­vided for the diſtreſſe of this and bleeding Ireland; (for they have notice, I cannot tell by what meanes of thoſe Trunkes, you know by what ſecrecy were conveyed away.) And as for thoſe Propoſitions you ſent by thoſe Honourable Lords, certainly (had they con­ſidered the odiouſneſſe of them, and what Maſters they ſerve) they would have preferr'd the honour of their ancient Nobility, and the high opinion the Kingdome hath of them, before any obedience to you; and com­ply with His Majeſties Juſtice and Integrity, and hold it much beneath them to ſtoope to ſo much vice as is contained in them: and certainly whatſoever diſcon­tents of theirs you build upon, you will at laſt finde them to returne to their proper ſphere, knowing they cannot avoid the Juſtice of Heaven, if they move out of their order.

Theſe things (leſt your danger and prevention ſhould have met together I thought good to acquaint you with, not doubting but your grave wiſedome, as it will endeavour the warding of thoſe blowes are aymed at you, ſo it will take in good part the faithfull advice of