The great Eclipſe of the Sun. OR Charles his VVaine.
THe Common-wealth may moſt fitly be compared to the Glo•…of the Heavens. The King is the Sun, the Parliament are t•…bright Stars; Malignant Counſellours to the King, are the ev•…aſpected Plannets, ſuch as Briſtoll, Cottington, Lord Keep•…Littleton, Digby, Jermyn, and others, whereby the King h•…been Eclipſed, and hath loſt that Light which ſhould rend•…him Glorious in the eyes of his People, and brought himſ•…to the loweſt degree of reſpect amongſt his Subjects; A•…whereas the King ſhould have been a Sun, ſhining by examp•…and maintaining the Light of the Goſpel, hee hath ſuffered it from the beginning of〈◊〉Reigne, to be extinguiſhed and put out; wee ſhould have had no Goſpel, nor any Fai•…but what the King and the Biſhops would have forced upon us; This Plot was handſo•ly carried on by the Biſhop of Canterbury, and had not our Brethren of Scotland be•…true, Popery had ſpread it ſelf over this Kingdome, and long ſince we had been〈◊〉Papiſts and ſlaves to the King and his Prerogative. For the King was eclipſed by t•…Queen, and ſhe perſwaded him that Darkneſſe was Light, and that it was better to be〈◊〉Papiſt, then a Proteſtant, the Biſhops affirmed as much, and the Learned Divin•…Preached good Romane Doctrine at Court, and cring'd and bow'd in the pulpit, flatte•…the King, pray'd for the Queen, and ſo got advancement to be Prebends and Dea•…of great Cathedrall Churches. The Judges put out the Light of the Kings underſta•…ſting, by telling him, That he had an unbounded Prerogative; The Court Politicians info•med him that Monopolies and Taxes would make his Subjects obedient, that ſuch mil•…beginnings of ſlavery would make the people fit and apt for ſubjection, and that t•…Counſell-Table would be a terrour to thoſe that were ſtubborne, and the High Comm•ſion Court and Star-chamber would ſerve to Fine, and puniſh offenders. The light〈◊〉the Kings underſtanding being thus Eclipſed, and the eyes of the Proteſtant Rel•…being put out, we muſt have groap'd out the way to heaven through Catholike blin•neſſe, without any light at all, unleſſe it were the Wax Candles burning on the Altar,〈◊〉the Light of Meriting by giving Almes; and the Biſhops told the King, it was true Re•…gion3to pray unto the Lady Mary, and be rul'd by his little Queen Mary, for this was•…dolatry, but the way to increaſe his Royall Off-ſpring, and Progeny, whereupon〈◊〉King being in full Conjunction with this Popiſh Plannet, the Queen, hee was totally•…lipſed by her Counſell, who under the Royall Curtaines, perſwaded him to advance〈◊〉Plots of the Catholikes, under the colour of mainteining the Proteſtant Religion. Or•…nary women, can in the Night time perſwade their husbands to give them new Gowns〈◊〉Petticotes, and make them grant their deſire; and could not Catholick Queen Mary•…ink ye) by her night diſcourſes, encline the King to Popery? and make him beleeve〈◊〉he had no true obedient Subiects, but Catholikes, that there was no ſalvation out of〈◊〉Church of Rome, that his Maieſties Predeceſſors of famous memory were Catholiks,〈◊〉the Univerſities deſired the advancement of Popery, all their Colledges being built〈◊〉Papiſts, that it was no diſparagement for his Maieſty to acknowledge the Suprema•…of the Pope, while the Roundheads would take away his Prerogative, and therefore〈◊〉Maieſtie ſhould protect the Papiſts, and they would defend his Right, and pray for〈◊〉as their ſupream Governour next under the Pope. The Queen having thus read a•…taine Lecture to the King, hee began to be full of Fears and Jealouſies, and to look〈◊〉a diſcontented brow upon his Parliament, and came with a ſwaggering crew of•…mmy-Cavaliers to the Houſe of Commons, to take away the five Members, which•…le Act, being in vaine attempted, his Maieſtie was perſwaded, that his Perſon was〈◊〉danger by the comming to Court of a ſwarming multitude (as he called them) of un•…factious Browniſts, Anabaptists, and Roundheads, and ſo forſaking the Parliament, he•…ed downe from London to York, thinking by his preſence to gaine the Love of his•…thern Subiects, that is, The Catholikes and Delinquents in thoſe parts, and ſo fell〈◊〉with his Parliament and people, & would not Love them, that were ſick of Love for〈◊〉, but in his Waine, or Charriot (like Phaethon) down he went, with his Evill Coun•…ors, that governed his affections, made him ſet England on fire, and engage is in the•…mbuſtion of a civill warre; then he began to ſet on foot the illegall Commiſſion of Ar•…, and to get a Guard about him, as bigge as an Army, while his Maieſtie made fine•…eeches to the Maior of Yorke, and to the Gentry and Yeomen in that County, endea•…ring to make the Parliament odious, and crying out for aſſiſtance againſt the Parlia•…nt, that would induce an Alteration of Government, and would all be Kings. The•…bitious Clergy, preach't very earneſtly for the King; and contributed very largely to•…e the King an Army, to maintaine his Right, and the Proteſtant Religion, but indeed to•…hold the Uſurping Biſhops, who were then ready with Lucifer, to fall down even as〈◊〉as Hell.
The Sun of Maieſtie, being thus Eclipſed by Errour, by Evill Counſell, and by the•…rs of Papiſts and Delinquents; has ſummonned by Proclamation, all the Malignants〈◊〉aſſiſt him in rayſing a ſpeedy warre againſt the Parliament, adviſing them, that as they•…dred Monarchy, and the true Proteſtant Religion, they ſhould endeavour, under the•…our of a Guard, to raiſe him a great Army.
Hereupon the Malignants began to move forward in a poſture of warre againſt the4Parliament, the Gentry ſided with his Maieſtie, and the common people were compel ' •or led on by a blind affection to the Crowne.
The Biſhops began alſo to buſſell up themſelves, and to ſtand for the King an•Queene, they remembred that Kings and Queenes had ever been indulgent fathers an•nurſing mothers to the Roman Church, that unleſſe they had a King to ſupport their Lubberly Lordſhips, they could not be King in their owne Dioces over the reſt of the Cle•gie; and beſides the Parliament had voted them out of the Houſe, and therefore the•would with St. Pauls ſword fight for the Pope; Biſhop Williams ſomtimes Chancellou•of England, got himſelfe Armes, with a Sword and Gauntlet, to kill Round-heads; he•ſaw his Biſhoprick was not long liv'd, and hee would not live to ſee it tooke from him ▪ he had rather be kill'd or hang'd, which he deſerv'd and his other fellow Biſhops, rather then be outed and caſt out of his Dioces and fat Biſhoprick; with theſe fat Bul•…that were ſilent enough in their Pulpits) all the Malecontents ioyned, and all Proiecto•…that by Monopolies had made England mourne in foule linen, not for her ſinnes, but fo•want of ſoape, and ſome that had heard of William the Conqerour, would have Kin•Charles be a Conquerour of his owne ſubiects; but it had beene better for him that he•had Conquer'd himſelfe, Conquer'd his own paſſion, ſubdu'd his affection to Poperi•…and ſubiected himſelfe to reaſon, and come home unto his Parliament, then to be carrie•on by evil councellours to ſhed the blood of his ſubiects, giving Commiſſion to Prin•…Rupert to butcher and kill his ſubiects, and fire their houſes; and all becauſe they wou•…not be ſlaves, or put on fetters being born unto freedom; but would rather have the Ki•…ſee his errors, and acknowledge what others ſee and know, and have felt by the rage〈◊〉the Kings ſword: O therefore let the King encline his Royall heart unto his people, an•if he will be written valiant to poſterity, let him I ſay, Conquer himſelf, and return fro•Rebells and Traitors that poſſeſſe him. It is the eye of Juſtice which they ſhun, and h•…Sword which they fear: But the King hath in this a Prerogative, that he muſt onely〈◊〉tri'd in Foro Conſcientiae, in the Court of his own Conſcience, and no doubt but Mer•…may weigh downe his ſinnes, if he would yet put an end to theſe bloody Warres, and〈◊〉friends with his Parliament and people; then he would ſhine againe in glory, but now〈◊〉the caſe ſtands all the love and obedience ſhew'd him by his ſubjects by the hazard〈◊〉their lives, to regain his Royall perſon, and to preſerve their Liberties and Religion, a•…not at all regarded, and having loſt the light of Reaſon, the light of Religion, and Mo•rall humanity, he doth yet endeavour by the help of the Cavaliers, to cut a paſſage wi•…the ſword for the Romiſh religion to enter into England; yet it muſt march in upon t•…legs of the Proteſtant Religion, beare the ſame colours with it, and with Armies in t•…Weſt, and Armies in the North all muſt be waſted and conſum'd, and all the Proteſtan•…kil'd, and then the King and the Biſhops and the Cavaleirs will alone maintain the Pr•teſtant Religion, and then there would be a ſtrange new Government, if King Charl•…could ſubdue his ſubiects and bring them to ſlavery, he might be well called and ſtile•William the Conquerour; for he would have his will prefer'd above Law, and as it is〈◊〉France, we ſhould not have a bed, a diſh, nay a ſpoone, or a ſtool to ſit upon, but it mig•…5〈◊〉taken from us for the Kings uſe, the Cavaleirs do ſhew you how it ſhould be in Eng•…nd, they plunder and take away all they can finde, the goods of the Round-heads are•…eir owne, they have the Kings Commiſſion for it, and if they will not yeeld they will•…ke them ſmoak for it, ſetting fire to the towne, and though the King be Eclipſ'd and〈◊〉ſeen in theſe actions, yet he cannot walke nor ride ſo inviſible but his hand hath been•…en in theſe plundering firing Commiſſions, Signed with C. R. whereby wee may ſee,•…at R. which ſtands for the King is to be much blamed; for what the Cavaleirs do, may•e ſaid to be done by the King, if the Kings affections were not cruelly bent, the Cava•eirs actions would not be ſo bloody nor inhumane; but they know that all his Proteſta•ions to maintain the Proteſtant Religion were but complement, and that now hee is ſo darkned in true glory, that we had need to pray he may recover the light of his Sceprer,•…d the love of his ſubiects, and therefore they will fight it out; deſperate diſeaſes muſt•ave deſperate cures, and the King will pawne his Crowne (if he could get it from Weſtminſter) to maintaine the Miter, and now fight Dog fight Bear, fight Cavaleir and fight Round-head, you have bark'd long enough at one another, and now the King will have you fight it out, though you fight him out of his Kingdome, and make him and his Ca•…leirs flie downe Weſtward, as if his Maieſtie had done ſome miſchiefe, he knowes the•ound-heads will make ſevere conſtructions of his proceedings, and that his will firſt•…rried him from his Parliament; but ther's a thing call'd Conſcience that doth follow•fter the King and his Cavaleirs, faſter then our Armies can doe, it doth bring in a Cata•…gue of crimes, and will twich the King by the heart and give him ſhrewd Items, it is worſe then Hamlets Ghoſt; for it will haunt him every where, and cry unto him, O King•…pect revenge for the blood of thy ſubiects. VVho hath waſted, undone, and ruinated•…e moſt famous Kingdom of England? who hath fir'd the Towns, plunder'd, kill'd, and•eſtroy'd his own ſubiects? who hath given Commiſſion for it? who hath broke his word•nd his promiſes made in ſo many Declarations? who ſent for the Iriſh rebells to come•ver to kill the Proteſtants, and who in all this war hath endeavour'd nothing but the•…intaining of Popery and his own Prerogative, I fear Conſcience doth tell his Maie•…y it was King Charles; who hath for three yeers together and upward maintain'd an un•…turall war againſt his Parliament and people? Conſcience replies, King Charles? who•…nt into Spaine to learn the Proteſtant religion, then return'd and married a Catholick Queene? who hath been a chief party in miſchief againſt the Proteſtants? who harkned〈◊〉Queene Maries counſell, and beleeved it more then Gods word, and was angry and•…ught with his ſubiects, and 'tother day hang'd up fourteen Clothiers, was nor the King•…en preſent?
Did hee not come with an Armie from Yorke, which was all compoſed of Malignants•nd Delinquents that fled from the Parliament, and of Papiſts, though His Maieſtie•romiſed their horſes ſhould have Proteſtant Riders, there were (as I ſaid before) firſt•…e Biſhops, or the Biſhops Malignant money, which was ſent into pay Souldiers that•…ould fight under the Popes Banner; and the lack-Latine Prieſts and Clergie contribu•ed largely to the Kings Armie, fearing that for their ignorance and ſcandalous lives,6 they ſhould be thruſt out of their Viccarages and Parſonages, and that the Parliamen•would put Religious Miniſters in their places. The young flaſhing Gentrie that ha•…ſpent their father Patrimonie, in whoring and dicing, theſe would ſtake their fortune•with the King, in hope to get eſtates and be Knighted for cutting the Proteſtants throat•▪ The countrey people would have their old wayes, their old faſhions, and their old Religion, their old Homilies, which were better then Round-head Sermons, they woul•have Feaſts and Ruſh-bearings in the North, and Saint dayes, and give Cakes for a•…Chriſten Souls on All-Soules day, and being Ingram people, halfe Papiſts and half•Atheiſts, they would ſtand for the King and the old Common prayer Booke, as for th•Goſpel and the Parliament, they knew not what they were, but they were perſwaded i•their countrey conſciences, they ought to honour and obey the King.
And thus with an Army of Malignant Nobilitie, Clergie, Gentrie and Common people, the King came to Kenton-field, and in ſome houres ſpace made the ground looke re•with the blood of his Subjects, is it for this he now hides his face from us, is he aſhame•that ſo many of his Subjects lives ſhould be loſt in one Field, I find no ſuch matter i•the Story, the King from this Field gets into the Weſt, there to reſt himſelfe after he ha•done ſo good a dayes work in butchering his Subiects at Kenton field, where many thouſands fell on both ſides, as Sacrifices to his Prerogative.
But the King being now in the Weſt, moſt of the Malignants coming in unto him, h•had (as he thought) an invincible Armie, and therefore hee was reſolved now with a•…crueltie to proceed againſt the Round-heads, and the Cavaliers proceeded in plunde•ing and firing of Townes, and killing all Round-heads; for it was his Maieſties pleaſur•they ſhould ſo doe; Alaſſe what needes the King hide himſelf from the ſight of his Parliament, and his other Subiects, hee fights but to maintaine his will as a law, or a thin•above the law called Prerogative: Can Maieſtie ſhine glorious without crueltie? Le•Subiects hate their King, ſo they feare him, a few evill Counſellours can protect hi•from all danger, and hath he not an Armie for a guard? It is then nothing but Conſcience, this troubleſome thing Conſcience, that will be telling His Maieſtie of his faults and in deſpight of Digby, Cottington, and Jermin, will take the King alone, and charg•the King with many cruell actions, that it hath rain'd blood all his raigne, that thoug•the Pope and all the Devills in hell ſhould encourage him in this bloudy warre, yet it i•unnaturall in the ſight of God and man, that there is a Hell and Domeſ-day, and Damnation, as well for Kings, as poor Subiects, that when His Maieſtie after a happy raign•ſhould end his dayes in a good old age, and with the love and honour of his Subiects b•laid into his grave, what can he expect who hath murdred ſo many of His Subiects, an•laid them in their Graves: But alas King, flie not from this Conſcience, hide not thy ſelfe, doe not flie from place to place before the Lord Generalls Armie: Looſing gameſters will change their places to change their luck, ſick men will change their chambers to change their diſeaſes: But thou, O King, that wert wont to cure the Kings evill in thy Subiects, art now made a King of evill conſequence and deſtruction to thy Kingdome, by the influence of evill Councellours, the beames of Mercie, Pietie, Religion ▪7 Obedience to the Lawes, Omnipotency in goodneſſe, not badneſſe, Will conformable〈◊〉Gods Will, and thy Juſtice which ſhould empale thy Brow, are took away from thee〈◊〉the Cavaliers; ſo that thou doſt not ſee, or if ſee, not pittie thy diſtreſſed Subiects,•…d as long as thou art thus affected, thus darkned in thy Royall Attributes, and wilt be•nely a King of Rebels and Cavaleirs, thou ſhalt be like unto Noahs Dove, not in inno•ency, but in flying from placs to place, and ſhalt not finde a place to reſt thy foot in, as•…ng as this Deluge of blood doth overflow thy Kingdome.
But what a ſawcie fellow is this Conſcience? Canſt thou not meddle with thy match,•…d tell poor men onely of their offences? Me thinkes thou ſhould'ſt have little deſire〈◊〉follow the Kings campe, when thou wert formerly whipt out of his Court, and out〈◊〉all the Courts of Juſtice; for hadſt thou continued in this Kingdome, the Pope and〈◊〉Majeſtie, and his Biſhops could never have brought about their own ends: but when•…ou and Religion were baniſht both together, then the Biſhops began to laugh in their•…awne ſleeves, then they thought to have alter'd the Caſe, and to alter the Table, alter•…eir Poſture Preaching and Lordly titles, the little Biſhop ſhould have been a great•…rdinall, and the other Biſhops ſhould have governed the Church more Roman, ac•ording to the Roman faſhion, and it ſhould have beene dreſt and trickt up with the•…ages of St. Anthony, St. Francis, St. Patrick, St. John of Jeruſalem, St. Dominick,•…d the Lady Marie; then Croſſes, ſhould have b•en new builded and painted over,•…re ſhould have been little Preaching, unleſſe they were Sermons of Libertie and free•ome of ſports upon the Sabbath-day. And the little Levites the ſmall Lights of the Goſpel, ſhould have walked in cloakes downe to their ſhooes like Jeſuites, being in the•niverſities Jeſuited in heart as well as habit, the Star-chamber ſhould then have cen•…r'd Religious men to have their eares cut and clipt, as ſome were that ſuffer'd for thy•…ke; becauſe Conſcience would not permit them to ſee Poperie and blindnes brought•…o this land, to ſee the light of the Goſpel Eclipſed and blowne out by the Divell and•…e Biſhops; but Conſcience what haſt thou to do with Kings? may not they be flat•…r'd that they are Gods; but that thou muſt tell them they are but men? and that if they•…verne not their Subjects according to the known Lawes of the Land, and doe allow•…eir Subjects their Rights and Liberties, ſeeking not to alter but maintaine their Reli•ion, they are no better then wilfull bloody Tyrants. Is this thy blunt way of ſpeaking•…to Kings? Well as long as thou takeſt this courſe, and doſt lay before the King his•…e, his er•ors, his ſpilling of blood, with a long Catalogue of private ſinnes, never•…agine that thou ſhalt riſe in his favour, or be made a Biſhop; for there was never any•…eat Courtier, Biſhop, Lord-Keeper, or any eminent States-man that was created Lord -•onſcience, Biſhop-Conſcience, Lord-Keeper-Conſcience; for as ſoone as they were•…vanced to theſe dignities they had no Conſcience at all, but would take bribes in the•…y of golden thanks, for giving unjuſt judgement to the overthrow of the beſt cauſes.
Is it not a fault in thee Conſcience that the King cannot reſt in his chamber, but thou•…ſt make him ſee ſtrange Dreames and Viſions, as the battell at Kenton-field, where ſo•…ch blood was ſpilt for the King; for this the King doth hide himſelfe, is aſhamed, and•clipſ'd from the ſight of his Subjects.
8Why doſt thou tell him of his Commiſſion of Array, arming his Subjects to kill〈◊〉another? This is an old Story, muſt thou Conſcience revive theſe matters in the Ki•…remembrance, and thereby ſeeke to Eclipſe his fame and glory.
Cannot the Cavaleirs plunder the Kingdom all over, and fire Townes cum privile•…and ſhew the Kings hand, giving them Commiſſion for it? but thou Conſcience〈◊〉make the Kings heart ake for it, and tell him this is the way to be counted a Tyrant,〈◊〉to be Eclipſed in the love of his Subjects.
Muſt not his Maieſtie favour Delinquent Lords: but thou Conſcience muſt tell〈◊〉they are evill Counſellours, and that he hath almoſt undone Himſelfe and his Poſter•…by being ruled by theſe Malignants, who know if the wars ſhould ceaſe, the block〈◊〉expect them, or the gallowes, and therefore they will fight to defend the King from〈◊〉Enemies, which indeed are themſelves, and the King muſt fight againſt his Subject•〈◊〉keep them from the hands of Juſtice, and by this the fame and renowne of King Cha•…is Eclipſed.
Cannot the King ſuffer the Iriſh to kill ſo many thouſand Proteſtants, and the•…make a Ceſſation of Armes with them, and to call them his Catholike ſubiects, and af•…ward to ſend for them by ten thouſands at a time to aide him in this unnaturall war;〈◊〉Conſcience muſt tell the King that this is contrary to his Proteſtations of maintain•…the Proteſtant Religion, when indeed this war was Bellum Papale, the Popes war, and〈◊〉ſetting up of Popery was alwayes intended: doth not this cruelty, this falſe dealing,〈◊〉bringing over and ſending for Iriſh Rebells, Eclipſe the glory of his Maieſtie?
Conſcience ſeems thus to reply, I fear neither King nor Subject; The King I tell〈◊〉true is in a great Eclipſe of light and love of his people, I have ſhak'd him up ſoun•…and told him that he mockt the people with a ſmooth pretence of the maintaining〈◊〉Proteſtant Religion, that to defend Delinquents hee ſhould not lay his Crowne at ſta•…for if he ſhould looſe that, he could not ſtake again, that the dye of war was uncert•…that in this war nothing was certain to his Maieſtie but loſſe, loſſe of his credit, and p•…haps the loſſe of his Kingdoms, that it was his fathers glory to write this for his Mo•…Beati Pacifici: But his Motto will in ſucceeding Ages be writ in Caracters of blo•…thus, Maledicti Belligeri, Curſed are the war-makers, That all the blood which〈◊〉been ſpilt will be laid unto his Maieſties charge: But the King is Eclipſed ſtill, F•…by the Queene in chamber Coniunction with her, and now ſince by Malignant Coun•…lers, he hath (with griefe be it written) no Light, no Reaſon, no Religion left, but a•…Ecclipſed, and there is nothing but God and his owne conſcience that can diſcover〈◊〉him that great Eclipſe of Light which hee now ſuffers in the Weſt, the cauſes whe•…have been here largely declared, and the King proved to be in a great Eclipſe.