







 
   
     
       
         Mola asinaria: or, The unreasonable and insupportable burthen now press'd upon the shoulders of this groaning nation: by the headless head, and unruly rulers, that usurp upon the liberties and priviledges of the oppressed people. Held forth in a remonstrance to all those that have yet sound and impartial ears to hear, and duly weighed in the scales of equity and justice ... Wherein is demonstrated, what slavery the nation must subject it self to, by allowing the lawfulness and usurped authority of the pretended Long Parliament now unlawfully and violently held at Westminster. By William Prynne, bencher of Lincolns-Inne.
         Butler, Samuel, 1612-1680.
      
       
         This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A78069 of text R203354 in the  English Short Title Catalog (Thomason E985_4). Textual changes  and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more  computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life.  The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with  MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish.  This text has not been fully proofread 
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         EarlyPrint Project
         Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO
         2017
         A78069
         Wing B6325A
         Thomason E985_4
         ESTC R203354
         99863328
         99863328
         168597
         
           
            This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of
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            . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.
          
        
      
       
         Early English books online.
      
       
         (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A78069)
         Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 168597)
         Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 146:E985[4])
      
       
         
           
             Mola asinaria: or, The unreasonable and insupportable burthen now press'd upon the shoulders of this groaning nation: by the headless head, and unruly rulers, that usurp upon the liberties and priviledges of the oppressed people. Held forth in a remonstrance to all those that have yet sound and impartial ears to hear, and duly weighed in the scales of equity and justice ... Wherein is demonstrated, what slavery the nation must subject it self to, by allowing the lawfulness and usurped authority of the pretended Long Parliament now unlawfully and violently held at Westminster. By William Prynne, bencher of Lincolns-Inne.
             Butler, Samuel, 1612-1680.
             Prynne, William, 1600-1669, attributed name.
          
           [2], 6 p.
           
             [s.n.],
             Printed at London :
             in the year MDCLVIX. [i.e. 1659]
          
           
             A satire on Prynne, attributed to Samuel Butler.
             Annotation on Thomason copy: "May. 31".
             Reproduction of the original in the British Library.
          
        
      
    
     
       
         eng
      
       
         
           Prynne, William, 1600-1669 -- Early works to 1800.
           Political satire, English -- Early works to 1800.
           Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1649-1660 -- Early works to 1800.
        
      
    
       A78069  R203354  (Thomason E985_4).  civilwar no Mola asinaria: or, The unreasonable and insupportable burthen now press'd upon the shoulders of this groaning nation::  by the headless head Butler, Samuel 1659    1938 1 5 0 0 0 0 31 C  The  rate of 31 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the C category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 
        2007-06 TCP
        Assigned for keying and markup
      
        2007-06 Aptara
        Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images
      
        2007-10 Elspeth Healey
        Sampled and proofread
      
        2007-10 Elspeth Healey
        Text and markup reviewed and edited
      
        2008-02 pfs
        Batch review (QC) and XML conversion
      
    
  
   
     
       
       
         
           MOLA
           ASINARIA
           :
           OR
           ,
           The
           Unreasonable
           and
           Insupportable
           BURTHEN
           Now
           press'd
           upon
           The
           Shoulders
           of
           this
           groaning
           NATION
           :
           BY
           The
           headless
           Head
           ,
           and
           unruly
           Rulers
           ,
           that
           usurp
           upon
           the
           Liberties
           and
           Priviledges
           of
           the
           oppressed
           People
           .
           Held
           forth
           in
           a
           REMONSTRANCE
           To
           all
           those
           that
           have
           yet
           sound
           and
           impartial
           Ears
           to
           hear
           ,
           and
           duly
           weighed
           in
           the
           Scales
           of
           Equity
           and
           Justice
           .
        
         
           
             By
          
           William
           Prynne
           ,
           
             Bencher
             of
          
           Lincolns-Inne
           .
        
         
           Wherein
           is
           demonstrated
           ,
           What
           Slavery
           the
           Nation
           must
           subject
           it self
           to
           ,
           by
           allowing
           the
           lawfulness
           and
           usurped
           Authority
           of
           the
           pretended
           
             LONG
             PARLIAMENT
          
           Now
           unlawfully
           and
           violently
           held
           at
           WESTMINSTER
           .
        
         
           Jusque
           datum
           Sceleri
           .
        
         
           Printed
           at
           
             London
             ,
          
           in
           the
           Year
           MDCLVIX
           .
        
      
    
     
       
       
       
         
           Mola
           Asinaria
           ,
           &c.
           
        
         
           
             Countrymen
             :
          
        
         
           THere
           is
           not
           any
           thing
           in
           the
           Universe
           deserves
           less
           to
           be
           a
           Member
           of
           it
           ,
           then
           a
           self-seeking
           Man
           ,
           who
           unconcern'd
           in
           the
           publick
           Good
           ,
           regards
           onely
           his
           private
           Interest
           .
           The
           World
           unwillingly
           contributes
           to
           his
           maintenance
           ;
           and
           Nature
           less
           abhors
           a
           
             Vacuum
             ,
          
           then
           that
           any
           place
           should
           be
           filled
           by
           a
           Subject
           so
           empty
           of
           desert
           .
           He
           is
           a
           savage
           Creature
           in
           the
           midst
           of
           civil
           People
           ,
           not
           deserving
           to
           be
           born
           of
           others
           ,
           as
           not
           caring
           to
           live
           ,
           but
           for
           himself
           .
           Nay
           ,
           it
           is
           worthily
           reputed
           a
           kind
           of
           civil
           death
           ,
           to
           do
           nothing
           else
           but
           live
           :
           for
           as
           long
           as
           we
           have
           a
           Country
           to
           abide
           in
           ,
           we
           have
           a
           duty
           to
           tender
           it
           .
           All
           we
           have
           ,
           we
           have
           from
           it
           ;
           and
           by
           consequence
           owe
           it
           all
           we
           have
           .
           Our
           Lives
           and
           Fortunes
           are
           safest
           ,
           when
           ventured
           for
           the
           publick
           Interest
           ;
           and
           he
           is
           the
           truest
           Lover
           of
           Law
           and
           Liberty
           ,
           that
           affects
           rather
           to
           be
           ruled
           ,
           then
           to
           rule
           ;
           he
           the
           freest
           Subject
           ,
           that
           creates
           himself
           a
           voluntary
           Slave
           to
           his
           Countries
           service
           .
           Take
           from
           the
           world
           this
           inviolable
           Law
           ,
           (
           that
           is
           not
           writ
           in
           brass
           ,
           but
           deeply
           imprinted
           in
           loyal
           hearts
           )
           and
           it
           shall
           again
           turn
           savage
           and
           barbarous
           .
           This
           
           is
           a
           truth
           so
           manifest
           ,
           and
           not
           to
           be
           dissembled
           ,
           that
           never
           yet
           was
           there
           a
           Tyrant
           ,
           but
           pretended
           to
           be
           a
           Saviour
           of
           the
           people
           .
           Liberty
           ,
           Conscience
           ,
           a
           glorious
           Nation
           ,
           
             The
             Good
             Old
             Cause
             ,
          
           and
           such
           specious
           Names
           are
           made
           use
           of
           :
           
           
             Nec
             quisquam
             alienum
             servitium
             &
             dominationem
             concupivit
             ,
             ut
             non
             eadem
             ista
             vocabula
             usurparit
             .
          
           These
           Machiavilian
           Tricks
           ,
           and
           political
           Cheats
           so
           often
           put
           upon
           the
           people
           of
           our
           Nation
           ,
           me thinks
           should
           have
           by
           this
           time
           undeceived
           us
           with
           a
           sad
           experience
           of
           the
           miseries
           we
           have
           subjected
           our selves
           to
           ,
           by
           a
           perpetual
           itch
           of
           reforming
           ,
           annulling
           ,
           creating
           Laws
           ,
           and
           framing
           new
           Governments
           to
           the
           model
           of
           every
           Grandees
           ambition
           ;
           and
           yet
           we
           are
           againe
           ready
           to
           thrust
           our
           Necks
           into
           a
           new
           yoak
           of
           Slavery
           ,
           rather
           then
           any
           man
           will
           engage
           his
           private
           Fortunes
           ,
           and
           venture
           to
           redeem
           his
           Country
           from
           Bondage
           .
           It
           is
           laid
           to
           the
           charge
           of
           English-men
           by
           Forraigners
           ,
           that
           we
           are
           
             {non-Roman}
             {non-Roman}
             {non-Roman}
             {non-Roman}
             {non-Roman}
          
           ,
           and
           above
           all
           Nations
           under
           Heaven
           pretending
           to
           civility
           ,
           the
           greatest
           self-seekers
           ;
           as
           regarding
           much
           more
           our
           own
           particular
           ,
           then
           the
           general
           concerns
           .
           I
           must
           needs
           say
           ,
           other
           Nations
           would
           have
           canonized
           for
           Martyrs
           ,
           and
           erected
           Statues
           after
           their
           death
           to
           the
           memory
           of
           some
           of
           our
           Compatriots
           ,
           whom
           ye
           have
           barbarously
           defaced
           and
           mangled
           yet
           alive
           ,
           for
           no
           other
           motive
           ,
           but
           their
           undaunted
           Zeal
           .
           It
           has
           been
           (
           I
           know
           not
           whether
           I
           should
           say
           )
           your
           misfortune
           ,
           or
           my
           glory
           ,
           to
           become
           a
           Sufferer
           for
           a
           Legal
           Vindication
           of
           the
           Liberties
           of
           our
           Kingdom
           ;
           but
           yet
           I
           never
           knew
           what
           it
           was
           to
           fear
           ,
           when
           I
           perceived
           my self
           engaged
           in
           so
           good
           a
           cause
           ;
           not
           envy
           nor
           snarling
           Pamphlets
           shall
           stop
           the
           course
           of
           my
           Pen
           freely
           running
           into
           my
           Countries
           
           defence
           ,
           which
           my
           Profession
           and
           Age
           forbid
           me
           to
           vindicate
           by
           the
           Sword
           .
           Let
           young
           Men
           serve
           it
           with
           their
           strength
           and
           arms
           ,
           let
           old
           Men
           secure
           it
           by
           their
           heads
           and
           counsel
           :
           for
           my
           part
           ,
           I
           desire
           to
           live
           no
           longer
           then
           I
           can
           in
           some
           sort
           contribute
           to
           so
           glorious
           a
           work
           .
           I
           have
           of
           late
           been
           snarled
           at
           for
           it
           by
           certain
           licentious
           Scriblers
           ,
           that
           durst
           not
           own
           their
           names
           for
           fear
           of
           discovering
           their
           Asses
           ears
           :
           however
           ,
           they
           are
           pleased
           to
           twitch
           at
           the
           honourable
           remnant
           of
           mine
           .
           They
           thought
           to
           have
           stopt
           my
           mouth
           by
           their
           brauling
           and
           braying
           ;
           but
           I
           dare
           yet
           speak
           louder
           ;
           and
           I
           hope
           I
           shall
           be
           heard
           by
           all
           such
           as
           have
           yet
           sound
           and
           impartial
           ears
           :
           but
           if
           my
           cry
           will
           not
           reach
           you
           ,
           I
           fear
           (
           dear
           Country-men
           )
           the
           voyce
           of
           blood
           will
           speedily
           interrupt
           your
           slumbring
           security
           .
           Those
           that
           will
           be
           Lawless
           ,
           finde
           fault
           with
           my
           Writings
           ,
           because
           I
           vindicate
           the
           anciently
           established
           Laws
           of
           
             England
             ;
          
           and
           tax
           me
           of
           desperate
           Non-sense
           ,
           because
           I
           will
           not
           allow
           them
           an
           unlimited
           ,
           unlegal
           Legislative
           Power
           to
           repeal
           ,
           annul
           ,
           alter
           ,
           and
           enact
           what
           Laws
           soever
           they
           deem
           best
           to
           serve
           their
           own
           turns
           .
           They
           deceitfully
           cry
           out
           ,
           
             Salus
             populi
             suprema
             lex
             esto
             !
          
           
           an
           Axiome
           that
           I
           no
           ways
           deny
           to
           be
           true
           ;
           but
           I
           would
           desire
           to
           be
           instructed
           who
           are
           to
           be
           Judges
           ,
           of
           what
           is
           expedient
           for
           the
           good
           of
           the
           people
           ?
           The
           Author
           of
           the
           forecited
           Maxime
           says
           ,
           
             Leges
             Magistratibus
             praesunt
             ,
             ut
             Magistratus
             praesunt
             populo
             :
          
           And
           the
           great
           Doctor
           St.
           
             Austin
          
           not
           doubted
           to
           affirm
           ,
           that
           those
           societies
           where
           Law
           and
           Justice
           is
           not
           ,
           are
           not
           Common-wealths
           or
           Kingdoms
           ,
           
           but
           
             Magna
             latrocinia
             ,
          
           great
           thefts
           and
           trapanning
           cheats
           .
           As
           for
           the
           power
           of
           altering
           Laws
           ,
           or
           bringing
           in
           new
           ones
           ,
           and
           setting
           
           up
           new
           Governments
           ,
           it
           is
           allowed
           by
           wise
           men
           ,
           that
           all
           power
           lawfully
           exercised
           upon
           a
           Commonwealth
           ,
           must
           necessarily
           be
           derived
           either
           from
           the
           appointment
           of
           God
           ,
           who
           is
           supreme
           Lord
           of
           all
           ;
           or
           from
           the
           consent
           of
           the
           Society
           it self
           ,
           that
           hath
           the
           next
           power
           to
           his
           ,
           of
           disposing
           of
           their
           own
           Liberty
           ,
           as
           they
           shall
           think
           fit
           for
           their
           good
           ,
           whose
           benefit
           is
           the
           end
           of
           all
           Government
           .
           Therefore
           whoever
           arrogates
           such
           power
           to
           himself
           ,
           that
           cannot
           produce
           one
           of
           these
           two
           Titles
           ,
           is
           not
           a
           Ruler
           ,
           but
           an
           Invader
           ,
           or
           a
           Tyrant
           .
           Now
           how
           this
           pretended
           Long
           Parliament
           ,
           restored
           by
           the
           force
           of
           Souldiers
           ,
           by
           whose
           force
           it
           had
           first
           been
           dissolved
           ,
           and
           was
           before
           annulled
           by
           the
           death
           or
           murther
           of
           King
           
             Charles
          
           the
           first
           ,
           that
           summoned
           it
           ,
           he
           being
           
             Principium
             ,
             causa
             ,
             &
             finis
             Parliamenti
             ;
          
           after
           his
           murther
           ,
           the
           house
           of
           Lords
           and
           Monarchy
           being
           abolished
           ,
           and
           so
           many
           of
           the
           ancient
           Members
           thrown
           out
           ,
           new
           ones
           unduly
           elected
           ,
           and
           such
           horrid
           thefts
           ,
           rapes
           ,
           
             &c.
          
           committed
           by
           them
           upon
           the
           people
           ,
           can
           lawfully
           be
           said
           the
           Peoples
           Representatives
           ,
           and
           authorized
           by
           them
           ,
           is
           the
           greatest
           Riddle
           that
           ever
           was
           propounded
           to
           a
           puzzled
           State
           .
           It
           was
           in
           the
           year
           1649
           ,
           that
           I
           published
           
             a
             Legal
             Vindication
             of
             the
             Liberties
             of
          
           England
           ;
           in
           which
           I
           demonstrated
           the
           nullity
           of
           the
           then-pretended
           Long
           Parliament
           ;
           and
           lately
           I
           set
           forth
           a
           lively
           pattern
           of
           the
           spurious
           
             Old
             Cause
          
           pretended
           to
           be
           revived
           and
           vindicated
           by
           the
           fine
           Pageant
           or
           now-sitting
           Ghost
           of
           the
           long-since
           departed
           Long
           Parliament
           ;
           neither
           need
           I
           reason
           farther
           with
           reasonable
           Persons
           about
           it
           :
           Yet
           since
           this
           Phantastical
           Hob-gobbling
           appears
           still
           to
           fright
           the
           quiet
           people
           ,
           and
           tempts
           them
           (
           like
           an
           evil
           Spirit
           )
           
           to
           give
           themselves
           to
           such
           an
           unruly
           Devil
           ;
           I
           will
           here
           onely
           hold
           forth
           to
           the
           view
           of
           all
           good
           Englishmen
           ,
           what
           slavery
           they
           must
           needs
           subject
           themselves
           unto
           ,
           if
           they
           resolve
           to
           cast
           off
           forever
           their
           lawful
           Master
           and
           Soveraign
           ,
           and
           take
           for
           new
           Masters
           these
           upstart
           domineering
           Tyrants
           .
           Let
           then
           every
           honest
           freeborn
           Subject
           of
           
             England
             ,
          
           lay
           his
           hand
           upon
           his
           breast
           ,
           and
           ask
           of
           his
           own
           Conscience
           ,
           whether
           notwithstanding
           all
           former
           Oaths
           of
           Allegiance
           ,
           Supremacy
           ,
           Protestation
           ,
           solemn
           Leagues
           and
           Covenants
           ,
           
             &c.
          
           he
           can
           voluntarily
           submit
           to
           ,
           and
           thereby
           freely
           acknowledge
           ,
           contrary
           to
           his
           former
           knowledge
           and
           the
           said
           Oath
           ,
           
             &c.
             
          
        
         
           1.
           
           That
           there
           may
           be
           ,
           and
           now
           is
           a
           lawfully-assembled
           Parliament
           of
           
             England
          
           actually
           in
           being
           ,
           legally
           continuing
           after
           the
           late
           Kings
           death
           ,
           or
           lawfully
           re-assembled
           without
           King
           ,
           Lords
           ,
           or
           most
           of
           their
           fellow-Members
           ,
           consisting
           onely
           of
           a
           few
           late
           Members
           of
           the
           Commons
           House
           .
        
         
           2.
           
           That
           this
           Parliament
           re-established
           by
           a
           Military
           force
           ▪
           and
           packed
           together
           by
           Power
           of
           an
           Army
           combining
           with
           them
           ,
           hath
           just
           and
           lawful
           Authority
           ,
           and
           had
           it
           before
           ;
           
             
               1.
               
               To
               arraign
               ,
               condemn
               and
               execute
               their
               lawful
               King
               himself
               ,
               with
               the
               Peers
               and
               Commons
               of
               this
               Realm
               .
            
             
               2.
               
               To
               dis-inherit
               the
               Kings
               Posterity
               of
               the
               Crown
               .
            
             
               3.
               
               To
               extirpate
               Monarchy
               ,
               and
               the
               whole
               house
               of
               Peers
               .
            
             
               4.
               
               To
               violate
               the
               Priviledges
               ,
               Rights
               ,
               Freedoms
               ,
               Customs
               ,
               and
               alter
               the
               Constitution
               of
               Parliaments
               themselves
               ;
               to
               change
               and
               subvert
               the
               ancient
               
               Government
               ,
               Seals
               ,
               Laws
               ,
               Writs
               ,
               Courts
               and
               Coyn
               of
               the
               Kingdom
               .
            
             
               5.
               
               To
               sell
               and
               dispose
               of
               all
               the
               Lands
               ,
               Revenues
               ,
               Jewels
               ,
               Goods
               of
               the
               Crown
               ,
               with
               the
               Lands
               of
               Deans
               and
               Chapters
               ,
               for
               their
               own
               advantages
               ,
               not
               for
               the
               easing
               of
               the
               people
               from
               taxes
               .
            
             
               6.
               
               To
               dispose
               of
               the
               Forts
               ,
               Ships
               ,
               Forces
               ,
               Offices
               of
               Honour
               ,
               Power
               ,
               Trust
               or
               Profit
               ,
               to
               whom
               they
               please
               .
            
             
               7.
               
               To
               raise
               and
               keep
               up
               what
               Forces
               by
               Land
               or
               Sea
               they
               please
               ,
               and
               impose
               Taxes
               ,
               
                 &c.
              
               to
               make
               what
               new
               Acts
               ,
               Laws
               ,
               and
               reverse
               what
               old
               ones
               they
               think
               meet
               .
            
             
               8.
               
               To
               absolve
               themselves
               (
               by
               more
               then
               a
               Papal
               Power
               )
               and
               all
               the
               subjects
               of
               this
               Land
               ,
               from
               all
               the
               aforesaid
               Oaths
               ,
               Engagements
               ,
               Protestations
               ,
               
                 &c.
                 
              
            
             
               9.
               
               To
               permit
               ,
               settle
               ,
               or
               invent
               what
               Sect
               ,
               Heresie
               ,
               or
               Religion
               they
               please
               ,
               provided
               they
               be
               not
               Papacy
               or
               Prelacy
               ,
               and
               that
               they
               allow
               not
               blasphemy
               against
               the
               Trinity
               .
            
             
               10.
               
               I
               ask
               now
               if
               every
               freeborn
               Subject
               that
               hath
               not
               raised
               himself
               an
               Interest
               by
               villany
               ,
               or
               an
               Estate
               by
               robbery
               ,
               or
               incurred
               a
               guilt
               to
               the
               Gallows
               for
               having
               his
               hand
               in
               blood
               ,
               had
               not
               better
               venture
               Life
               and
               Fortunes
               to
               reduce
               the
               true
               and
               lawful
               Heir
               into
               a
               peaceful
               Possession
               of
               his
               right
               ,
               then
               to
               authorize
               by
               his
               consent
               a
               new-fangled
               Government
               compacted
               of
               Treason
               ,
               Usurpation
               ,
               Tyranny
               ,
               Theft
               and
               Murder
               ?
            
          
        
         
           FINIS
           .
        
      
    
     
       
         Notes, typically marginal, from the original text
         
           Notes for div A78069e-140
           
             Tacit.
             
          
           
             Cicero
             .
          
           
             De
             civit
             .
             Dei
             .
          
        
      
      
  

