SUrely I shold know full well that face and phisnomy : O Heavens ! 't is Peregrin . Gentle Sir , you are well met , and welcom to England , I am heartily glad of your safe arrivall , hoping now to apprehend some happie opportunity whereby I may requite part of those worthy favours I received from you in divers places t'other side side of the Sea.

Sir , I am as joyfull to see you , as any friend I have upon earth ; but touching favours , they deserve not such an acknowledgment , I must confesse my self to be farr in the arrear , therfore you teach me what I shold speak to you in that point : But amongst other offices of Friendship you have bin pleased to do me from time to time , I give you many thanks for the faithfull correspondence you have held withme , since the time of our separation , by intercours of Letters , the best sort of fuell to warm affection , and to keep life in that noble vertue Friendship , which they say abroad , is in danger to perish under this cold Insulary clime for want of practise .

Truely , Sir , you shold have had an account of matters hence more amply and frequently , but that of late it hath bin usuall , and allowed by authority , to intercept and break open any Letters ; but private men need not complain so much , since the dispatches of Ambassadors , whose P●…ckets shold be held as sacred as their Persons , h●…ve bin commonly open'd , besides some outrages offered their houses and servants ; nay , since their Maj●…sties Letters under the Cabinet Signet have bin broke up , and other counterfeit ones printed and published in their names .

Well , let us leave this distastfull subject , when these fatall commotions cease , this custom , I hope , will be abhorred in England : But now , that you are newly arrived , and so happily met , I pray be pleased t●… make me partaker of some forraign news , and how the squares go betwixt France and Spain , those two great wheels , that draw after their motion ( some more , some lesse ) all the rest of the Western world : and when you have done , I will give you account of the state of things in England .

I hear , not without much resentment , these pithy expressions you have been pleased to make of the torn estate of Europe abroad ; and since you mention that blazing Star , I remember what a Noble Knight told me some yeers ago , That the Astronomers , who lay sentinel to watch the motion and aspect of that Comet , observ'd that the tail of it having pointed at divers Climats , at last it seem'd to look directly on these North-west I lands , in which posture it spent it selfe , and so extinguish'd ; as if thereby it meant to tell the world , that these Islands should be the Stage whereupon the last act of the Tragedie should be play'd . And how many Scenes have passed already , both here and in Ireland , we know , God wot , by too too wofull and fresh experience .

There is a saying When your neighbours house is on fire , by it's light you may see in what danger your own stands : And was England so blind and blockish , as not to take warning by so many fearfull combustions abroad ? When I took my leave last of her , I left her in such a compleat condition of happines , both in Court , Country , City and Sea , that shee was the envie of all Europ , in so much , that that Golden Verse might be fi●…ly applied to her then Golden times ,

Mollia securae perage●…ant otia Gentes .

The Court was never so glorious , being hanselld every yeer almost with a new Roya●… off-spring ; the Gentry no where more gallan●… and sportfull ; the Citizen never more gorgeous and rich , and so abounding with treasure , bullion and buildings , that no age can parallel ; Commerce , inward and outward was never at that height ; the customes increasing every yeer to admiration ; the narrow Seas were never guarded with braver Ships , nor the navie Royall for number of vessels and magazines of all sorts of materials was ever so well replenished ; the Universities had never such springing dayes : and lastly , the Church did so flourish , that amongst the rest of the reformed Churches of Christendome , I have heard her call'd the Church triumphant .

Besides , Ireland was arriv'd almost to the same degree of prosperity , for all the arrerages of the Crowne were paid , and not a peny sent hence for many yeeres to maintain the standing army there , or for any other publick charge , as formerly ; Trafique came to that mighty height of encrease , that in few years the Crown customes and imposts came to be five times higher . In fine , Ireland was brought not only to subsist of her selfe , but inabled to contribut towards the filling of the English Exchequer , and to make some retribution of those vast expences the Crown of England hath been at any time these 400 yeeres to reduce her to civility ; her boggs were almost all dry'd up , and made good land ▪ her mudde-walls turn'd apace to Brick in divers places , so that in one Sommer that I fortun'd to be there , above 50. new Brick-houses were built in one Towne . But it hath been the fate of that Island , to be 〈◊〉 neer a condition of a setled , happiness , and yet to have some odd accident still intervene to crosse it .

In conclusion , there wanted nothing to make England and her united Crowns so exactly blessed , that she might have assumed the title of one of the Fortunat Islands . Good Lord , how comes it to passe , that she is now fallen into such horrid distempers , and like a distracted body , laying han●…s upon her self , would thrust the sword of civil war into her own bowels ? I beseech you , Sir , impart unto me the true cause of this change ; for I know none so capable to do it as your self .

Infandum , Peregrine , jubes renovare dolorem :

First , Sir , in the generall you know , that it is with the Regions upon Earth , as it is with those of the Ayre , sometimes we have a clear azur'd skie with soft gentle ventilations , and a sweet serenitie the whole Hemesphere over ; at other times we know the face of the heavens is over-cast with frowns , with Frog vapors , and thick clouds of various shapes , which look like Monsters , hovering up and down , break at last into thunder and fulgurations , and so disquiet and raise a kind of war in the Aereall Common-wealth . Just so in the Regions that are dispers'd up and down this earthly Glo●…e , peepled with men ( which are but a composition of the Elements ) you have sometimes a gentle calm of peace and quietude , with a general tranquillitie all the Countrey over ; at other times you have ugly mishapen clouds of jealousies , fears , and discontentments rise up , which break out at last into acts of disobedience , rebellion , and fury . And as those Aereall Meteors and Monsters above , are ingendered of those watery fogs and mists which are drawn up out of fennie and rotten low grounds here upon earth ; so in the Region of the mind , the ill vapors which ascend to the brain from rotten and impostumated hearts , from desperate and mal●…-contented humorists are the causes of all civil commotions and distempers in State. But they have much to answer for in the world to come ( though they escape it in this ) who for any private interest or respect whatsoever , either of Promotion , Vain-glory , Revenge , Malice , or Envie , will embroyl and plunge their own native Country in any publick ingagement or civil war , by putting a partition-wall betwixt their soverain Prince and their fellow-subjects . Truely , in my opinion , these may be called the worst kind of Betrayers of their Countreys . But I am too far transported from satisfying your request in relating the true causes of these calamities , I will now fall to work , and bring you to the very source of them .

Ther is a pack of perverse people ( composed for the most part of the scummie and basest sort ) multiplied in England , who by a kind of natural inclination , are opposit so point blank to Monarchy in State , and Hierarchy in Church , that I doubt if they were in Heven ( whither 't is to be fear'd they run a great hazard ever to enter , it being a rule , that he who is rotten-hearted to his King , can never be right-hearted to his Crea●…or ) I say if these men were in Heven , they w●…uld go near to repine at the Monarchical power of God Almighty himself , as also at the degrees of Angels , and the postures of holiness in the Church triumphant . They call every Crotchet of the brain , tenderness of conscience forsooth : which being well examined , is nothing else but a meer spirit of contradiction , of malice and disobedience to all higher powers which possesseth them . Ther are no constitutions either Ecclesiastical or Civil can please them , but they wold cast both into such and such a mould , which their crack'd brains wold fain devise , yet are never able to bring to any perfection ; They are ever labouring to bring Religion to the dock , and to be new trimm'd , but they wold take down her fore-Castle , and scarce allow her the Kings Armes to adorn her : They are great listners after any Court-news , and prick up their ears when any thing is spoken of King , Queen , or Privie Councellour , and are always ready , though upon loose trust , to take up any report whereby they may whisper in conventicles and corners , and so traduce the Government . These great Z●…lots use to look upon themselves most commonly through multiplying glasses , which make them appear to be such huge Santons , that it renders them not onely uncharitable in their opinions of others , but Luciferian-like proud in their own conceit , insomuch that they seem to scorn all the world besides , beleeving that they are ●…he only Elect whose souls work according ●…o the motion of the Spirit : that they are ●…he true Children of promise , whose faces alone look towards Heven ; They are more pleased with some new reach or fancy , ( that may puzzle the pericranium ) than a Frenchman is in some new faction in cloathing : They are nearest to the nature of the Jew of any people upon earth , and will converse with him sooner than with some sort of Christians ; And as in their pharisaicall Dispositions they symbolize with the Iew , so in some of their positions they jump pat with the Iesuit : for though they are both in the extremes , and as contrary one to the other , as the points of a diameter , yet their opinions and practises are concentrique , viz. to depresse regall power ; Both of them wold bind their Kings in Chaines , and the Nobles in links of Iron ; They both deny all passive obedience , and as the one wold have the morter of the Temple tempred with blood , so the other wold beat Religion into the brain with the poleaxe . Their greatest master-piece of policy is to forge counter●…eit news , and to divulge and disperse it as far as they can to amuse the world , for the advancement of their designs , and strengthing their party : But the Iesuit doth it more cunningly and modestly , for he fetcheth his news from far , so that before the falshood of it can be contrould , his work is commonly done , and the news forgotten ; But these later polititians use to raise lies hard by home , so that the grosseness and palpablenesse of them is presently discovered . Besides , to avoid the extremes of the other , these later seem to fall into flat prophanness , for they may be called a kind of enemies to the very Name , Crosse , and Church of Christ. Touching the first , They repine at any reverence to be done unto the name of Jesus , though spontaneous , not coercive . For the second , which was held from the beginning to be the badg and Banner of a Christian , they cry up the Crosse to be the mark of the b●…ast ; And for the last , viz. the Church , they wold have it to be neither beautifull , holy , nor amiable , which are the three main properties that God requires in his house . To conclude , when any comes to be season'd with this sower leaven , he seems to degenerat presently from the nature and garb of a Gentleman , and fals to be of a sordid and low disposition , narrow hearted and close handed ; to be timerous , cunning and jealous , and far from the common freedom , and sweetness of morall society , and from all generous and loyal thoughts towards his King and Country .

These , these have bin the chiefest machinators , and engeneers Englands unhappy divisions , who Viper-like have torn the entrailes of their own mother their dear Country : But ther were other extern concurrent causes , and to find them out , I must look Northward , for there the cloud began to condense first ;

You know Sir , the Scot's nation were ever used to have their King personally resident amongst them , and though King Iames by reason of his age , bounty , and long breeding there , with other advantages , drew such extraordinary respect from them , that they continued in good conformity : yet since his death , they have been over-heard to mutter at the remotenesse and absence of their King , and that they shold become now a kind of province by reason of such a distance : some of their Nobles and Gentry found not at the English Court , nor at his Majesties Coronation in Edenburgh that Countenance , Familiarity , Benefit and Honours which haply they expected , and 't is well known who he was , that having been denied to be lorded ( David Lesley ) took a pet , and went discontented to his country , hoping that some title added to the wealth he had got abroad , should have purchased him more respect . These discontented parties tamperd with the mercenary preachers up and down Scotland , to obtrude to the p●…ple what doctrines they put into their mouthes , so that the pulpits every where rung of nothing but of invectives against certain obliquities and Solaecismes ( and I cannot tell what ) in government , and many glances they had upon the English Church : yet all this while there was not matter enough for an insurrection , nor to dispose the peoples hearts to a mutiny ▪ until by the policy ( as some affi●…med ) of the said discontented party the English Lyturgie was sent thither : this by the in●…itement of those fiery pulpiteers , was cryed up to be the greatest I doll that possibly could be brought into their Kerke , insomuch that when it was first offer'd to be read , the woman and ba●…er sort of mechaniks threw stooles and stones at the Bishops heads , and were ready to tear them in peeces ▪ And here began the storm . 〈◊〉 Majesty having notice hereof , sent a most gracious proclamation , signifying , that whereas he had recommended that Book to be practis'd amongst them , wherein he himself served God Almighty twice a day , he did it out of a pious endeavour to breed an uniformity of publick Divine service in all his dominions , specially in that his native Kingdom . But since it had produced such dangerous effects , he was contented to revoke it absolutely ; for it was never his purpose to press the practise of the said book upon the consciences of any , he did onely commend , not absolutely command , the use of it ; Therefore he exhorted and required that every one unto whom it had given any scandal , shold return to his pristine obedience , and serve God as formerly , offering herewith a gracious pardon , and to passe an Act of Amnestia for an abolition of all faults passed .

And would not this suffice ? In naturall motions we find that the cause being taken away , the effect ceaseth , and will not this hold in civil Actions ?

No , this wold not serve the turn , but 〈◊〉 was a further reach in it , and for an inch to take an ell : you know the Scots since 〈◊〉 single Lion came to quarter with our three , are much elevated in their spirits , more respected , emploied and trusted abroad , they are heightned in their resolutions and aims , and will questionless be daily more and more . You have heard of a Mine that reach'd from our exchequer to Edenburgh . And I beleeve you have not forgot Boccolinies balance , that was shewed us in Italie , wherein Lorenzo de Medici weighed all the states of Christendom , and throwing in England amongst the rest , you know how much he made her to weigh less by this addition . The former Proclamation I say , and Pardon would not suffice , but they took opportunity to fish in those troubled waters , and vent their spleen further , by an utter extirpation of Episcopacy , and by trampling the mitre under their feet , hoping to have som of the birds plumes , being pluck●… , to feather their own nests ; And they brought their work about ; Good Lord , what a deal of dirt was presently thrown into the Bishops faces by every Rurall pettie Clerk ! what infamous ballads were sung , what a thick clowd of Epidemical hatred hung suddenly over them , so far , that a dog with black and white spots was called a Bishop amongst them up and down the streets .

I could have wished two things , that either His Majesty had given them battail then , having the flower of his Nobility and Gentry with him , who I understood came with all cheerfulnesse and pomptitude to attend him , or else that after the said pacification , His Majestie had shaken off all jealousies , and with a royall freedom and a commanding confidence gone amongst them to hancell their new Parliament House at Edenburgh ; for it is probable , it had averted those showers and cataracts of ●…miseries which have fallen ●…pon us since ; but I pray Sir , proceed .

As they say , there is no wind but blows some-body good , so it was thought , this Northern clowd did England some advantage , for a Parliament was summond hereupon : a Parliament do I call it ? it was rather an Embryo of a Parliament , an Ephemeran of 20 ▪ days . In this sitting His Majesty declared unto both Houses the indignities he had received by His Scotch Subjects , and therefore propos'd a supply to be made of twelve subsidies to suppress that Rebellion ; and in lieu thereof he was willing to forbear and utterly to abolish the Ship-money , which he had reason to think legall at first , being advised thereunto by Noy his Attorney Generall , who had such a mighty repute in the Law ; yet he would not rest ther , but he advised further with his learned Councell , who concurred in opinion with Noy ; Nor wold he rest ther also , but he had the approbation of all the Iudges singly , and afterwards of nine of the twelve jointly upon a demur . This was enough to induce his conscience to hold it legall all this while ; It was clearly proved that the moneys levied this way , were employed to no other but the intended service , the garding of the narrow Seas ; and not onely for that , but to preserve his right of Dominion in them , being the fairest flower of his Crown , which was not onely discoursed of abroad , but began to be questioned by the French Cardinall : And touching danger , how could England be but in apparant dangers ? consideri●…g how all her next neighbours were in actuall hostility , which made huge fleets of men of war , both French , Dunkerkers , Hamburgers and Hollanders to sail and flaunt ever and anon in her Channells , and hard before her royall Chambers : nor came ther one penny of that publick contribution to his privat coffers , but he added much of his own demeans for the maintenance of a royal fleet every sommer : yet he was ready to passe any Bill for the utter abolishing of the said Ship-money , and for redressing of a●…y other grievances , provided they wold enable him to suppress this Scots Rebellion : some say the House was inclinable to comply with his Majesties demands , but ( as the ill spirit wold have it ) that Parliament was suddenly brok up , and I wold they who gave that Counsel had bin then in Arabia , or beyond the Line , in their way to Madagascar , who neverthelesse have got to be in high request with this present Parliament .

Among others , old Sir Harry Vane was one , who , when the House seem'd willing to give six subsidies , and the King inclinable to take them ; The said Vane being the Secretary of State stood up , and said , His Majesty expected no less then twelve , which words did so incense and discompose the House , that they drew after them that unhappy dissolution .

His Majesty being reduced to these straits , and resenting still the insolence of the Scot , proposed the busines to His Privy Councell , who suddenly made up a considerable and most noble summe for his present supply , whereunto divers of his domestick servants and Officers did contribut . Amongst others who were active herein , the Earl of Strafford bestir'd himself notably , and having got a Parliament to be call'd in Ireland he went over , and with incredible celeritie raised 8000. men , who procured money of that Parliament to maintain them , and got over those angry Seas again in the compasse of lesse then six weeks . You may infer hence to what an exact uncontrollable obedience he had reduced that Kingdom , as to bring about so great a work with such a suddennes and facilitie .

An armie was also raised ▪ here , which marched to the North , and there fed upon the Kings pay a whole Summer . The Scot was not idle all this while ; but having punctuall intelligence of every thing that passed at Court , as farre as what was debated in the Cabinet Councel , and spoken in the bed-chamber , ( and herein amongst many others , the Scot had infinite advantage of us ) He armed also , and preferring to make England the stage of the warre , rather then his own countrey , and to invade rather then to be invaded , He got over the Tweed , and found the passage open , and as it were made for him all the way till hee came to the Tine , and though there was a considerable army of horse and foot at Newcastle , yet they never offered so much as to face him all the while , At Newburgh indeed there was a small skirmish , but the English foot would not fight , so Newcastle gates flew open to the Scot without any resistance at all , where it is thought he had more friends then foes , and who were their friends besides for this invasion , I hope Time , and the Tribunall of Justice will one day discover .

His Majesty being then at York , summoned all his Nobles to appear , to advise with them in this exigence : Commissioners were appointed on both sides , who met at Rippon , and how the hearts and courage of some of the English Barons did boil within them , to be brought to so disadvantageous a Treatie with the Scot , you may well imagin . So the Treatie began , which the Scot wold not conform himself to do , unless he were first unrebell ▪ d and made Rectus in Curia , and the Proclamation , wherein he was declared Traitour , revoked , alledging it wold be dishonorable for His Majesty to treat with rebels . This treaty was adjourned to London , where this present Parliament was summoned ( which was one of the chiefest errands of the Sco●… , as some think . ) And thus far by these sad and short degrees , have I faithfully led you along to know the tru Originals of our calamities .

Truly Sir , I must tell you , that to my knowledg these unhappy traverses with Scotland , have made the English suffer abroad very much in point of National honour ; Therefore I wonder much that all this while ther is none set a work to make a solid Apologie for England in some communicable language , ( either in French or Latin ) to rectifie the world in the truth of the thing , and to vindicat her , how she was bought and sold in this expedition , considering what a party the Scot had here , and how his comming in , was rather an Invitation , then an Invasion , and I beleeve if it had bin in many parts of the world besides , some of the Commanders had gone to the pot .

It is the practise of some States I know , to make sacrifice of some eminent Minister , for publick mistakes : but to follow the thred of my Discourse . The Parliament being sate , His Majesty told them , that he was resolved to cast himself wholly upon the affection and fidelity of his people , whereof they were the Representative body : Therfore he wished them to go roundly on to close up the ruptures that were made by this infortunat war , and that the two armies , one domestick , the other forrain , which were gnawing the very bowels of the Kingdom , might be dismissed . Touching grievances of any kind ( and what State was ther ever so pure , but some corruption might creep into it ? ) He was very ready to redresse them : concerning the Ship-money , he was willing to pass a B●…ll for the utter abolition of it , and to establish the property of the subject ; therefore he wished them not to spend too much time about that . And for Monopolies , he desired to have a list of them , and he wold damn them all in one Proclamation : Touching ill Counsellours , either in Westminster-Hall , or White-Hall , either in Church or State , he was resolved to protect none , Therefore he wished that all jealousies and misunderstandings might vanish : This , with sundry other strains of Princely grace he delivered unto them , but withall he told them , that they shold be very cautious how they shook the fram of an ancient Government too far , in regard it was like a Watch , which being put asunder , can never be made up again , if the least pin be left out .

So ther were great hopes of a calm , after that cold Northern storm had so blustered , and that we shold be suddenly rid of the Scot , but that was least intended , untill som designs were brought about . The Earl of Strafford , the Archbishop of Canterbury , the Iudges , and divers Monopolists are clapt up , and you know who took a timely flight ( Lord Finch ) to the other side of the Sea. And in lieu of these , the Bishop of Lincoln is enlarged , Bastwick , Burton , and Prynn are brought into London with a kind of Hosanna . His Majesty gave way to all this , and to comply further with them , he took as it were into his bosom , I mean , he admitted to his Privy Councell those Parliament Lords , who were held the greatest Zelots amongst them , that they might be witnesses of his secret'st actions , and to one of them ( the Lord Say ) he gave one of the considerablest Offices of the Kingdom , by the resignation of another most deserving Lord , upon whom they could never fasten the least misdemeanour ; yet this great new Officer wold come neither to the same Oratory , Chappell , or Church , to joyn in prayer with his Royall Master , nor communicat with him in any publick exercise of devotion : and may not this be called a tru Recusancie ? To another he gave one of the prime and most reposefull Offices about his own Person at Court ( The Earl of Essex ) and thereby he might be said to have given a Staff to beat himself . Moreover , partly to give his Subjects an Evidence how firmly he was rooted in his Religion , and how much he desired the strenthning of it abroad , The treaty of marriage went on 'twixt his eldest daughter , and the young Prince of Orenge . Hereunto may be added as a speciall argument of compliance and grace , the passing of the Bill for a Trienniall Parliament , and lastly ( which is the greatest Evidence that possibly can be imagined , of that reall trust and confidence he reposed in them ) he passed that prodigious Act of Continuance .

Touching the Trienniall Parliament , there may come some whole some fruit out of it , will keep all Officers in awe , and excite the Nobilitie , and young Gentrie of the Kingdome to studie , and understand the Government of the land , and be able to sit and serve their countrey in this great Senate : But for this Act of Continuance I understand it not ; Parliaments are good Physick , but ill meat ; They say abroad that England is turned hereby from a Monarchy to a Democracy , to a perpetual kind of Quingentumvirat ; and whereas in former times ther was a Heptarchy of seven ▪ Kings in her , they say now she hath seventy times seven . But in lieu of these unparallell'd Acts of grace and trust to the Parl. what did the Parliament for the King all this while ?

They promised , specially upon the passing of the last Act , That they would make him the most glorious , the best beloved , and richest King that ever reigned in England : and this they did with deep protestings and asseverations . But there intervened an ill-favoured accident which did much hurt , viz. A Discourse ( for truely I think it was no more ) but a discourse ) which some green heads held to bring up the Northern armie , to check the Puritan partie , and the rabble of the citie : This kept a mightie noyse , and you know who fled upon it , and much use was made of it to make that cloud of jealousie which was but of the breadth of a hand before , to appear as big as a mountaine . Yet his Majestie continued still in passing Acts of grace , and complying with them in every thing ▪ Hee put over unto them the Earle of Strafford , who after a long costly triall ( wherein he carried himself with as much acutenesse , dexteritie and eloquence , as humane braine could be capable of for his defence ) hee was condemned to the Scaffold , and so made a sacrifice to the Scot , who stayed chiefly for his head , which besides those vast summes of money , was given him to boot .

Touching the Earle of Strafford , 't is tru , he was full of ability , elocution and confidence , and understood the lawes of England as well as any , yet there were two things , I heard , wherein his wisdom was questioned ; first that having a charge ready against his chiefest accusers , yet he suffered them to have the priority of sute , which if he had got he had thereby made them parties , and so incapable to be produced against him : Secondly , that during the time of his tryall , he applyed not himself with that compliance to his Iury as well as to his Iudges , for he was observed to comply only with the Lords , and not with the House of Commons .