ray's enough left to dazle downe the height of my affections to the awe of my Judgement.
Tres-Royall Sir, I once againe beseech you, with teares dropping from my hoary head, to cover your Selfe as close as you may, with the best shield of goodnesse you have: I have somewhat more to say, which may happily trouble not your Selfe, but your followers, more than what is already said. There lived in your Realme and Reigne two whom I may well tearme Prophets, both now in a better Kingdome; whereof one foretold two things concerning your Majesty, of these very proceedings, long before they began; which being done and past shall bee buried in silence: the other made this prediction about the same time.
King Charles will joyne Himselfe to bitter Griefe,
Then joyne to God, and prove a Godly Chiefe.
His words were in prose these, King Charles will come into fetters, meaning strong afflictions, and then prove as good a King, as such a good King of Israel, whom he then named, but I need not: he was as inwardly acquainted with the minde of God, as fervent and frequent a Beadsman for your welfare, and had as religious Opticks of State, as any man I know: foure other Predictions he made, full as improbable as this, whereof three are punctually performed. A good Christian being sometime in conflicts of Conscience, hurried with long tentations, used this speech to my selfe, I am now resolved to be quiet, for I plainly see, God will save me whether I will or no: If your Ma
jesty would be pleased to thinke so in your heart, and say so with your mouth, all the good Subjects you have, would say, Amen, till the heavens rang, and I hope you have few so bad, but would say, So be it.
Much lamented Sir, If you will please to retire your Selfe to your Closet, whither you may most safely come, and make your peace with God, for the vast heritage of sinne your Intombed father left upon your score, the dreadful Imprecation he poured upon the heads of his tender posterity in Summersets and Overburyes Case, published in Starchamber by his Royall command; your owne sinful marriage, the sophistocation of Religion and Policie in your time, the luxury your Court and Country, your connivance with the Irish butcheries, your forgetfull breaches upon the Parliament, your compliance with Popish Doegs, with what else your Conscience shall suggest: and give us, your guilty Subjects example to doe the like, who have held pace and proportion with you in our evill wayes: we will helpe you by Gods assistance, to poure out rivers of tears, to wash away the streams of blood, which have beene shed for these heavy accounts; we will also helpe you, God helping us, to beleeve, that there is hope in Israel for these things; and Balme enough in his Gilead to heale all the broken bones of your three kingdomes, and to redouble your honour and our peace: His Arme is infinite; to an infinite power all things are equally faisable, to an infinite mercy, all sinnes equally pardonable. The Lord worke these things in us and for us, for his compassions sake in Jesus Christ.
Sir, you may now please to discover your Selfe
where you think meet; I trust I have not indangered you: I presume your Ear-guard will keep farre enough from you, what ever I have said: be it so, I have discharged my duty, let them look to theirs. If my tongue should reach your eares, which I little hope for; Let it be once said; the great King of great Britaine, tooke advise of a simple Cobler, yet such a Cobler, as will not exchange either his blood or his pride, with any Shoo-maker or Tanner in your Realme, nor with any of your late Bishops which have flattered you thus in peeces: I would not speake thus in the eares of the world, through the month of the Presse for all the plunder your plunderers have pillaged; were it not somewhat to abate your Royall indignation toward a loyall Subject; a Subject whose heart hath been long carbonadoed, des veniam verbo, in flames of affection towards you. Your Majesty knowes or may know, time was, when I did, or would have done you a better peece of service, than all your Troopes and Regiments are now doing. Should I heare any Gentleman that follows you, of my yeares, say hee loves you better than I, if it were lawfull, I would sweare by my Sword, he said more than his sword would make good.
Gracious Sir, Vouchsafe to pardon me my no other sins, but my long Idolatry towards you, and my loving you too hard in this speech, and I will pardon you your Treason against me, even me, by committing Treason against your Selfe my Lord and King;[4] and
your murther, in murthering me, even me, by murthering my deare fellow Subjects, bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh, and of yours also. If you will not pardon me, I will pardon my selfe, dwell in my own clothes as long as I can, and happily make as good a shift for my proportion, as he that hath a lighter paire of heeles: And when you have done what you please and what you can, I am resolved to be