A great part of Your businesse, Bumpkin, will ly among Parliament-Rolls and Records; for it must be Our Post to furnish Materialls to a Caball only of Three Persons, that may be ready upon Occasion, to be made use of by the Grand Committee.
Rolls and Records hunted for Presidents.
Bum. My Old Master would say that I had as good a guesse at a Musty Record, as any man; And 'twas my whole Employment almost, to hunt for Presidents. Nay the People would Trust me with Great Bags home to my Lodging; and leave me alone sometimes in the Offices for four and twenty hours together.
Citt. But what kind of Presidents were they that Ye lookt for?
Bum. Concerning the Kings Prerogative, Bishops Votes, the Liberty and Property of the Subject; and the like: And such as They wanted, I writ out.
Citt. But did you Recite them Whole? or what did you Take, and what did you Leave?
Bum. We took what serv'd our Turn, and left out the Rest; and sometimes we were taken Tripping, and sometimes we Scap'd: But we never falsify'd any thing. There were some dogged Passages, indeed we durst not meddle with at all; but I can turn ye to any thing you have occasion for, with a wet-finger.
Lessons of behaviour for the Well-affected.
Citt. So that here's One great point quickly over; in thy being Train'd to my hand: A man might lay thee down Instructions, now, for thy very Words, Looks, Motions, Gestures; nay thy very Garments; but we'l leave those matters to Time, and Study. It is a strange thing how Nature puts her self forth, in these Externall Circumstances. Ye shall Know a Sanctifi'd Sister, or a Gifted Brother more by the Meene, Countenance, and Tone, then by the Tenour of their Lives, and Manners. It is a Comely thing for Persons of the Same Perswasion, to agree in these Outward Circumstances, even to the drawing of the same Tone, and making of the same Face: Always provided, that there may be read in our Appearances, a Singularity of Zeal, a Contempt of the World, a fore-boding of Evills to come; a dissatisfaction at the Present Times; and a Despair of Better.
Bum. Why This is the very Part, that I was Made for; these Humours are to be put On, and Off, as a man would shift his Gloves; and you shall see me do't as Easily too; but the Language must be got, I Phansy, by Conversing with Modern Authours, and frequenting Religious Exercises.