AS for the present estate and condition of the Com­mon-wealth of England, 'tis affirmed by famous Sir Walter Rawleigh, in his Prophecy, written by his own hand, the day before he was executed at Tower hill, in the dayes of King James, That it should re­main without a Kingly Head for the space of 13 years; and that before, & at the expiration there­of great troubles should arise; much striving for the Go­vernment and Crown, but to little purpose; For be assu­red (saith he) O ye people of England, that the dayes will come, When diligent inquisition shall be made for innocent bloud, both from Kings, Parliaments, Common-wealths, & States; and that great will be the fall of Tyrants and U­surpers; yet nevertheless (after a short time) the people shall be governed by a Head, a mutual enjoyment of peace, will attend the English Nation; and all the Saints and In­habitants thereof shall sing Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Blessed be the Name of the Lord, for this great Work of Reformati­on, and restoring of us to our former pristine condition.

[Page 4]This Government shall refrain firm and unmoveable, & all the Princes of the Earth shall adhere thereunto.

It is likewise prophecied, That in the year, 1652. the English shall become Masters of France; And in the year, 1653 the Germans and Danes shall submit. Lastly, That in 1654, the Lord Generall Cromwel shall enter Italy with an Army, and in 1655. the City of Rome shall be taken by his Excellency, and the Pope and seven Cardinals shall fall un­der the fatal blow of the Ax, and be headless.

On the 14 instant, came an Expresse from France, signifying, That all the troubles in Burdeaux are appeased; the Nobility and Citi­zens of the Town of Guienne declare for the Prince of Conde, which draws a conjunction of all Burdeaux to his Highnesse, whose Army and provisions increased daily.

Gen. Harcourt hath writ to the Queen, That his Officers have pro­t [...]sted against the Cardinal, and have deserted his Majesties service, by reason that he is made Generalissimo of the Kings Army. This Cardinal is both a great politici [...]n, a gallant Souldier, and a learn­ed Scholler. The Parl. of Paris sent two of their Members to the Court to the King and Queen, to inhibite the coming in of the said Cardinal, which two Members were taken prisoners; but this breach doth exceedingly exasperate the spirits of the Parl. Insomuch, that they immediatly sent a Declaration to the King, Wherein they de­clared, That if his Majesty would not vouchsafe to hearken to the advice of his Parliament, and to leave his evil Councel, and return to Paris within the space of ten dayes, that then they would depose him, sequester all his Lands and Revenues, degrade Him of his Crown, Honours, and Dignities, and fight a­gainst Him and the Kingdoms Enemies.

The Duke of Guise is come into Province with 6000 souldiers from the King of Spain to assist the Prince of Conde. The Duke of Longue­ville sent a Message to his Highnesse, assuring his Excellency that he hath 2000 Horse, and 2000 Foot for his service. The Lord Chancel­lor of France, and divers other Dukes, Marquesses, and Noblemen, offer great sums of money out of their own Estates to maintain him. Whereupon the Duke of Orleans (at a full Assembly in Paris) decla­red, That he was resolved (with God assistance) to expose life, fortune, and estate, for the preservation of the Kingdoms Rights and Interests, protesting [Page 5] his integrity to be true and faithful therein, in the preservation and mainte­nance of so great and good a Cause.

The Senate of Burdeaux (since the Cardinals coming in) sent to the King to take off the Declaration against the Prince of Conde. But instead thereof, the King sent a Proclamation to his Atturney Ge­neral, by which the Parliament, Jurats, and all their Officers there, are discharged of their Offices, which so inflamed them, that they took the Letters from the Atturney General, and sent them to the Prince, resolving to adhere to the Prince upon that account.

His Highnesse the Duke of Orleans forces are marched towards Zayr, to hinder the Cardinal from joyning, or getting to the King at Poictiers. Col. Hollac (a German) is come in to the Duke of Or­leans with 500 gallant Horse, and were honourably entertained. Divers other eminent Commanders belonging to Gen, d'Aumont have likewise tender'd their service, which was received with great applause, and tryumph.

From Scotland they write, That the last week there was a generall meeting of the Ministers and Lay-men in Edenburgh; their debates are very high, crying out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians; Great is the Scots Presb [...]tery. On the next Sabbath they intend a Fast. Well may they fast and pray, if it he but to learn humility.

From Genoa thus: That since the coming of Don John into the Leaguer before Barcelona, that the French are with 3000 Foot, and 1000 Horse recruited, that they approach the City daily, and never leave off to vex them, by day with Canon, and by night with Gra­nadoes: 500 sheep going before the Town are taken. At the Sea-Coast it was besieged with 30 ships, and 16 Galleys, so that it was impossible to bring there any thing more in; and they have taken the two Barques with corn that intended to have come in. The Ca­talonians began to strengthen the Forts (on the place formerly where the Jews use to bury their dead) to entertain correspondence with the City, but the Spanish are about to hinder them. The Earl Iglia was come from France to Matara with 400 Horse, and 2000 Foot, intending to get into Barcelona; but hearing by the way of more dif­ficulty than he expected, went no farther, tarrying for Col. Hauden­court.

At Genoa are arrived the Gallies from Spain with a million of mo­ney. A great Fleet is setting forth for the safety of that Republick.

In the next place, take a review (I beseech you) of certain remark­able presidents, worthy of observation.

[Page 6] Agrippa the elder being in Cesaraea, and cloathed with sumptuous apparel, and sitting in a high and regal seat, began to make a speech to the people; but some of his people cryed out, that it was the voice of some God, and not of man; which words being grateful un­to him, (who could be willing to assume divine honour to himself) he was suddenly strucken with an Angel, and so his flesh and bowels putrifying, he was consumed with lice.

The Syrians being overcome in War by the Israelites in certain mountainous places, ascribed their overthrow to the Gods of the Mountains, who (they said) did favour the Israelite; therefore they would fight with the Israelites in the vallies, where they thought the God of Israel was not interessed; upon which cause, God by his Prophet thus spake to the King of Israel; Quia dixerunt Syri, &c. Be­cause the Syrians said, the Lord is God of the Mountains, and not of the va­lies, I will give all this great multitude in to thy hand, and you shall know, that I am the Lord. And thereupon both their Armies joyning battel after, the Israelites (though but few in number) killed in one day a hundred thousand footmen: And there remained in a neer place twenty seven thousand Syrians, who flying into the City, were kil­led with the fall of the City walls: doubtlesly this was a manifest revenge and punishment of the former blasphemy.

Nicanor being leader of the Army of Demetrius the King, and in­tending to invade the Jews upon the Sabboth, was admonished that in honour and reverence to God (who seeth all things) he should forbear that sacred day: to the which advise he thus answered: Estne potens quispiam in caelo &c. Is there a Lord in heaven, that commands the Sabbath-day to be kept? to whom when it was answered. Est dominus vivus &c. There is a living Lord, which ruleth in Heaven, who command­eth the seaventh day to be kept: he replyed; Et ego potens &c. And I am migh [...]y upon Earth to command them, for to arm themselves, and to perform the Kings business. Upon which occasion the day of War being begun, though Nicanor had a most powerful Army, furnished with all kind of Munition and Armour; yet was he overthrown by a very few, with the loss of 35000 men. His blasphemous tongue was likewise cut off.

At what time Achior commended the power of the God of heaven, and averred, that the Jewes were secure and safe, in that they wor­shipped God religiously, at which words Holofernes in great indig­nation [Page 7] thus answered. Quoniam prophetasti, &c. Because thou hast pro­phecyed among us to day, that the people of Israel is defended by their God, I will shew thee, that there is no other God, but Nabuchodonosor, &c. For which blasphemy he payed dear, for his own head was cut off by the hand of a Woman, and his Army being driven to flight, a great part therof was put to the sword by the Jewes.

Antiochus for his pride and blasphemy, was strucken from God with an invisible and incurable disease; for first, suddenly a violent pain of his Bowels invaded him; and then quickly after he fell out of his chariot, wounding himself dangerously: lastly his body pu­trifying with a filthy consumption, and breathing out a most loath­som smell, was consumed alive with worms.

Balthazar (King of the Chaldeans) when he commanded the holy Vessels to be brought to him (which were taken out of the Temple of the Lord at Jerusalem) and did drink in them with his Noble men, and his Concubines; for such his prof [...]ning of them did presently feel Gods just revenge; for in the middest of the banquet and jollity with his guests, it is said, Appa uerunt digiti, &c. There appeared fingers of mans hand, which wrot over he candl-stick upon the plaster of the wall of the Kings palace. And this appeared in the [...]ight of all men, and with great consternation of mind and fear to the King himself.

Nabuchadonosor (King of Chaldea) when in his fury he cast the three children into the fiery furnace, for that they refused to adore a Statue erected by him, and further blasphemed against God, in prefer [...]ing his own power before the power of God, in these words: Quis est De us? Who is God that can take you out of my hands? Did immediatly af­ter acknowledge the contrary, and confessed a Deity, through the sight of that stupendious miracle, by the which the children being in the midst of the flames, remained unhurt and not burned. But after when he had forgot the same, and bear himself with his former elati­on and pride of mind, maintaining, that his power and glory stood obnoxious or subject to none, he was suddenly punished by God; a voyce from Heaven rushing upon him, and speaking thus: Tibi di [...]i­tur Nabuchodonosor Rex, &c. O King Nabuchodonosor, to thee be it spoken: thy Kingdom shall depart from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the Beasts of the field; They shall make thee to eat grass as the Oxen; and seven times shall passe over thee, till thou knowest, that the most high beareth rule over the Sons of men, and giveth it [Page 8] to whomsoever he will. Which voice being ended, he was presently deprived of reason and grew mad. Whereupon being driven from all mens society, he begun to live in the Woods among Beasts, and during seven yeares lived after the manner of beasts. Which period of time being ended, he was restored to his wits and senses, and pre­ently thereupon most excellently confessed a divine power. That this was to happen unto him, God foreshewed it a year before in a vision which he had, while he dreamed; which vision Daniel did in­terpret.

From Constantinople they write, That the Emperour of Turkey hath positively declared against all the Kings, Princes, States, and Com­mon-wealths in Christendom, and hath imprisoned about 4000 Christians; amongst the rest, many eminent Gentlemen: some where­of, are men of quality, belonging to the English Nation; who were Agents and Factors at Ska [...]o [...]n, Smirna, and other places; yet notwith­standing the Janisaries are not a little obstructive to his proceed­ings; which in time may cause a glorious Sun-shine of the Gospel, over those dark Atheistical and Methometan Corners; But as ancient Pithogoras said, That he was assured the Ayr was full of Spiri [...]s; so am I confident (as yet) that Turkey is full of Devils.

But the Venetians are preparing a great Summer Fleet, to go out against the Turks, under the command of the Lord High Admiral Foscolo, who hath already took 4 stately Gallies; and hath made him­self Master of the strong Castle of Nedron, wherein he found 30 brasse pieces, 500 barrels of powder, and great store of Ammunition. The Emperor of Germany is likewise raising 40000 men, to retard the Turkes Design against Christendom.