OBSERVATIONS Ʋpon Prince RUPERT'S white Dogge called BOYE.
SInce the unfortunate death of Mr. Blake, I have, according to the direction of the two Secretaries you named to mee, had a strict eye upon Prince Ruperts Dogge called BOY; whom I cannot conclude to bee a very downright Divell, (as is supposed) or a spirit sent to nourish division in Church or State (though I must confesse the Irish Papists are very familiar with him in private) but certainly he is some Lapland Lady, who by nature was once an handsome white woman, and now by Art is become an handsome white Dogge, and hath vowed to follow the Prince to preserve him from mischiefe. Which I doubt not to induce you to beleeve, when I shall have delivered you my Observations, first of his Qualities, next of his Behaviour to others, and lastly, of others Behaviour to him.
I. For his Qualities.
1. IN the first place, He can Prophecie. I mean not as our Master Green the Haberdasher doth Prophecy, that is, expound the Scripture by private Spirit; but he prophecies of future events; and his Masters footman, a Laplander, doth expound him. Among other things, he hath prophecyed, that the King shall enter London before May day next, with threescore thousand horse and foote; that the Dogge himselfe shall be Courted, that he ads, more round then his own, shall bow to him; that he shall ride in a City Pageant triumphantly overlooking the people, and be feasted by a lawfull Lo. Major; and that the City, Lasty, shal proffer him two tubs of Custard-stuffe a week to bathe in, which he is not yet resolved to accept of. And it is thought that his Prophecies (for now at last they begin to turne our own arts upon us) will be printed here in Oxford in opposition to M. Bookers Almanacks.
2. He hath the art of finding out Concealed goods, for since [...]he King hath beene resident in the University, he and the Heads [Page] of both Houses have discovered the plate, that the Lord Say and Sir Iohn Seton could not; which for feare it may hereafter fall into such hands (I desire you to conceive I speak their words) the University desires may be melted down in New-Inne Hall (an house that accounts casting of Dollars lawfull) and coyned for the use of the King and true Parliament.
3 He is endued with the gift of Languages, which yet he hath the art to hide very well. For with a kinde of generous confidence he mounts the Table and the cupboard, under a pretence of courting his Master, and by that cunning meanes hath his care oftner then his Barber hath: for the Prince taketh but little care of his head. Besides he whispers those of the Noble men that are most true to the King, as often as the spirit doth M. Case, or those godly Teachers that are most true to the Parl. Some of great place and good account, who love to eves-drop all informations, have sworn to me they plainly distinguish the accents of the Dogs language to sound like our Hebrew. Whereupon I advised with some of the Professous here, (who in their hearts incline to our Side) who out of curiosity preffed neare, but they told me his whispers then seemed to them to be a mixt language, somewhat between Hebrew & High dutch which (they say) if any, was most probably the language of the Beasts before the curse. He also discourseth ordinarily with some Masters of Art, and many times understands them more, then it is possible they should understand one another: which kind of discourse they truly call Chopping of Logick. This quality admits him into all company, whose relations he relates to his Master, and his Master again to the King, and thus all our spies are discovered, and BOY doth that which many of the Kings own servants will not.
4 He is weapon-proofe himself, and probably hath made his Master so too, my self and the rest whom you have imployed to be of the conspiracy against him, have alwayes failed of our attempts, as if something more then witchcraft watcht over him. Once I gave him a very hearty stroke, with a confiding Dagger, but it slided off his skin as if it had beene Armour of proofe nointed overwith Quick-silver. Besides he hath been tempted with pieces of Capon and other choice morcells, as well seasoned [Page] all, as poyson and extemporary prayer could doe it: but the Cur as obstinately rejected them, as if he had knowne beforehand what they were, so that they hurt him no more then the plague-plaister, sent in the Letter did Mr. Pym. That which they say of him, that he usually sets his mouth as [...] trap, and catcheth bullets as they flie, (though you shall never see him, but with a brace hanging under his taile, as if he had but lately swallowed them, & were stil ready to void them) upon my credit it is a meere slander. But it is most certaine that hee doth things neare as strange. For when his Master the Prince hath forgot to put his characters between his shirt and his skin, some bullets he blows by, others hee breakes the force of so that they either no more touch him, then if they were aimed at the edge of a penknife, or if they doe, doe him no more harm then they would have done, if he had his characters about him. He is of too much valour himself; and though what my L. Brooks told you in a speech at Guild Hall, about our very Dogs being killed, be in the thing true enough, yet notwithstanding his Lp. hath wrote a booke of truth, by his favour I must tell him he was mistaken in the person that did the execution; for upon my word, the Kings men killed our men, and none but the Princes Dog killed our Dogs.
5 And lastly. He can goe invisibly himself, and make others doe so too. He hath often been where no body hath seen him, & done that that no body else could. Who think you conveid Oneal out of the Tower? even BOY. Who conveid the L. Digby first in to Hull afterwards out againe? even BOY. Who got Legg out of prison? even BOY. who released Bamfield? verily BOY still. Yet who all this while lesse suspected then BOY? and now, if ever, I beseech you have an eye to your selves; for he goes oftner between Oxford and London, every weeek, then the three Carriers doe. He conveies Letters without being broken open, and brings mony without being robbed. He it is that layes the Apprentises Designe in one shape, and then leads them on to the Action in another: one day he is Philip the Shoomaker, and another day Tom the Barber. And when he would find out our counsells, he mingles himself with the good apprentises; sometime appears like Ezekiel, M. Bostock the bookbinders boy; and sometimes like Nathaniel, [Page] Mrs. Greens Freeman. Under these disguises he brings us false Informations, and carries them true, and certainly no one else infuseth into the Apprentices what they should doe for the King, and what against my Lord Say. This he doth himself. Then upon my certain knowledge he doth usually break a black cloud about Prince Rupert too, in which hee goes as invisible as our Church, or our Faith doth, or as our Charity should. And by this mysticall meanes it was, that the Prince so often passed our Guards undiscovered, and by so many disguises entred those Townes of Ours, which the book to that purpose sets down very edifyingly. By this meanes he was the Appleman at Dunsmoreheath, the Netseller in Coventry, and the Old woman in Warwick: By this meanes he is all things and nothing, and no doubt is often at our common-Councell in London, marking out some of Our Citizens for death, and some of their wives for life, some of our Aldermen for plunder, & some perhaps for sport: Which tokens because they proceed from the assistance of this Dogge, and are fastned on us, we may truly call the Marks of the Beast upon the Godly.
II. For his behaviour to Others.
2. FIrst in respect to Civill (or rather uncivill) affaires, I finde it very Loose, and Strumpet-like. For hee salutes and kisseth the Prince, as close as any Christian woman would; and the Prince salutes & kisseth him back again as savourly, as he would (I will not say an Aldermans wise, but) any Court-Lady, and is as little offended with his Breathing. Then they lye perpetually in one bed, sometimes the Prince upon the Dog, and sometimes the Dog upon the Prince; and what this may in time produce, none but the close Committee can tell. Next to his Master, he loves the King, & the Kings Children, and cares very little for any other. For, (that I may give you a late observation,) When Our six Aldermen delivered the City-petition, the Dog lay just before Alderman Garret, with his eyes fixt on the King and his Master, and with one foot on the Kings toe, & another on Prince Charles his: and whiles Master Skinner was reading the Petition, though hee read it so that few conceived what they meant by it, yet the Dog jogd them stil in the right place, not a pithy period, [Page] or good word escaped him, as if he had known the meaning of it as well as the Bearers themselves did: But, what was most remarkeable; when that Juditious and Alderman-like Clause came (the King should returne into their safe Custody) this Devil-Dogge pressed the little Princes foot so hard, that hee was forced to hemme aloud to recover his Spirits: By which we may see plainly, this Dogge likes not the Kings return to London without his Army.
Next in respect to spirituall Affaires; In all exercises of Religion he carries himselfe most Popishly and Cathedrally. He observes our Fasts, no more then we doe their Feasts; He never is at any private Prayers, and very seldome at any conscionable Sermons. But as for publique Prayers, he seldome or never misseth them: and he no sooner enters the Quire, but he presently trotts up towards the East end, where there is a Painted window above, and an Altar below, both which with the Rayles make up one great Idol. Then he is much taken with their Copes, & Surplices, and singing books, & (since some of the Gentlemen of the Chappel are come down) with the singing men too. But above all (as hath been observed) assoone as their Church Minstrel with the long lock be gins to play his Arbitrary Jigge, he is as attentive as one of us private Christians are at S. Antholins, and markes the Tune, as if there were Doctrine and Use in it, and if he could write short hand, without all peradventure he would take it, as some of our great Ladies doe Sermons now in London.
III. For Others behaviour to Him.
3. FIrst, (I remember I told you before of his Masters kissing him, but not of his way of wooing him,) Prince Rupert never courts him without an expresse detestation of the Roundheads, so that he commonly takes the name of Gods Children in vaine. How much better were it to court him with Yea, and Nay, then to use such Blasphemies and Profanations? But the Reprobate Dog takes it all so well, that he is not pleased with any one that speakes to him civilly, or accosts him otherwise then Cavalier-like.
Next, all men in generall make much of him, and the truth is, they dare do no otherwise; For if they do, they are sure to heare [Page] of it in one misfortune or other. Tis observed that most of the Gentlemen that were killed at Edgehill had injured the Dogges reputation some way or other, and forgot to give him satisfaction before they went to the Battell. The Lo: Ta [...]ff did but speak angrily to him, and the same morning was shot in the mouth for it. The Lo: Bernart Stuard kickt him the night before the Batell, for hearkning what he said to a faire Lady, and this spitefull Curre got him shot in the very same toe that kickt him. The King himself never dines nor sups, but continually he feeds him. And with what think you? even with Rumps and Sidesmen of Capons, and such Christianlike morcells. And if this be not too prophane, I know not what is. For let his Majesty professe, and professe, as long as he will, I beseech you marke how I can come over him. Either he knowes this Dog is, or is not a Witch; If he knowes hee is a Witch, hee profanes against that place of Scripture that sayes, Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live. If he knowes he is not a Witch, then he prophanes against that other place, Cast not that which is holy unto Dogges. For if the Rumps and Sidesmen in crammed fowle be not the holy parts, I discerne not which are. But to returne. Majesty may do any thing (as they say) and therefore it is thought the King will shortly call a Councell of War, and in imitation of our proceedings will make him a new Officer of State, Sergeant Major Generall Boy. Truly, truly, the Kings affection is so extraordinary to him, that some in the Court envy him, and others nourish feares and jealousies of him. I heard a Gentleman Usher sweare the other day, that it was a great shame the Dogge should sit in the Kings Chaire, as he alwaies doth: and a great Lord was seriously of opinion, that it was not wel he should converse so much with the Kings Children, lest he taught them to sweare before they knew what an oath was.
One thing of very great moment I had almost forgot, and that is this. Whenever the Kings Councell is perswading his Majesty to an accommodation, aad resolvedly pressing him to returne to his other Councell the Parl. in comes this enemy to peace, and the Parliaments purposes, and (as if he could turne mens minds, as his Master doth the Winde before a Battell, by untying a knot of his Handkerchiefe) presently they speak of bloud, and war, and [Page] the Destruction of London, and vow they have not power to think of any thing else. Now consider if it be accounted Witchcraft to make men impotent in their Bodies, what is it to make them impotent at their minds?
These particulars I thought good to send you, that out of so many you might pick what is of most consequence for the good of the Commonwealth, and the promotion of a Reformation.
To summe up all. I beseech you now consider, That this Dog was once a Woman, but is now a profane Metamorphosis Dog; that he prophesies as well as my Lady Davis, or Mother Shipton could, that he helps the Colledges to their lost spoons and two-eared pots; that he speakes as many Languages, and as hard ones as Satan or Master Rroughton; that he is as shot-free as if his skin were voted Impenetrable; that he can be invisible when he will; insomuch that he is often smelt where he is not seen; that he communicates with that bloudy Prince, as his familiar; that he loves Organs, and true singing, and such Diabolicall Charms; that he hath his private revenges still going; and (what is above all this) that he discountenanced the Aldermans Petition; and tel me then is not this a Dog that is no Dog, but a Witch, a Sorceresse, an enemy to Parliament, (that is, to Church & State) a meer Malignant Cavalier-Dog, that hath something of divel in or about him?
Sir, I desire you that I may be quit of all further employment in this nature; For it is impossible to destroy him, untill the Colonies of new England come in to helpe us: they know how to order these Dog-Witches better far then we. Brotherly assistance may then perhaps do something. In the meane time you may doe wel to move it in the common Councell, that in their next Petition they would insert a Clause about his removall from the King. Thus I commit you to the protection of both Houses, I rest