PLato saith, that every Common-wealth then runneth into ruine and decay. Cum numerus quinarius ternarió junctus duas efficit Har­monias: This is a Musicall Theoreme, and Plato's meaning was not in many hundred yeares (till of late times Melanthon and some of our late Writers resolved this Riddle) well understood the mea­ning is that State cannot subsist where the number of five, joyned to the number of three, maketh a dissonant or a discordant Harmony. Every Kingdome (ge­nerally consisteth of three Estates, viz. The King or Prince, the Nobility, and the Commons.

All States may understand the benefit and sweetnesse of Unity, but I come to particular distractions, and divisions among our selves at this present, wherein Nemo sua sorte contentus vivit. And to begin with the present estate of Church, the Coate of our blessed Saviour was without scame, schisme or rent; woven all whole; which is or ought to bee the Embleme of the true Catholiqe and Apostolique Church, but if our Saviours Coate had had as many seames and rents as we have among our selves at this present, he would I am perswaded have vouchsafed never to have worne it, they that have torne this seamlesse Gar­ment are not the Iewes who plaid for it, by casting Lots (though the Text saith in the Psalme, they divided my Garments, &c. for our Saviour ware more Gar­ments than one) but our Moderne Schismaticks and Sectuaries, who in every place like Pharaohs Frogs infect the whole Land, that there is scarce a City or Towne nay private house wherin they have not a part or party, so that the common people in the generall, and his Majesties best Subjects, hardly know what to beleeeve (some of them having published a new Creed) what booke to serve God withall, the booke of Common Prayer, and whole Liturgy being cryed downe amongst them for I dolatrous, prophane, and (as I have heard some of them affirme) an invention of the Divell, so that all the time of King Edward the sixth Q. Elizabeth K. Iames, and of our Soveraigne K. Charles we have served the Divell by their reckoning and we must say, Iam nova pro­genies caelo demittitur alto. A new race (of Round-heads) are dropt from Hea­ven to set us in the right way of serving God. But some will tell mee they are Saints, they live holily and keepe the Sabboth duly &c. I confesse they do and very strictly (as one an ale-house-keeper) in Southwark, had brewed a Barrell of strong Ale and upon a Sunday morning he saw it working as ale will when it is new tunn'd which he seeing and in a great rage, called for a hammer, and [Page 3]saying what doe you worke upon the Lords day, I will none of this, so beating out the head of the barrell he let all the Ale run upon the ground. Another u­sing Marshall Law hanged up his cat for killing a mouse upon the Sabbath day I could cloy my Reader with the like ridiculous actions of these fellowes, so di­stracted and giddy as if they had lived with Caine in the Land of Nod (or ra­ther in the Land of Noddy. But the Honourable Ho [...]se of Parliament hath ta­ken an order for putting an end to these Divisions amongst us, that much dan­ger yea mischiefe will heerby be prevented which otherwise, doubtlesse, might have ensued, and this course tooke Constantine in that horrible division and [...]ent betweene the Orthodoxe Christians and the Arrians that is by a Counsell he set­led the true saith, and in the meane time caused them both to remaine quiet with­out disturbance eitheir of the Church or Common-wealth, for never more bloo­dy war among Nations or more bitter distencion and quarrells have arose, be­tweene Church and Church, Citie and Citie, nay friend and friend brother and brother, then through difference in Religion; did not Diazivs a Spaniard ride 300. miles to murder his own brother, cleaving his head in two because he was a Protestant, how many Fathers disinherit their owne children because they professe a contrary Religion to theirs? and how many children for­sake their own fathers and mothers for Religion-sake? how many Treasons were plotted and undertaken against our late Queen Elizabeth (of famous and E­ternal memory) but for matter of Religion (as was pretended at least) how ma­ny Emperours, Kings and Princes, have been murdered for the Religion they professed, as Thomas Emperour of Constantinople by the Arrians, Henry the third of France, and Henry the fourth also (as was thought) for favouring of the Protestants; over much difference of Religion divided in opinion Asia from Af­frica, which after gave way to blasphemous Mahomet, the other being reconci­led by the sword of the Turke) to bring in his hellish and ridiculous inventions in their roome, but hereof sufficient, I only shew the danger of delay, in leaving the State of Religion, in a State unordered and unsetled, Schollers in the Vni­versities at this day are distracted or in a maze not knowing how or what course they should take to live hereafter, their breeeding there hath been very chargea­ble to their friends, and if they come to obtaine Schollerships or fellowships (such is our golden times) the sauce of obtaining them will cost almost as much as the meate is worth, and when they have taken their degrees by much studye and expence, they are never the nearer to preferment, for whereas one addicting himselfe to the studie of divinity) commeth by money or friends to get a living fortie goe without and are fain to turne Schoolemasters countrey Physitians, and some (I have knowne) Solicitors in the Law, being discouraged by the unset­lednesse of Religion, and liberty of the times when everie Hatdresser, Ironmon­ger, Cobler and Horse-collar-maker shall passe among the multitude for as [Page 4]sound a Divine as an Vniversitie can afford, and every known dunce and Igno­ramus shall possesse 2. or 3. great Benefices, by meanes of his fathers purse, or perhaps of a match the Patrons Chambermaid (rid lately of her green sick­nesse by lying at his beds feet) When Civilians must turne common Atturneys and Solicitors, and in a word we finde almost a generall hate and loathing of leaning the Arts and all excellencie of knowledge throughout the Land.

Gentlemen and inhabitants of the Countrey possesse themselves and their E­states in distraction and feare of worse and more tumultious times every where readier to sell then to purchase, the want of money is such a disease raigning a­mongst them that some are scarce able to buy them horses to come to petition for their grievances.

The Citie and Citizens know not well what to doe or trust to, as first, what Religion to professe, it selfe being as it were the conduit head of Sects and opi­nions which (as in pipes under ground, and in a close manner) it deriveth into the whole Land, they dare hardly venture their ships at Sea, they have so many false friends and open enemies, nay among themselves they know not (like Io­shuah) who are with them, or who against them, doubtlesse the Citie nourisheth many Vipers within her owne bosome, beside other Serpents that are nested in her Suburbs ready upon any uprore or rebellious tumult to devoure her, there­fore shee is not to be blamed if she strengthneth her Carrison fortifieth her gates in the best manner she may, shee hath now little returne of trade, her excellent Artisans cannot get imployment, or finde where to shew their skill, her Mechan­nicks walke work-lesse up and down, or going into the Countrey to visite their friends, some of them can hardly ever finde the way back againe.

What a distraction was amongst that Rabble in the uproare at Westminster, when the Bishop of Yorkes servants attending about the Abby Church to defend the same, and the Deanes House belonging to his Lordship, at which time they were forced to come forth with weapons, and divers of them were hurt: amongst all the rest Sir Richard Wiseman (whether by chance, or of set purpose is un­knowne) but being there present, and saying to the rude Rabble openly. Gen­tlemen, I will be your Leader, was with a brick or stone from over the Abbey doore, and (not in Westminster-hall, neither was he a member of a House of Commons as in an Elegie, dedicated to his memory is most lyingly reported) of which wound he dyed, and afterwards his Corps was carried to St. Stephens Church in Coleman-steet, and buried according to a new Church Government, lately enacted in a Conventicle of Scismaticks, being accompanied with at least five hundred Antick Bishops, consisting of all sorts with their Swords, mourning Cloakes, and black Ribands.

The strong Towne of Kingston upon Hull, hath bin distracted a long time, as fearing in pleasing one she offends another.

And was not Kingston upon Thames distracted, not knowing what to doe when Co [...]anell Lunsford arose there with so many men.

And I beleeve my Lord Major, and the Bishop of Chichester were much a­mazed when the round party came about them, reviling my Lord Major most vilely, and telling him the Bishop was his Pope. For the Bishop Preaching at the Old Jewry, at my Lord Majors Parish Church, when the Rounds saw him in his Rochet, they fell on humming and hissing, then being put out of the Church-doore, they gat up to the windowes, and brake downe the glasse, still continuing their rayling, and revising, to the disturbance of the whole Church.

And were not these Round-heads themselves distracted, when one of their companions, a Cooper, after hee had broken off a legg of the Statue of Christ, upon Cheape-side Crosse, fell upon the Iron Pikes, standing about the Crosse, where receiving his deadly wound he dyed shortly after, under the hands of a Chyrurgeon dwelling in Roode Lane.

Physitians are mightily distracted, and out of patience, because their whole Colledge knowes not how to cure this Epidemicall disease (that like the swea­ting Sicknesse in times past) raigneth over the whole Land, that is, want of money.

And I beleeve Abel, and Kilvert are not yet cured of this common Disease, since they played their projecting prankes. Also our Clergy in generall are di­stracted, till the Synod be past.

Proctors, Apparitors, and all other Officers of the spirituall Court, are like­wise distracted, as now wanting worke and except Hay-time, and Harvest re­leeves them they are like to be utterly undone.

In the City the Usurer is distracted, not knowing where or to whom to let out his money, where he may be sure of it againe, or being already out of his hands how to come by it againe; a witty Gallant comes to one of them in Moorefields and desires he might borrow 100. pounds of him, quoth Mr. Foxcraft the Usurer, to the Gentleman. Sir you are a meere stranger unto me, I ne­ver knew or saw you before, that is the only reason quoth the other that I come to borrow it, for if you knew me you would never lend me a penny.

The Courtier is discontented finding his journey's long, so little money in the Exchequer, and the absence of his Mr. from White-hall and the Parliament,

The followers of Nobles and Gentlemen, who hold their Tenures only at the will of their Lords and Masters are now a dayes distracted and know not what they shall trust to, if giving the least distaste, or by committing the least offence they shall incur their displeasures, and so be cast off, for these times are not like the forepassed, when for their honest Service they had extraordinary favours, or Annuall Pensions given them during their lives, yea though they in time of their Service had committed some grosse errours and highly displeased their Ma­sters.

A worthy auncient Gentleman in the time of Q. Eliz. dwelling in Bark­shire whose name was Mr. Young, a great house-keeper living a Batchelor all his life, against a Christmas sent up a man he had with forty pounds to London to bestow in frute, spice and other commodities (for at that time he ever kept o­pen house,) his man at London lighting among cheaters, lost all his Masters mo­ney at cards, and not knowing what to doe, by the advice of a chamberlaine of an Inne in Holborne, was perswaded to joyne himselfe with two or three good fellowes, who were resolved to take a purse upon the high way beyond Higate, he consented, and they meeting with fourscore and od pounds, the other theeves went cleare away with die money; and left him to be taken, not getting a pen­ny or it, howsoever he was carried to Newgate, where arraigned and condem­ned was (a little before Christmas) to be executed, which his Mr. hearing of, upon the very morning when the carts were come to Tiburn, came thither with his mans pardon, which the Queene (with whom he was very gracious) had granted & comming to the Sheriffe said, Mr. Sheriffe have I not a man among your company here to be executed, I know not quoth the Sheriffe, oh yes, I see him there quoth Mr. Young, (for he was piniond making his confession with a psalme booke in his hand) Sirrah quoth he you rascall doe I send you about my businesse and you stand preaching there, come down, or Ile fetch you downe with a mischiefe, and get you home about your businesse, his Mr, not only en­tertained him againe, but at his death gave him an annuitie to maintaine him while he lived.