HEROD and PILATE reconciled.
A New Dialogue betwixt a Malignant and an Independent.
M.
YOur Servant, Brother. What's the news since we
Did last confer? Doth Independency
Thrive, and grow pregnant? Doth it now increase
Ith Associate Counties? shall we have peace?
Speak, brother, all amort? strange alteration,
Come you late from some new Congregation?
Me thinks you seem distracted: what not well?
Do our Designes miscarry? Brother, tell
Your dear companion; come, the worst of all
Will not discourage us: we cannot fall
Lower then now we are: brother if we
Shall ever rise, thank Independency.
I.
O my dear brother, 'tis those fatall Votes
Lately 'ith House, which makes us change our Notes;
We must disband our Army: and to see
Our godly party in such agonie,
Will move a heart of stone; a day of doome,
Of gloomy sadnesse: 'mongst us those that come
Newly from Colechester, will tell you more
Of this sad news, then ere you heard before.
M.
I smell a plot from Scotland, some such thing
I heard a wisper of; but whilest the King
Is safe at Homeby: what need you to fear
Cannot your conquering Army fetch him there,
And guard him to the City: soon you'l see
An alteration with Presbyterie.
I.
But brother, there's more; the Militia's put
Into the Common Councels hands: we are shut
Quite out of all: and this new Tyranny
More odious to us far than Prelacy,
Must now command us: we will not endure
Such base affronts from them.
M.
No brother, sure
Disband not.
I.
We the preservers, to be
So sleighted, not regarded; and to see
Skippon and Massie both preferr'd: and these
The City Favourites.
M.
Sad progedies.
We have been active, brother, but of late
Our combs are cut; we most unfortunate.
But what will Skippon go their Fabius,
Their man, so wise, so solid, and Religious?
In Cornwall, brother, we must needs confesse
His valiant service in their great distresse.
And maugre all, the Sectaries must yeeld
That he deserved best at Naseby Field.
I.
Brother, had he been but Independent,
S [...]rigg should have made his actions more transcendent.
M
But shall their Fabius and Marcellus
Be joyn'd together?
I.
O this doth quell us.
Brother, these must command, and 'tis not we
With all our plots, designes, and policie,
Can now prevent their choice: except there be
In our disbanding some grand mutiny.
M.
Is there no hope of that? me thinks your zeal
Might animate the Souldiers to appeal
To all the Countreys: and 'tis Lilborns sence,
You may complain o'th' House for this offence.
I.
O but the City, brother, and these Scots
Are cunning, subtill, to prevent our plots.
[Page 3]They have a major part i'th House; and then
Advise, how to oppose these craftie men.
M.
Send frantick Peters down, and let him there
Belch out his surious raptures; twill go neer
To work an alteration: we must lend
Our best assistance now: some Notes from us
May do you service.
I
Help from Aulicus,
Or any other; our necessity
Makes us not scrupulous of Malignity.
M.
Let Lilly raise new spirits; let there be
A Combination, brother, suddenly.
A Junto gathered of Erastians,
To wrangle out these Presbyterians.
Let Turn coats be advanc't, and let none have
Preferment now, but such as will turn knave.
I.
Brother, 'tis good advice, I am glad to see
Herod and Pilate both so well agree.
M.
But is it likewise true, shall Massie he
Be honour'd now: that in necessity
Kept Gloster safe: and afterwards did take
So many Garrisons, and made us quake?
Shall he that did such service in the West
Be lookt on now, brother, who can disgest
Such Votes.
I
Nay more, Cromwell, Hammond, Ireton
Are layed aside: Massie, Jones, and Skippon,
They must command in Ireland: M. then I fear
Small crums of Comfort ever will appear
To help our dying cause, sure soon must we
Give up the ghost with Independency.
Except, my brother, we can finde some way
Some fine designe or other, to delay
Skippon and Massie, that they be not sent
[Page 4]To Ireland; lest too late we do repent.
Yet if you send them over; clog them there
With such Commissioners: that you need not fear.
Let Davise buy provisions; let there be
To him but granted a Monopoly.
Let such command the bagge: who will not give
Any Account, dear brother, whilest they live.
Me thinks your H [...]ckney, Penny Pamphleteers
May raise some scandals 'gainst them, some odde jears.
Every weeks Diurnall, may do some feats.
Peck is your Mercenary: and such cheats.
To undeceive the people would do well,
Let Dillinghan be sent for, he can swell
His sheet and half to countenance your Tribe,
Stitch a Conceit or two, your Moderate Scribe,
You must confer with him; and Walker too.
I.
Brother, they all are Knaves, and will undoo
Our god [...]y party; stay, observe a while,
You'l see them turn-coats, and their friends beguil.
Lilborn I like not, brother, you will see
That man prove false to Independency.
M.
Admit he do; yet Davy Jenkins late
Defends your Cause.
I.
A man unfortunate.
M.
But be not yet discourag'd; some more plots
The King is working; let us not be sorts.
But active, vigilant, we may recall
These Votes amongst our friends; if this be all.
I.
No brother, there is more, the House did send
To the City I rely to desire them lend
Two hundred thousand pound, and told them there
We should disband, Skippon and Massie were
The men for Ireland: told them they should see
[Page 5]The House would grant them all security.
Newcastle, brother, they will have; if we
Had but kept that for our fraternity,
We might have curb'd proud London, and have seen
The Presbyterian bend for all then spleen.
Yet more, to adde unto our misery,
Of Goldsmiths Hall they have the moity.
Besides I fear, my brother, you will finde
An Answer shortly to the Cities minde
About their curs'd Remonstrance; they have chose
A new Militia; that will us oppose.
M.
Would not the Gibeonites, your friends, once speak
Some long-breath'd speech or other: but to break
This horrid Combination: they us'd to make
Some Remora heretofore, which did take
Amongst the vulgar.
I
O but now of late
Their speeches, brother, are unfortunate.
Dull was their Oratory to perswade
The City a Garison to be made.
O had that plot but taken, brother, we
Had rais'd them Trophees to posterity.
Our friends had then commanded. Who durst be
In opposition to us?
M.
Prelacy
Might then had hopes, my brother, to have seen
A blessed toleration; and have been
A speciall help to Independency,
In all assaults against Presbytery.
I.
I know it brother.
M.
And it is most true,
We have a Presbyter as much as you
I grieve to see you sad, and pensive.
I.
And when
Shall we be merry?
M.
Sure those men
Might have been more active, when they did see
[Page 6]Such dangerous plotting by Presbyterie.
I.
The men were cunning, but yet all their guile
Could not insinuate to delay a while
This new Committee: that we might but pawse
And send a Post to the Army: our Cause
Lyes bleeding, brother: O the time is come
That Prophet Sedgwick tels the day of Doom,
I shake, and faint, brother, except there be
Some comfort left for Independency.
M.
I'le help you brother, there's such swarmes of late
Of strange prodigious Sects teem'd in this State,
Who all will joyn with you; and so shall we
To overthrow this vile Presbyterie.
I
These are some hopes of Comfort; will the King
Joyn, and combine with us, if that we bring
His Majesty to London: a toleration
Will he subscribe for us o'th Seperation?
M.
Be confident, my Brother, there is come
A Dispensation from the Queen, at Rome,
And Italy, they pray, and long to see
The good successe of Independency.
I.
And is this true?
M.
Most true, the King of late
Will joyn with any, he's so desperate.
No plot will take in Scotland, nor no new
Designes in France, or Ireland.
I.
Is this true?
Then we have hopes the King will joyn with us,
So shall we make our selves victorious.
M.
I will advise you, brother, let there be
Some more Petitions for Indemnity
By the Royall assent: that phrase did well
To please the King and us: let Saltmarsh, Dell
Hint on that Text more often; it will raise
[Page 7]A Faction; we Royalists now do praise
The Independent party: you do see
How we do hug your last Apology.
Your Vindication, brother, we admire,
And swear all's just and honest you desire.
Nothing we fear so much but Skippon, he
Will so prevail; suppresse the mutiny,
Which we rejoyce to hear.
I.
Brother, 'tis late,
I thank you kindly for this good debate.
We shall be sure we never will agree
Before we pull down the Presbyterie.
M.
Adeu, dear brother, untill next wee meet
To prostrate our selves at His Sacred feet.
FINIS.