THe old Roman Laelius, mentioned in Lucan's Pharsalio, was not more mercenariously devoted to serve the will and lust of Caesar, than late experience hath proved the plyablenesse of some English Parasites, to gratifie the greatest of Tyrants in the basest and beggerlyest Drudgeries. No Dog can be more ready to run on a Bul or Bear at a stake, than these Ministers of mischief, and Instruments of cruelty, have been fierce to fall on the most innocent, upon the least beek or nod of the Tyrant: They have been so far (as would have become English men and Christians) from refusing obedience to such Commands as carried not with them the Au­thority of Law and Justice, as that they have been ready (even to the rui­ning of mens persons & estates) to execute such Orders as have been dia­metrically opposite to both: yea, BY VIRTVE ONLY of their very power and stations, have they so highly invaded the proprieties of those whom their, or their Masters malice hath been prosecuting, as if they had been within no bounds of Law, Reason or Religion, or that there was no account to be given either in this ot another world.

But to proceed to that person against whom the Barteries of Justice by this piece of Paper are more particularly (yet publickly and not per­sonally) levell'd: I shall desire those who are now handing the Helm of publick Transactions, and promise so to steer the course of this Com­monwealth, that we may arrive at some such hopeful Harbour, wherein w [...] may in futu [...]o, be sheltered from those blustering Storms which had almost shattered us in p [...]eces, to consider how far the present Jaylor of the Tower, Colonel Iohn Barkstead, alias Baxter, (whom the deceased Tyrant had so trayn'd up in Tyranny, that he was become sufficiently tra­ctable to Ape him, and act his part in any Treason and Oppression) hath insolently run himself into guilt beyond all others who either may de­serve, or upon some pardonable grounds desire Indempnity, and con­sequently [Page 2] rendered himself uncapable of being continued in so consi­derable a trust as the Tower, which he hath made so obnoxious to ig­miny and contempt, that persons of honour and credit will be very shy of succeeding him in such a scornful scar. Now n t knowing how con­fident he may yet continue under an invisibleThose who are acquain­ted with the Story of the Stone lent him by an Itali­an to make him invisible, wil understand my meaning con­ceit, I judged it incumbent upon me to cheque him at the stairs head, before he run down with the Tower, as once he did with a dish of meat, when he was by a merry company cajowled in such a frollick, as then rendred him as great a fool as since he hath made him­self a knave: And therefore more soberly than possi­bly some passages may signifie me, I have sent forth this ensuing Charge against him: the truth of which, and much more, will be se­conded by many, if opportunity be but offered thereunto.

First, He the said Barkstead, Lieutenant of the Tower, contrary to the Laws of this Nation, and the trust reposed in him, for abetting the boundless ambition of a Tyrant, and the oppressing and persecuting of all who would not subject themselves to slavery,Major Ge­neral Over­tons Casé, with divers others. hath been a constant & punctual Observer of all commands, Orders and Directions pub­lick and private, which came from the late Tyrant, or his grand Pimp Thu [...]loc; and in imprisoning of mens Persons, banishing them beyond the Seas, torturing them by strict restraints in the Tower, keeping them up close from the comfort of Wives, Relations or Friends,As in Armigers Case, whose mouth they say he hath stopped by Composition. denying them the benefit of Law by Ha­beas Corpus, when it stood not with the Tyrants li­king, breaking open of Houses, illegal searchings, Ex­actions and Impositions; hath been the most indefati­gable Drudge in this Nation to the late Tyrant: and for the more ef­fectual managing of these his Masters affairs, be constantly employed some Souldiers and Officers, as Emissaries and Trappanners abroad, who under the notion of discovering Delinquents, and dissatisfied persons, have committed most notorious Villanies, in forcing several peaceable persons not within his Cognizance, to come and give the said Barkstead bond, meerly for the Fee sake, and in taking money from others not to discover their delinquency: divers of whom, though they could have put in sufficient Pleas for themselvs, submitted to any thing, rather than to come within the Tower, which this Barkstead had made such a Bug-Bear, that it frighted many from it: yea, his ve­ry Clerk forsooth had his Agents also, to make such discoveries as might augment his gain.

2. He the said Barkstead, contrary to Law, and the Trust reprosed in him, hath, during the time of his Government in the Tower, made such private Laws and Orders as have carried in them no other weight,A Lady was forced to pay 20 s. for her self and Servants; and yet 'tis said, She staid not above the time allowed by his order. & [Page 3] been of no other use and tendency than to ensnare and trapan those who came to visit persecuted and oppressed Prisoners into forfeitures of monies;I have heard, and believe it is true, that 15 s. was forced from two Kinswomen and a Son of Major General Overtons, sor but accidentally meeting of him as he was walking within the Tower, they having been to see the Armory. which hath been from time to time exacted from them by very coarse and inhumane usage: and upon refusal, many, both men and women, have been cast into Guards for divers hours; yea, some women who have had sucking children, could not obtain their Liberty, divers having been continued nights and dayes during his pleasure: with which monies so ex­torted, the Officers of the Guards have oft made themselves drunk, and the said Barkstead hath seen it, known it, & past it by.

3. The said Lieutenant of the Tower, without any publick direction, or legal Authority, as Lieutenant of the Tower, hath several times, by his own Arbitrary power, upon occasion of discontent with some Prisoners, imposed a close restraint upon all, till many have been ready to perish for want of air and exercise; and being ambitious of homage, hath prag­matically continued this close confinement upon them, till they have petitioned him for liberty to walk: and those who could not in Conscience thus humour him with Cringes and Cour [...]ship,Major General Overton, as himself and others have asserted, was kept close in his Chamber six Moneths together; that re­straint upon him and the rest being occasioned by divers P [...]isoners dining together, and yet Major General Overton was not out of his Chamber that day: yea, when the said Lieutenant was informed that this worthy Gentleman was almost destroyed for want of air and exercise, yet for six months together he positively refused him liberty to walk. he would not allow them the benefit of the air.

4. The said Lieutenant of the Tower hath raised himself a vast Estate by exacting unconscionable Fees from Prisoners; yea, from some who had not bread to put in their mouths. These Fees he constantly deman­ded at their coming in, and would allow them no liberty nor accommo­dation till they either paid him, or gave security for it; having very un­civilly treated and threatned some for not coming up to his Demands. Now for these Fees there is no other colour of Law or Custome, than that formerly there was a voluntary gratuity given by Prisoners to the Lieutenant of the Tower for his pains in receiving and paying to them the publick allowance, which in Barksteads time Prisoners have not en­joyed; yet notwithstanding, I believe it may be made appear that one Gentleman after an Order came for his release, was continued divers moneths, either because he could not, or would not, pay a Fee.

5. That the said Lieutenant of the Tower hath ingrossed to himself (not appertaining to him by vertue of his place several advantages in and about the Tower, by which he raised a vast sum of money yearly, as upon examination will appear.

[Page 4]6. That the said Lieutenant of the Tower, for his own, and Relations Advantage and Accomodation, hath expended (under the notion of necessary repairs) much of the publick money in fitting and making up Lodgings for Prisoners, from whom there hath been extorted most un­reasonable rates for the said Lodgings: As for instance: The said Lieu­tenant hath himself received to his own private use from Mr. Ashburnham 40 s. a week;I have heard that Major Gene­ral Overton, lodging at one Mr. Cuttingmans the Lieutenant of the Towers brother, and refusing any longer to pay as he had done 30 s. a week for his lodging; the said Lieutenant of the Tower threatned in the hearing of a Gentleman of worth, to put the Major General in the Dungeon. from Sir Henry Littleton, 40 s. a week, and from Sir Tho. P yton, forty shillings a week, or thereabouts; which they in prudence complyed withall, to the end they might enjoy that Freedom and Liberty which others could not have, and they paid dear for; besides great weekly sums which his Kindred received for those Lodgings which ought to be free for Prisoners: Insomuch that the Tower, formerly a noble and unexpensive Prison, is by him the said Barkstead's base pra­ctises and connivances rendred a rooking Pinfold; many being raised in that place by the ruines of poor Prisoners.

7. The Case of Mr. John Partman brought before the late Assembly, who voted his Imprisonment illegal and unjust, deserves Consideration, and is of it self singly sufficient to turn such a Traytor as this base Truck [...]er out of the Tower; who in this case first plaid the Knave, at last the Fool.

8. That the said Lieutenant of the Tower hath demeaned himself so insolently towards Prisoners, & their Friends who came to visit them,Especially to that worthy Person Major General Overton, his Wife, Children and Friends, as I have heard, and I believe is publickly known. and rendred himself so ridiculous in both publick and more pri­vate gross practises, (which I shall here de­cline insetting) that he hath caused much re­proach to fall upon Religion, and by that means is become so scandalous all the Nation over, that he stinks in the Nostrils of both Good and Bad.

9. And lastly, That it may appear how meer a Time-serving Truck­ler he the said Barkstead is, as plainly and undeniably he was; and how he now closes in with a Commonwealth from no other principles than the preservation of his interest, and to shelter himself under the Armies shield from the Lashes of Law, which otherwise might light heavily up­on him; It may be made manifest that he was improving all the interest he had to secure the Tower for the late Protector, alias Mr. Richard Crom­wel, in opposition to the Army, till he was frighted forth of that assay by a Colonel who told him he was undone if he complyed not with the Ar­my, as that Colonel hath confessed in the audience of forty Persons.

Now if this Charge bear such a proportion with truth, as that the said Lieutenant of the Tower is guilty of the Substance of what is in this Paper alleaged against him: Then

1. DOth it stand with the honour and reputation of the Parliament and Army, and the safety and security of the Tower, to continue him in that command? Or (according to what the Parliament hath lately voted, and the Army have publickly declared to pull the wicked out of their places) to receive him into any other Office or Place of Trust and Power within the Commonwealth? Or can it be rationally un­derstood that the Army (under an owning of their late Apostacy and real repentance for the same) do or can propose Indemnity for all, with out any Distinction either in relation to persons or things?

2. If he, and such as he be continued, and those who for Conscience sake either saperated from the late Apostacy, or were laid aside by the grand Apostate, are left out; what then doth the late great Noyse and Change naturally and intentionally signifie, farther than a translation of the Apostatical Cause and Design (under the Cloak of the Good Old Cause) out of Oliver Cromwels Family into some other? Or out of a single Person into several Persons, where Tyranny still remains the same, as stinking water that may be poured out of one into several vessels, but remains the same water, though the vessels were never so sweet?

3 Should the Army return no nearer the Good Old Cause in their re­pentance for their declension from it, than to such an Oligarchy wherein they may shrowd and shelter a private interest in opposition to the pub­lick; will they not plainly unveyl the grossest Hypocrisie in the world, in professing themselves sensible of an Apostacy, and expressing repentance for it, when at that time they resolved to remain in it? Will they not thereby plainly prove themselves Apostates indeed, not such as were led aside by weaknesses, but such as wilfully and wickedly turned out of the way? Oh how will they then stink as corrupt Carrion in the Nostrils of all Nations?

4. If the Parliament and Council of State walk by the Armies Rule in this respect, and they go hand in hand together, and perpetuate them­selves (as I hope neither Parliament nor Army intend) will they not ther­by in practise justifie that wickedness in the Apostacy, which most of them condemned in words? And will they not also according to the Tenour of this Text, Thou art made whole: go thy way, sin no more, lest a worse thing befall thee be judicially engaged into that which will rather perpe­tuate their infamy, than their power; so that the old reproaches cast up­on them, will revive with a new remembrance, and they will really justi­fie those who seem to condemn themselves for interrupting them, and as really condemn themselves in that wherein they now seem justified? Will they not by this means instead of healing our Breaches, and resto­ring of pathes to dwell in, create further and greater dis-unions, and so [Page 6] give the common Enemy that opportunity, which will undoubtedly and undeniably establish his Throne in the midst of us?

5. But if the Parliament and Council of State have more real thoughts for Reformation, (as I hope they have) how comes it then to passe that they receive those into places and preferment under them, who were actually engaged in the Apostacy, and reJect, at least neglect those who have suffered for Conscience sake, they being equally able with those they entertain, and far honester? Doth not this argue great ingratitude to those who have denyed themselves, to vindicate their power? And is it not very unbecoming the professions they make, ra­ther to countenance those who court them for places, than such as in conscience cannot seek themselves? If Favour or Friendship must car­ry it from desert, then doth that spirit sway the Scepter which Rules in Righteousness?

I shall not in this place, nor at this present, make mention of the Death of Mr. Syndercom, and what he suffered in the Tower by him; the Story is too well known, and will not suddenly be forgotten. I shall only urge that, to add to his former cruelties, the said Lieutenant of the Tower did deal most barbarously and unmercifully with that famous, and Reverend Divine Doctor John Hewyt, who being committed to the Tower upon the suggestions, and the Jealousies of the late decea­sed Tyrant, he used all the wayes that possibly he could contrive to adde unto his Grievances, and would not grant admittance to many Godly and Reverend Divines who took the paines to come and visit him in the Day of his Distresse; nay he would not suffer the Honoura­ble Lady his most dear Wife to have access unto him, but only when he pleased: which amongst many other almost inexpressible sufferings; was the occasion of a great and dangerous sicknesse, which did afflict him to the jeopardy of his life: whereupon petitioning to the Protector then living, she could not procure him the liberty of a cleer air, without putting in great security, and a guard upon his person, who meant nei­ther to fight nor fly away. It were too long in this place to insert the Injuries with which he was tormented a little before his Execution, when he was preparing himself for a better world, which were so into­lerable, that a Turk would not offer the like so the most despicable of Christians. For your further satisfaction in this and the particulars thereof, I shall referre you to the Petition of his Honourable Consort which she presented to the late dissolved Parliament, at the first begin­ning of their Sessions