BRother Civicus, conforme to your desire, I thought good to write to you of the estate of Britannia, with its adjacent Irelandia. But in regard the greatest matters are yet in firie; And because of the wonderfull con­fusion which every where appeareth, I cannot write as I would: For the PARLIAMENT cryes, Law, Law; the KING cryes, Aw, Aw; the QVEENE cryes Ave, Ave, and the COVNTRIE cryes, W [...]e, W [...]e, but alwayes thus much for your satisfaction I perceive there are three parties in their Kingdomes, which for brevitie I will ex­presse in abstracto, to wit; Pietie, Policie, and Poperie: Each one of these hath a Bastard-brother; Pietie hath Independency, a Bastard which Singularity begat upon Nouelty: Policie hath Atheisme, a Bastard which Superstition begat upon Ignorance: And Popery hath Prelacy, a Bastard which the man of sin in his full strength, begat upon one of the d [...]ughtres of Mammon. These three parties I finde diversly ranked in these Kingdomes: For England putteth Policy first then* Pietie▪ and then Popery. Scotland putteth Pietie first, next Po, licy, and then Popery. Ireland putteth Popery first, then Policie, and last Pietie. In each of these Kingdomes there is a pryme patron to which these foresaid parties addresse themselves, Hence it is that in England Policie runneth to the King, Popery to the Qeene, Pietie to the Parliament. In Scotland Pietie runneth to a Covanant, whence some are called Covenanters, Policie runneth to a Band, whence some are called Banders and Baberders: And Ppoerie runneth to For­tifications, or else is forced to leave the Countrey. In Ireland these partis have a contrarie current; For thire Poperie runneth to fire and sword, Policie to a Cessasion, and Pietie to a Posture of defence The Policie of England, and Poperie of Ireland have put all these Kingdomes in bloud, and are greived that they cannot meet together as they would for mutuall supply; And unlesse the Pietie of Scotland disappoint their designes, by all likelihood they will worke our ruine. For Policie will never lay downe Armes so long as that ques­tion of Thine and Mine is undiscussed: Poperie will never lay downe Armes, so long as the Name of Israel is heard of under the Heaven. And as for their Souldiers, who serve any of them for mo­ney, they will never lay downe Armes so long as there is either pay or plundering to be gotten. The sturring of these Malignants hath put each godly hearted Scots man into a Militarie condition. And therefore to the confusion of all the powers of hell bee it knowne, that Scotlands Pietie, now marching in the fields, is resolved never to lay downe Armes, tell it hath rectified Englands policie, and ex­tirpated Irelands Popery, which that it may be speedily accompli­shed by the power of heaven, is the humble and daily prayers of.