O My Dear Heart, my Love and Joy, my own sweet Jonny, why so sad?

Jonny! I thou mayest well call me so, for I have made it appear to all the world (For all I was accounted a Grand Polititian) that I am but a Jonny.

Prithee be of good cheer, (dear Chuck) and receive a little comfort from the embraces of thine own dear Wife, who hath a long time, as a desolate widow, mourned for want of thee.

Sweet Jonny, dear Chuck, and what not? am I not full enough of grief already, but thou the wife of my Bosome, must (like the wife of Job) add unto mine afflictions, by flouting me with such ridiculous Titles, as Jonny and Chuck, which in plain English is no more then Fool or Chicken.

Tis a wonder to me (sweet heart) that you are thus transported with passion; I did not expect such strange kind of greeting after so long absence: I pray be contented with Gods providence, you know that the Saints must suffer afflictions in this world.

Saints! what dost thou tell me of Saints, who am as much a Saint as my horse; For all my zealous pretence to Religion, I expect my Portion in in this world, and let who will take the other for me.

Why? but (my Joy) pluck up thy heart, thy case is not so bad yet, but it may alter for the better: Thou maist become a Lord again in time, although thou art now but J. Lamb. Esq And as for me, I think I may deserve the name of a Lady as long as I live by the vertue of Old Nolls breeches: But he is dead and gone, and I am here, and who knows but I may once more live under a Pro­tector, which may chance to be thy self, for all the Parliament is now Rampant?

Away fool, away, I have not patience to hear thee longer building castles in the aire, and like the poor Cavaliers, flattering thy self with vain hopes, which are never likely to come to passe. I confesse I ever thought to make my self great: And all my actions under what pretence soever, were directed at the Butt of mine own Interest; And when I turn'd out the present Parliament, I did believe I had laid a good Foundation to my own Ambition, and thought my self but a step or two below the Soveraignty; but my waxen wings were so frozen, by the frigidity of the Northern climate, that I could not move them, but was forced to fall to the ground, and now must suffer disgrace for my aspiring desires, being made a laughing stock before the whole world. But it doth not grieve me so much to be Jeered by the Cavaliers (of whom I deserve no otherwise) as to be flerted by such silly Rogues as the time-serving News-mongers, who are the Heliotropes that turn about with every Bastard Sun that shines in the Firmament of Government. But some say Col. Hewson must be han­ged for murder if he be catcht: And faith I think it good Policy for me to hang my self: For so I shall not onely cheat CHARLES STƲART, but the Parliament also of their revenge, and then I shall be rancked with Alderman Hoyle in Monte­lions Calender for the next year: For notwithstanding the Act of Indemnity, I fear I shall be fetch't o're the Coales, ere it be long, and Col. Berry will not scape e'm for all they are the Badge of his gentility.

But hold, my dear, be not so desparate as to entertaine such thoughts, but hope the best: Be­sides, it is not your condition alone, but divers others are cloud­ed as well as you, and some eminent persons, as Sir Henry Vane, and the Lord Fleetwood.

Sir Henry Vane is now be­come Vayne Sir Henry, his wisdome hath deceived him, as well as mine did me. And to say truth, the wisest of men may misse it sometimes. But as for Fleetwood, he is but a Fool, and I never esteemed otherwise of him; For my intention was to make a Stalking-horse of him, or (if you will) a Stirrop where­by to mount into the Saddle of Supremacy: But I was disap­poynted by the activity of Sir Arthur Haslerig and his complices whose subtilty I never dream't of: But as for the City I never was in fear of it: For a verier Fool then Fleetwood is able to keep them under, so long as a Red-coat remains in it. Yet, to speak as I think, if they had but a resolute Lord Major, they would bite, as well as barke. And now I speak of the Lord Major, I would I were in his Coate: For notwithstanding he hath lost as fair opportunities as possibly could be desired to free the City from slavery, yet, I could find a way whereby still he might assert his De­claration of Decemb. 20. yea, and bring it to passe, in spight of this cantell of a Parliament now sitting at Westminster.

But good Husband, since you are so wise in the affaires of others, I wonder why you were so slur'd in your own concerns: You might have plaid Have at All, and fought with Monck, or you might have declared for a Free Parliament, and so have made not only the City, but the whole Nation your Friends: Nay, had I been as you, before I would have submitted to the mercy of mine enemies, I would have renounced all my former actions, and have de­clared for CHARLES STƲART.

Introth wife, thy pride and haughtinesse hath ever been a Spur to my ambitious attempts; and it had not been amisse if I had made use of thy helpe in the prosecution of them, since at a dead lift, there's no wit like the wit of a woman: But now thou speak'st of CHARLES STƲART, I was advised by a wise man, assoon as I had turned out the Parliament, to send for him in; the refusal of which Council I now too late repent: I confesse (deare wife) that any of these wayes might possibly have prevented my ruine; Or I might have asserted Liberty of Conscience, and then all the Sectaries in the Nation, viz. Quakers, Anabaptis [...]s, &c. would have flocked unto me as Bees to their Hives: And I should have been looked upon as another John Baptist, and fore-runner of Jesus Christ, by the Fift Monarchy party, who ex­spect his personal Raign on Earth, the time of his comming being so neer, that Major General Overton, looks every day for his Landing at Hull. But what the Devil do I talke of what I might have done, since now I am undone? I should rather think of some way to avoyd the storme impending over me: But there's now no meanes left whereby I might helpe my selfe, but meerly to rely on the mercy of the Parliament, which I hope to find, being comprized within the late Act of Indemnity. But some may wonder why those that Engaged with Booth, should lose their Estates as Rebels, and Traytors, and that I and my Confederates, who really effected, what Booth and his party but barely attempted, should notwithstanding hold our own, as if we never had offended: Why, I must tell thee, wife, that there is great reason it should be so: For as the Jsraelites spoyled the Egyptians, so it is lawful for us, who stile our selves the Saints, and people of God, to rob and ruine the Cavaliers, with all that adhere unto them: And although we are divided into many Facti­ons, each striving to be greater then other; yet, since we are Brethren, as Simeon and Levi were, we ought not to prosecute one another to the de­privation of Life or Estate. But for all this I know not what the Parlia­ment means, no more then they know what Monck meanes, in coming to wait on them with an Army at his Heeles. He is a cunning Fox, and had need look well to himselfe, or they will Lurch him in the End, as well as they have me. I feare I shall go to Lobs pound very shortly, and, it may be to the Gallowes after: But ti's good enough for me; I might have taken time by the fore-lock, If I had looked well about me: They say every dog has his day, and so I had mine, if I could have made good use of it. But I find Morpheus is ready to lock up my sences, and to give a little rest to my restlesse mind: wherefore I say no more, but