IN the name of Rhodom [...]nt what ayles me? I have tuggd, and tuggd above these two houres, yet can hardly steere one foot forward: either my dried nerves deceive my arme, or my vex'd Barke carries an unwonted burden. From whence com'st thou Passenger?

From England.

From England, ha, I was counsaild to prepare my selfe, and to trim up my boat, I should have work enough, they sayd, [...]re be long from England, but trust me thy burden alone out­weighes many transported Armies, were all the expected numbers of thy weight, poor Charon well might sweat.

I beare them all in one.

How [...] beare them all in one, and thou shalt pay for them all in one, by the just soule of Rhodom [...]nt this was a fine plot indeed, sure this was some notable fellow being alive, that hath a trick to cousen the divell being dead; What is thy name? (Strafford sighes)

Sigh not so deepe, take some of this Lethaean water into thy thinne hand, and soope it up, it will make thee forget thy sorrowes.

My name is Wentworth, Straffords late Earle.

Wentworth, O, ho! thou art hee who hath beene so long expected by William Noy, he hath beene any time these two moneths on the other side of the banke, expecting thy com­ming daily.

Knows Charon Noy so well.

Know him, I, I warrant you, he is knowne here very well, he can no sooner get out of the Lawyers company (as w [...] have a boundance of your Lawyers here) but you shall have him somtimes with boyes at nine pinnes, somtimes he will by fudling with a Tinker, somtime he hath a crotchet to venture a fall with a wrastler, though hee be sure to get the fall him­selfe, he is for all companies; hee serv'd me such a tricke the other day.

What was it Charon?

Tell thee, and thou wilt go neare to shew such me ano­ther tricke thy selfe before I part with thee, thou lookst just of his complexion; marry he had begot a whimsey, what do you call it, a project, I a project, that out of the small Incomes that I receive, which is but a halfe-penny a Ghost, I should pay a penny out of every passenger I do transport, as a gratification, or rentage to great Pluto, but had hee come under the reacl [...] of this my Ebon Oare, I would have so spread his shade. Looke yonder where hee is.

Charon take there thy waftage hire.

What but one halfe-penny, I thought he would have payd me for a thousand at least, this is just poore ferrimens fortune, when they have once landed their passengers they may look for their fare where they can get it. Well, goe thy waies for a heavy Ghost, neither Pompey the great, nor Alex­ander before him did make my boat to draw so deep, I doe not think but that hee hath devour'd three kingdomes, and beares all the excrement and garbidge of them along with him.

Either my discontinued eye or my remembrance much deceiveth me or your name is Noy.

My Lord, when last I saw you, you were but Sir Thomas Wentworth, since I have understood, the royall favours of his Majesty meeting with your merits hath made you Earle of [Page]Strafford. It was a dignity which your abilities and your vert [...] well may chalenge.

An undeserved grace, Sir, which his Majesty was pleased to conferre upon me; the eye of my Prince is like the eye of heaven, shines where he lists, and looked with as much influence and glory on me, his lowest shrub, as on the proudest Cedars.

It is most true; nothing can parallell his royall vertues but themselves, but (my Lord) pardon my curiosity, whose rudenesse would enquire what late newes doth our Climate vent?

The last newes is of my selfe.

It must needs be then a history that is full of honour.

Yes very well, my Lord.

Oh, had I there continued I might, outlive all dan­ger and secure my right, nor in the honours of my thriving name, had I need doubt my fate, or lose my fame, Strafford had livd, though your preventing fate, that did my doome and death anticipate, call'd for a curteous dropsie.

My Lord, I thanke God, I descended into the sleepe of death, though not a sound, yet a whole carcasse.

But I dismembred lost my spited head.

My Lord, me thinkes so vast a spirit as yours could do good service without a head.

What odde conceit rides on your fancy now?

My Lord, I will tell you, and since example is the most legible character give you an instance, how many hun­dred yeares hath Atlas borne heaven upon his shoulders, yet I could never read of any head of his that was ever seene. I know my Lord you have undertaken taskes would have made proude Atlas sloope.

And some of yours are imputed unto me: had I any head in such and such Patents and Monopolies, master Noy, had I any plot at all in the Ship money, and in many more pro­jects that I cou'd name which took their originall all from you.

Your Lordship may use what liberty of speech you please; but doe you thinke that my Lords grace of Canterbu­ry is so pleasant above?

Are there no more, my Lord, of your party?

Yes, I believe, many: but this present Parliament hath more eyes then Argus, more cleare then Lynceus, and as powerfull as the Sunne, and should their numbers grow up like so many Hydra's, they can at once both observe them, and dispell them.

My Lord, how thrives the Romish faction?

Troth I think but little, and I beleeve it is likely e­very day to grow lesse and lesse, the grave deportment of the Fryers, the sanctimonious pretences of their Priests, prevaile but little, and worke in the people rather a suspition then an imitation. It is thought besides, that even from their Gownes and Cowles did arise the first grudgings and beginnings of the warre.

I understood indeed that some Priests were severely looked after: that newes I heard from Mercury.

Now you talke of Mercury, there is a pretious gene­ration of Mercury's above.

Of Mercury's? they are a people never before heard of, a Sect which no age ever understood. I beseech your ho­nour to instruct me who and what they are.

Why, there are men Mercury's, and women Mercu­ry's, and boy Mercury's; Mercury's of all sexes, sorts and sizes; [Page]and these are they that carry up and downe their Pasquils, and vent them unto shops.

How is that taken?

I know not; but their takings I beleeve are good e­nough. But had they carried abroad such ware a yeare agoe, these Mercury's had need in earnest to put wings unto their feet to make more haste away.

They may doe well to read Lucian, he will teach their Pamphlets wit and innocence.

The Divell he will: excuse me, Mr. Noy, not too much innocence I beseech you; but let them write even what they will, the dead bite not, and if they bite not the dead I care not.

Will your honour vouchsafe to draw unto our quar­ters, it will make good sport for your Lordship to observe what devout cringes on their first comming the Atturney's and the Scriveners make to their little God Sir E. C. how with both hands lifted up, as he passeth by them, they will mumble their Pater nosters to him.

Pish, I neither need such company, nor desire it.

In what place then will your honour chuse to make your residence?

In any place, so that I might have that which I come for, Rest.