WOrds in due season are like apples of gold in pictures of silver: It is now seasonable, if ever, for every consci­entious and knowing man, that hath the feare of God, the honour of his King, or the good of this Kingdome before his eyes, timeously to endea­vour the Re-enthroning of our most gracious Sovereigne, the setling of Religion, and the establishment of the knowne Lawes of the Land.

To you therefore of the Common Councell, I humbly and earnestly addresse my selfe; That you would speedily set up­on the release of his Majesty, that is worth ten thousand of us, whose soule longs after peace, and whose heart and tongue dictate and declare the same. Beleeve him, trust him, relie upon him, (peruse his most gracious Messages for peace) and you shall finde the fruit of your obedience, an Act of Indemnity for what is past, and a well grounded peace for the time to come. After you have surveyed his constancy, observe the two Houses who scarce goe to bed and rise in the same minde, who once in a month are mad of a new fangle eyther in Church or State. How many se­verall faces have they shewne this City of late yeares, nay of late months? For the King, against the King; for the Scots, against the Scots; for the City, against the City; for the Army, against the Army, and now for the Army againe. Beleeve their guilded promises, and they will load you with immunities, but take heed lest those linkes of pretended pri­viledges, [Page 4] proue not chaines to fetter you in the conclusion.

Trust to their rewards and expect the like of the eleven Members, who for their good service to them were forced to flie the Kingdome to save their lives. Relie upon them and you shall have that which is designed that gallant Citi­zen Colonell Browne and all his adherents, destruction for their fidelity. If the demolishing of your workes which were cast up with so much indefatigable paynes and cost, will make you strong, and the pulling downe of your chains will assure your safety, their resolve is to make you i [...]vinci­ble: if to clap up the Lord Mayor just upon the necke of an Election (to serve their owne ends) bee a City priviledge, doubt not there is not a man amongst you upon the least di­stast, but shall have his fill of it.

If it be musicke to your eares to heare a Thanksgiving Sermon for the murdering of your sons and servants before your doores, you shall never want of such harmony. Looke upon the Army now under the command of the L. Fairfax, and observe how they have plotted all along their pactises to hide their horrid proceedings under the vizor of godli­nesse? Entertayne discourse with them, and you shall heare nothing from them, but of the new man of mortification, selfe deniall and the like. I doe not know what they mean by their selfe deniall, unlesse it be to selfe deny themselves into all the power and purses of the Kingdome: that is their scope and absolute end, else why have they imprisoned their King? why have they seazed all the strongest holds of this Land, and invested what Militia they possibly can in their owne hands? why else do they at this time subtily plot, and cunningly contrive, the utter undoing of all those Citizens that at this time speake the least tittle against that bloudy Traytor Skippon, in ejecting him out of his tyrannicall pow­er? How many have they imprisoned within these few dayes, and for no other end, but because their interest is peace?

O that you would seriously consider of this, and that you would chuse rather to die like men, then to live in perpetuall [Page 5] slavery. Can any man amongst you that hath the least spark of common sense or reason, imagine, That it is possible for you to be safe when your neighbour Counties are harassed, their estates seazed, their wives big with child threatned to be pistold, their horses plundred, their cattell driven away, their corne destroyed, so that a speedy famine is inevitably threatned. Thinke your Poore people will in short time rise and cut your throats for want of bread, if not prevented by your timely discretion.

Be wise therefore in time, lest you bee the Epilogue of this sad Tragedy: snort not in supine security: when your neighbours house is of a flame, thinke not that yours is fire proofe. They have not wanted a will, but they have want­ed power to cut your throats; in short time it is to be feared they will have both. You nourish a Snake in your bosomes, (I meane Skippon) you have given him warmth, and he will sting you to death. You suffer Warner to trample upon your neckes; you could offer violence to a just King, let not such a Rebell hold the Sword in his hand. He hath sold himselfe to do wickednesse, and struck hands with those that have drawne the sword of rebellion, and throwne away the scabberd; he is familiar with none but such whose rebel­lion have made them dispaire of the Kings mercy, such as have dipt their feet in innocent bloud, and are resolved to wade up to the chinne.

Resolve to call a common Hall, feare not the menaces of a few implacable spirits, who are so deeply interested in this hellish rebellion, that like the Devill they compasse Sea and Land to make themselves proselytes; hearken no longer to their witch-craft, for their end is to hedge you in to guard their owne lives and estates which lay at stake, to ingage you in the same bottome, to make you as irre­coverable Traytors as themselves, and then their votes are fully compleated, and your ruine is brought home to your doores.

It makes me to stand at a gaze, and wonderment, to see so many wise men to be rocked in a cradle of good words, [Page 6] into such a Lethargy of destruction; what is there nothing to awaken you? have you all dranke of the Lethean well? hath the spirit of slumber so infatuated you that you will dye in your neasts? me thinke the menaces from heaven against Rebellion should unlock your benummed senses: me thinks the justnesse of the Kings cause, the holinesse of his life, his clemency, his justice, his suffrings, his patience in ad­versity, should thaw your hearts, and melt you into obe­dience: me thinkes the good affections of all the Counties round about you, should be an example to you; and will you onely stand out? will you onely be notorious in this that you began, increased, and fomented this Rebellion? and will you end in it too? repent in time, and set upon the worke now ye have an oportunity, else if the King come upon you as Traytors, and so you receive the recom­pence of Rebellion; the long sword of Heaven▪ either the noysome Pestilence, or the meager faced Famine, sweep you away and your places be no more seene: if nei­ther of these premises have power to make you malleable, me thinks the epidemical decay of trade, and the feare of those numerous growing evills upon you, by reason of the ship­ping now ready to turne those streames which were wont to fill you with abundance and plenty, should stir you up: if all these prove ineffectuall, thinke that if fire and brim­stone from heaven destroy you not, the justly discontented party of this Kingdome, resiant in the City (maugre all or­ders, ordinances of exile) for their revenge, for the in­tollerable injuries offer'd them by you, will see this City (once the glory of this Nation) consumed into a modell of ashes.

In the name of God what is it that should so bewitch you into your present condition? is it feare that you should offend the Parliament, and so run a hazard the losse of your estates? if this be it. I wonder when you will be free of this slavish passion! nay, if the scale be heavy on Fairfax his side, there is not an estate in this City worth a halfe-penny, longer then they please: sure I am the ele­ven Members thought they had dealt wisely enough to save [Page 7] their estates, but an Independent juggle unhinged them in a moment, and sent them packing into a strange Country: or do you begin to idolize your Dagon Parliament, because they grow kinde to the City in uncaging your Aldermen? thanke them for nothing, it is as meeere a cheat, as arrant an imposture as ever was; had they had a plenary power to put their hellish designes in execution, those grave, loy­all, and honest Aldermen should not have drawne breath at this hower, nor must they looke for freedome longer then the Army keepes out of the walls of this City.

Take but this pregnant example of their actions: the Essex Gentlemen were thanked for their Petition at first (a meere formality) many Surrey men had their throats cut for begging the same; that which was a vertue in them and countenanced at the beginning of this Parliament, is now become a sinne impardonable: Petitions are the un­doubted Priviledges of the Subject, yet this liberty in three weekes hath cost the County of Kent three hundred thou­sand pounds; what is this but the height of robbery? it may be justly maintained that the Parliament and Army are the greatest theeves in the world; for first they take our pur­ses, and then they gagge our mouthes that we must not speake.