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, 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 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, 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 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.