CHAP. 1. Of Hugh Peters his Birth and Education.

H Ʋgh Peters was borne in Cornwall, in a little Village named Sudbury, not farre from Launson; his Fathers name was Edward Peeters, by trade a Dyer of Stuffes, but counted a man of good repute and civell behaviour, and gave his Son Hugh what Education hee could, as did belong to a Father; hee was as the ancientry of the Countrey doth report, bred up six yeares in the free Schoole of Launson, after which being fourd very prone and pregnant to Learning.

CHAP. 2. Of Hugh Peters going to Oxford, and Invested in Brazen-Nos'd Colledge, and all his Prancks play'd there during his time.

HEe was from thence transferr'd to Oxford, and there invested in Brazen-Nos'd Colledge, during [Page 2] which time he was alwaies given to Scoffs, Iests and jeering; yet he took Learning in abundance, for all that hee was not much respected; for the Schollers despis'd him, the Proctors did not care for him, none very well loved him, hee carried the fairest Tongue of most men, but the dissemblingest heart of all men; hee would promise as faire as any one should, and performe as little as any one alive; he was a man never given to the vice of Swearing, yet hee would Lie most intollerable, he was never of no Magnanimous Spirit, he would fight with no one in open armes, but they must beware of him of a pri­vate mischiefe; As to instance, hee once seduced a company of Schollers to goe foure miles out of the Towne to a Parke of the Kings intending to steale some Deere, and there he began first to be a Thiefe and a Traytor against his King and Soveraigne, but marke the story and you shall heare what a notori­ous piece of Villanie this young Iudas did invent being but tender like a Cockatrice Egge, even to betray the innocent Beasts of the Parke; It chanc't the Moone did shine when hee and his gang were with drawne over into the Parke, and the Keepers walking the Round and ranging about, perceived them armed with Gunnes and Cros-bowes, and they with Forest Bills encountred with them and defeated them, pursuing them quite to the Townes end, but then fearing some other assistance retired backe to the Parke againe till next morning, and then came to Oxford and enquired after these Deere killers; faith [Page 3] those of his Company were faine to absent the Col­ledge, quit the Towne and be gone; So there hee wrought their Ruine and destruction in the first place; for in regard they durst not make appearance in the Colledge; some took to the High way by wch means they were Hang'd; but accoding to the old Proverb, The veriest Thiefe scapes best. For the crafty Fox and Ring-leader himselfe, was neither discovered, taxed, nor suspected, yet observe the malice and treachery of this Iudas, a weeke after following hee goes and buyes a pecke of Apples, and cuts off the top next the stalke of every one, picks out the Core, put in Rats­bane and stopt them up againe with the same pieces; observing that Deere doth love Apples excessively, he caries one evening to the same Parke, and throws them about for the Innocent beasts, wherby severall of them were poysoned to death. Thus did hee vent his Malli­cious poyson against man and Beast; You'l say 'twas enough to deserve hanging but his time was not come.

But a Thiefe and a Traytor he was from the begin­ning: But to proceed hee had not beene passing the space of three yeares in this Colledge; Tell this un­paralleld fact was Committed; for by his craft and close concealing mind, hee kept it private and unknowne two yeares longer; which time being expi­red, it thus came out. He and some others being in a Taverne: The Wind wrought strong began a dis­course in this manner. Said one, as I was once com­ming over a Parke being rutting time I was like to be [Page 4] spoyl'd with a Bucke; But I thinke I met with him: For I broke his Heape-bone with a Pistall bul­let. Why introth said Peeters, and I receiv'd and a­buse once by two Keepers, but I thinke his Sweet meat had but Sowre sawce: For in eating the Fruit which I presented there fell more in one Night, then in the Garden of Eden in a whole Yeare.

Why said the other, Adam was not there, said Peeters againe, that doth not argue the Serpent was not there.

Whereupon Notice being taken by one who was not his Cordiall friend: So that the Colledge came to heare of it.

CHAP. 3. How Peeters was cal'd before the Proctors of the Schoole with his Accusation, for killing and poysoning Deere; For which hee was expel'd the Colledge.

HOw Peeters was call'd before the Bench, taxt upon't, but stoutly deny'd it; Insomuch that one of the Proctors told him he was a Brazen-fac'-Fellow: He answered then he learn'd it in Brazen no­sed Colledge, upon which he was presently expel'd, Ox­ford then being too hot for him, hee hasted away to Woodstock, at which place there lay a Bishop; to whom he made his Addresse for an Ordination to Preach, but went away without his Errand.

Thus having not obtain'd his Request, rather then stand Idly Hee made bold of himselfe; And there­upon [Page 5] insinuated with one Person then another Person, one Sermon here and another there: Telling the Igno­rant people, Doomes day was come, and the Dayes they lived in were the Later dayes.

Hovering up and downe the Countrey am [...]ngst the Lay Committee: So that hee was taken for a little small Prophet: But all this while Oxford remain'd his Antagonest and durst not come there, which caus'd Him to his Power, to spit his Venome at that Town as formerly he did to the D [...]ere: For at Enstone in Oxfordshire he preacht the Unniversitie a prophane place, and ought to be refin'd and purged.

But that would not prevaile, hee was faine to quit the Towne and repaire to London, where at Bishops­gate Church, hee preacht downe the Bishops, rai­sed Sectory, which too many were to prone for to follow.

But presently then hee met with able Devines, which scorned to dispute with such a Quicksilver'd braine Fellow; Yet to please the People, and the ig­norant multitude were faine to argue, crosse him, and thwart him, to beate downe Rising sedition.

CHAP. 4. How Peters being Confuted in London by some able Divines for his erronious Errors, did marry a wife and sent her to Virginia and himselfe to New Eng­land.

WEll then this contentious Hypocrite Seduc't a young Gentlemans daughter to Marry with [Page 6] him: And not long he lived with her, but the Spi­rit of Cavalation struck in betwixt them.

Then did he act Richard the 3^.d, Tis true hee did not breake her Necke, but he sent her to Virginiae to be made a Slave on.

And went himselfe to New-England, wherein hee continued three yeares, till the very Natives were faine to give him Money to be rid of him.

Then to England hee came againe, as the Proverb is, An Ill hearbe growes any where.

And just as the Warr's was broke out in Flames: this Atheist came again to lay more Fuell to the fire.

Presently strucke into the Army, got preferment Chaplin to the Lord Brookes his Regiment: At which time Newes was Novelties, and none could declare more in a private Alehouse then Hee could in a pub­lique Pulpit: The ignotant did praise him, the learned despise him: So that hee was like the Fox, when once hee was well knowne Hee was faine to quit his Burough.

Even so hee qickly departed from Brookes, and fell into Fairfax Army, and there hee preacht, the Soul­diers into so much obedience, that they were ready to stone him away: Then he bethought himselfe whose Pallat he could please best, that if any Devill was on Earth he would find him.

For Townes nor Cities would not entertaine him, he knew the Sea (or A [...]my) must so stricke into Oli­ver Cromwell, then Lieutenants Generall, where now wee will hunt him, like a Fox by the Smell.

CHAP. 5. How Peters got his Preferment with his Master Noll, and his going with him into Ireland.

NOw Reader observe, that no sooner had his Mast­er and hee disputed, but they were Haile-Fellow well met: trim tram, like Master like Man.

Now Oliver was subtile, and of the same kind Pe­ters was, for in a Moneths time, hee found out what Peeters was, and Peeters what he was, so they became unto one another, as plyable as a clacke to a Mill-Wheele.

And Oliver made him not only his Chaplin but his privy Counsellour Varsooth.

Tooke him over to Ireland with him: For Oliver knew he was a Servant fit for his turne, and Peeters knew, hee was a Master for his: So a little before Tredath fight, Peters preacht to Oliver in the Camp, and quoted his Text in the 45. Psalm, and part of the sixt verse, Thy arrowes are very sharpe and the People shall be subdued unto thee: For truly said hee Ichu destroyed the house of Ahab King of Israell even to that, which pist against the Wall, for it was the work of the Lord, and thou which art going to doe this mighty worke, behave thy selfe like Maccabees, who slew of the Philistins in one day threescore and ten thousand.

[Page 8] Therefore smite them to the Earth and leave not one alive.

The Tyrant did as the Traytour had said, and turn'd the City into streames of blood: So this was his seventh horrid Act of Villany: From thence to England came againe: Because many men to loose their Estates, and this Hypocriticall Peeters was the first that transformed the Word from Malignant to Delinquent.

So after a great deale of Mischiefe, the Parlia­ment were willing to bee ridde of them sent them to Scotland; In which Travell two Soldiers being short of money knockt a Goose in the Head, besides having done some small affront to Peeters before; Saying, hee was their holy divine Prophet: Which in troth they wronged him; He caus'd them to be hang'd for't, But Dunbar in Scotland, Edenborough, Fife and Ster­ling: For all his good deeds there, wee'l give him in to the Bargaine.

And discourse of their horrid and detestable Plots in Counsell at the Castle of Windsor, lastly at Ware.

In which wee will shew the very essence of his Roguery, Villany, Iests and Mischiefe.

CHAP. 6. How Peters and his Master Noll sate in Counsell at Windsor and Ware, to contrive the Murder of the King, and dissolution of the Parliament, thereby to assume the Power.

IN Windsor, hee and his Master sate three Nights together up, to contrive for and how to usurpe the [Page 9] Government: The King being then at Holmby, by Peeters advice they pitcht upon a perfidious il-borne brat, one Ioyce to secure the King. Who did accor­dingly, after which they with-drew to Ware, where at distance from the Army in a Field by their selves Concluded, the King to bee Murdered, the Parlia­ment interupted, and Oliver to raigne Potentate, as hee confest when hee lay sicke at Plimouth.

Which was all accordingly done, but when the House was interrupted, so many as were Secluded were put in Hell at Westminster, in which place Pe­ters stood with his Pen and Inke ro take a list how many they were; after preached a Sermon at St. Albones stouping in the Pulpit like an Actor in a play, which a great one in m [...]schiefe, said he had been in Hell, and there had seene a great many Parliament men; still blinding the people, only to advance his Masters interest.

Which being done, and all things accomplished, hee was invested in his throne of wickednesse, yet he would flout his Master, jeere his Competitors, ob­ject to all.

For in the Pulpit at White-Hall some persons be­ing in the Chappell he did not affect, Heason was un­der the Gallery, Peters said there sate a blind Cobler had more grace in his face then any of them all.

At another time his Master askt him, what Col­ledge he received his Education in, he said in Brazen-Nos'd Colledge.

His Master suppos'd he had jeer'd him of his Nose, said he was a Brazen nos'd fellow to answer him so;

[Page 10] At another time in St. Iames his Parke being his Master in a Coach and hee on Horse-back, it chanc't to raine, whereby his Master sent him his owne Coat to preserve him from the shower; Peters sent him word again, he would not be in his Coat for 500. l.

See how the Traytor himselfe did hint at the un­worthiness of his Masters cause.

Another time his Masters Son Richard himselfe and another Gentleman to the number of three, were at the Devill Taverne at Temple bar, fifteen Shillings being to pay, faith Richard would pay but his club, what but your club said Peters.—Come hang it I'le pay my 3. Crownes, thats more spent in an houre then your Father could get easily in seaven yeares; but sud­denly after Noll posted away, Richard defeated, and Peters faine to shift for himselfe.

CHAP. 7. How Peters after the Decease of his wretched Master, and the totall Defeat of all his wicked Rabble was faine to shift for himselfe, his narrow Escapes and Appre­hension, with his going to Triall and from thence to the Gallowes.

NOw this miserable Catiffe was in a worse conditi­on then ever was Caine for sleying his Brother Abell, then was he faine to shuffle and cut, and try his wits to the purpose, for hee knew the Game stood up­on his Life, but perceiving the game to be dangerous, resolved the best way to play least in sight which hee did for a certaine while, but being closely pursued [Page 11] and chased, he was constrained to take hold in South-warke, his dables being discovered, a Messenger was sent to apprehend him; but hee like a Fox did soone quit his Borough, and so mist for that time; but not long after he was taken and secured, though strongly denyed he was not Peters; questionless a Fox if that he could speake, to quit himselfe from Death would sweare hee was a Lambe; But Peters guilt and erro­neous actions could not appeare in the coat of Inno­cency, so forthwith was brought to the Tower, and a while after to Newgate and at the Old Baily tooke faire tryall before the Iudges, who gave him Sentence to be drawne from thence on a Sledge to Charing-Crosse to be Hang'd, drawne and Quartered, which was done: and now his quarters hangs on the Gates, and his Head on London-Bridge, where wee will leave them to the Readers judgment, whether hee was more honoured in a Tyrants counsell, or on the Gibbet at Charing-crosse.

So farewell to an unparalled Traytor ne­ver to be forgotten in the rolls of Infamie.