THe principall desire in thy Letter, which is the relation of Newes, I thus satisfie. I could declare unto thée the downfall and death of him who was of three Kingdomes the most unhappy hated Object; but I beléeve thou art not ignorant of that, nor of the imprisonment of the o­ther Great Man of little Grace, the formers quondam Compéere, and Com­plotter: but this is so stale, it cannot rightly be term'd Newes; no more then many other matters formerly remarkable; but now not worthy notice.

The chiefe and onely brisk Newes now extant, is the downfall of Wines, that formerly were so rack't, that for want of two-pence to purchase a quart of Sack, many a true Twelve-penny servant to Bacchus was forced to retire: Yet now (Heaven be therefore praised) their sodaine fall is proclaimed; and very probable it is that they should fall, for their Raiser himselfe is falne, and so falne, that unlesse he cast up his wine againe, and that sodainly, there is no hope of his rising.

To delineate his Character, and tell thée what this Creature was in the ori­ginall was, (though it take some time in the perusing) yet it may give thée suffi­cient satisfaction in liew of thy labour. His name thou knowest is Abel, a name sufficient in it selfe to ring the Maker his praises through the world; whether his Fathers name were Adam or no I cannot tell, although I am sure he was a M [...]n. This his sonne Abel, being in his Non-age, and having within him a Prophetique Spirit that told him he should in time come néere to be Lord Maior of London; his desire was to his Father he might Vintener it; Whereupon his Father condiscending bound him Apprentice to one of that Trade, where he was very of ficious, and as industrious to take a broken pate, or be throwne downe staires by a Gentleman (so his wounds might be curable within the verge of a Shi [...]ling, or some such summe) as any other of his fellowes could be; he would as nimbly answere [By, and By] to the Bar-bells time, as Whitting­ton did to the harmonious sound of the changing Bells that proclaimed him Lord Maior. His sedulity and diligence in his Apprentiship, was a sufficient signe of his after rising. Many a Sack-posset has he and his beloved Isabel cal'd to wit­nes of the integritie of his faith and troth unto her: Many a condemn'd dish of Mackeroll, Anchovies and Caveare have they devoutly devoured ever a cup of Sack, and Hypocrist. In tract of time, what by opportune dalliances, plea­sing Courtship, and amourous gestures, as servants may sometimes use Magi­stro absente) these two Lovers had proceded so farre, that within a short space they became lawfull William and Isabel, Man and Wife, His time now fully expired, he set up for himselfe and began to thrive amaine: His habitation was sometime at the Ship in Old-Fish stréet; where what with the help of his distin­guishing tast abroad, and her sure gathering and clese kéeping at home, together with their excessive gaine of Friday night Suppers, they became great in re­pute, and generally noted through the City. Abell, his name was rung in every mans eare, out of every mans mouth: so highly was his Stock increased, that his ample Cellar was become too commendious to containe his Sack: The Seas were plowed daily to bring him in wines: and that would not satisfie him, but the poore (rich I might rather say) Earth was digged to containe them. Ile warrant him he never thinks of Cardinall Woolsey, but withall remembers the swéet Legatic he left behind him in the Vault. The honest Vintener was so cautious, he would not suffer any others industry in the discovery beside his own: He car'd not for Partners in his House, much losse in his Celler: Of all the Roomes in his Ship he most affected the Keele: There was indeed the begin­ning of his glory. He is now worth at least ten or twelve thousand pounds, and must be Sheriffe: He must now keep good Hospitality at thy Citie charge his White-broth proclaimes it selfe; and for Fish his worship commonly affecteth Plaice most. His Wives shooes must not now shine with the smeering and un­sightly unguent of Kitchin-stuffe; but the purest Black that Spaine affords must now cover her happy Feet: Their Children must be nurst and bred at Hye­gate, and (because the Court breeding is not held gentie enough) have select persone on purpose imployed for their better education. Her manifold Chaine and Liffinie Ruffe without the addition of her Sattin Gowne, Hood, and round begarded Petticoat, speake her supereminent for a Citie Matron-ship at least: In the meane time he (for his part) deales much in the Court of Conscience.

His Conscience tells him that the Luxury of the times must be abated: Wine is so cheape, that the poorest Mechanicks drinke it: It must be exalted (by the help of a Monopolizing Patent, proiected and surreptitiously obtained betwixt his Cosen Kilvert and himselfe) to prevent Drunkennesse, Forty Shillings a Tunne is not custome enough to the King; but this seeming-honest Alderman must break both Merchants & Retailors. This Patent for the Office of Wine (being granted) not a Firkin of Wine can be conveyed, without a Ticket from Aldermary Church-yard, but one of this noble Aldermans spirits will prie into it, and because it wants hallowing with a note, it must be damn'd to the bottome of his Cellar.

All this time the good fellows in every Coast and Quarter of the Land, especi­ally within circuit of this City, mourned most solemnly in small Beere and were not able to climbe to the Olimpus of Old Sherry or Moderne Canary. The noble Souldiers cannot drink above a Pint a day out of their pay without prejudice to their hardly gotten Estate. The wittie Poets dare scarcely adventure into a Taverne to suck of their Hypocrene, or Aganippe. nor sit long to sing forth the praises of Helicon, for feare of being arraigned at the Barre for the odd two­pences arising upon each severall Pottle: and therfore in stead of Encomiums on the excellencie of virtuall Canary, they all write nipping Satyres against the base extortion of this ravenous Citie Member, who makes himselfe merry with other mens misery: And because those of his owne Function must not make him their president of growing great, Medium Wine must be forc'd upon them; He that opposeth must to'th' Fleet no redemption with out submission. Hee will not spare his brother Cain, tho he be certain he shall be jeerd in the Vampt Whore fort: he has showne himselfe so fierce in his Authority, that most men supposed he could not long subsist in this his wicked way, but at length bee brought to a strict Audit for all his Abuses.

And so it appeared, Tempora mutantur, &c. The whole Body of Parliament distast his Projects, disallow his Exaction, and are determined to pull downe this Colossus of Covetousnesse, or at least levell him with his Brethren by the Plane and Paring knife of Iustice, though it indanger his Eares in the polli­sing. Howbeit they beare a reverent respect to this Author of Project; as may appeare by the close conveyance of him to a place where he may be found forth­comming: and lest the mad Bacchanalian Blades should wrong this good Able Alderman if they met him in the Streets; they have provided a stronger house for him than his Ticket-Office at Aldermaries. They'l there dyet, Physicke him, and preserve him secure from further danger, till he vomit up most of his Wine againe which may be partly a meanes likewise to purge his Conscience. His Physitians tell him (unlesse he wisely prevent it) he is like to be extreamly troubled with head ach; especially with a stopping in his throat. But he is wise, and both knowes his owne disease best himselfe, and the most probable Cure; which if it stop not his wesand, and hinder the naturall passage of his breath, he may haply recover, and be Abel to set up his Trade againe. Hee is (it seems) a man generally belov'd still: for every man lonnes his Picture, and scarce any Stationer in Towne, but has some Pamphlet, Sonnet or Ballet in his praise.

But I have held thée too tediously already in this fruitlesse Story; I therefore héere leave him in the soddes of his delinquencie, till he be purg'd and pass'd a­way (either on Hors-back aukward, or on foot forward) by a Parlamentary Penalty. In the meane time accept the good will of him that presents these lines in liew of his ingagement Hoping ere long to sée golden dayes revived; and to participate with thée in a Pint of Sack for Six-pence.