TRUTH Will never shame its MASTER.
DEDICATED By John Paine, a VVelwisher to PEACE and TRƲTH,
To His Highnesse the Lord Protector OF England, Scotland, andIreland.
MAy it please your Highnesse once more to vouchsafe to reflect a favourable Construction upon these poor and illiterate Lines, wherein I humbly crave Your Highnesse pardon for my ambition in presenting them to so great a Personage, they being so mean, and my self so unworthy: [Page]But in confidence of Your Highnesse Clemencie, and wonted Favour towards others in the like nature, and also the Loyalty and Duty which I owe unto Your Highnesse doth engage me to do this, and more if I could; In the mean time, I am, and will ever remain,
MY LORD,
Your Highnesse subjected, in all Loyall and Faithfull obedience, till death, John Paine, Souldier under Col. Haine.
REnowned Sir, when in my contemplation
I think upon the danger that this Nation
Was in of late, and so I think is still,
If some could yet but onely have their will
To bring their ends about; as I surmise,
From Antichrist the Pope did first arise,
And so descended to our English Court,
Where Priests and Prelates, as some do report,
They had a Project, and a great Design,
Gods glorious Gospel for to undermine
By Superstition, and indeed to me
They altogether did so well agree
To ruine all the Nation, except those
That are at present your most deadly Foes;
I know it by experience, for I see
They are as bad, or worse, than bad may be;
For since the Rumor of the Holland Peace,
In Town and Country they do much increase,
And swear they'l lay a hundred pounds to ten,
That this late Treaty will break off again;
Which if it should, I hope you'l have a care
To make them love you, though it be for fear;
It stands upon your Highnesse now to take
A stricter course, than heretofore, and make
The Cavalliers and Papists all to know
You'l have their reason whe'r they will or no.
If that your Highnesse have not yet forgot,
I gave you notice lately of a Plot,
Which was of late discover'd as I hear
Coming to London out of Dorsetshire;
They say that some committed are to Tower,
And more to be expected there each hour,
[Page 2] That are as deep ingaged in the Plot,
Against your Highnesse, for I know not what,
Nor they themselves, I dare presume to say,
But that You crosse them in the Kings high-way;
I do believe that all the aime they have,
Is that the Hollanders will play the Knave,
And hold You in a Treaty untill they
Have gotten all their Merchant Ships away
To Sea for Merchandize, which only Trade
Is their subsistence, if they can alade;
Without the which they cannot, as I hear,
Maintain their War with us another year;
The which I leave unto the Lord of Hoast,
Who hitherto hath kept them from our Coast;
To whom I do ascribe all pow'r and might,
Because 'twas he who made Your Armies fight
By Sea and Land, the which doth terrifie
The Nations that do round about us lie.
I have a word or two yet more to write,
Concerning things which I see are not right;
But that I'le leave untill some other day,
And then (God willing) when I come this way,
I'le call upon Your Highnesse, for to know
Whe'r I in this transgressed have or no;
I do confesse here's neither Rhyme nor Reason
In all these Lines, nor yet (I hope) no Treason.
And so I'le leave Your Highnesse unto him
That giveth Peace unto Jerusalem.
Your Highnesse poor
Faithful and sure
Servant till death,
Here upon earth,
I hope to remain
For ever, John Paine,
[Page 3] Here is a little Line for every Ten,
And if You like them I'le begin agen,
Before I go for Jersie, where that I
Have liv'd ere since the Islands taking by
Your Highnesse Forces, sent by Col. Haine,
For the Reducing of that place again.
I've one Request unto Your Highnesse more
That You'l be pleas'd to look upon the poor
And sad conditition which some Souldiery
Are like to suffer, by the subtilty
Of those that get Debenters for a song,
That never were in Arms yet all along
These bloody Wars, where many thousand men
Have lost their lives, and never came agen
To see their Children, neither yet their Wives,
Which (now poor souls) are weary of their lives.
Alasse what is it for to have a Crown,
Or half so much, when there is due a pound?
(For service done already for the State,
Is now forgotten, and quite out of date)
Besides, a third deducted for Free-quarter
To pay our Landlords for the same hereafter.
When we are paid off our Debenters clear,
T'will be to many a very happy yeer;
But in the mean time if there ben't a care
Many will starve for want of food I fear;
For I my selfe, as plainly may appear,
Have serv'd the States almost this fourteen yeer,
And never had one peny for my pain
Untill I served under Collonel Hain,
Which was about some four or five yeer since,
The time before was on my own expence;
Besides I've spent, in trotting up and down
After Committees, well neer forty pound.
[Page 4] There are many more I know can say the same,
But how to remedy, or who to blame,
I do not know as yet, because that I
Am not acquainted with State policie,
Which I confesse is good, if't be well us'd,
But I see daily it is much abus'd
By some of whom Your Highnesse little deem
That they should so Your Orders dis-esteem,
As do Excise-men, Treasurers, and Committees,
In all Your Counties, Villages and Cities.
Once more, my Lord, I shall desire to take
My leave of You at present, and to make
An end of these my simple Lines, and so
I'le for Jersey, as fast as I can go:
And there I hope, my Lord, for to remaine,
Your Highnesse servant untill Death
JOHN PAYNE.
Truth may be blam'd by some, though not by all,
I have thrown it out, but know not where 'twill fall.
FINIS.