I Have a great matter to impart unto you, ther­fore I pray you prepare your eares to attend what I shall say, we are none here (I hope) but such as are faithful.

You may remember that at our first meet­ing we adventured on a far more dangerous work then now we sail by: The Cavaliers were not then so well backt with a popislt Army, that will stand sure to us against the King and Parliament, and all the honest prefessors of the truth in the City, but now they are grown strong, and that distracts the Parliament, and makes all the true Protestants in the City at their wits end; You know how carefull I have been to accom­plish the expectation of all our hopes, though our bad cause hath had as bad successe, yet let us not leave off: for if ever we do but gaine an op­portunity to plunder the City, our crackt fortunes may gaine estates, and though we are now so poore that all we about an hundred of us, are not able to pay for these two gallons of Wine we have called for, but must score for one of them, yet would that pray replenish all our wants and fill our purses.

Gentlemen, I know you expect that I should speake something of what is past, and therein I shall endeavour to give you the best satisfaction I can: You know what faire promises Father Andrewes and Father Bul­lock [Page 2]and the rest of the Priests and Fryers made us if we could [...] most damnable designe they set us on, besides the great rewards of ma­ny; you know that my Brother Toll-taker is to be quafferer to the new Cardinall, and my Brother Cheese-monger the Clarke of the Kitchen; the bonny Porter shall be made a great Doctor by a speciall Writ: and his consen Iohn the Cardinals chiefe Secretary, and for the rest you know what was faithfully promised, though they never meane to pay it; Bre­thren, you know our case is desperate; therefore desperate designes doe best befit us, if we ever expect advancement.

You know the first designe was to frame a cunning Petition in pre­tence of peace, to gaine an opportunity of mutiny in the City, and this was carried very discreetly, we got many thousand of hands to it in a short time, for we made them believe (poore simple fooles) that it was for peace, and there were (as we thought) three quarters of the City rea­dy to back us, for trading was growne dead in the City, and the Parlia­ment caused them to pay money for their own good and safety, and gladly might they pay it to prevent us if they understood themselves well, what with our dissembling words, and what with our fained hands we flattered, and forged names enough to our Petition, and with a good­ly attendance we came to Guild-Hall, with good cudgells in our hands, we passed the guard of Souldiers, and entred the Hall; and thinking the City to be our owne, wee fell upon the Souldiers and beat them terribly, and had not those without broke in upon us, we had gone up to the Par­liament men that was above with the Aldermen, and we had made a bloody day of it, but when we saw that our side was not so strong as we expected, we was faine to runne some one way, some another to hide us any where, yet some very manfully stayed and delivered the Petition, and it was read, but here was the mischiefe of it, the cunning paces that read it discovered all our intents, and understood by the Petition that we did but jeare the City with it; and so they sent us away like fooles as we came, and some of us were committed to Prison as we justly deser­ved; For I must confesse unto you Gentlemen, that it went extreamly against my conscience, and so it doth still, to abuse the Parliament: but what will not such desperate men as we are do for hope of profit and honour? This makes us forget religion, love, liberty, conscience, and all that doth not conduce to our profit. Nay they were so cunning to discern that we would have peace without truth, and indeed you know it was so; fo we did not desire truth, onely pretended to desire peace, aiming neither it peace nor truth. Desire truth! No: if you would [Page 3]have the truth of it, we could with that all truth and Peace work at an end in the City, that we might come to plundiering and pillaging, for there lies our hopes, if we could once set them together by the Eares, we would part, the spoyle.

Gentlemen, you know that when this project had so bad an issue, we caused our Apprentizes to combine as we did before them, that they might see if they could cozen the Parliament by violent petitioning, we our selves would be neare hand, if they wanted aid, and indeed poor silly soules they were as earnest for us as we could desire, they got thousands of Hands to their Petition presently, and to Westminster they went severall times with it, and stood so stoutly to our Treachery, that they were ready to fall foule on most religious Members of both Houses, they cryed for Peace on any tearmes, Peace, nothing but Peace, for you know if the Parliament would let our Cavaliers have Peace on what tearmes they would, then they would (as we) give them good words till we had gained an opportunity to take a­way all that they have from them, then we would advance our fortunes, in­rich our selves, and murder them; then Nine-penny-Moll, nor you sarah, nor my Cozen Besse there, would command us, as we how are glad to sub­ject to you, but the spruce Citizens Wives and daughters should satisfie the lust both of them and us, as the Northern Lasses have done to some of them already.

Well our poor prentizes had but a cold Answer, the House found that it was but a fallacy, and respected them accordingly, and our hopes was twarted in this also.

So we drew up a most damnable abusive Booke amongst our selves, to scandalize the Parliament, I know you have all seen it, it is called the Ci­ties Complaint to the House of Commons, &c. This Booke we got a foo­lish Printer that did not know what he did, to print, for it was such a most wicked, invective Pamphlet, that had hee had either Conscience, Religion, Obedience, or humanity, if he knew what it was, he would not have med­dled with it, nor indeed would I Gentlmen, had I any other hopes to rest on.

But we got it perfected, and thousands of them printed, and it beguiled the Affections of many, and was applauded, and generally amongst our bre­thern malignants, and Newtrals believed, wee scattered them about the Pallace at Westminster, about the Hall, and in the City, and did it so cun­ningly, that we were none of us taken, only the Printer was suspected, and sent for, but we got him off, because he so handsomly fained the Authour thereof to be a particular man, slipt out of the way, and so it was husht o­ver, then we fell to printing of them again, and got some spending money, [Page 4]by them, which hath kept us ever since, but here was a mischiefe fell out in this too, for some cunning pate or other hath put the same Title upon an other Pamphelet that discovered all our knavery, and did us as much hurt as our owne did us good; surely God is against us, for we strive directly against the prescript rule me are taught in his holy word. But let us not be weary, but runne till we come to the end of the Race, perhaps we may win the Garland, but I must tell you it is very unlikely.

I know you are not ignorant how my brother Towler plaid Bo-peepe with them, when he runne like a hunted Hare, (being the more fearefull because his Conscience smote him, for his knavery) but he was taken and carried to Prison (as well he deserved, and my brother Cheesmonger was as faithfull as he, for he had furnished his house with good store of Ammunition for our designe, if ever we gaine an opportunity to plunder, but I know not how God that brings all wickednesse to light, in due time discovered that to the Parliament, and it was all taken, and we deprived of him too.

Afterwards we wrote two pretended Speeches, one of the Earl of Pem­brokes, the other the Lord Brooks, and sold three times as many of them as of the former, nay we forged the Clearke of the Parliaments hand to it, and an order for thanks be given to the Lord Brooke for the same, and this pro­ject tooke bravely, for there were thousands in the City did verrily believe it to be true, but at last it was discerned, and the Printer committed, but this businesse passed well, if may call it well, being such a base Action.

The Cavaliers by this time in the Countries were confident that we had made London our owne, and so we our selves thought too, but that our consciences told us that such courses could never prosper.

They fell to pillaging, robing, and killing the Country Protestants, and hearkning dayly when an opportunity would envite them to London, but amongst the rest of the Cavaliers that came from Oxford into Nottingham shire; were basely served at a little Village neare Newarke upon Trent, there was about forty of them that had made a vow to ravish all the pret­ty maids in the Towne, this Protestation they made at an Ale-house in Newarke, and was over heard by a Boy that drew Beere in the house, who went to this Village, and gave the People of the Towne notice thereof. The Cavaliers not knowing hereof went upon their designe, and when they came thither they espied a very handsome nut-brown Lasse, standing near a great house that was at the Townes end; who seeing of them come towards her took sanctuary in the house: and about twenty of the Cavaliers after [...]er, expecting that they had gotten a prize, but when they were come into he Hall, they found above forty good stout fellowes that were ready pro­vided [Page 5]for them, who shut fast the doore, and cudgelled them soundly, that they were not able neither to go nor stand, so that they had little list after­wards to wenching; the other twenty hearing them cry out ran all away, fearing they were betrayed (for the least suspition in the world feares an ill cause) and about halfe a mile off they came to a Farmers house, which stood at the end of another little village, where was no body at home but the good wife and her maid, who seeing them come, left their dairy and went into the Town, the mean while the Cavaliers seized upon their Butter-milk and curds and whay and creame, and such white meat as was in the dairy-house, where they filled their bellies so full that they could scarce go, and when they had done, carried with them such Hens and Ducks and other poultry as they could well, for indeed their bellies were so full they could scarce carry themselves.

At last the good wife was returned with her maid and above forty women with her, for the men were soon gone to the other village to prevent the plot, and the rest were at plow, or some husbandmens labour; and all the Cavaliers were gone out of the Dairy-house, but one of the women espied two or three of them together untrussing in a ditch, who lay as close as they could for feare the women should spy them, she gave notice to the rest, who fell upon them with Spits, Forks, Racks, Spades, Staves, and such wea­pons as they could get, and basted them welfavouredly, and the Buttermilk and Whay did so worke with them, that they were so troubled with the squirt, that the women trased them by the smell, and so met with most of them, for they were not able to fly fast before them, so that they were sound­ly paid before they got to Newarke, and had little list to boast of their suc­cesse, or to attempt the like after.

But to go on concerning our proceedings here, you know there was a Common-Hall called at Guild-Hall, and we did hope then to have cryed downe the Lord Major and to have raised a mutiny against the Parliament men that came thither, my cosen Iohn be was appointed to stand in the Court yard, and raile against the Lord Major and the rest, and call them Traytors; and curse them soundly, which he performed excellent well, and indeed had many fell in to side with him as he thought, but one that knowes him (who hates our base courses) took notice of him, and hath discovered him, and I feare he will be apprehended if he do not fly for it, therefore we must be carefull to cherish him all we can, least he discover us, and so we be all han­ged for abusing the King and Parliament, and indeed the whole Kingdome.

We had a great deale of care to take the opportunity of this day, we had many scours, and prevailed with some Common-counsell-men to be ready [Page 6]to assist us in the making of an uproare, which was attempted at the first but soon dasht againe, and (indeed) whereas we thought to gaine great ad­vantage that day, our bad cause sustained losse.

Such care had we to make all things sure that we went to the Brokers, and hired Gownes that we might be entertained like Common-councell men of the City without suspition, and there we rusht in and stood amongst them in our borrowed Gownes (I wonder indeed that the Broakers would trust us, it may be that they will want the returne of some of them) but here was a mischiefe befell us too, for the Proctor was known, and is like to answer for it: I tell you Gentlemen, me thought when we were in our grave fur'd gownes, that we were in too good a posture to betray, or to do the least hurt to an honest cause, as you know theirs is; I know not (what was the cause) but I am sure that we were ashamed of our cause, and so we shall ever be, we did as much as nothing.

Yet I conceive that we have now gained a good opportunity to plunder the City if our Apprentises can but obtaine this present opportunity of e­quall power with the best Citizens to dispose of State matters, which will be a great means of mutiny, let us be wise to raise a strong commotion, least delay discover all our trechery.

Gentlemen, you see hitherto we have not prospered nor our cause, it is bad and thrives accordingly, what shall we do in the next place, I desire that every one may freely speake, that we may conclude what to doe, for now is the time or never, we and all our businesse is more and more discovered, and the more we delay the weaker we shall now be, therefore let us conclude at this time concerning the next designe.

The Answer that was made to this Speech is not yet discovered, when I heare of it, I shall publish it.