WE related unto you in our last worke, the two, (or both) the Houses were totally or wholly busied all day, (or from Morning till Night) concerning what rewards Mercurius Britan­nicus was worthy to have, for his serviceable, laudable, and indefatigable paines-taking, in his weekly writings for the Parliament, where many of the House of Commons, were of opinion, that the Gentleman had deserv'd well, but there was no resolved or setled resolu­tion amongst them, what to determine of him; where contra­ry to the wisdome, witte, sence, reason, and inclination of the House, the Grave and Ancient Knight (Sir Benjamin Ruddy­ard) only opposing, and bitterly inveighing against him, (as we have truly related in our former occurrences of the 31. of Aprill last) where that important businesse was left to the dis­cretion and censure of the House. So that this day the matter being againe renewed and debated on, M^r Sergeant Wilde, was appointed to plead in the ease of Britanicus, who like a second Cicero, or a double demie Demosthenes, declar'd himselfe both a Learned Advocate, and an Eloquent Orator as followeth.

RIght Honourable, and most constant Conscript Patriots, if the worth and merits of the Gentleman in whose cause I speake at this time, be well weighed and considered, the speech of an Advocate would be superfluous, and time being [Page 2] so pretious as it is, this Honourable Assembly might imploy it in more necessary and urgent occasions. But when a person so high deserving, is malignantly traduc'd, and the Magnificent Beneficence of your unparallel'd gratitude to noble endeavou­rers, and studious paines-takers, so transcendently calumniated, it is then high time to speak, if his own deserts were tongue­tied, dumb, mute, silent or speechlesse.

I have read in he voluminous collections of M^r Samuell Purchas, (intituled Purchas his Pilgrimage) of the Kingdom of Bornea in the East India: The King of that vast Region (al­though he be a Prince of mighty unlimitable Potency, for Ter­ritories, Men, Armes, Ammunition, Artillery and Mony) yet the safest and chiefest trusty guard for his person, is a Regiment of Dogges, those Dogges are his only Life-guard, in whose serviceable fidelity, his Majesticall sequrity doth totally con­sist. This Canicular allusion, is not impertinent to my fol­lowing, or subsequent interlocution. For though a man hath not the shape or appetite of a Dogge, yet no man hath cause to be asham'd to imitate a Dogge in fidelity to his Master. Call to your remembrance (I humbly beseech you) that the Re­verend Preachers, and Learned writers of eloquent perswa­sive Pamphlets, and weekly newes have not plaid the parts of dumb Dogges, but with their vigilant and violent barking, snarling and byteing, they have (with an Vlissean emulation and imitation, been more powerfull, then the strongest Ajaxi­an Army or Sword in the gaining of the seavenfold shield, and divine tempor'd Armour of the most valiant Achilles with his multitude of Mirmidons.

It is apparent that had it not been for the perpetuall supportation, that this Parliament hath had, by the happy meanes of those famous Lecturers, and Learned Writers, the Kings party had long since prevailed, and the Protestant Religion had flourished and been maintained amongst us, in spight of our teethes. But they, (and none but they are the chiefe Propps, Pillars, Ministers, and Instruments, that have both built, fram'd, erected, and upheld, the unparallel'd Geo­metricall fabrick of all the Mighty unexampled atchieve­ments, [Page 3] which (to our lasting renowne) we have accompli­shed, and may happily proceed in: for these men, have not only fully engrafted the People, with a constant beliefe of us, that our consultations are unerrible, our judgements infallible, our decrees unalterable, our opinions immutable, our power im­pregnable, our force invincible, and all our Actions unquestio­nable; by which meanes, they have continually furnished us, with meanes and maintenance defensive and offensive, of Men, Mony, Shipping, of all the Kings Houses, Strengths, fortresses, and Revenues, and finally of any thing, and all things whereby we subsist.

Amongst the many and numerous Multiplicity of those fa­mous Authors, the industrious and acute Mercurius Britani­cus, hath bin, and is the Atlas of our foundation, and the Top-galiant of our felicity. Who hath so vehemently revil'd the King, who hath more contumeliously rail'd against the Queen, who hath more Learnedly scandaliz'd the Peeres, who hath more Religiously abused the Protestant Religion, who hath more piously scandall'd the Common-prayer-booke, who hath so Reverendly vilified the Clergy, who hath more violently slander'd the Kings Servants, who hath more Wittily bejeer'd the Cavaliers, and who hath more prettily run the hazard of a Gregorian danger then he? And all these services he hath done for us, for which my opinion is, that we cannot doe too much for him.

I must confesse the rest have done well, but as there are de­grees (as our Logicians say) of Good, Better, and Best, so that though M^r Booker, M. Nye, and M. Lilly, have done most Ex­cellent-ly, Astronomical-lye, Astrological-lye, Mathematical-lye, and Chronological lye, in their infusing into the Peoples credulity, the predictions and pretendings, of Auspitious and Parliamentall Proditorious Events; wherein if the Starres and Planets have either not kept touch (or promise with them) or that betwixt the Constellations, Revolutions, and Influen­ces of the Celestiall Orbes, Spheares, and Hemispheare [...], and the Terrestriall Globe there is such distance, that intelligence may faile, messengers may meet with some Malevolent dis­asters, [Page 4] Letters may be intercepted, and many impediments may chance to alter and change the conclusions, that such A­stronomers do ground upon, as it did with M. Booker, when his pretences fail'd in the taking of Oxford, with two Armies the 29. of May last 1644. although all our Labour was not then lost, for with the dropping downe of no more then 700 of our men, we saw Oxford, and Conquer'd a Mill foure miles from thence, and we also took two Carts, laden with Bedsteads, joyn'd-stooles, Washing-bolles, and Bucking-tubbs. Concern­ing Captain George Wither, it cannot be deny'd, but he hath approv'd himselfe to be the Creame of Wisdom, the Lees of Wit, the Pith, Marrow, and Marrow-bone of Invention, for our sakes, cause, and defence, he hath mounted the two top'd Pernassus, pump'd at Hellicon, and drain'd the Thespian foun­tain, he hath Ransack'd the Muses, rifl'd the Furies, Plunder'd the Divell, and Raked Hell, and all this he hath done for our services (as his Learned volumne called Campo-Musae will testify. As for the Scowte, the Scottish Dove, the Post, Mercurius Civicus, the Diurnalls, Occurrences, Weekly Newes Bookes, and other Aydes, Helps, and Assistants, It must be gratefully acknowledged, that their Labours have bin prevalent, against the Malevolent, though not Equivalent to the most meritorious Mercurius Britanicus.

What though Taylor the Thamesissian Aquatican, Humidian, Hydromantian & Hidropican Poet, hath smatteringly sputter'd at his fame, & most Amaritudanically dissected & Embowell'd his Reputation; Though many of our Malignants, have moun­ted their Penns against him, as we have done our Cannons (or the Kings) against we know (and know not) whom: yet ne­verthelesse, Hopes Anchor hath Moar'd him, Fortitudes Pillar hath supported him, Perseverance hath spur'd him forward, Opportunity hath been his Handmaide, and old Time (him­selfe) hath not disdain'd to wait on him, as a Page, or (as the Proverb saies) a T' Anthony Pigge. So that for our Service, Honour, and dignity, he hath been more violent and vigilant, then all the rest of the Pack; Therefore to put an end, to finish, to make a conclusion, to come to a full poynt, to shut up all [Page 5] with a Period, and briefly (to avoyd Tautology) in a word, to speak faithfully and fully, as I said before, of the King of Bo­nea's Guard of Dogges, so all those foremention'd Worthies, have been, and are a diligent, watchfull, and strong guard, for the defence and support of all that we have attempted or ac­complished against the King, the Queen, the Nobility, Gen­try, Commons, and all that doe either adhere, affect, ayde, assist, serve, honour or obey, any of the Malignants cause, Person or Party, amongst which Mercurius Britanicus hath been the most unmatchable, bold, brave, barking, brauling, biting Bandogge, and deserves to be held as Captain of all our Guards of Writers, Speakers, Preachers, either for Palpit, Pen, Presse, Print, or, (as a man may say) and so forth.

I will not derogate from the Learned, or detract, diminish, or extenuate, the worths of other famous men in this kind, e­specially M^r Henry Burton, and M^r William Prinne, they have acted their parts Tragicomically, and have (for the propogati­on of our matchlesse and unexemplified Herculean Labours) most Lawfully and Worthily, ascended to fames Pillor, I, but though these grave Solons, and Reverend Renowned An­naxagor-Asses, have unanimously, joyntly, and severally done us services, beyond all Guerdon, yet for as much as they are in a disconcordance, a disunion betwixt themselves, a disparitie of opinions, or (to avoid tediousnesse) a kind of a contention.

For the much more then nine times most Reverend M^r Burton, he is elevated into the Heroick Humour, and inspir'd with the all commanding spirit of Pompeius Magnus, who would have no Equall; and M^r Prinne, is of the milder Maje­stick opinion of Caesar, to allow equalls, but no superiors. The one will be Dominus Fac-totum, a Nowne Substantive, or a Substantiall Independent, to command, & not to be counter­manded; The other is possest, that the Parochiall Presbytery is more justly equall, and may better spinne out these our gain­full distractions, and weave out the Warre many a faire yeare (that we be not forc'd to a Peace against our wills.) Thus these two, or this Brace of our Maine Pillars, can neither agree, nor fall together by the Eares.

To Returne from whence I have digres'd (Mercurius Bri­tanicus) whose merits I have partly shewed, how he was vilified in this Honourable Assembly, I need not to repeate, for his services I think him worthy of 2000l per annum out of the Publique Faith's next Edition, or else (your grave wis­dom's, may take into your considerations, that he is an able Gentleman, and as capable to be made Lord keeper of our new Great Seale as my selfe, or else he can performe and exe­cute the office of the Master of the Rolls, as sufficiently as M^r Speaker (without disparagement) and so I leave him and his deserts to your wisdoms Honourable disposall, and I also leave Sir Benjamin Ruddyard (who so bodily affronted and calum­niated Mercurius Britanicus) to your just and unerring cen­sures.

At the end, conclusion, or Catastrophe of this speech, the whole house was in a generall pawse or silence, each of them Rap'd, or (as it were transported with an extasie) struck with a suddaine Admiration, at the composure, delivery, accant, cadence, emphasis, utterance, volubility, eloquence, elocuti­on, and ornated phrase or stile, of the Learned Sergeant, that at last, they all were pleas'd (after some particular favourable coughs and hums) to applaud him with a respective venera­ble generall Hum, (in token of Approbation) and withall clapping their hands (with an unanimous acclamation) they gave such a shout that the noyse was heard, from Westminster to Wapping, and Saint Thomas a waterings, and when all was ended, the old Knight (Sir Ben. Rud.) was confin'd to his Chamber, and Mercurius Britanicus his cause, was referr'd to an afternoon-Committee.