A memorial between Jest and Earnest, from Ignoramus the First, relating to the past and present state of the nation. : Presented to all the honest ignoramusses of the Lords and Commons of England. : [Two lines of quotation]

A memorial between Jest and Earnest, from Ignoramus the First, relating to the past and present state of the nation. : Presented to all the honest ignoramusses of the Lords and Commons of England. : [Two lines of quotation]

Table of contents

Title page

ADVERTISEMENT.

§

To all the Honest LORDS and COMMONS of ENGLAND.

GEntlemen, the great God, by his Wonderful Providence, hath brought about such a Revolution in England, as doubtless no History can parrallel, unless that in Sacred Writ, of delivering the Children of Israel out of Egypt; and this, I think, is little Inferiour to that, if we consider it in all its circumstances: And now, Gentlemen, having a King after our own Hearts, one that is as Truly and Rightfully our King as ever was in England, I know not what can be more clearly Demonstrated, unless God had sent us one immediately from Heaven it self, and said from thence, by a loud Voyce, You Good Men of England, this Man I have sent down to be your King: We have the Voyce that is next unto this, that is, Vox Populie, The Voyce of the People; and that by a common saying is Vox Dei, the Voice of God: And you Gentlemen, the Good People of England, have engaged this our King upon as Good and Glorious a Work as ever by a Man was undertaken; that is, to pull down the Great French Bear, that most Christian Turk, the Great Tyrant of the Earth, and Hater of Mankind; you have promised to this our Good King, to stand by him with your Lives and Fortunes; and he in order to facillitate this Great and Good Work, hath engaged potent Allyes both by Sea and Land to help you; and now things stand in so fair a way, and you have laid your Hand to the Plough, look not back; for not only our King's Honour, but Yours, and all that is dear to you is Engaged to go on; and leave not off until by Gods help you have finished the Work; it is a solid, great and good Work; and no Trifling and Jesting [Page] Business; therefore it concerns you Highly, Faithfully and Dilligently, without loss of any more time Heartily to assist the King in this Business; and your Assistance must be a threefold Assistance. The First, with advice; the Second, with Money and the Third with [...] if other of these in their place and time is wanting, you cannot expect to have the Work done. All Men agree, that Money is the Sinnews of War, and Men the Flesh and Bones to these Sinnews; but it is good Advice that is the Blood & Brains; that makes these Sinnews, Flesh and Bones to move regularly; therefore says the Wise-man, With good Advice make War; and when once begun, I am sure Good Advice is absolutely necessary to carry it on: therefore I say, Advise the King what Men to chuse as most fit to be used in all Places and Offices, both Civil and Military; its not beneath the King in this Great and Weighty Affair to take your Advice, as believing him to be a Wise-man; and the wisest of Kings has said, In the multitude of Councellors there is safety; you have seen the false steps that have been already taken, and what Loss and Dammage, besides Disgrace, that has been thereby; and who have been the Advisers therein, nor only in the never to be forgotten miscarriage in the Fleet last Year, but those before in Yrland and England it self, and else where; I say, it is your duty to Advise the taking in of Faithful Labourers into this Harvest, Men of approved Honour, Courage, Honesty and Integrity; the King will stand in need of the help of all the Hands and Hearts of his Good Subjects in this Work, here will be Work for all the Dogs to Bait this Bear. 'Tis not all the God Dammy-Dogs in England that will take this French Bear by the Nose and pull him down; no, it must be all the Dogs together whether Episcopal, Presbyterian, Independant, Annabaptist, Quietist and Jansenist; all sorts must have a Hand in this Work; yea, Papists themselves, all but that one sort of Jesuited Papists, and those are the fast Friends of this great French Tyrant, and will betray all to him where ever they are Intrusted; therefore if any such be in England, in any disguise, they are not to be Trusted, but a watchful Eye ought to be upon them. A Second Sort, not to be Employed nor Trusted, are those that have been the Betrayers of the Nation under the late Reigns, those that in former Reigns had brought the Nations almost to Deaths Door, are the Men that would make the Cure and Recovery of them as Tedious and as Chargeable as they can, that so the Nations might never have time to call them to a Reckoning: I will never chuse him to be my Doctor, that has once endeavoured to Poyson me: I will never put him in a great Post to help pull down France, that has been a chief Instrument to raise him up to his Greatness; that has been a Pensioner to France, and made his own Fortunes by Betraying the Nations to him, as far as was in his Power. I hope, Gentlemen, amongst the Honest Lords and Commons of England, there is not such a Barrenness among you, but that a Number sufficient may be found out as may be able with the King to carry on this great Work with Courage and Conduct; such as have been Faithful to the Nations Interest under the late Reign and [...] are; It is the [...] Purses of the Honest Lords and Commons [...] King, wi [...] [...] [...]hat must [...] this [...] a [...]d if any be [...] in faithfulness [...] this [...] I [...] what will soon follow; that is, you will become Vassals and Peasants to France, which then to be, is better to be out of the World; for matters are now so Constituted, there is no medium: Have a care of taking any more false steps, lest you tumble down, and the [...] ketch you in his Teeth; if he does, he will Te [...] [...] to pieces, without mercy; for he knows none; and then, as we have an English Proverb, Instead of ketching a Tarter, a Tarter has caught you; which God prevent. Your Neighbours will be soon weary in helping you, if you play any more foul play with them, and will not take right measures to help your selves; and if it be Work enough for you altogether, I doubt you will find it too hard a Task for your selves alone, if they be justly provoked to leave you to his Rage; for the Bear would willingly give them Honourable Terms, so that they would but leave you alone, to be under his Paws; therefore shew your selves Wise and Honest Men whilst you have so good Neighbours to help you: In order therefore to the speedy carrying on this Great and Good Work, lay a good foundation, clear away all the Rubbish, begin first amongst your selves, see your own House first swept and cleansed; from all Filth of Dust and Rubbish, and cleansed from Cobwebs and Spiders, and other Vermin: chuse such to Represent you that are Men of Honour, Vertue, Courage, Wisdom and Honesty; and not by the Great Estate, the Great Titles, the fine Laced Coats, the fine smoothed Tongues, who only can make thereby fine Speeches, to make the better Bargains for themselves by making Markets of you. Chuse none to Represent you that are of little narrow Souls, Self-designing and Self-seeking Fellows, that will Sell you to the French King for a Place or Pension; Let none Represent you that have had either: Sell not your Birth-Right for a Mess of Pottage; Sell not your Liberty for Strong-Beer and ROST BEEF: Let not the Black-Gown of Lawyer or Gospeller be Consulted by you, in your choice, but if they will make a Noyse for this or the other, unless you know them well in your own Judgment to be Honest Men; be you sure otherwise to go contrary to them; for those two sorts are seldom in the right, if they are, its for the most part against their Wills: without you make a good Choice your selves, and cleanse your own House of the Dust and Rubbish, you cannot expect to perswade the other House to cleanse theirs.

We have now a King that is Hearty with us in this Great and Good Work, not only to help pull down the Great Tyrant of France, but also is desirous to have us well Established at Home, upon a Good, Honest and Just Foundation; I mean, our Antient and Just Rights and Priviledges and I am sure, no Honest [Page] English Man desires more; and therefore let us be Hearty and Honest to the King in sticking close to him to help, that both these Great and Necessary Works may be both finished in His Time: In order to it, pull down those amongst your selves that stand in the Way, and hinder both; it is the Work of those that betrayed Us and our Liberties under the Late Reigns to hinder a Reformation in this all they can; therefore let none of them Represent you: if you would have a good and easie pair of Shoes, you will chuse the best Workman you can; if you are Sick, you will have Advice of the most skilful Doctor; so now, while we have a King that is Hearty with us in this Great and Necessary Work engaged in against this French Tyrant, chuse [...] Represent you as will be Courageous in this Great Work, and will go on Roundly in it; and by faithful Advising Him, make the Work as easie to Him and as speedy as may be; chuse not such as have been old State Quacks, and tried Experiments upon you, and Robbed you of your Treasure and Liberties, and which is worst of all, of your best Blood, which is never to be recovered again: Chuse such as will serve you Heartily out of Love to their Country and Good of the Publick, without Little Self-designing Ends and Tricks of Places and Preferments; if you neglect this Opportunity, God knows whether ever you may have another: if it be not now done in this King's time, Your Attempts ever after may be in vain, and to as much purpose as giving Aqua vitae to a Dead Man; if you do not the Work now, while we have such Powerful Alleys, we cannot expect to do it when we are alone; but may justly expect to be pulled down our selves, as a Just Judgment of God upon us. You have Spectacles of this Bear's Clemency to His own Subjects with you; do you expect better Quarter from His Apostolical Dragoons then Born French-men? do you believe Father Peters and the Rest of His Brethren have more Tenderness for you than He had for them? do you believe the Devil is turned Saint since then? You can have nothing but Fire and Sword if that day comes; but the Lord give you Wisdom to Act as Men, to prevent it; therefore take Time by the Forelock, that it may not be said of England, Post est Occasio Calva. A House of Commons, rightly and wisely Chosen, under such a Wise and Valliant King as we now have, what Great Works may they not do in a little time; may not only break the Yoak of the French Tyrant, but also make His Dear Brother and Alley the Great Turk to pull in His Horns; this is a Brave and Honourable Work becoming the Commons of England.

But it may be Objected, There is a Sort of a dead Weight of Spiritual and Temporal Wickedness in High Places in a few little Men, laden with a great deal of Sin and great Titles, and these will hinder the Good Work all they can. Do but you take care of a Good House of Commons, and then the other will purge of it self; a Good House of Commons, full of the Living Weight of Honour and Honesty, that will weigh down all the Dead Weight of the other, and affright them into their two little Senses; if the Head be good, and the Body sound at Heart, its no matter whether there be a fine Laced Coat on, or a Feather in the Cap; keep the Fountain clean, and then the Streams will be sweet and clean; for it is the Commons make the Good Lords, as the Clark makes the Justice; therefore Honest Brother Commoners, see you well to your Duty, and take this along with you, You can never serve your God truly, if you vvill for private Gains and Ends be a Traytor to your Country: Let him be Clothed with what Titles he pleases, and have a Cloak with what Badges of Honour can be given, yet it will not hide his Knavery, the Devil cannot hide his cloven Foot; and tho' an Ill Man be Cloathed like an Angel of Light, yet his Work will shew him to be a Child of Darkness, and a Son of Perdition; and his Words, tho' smooth as Oyl and Butter, yet will be discovered to be as drawn Swords.

When Kings took the Cream of the Milk, the best and choicest of the Commons, and conferred Titles of Honour on them, they became their Honour well, and made good Lords, and things went on well, and good Laws were made, when both Houses studyed the publick Good; but in the late Reigns, when the Scum of the Pot, the Dregs and Dross of the Commons were advanced to Titles of Honour, as too many were, what can you expect from such Creations of such Creatures to such Honours? Surely Trim Tram, like Master like Man; when the Righteous beareth Rule, the People Rejoyce; but when the wicked beareth Rule, the People Mourn. Wo to that man, or that Nation, that shall call Good Evil and Evil Good; and that shall call Light Darkness, and Darkness Light. All the Priests in the World shall never make me believe, that in the little Wafer of Bread, after the Priest hath in a few words conjured with a Hocus Pocus over it, that it contains the Real and whole Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ, as it was offered up upon the Cross; no more than I will believe all the Irish Evidences in Swearing a Plot of the Lords and Commons to seise the Body of King Charles the Second at Oxford; nor no more will I believe those will help to save us under this Reign, that helped to ruin us in the former; but that, (on the contrary) they will do all they can to embarras the present King's and Nation's Affairs, and make our Deliverance as difficult as they can; every Tree is known by its Fruit; I will see good Fruits of thei [...] Repentance before I will believe their Conversion i [...] true, and that they are hearty in with us: Men tha [...] are in Honour, and understand not, are like the Beasts tha [...] perish; and A Man that is in Honour for Betray [...]ing his Country, it becomes him exactly as well as A [...] mour doth a Hogg on Horsback, or a Jewel in a Swine Snout: And here I will subjoyn the Speech of Noble and Brave Lord, spoken in the Lobby of [...] House of Lords, just after he came out of the Hous [...] as I supposed, in a heat, and not well pleased; what was then debating in the House, he spake the purpose following, and as near as I can reme [...]ber [Page] will give you his own words, I being then present; ‘To God! we shall have such a House shortly, that a man of Honour or Honesty will scorn to come within their Walls; one is made a [...] for a Court Job, and another for Betraying his Country, and a third for Ten Thousand Pound, and a fourth because he is the Son of a whore; that shortly the honest Mob will come and tear us all to pieces for being a Company of Rogues: whereas formerly the Nobility were the Honour of the Nation in screening the people from Arbitrariness and Tyranny, and go forth in the Heads of the People in fighting [...]eir Battles, and for doing them Justice, when by other Courts they were oppressed, whereas now they are for Suppressing and Destroying the People & their Liberties.’ It is the Honour [...] bear to this Noble Lord that makes me mention it, to show the World the Opinion of an Honest Lord, and to quicken you the Honest Commoners to cleanse your House, and then you may help your Neighbours to cleanse theirs. How can you see the Moa [...] that is in your Brother's Eye, and cannot see the Beam that is in your own Eye.

Gentlemen, I Repine not at the Ruin of my self and Family in your Service, for your Sakes, and for the preserving of you; No, I am so far from it, that I bless God for it; and count it all Honour that I was born for your sakes, and for your service, and that God so wonderfully call'd me out in it in so crittical an hour, and that he enabled me faithfully (I thank him for it) to discharge my Duty therein to you; and I am still ready with my Life to serve you, if that will do you good, if you will but be doing your Duties to help to serve and save your selves, now God has put an Opportunity into your Hands; but if you will not, you cannot say but you have had fair warning. I am at present in the midst of a people that will, I hope, do the part of honest and reasonable Men to keep and preserve their Liberties, and consider the dear Price their Forefathers paid for them: I know some of our Crack-brains call them a sort of Thick-scull'd People, Dull, and Phlegmatick; but they have shewed to the world they are a brave thinking and wise People; though but a little spot of Ground to the rest of the world, yet have not only in some measure, though hardly on all sides, envied and be [...]et by the Tyrants of the Earth, preserved their [...]iberties, when our Generation madly parted with [...]ll theirs at once, which our Fathers but just before [...]ad so hardly strugled for. I wish it might not be [...]id by other Nations of our Nation in this Genera [...]on, that we are an Unthinking People; and that (like [...] French) Our Sculls are so thin that our Brains are [...]vaporated, and are become a Bedlam Land, rather than wise and Sober People. I say, these People have not [...] preserved with great Struglings good part of their [...]berties, but procured us an Opportunity to have [...] keep ours, if we have but wisdom to see it. [...]hank God and Them for preserving my Life when [...] for; therefore (as in gratitude bound) I will [...] their good and service with all the little talents that are left me, and that God hath entrusted me with, to the utmost of my power, whilst I have a day to live. I find among these people a sense of the Evils and Mischiefs of the growing Power of France here; even the Papists themselves are sorry at the French's taking of Monts, all but such as are Jesuited Papists; whereas I hear in England you have [...], who call themselves Protestants, that Rejoice in the taking of Monts; I cannot but believe they are Jesuited Papists in M [...]uerade, to be sure are no Friends to King William and Queen Mary, and the Protestant Religion and Interest, [...]or the general Liberty and Good of Mankind: Have a strict and watchful Eye upon such men in your Choice of your Representatives; be sure oppose whom they are for. If two things were truly and honestly done, it would go a great way towards your speedy coming into good order of Settlement in Government; and that is, Impartially to have laid open the Cheats and Tricks of the Lavvyers and Gospellers; for the latter of them I can lay my finger and point to a man that promised it on this side the Water; there are two of them that well understand it, and can do it to the life; but for one of them, I give him over, as being past hope of recovery to do any good thing, like as in another case a man said of himself, vvhen he vvas Cardinal, he had a little hope of his being saved; but vvhen he vvas Pope he had none at all. But for the other person, I have some little hopes that he is not past Grace, but hath some sparks yet left to serve his Country, and Mankind in general. For a man to display the Lawyer and his Tricks, that I leave amongst you to find out an honest man, that is willing and able to do it to the life. God grant it may not as truly be said of England in this day as our Saviour Christ said of Jerusalem, O! that thou hadst seen the things that belong to thy Peace in this thy day, but novv they are hid from thine Eyes. Gentlemen, do but what is in your Power, and what is your Duty to do, required both by the Law of Nature and the Law of the Land; when you do that, you shall have Peace in your selves, though you miss of the Good you aimed at: When your ovvn House is cleansed, you may impeach the Ill Men in the other; and until you do that, you cannot expect to do any Great Things: but on the contrary, while your Representatives should be doing their Duties in their places for the Nation, they make use of your Sholders to lift them up into an Office, whereby to make their own Houses Great, and yours Little, and care not if yours were burned, so they might but warm their hands by it: if you make not some of these Examples of your Justice, you must never expect to be well served, but on the contrary always betray'd; without a due Regulation be in these great Points, you will be always groping in the Dark, and never come to Light: If the Blind lead the Blind, they must all fall into the Ditch at last: and without speedy Care taken, you must fall into the Ditch the French King, the Priests and Jesuits, with the Lavvyers and Gospellers, [Page] and our old State Quacks, have made for you: if you effectually cleanse your two Houses, and lay a good Foundation, then you may hope the Superstr [...] will stand fast; but if you build upon a Sandy Foundation, that must be blown down in a Storm, and such a Storm as never yet the like was seen in the World, that I believe is near at hand; God grant it be not a Hurricane to poor England; the Clouds are very thick and dark; God give you Wisdom.

But methinks I hear some Object, and say, The Commons of England are for a Common-Wealth.

If by a Common-Wealth is meant a Common Good, that I dare say every honest man is for; but if by a Common Wealth is meant a Government vvithout a King; that I do believe is not meant nor designed by any honest Man: But I do believe, that there are a sort of persons that do buz such things into the King's Ears, to make him jealous of his People, and thereby to disable him from doing any great things, and by that means serve the Interest of France, and may have good store of Levvedores for their pains: but I doubt not but the King will see through the Designs of this sort of men, that they are nothing but Shams and Lyes, done on purpose to abuse him, and to secure themselves from the Justice of the Nation. This farther I will boldly say, Those that buz these things in the Kings Ears, if any such be, they are the Kings greatest Enemies, and would Mislead the King to follow the Course of the last Reigns, on purpose to bring all into Confusion, knowing no other and better way to serve their dearly beloved French King, and themselves escape Vengeance. I doubt not but the King sees his rtue Interest, and will stick by those good Motives that induced him to hazard all to Rescue these Nations from Popery and Slavery; and the King is so wise a Man, that no old or new treacherous corrupted Courtiers shall ever make a Division and Jealousie between him and his People; it is that which they foment for their own Interests, but hope they shall never attain it: I dare be bold to answer for the honest People of England, they are willing to keep in their old state of Kingly Government; between a Common VVealth, and an Absolute Government of Tyranny: but the old Troublers of our Israel will prevent our Peace and good Settlement, if they can.

I know, in some forreign parts it hath been cast in the Teeth of the English, That they are a Quarrelsome, Disquiet, and Troublesome People, and are never satisfied, but are almost every Age Quarrelling vvith their Government, falling-out vvith their Kings, and no King can please them.

For Answer, I dare affirm, that the plain honest People of England are as Quiet and as Governable a People, as any People in the World; but if in an Ill-designing King's Reign, he shall, with the Help of his Flattering and Ill designing Courtiers and Evil Councellors, with some pickt out of the Scum of the Commons, shall with them endeavour to undermine their Liberties, and invade their Properties, and by Oppressing some and Destroying others, by illegal Practices, then none can wonder if the Commons stir in defence of their Religion, Lives and Liberties, as was our Case under the late Reigns; and some evil men are so impudent already as to be nibling at the same sport again; but I hope the King sees it, and will hearken to the Voice of his Commons, and then things will go well; for it is the Strength of the Bodies and Purses of the Commons must do the French Business, and not a few flattering Scicophants, that were against his being King, and would now lift Him out of the Throne again, if the Commons did not stand by Him; those false Flatterers, with the help of the Jesuits Journey men, are making way for the French King as fast as they can; they some of them above board make a Noise for King James, but in reality join with the Jesuits for King Levves; He that has but half an Eye may see it; and most of the Priests are at that lay now, that they care not if the Devil vvere King, for then they cannot miss of being his Priests and Favorites, and have Power from him to plague the rest of M [...]nkind besides; Therefore, Gentlemen, when you have swept your House, order your Representatives to look among the Laws, and see where the Jesuits and Priests have had a Hand in making any of them▪ away with them, abrogate them out of Hand: and for my part, I [...] against any Bloody Laws barely for Religion; I am not for Hanging, Dravving and Quartering of a Priest Quatinus as such, unless He disturb the Government; but I think it would be an excellent Law, to Geld all Priests that busie themselves about Government and State Affairs; it is the only way to tame them: if You do not some such thing, you must never expect to have Quiet. And some others also must feel your Justice in Terrorem; it seems to me, without it the Vengeance of God against the Nation cannot be appeased, nor any thing Prosper you undertake until that be done.

Gentlemen, was it not high time for the Commons to stir in this last Revolution, when all lay at the last gasp, brought to pass by the then Evil Ministers of State and Evil Councellors, with the Help of the Priests and Jesuits? The Kings themselves could never have carried on the Metaphor without such Tools. And do you think, if the same Hands are again used, they will not be for doing again the same things? Yea, and bring the Nation into a more Desperate Case than before, or they will miss of their aim. And will the Jesuits with their Partners and Journeymen, and their Friends in England, let go their Hold in England? No, not until their Fingers are chopped off; there is a way will break all their Measures, and that very quickly too, if you can but once hit on it; but Temporizing will never do the Work; the Plough will never do good Work, and go on cleverly, that is drawn by an Ox and an Ass, let one Plough be drawn all by one Sort, and another by another Sort; and see which makes best Work, and most riddance; a faithful, willing, dilligent Servant will dispatch more in a Day, than he that is only an Eye-Servant will do in two; if you will do fine Work, you must use fine Tools; and if you will do Honest Work, you must imploy Honest Men.

[Page]Is it not a fine sight (as I have seen) to have a Priest come into a Coffe-House, & set himself at upper-end of the Table, & there to hold forth for an Hour or two together upon the Topicks of Politicks, & never a Word of God all the while, unless it be to strengthen the Belief of his Assertion with a God damn me; and then [...] instruct their Auditors, who they must chuse for [...]liament Men, and who for Mayors and Sheriffs, and who for Aldermen and Common-Council-men, and the like? And others that do it not so publickly, but come in lesser Numbers to carry on the Metaphor, that are the Plurality men, and go to Taverns, and bowse good Sack. A third Sort there are, that apply themselves at Gossippings and Christenings, among the Women, to charge them, that they lay their Commands upon their Husbands to chuse such and such, as may be Drudges and Tools to the Devil and the Priest.

It is plain to me, that many of the Priests in England, are the Jesuites Journey-men, and carrying on their Work: when the Fox Preaches, then it is high time for the Geese and Hens to look to themselves; and when the Priests Preach upon Topicks of Polliticks, and make a noise of the Church, then it is high time for the Commoners to look to their Rights and Priviledges, and to have a care of their Beef and Puddings, and their Cabbidge and Bacon: You see plain enough in the late Revolution what made the Great men in the Church make a noise, and cry out Murder, Murder, Popery, Popery, Help, Help, when their own Pudding [...]me to be touched, Magdalen-Colledge seized, and the Bishop of London turned out, and the rest expected to follow after; then they began to make a Noise, but never before; when they could Domineer, and Lord it over the Bodies and Consciences of the rest of Mankind; and they could Hang, Whip and Pillory, [...]ain and Destroy as many as they pleased, all was well [...] them: the Honest People of England made a Noise [...] before of Popery and Slavery, but the Priests saw it not, they felt it not; nay, by most of them it was accounted a Plot of the Fanaticks against the Church, that did then but talk of Popery and Slavery; they then could hold the Clothes of St. Steven Colledge, and vvarm their hands at the Fire that burned his Bovvels, and Sing, O be Joyful, to see him Quartered; but when the dear Magdalen-Colledge, their great Goddess Diana comes to be touched, then all the Church cries out, Help, Help, Murder, Murder, Good Prince of Orange come help us; O! help, help; but when that was done, they were quickly weary of him again; when their turn was served, they were for sending him back again; they only wanted to have King James put into a Box, tied Hand and Foot, locked fast up, and the Key in their keeping, and so to take him out to speak at their pleasure, and to put him in again at their pleas [...]e, when he had done their Work: but the Honest Lords and Commons were there too cunning for the Priests; in setting up King William and Queen Mary to be King and Queen, and they declared for the Birth-Right and Natural Liberty of all Mankind, the Liberty of Conscience in the Worship of God: Alas! here was all the Fat in the Fire presently; the Priests could by no means in any Conscience allow them to be their King and Queen; but a world of sputter is by the Scholasticks about de facto and de jure, and the World filled with a great deal of stuff, which would make a Reasonable Man almost Sp— but the Papers however may serve for an Honest Occasion— Doctor Sandcroft, His Quandum Grace of Canterbury, I never heard he was troubled in Conscience for having his Hand in Ruining of any Family, as mine amongst others is one; and I do here challenge him to sh [...]w any Reason for it, either by the Law of God or the Land if he can by either make me Guilty, I will still surrender my self, and undergo the Pu [...]shment for all; (But only for my coming into Eng [...]and with the Prince of Orange) if King James come again,) that done by me may be Judged High-Treason: there is a Parcel at their Prayers Praying and Hoping for that Day; and saying, O Good King James, help us; O most Christian King, Good King Lewis, help us; O Good Prince of Wales, O pretty little [...], help us; But Alas! they are busie upon other [...], and cannot hear you; seeing you & the [...] have cast them off; they are setting up another Church between Yours and Rome, of which Fat [...] Peters is to be the First Head, they say, Their Church shall have no Pope nor Bishops, as being a parcel of Saucy Fellows, that kick out and in Kings at their pleasure, when the Fathers of the Jesuits do say, it is a prerogative Royal that belongs peculiarly alone to their Order; therefore Good Master Doctor, you may spare your pains, in calling upon those Saints, and save your Breath to cool your Pottage, as I shall do mine with you, Mr. Doctor, at this time: But there are some others Your Partners, concerned in my Ruin, that I must talk to; but this being designed only for the Publick Good of my Country, I shall let those Gentlemen alone untill a more fiting Season, unless they Repent, and make Satisfaction; I know no Reason of my violent Prosecution; I declare in the Presence of God and to all the World; unless it was that I would not be a Tool to hang up my Honest Countrey-men, and give them as a Sacrifice to Popish and priestly Rage and Malice.

But, Gentlemen, I am so far from Repining for being Ruined upon that account, that I had rather take my share with Brave Essex, Russel, Sidney, Cornish, and Colledge, in doing my Duty for my Countrey, and its Preservation, or lie in the Dust by the Honest Cobler of Glocester; much rather than to have Titles of Honour, and live in Pomp and State, obtained by my Perfidious and Treacherous Acts against my Countrey; The Name of the Righteous is of everlasting Remembrance, but the Name of the Wicked shall rot and perish.

[Page]Now Gentlemen, seeing God has so wonderfully wrought out your Deliverance, and brought you out of Bondage, from a worse then Egyptian Bondage and Slavery; see to the keeping of your just Bounds of your Liberties and Priviledges, that no Flattering Courtiers, New or Old, or evil Councellors break over your Bounds; either keep your Mounds or give them all up into their Hands, that they may Eat you up at Pleasure, as Storks do Frogs; it has been my Turn to be Eaten up, and who of you that are Honest may be next, you know not; therefore prevent it for the future; let me and some others be a warning to you for your Good; but if such Beasts of Prey have such a Power that you cannot help it, nor there is no Remedy, but you must be Eaten up, then it matters not much who it is that does it▪ by the Mahumetan Turk rather than by the Christian Turk, by the Mufty rather than by the Jesuit, and by any of them rather than by a little Court Paracide or evil Councellor; I hope, Gentlemen, Your Wisdom will prevent either; you have now an Honourable, Heroick and brave VVork on your Hands to muzzel this great French Bear; set your selves right in order for the Work, and be Honest and Hearty to God, the King and the Country in it; if it be not well done, I will lay all the fault at your Door: I dare be bold, to say, VVe have a King that is Hearty in it; if any more false steps be taken, I shall lay it to your Charge, for your neglect in not speaking round out the Truth to the King; for I dare say for him, he will do His Part to remove all Obstacles that lye in the Way; and I am as confident that Light and Darkness, GOD and the Devil are as soon to be Reconciled as Great King William of England, and Little Lewis of France; therefore let not any little Interests of Ill Men mislead you to your Ruin, but be Plain and Honest with God, and the King, with the Nation, and Your Neighbours and Alleys in this Work, and let not tricking Priests or Courtiers, or the Noise of a Church mislead you. I could enlarge much more, but I am loath to tire your Patience, by coming into Particulars of past and present Miscarriages of Persons and Things, of their failings and falseness to God, their King and Countrey; but hope these general Heads will awaken you to your Duties, and deter others from persisting in their Evil Wayes; but if this will not do, my next shall not be in Parables, Allegories and dark Sayings, but shall speak out to you in plain Particulars, as Nathan did to David, if Men will not Repent; for the Day of Judgment is at Hand, and all the Books must be laid open, and every secret Thing must be made manifest; in the mean time be assured, I am and by Gods Grace alwaies shall be the Servant of all Honest men, and Yours in particular, whilst I am

IGNORAMUS.

From my Chamber in Philadelphia, this 24 of the second Month, called April, 1691.

§

§

[Page]

[Page]

A MEMORIAL BETWEEN JEST and EARNEST, From IGNORAMUS the First, Relating to the Past and Present STATE of the NATION.

Presented to all the Honest Ignoramusses of the Lords and Commons of ENGLAND.

Fear God, and Keep his Commandments; and Love your Neighbour as your Self; and this is the whole Duty of Man.

At Philadelphia, Printed by Philaletes for the Author. 1691.

ADVERTISEMENT.

I would not have any honest Gentleman, whether Spiritual or Temporal, to take any Offence at the Reflections in the following Memorial; this being designed only to Mark out Knaves; and for them, let them fret in their Greece. This Memorial also is not made to please Flattering Courtiers, Evil Councellers, Evil Lawyers or Gospellers, or any Philosophical Critticks in Learning; but is made for the service of the Plain-Hearted and Truly Honest Man; it is Printed for his Sake; hoping he may receive some Good and Benefit by it; which if he do, the Author hath his Hearts desire: And hereby gives Notice, that what further Information shall be given him for his next Memorial against perticular Persons and Things, he desires his Friends not to send them by Post, for he will not receive them that way, or give any Credit to them; but desires they may be sent by some perticular Hand, or by long Sea, and to give it under their Hand, that they may Justify the several Charges, if Required thereto.

Information about this book

Title statement

A memorial between Jest and Earnest, from Ignoramus the First, relating to the past and present state of the nation. : Presented to all the honest ignoramusses of the Lords and Commons of England. : [Two lines of quotation]

Ignoramus.

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI :

Date

2005-12.

ID [DLPS]

N00447

ID [TCP]

N00447

ID [STC]

Evans 569

ID [STC]

Wing M1685

ID [NOTIS]

APW2988

ID [IMAGE-SET]

569

ID [EVANS-CITATION]

99008876

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early American Imprints, 1639-1800 ; no. 569.

Notes

(Evans-TCP ; no. N00447)

Transcribed from: (Readex Archive of Americana ; Early American Imprints, series I ; image set 569)

Images scanned from Readex microprint and microform: (Early American imprints. First series ; no. 569)

Source

— A memorial between Jest and Earnest, from Ignoramus the First, relating to the past and present state of the nation. : Presented to all the honest ignoramusses of the Lords and Commons of England. : [Two lines of quotation], Ignoramus..

Extent

7, [1] p.

Printed by Philaletes for the author.,. At Philadelphia [i.e., London], :: 1691.. ("A Whig tract, relating solely to English politics. It was printed in London."--Hildeburn.) (Signed on p. 7: Ignoramus. From my chamber in Philadelphia, this 24 of the second month, called April, 1691.) (Text begins on title page.)

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