TO THE READER.

THIS Narrative had never been expos'd to publick view, had not two notori∣ous Sons of the Father of Lies, more than once most falsly, and with un∣matchable impudence published two late accidents at Chichester; The one concerning the Bishops horse, or horses, as kill'd by the Dissenters there; and as to one of them, to try a strange and un∣heard-of experiment with respect to Fire-balls. But whether one or both of them be so killed, it must be judg'd as a malicious Massacring (to use the Obser∣vators term) of the Bishop in Effigie. I must confess I never heard of a horse, or any brute creature be∣fore, to be said to be Massacred; But I have heard and read of the Parisian and Irish Massacre; and it is neither improbable, nor incredible, that that strange and Monstrous Lier, who was for∣ced not long since to abscond when credible Wit∣nesses were ready to prove before a Parliament, that he is a Papist, and imprest with deep and indelible Roman Sanguinary Characters, should use no other word than that, to express the killing of beasts by; Page  [unnumbered] When men of that stamp, make no more conscience of Massacring Protestants, and those that profess the pure Reformed Christian Religion, than of killing of brute creatures; and so he thinks it's e∣qually applicable to both. And likely 'tis, he was, and continues to be so much a favourer of the Popish-Plot to Massacre Protestants, and that this hath been so of∣ten, and for so long a time revolv'd in his thoughts, that no other word but this could occur to him, when most falsly he would declare to the World that they were kill'd by such a sort of people.

As for the man that sent into the World, the Loyal Protestant, &c. I shall say no more concerning him, but this; That if the Bishops horse had stood at the same time as a convicted forger of lies, in the Pillory, as he did, he would through shame (as a more gene∣rous creature, having a deep resentment of that dis∣honour), so pined away, and grown so meagre and lean in a little time, that no grease would have been found in his belly, if the Chichester Dissenters had ript it open. And it is no absurdity, according to the most deservedly stigmatized mans sense, to assert, that a beast might have undergone the Pillory-punishment with him as a legally convicted Criminal or Malefactor, seeing he makes so happy and witty (though un∣heard of before) a conjunction and connection of the killing of the Bishops horse, with that of reason∣able creatures; as if horses were of the same Species, and capable of Government by the same Laws, that rational Beings in this World, are.

Had we not read and heard of, and known many grand and shameless lyars besides these two, I should have concluded them to be the first begotten of him Page  [unnumbered] who is a Lyar, as well as a Murderer from the begin∣ning.

I will not now trouble my self, nor spend my time, to take all their audacious and false reports asunder, and make an Answer to every part thereof. But this I will offer to them, and to all the World, as a most fair and inexceptionable thing, That whereas these two bundles of Lies, brag and boast much of their Au∣thentick and credible Intelligence from Chichester, as the ground and Warrant of what they Print concern∣ing the killing of the Bishops Horse, or Horses, and the pretended bloody Murder of the Informer Habin; That if they will publish the Names of them that send it to them, I will produce, side digni, many more per∣sons, who upon Oath either before the King and his Council, or in any Court of Judicature where His Ma∣jesty shall be pleased to appoint the Examination of this matter, shall make good and prove the verity of the ensuing Relation.

The Reason why it way published no sooner, is, That I, to whom it was sent, judg'd it was most con∣venient to see how far these two Enemies to Truth would proceed in their lying Relations; that so a plenary and complete Answer thereto might be made at once, to undeceive and satisfie all sober and honest men, of what perswasion soever, in whom they have been so industrious to create a belief of the truth of that which is most false.

I would have the Reader to observe some things remarkable concerning this Habin: First, That he was so profligate a wretch, and so prodigiously wicked, that he made no Conscience of committing the sin of Perjury: For he swore, That two or three Page  [unnumbered] persons brake Captain Bicklies Windows in Chichester, that never were among the young men that brought the Pope before his door; by vertue whereof they were Convicted as Rioters, and brought into great trouble. And 'tis said, and (if I mistake not) can be proved, That he was the man that broke them. Secondly, That he, with his brother Hasted, swore, That a Minister Preached at Stockbridg, near Chiche∣ster, where the Dissenters meet every Lords-day; when I dare be bold to affirm, That they were never nearer to the place, than it is from the Exchange in London, to the Bridge: and so could not possibly ei∣ther see, or hear a Minister Preach: Upon which a Conviction was made. And this they continued to swear, in order to such Convictions for several Lords-days, till Divine Justice arrested and seised him in the very same day wherein for a long time he had acted so wickedly and villanously. Thirdly, Whereas N. T. stiles him a Gentleman; he was so far from that, that no man upon earth can be more infa∣mous, and farther from one. I despise no man for his poverty; but when deep poverty, and high ini∣quity meet in one man, it renders him most infamous and despicable. I know there are many true Gentle∣men, not only by their Birth (whom I always rank a∣mong the most inferior of that kind, when abstracted and separate from what follows) but by their Breed∣ing and Education, which doth truly enoble their minds, by the innate generosity of their own Spi∣rits. But none of these can be predicated of this Subject, he being but the sink, the scum, and excres∣cene, or if I may so speak, the very Excrement of Humane Nature. By his Employment he was a com∣mon Page  [unnumbered] Bayliff, before he was an Informer; and so grand a Rogue in the management thereof, that none in the Country was thought to equalize him, but his brother (in all Villany and iniquity) Hasted: And had not Death prevented, he would e're long have been made so to appear to the World, he being put into the Crown-Office for many prodigious Enormities and Ro∣gueries, and would certainly have been prosecuted for the above-mention'd Perjury, when a convenient time should have happen'd for it.

I will not undertake to be a bold and infallible In∣terpreter of Gods Providences (they being a Deep that the short line of Humane Reason cannot sound the bottom of, and fathom); yet as we are reasona∣ble Creatures, falling under the Conduct and Govern∣ment thereof, so we are bound to observe them, and keeping within the bounds of modesty, endeavour to pick out the sense and meaning of them, and to know what they point at. And it is not unworthy of our observation, That as this Hellish Miscreant, and Mir∣rour of all impiety, had perjur'd himself concerning the breaking of Captain Bickleys Glass-Windows, so his real breaking of the Windows of another person (that ne're injur'd or did him wrong), should prove the occasion of his Death, and that Death should hur∣ry him into Eternity, and to Judgment, on the Lords-day, which he so much prophan'd, and particularly, by being so much in the Ale-house, when he should have been in Gods-house; and disturbing those that would serve and worship God, while he did so much neglect the same. He was unexpectedly driven away that day, by Death, in his wickedness, and had no time given him to repent. Let Hasted, his brother, beware, left Page  [unnumbered] Divine Vengeance do not speedily overtake him, and Death suddenly, as a grim and inexorable Serjeant, arrest him, and irresistibly drag his reluctating wretch∣ed guilty Soul before the Tribunal of Gods severest Ju∣stice.