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A Letter directed to Master Bridgeman, the fourth of January, and a Letter enclosed in it, to one Master Anderton, were this day read, and ordered to be entred.
To the Worshipfull, and my much honoured friend, Orlando Bridgeman Esquire, and a Burgesse of the Parliament, at his Chamber, at the Inner-Temple, These present.
SIR,
WE are your friends, These are to advise you, to look to your self, and to advise others of my Lord of Straffords friends to take heed, lest they be involved in the common Calamity, our advise is, to be gone, to pretend businesse till the great Hubbub be passed, withdraw, lest you suffer among the Puritans, We entreat you to send away this inclosed Letter to Master Anderton inclosed, to some trusty friend, that it may be carried safely without suspition, for it concerns the Common safety; So desire your friends in Coven-Garden, January 4.
To the Worshipfull, and my much honoured friend, Master Anderton, These present.
SIR,
ALthough many designes have been defeated, yet that of Ireland holds well. And now our last plot works as hopefully as that of Ireland, we must bear with something in the Man, His will is strong enough, as long as he is sed with hopes: the Woman is true to us, and reall, Her Councell about Her is very good: I doubt not but to send you by the next very joyfull news, for the present, our rich Enemies, Pym, Hampden, Strode, Hollis, and Hasterigg, are blemisht, challenged for no lesse then Treason: before I write next, we doubt not but to have them in the Tower, or their heads from their shoulders.
The Soliciter, and Fynes, and Earl we must serve with the same sauce: And in the House of the Lords, Mandevill is touched, but Essex, Warwick, Say, Brook, and Paget, must follow, or else we shall not be quiet Faulkland and Culepepper, are friends to our side, at leastwise they will do us no hurt. The Protestants and Puritans are so divided, that we need not fear them; the Protestants in a greater part, will joyn with us, o•• stand Neuters, while the Puritan is suppressed, if we can bring them under; the Protestant will either fall i•• with us generally, or else, if they do not, they are so indifferent, that either by fair, or foul means, we shall be able to command them.
The mischievous Londoners, and Apprentices, may do us some hurt for present, but we need not much fear them, they do nothing orderly but tumultuously: Therefore we doubt not but to have them under com∣mand after one brunt, for our Party is strong in the City, especially Holborne, the new Buildings, and Wes••∣minster: we are afraid of nothing, but the Scots appearing again. But we have made a party there, at the King last being there, which will hold their hands behinde them, while we Act our Parts at home; Let us acqu•••• our selves like men, for our Religion and Countrey, now or never. The Kings heart is Protestant, but ou•• friends can perswade Him, and make Him beleeve any thing. He hates the Puritan party, and is made irr•• concileable to that side; so that the Sunne, the Moon, and Starres, are for us: There are no lesse then twent•• thousand Ministers in England, the greater half will in their places, be our friends, to avenge the Bishops di••∣honour. Let our friends be incouraged, the work is more then half done.
Your servant, R. E.