A Word in Season, to General Monk, (with his Officers, &c.) To the City, and To the Nation;

YOu are, at present, in the Heart of the Nation, and in the Arms of your Friends: where you are Safe, and Beloved. You have the Strength and Affections of the City, at your Devotion, and it is your commune Interest, to unite in a Con∣curence both of Power and Kindness. You stand and fall together. You are all of the same Stock; Born to the same Free∣dom; Subjected to the same Laws; Nurs'd up in the same Religion: And in fine, Obliged by the same Rules of Duty and Wisedom, to promote the same Ends. I might adde, that you are likewise exposed to the same Danger, and from the same Enemy: by whose Hypocrisie, and Skill, should you be Deluded into a Belief, of such who never kept Faith, (forgive me) your Reputa∣tion is lost, with that Security; and you Fall, without either Redress or Pity. In this very Instant, while you Treat, the Mine is working The Instruments and Means of your Destruction are already agreed upon. Some are employed to Infect your Councils, and Alienate your Souldiers: Others sit among you, to Betray you. What by open Force cannot be Perfected, must be assisted, by a Dagger or Poyson. You have the Substance of this, already, upon Evidence, and Experiment. Next to this Caution towards your Professed Adversaries, allow me to propose a more Ingenuous, and open Clearnesse towards your Usefull Friends; if it were but to prevent Mis-understandings: Be∣side, that the very Doubt is both Injurious and Painful. Offices of Respect, and Comfort, ought to be performed with Liberty, and Chearfull∣ness, without any the least mixture of Scruple, and Reserve. These Frank and Mutual Enterchanges of Succour, and Advice, beget a Trust, and Kindnesse; And That's the true Foundation of a Happy and Lasting Union.—That Friendship which admits a Jelousie, wavers.

When You, (my Lord) your Officers, and Army, are become One with this City, you have then but Contracted a nearer Alliance with the Na∣tion: whose several Counties, and Divisions, (how remote soever) are (with this Town) but Parts still of the same Body. By a Consent of In∣terest, and Sense, they Prosper, or they Wither, they Grieve, or Ioy, they Live, or Dye. Nor are they more united in their Interests, than in their Votes, and Resolutions; for they have unanimously engaged with the City, to maintain their Rights, and Liberties, the Reformed Religion, and the Freedom of Par∣liaments, against all Hazzards, and Oppositions whatsoever. I need not tell your Lordship by what Audacious and Illegal Violences, this Declaration and Remonstrance was extorted from them. The Nation stood condemn'd to Servitude, and Beggery, even by those, whom they themselves had Raysed from that Condition, to aggravate the Bondage, by the more Intollerable Authors of it. 'Twas now become a Crime, to name a Full, Free Parli∣ament, and Treason to appeal to any other Law, than the Insipid Vote of a Legislative Conventicle. The Gaols are full of Prisoners upon that ve∣ry score.

Was it not time, (my Lord) to bid these People hold their Hands, after the expense of so much Bloud, and of so many Millions; and all this only to perpetuate a dearer, and a more Infamous Thralldom? The Pulpits were enured to Blasphemy, and Non sense, and the Government prostituted for mo∣ny, to Persons able to disgrace a Bawdy House.—These, and the like Indignities, put the Nation upon their Just, and necessary Defence; And in that Posture they now stand Ready, and Resolved.

Your Excellency hath been tender hitherto of Bloud, but if a speedy Order be not taken, to Regulate those stragling Troops, that Act still in the Countries, in Opposition to a Settlement, It will come yet to Blows: For questionlesse, in case of a Necessity, the People will never stand still, and suf∣fer themselves to be picked out, man by man, till they be all Destroyed.

The Gentry and Nobility, are Slaves to every pedling Pursuivant. 'Tis but a VVarrant from our Masters, and all is Fish that comes to Net: No matter for a Crime, if there be a Booty. All that the People ask, all they design, is but the Benefit of the Law. VVill any English man deny it us? First, They have sworn to defend it; next We have sworn, rather to dye, than lose it. This Faction hath cost the Nation more than 60. Millions, besides the Blood they have Lapp'd: and yet 100000 l. a Month, and not a farthing lesse, will do their Businesse, that is, 5000 l. a Man, or some such Trifle: For that, the Juncto shares; perhaps the Souldier, once in a year, or 2. may get his Mornings draught, and then be turn'd to Graze upon Free Quarter; and hang'd for Mutiny, if he but talks of Mony. Its the trick they served all that have served them. VVho ever strikes, or Payes on their behalf, fights but for Bondage, and contributes to his own Chaynes. If they had any Faith, they might be trusted. But Oaths go down with them like Pills of Butter, they are dissolved, as soon as taken. That Perjury which would poyson a good Christian is but their Nutriment. Nay worse than Wolves, they are false to their own Kind, and enter worry one-another. I should be endless, to pursue this Subject till I want Matter. In brief, My Lord, look to your self, and to your Friends; Life and Death are before you, Chuse. May Heaven direct and blesse your Councils and Endeavours, so far, as you proceed with Piety and Honour. To prevent Mistakes, I do declare, that there are divers moderate and sober Persons, in the Mixture, for whom I have a fair Respect, and that the tartnesse of my Language, only concerns the Furious and Phanatique of them.

A Word now to the City; and that a short one.] Gentlemen, upon your fair complyance with the General, depends much of your safety: that is, so far as he comports himself with Terms of Prudence, Equity, and Honour; (and he is too Noble, to goe Lesse) next, to himself, you finde his Officers, of an Ingenuous, and clear Conversation; and worth your Friendships, their Commands apart; you likewise find the body of the Army, Civil, and well d•sciplin'd, you doe exceeding well to pay them all due respects: and to joyn Interests, and Counsels, with them;—you have done Wisely, Honestly, and Bravely too, to oppose Taxes: that is, Taxes imposed without a Law,—to be employed against your selves;—and such, as had you granted them, your President would have extended to enslave your Posteritie.—Your care next, to disarm the Sectaries, was very seasonable, your City had probably been in Ashes else by this time. Consider, they bear the same minde still, and where they had those weapons they can quickly have more. You cannot be secure without your Militia, nor can any thing fairly obstruct your Procurement of it: In Titchburn's Case, it was by the Commons ordered, that any six of the Common-council (upon emergent occasions) might send for the Lord Mayor to call a Common-council, and in case of default, call it themselves, and any 40 of them, to have power to act as a Common-council, without the Lord Mayor, any thing in their Char∣ter to the contrary Notwithstanding: See the Hist. of Independency, part 2. page 83. Not to exceed my limits, Forget not your suffring friends, and stand firm to your Associates, and Allies. He that tamely suffers one Injury, provokes another.

Now to the Nation, for a Farewell.] I need not presse my Country-men with many Cautions, your Freedom of Elections, that's your Birth∣right; 'Tis that you all declare, to Live and Dye for, you are too wise, to be cheated with Restrictions and Qualifications: as if the Question were the Number, rather than the Choice, at this rate, you may have a full House, indeed; but How? That is, full of the Brats, the Kinred, and the Par∣tizans of those that sit already; and then, they that have gull'd you all this while, shall govern you for ever, your very Declarations against the Pre∣sent Tyranny, have brought you to that Point, that there's no safety left you, but in violence; for, while you talk, you dye, your scattered Friends are gathered up, one by one; whereas, your SEASONABLE UNION MAKES ALL SURE. As your Intentions are Honourable, so let your Acti∣ons be. How far the Law extends, in case of Srutish, and Illegal cruelty, see St. Johns Argument against the Earl of Strafford; and with that I con∣clude: He that would not have had others to have Law, why should he have any himself? Why should not that be done to him, that himself would have done to others? It is true, we give Law to Hares, and Deers, because they be Beasts of Chase; it was never accounted either cruelty, or fowl-play, to Knock Fox∣es, and VVolves on the head, as they can be found, because these be Beasts of Prey: The VVarrener sets traps for Powlcats and other Vermin, for Preservati∣on of the Warren.