Observations vpon Prince Rvperts white dog called Boy carefully taken by T.B. for that purpose imployed by some of quality in the city of London.

I. For his Qualities.

1. IN the first place, He can Prophecie. I mean not as our Ma∣ster Green the Haberdasher doth Prophecy, that is, expound the Scripture by private Spirit; but he prophecies of future events; and his Masters footman, a Laplander, doth expound him. Among other things, he hath prophecyed, that the King shall en∣ter London before May day next, with threescore thousand horse and foote; that the Dogge himselfe shall be Courted, that he ads, more round then his own, shall bow to him; that he shall ride in a City Pageant triumphantly overlooking the people, and be feasted by a lawfull Lo. Major; and that the City, Lasty, shal prof∣fer him two tubs of Custard-stuffe a week to bathe in, which he is not yet resolved to accept of. And it is thought that his Prophe∣cies (for now at last they begin to turne our own arts upon us) will be printed here in Oxford in opposition to M. Bookers Almanacks.

2. He hath the art of finding out Concealed goods, for since ••he King hath beene resident in the University, he and the Heads

of both Houses have discovered the plate, that the Lord Say and Sir Iohn Seton could not; which for feare it may hereafter fall into such hands (I desire you to conceive I speak their words) the Uni∣versity desires may be melted down in New-Inne Hall (an house that accounts casting of Dollars lawfull) and coyned for the use of the King and true Parliament.

3 He is endued with the gift of Languages, which yet he hath the art to hide very well. For with a kinde of generous confi∣dence he mounts the Table and the cupboard, under a pretence of courting his Master, and by that cunning meanes hath his care oftner then his Barber hath: for the Prince taketh but little care of his head. Besides he whispers those of the Noble men that are most true to the King, as often as the spirit doth M. Case, or those godly Teachers that are most true to the Parl. Some of great place and good account, who love to eves-drop all informations, have sworn to me they plainly distinguish the accents of the Dogs lan∣guage to sound like our Hebrew. Whereupon I advised with some of the Professous here, (who in their hearts incline to our Side) who out of curiosity preffed neare, but they told me his whispers then seemed to them to be a mixt language, somewhat between Hebrew & High dutch which (they say) if any, was most probably the language of the Beasts before the curse. He also discourseth ordinarily with some Masters of Art, and many times understands them more, then it is possible they should understand one ano∣ther: which kind of discourse they truly call Chopping of Lo∣gick. This quality admits him into all company, whose relations he relates to his Master, and his Master again to the King, and thus all our spies are discovered, and BOY doth that which many of the Kings own servants will not.

4 He is weapon-proofe himself, and probably hath made his Master so too, my self and the rest whom you have imployed to be of the conspiracy against him, have alwayes failed of our at∣tempts, as if something more then witchcraft watcht over him. Once I gave him a very hearty stroke, with a confiding Dagger, but it slided off his skin as if it had beene Armour of proofe nointed overwith Quick-silver. Besides he hath been tempted with pieces of Capon and other choice morcells, as well seasoned

all, as poyson and extemporary prayer could doe it: but the Cur as obstinately rejected them, as if he had knowne beforehand what they were, so that they hurt him no more then the plague-plaister, sent in the Letter did Mr. Pym. That which they say of him, that he usually sets his mouth as •• trap, and catcheth bullets as they flie, (though you shall never see him, but with a brace hanging under his taile, as if he had but lately swallowed them, & were stil ready to void them) upon my credit it is a meere slander. But it is most certaine that hee doth things neare as strange. For when his Master the Prince hath forgot to put his characters be∣tween his shirt and his skin, some bullets he blows by, others hee breakes the force of so that they either no more touch him, then if they were aimed at the edge of a penknife, or if they doe, doe him no more harm then they would have done, if he had his characters about him. He is of too much valour himself; and though what my L. Brooks told you in a speech at Guild Hall, a∣bout our very Dogs being killed, be in the thing true enough, yet notwithstanding his Lp. hath wrote a booke of truth, by his fa∣vour I must tell him he was mistaken in the person that did the ex∣ecution; for upon my word, the Kings men killed our men, and none but the Princes Dog killed our Dogs.

5 And lastly. He can goe invisibly himself, and make others doe so too. He hath often been where no body hath seen him, & done that that no body else could. Who think you conveid Oneal out of the Tower? even BOY. Who conveid the L. Digby first in to Hull afterwards out againe? even BOY. Who got Legg out of prison? even BOY. who released Bamfield? verily BOY still. Yet who all this while lesse suspected then BOY? and now, if ever, I beseech you have an eye to your selves; for he goes oftner be∣tween Oxford and London, every weeek, then the three Carriers doe. He conveies Letters without being broken open, and brings mony without being robbed. He it is that layes the Apprentises Designe in one shape, and then leads them on to the Action in a¦nother: one day he is Philip the Shoomaker, and another day Tom the Barber. And when he would find out our counsells, he min∣gles himself with the good apprentises; sometime appears like Ezekiel, M. Bostock the bookbinders boy; and sometimes like Na∣thaniel,

Mrs. Greens Freeman. Under these disguises he brings us false Informations, and carries them true, and certainly no one else infuseth into the Apprentices what they should doe for the King, and what against my Lord Say. This he doth himself. Then upon my certain knowledge he doth usually break a black cloud about Prince Rupert too, in which hee goes as invisible as our Church, or our Faith doth, or as our Charity should. And by this mysticall meanes it was, that the Prince so often passed our Guards undiscovered, and by so many disguises entred those Townes of Ours, which the book to that purpose sets down very edifyingly. By this meanes he was the Appleman at Dunsmore∣heath, the Netseller in Coventry, and the Old woman in Warwick: By this meanes he is all things and nothing, and no doubt is often at our common-Councell in London, marking out some of Our Citizens for death, and some of their wives for life, some of our Aldermen for plunder, & some perhaps for sport: Which tokens because they proceed from the assistance of this Dogge, and are fastned on us, we may truly call the Marks of the Beast upon the Godly.