THe last night came to my view, a Paper intituled, News from Brussels, &c. At the reading whereof, I could not but in some measure be astonished, to Imagine, that such exquisite Malice, should still have its continuance, and prevalency amongst some people, against that person who should (if they duely considered their duties,) be most Dear, Tender, and Sacred to them; such a vein I perceived there was of forged and fictitious stuff, put into a most malitious dress of Drollery, running through the whole Tenor thereof, and snapping and biting all along as it went, in that sense, as might be sure most to fix calumny and slander upon that royal person, whom it chiefly intended to wound; That I could not but contemplate thus with my self: Is it not enough that, That Innocent Prince, ever since his Tender years hath been hunted like a Partridge upon the mountains from place to place, from one nation to another people, robbed and spoyled of his large and ample Patrimony and Dominions, and enforced to live (as it were) upon the Alms and Charity of his Neighbour Princes, But his bright and shining vertues, most manifest and apparent to the whole world, must still be subject to the reproach and scandal of every lasci­vious, black and sooty quill? Wert thou a Christian (Base forger) and not a foul feind rather, clothed with humanity; Methinks the consideration of this very particular, should draw Tears from thine eyes, or rather blood from thy heart, then such cursed drops of mischievous malice, to issue from thy disloyal and corrupted brain? But if thou call to mind that transcen­dently barbarous murder, of his most glorious and Martyred father, such as no Age since Adam, ever paralell'd: And the deep stain of that Sacred and and Royal blood (now crying under the Altar) which fasten upon thee; And thy therein guilty and bespotted Soul, (For, it is more then guessed who thou art) what horrour and trembling should justly seize thy joints, and shake the scribling instrument, of such thy traitorously invented mis­chief, out of thy loathed and bloody hands? After which contemplation, [Page] [...] [Page 1] [...] [Page] [...] a more strict and wary view of the particulars in that scandalous Scrole: And having observed, what cunning subtilty, This forger had shew­ed, and what tools he had made use of, to stamp and Mint this false and counterfeit Coyn, I resolved to publish it, which I am perswaded will not be ingrateful to any, unless such, who are of the Forgers crew; and of what sort and principles they are, it is well known.

First, he hath prepared a number of letters, which he would have the reader think, to intend the persons now about his Majesty, whose names relate to them; But see, how in ipso Lumine, he berays his own fictitious guilt; For this H. I. which he would have thought to be the L. Iermin, this person was known to be elsewhere, far distant from Bruxels, at the time of the date of that piece of Forgery: In the next place, it is observable, That before he hath wrote five lines, he fixes a No [...]ious lye upon his Ma­jesty, and chargeth him with Swaering; A thing [...] manifestly known, he is so free from, That all his Attendants may [...] challenged to relate, if they can, whether, ever they heard a profane oath [...] come from him, much less used upon such a ridiculous idle occasion▪ as this forger mentions; It being Notorious that he is, and ever hath been▪ so reserved in bestowing those ready Jewels of honour (The only Treasure he is, or can be unrob'd of) That it is not any way probable, he should squander one away, for a Letter, and less likely, that he should publickly say and swear this. Within a few lines after he Talks of his Majesties Resolution to waft over into Ireland; For his S. C. C. he would have understood, to be meant Sir Charles Coot; a very probable business, as he relates it: Pray Sir which way should he waft (as you phrase it) it is a sign you have more skill in Forgery then in Geo­graphy, and the situation of places, and nations. Next, he fains News to ar­rive out of Scotland, which is the cold Country he means; But his two hours mentioned, smells so rank of brass, that it renders it, at first sent, a perfect counterfeit: And what must this News do? onely introduce an occasion to abuse and slander his sacred Majesty, and render him odious to those of the Presbyterian Tenets, which indeed is the whole scope and Tenor of this scurrulous doughty Epistle, and to make some persons here think, that there is such a stock of rancour and malice, and such deep thoughts of revenge, harboured in the hearts and mind of all persons attending the KING, and in his own Royal heart likewise, That what­ever pretences and shews are at present made to the contrary, to compass their ends, yet the issues and effects of this Malice and Revenge, shall in due time so appear, and manifest it self; That there is not a man, who hath shewed any opposition to himself, or his late Royal Father, but sooner or later shall feel their sad and direful stroke: And this Impress he hath so Machiavelianly, and with such art and cunning, besprinkled and scattered over the whole Paper, and in such several subtle and wiley ways, and such [Page 3] seeming real phrases, proper for such persons, who he would fain to be the Writer, and Receiver, That none but his grand Tutor and Instructer, The Divel himself (and scarce he neither) could possily outdo him, in some parts, of this piece of artificial forgery: Others there be, which clearly discovers the Rat by his squeaking: But above all, that bold and impudent lye, in representing that meek and gentle PRINCE, to have no need of spurs to Revenge, but rather a Rein to hold him in from it, is such a piece of open and notoriously known falshood, That it is to be wondred at, That he should escape a Dart from heaven, into his false and hollow sly heart, whilst he was staining the paper▪ with that most mischievous malicious expression, it being so known and manifest to all about him; That nothing hath ever been, or is, more frequent with him, in his ordinary converse; Then to express his firm and constant resolution, to adhere close to the ad­vertisement of his Royal Martyred Father, who inter voces extremas (as it were) left a preceptory advice to the contrary Of such sort likewise, is this Pasquil of the Pedigree he mentions; false fictions of a Son of Belial, which will remain in pickle to arise up against this forger, at a Tribunal, where the offspring of a Plantagenet, whose most innocent blood he hath suck'd, will bring in a Record beyond Murryes Manuscript, which will fright his guilty soul down to that place of horrour, prepared for him and his fellow Regicides, his Pin, Crust, and Dog, Dam, and Kittlings, Piss and Horse-spice, King Harry's Codpiece▪ and the concealed Nuntio, and all that sort of aenigmatical and Ribbald (yet very significant and malitious) Drollery▪ what is it, but the filthy foam of a black and hellish mouth, arising from a viperous and venomous heart, industriously and maliciously set upon doing what cursed mischief lies within the sphere of his cashiered power, in such a conjuncture of Time as this, when the Nations hopes, are in a full and just expectation of receiving a perfect cure of those bleeding deep wounds, and wastful, and consuming miseries made, and continued by him, and his fellow plotters, which they have so long lay panting and groaning under?

The Star and blew Ribbon, he speaks of, will be every way as fit, for the shoulder which hath given him and his party such a shove, and as deservedly, as a hempen halter will be for this forgers own Neck: And 'tis very possible and probable too, They may both take their different effect in due time, though we see what art is used to thrust that shoulder from its due merit by such the Forgers subtleties. The Romance of his Waldense Dulmano, Byting the lip, with all the Dependent sequel of such a parcel of Mountebanq [...]y that it confutes it self in its own relation; as also other his so [...], insinuated by bits in a subtle way of seeming Drollery, [...] tooth'd in its sense and signification: And the aim of all is [...] & vulgar apprehensions, & draw them again into [...] [Page 4] As they may yet once more (if possible) fall under the worrying power of him, and such like Ravenous Beasts of Blood, Prey, and Rapine: Sir, your Nets are seen, and your fallacies fail you, The hooks you mention are laid too visibly; The fish you would catch, are so far from swallowing, they will not bite at all; you were best therefore go shave your own beard, as you have those, in your Letter, and your Scull too: And if your brain prove not thence more pregnant, 'Twill serve (However) to stuffe your powch in stead of what, such your Angels were intended, to have holpen you too: And I would wish you also to take this Advice from a friend, Give over your Angling this way, and appear no more in publick at the side of this Pool, least you be tumbled in over head and ears, and your self become both the Bait and Prey to those you thus endevour to catch, and delude by such your Drolling subtleties.

And now having done with your forged Calumnies, I shall upon this just occasion, desire leave to tell you, and those whom they were intended to be­guile and work upon; that the Prince and Soveraigne (whom it is so appa­rent, your grand aim by this designe was to wound, though through the fi­ctitious sides of others, set up in your own Fancy) is one, to whom both you and they, owe a Duty, and Allegiance, by all the Laws of God, Nature, and the Land. And however, you for your part, have a minde to forget, and are not pleased to own it, it is (however) not the lesse his due: And it is not alto­gether impossible, but upon better and due consideration, of the horrid guilt you lye under, Divine Grace may hereafter be so infused into you, and you thereby be made so sensible of your Crime, that perhaps you may yet cheer­fully return to such your bounden duty, and by your future demeanour, wash off those staines, wherewith your guilty Soul is now so fouly bespotted: which that you may the more readily doe, I shall truly, and as knowingly, as I believe it is possible for any in this Nation, give you this just and due character, of that most vertuous and excellent Prince, whom (whatever your thoughts are now) it is possible you may one day esteem it your chief ho­nour to style, your dear and dread Lord and Sov [...]igne, which is truly such, that in the opinion of very many wise and knowing men, it would put the whole Christian world upon some difficulty, to find his parallel or equall in all respects; His Birth and Extraction is known to be so transcendently illustrious, that what Prince is there upon Earth, that can challenge a grea­ter or a more Noble, and Kingly, and for longer continuance, for Centuries of years: His Person so lovely, amiable, and gracefull, that it even capti­vates the eyes of all Beholders, and every where generates, a noble and ge­nerous affection, respect and clemency, from the chiefest Enemies of his An­cestors, and of our Nation and Dominions. His parts and endowments such, that were we free from subjection to him, by all Laws, and to make search throughout all Nations and People, for a complete and well accomplished [Page 5] Personage to Rule over us, common Fame and Report could not but send us to him; so meek, gentle, and sweet of Behaviour; so firm, constant, and obliging in his Friendships, so milde, modest and patient in his Afflictions and Sufferings; yet upon occasion so full of Princely courage and magnani­mity, so knowing and discerning in his Reason and Judgement, and by his retirement, so fitted and adapted for moderate Government: but above all, so firmly and irremoveably fixed, to the profession of the true Protestant Religion, testifyed many wayes against the cunning Arts, and subtle at­tempts and allurements, of the most inveterate enemies thereof: That it is an infamy, never to be washed off from this Nation, (unlesse the now ge­neral vote and desire thereof be hearkned to, and take effect in such man­ner, as may in some sort purge the same) that such a Prince as he, so qua­lified in all respects, and so innocent likewise, as to the first cause of diffe­rence, and ever since, also, saving his desire, and pursuance of his just and undoubted Birth-right; a thing which the meanest of us would be condem­ned for by all, even by our very selves, should we omit, or be negligent of, were it but for a poor Cottage; I say, that such a Prince as He, together with his Illustrious, Heroick, and high-born Brethren, (all of them, even in this their eclipsed obscurity, the renown and glory of our Nation) should (as is hinted before) be chased from such an ample and splendid Patrimony, and large Dominions, and that by his own Native Subjects, and Liege People, and suffered to wander, nay, by their means hunted from place to place, from one Nation (as is premised) to another People, and forced to live upon the Almes and Charity (as it were) of those, who doubtlesse are not without their grand designe upon Him, and all his Dominions, as (it may be feared) Time will sooner or later cleerly manifest, besides, the subjecting Him, and that whole Royal race, by this means, to the Enticements and Allurements, and to the Stratagems, Nets, and Entanglements of those Romish Rooking Gamesters, who are rangeing in all parts for their prey, and will be sure to leave no stone unmoved, to work their wicked ends, where such a quarry of Royal Game, are to be flown at, and with such advantage (as the case stands with them) to be attempted; that the very contemplation thereof, cannot methinks but draw Tears from the Eyes, and almost Blood from the Hearts, of all Pious, Loyal Protestant Christians, who have any sence and feeling, as they ought, of that deep dishonour and reproach, which by this very meanes, must needs redound to the professors of the true Protestant Religion, in all parts and places whatsoever, and no lesse sport and pastime to the great Vicar general at Rome, and his Court and Conclave: but as in the ground where Gold grows, nothing (it is said) will thrive but Gold, so God hath hitherto preserved this vertuous Prince, most firm, sound, and en­ [...]re, in the true Orthodox Faith, and no doubt but will so continue Him, and make him not only in Title, but really and indeed a most magnanimous Defender thereof, against all its adversaries.

[Page]And whereas there is either a real or seeming fear in some sort of guilty people (and thereby the desired settlement much disturbed and retarded) that if the old Government take place againe, and the right Pilot come at the Head and Stern therof, that there wil be such rankor, malice and revenge put in practice, by the all along adherers to the Royal Interest, against such as any time opposed them; and thereby such losse, dammage and sufferings sustained, with divers other vain and empty fears, jealousies and conjectures. Now, as the true Character of his sacred Majesty himselfe, is before very faithfully expressed, so surely it will nor seem incongruous and impertinent upon this just occasion likewise, to interpose this sincere and unfeigned pro­testation, on the behalfe of those Adherers to the Royal Interest; That as their principles are truly Christian, so they most earnestly desire to pursue the due practice of them accordingly. And whatsoever is forged in that malicious piece, before at large spoken of that Loyal party, especially the main bulk and body of them (who are only considerable in this case, and Extravagants and not to be regarded) are so far from any thoughts of Ran­kor, Malice, and Revenge, in that particular, or any aime of making good their Losses by the Estates of others (a usual vogue raised by our Peace-op­posers) that they do as fully and unfainedly forgive them, and all sorts of them, as they desire of Heaven the forgivenesse of their own transgressions, and do so far detest the thought of repairing their losses, that way feared, that to see his Majesty restored, and thereby a firm and lasting Peace setled, that so it may be conveyed to posterity, they would not onely very cheer­fully fit down by all their Losses and Sufferings, but many thousands of them willingly sacrifice much of their present Fortunes, and some of them their Lives too, as a grateful offertory for such a seasonable and all-healing mercy.