SOuldier, If you please to slacken your pace a little, I would request you to Resolve me a few Questions.

I will.

Whither are you marching?

To reduce General Monck and his Party,

Why, Is not Monk for the Parliament?

Yes; and therefore are we resolved to fight him, and as much as in us lies we asperse him, and endeavour to make him odious, giving out, That he will drink too excess, and, that he is for the King.

But are these things so?

We know not; onely (according to our ac­customed manner) we asperse all we fight against.

If you fight against the Parliaments friends, who do you fight for?

For some of our Principal Officers, viz Lam­bert, Packer, and the rest of the nine Field-Officers, which the Parliament Cashier'd the Army.

What! fight for your Officers against the Parliaments Forces! who gives you Authority?

We have taken care as to that; for, having made Fleetwood our Commander in Chief, he shall give out Commissions, by which means we create a power to ourselves; and what is it we by our swords cannot do? if the People will be so [...]ame as to let us alone.

Oh! But what will you do for monies? the nerves and sinews of War?

Why, for that we have a Paper that past the House twice, which shall serve our present turns to raise monies by.

Then it seems that the Parliaments Authori­ty will take place among you in order to the raising of money; letting the People understand thereby, that the very talk of an Act, binds them to conform thereto: yet this may be gathered from it, That monies cannot be raised without a Parliament.

You speak very right: but then will we make the Act void, which forbids the raising or levying of monies, but by the Consent of the People in Parlia­ment.

Oh! Take heed of that; for hitherto no Ty­rant-King nor Protector, durst make invalid that Fun­damental Law, by which the Peoples Estates are secu­red.

Then will we get about 40 Members into the Parliam [...]nt-House, and make them to abolish that Law, and provide money for us.

Then will it appear to all men, That you stand convinced in your Consciences, That y [...]u have acted very unadvisedly, in turning out the Parliament, with­out whom you cannot Lawfully raise a penny; and you will yet app [...]ar more odious and vile then ever in the eyes of the People; who are so wise, as not to part with any moni [...]s, but in obedience to Parliamentary Authority.

You say true; but if there be no other way, we will make virtue of necessity, and take it by force.

Marry, God forbid! for then should we be as very slaves as the Turks.

Why we have forcibly outed the Parliament, and made a Committee for Safety without Law, and by force made Fleetwood General; and why may we not raise money by force?

Then will you be in worse case then ever; you will be look' [...] upon as no better then Thieves and F [...]lons, and as Tyrants, and not fit to live. Then look to your selvs, That you be not served as were the Danes of old.

How was that?

The People being grievously oppressed with them, determined at a certain hour in the Night; when most of the Souldiers were asleep; That the men should rise and seize on the Guards, and the women should cut the Throats of those which were in Bed asleep; which accordingly they did.

But we will give them no such cause, we will deal Kindlier with them.

Alas poor Souls! When you come once to Rule by the Sword, God will take away his restraining grace, as being out of his way, and give you up to a cruell Inhumane Spirit; and you will work all manner of Cruelty, still passing on from one cruell action to another, till you be hated of all, and afraid to trust one another.

But I warrant you, we will not do so.

Alas poor deluded souldier! your grand Officers make you slaves to their Lusts, and serve their turns upon you, when you are not aware thereof: Do but look back to the year, 1650. see and consider, how you and they have declined good princi­ples, waxing worse & worse, deceiving and being deceived. How much more unchristian-like you are grown, more cruel, more prophane, more like your grand Hypocritical Officers every day then other: They themselves confessed in their Paper of April 6. 1659. when they invited the Parliament to sit again, That the Spirit of God was departed from them, and that they had wandered in the dark pathes of their Imaginations; in which they still en­deavoured to lead you.

Well, if things are so, I confess our condition is sad: Therefore do I resolve to follow your Christian-like counsel, if you please to tell me what to do.

First, consider the great sinfulness of your ways. Second­ly, the misery you bring upon your selves and Families: Can you endure to have your bones broken, your Children made father­less; your Wives widows; and many of your lives to be lost here; and all to be damned in Hell hereafter. Oh! consider for God's sake, for your Wives and Childrens sakes, for your Lives and Limbes sakes, and for your Soules sakes; and rather give over those Nine Officers of yours to the Mercy of the Par­liament, and re-establish them, and return to your first princi­ples; and leave not the Brand of a Mercenary, Cruel, Murther­ous Army upon your selves.

Sithence you have told me that I thought not of, I will follow your counsel; for I see you are a good Christian, & lo [...]e the peace and welfare of your Countrey, and good of all men, [Page 7] and would not have our Bodies not our Soules made miserable here or in the world to come, and that you are a constant Eng­lish-man.

Truly, I wish you peace here, and Eternal Happiness hereafter, and would not have you by your Officers be draw [...] in to sinful courses, by which the Nation should be made poor and so you want your pay as you do.

Well! I will tell all Fellow-souldiers and Officers what you say, & will perswade them to take their Force off from our Masters the Parliament, and let them sit again in peace, and we wi l deliver up all those Nine Men, as Kelsie and the rest, to their Mercy, which have rebelled against them, whom we ac­knowledged to be the Supreme Authority of the Nation, that no more bloud be shed in vain.

You will do like a good Christian, and like a valiant Souldier, if you do so.

But how do you think the Parliament will deal with these men (viz.) Lambert, Kelsie.

You know the Parliament are very ready to forgive: you know they gave them an Act of Pardon the other day, for as bad matters as they have done now; yea, for five years Cruel­ty, in keeping them our, and setting up Cromwel. Do not fear but the Parliament will be kind to them, and to all the Nation. There needs nothing to be done but to set open the Parliament door, and they will sit again.

Well Sir, I will do my uttermost to get all my fellow souldiers to be of my mind.

If you please, I will write these things, and you shall shew it them.

I thank you Sir, and I am the rather desirous you would do it quickly; for I call to mind that all Trade is decayed, and the Nation is impoverished, by reason of these many Charges we have had, and our Enemies grow very high upon us we cannot get our pay so constant as we h [...]d when the Parliament sat befor [...]: They (indeed) were our best Masters; they allowed us 5 s. 10 d. a week all their time; and our pay was never lessened, till they were turned out.

You say true: But consider also, that Religion and all is at the stake; and Body and Soul, and all will perish, if you con­tinue to stand upon your Swords, and act like Tyrants.

Sir, I will be as good as my word.

You will do well; and I will pray to God, that you may have grace to do as you say; and that all your Fellow-soul­diers may agree with you;

Farewel.