THe unparaleld Liberty assumed in Print­ing Unlicenced Pamphlets is of late growne so exorbitant, that many take it for granted, that it is even lawfull for them to vent by the Presse, whatsoever they thinke may please their owne, and other mens Phantasies, that are ejusdem farinae, of the like condition with them; of which sort (among the rest) they conceive, that nothing will be more acceptable to such kind of people, then that which traduceth Governours or Govern­ment.

Of this kind, lately hath been published a most base and scur­rillous (I might wel have said a Libellous and scandalous) Pam­phlet, under the Title of The Downfall of old Common Councill men. The Title page wherof, together with the Pamphlet it selfe, containes as many untruths as lines; the difference in Title and Pamphlet being only this, that the first hath all that malice can utter, bare-ly set downe in it; and the other is flourished with sustian words, and some shreds of the Latine, but more of the ly­ing tongue, in which it seemes the Author is best versed: both of them being fitter for the draught then the Stationers stall.

And indeed this Answer to it had been better spared then fra­med ( a cleane whip being the proper Answer for him) but that perhaps, if the Pamphlet had been permitted to passe in silence, it might have been taken (by some of his straine that made it, or by strangers to the Government of this City) pro confesso, that all which the Pamphleter had said, were true: whereas there is not [Page 2] one word in it that hath any alliance with Truth.

It may be well and truly averred, that this Pamphleter is true heire to his father, that from the beginning was a lyer: and bro­ther to him that for 30. pieces of silver betrayed his Master, though they were of more value then those 30. which this poore conditioned fellow received for betraying his owne ma­lice and the Cities government, being but pence at the most, and they too much too.

But not to spend more paines and paper upon him, let's take a view of this h [...]s good [...]y piece, for to bestow much time or la­bour to answer a foole in his folly, were but folly, as the Wise­man speaks. W [...]re it [...]ot therefore, more to vindicate the govern­ment of the City, and the credit of those upon whom his foule aspersions and scandals are layd by him, this labour might well have bin spared: yet seeing his impudence in averring such falsi­ties is so great, as that perhaps some of his own garb, and stran­gers to the state of the City, may be too much possessed by him, we shall descend a little lower then otherwise might bee thought fit.

To begin then with him, and first with his Title page, wher­in first he hath prefixed his Title, which he calls, The downfall of old Common Councill men, which (for our better conceiving what he meanes by it) he tells us, that it was their great Re­pulse at Guild-Hall upon a Friday (I take it the 34. of January) by the Committee, who extruded the Old out of their corrup­ted Offices, and elected new in their Places. And in the next place promises (much and performes nothing) to shew their manifold corruptions and unequall Taxations, which they im­posed chiefly on their poore Parishioners, and connived on the Rich, being too common an abuse by them. Then exactly de­scribing, how they have oft-times robbed the poore of their due, and deteyned the Charity of other men from them, and have put it up in their owne purses. And in the last place, (be­cause there were not untruths sufficient before) he will shew the manner of their Arraignment at Guild-Hall, with the Cause of their downfall, and the others uprising.

Certainly here's a grievous Charge, and I doubt not but we shall have it abundantly proved in the ensuing discourse, if it prove not like the German Mercury, whose Title page con­taines more, or asmuch as the book it selfe. But if you'le be a little [Page 3] patient, you shall heare the Pamphlets charge, with a briefe answer, as also the proofes, which are so many, that I feare they will never be disproved.

In the Preamble of his Pamphlet, this shamelesse fellow is so arrogant, as to call men of good & unspotted reputation, and that have well deser­ved of the City for their industry, counsell & integrity, Corrupt streams, that either have hindred the pure current, or at least have contaminated the cleare fountaine of Justice, and (as if this had not been enough) the Beetle head hath bestowed upon them the name of Beetles, (for so is his Scarabeus in the Latin.) So that in the very front he hath placed two of his Lyveries for them, Corruption and Ignorance.

Now the Multiformity of their vices (as he is pleased to speake) hee hath most Methodically contracted into three Branches;

• 1. The cause of their Corruptions,
• 2. The variety of their Corruptions.
• 3. The cause of those numerous Varieties.

I. The cause of the first he impudently assignes to their Ambition and Arrogancy. Now wherin their Ambition consisted, neither he expresseth, nor can it be well conceived. If labour, time, or charge (the three Con­comitants of a Common Council man) be incitements or provocations to make a man Ambitious, then I will not deny this man to bee in the right : but neither of these certainly can be any allurements to m [...]ke a man ambitious (especially of such a place, or when he is in it to make a man corrupt) therefore we may well free them from that scandall. But yet arrogant they may be: and I pray why? Hee tells us, they did ty­rannically insult over others, who if they would not submissively sub­scribe to their opinions, were immediatly involved in the Catalogue of their inveterate malice. Truly Tenterden steeple was the cause of Good­win sands. And if this learned Latinist can make this Conclusion; They are malicious, therefore Arrogant, he hath a new Logique which Ramus nor Seton never heard of.

II. Now because (as he saith) the variety their of corruptions are mani­fold, nay infinite, and because he will not trespasse upon the readers pa­tience, he will (most learnedly) compendiate the multiplicity thereof, and collect them into some few branches of their abuses.

1. The unpardonable abuse of the poore Parishioners, which cryes loud in the eares of God and man, especially it being grounded upon spleen in assessing, and against law in prosecuting them.

2. Their second abuse in assessing (tending to Emulation) the poore, equall with the rich, and sometimes more, against Equity and Ju [...]ice.

[Page 4] 3. Their common practize in the disparity of their impositions, e [...] ­cting most where they pleased, without any respect of Justice, even to insulting perfection.

4. Their connivence to the Rich, in excusing them, and making the poore to pay for them, Which cryes for necessary and urgent Justice a­gainst them; because they take from those that have nothing or very lit­tle, and adding to those that have all, or a [...] least the greatest. Nay, their offence is so vicious in this regard, that he blusheth, or at least is asha­med to adde any further a constructive addition to their contriving Malignity.

5. The last. In saving themselues from all payments whatsoever, and whosoever poore or rich payd, they themselves payd nothing: Yea, some­times they would deteyne money too, and put it into their purses, being content pocket up such wrongs. So that the meanest of the Parish did yearely pay more then the chiefest of them.

3. In the last place you shall have him tell you, what was the Cause of those numerous varieties of corruptions.

1. The generall and prime cause was their too licentious liberty in committing them without contradiction.

2. The second was the non-annuall election of them: So that with­in these faire branches of his, are conteyned the Charge. The particulars whereof are crying sins, Spleen, Injustice, evill Conscience, Partiality and Connivence, Cruelty to the poore, Malignitie, Robbing the poore, and favouring themselves, even to the saving of all charges and taxes.

Could either Impudence or Malice it selfe have said more and proved lesse, then this scurrilous Pamphleter hath? Hath he all this while al­ledged any particular ptoose, or so much as given any one instance to prove that which he hath thus impudent-ly affirmed? Truly, No. And why? Because Dolosus versatur in generalibus. He that intends to raise slanders, and cast aspersions upon them that deserve them not, hath no other way to evade, then by traducing in generals: If hee had meant to have dealt fairely and candidly, he would at least have instanced one ex­ample, to prove every severall imputation. But this he knew he could not doe.

Let us come a little neerer to him. I would faine know of him, what Assessments there are, wherein any Common Councill man hath more power then many other in each Ward that are joyned with them. Sure I am, that neither in Subsidies not Fifteenes he hath not any. And for the Assessments to the poore, he that hath lesse Latine then this Pamphle­ter would seeme to have, can tell, that the lawes of the Land have ap­pointed [Page 5] others, and not Common Councill men, to assesse them. As for exempting themselves from paying that which they are assessed at, I be­leeve he would be as farre short in proving it, if he were put to it, as he would be to prove himselfe an honest man. For it may be boldly affir­med, and as easily proved by all Records of the City, publike and pri­vate, that all Common Councill men ever payd their full proportion to all taxes and levyes whatsoever, Nay, more then many better men of estate then themselves; and why? eo nomine, because they were Common Councell men, as if some revenues were annexed to their places: for him therefore to averre, that whosoever payd, Common Councill men payd nothing, what can be more impudent? What Cha­rity they have received, quatenus Common Councill men from others, and put it into their owne purses, he might have instanced, but it may well be affirmed, that he knowes of none; If he doe, hee should have nominated him, that he might have beene branded nigro Carbone: and if there be any such, he did it not in relation to the Common Councill, but as a private man, upon private trust, and therefore not to be impu­ted to his Office.

Will you looke backe upon his learned and juditious assignment of the Causes of the numerous varieties of corruptions? They are two. 1. Their too licentious committing them without contradiction. This indeed is a true conjecture, for if they have beene so corrupt as he would make them, and they have been so farre from correction, as not to be contradicted, Certainly if they were bad one yeare, they would be much worse the next, for vitia transmittit ad posteros, qui praesentibus culpis ignoscit. But they having not so much as any tentations to cor­ruption incident to their places, nor having committed the least of­fence which this Pamphleter impudently upon his owne bare asserti­on layes to their charge, for what should they bee contra­dicted?

The second cause is, their Non-annuall Election of them, he would have said of others in their roomes. To this they may be answered; That if they were faulty in any of the Crimes objected by him, there were great reason for it, but if they bee cleare, then none so fit to serve the Citie as they, which are experienced and versed in the affaires of it.

To come briefly to his Close, which is; That these precedent par­ticulars being ma [...]urely and s [...]riously considered and revolved by the City, All the old Common Councill men were arraigned by the [Page 6] Citizens, and a select Committee appointed to regulate these abuses. And being accused, they were found so inexcusable delinquent and pec­cant, that they were incontinently excluded from their corrupt Offices, and new Common Councill men elected in their places.

To this I say, That his Conclusion comes not short of his premisses. It is a short one, but stuffed with as many untruths as lines, as the rest of his Pamphlet. As first, There was no Arraignment of any; and I doubt of the power of that Committee (he speakes of) to arraigne men; neither are any of the Crimes he scandalously alledgeth Capitall, and so out of compasse of arraignment. Secondly, by his owne words, they were but to regulate abuses; nor doe I conceive they had so much power: They were (in this case) but to examine and report the va­lidity of Elections, to the Common Councill, not to examine and re­gulate abuses, of any Old Common Councill men. Thirdly, if all the old were delinquent and peccant, how comes it that some continue in their places still, and are upon that Committee which he mentions? Fourth­ly, There were none accused or found delinquent, nor excluded from their corrupt Offices, nor new chosen in their places: where by the way one learned passage of the Pamphleter is to be observed (exclu­ded from their corrupt Offices) whereby it appeares that it was not the persons only, but the Offices which were corrupt too, and then the New had little cause to thanke them for putting them into them.

To conclude all (being sorry I have troubled you and my selfe so much already) I shall say no more, but that it is much to be feared, that this fellow, either out of need, distemper of braine, or a naturall incli­nation to rayle against Authoritie, will bee so farre transported e're leng, that he will not rest here, but doe some further Act, for which he will be exalted further upward, then any Common Councill man hath yet fallen downward. And in the meane time it is to be hoped, that the Justice of the State will take some order with him, (not to his liking) for that which he hath most scandalously done in this.