DId the wheel of Fortune ever move so swiftly as now? Was I not but t'other day above the Parliament, the Lawes, the Ci­ty, and the Good old Cause? Nay, did I not lay aside all other Considerations to imagine to my self greater ascents to dominion, since For­tune denied me nothing I could propose to my self? Have all my Familiars forsaken me, Ties the rope. who was so lately their dearest Favourite? Is there no way left to evade disgrace and ruine, but to precipitate all my Honors from this beam, Points to the beam. and ter­minate my vast attempts in the narrow compasse of a noose? Had not I better have sticht my ambi­tion to my in-sole & tackt them close to the Last, than thus at length to become my own hangman, when the world is not so courteous as to afford me any other (since none so vile) Executioner? Since the case is no otherwise, nor will be mend­ed without my end, I will make use of such a one, as (if exercised sooner) might have pre­vented much mischief this Kingdome hath re­ceived [Page 4] by my bloudy ambition, and have made the World rather pity than (as now it will) de­ride my misery.

Is not this the voice of my most devoted Servant?

Your dejected, deserted, despairing Cast-away.

How! Cast-away? is my service grown so contemptible, as to bring my most intimate Fa­vorites into this condition?

I ascribe not my misery to any other cause than my own folly & miscarriage, whereby I have so disappointed the designs of my good Lord, that I am not worthy to be named in your presence.

Away, away with this whining humor of melancholly, dost think to do me service and tby self honour by this puling kind of despair, upon every discouragement; I am very sensible of thy miscarriages not without the highest aggravati­ons, I have all along been no lesse than a father unto thee, have fitted thee for my service, pre­served thee from the infection of learning, wit, ci­vility, or any real sence of religion or ingenuity; furnisht thee with cruelty enough, dissimulation in the most perfect form of plain simple honesty, con­tinually inspired thee not onely with counsel but courage, for many high attempts, so that there is nothing left in thee at last but what is meerly con­natural [Page 5] to my self and of my free gift. And yet that after all this, you should desert my wonted providence, and rely more upon your own judge­ment than my dictates was a provocation not ex­pressible but by my eternal fury. I must tell thee, had Noll or Bradshaw ever so much forgotten them­selves, or me their great Lord, I should not have been wrought to such lenity by any perswasions: but since thy penitence hath wrought so high upon thy spirit, I will reveal a secret of most high con­solation to thy self. I have long since determined, upon thy faithful service to me in this world, not onely to advance thy honours and fortunes here to the highest degree, but in my infernal Kingdome to preferre thee to the chief general-ship of my dread­ful Legions: and from this my grace and favour to thee no ordinary provocation shall divert me, therefore draw near and make an humble and pe­nitent confession before me, in order to thy re-ad­mission into my favour.

I most humbly confesse, Kneels before him. to thy infer­nal Majesty, thy blessed Jezabel; thy Saints Cain, Herod, and Judas, Cora, Dathan and Abi­ram, Nero, Julian, Machiavil, and Ravilliack, John of Leyden, Knipper Doling, Melchier, Hof­man, and Muncer, Jack Sraw, Jack Cade and Wat Tyler, thy devout Servants, Enoch ap Evan, Pym, and Hacket. Thy Great Officers of State and zea­lous assertors of thy Good old Cause (now with thee) Cromwel, Prideaux, Williams and Brad­shaw, with thy innumerable Army of Tyburn and Smithfield Martyrs, and to all thy company of [Page 6] black Angels and infernal Spirits, &c. That I have offended against thee my Ghostly Father, in word, thought and deed, by my faults, my faults, my great faults. First, that when it was in my Power and thy Commands, I neglected utterly to destroy the Rump of the Long Parlia­ment, taking them for thy servants as well as my self, and therefore not so strictly hearkning to, and obeying thy commands as I ought in duty to have done.

I deny not but they were my Servants, did my works, and still do, but this is no excuse for your neglecting my positive commands, since my secret designes are not fully known, nor can be to my best servants on earth; but go on.

Secondly, that when thou hadst put it into my heart, (upon the Apprentises football play) on Munday the 5. of Decemb. to take the opportunity to destroy men, women, and chil­dren, in the City of London, and make prize of their estates thereby to engage the Army to go on in thy service under my command, I did not prosecute the design further than the death of a few innocent persons, to the greater prejudice than promotion of thy service.

These are humbling faults with a wit­nesse, and should teach the avoyding of the like for future.

That when there appeared no other meanes for the upholding the interest of thy ser­vants, but onely the firing of the City of Lon­don with Granadoes, and so distressing thine [Page 7] and our enemies; through diffidence and want of courage I waved that thy great design. The con­sideration of which my most grievous offence, so increases my confusion and sorrow for this and other the like enormities, that expressions fail me, and I can go no further at this time, but humbly desire pardon from you my Ghostly Fa­ther and great Protector and all your infernal and forementioned Saints and Servants, for these and all other the like my transgressions, with a hearty promise of double diligence in thy works of darknesse for time to come.

I am satisfied in thy confession and up­on thy hearty repentance for these thy faults, and the renewing of thy obedience for the future, do absolve thee by my own terrible name, and that black infernal lake in my Kingdome; therefore arise, and for thy penance let this thy confession be forthwith publisht to all my servants in the world, lest they by the like incogitancy renew thy miscarriages; but let my lenity in this small pe­nance obliege you to an increase of your diligence in my service for time to come: and for a further testimony of my paternall affection, in especial to you upon the renewing of your obedience thus to me take some of my advice in general, and for par­ticular occasions I and my spiritual servants will never fail in our assistance.

I. Be sure never to attempt any great thing without the specious pretence of Religion, and the Good old Cause.

II. Never condescend to any thing in favour [Page 6] [...] [Page 7] [...] [Page 8] of the family of the Stuarts, but remain their in­veterate enemy.

III. To your utmost, obstruct the settlement of any Government whatsoever in the Church.

IV. In all places shew your self a most zealous assertor of liberty of conscience.

V. Incline to all factions whatsoever, but be sure never cleave to any particular.

If thou shalt be constant and faithful in obser­ving these my general rules, and all my particular dictates, thou shalt find by an uncontrol'd prospe­rity, that thou art not the least in my favour, and at last a far greater preferment in my fiery region, then this world affords.

If ever I fail in performing (to my ut­most) your commands, account me as I am un­worthy the honour of your favorite.

The greatest happinesse I give my best Servants, shall attend thy most prosperous at­tempts, dear sonne,

Vale.