'TWas once a ſaying of the famous Ariſtotle, that for a man to be afflicted, it was Humanum; to be derided, 'twas Turpiſſimum: And upon that good Rule Mr. Prynne had ſpared me the labour of a ſtudied deriſion if he had once ſhewed himſelf ingenuous in any thing ſave the Confeſſion of his own ſhame, which truly he has plentifully done very lately in a great number of peeviſh & moſt unadviſed Pamphlets. A Man, (one wou'd think) that might have learn'd the Conſequence of ſeditious Scribling, long e're this time, if his guilt had taken half ſo deep an Impreſſion upon his heart, as his puniſhment hath left on his Head: But his violent humour is now (as it ſeems) grown incorrigible; he proclaims open hoſtility againſt all this ſide of the terreſtrial Globe, and appeares like an inhabitant of the Antipodes point blank againſt all men.

Ther's a Martial Law amongſt School-boyes, that after the firſt blow given by one of the Combatants, the other may fall on, and defend himſelf though his ſtanding on his own guard coſt his adverſary a Bloudy Noſe, or a Black Eye. This Gentleman is the firſt that hath bidden defiance to us all, and himſelf too; his high ſpirit and animoſitie has incouraged him to make the firſt Onſet; and what quarter can he expect from either Enemy or Friend, who aſperſes both, and tells them to their faces he ſcorns them? Certainly, mighty is the Mans Courage, who dares attempt theſe things; great his proweſſe; invincible his valour; to give you one proof of his Magnanimity for all; do but reflect upon, and well conſider the grand Action, or rather Paſſion of His life, and tell me who more daring, more potent, more venturous than He, who in the twinkling of an Eye, Praeſto, while a man could ſay What's this? run his head thorow an Inch-thick board.

Often have I made it matter of admiration, when I have ſeen an abuſive Copy of Verſes (that hath been but the product of a green brain) of a Malapert Youngſter againſt his Schoolmaſter, in revenge of that ſeverity which his own folly juſtly merited: My wonder has been more increaſt, when I have read a Libel penn'd againſt a Country Iuſtice of the Peace, by an oppreſs'd or ſportive Gentleman: but for a Man, an old Man, a Lawyer, Bencher of Lincolns Inne, about the period of his days to raile at all Authority, all kinds of Government, to make himſelf diametrically oppoſite to whatſoever is called the Preſent power, in good earneſt I think there are more wondērers at it than my ſingle ſelf. Againſt Kings, againſt Liturgy, againſt Biſhops, againſt thoſe that are againſt Kings, Liturgy, and Biſhops; pro and con, con and pro, for, and againſt. I lately perus'd a Paper, the title whereof was this, The names of the Lords of the Other Houſe: having read it over, and over again, I was ſomewhat troubled at his late Highneſſe's overſight or forgetfulneſſe, in leaving out this Gentleman's name, for (without all peradventure) [THE LORD PRYNNE] would have ſounded very emphatically, and He would have quitted himſelf in the diſcharge of that function very worthily, which conſiſts (as I am inform'd) altogether in exerciſing a Negative voice over all the good People of this Nation, which I'me ſure he would have done from the higheſt to the loweſt. Negatives are indeed a good Periphraſis for the Deity; yet very dangerous (as I conceive) for any man to a pro • rine to himſelf or make a Monopoly on eſpecially a Man that never was a Lord in this world, nor ever is like to be one.

This is the Man, the error of whoſe Judgement, and impardonable inſtability is to be imputed to the loſſe of his two Biaſſes; for if a Bowle's deviation from the Jack is occaſioned hereby, much more a rational Creature's à fortiori. This is the William, whoſe paſſion is the Conquerour (as Cleaveland ſayes in another caſe.) This is the eminent Wit of all London, abating onely one Creek, which they call Billingſgate; there indeed is a nurſery almoſt as eloquently gifted as himſelf.

But, among all the ſcurrilities, and abſurdities he is guilty of, I am moſt of all offended at two things, which conſtantly, duely, and inſeparably accompany his writings, 1. His Monſtrous Title-Pages, and 2ly. His abhominable frightful Margent: As to the firſt of theſe; Any Man now-a-dayes who but ſees a ſingle ſheet in Quarto on a Bookſellers ſtall (be it but in tranſitu) all-to-be-cloſe-Printed in the Front, he never makes further enquiry after the Author's name, but preſently makes as quick, and nimble Conception of Him, as a beggar does of an Alehouſe, when he ſpies a Red Latice; or an Whoremaſter of a Bawdy houſe, when he ſees a torn Smock hang out at the window. The words in the Title page (poor miſcreants!) how they croud one another for elbow room! truly (in my judgement) the great Buſh (to uſe the old Saw) renders the wine ſuſpicious, and may well drive the Reader upon the Poers Interrogatory,

In general this may be affirmed, that whoever ſhall trouble himſelf to read over all his works, titles, and all, may ehance at the concluſion to meet with a fate parallel to that ſame good Fellow's, who walking the ſtreets early in a morning, found a Pacquet, curiouſly bound up, and ſeal'd, but having taken the labour to open the firſt paper of the bundle, he finds another, and another, and a fourth, fifth, and ſixt paper, till at length he found in the midd'ſt of all, what think you my Maſters? why, even (ſaving your preſence) a Surreverence.

Then for his Margent, or Commentaries, Tom Farnaby never cramm'd Perſius worſe than he loads himſelf, Quotations, Statutes, figures, &c. which a man had better believe to be all as he ſayes, than turn over ſo many volumes to diſprove him: In a word, I am almoſt ſo fooliſh as to approve of his two conceits who reſembled His Text, and Comment, to a Calve's head and Poartenance; or an Owle encircled with a multitude of little Birds.

But I beſeech you Sirs! why Mr. Prynne no Parliament man this bout? why muſt he reply with Bacon's Brazen noddle, TIME WAS? why an excluded member? Are they not all Keepers of the Liberty? and does not hee aſſume to himſelf as much Liberty as any Freeman in England, or t'other two Nations? Truly all the reaſon that I hear of for it, is that which exalted him, January 30. 1637. meerly his tongue, and pen, the turbulencies of his language, and abuſe of his excellent parts. The maintaining of a Paradox has been counted of old the gallantry of great Wits; but then, theſe Paradoxes were ſo qualified, that their Author's Iudgement might plainly appear to be clean different from what he therein argued for diſcourſe ſake. Certainly no man can be ſo farr beſotted to ſuppoſe the offspring of his Invention (produc'd at firſt probably out of a frolique) to be in good ſober ſadneſſe a truth, a reality, to be adhaered unto, admir'd, ador'd, that a man ought to prize it beyond fleſh and blood: I am ſo charitable to believe His firſt Eſſay, in this nature, was intended only for an experiment of His Parts, and Sophiſtry, however it comes to paſſe now that hee ſeems to make that his Faith, which was but once at beſt, Opinion: with the Melancholy Nobleman's Son who once acted the Beggar's part in a Comoedy, and ever after perſwaded himſelf to be in his whole life, what he had perſonated on the Stage for one hour. And now what better recreation in the intervals over a pot of ale, than to produce Mr. Prynn's Republican? what better ſport than to hear Mr. Needham's Emiſſaries to cry through the noſe, Mr. William Prynn's Good Old Cauſe rightly ſtated, and the bad uncaſed, &c. All this while, the whole ſeries of all his deſigns aiming at Authority, and the Pilots that ſit at the Helm of State. But what are they that bark at the Moon? The buſie fly makes many an attempt upon the candle, till at laſt his ſinged wings compel him to an inglorious retreat. The filth which a man ſpits at Heaven, commonly lights on his own pale.

Mr. Camden tells a ſtory concerning the antient Britons, that at their firſt plantation in Armorica, being forc'd to take wives of that Counrtry, they were no ſooner married but they cut their wives Tongues out, to the end (ſayes he) that their Children might not learn that Country language from their Mothers. A ſtratagem truly, very commendable: I am not ſo cruel to wiſh the like doom to our Lawyer, becauſe 'tis his moſt neceſſary implement; but I could wiſh it reſtrain'd, and bridled, to prevent the hazard of our Childrens becomming as bad Shimei's as Himſelf.

A word or two in the Quakers tone; William Prynne, ceaſe thy Scribling; Plague not the Preſſe with rallery any more; Obey the Magiſtrate; Murther not the Law; Maim not the Goſpell; Ceaſe to ſpeak ill of the Powers above thee; Leave off thy reviling, evill ſpeaking, thy factious, ſeditious ſpirit; Be humble, be lowly, leſt a worſe thing betide thee.

To conclude; I wiſh him a through conviction of his infirmities, and ſuch a one as may render them as odious to himſelf, as they are to all the VVorld, of ſober, moderate men. I wiſh him Repentance, and if he be incapable of that, I wiſh him once again a Paſtboard Rongrace, to protect his beauty from ranning by the Sun-beams, when the State ſhall think fit.