THe Commons in Parliament having recei­ved two severall Letters (which were inter­cepted) written and sent by Sir John Brooks (sometimes a Member of that House this Parliament, till he was disabled, being a great Projector and Monopolist, and not onely a deserter of the service, wherewith he was intrust­ed for the publique, but also a Fomentor of the present, bloudy and unnaturall War, and actually bearing of arms against the Parliament) unto Sir William Killegrew knight, a great and principall Factor for the Cavaliers in this Re­bellion and Designe, residing at Oxford, during the late Treaty upon the Propositions for an Accommodation presented unto His Majestie by both Houses; whereby, as a further concurrent Testimony, the good people of this Kingdom, and all others that willfully have not blinded themselves, (holding the Truth in unrighteous­nesse, not suffering that to appear; which in their judge­ments [Page 4] they cannot gainsay) may cleerly discern by whose and what Counsells His Majesty is swayed, and is and hath of late bin seduced; that the meanest of those that have ingaged themselves in this hellish and Tyrannicall Rebel­lion, do adventure to cast in their Mites, their Counsells being as various as their Designes; some endeavouring the promoting of the Popish Religion; others, their own lu­cre and advancement, to make up again their desperate and broken Fortunes, by the ruine and destruction of the faithfull of the Land; some, ambitiously seeking Honor, that they may insult over the Lords heritage; some, to protect themselves from the hand of publique Justice, to which they are obnoxious; and others, hunting for re­venge; Each of them striving to be the most lying spirit in the mouths of all them that encompasse the Royall Throne, who have not onely perswaded, but have pre­vailed also; and have made the Nobles and great Men of England, for the most part, of those that have withdrawn themselves, as the Nobles of Israel, Destroyers of the work, and hinderers of a Reformation; the Evidences of which Truths are daily so cleerly discovered, by extraor­dinary and speciall Acts of divine Providence, so visible, as he that runs may read.

By these Letters it appears, That the Lords and Com­mons of both Houses, who have not lost their first love, nor deserted their Trust, but have appropriated them­selves to the Lords work; that have given sufficient Te­stimony of their Affections to the service and safety of the King and Kingdom, are vilified and traduced, and that in the highest places, by these wicked and seducing Coun­sellors, who not onely work them out of the good opi­nion of His Majestie, but by their wiles are encompassing their Ruine and Destruction; have advised, that no pardon [Page 5] may be given to the Lords and others, that have taken up Arms, though in their own defence, against them that are declared by the greatest Counsell of the Land, to be publique Enemies to the State; and that in every County inquisition may be made by such Instruments as the King may best trust; and a speciall care taken, that none of them may escape that are rich, and have good Estates; whose Names must be certified speedily to His Majestie, that they may be exempted out of the generall Pardon.

And whereas, according to the known Laws of the Land, as both the Houses of Parliament by their Decla­rations of the Seventeenth of January, and Second of Fe­bruary, 1641. have declared, That where there is no Charge against any Member of either House, made known to that House of which he is a Member; and he is Arrested, Attached, Indicted or Accused; or where their Estates are seized or sequestred, which is not made known to such House whereof he is a Member, That it is against the Fundamentall Liberties of the Subject, the Rights of Parliament; and that those that did or should offend there­in, were guilty of the breach of the Priviledges of the Par­liament, of the Liberties of the Subjects, and publique Enemies to the Common-wealth; and thereupon the King himself, as appears by His Message of the Twelfth of January following, waved His proceedings against the Lord Kimbolton and the Five Members of the House of Commons accused of high-Treason; And in his Message of the Twenty fourth of the same Moneth, sent to both Houses, confesseth His mistake in the way: And whereas afterward both the Houses of Parliament declaring in their Petition to His Majestie, That it is the undoubted Right and Priviledge of Parliament, that no Member of either House of Parliament can be proceeded against [Page 6] without consent of Parliament; His Majestie returned in answer the Second of February, 1641. That he did find good cause wholly to desert His prosecution against the Lord Kimbolton and five Members.

Yet the sayd Sir John Brookes, as it appeareth by his let­ters hereafter mentioned, and as it is most evident, the rest of his fellow Traytors and Rebels that are the pre­tenders of peace, and of governing the Subject according to the known Laws, have not only broken through and violated these known Laws so lately declared in Parlia­ment, and confessed and consented unto on all hands, but contrary to all Law and justice, by colour of a Regall power and the Kings Prerogative, above the Law, pre­sumptuously against all the Rules and Presidents of Law, under pretence of a Commission of their own procuring to them directed, have caused divers members of both Houses, and divers Gentlemen of Lincolnshire (whose names are hereafter recited) to be Indicted of High-trea­son before themselves, and have caused their estates to bee seised as forfeited, requiring the Tenants of all and every the sayd persons so Indicted, forthwith, and from time to time as they shall grow due, to pay in all the Rents of the sayd Lords and others, unto themselves being Commissioners and sharers, which is according to the advice given by the said Sir John Brookes in his Letter against the Pardon, whose words are, How else shall the King pay His debts now made for this Warre, and recompence those that have adven­tured their lives, and spent their fortunes, and have been un­done? and if the King will not punish the one, and reward his faithfull servants, He will be in a worse estate by such a peace, than He was at the beginning of this Warre. These preten­ded Commissioners make it criminall to such Tenants as shall refuse to pay in the Rents unto them, threatning [Page 7] them with severe punishments for their neglect and con­tempt.

These Letters further informe us, what advise the Au­thour hath commended to His Majestie concerning the Members of both Houses, That He should not allow of a Treaty with His Parliament, before they were all resto­red; That the two Houses may be full of the same Members, as at the first; insinuating, That if the two Houses were so filled, the King need not doubt but all things would proceed from them to His Honour and Greatnesse, and that the King cannot receive Honor nor Right from the rest that have Trai­terously plotted His ruine and overthrow, and our Religion, Laws, and Liberties; As he is the first that so bold-fac'dly chargeth the whole Parliament with Treason in the high­est degree, so it were to be wisht he were the only man that hath put conditions upon the King, threatning Him with a new Warre against the King, Kingdom, and Par­liament, if His Majesty should conclude a Peace contrary to their advise, and would not gratifie them with the e­states of such as had borne Arms against them; and if the King would permit all those that were for Him to be thrust out, He will finde hereafter none to stand for Him. The Author of these Letters, boasts and glories in that his advise is followed, which appears to be most true in this particu­lar; for by His Majesties Message to both Houses of the 12 of Aprill, 1643. the King Declares, That before He would disbandon the Armies (which was to precede the Treaty upon the other Propositions) He would have all the Members of both Houses to be restored, who have been Vo­ted from them (as the Message sayes) for adhering to His Majestie in these distractions. Let the world judge what these men merit, instead of a restitution to their places in Parliament, who have not only withdrawne themselves [Page 8] from the service, but Traiterously have endeavoured to subvert the same, our Religion, and Liberties, and by force to destroy the good people of the Kingdom: what a wonderment would it be to restore againe a power to them over the lives, estates, and liberties of those who first sent them to serve in Parliament, that already threa­ten to turn their power against them to their ruine and de­struction, being confident they shall carry things as they list, if the Houses were filled as at first.

The Author in his last letter tels us, That His Majesties last Message to the Houses of Parliament was according to his heart, and for the most part the same which he formerly sent to Sir Will. Killegrew, which was read unto the King. These evill Counsellors have discovered themselves, Let the whole Kingdom judge how pleasing it is, and what peace was to be expected.

The Author concludes with a lamentable story from his wife, every man can quickly tell what he deserves; 'tis true, his house was searched, there being good cause; but 'tis as true, That although his Lady discovered her selfe an enemy to the Parliament, there was not, nor yet is there any thing carried away, to the bignesse of a Nutt, but all left where it was then found.