THE Levellers Vindication OR, A Tragicall Story, Presented unto this COMMON-WEALTH, CITY, and ARMY: Together with a Letter directed to his Excellency, and the Councell of Warre sitting at White-Hall, Concerning The great Cruelty and Oppression still continued in this Land, notwithstanding the many undertakings of the Army, their Vowes, Promises, and Protestations to the contrary.
Shewing withall, the most fearfull judgements of Almighty God on many thousands of perfidious and deceitfull Persons:
By James Freize, Merchant.
This was delivered by Nathaniel Neale, to Colonell Pride, and by him presented to the Councell of War then sitting at White-Hall, the 8 of September 1649.
LONDON, Printed for George Lindsey, and are to be sold, at his Shop at London Stone. ⟨Sept: 11 1649.⟩
I Doe herewith present to your sight and consideration, A Tragicall Looking Glasse; beseeching the Lord Jesus to enable you to make true sanctified use thereof to his glory and your own comfort, Amen.
I also addressed a few lines unto you long since, with 25 Printed Papers (intituled, Why Not,) and were delivered to your Iudge Advocate Col. Whaly, thereby as also by my Letters putting you in minde of your former Vndertakings, Vowes, Promises and Protestations made to God and this great Nation (viz.) That you would see Iustice, Iudgement and Mercy, speedily advanced to the Glory of God, and the liberty of this great people restored,But what good can this Nation expect from them who being but 80, in the totall, are overpowred by 57 Lawyers sitting in the House amongst them, who in every thing carry the maine Vote. (but not yet by you performed) which hath also been by the Parliament long since as fairly promised; yea, this Nation by them lately Proclaimed A Free State, Testified also by their Inscription on the great Seal of England Now, If they have not in all this lied unto God and this Nation, Why then is not all this performed by them in Deed and Truth? (For if a Free State, why not then also a Free People?) why is not Justice and Mercy advanced above the Seats of Injustice, Tyranny and Oppression (still continued) and the people freed from Slavery and the Cruell unlimited Bondage of the Law; And why are the Bodies of Men and Women still detained in cruell Prisons for debt and upon false commitments? yea, the severall Prisons daily stowed with the Bodies of poor Men and Women, and many have miserably perished since the time of their Proclaiming of this Nation, A Free State or People.
And if this Nation be by you and them made a Free State, Why not the People thereof Freed from the Bondage and cruell Imprisonment? and the intollerable [Page 4] yoak of the corrupt practise of the Law in Pettifogging Lattine and Pedlers French? Take heed, let not the prince of pride deceive you any longer by his servants, The subtile Covetous deceitfull mercenary Lawyers (the Common Hakneys to all contentious evill disposed men.) For, God whose eye beholdeth their iniquities and deceits, will not be mocked by you nor them; yea, he will erelong cast both them and their infernall craft to the ground (as of the proud Bishops,) yea, They shall become as dang: And assuredly accursed of God and abhorred of men are they, that stand up in their defence or for their support in these their cruell impious oppressive wayes; and as I said by my former Letter, I say still unto you, That it grieveth my Soule exceedingly, to see and hear the Prayers Prayses, and well-wishes of the people, (nay, of your very friends,) towards you (that have done worthily and valiantly for your Country, and by whom the Lord hath brought mighty things to passe) and for you formerly, to be now turned into Curses and despitefull Revilings.
Honourable Sirs, It is not yet too late (If you will not dispise the Councell of the poore) for you truly to turn unto the Lord your God, in Justice, Judgement and Mercy speedily, that so he may be gracious unto you: And to abandon the Syrene inchantments of the sons of Beliall (the Lawyers) by whom the Rights, Estates, Liberties and Lives of the Poore in the Land are not vallued, but daily sold for Bondmen and Bondwomen; yea, destroyed, and murthered in Prisons; expell them (as the Lords, Bishops, and Iudges) out of the great Nationall Councell, put Juster men in their places, and doe this work of the Lord for the good ease of your Countrey, thoroughly and speedily, and say not, it is not yet seasonable, for cursed are they that do it negligently: so shall [Page 5] yee assuredly regain the favour of God, the love of this Nation (Now lost) and your own honour, by you formerly gained in a sea of blood and danger, but now almost drowned in the filthy Lake of infernall Delusion, sloth and security; in all which the God of Mercy stand by you, give you hearts to accomplish this work faithfully, (for which the eyes of this whole Nation are and have been long upon you) direct you in the way, and perfect this great work by you to his glory, the content of this People, and your own praise, and safety to posterity (least your neglect thereof cause this advertisement to rise up in Iudgement against you,) and this shall be the constant addresses of him to the Throne of Grace for you, who is in the Faith, Right Honourable.
The fruits of Perfidiousnesse: Or, a brief Tragicall Story presented as A Looking Glasse, for this Common-wealth, City, and Army, unto the Lord Generall, and his Councell of war, Sept. 8. 1649.
BOrice Feodorowick Godoonove Emperour of Russia, succeeding the Tyrant Emperour and Conquerour Iohn Bazilius Cherkaskee, and Theodorus his sonne, did impiously prove perfidious in the breach of oath [Page 6] and promises made to the people, for the restaurations of all their ancient just freedomes, the people thereupon secretly comply with Sigismundus King of Poland, who more out of revenge against Borice then love to the Russian Nation, sends one Demetrius with an army of 25000 horse to challenge the Crown of Russia. Against him Borice the Emperour sends an Army of 200000 horse and foot. Upon the meeting of both Armies, all the Russian Commanders revolte to Demetrius, with most of that great Army; the rest throw down their armes and run into the woods; Borice hearing of this betakes himself to his bed chamber, and there comes to an untimely death, Demetrius approches the Emperiall City of Mosco; the Nobility, Gentry, and Ciizens meet him: chuse him for their Emperour, make him sweare to restore unto them their ancient liberties, Demetrius sweares by the Crosse of Christ to do it, but proves also perfidious: the people for this (at 2 years end) destroy Demetrius, and all his noble Polonian Commanders and Souldiers in their lodgings to th number of 25000 in one day in the city of Moscoe▪ this cruell bloody act by them effected, they then chose Bazilius Shuiskee Emperour, who also swears the confirmation of all their libetties, but proves also perfidious; the Nobility, and Citizens thereupon (at 6 years end) bind Bazilious hand and foot, and sent him into Poland, and there by their Ambassadors, Feodor, Meekitowick Godoonove (the late Emperour Michaylos Father- and Ivan Gramotine, craved of the King of Poland, his son [...]Wlad slavous (the then Prince of Poland) to be their Emperour, to which the King then seemingly consented, meerly to work his revenge on the perfidious Citizens of Mosco, for the death of Demetrius and the Polonian Commanders and Souldiers so barbarously by them massacred but six yeares before. Therupon the King sends Generall [Page 7] Zoltefskee with 12000 resolute Polonian Horsemen to Moscoe, where being arrived, and by the Citizens nobly received, feasted, and presented with Gifts. Generall Zoltefskee gives them assurance of the Prince of Polands arrivall there with all convenient speed.
But 8 moneths being expired, and the Prince not come, the Citizens and Nobility begin to grow jealous, heartburnings daily increase between the Souldiers and Citizens, and frequent quarrells in the streets arise (and all this furthered and contrived by one Feodor Andronove Chancellour, with some others of his faction) who order the Souldiers to require freequarter and their pay. to compasse this, great Taxes are laid upon the people for it, the people refuse to pay them, the Souldiers take them by force, and plunder mens houses, this increases heartburnings in the people against the Souldiers, so as the Citizens have private meetings, take an oath of secresie, resolve on a set day to cut the throats of all the Commanders and Souldiers, (as before) in their lodgings on the 16 of May 1611 in the night. But God the righteous Iudge who abhorreth Cruelty, perfidiousnesse; breach of oath and promise (though made to Heathen) brought these their evill intentions most justly upon their own heads (for the Polonian Souldiers (being by the Citizens contrivance for their case and assured safety (as they conceived) billited asunder and lodged but one in a house) found themselves agrieved, and pretending a fear of their lives, pray that the Citizens may be disarmed, which forthwith by order of the great Nationall Councell then sitting, was accomplished, so as but one hatchet was left among every three houses to cleave their wood.
This inrages the Citizens and confirmes them in their resolutions, the Polonian Souldiers being by the Citizens reviling speeches and threats exasperated against the Citizens, resolve by an oath of secrecy every man to see his lodging on fire at one of the clock in the morning, the sixth of the said May, 1611 which was by them done accordingly, and all the inhabitants of the City, men, women and children put to the sword, and that famous City whose Citizens were thought to exceed 400000 in number, being then [Page 8] almost 30 miles in compasse, was thus turned into ashes in one day, excepting the Emperiall Pallace, and some Monasteries, Churches, and other store houses (all which mine eyes were spectatours of) and in all which was then plainly seen the immediate hand of Gods just and irefull wrath on all parties that had most perfidiously broke their Faith, Vows, and Promises made to each other: for after their thus sacking and plundering this great impregnable city, the Lord stirred up the inhabitants of the Land to besiege the Souldiers within the City 2 yeares, in which time the Souldiers were famished & destroyed, by frequent sallies & assaults made; so that of all that number (with many more) there was but the life of the Polonian Generall saved by Treaty.
Consider this all ye, on whom this Tragicall story reflects, and know assuredly, that God is the same just and jealous God, and will assuredly recompence all faithlesse perfidious persons according to their works; for the Lord is very jealous of his honour, especially when he is wickedly robbed by any covetous self-seeking people (as he hath bin by us many years, & stil is) of his too sacred Primarie attributes justice & mercy, which robbery is most audaciously approved of by us; to be by the sons of Beliall, the Lawyers practised and daily sold for the price of iniquity, (even Iustice and Mercy) to the high displeasure of God, and to the utter ruine of themselves and their posterities, in their estates, liberties, and lives.
Therefore O sinfull England, look to it, repent of this thy great wickednesse, Backslidings, and hypocrisies, abandon these sons of Beliall (the Lawyers) out of thy great Nationall Councells; perform thy Oaths, Vows, and Promises made to God, and the oppressed and distressed in the Land, and turn unto the Lord thy God in the true and faithfull administration of justice, judgement and mercy speedily, left the same heavy judgements take hold of thee: so done, the Lord thy God will then be gracious unto this Land, and heal the present grievous breaches therof, possessing your hearts with the Spirit of love, unity, and peace: For which the most earnest addresses of him, shall be to the Throne of Grace, and Mercy, Who is your friend in the Lord Iesus, and his countries servant in all fidelity during the time of this his short Pilgrimage here.