WIth your leave, Mr. Booker I mean to salute an acquaintance of yours whom I have perceived to walke abroad a pretty while unregarded, or not met with by you: For I am perswaded had you in all this time seene him, you would not have let him passe the chastisement of your Pen. George Naworth is come abroad againe in a new suit of Slander, most speciously begirt with lies; but I will on button him for you to his Principles, and strip his libellous soule stark naked and lash him through the streets of London back againe to Oxford, with such Whip-cord lines, that all the Wit there shall be hardly able to recover him. I must put up this Malignant Chaldean in sharpe pickle, that he may relish well, and so pouder him with my penny-worth of salt, that his infamous name may be preserved to the eares of posterity, as fresh in vil­lany, as it was the first day he came in Print.

I perceive the Divell will have his Agents in every profession, to crosse and calumniate the proceedings, and favourers of this most excellent and illustrious Parliament: The Court, the Pulpit, and the Countrey are all become Vassals to the designes of Iesuites, and to the desperate sense of forlorne Incendiaries, eve­ry one striving by tongue, or pen, to exercise his venome, and blast the glory of this hopefull Reformation. Among the rest, Mr. G. N. is not the least, one of the Egyptian Ptolomies Bastards; for he never was of the true straine of Astronomy, and were Kepler or Tycho living, they would loath such an A­postate from their Profession, which should thus disgrace them, leaving Alma­nacks to live by slanderous Pamphleting; but this hath happened since his Durham braines were referred to the Latitude of Oxford poore allowance, where their Almutens dominier for the most part, like their friends the Capuchins, in Aqua­rius and Pisces, and if they chance to plunder any better dyet, now and then in Virgo, with full Conjunction; yet a safer and honester way G. N. might have bin thought upon for maintenance, than in opposition to the bright stars in our firma­ment, striving to ecclipse their lustre with thy malicious malignancy, or then by calculating treason against the State, to give the world occasion of Prognostica­ting what will become of thee in the end, when Gregory will be predominant, and thou ascendant in the Trine of Tiburne, where thy Influence will be choaked, and thou prove a falling Star.

G. Naworth gives us to understand, that within six dayes after Mr. Booker had printed his Mercurius Coelicus, it came to his hands in Oxford, and that in the space of six hours he wrote the Answer to it. Neither of these G. N. is any won­der; for had it been never so worthlesse, weak, and dull, you have so many fast [Page 3] friends here, which will not let the least parcel passe, but if it be possible they will cram it into their Intelligence, and send it to you; much more probable then it is, that so subtile, so well constitutioned a Mercurie as that was, of so much concern­ment against thee, should come in that space to thy hands. And as for thy an­swer to it in six hours, we least of all wonder at that, for all of your partee are very sufficient Raylers, even Naturallized into detraction and lying: such stuffe flowes freely of it selfe, you need not straine for it; It is the true temper of your Brains, the very constitution and complexion of the Court, Campe, and Vniver­sity: Every one of you is as another Aulicus, a Rakehill, a store-house of treache­ry and villany, full of mischievous Plots and Machinations. But I would have thee, Naworth, with all thy Star-gazing, find out another man in the Moon, to mannage the next devilish Conspiracy better, and then I prognosticate unto thee at least a Knight-hood: it were a more acceptable service than Pamphleting, and the ready road to honour. What a rare sight would it be to see your Wor­ship strut in the streets, like another Vrsa Major, swear in Taverns there is no Sun but Sack and Spanish gold, look scornfully upon your old friends the Planets, and bid defiance to all but Charle-waine. To leave the Zodiack, and all the Cele­stiall Circles, to swagger about in a Military Belt, from George Naworth to be­come Sir George, and as haughty as St. George for England.

You think to climbe even as Aulicus doth, and I think so too, one day we shall see it: for thou runnest in the some villanous straine with him, and I conceive, Iustice will not be impartiall. Thou saist, This is not the first time it hath been thy fortune to encounter with a Rebell. Rebels are your best friends, and I can calcu­late the truth hereof from the 23. of Octob. 1641. at which time the damnable Re­bellion in Ireland first brake forth, that they have been the greatest friends to your Cause, and the chief pillars whereupon the maine of your Oxford designe rested; and this is more than apparant by this which followeth, that having done their worke again in Ireland, they should now be brought over hither to further the ruine of this Kingdome. But thou talkest of the incountring, and saist, it is not the first time. I hope it is not fighting you meane, you would not be accounted a Martiall trifle: I have calculated thy Nativity, and must tell thee, that Mars was under the Hatches when thou wert borne, Venus like a dirty slut was predomi­nant, and looked askew upon thee, so that ever since she bestowed a livery upon thee at thy birth, thou hast worne her Colours, and followed her Camp, and art as I heare an arrant Craven, fit onely to bristle among Hens, in plaine English, Dung-hill Iades, and very likely to live and dye in that service, a sworne Votary, Vassall, and Martyr to the Kerchiefe. There is another kind of incountring, and that is with the Pen, viz. Pamphleting, and in this thou hast been a notable stick­ler to hold life and soule together, and to eclipse our brightest stars in the Firma­ment; but thou knowest what I can prognosticate from such an Eclipse, and Mr. Booker will tell thee, the world cannot be deluded in so evident a Prognostick, if thou hold on this course.

But G. Naworth will hold on that course still; because he, I perceive, is one of those deluded wretches that builds his faith upon Mercurius Aulicus, and so is utterly ignorant of the excellent courses taken here, and saies, what many Silly people among them do absolutely beleeve, that we are fading here, and nothing now left to support us but Feares and Iealousies. Yes, you will allow us a little mo­ney too, I hope, and some Victuals, though you make your Oxford friends beleeve we have neither, but that we are almost ready to cut our own throats for want of both. I thought truth might be a little more common among you, but I see you put out the candle before your friends, and leave them in the Darke, lest the light should discover your basenesse.

Thou sayest we are here furnished with an Implicite Faith. It is well that we have some faith, you have not enough to keep you from being Infidels, and Atheists: your Romane Faith is to break Faith, and to break the necks of them which trust you; and so Implicit, that it is a meer snare to an honest heart, and to be ab­horred by all that are truely Protestant.

Thou sayest we mistake grossely, if we think to prevail at Oxford by intreaties. First, we know you are mercilesse; Secondly, we have no occasion to intreat you, and scorne intreating as much as we hate your former treacherous treating. And thirdly, you will finde shortly by experience, that we do not think to prevail by intreating; for we mean to intreat, and handle you, as our valiant brethren of Scotland do Newcastle, so that if your selves do prevail at all, it must be by intrea­ting bagge and baggage.

Thou sayest that thy infamous Chronologie is not at all ashamed of its Descent, not fearfull Mr. Booker should calculate its Nativity. Mr. Booker never intended to calculate either yours, or your Books; Yet I know that Saturn, or some such Dull Planet had an influence upon your brains in the hatching, and he took the paines to calculate your death, though not the Descent of your book, which will be (that I may use my own words) by an Ascent upon the Trine where Gregory is predominant.

Why dost thou undervalue our Calculations for the Meridian of London? We can Calculate his Excellencies approach to Oxford, and Sir William Wallers jour­neying to the West, and his baiting the Devon and Cornish Brutes into a better sence of Religion, and the Scots conquest in the North, their taking of New-castle, purging the Marquesse with a Pill against Popery, making the Gospel shine all over the Northerne parts, and so dazle the Newarkers, that they will not put them to the trouble of Scaling the Workes: Many more such exact Calculations as these are we can boast of, and even triumph before hand, not so much from sence and reason, as by those most excellent warlike Engines, Faith, Fasting and Prayer.

Thou bidst us to know that Rebellion is as the Sin of Witch-craft; your Oxford Rebellion is indeed Witch-craft it self; It were too tedious to number up those many State-Conjurers there, which continually work with the Devill for the rai­sing [Page] of more, and greater stormes to wrack this small Vessell of the Kingdom, wherein Wee, our Religion, and fortunes, are embarqued. I need not bid you labour for the Art, because I hear you are in a very fair way already, and I sup­pose that shortly your Schollers will be admitted to Degrees in the profession, it being all the way you have left for the maintenance of your Protestant Religion.

Thou bidst us also remember what the Earl of Strafford told us at his death. We remember very well that he said, There vvas a cloud hanging over this King­dom. He saw it, and it is apparent enough he was throughly acquainted with the Designes now in agitation, which if it be true, what an account could he give before the Celestiall Tribunall, for his silence at his death in such a case! He could never have given greater glory to the Majestie of heaven, nor a better testimony of his repentance unto the world, then to have Discovered secrets of so high concern­ment, to the future happinesse of the Religion, and Kingdom.

Thou confessest thy self to grow Ambitious. Ambition is an Oxford disease, and why then not thou infected with that as well as the rest?

Thou wouldest have us imitate thee in our extemporary prayers. We have so much Christianity as to remember thee, and all that are in any desperate estate in our prayers; And if so be it be possible ever to hear that you begin to pray, we may chance to imitate you, if your way be tolerable.

But what have we to do with thy Almanack for the yeer 1639. that thou shouldest bid us remember, there vvas something in it which pointed at the Fire­brands vvhich kindled this unnaturall and bloody Warre, and a Memorandum like­vvise of the Insurrection, and intended invasion of the Scots. I suppose those whom thou meanest for the Firebrands, were the Lights of the Common-Wealth, which was then over-clowded with a generall Darkness. But I wonder thou couldest not be as quick-sighted now upon the second coming in of our brethren to help to rescue us from our miseries. I know thee of a more ambitious pretending spi­rit, than to say thou didst not foresee it by the Stars long before. How came it to passe then that thou and thy companion Aulicus should bee so impudent, that when their advance forward was generally known, and confirmed, ye did continually deny it in that Rascall Pamphlet, to keep the knowledge thereof from your own Partee, least they should be disheartned?

But hold, hold good George, be not so hastie to make your self famous, by scandalously abusing Mr. Booker, as thou dost; for I would have you take a little patience, whilst I court you with your own language in his behalfe; I think thou art already as famous a Rebell, as any I knovv of thy stampe. I knovv it hath been thy daily practice, and Profession (otherwise very likely to starve) for a long time to delude the Ignorant vvith fopperies, and I suppose thou art become ridiculous enough to all such as have had any dealing vvith thee, or so much as heard of the Name of Naworth.

Doe not for pities sake rub an old sore, and lash out Sir Iohn Hotham, and call him Rebellious, nor say that he trayterously denyed his Majesty entrance into [Page] Hull, whereas at last he intended to lay on so faire a plaister, supposedly to salve up his honour; Hee hath onely mistaken the way to Court. I pray you good G. Naworth bee not angry with him, for hee-meant your cause no harme.

But what is the reason G. N. that one while you commend Mr. Booker, and tell us, that you are proud of jumping in the same opinion with him in the year 1639 concerning the Ecclipse of the Sun: And now in the yeare 1644. you are as proud in being of a contrary opinion with him, and very ambitious in taking occasion to thwart him in the businesse concerning the grand Eclipse of the Sun in our Firmament, by reason of so many Malignant bodies conjoyned, to hinder the Royall Influence from us. This is a signe that Mr. Booker is the best Astronomer of the two, and you now mistaken in your Calculation: We have the clear Per­spective of a true Parliament, by the help whereof we can discerne through all your dark pretences, and behold those many false destructive Clouds, which e­clipse the Royall Splendour, and showre downe a Deluge of mischiefes, and mi­series upon the Kingdom. But thou askest Mr. Booker what all this is for a Cave­at to the whole Kingdome. Yes very pertiment: And it is a most honest part to give people warning of the miseries like to ensue, and by a timely Prognosticati­on to anticipate thy vile and abhominable Calculation, and demonstrate unto the world what indeed thou art; A counterfeit, pernicious, and lying Pamphleter.

Thou saist, that we stand more and more in need of the Scots, and that we had best provide money for them quickly; otherwise, No penny, no Pater noster. What need they have money, G. N. from us, when the Northern Marquesse is like to beare their charges with his treasure, Iewels, Coyne, and Coale-pits? I dare say, he wil pawne all his Popish Trinkets, and leave himselfe very bare in Religion to pleasure them. I am perswaded (good kind soule) he will not deny them their Penny nor their Pater-noster, nor the Pater noster rovv of Diamonds, over which he rambles himselfe quite out of breath a mornings to exercise his devotion in­to a meritorious posture.

In the next place thou sayst, thou wilt come closer to Mr. Booker: yet (not to [...] close I advise you for feare of hanging) And thou wouldest bee informed, upon vvhat grounds Mr. Booker deduced the signification of the putting in execution the illegall Commission of Array: And also the setling of the Militia of the Kingdome by the Parliament, from the Conjunction of Mars and Jupiter, the 15. day of May 1643. A weaker Astronomer than Mr. Booker might have Prognosticated this long before that time, with sufficient grounds for the conjecture: for the put­ting in Execution the illegall Commission of Array, was the effect of the Con­junction before mentioned, when Mars being surrounded with Malignant Con­stellations, and in a warlike posture was cherished with a favourable Aspect from our Royall Iupiter, and radiated the fatall beames of Gunpowder to destroy us, And had destroyed us, had not the opposition of some more benign stars prevented it, by that provident Act of setling the Militia of the Kingdome.

But thou proceedest, and wouldest maintain, that both these being effects of a contrary nature, cannot both follow the same Coniunction; and demandest, How one and the same Position, at one and the same time, should produce two such contrary effects. I should give thee satisfaction in this, but that thou puzzelst me with Fran­ciscus Iunctinus, Albohazen Haly, & other Pagan Malignants of thy acquaintance, such as Iupiter Iunctus cum Malevolo, Planetae Vincentes (or rather Victae) preten­ded Parl [...]ament (with you at Oxford) dignities Essentiall and Accidentall (all as frivolous as your Great Seal) I tell thee it is evident enough, that from the same Coniunction abovesaid, proceeded the Illegall Cōmission of Array, & the settling of the Militia; that to offend & destroy, this to defend & preserve the Kingdom.

Thou hast another touch at Mr. Bookers Almanack, and denyest that the Sun and Mars were in Opposition on the same day the Battel was at Keynton field, Where our Invincible Army received such a wound, which Westminster Physick vvill never cure. Is not this a palpable falshood? Was not our Royall Sun that day in opposition to Mars, and eclypsed too? If we grant it otherwise, we should belie our selves, and we need not do it, Mr. G.N. when you are so nimble at it. For shame mention not Keynton, nor Edge-Hill any more, where your seduced Com­rades received more wounds in their Bodies, then you could supply with ordina­ry Physick; and the festred Malignity of your Cause was so bruised, that ever since to this day it remains incurable.

Now thou art on thy way as far as Edge-Hill in lying, thou wilt needs have us to be soundly beaten there, and that our truly valiant Generall vvas very tame the next morning. If he was so tame, why then did you not cage him? How hapned it he was not taken and imprisoned, for letting out so much of your noble, and base, degenerous and wilde blood? Let the consideration of this be referred to any but of indifferent Iudgment; But there is little hope of your confessing truth, till the last Iudgement, where your consciences must answer for the bloodshed.

And here, Mr. G.N. you must give me leave to tell you, that though you say, You do not live by cheating and lying, yet you do by making of cheating and lying Pamphlets, and by Calculating of News for the Meridian of Oxford; for the truth of affairs must not walk abroad there, either naked, or in their own clothing, but must be translated into such a habit, as will be most pleasing, and acceptable to the hearers; this you may confess in time, without equivocating, or mentall reservatiō.

And whereas thou sayest, Mr. Booker dares not go to Oxford, unlesse it be for a Spie; I think even assoon as thou darest come to London for a mornings entertainment at the Exchange, where you may chance to curse your Ascendant too, and look with such an Aspect, that you never obser­ved a worse upon a Protestant at Court.

Thou wilt by no means yeeld that thou camest to Oxford by Sea; but sayest, Tis well known thou camest by land. Whether by Sea, or by land, is no great matter; but I fear, your last journey will be by neither. And to fit thy self the better for this last journey, here thou beginnest the se­cond part of the Lamentation of Cheap-side Crosse, well tuned with Blasphemy: for thou sayest, It was the onely thing whereby w [...] are dis [...]inguished, and known from Turks, Iew [...], and Infidels. it being the true and onely badge of the [...]ame [...] [...]rofesse. Thus thou makest Cheap-side Crosse an essen­tiall part of Christianity. Is this the fruit o [...] [...]ur Oxford studies? I pray thee Naworth, tell us for what Meridian this Divinity was cal [...]l [...]t [...], it is of too great a latitude for London.

Now because of the seasonable demollishing this Idoll of yours called Cheap-side Crosse, thou meanest to pay us home with a competent summe of slander for our paines, and being to act the second part of Aulicus, (whose yonger brother thou art) thou callest the honourable Parliament, which will remain a true Parliament, in spight of all the divellish calumnies you can vomit up against it, a Pretended Parliament: Our valiant true-hearted Colonels and Commanders thou reckonest up to be Wood mongers, Fell-mongers, Button makers, &c. (Thou callest them so, be­cause they fell and knock you downe so fast, and teach your Breeches to make Buttons:) O [...] grave and religious Assembly of Divines, thou callest, A Schismaticall Assembly of Taylers, Mil­lers, Coblers, and Weavers, &c. (so they are to sew up the rent which your Prelates and their ad­herents have made in the Church, and cobled it up with their owne superstitious tacklings, and wove into the garments of Christs Spouse strange stuffe;) And Millers, I hope they are likewise to grinde Popery to powder; and we wish them any thing; so they may hold the Popes Nos [...] to the Grind-stone. Then thou callest the Scottish Commissioners, the Incendiaries between th [...] two Kingdomes of England and Scotland. (We will joyne with them to burne down the house o [...] Baal to the ground.) The Lord Major, Aldermen, and Common Councell men. Taxe-bearing Mules They are still contented to beare your slanderous reproaches, and to beare any burthen but th [...] Popes: they are unwilling to be rode on by him, and the Cardinals with a Peter pence bridle.

Thou wonder'st we goe not about to alter the Coyn, there being so many Crosses upon it. I t [...] thee we will keep and embrace any Crosse that will crosse your designe of Idolizing the Crosse▪

Thou saist the Schollars long to see Mr. Booker, and dispute with him, whether New-castle Coale be the Element of fire or not. There needs no dispute in the matter, though the Mar­quesse cannot resolve you, the Coal-pits being out of his possession, and his power quenched there; yet we can informe you, that he intended to create a Region of fire there, by setting th [...] pits on fire, and Phaeton-like to burne asunder the Axell-tree of the Kingdome, that we [...] with himselfe might all drop into ruine together.

I cannot believe but that thou art Aulicus his bed-fellow, his sole Companion, for thou run­nest altogether in the same straine with him every way, and callest the Lord Say, late Lord Say, and his Chaplain a Miller. He hath served an Apprentiship indeed, and hath learned to grind [...] Popish Trinkets too, et omnia ejusdem farinae.

Next of all thou art troubled about Mariana his book, which was burnt at Paris for teachin [...] it lawfull for Subjects to kill their Kings and Princes quocunquo modo, &c. And wouldest have i [...] reprinted by Order of both Houses. If your pretended Houses at Oxford will not order the Prin­ting of it, you may have it done in Ireland: the Doctrine will take there, and I feare at Oxford too. In the meane time forbeare such idle slandering that great Conjunction at Westminster. Th [...] effects of it wil last many Februaries, in spight of your Malignant Opposition, and flourish when you and all your hellish Stratagems doe fade and faile you. Call them not Opacous, darke and unweildy stars, which reject to be inlightned with the lively and wholsome Rayes of the Sun, (ou [...] Royall King Charles) For they are bright and shining starres, which disperse reviving heate light, and comfort through all parts of this dying Kingdome, and will still continue glorious in that excellent lustre, which the Royall sunne was pleased to bestow upon them, though now he [...] cannot daigne them a favourable Aspect, being clouded from them. And yet we hope once to breath in that happy time, when his Majesty will recollect himselfe, and call up those ingrafted Principles of Noblenesse, Piety, true Religion, and Reason, which made him formerly admired and beloved by his People: Nay the very light of nature cannot but be sufficient to dispell t [...]a [...] d [...]rknesse wherein you and your friends walke blind fold to destruction, if you were not wholy besotted and given up to a spirit of delusion. Hence it is that we have so little hope of your con­version; and therefore I shall not spend many words, but leave that to God and his Ministers. Onely give me leave to dismisse thee with an Anagram, the English of thy name,
GEORGIVS NAWORTH. 'TIS A WHORING ROGVE.

And this English agrees with the Calculation of thy Nativity I formerly gave thee. I advise you George Naworth, to amend your Calculation and your life in Oxford, if it be possible; for it [...] supposed the Scots will fright you from returning to Durham; for if you came thither, the Sen­tence would be, that you must not return to the place from whence you came, but to the Gallows, against which there will be no Anti-caveat. So farewell.