ALthough the Paper Intituled, The Declaration of His Hignesse Prince Rupert, be so full of notorious lies false grounds & unprobable surmises, that it is not likely to produce any other effect, upon serious and intelligent spirits, that know any thing of the state of our affairs, then to move them to a further discovery and contempt of his most Illu­strious arrogancy. Yet because there may be many ingenuous men, as well of our own, as the other Nation, who meerly through ignorance in matter of fact, may have their judgements much dazled, by the Authority of such splendid and Majesticall impo­stures, and chiefly, because the present drift of the Paper, is to raise jealousies between the most renowned King of Portugall, and the Fleet of the Parliament of England; I shall not think it time much misspent, to give some short animadversion upon it, not taking much notice of his filthy and scurrelous Rhetorick, where­with he endeavours to disfigure the beautie, and actions of that great Councell, upon which the name of God is so gloriously written.

[Page 6]That the Parliament of England for many years past, hath been in Armes against the late King of England, contending for their own most just Rights, and the native Liberties of the People in­trusted with them, and which they are bound by all Obligations both humane and devine to maintaine and preserve against all the efforts of Tyranny whatsoever, is famously known to the whole world, what issue it hath pleased God to put to that great differ­ence, by delivering up the power and Person of that King into their hands, and what hath fithence been done upon him, and de­clared against his Sonne, Heir apparent to those evill Coun­sels which devided between the Head and Shouldiers of his Fa­ther, we are in no wise afraid, or ashamed to heare of the most railing accusations that our adversaries can bring against us, wil un­to us be matter of filling our mouths with the praises of our God, who hath done terrible things in righteousnesse, for the good of his people, and hath wrought out for them so great salvation, by such unheard of and unparalel'd wayes. Neither do we take it for any disparagement to us, our Parliament and Nation, that we are so vile in the esteeme of this vagabond German a Prince of For­tune, whose Highness is nothing else, but haughtiness, his Princi­pality meer Piracy, and the plurality of his Person, an affectation so singular, that no reall Prince can chuse but smile at, who after he was cudgel'd out of England from his Trade of plundering, did in a short time after, set up at Sea, and was even now ready to put forth out of this Harbour, and to take his pastime, (with the Le­viathan) in the great waters, had not this audacious Fleet of Re­bels come in the very nick of time, to put an Imbargo upon his Highnesse.

And truely it is no marvell that he hath ever since been so ex­ceedingly transported with choller, and foames so beastly at the mouth, calling us Rebells, theeves and professed enemies to all Government, hereby endeavouring to render us (as much as in him lies) odious to all Nations and Princes; especially to the most re­nowned King of Portugall, as by his whole discourse may appear; the present scope thereof, being to possesse his Majesty with ap­prehensions of some strange designe intended by this Fleet against the Peace of his Kingdom.

[Page 7]To that end his way is, in the first place to make His Majesty beleeve, that this Fleet was procured by the sollicitation of the Spanish Embassadour in London, to remain about this Coast, till another Fleet should come to joyn with it, and having had their ends upon the sacred person of His Highnesse and his fleet, to go with the Castilians into the Streits against the French, and then to come against this Country. This likely tale (forsooth) is made good by the confession of the Spanish Embassadors Se­cretary, and by the discovery of some of the Councell of State, unto some persons of quality in England; and all this must be taken for truth, because he (within whose principality there dwelleth no lye) hath said so. And yet it seems his Highnesse is loth to venture the issue of this ground, upon the bare credit of that affirmation, and therefore backs it immediately with an argument of congruity, that may not be denied. For who will not beleeve there is some great designe in hand, between us and the Castillians, seeing in the same Fleet, there is come an Agent from the Rebels in England to the King of Castile; and at the same time, another Agent unto his Majesty the King of Portugall. Nay rather, who will beleeve this man to be in his right wits, that thinks by such absurd and ridiculous inconsequencies as this, to put two Nations of so ancient a Confederacy, together by the eares. The folly of it himself eft-soon perceiveth, and so re-enforceth it with many pretty devices of his own making; so that the whole Argument, with the additionall strength, be­ing put into a fighting posture, stands thus. An Agent from England not thought on, till three Weeks before the comming out of this Fleet, procured by some Merchants in London, a­mong whom the two Bushels (who have a Brother in Lixbon, a great friend of the Rebels) were chief, to be sent thither, and there by them to be maintained, dis-interessed from the publike body of the Parliament, is arrived here at the same time that another Agent is employed to the King of Spain; ergo, there is some great plot a contriving between the Parliament of Eng­land and the Kingdome of Portugall: How true the particu­lars of this are, I leave to the Gentlemen concerned in it, ei­ther to refute, or make themselves merry with; as they think fit.

[Page 8]But who seeth not that this wild Logick doth stand in need of some bold lye at hand to second it, and they never are with­out a reserve for such uses. It is nothing with them to devise Letters, to frame Votes, to create Misteries, and if need be, to work Miracles, even to the transforming of King Taytam into a Round-head. Their study and care is not set much how their devices may be made to look like truth, as how they may be fitted to their purpose. And to their purpose, indeed, it would suit very well at this time, if he could make his Majesty believe, that the Parliament of England is so neer (as he most falsly and maliciously affirmeth) unto terms of defiance, and of making war upon him. But to leave him to his own wayes (out of which he cannot walk) and to come to a speedy close of this tedious discourse, the plain truth is thus:

His Highness being not long since beaten out of Ireland (where he had designed the Seat of his Principality, and being now by Gods providence shut up in this Harbour (whereby his hopes of making himself great (some where abroad in the wide world) are so suddenly and extreamly disappointed) is grown desperate, bestirring himself on every side with his lyes, as Ajax in the Tragedy did with his whips, and is become as one that hath altogether lost both his courage and wit, else he would never have adventured to impose such silly gulleries (as he hath done) upon a King and Councel so prudent and circumspect, nor would have violated his own Honour so much, as to beg protection, and cry out for help, at the fight of such an inconsi­derable company of Round-heads, as we are, and as in his jolli­ty he is pleased to make of us: For what is it else, but an im­potency of Spirit, over-whelm'd with desperation and fear, that hath moved him to such extream impatience, to break out into such raving exclamations against our audacious attempt to ap­proach toward his Highness, with such hainous and horrid ag­gravations of the manner of our advance; and most importu­nate imprecations of justice and revenge upon us; as if to have assailed his Person and Fleet, had been to trample under foot the Lawes of Nations, to over-turn the foundations of all rule and right, and to dissolve the very Bonds of all humane society in the world: Whereas his Highness hath most insolent and [Page 9] outragiously affronted the power and honour of his Majesty, even within the command of his Castles, as is well known; and yet thinks he hath done nothing therein, but what is agreeable to his greatness; yea, the excess and rage of his impatiency and malice against us, is such, and so boundless, that he would fain make his Majesty believe, what is scarce possible for a sober ene­my to imagine of us; That our design was not to end in the de­sign of him, and his Fleet; but to proceed on to the seizing of his Majesties Fleet bound for Brazeel; yea, upon the very City it self: But what ever it be, that the malice or fear of our enemies, either hath, or shall suggest against us, or what art and insinua­tions soever shall be used by any, to make way to those their wicked and scandalous suggestions, I am confident his Majesty is far from receiving any such impressions, as by them are in­tended upon him. Neither doubt, but by this time, he is most fully assured, both of the sincere and reall affection, and earnest desire of the Parliament of England, after a firm and perpetuall League of Amity, with him, and the Nation of Portugal. And also, of the peaceable intentions of this Fleet, and of our inno­cent behaviour, according to our duty, in prosecution and con­formity to the same. And if probabilities may take place, I could wish all unprejudiced men, to consider whether the Por­tugal may not with very good reason promise unto himself more advantage and security, by confiding in us, who are sent out by the Common-wealth of England, for the protection of trade, rather then in them, who make it their trade to spoyl and rob whomsoever they meet, almost without any discrimina­tion; In us, who are onely English, the most ancient Allies, and affectionate friends of their Nation, or in that Fleet, whose strength doth most consist of Irish, who have ever been, and still are most passionately, and superstitiously, devoted to the Spa­nish Nation, and Party. And it is a thing which deserves their serious consideration and examination; That there is among them one Mucknell, a most malicious enemy to the Portugal Na­tion, who about five years since, being Master of the Ship John, bound to the East-Indies, did most wickedly, and barbarously, betray a Portugal Governour sent for God, with his wife, and kin­dred, and 60 servants, whom he had taken in at Moseabeck, and [Page 10] afterward inviting him and a great part of his retinue to a feast a shore in the Isle of Joanna, most perfideously left him there, ran away with his ship, and being two leagues off in the Island, tur­ned the remainder of his company (neer about 35. in number) most mercilesly into a small Boat to shift for themselves, having first stript them of all their gold and jewels, apparel and goods, to a great value. It were easie upon this occasion, to abound in discoveries of that horrid practice of this Generation of men from time to time, but that the world is sufficiently full of the cry of them; and for my part, I take not so much delight in rip­ping up the villanies of others, as in cleering up our own inno­cency, together with the plain and honest simplicity of our in­tentions and resolutions, in pursuance of those commands we have received, and to promote (as much as in us lies) the hono­rable desires and affections of the Parliament of England, toward the King and Kingdom of Portugal, which are so mainly oppo­sed by our Adversaries, as that, which they perhaps apprehend (if obtained) may prove fatal unto them, and their declining party; but, in all likelyhood, cannot but be beneficial and ad­vantagious unto both the Nations.