calls quarter? If thy quarters have not enough, they shall have enough. Alas, Cummer, quoth another, he cryes for mercie: Then, quoth she, false thiefe, cry God this mercie, and Ile let thee alone. The poore man learned the language, and so that fray ended: But, withall, they promised never to come into that kingdome any more. When they had their libertie, it was bootlesse to bid them runne; for away they went with asmuch speed as their legges could carrie them. But a man might have found them by the sent all the way. All the spoyle, that this fray afforded, was onely their bandaleers for the boyes to play withall, and their rests for rockes for the wives to spinne withall.

Now Gods blessing and mine, quoth Iamie, light upon the good wives, for they have played their parts bravely. And I hope the English army never troubled them for it.

No, quoth Willie, but they lay upon the lurch a good while after for a revenge, and one day, early in the morning, stole into Scotland, thinking to have taken them tarde: But, when they came there, albeit they had shuffled all the coat cards in their own hands, and so thought it had been a won game; yet, when they saw clubbes turne up trump, they gave it over as a lost game, and never after offered them any -injurie; but some of the souldiers were so trampled and trod upon, in their suddain retreat, that divers of them dyed presently after their returne; amongst whom, one, more godly then the rest, desired to have his will written; but there was none to doe it but a poet, and he made it in verse, which was as followeth :

BEING sore sicke, and ready for to dye,
Yet thanks be to God, in perfect memorie,
My will I make. And, first, I do bequeath
My soule to Christ, my body to the grave:
My braines unto my countrey, that they may
Not brainsick runne in such bad deeds as they.
My eares unto the King, that he may heare
His subjects suits in peace, and not in wearre.
My eyes unto the state, that they may see
All false seducers of his Majestie.
My tongue to such as dare not the truth tell.
My mind to those that thinke all is not well.
My nose to those that have not perfect sent,
To smell out those as hinder parliament.
My hand to him that meanes to shed no blood.
My heart to those that for the gospell stood.
My broad backe to the Protestants, that they
With patience suffer, and in love obey.
My legges I leave to lame men, to assist them:
If Scots come on, there's many that will misse them.
My feet to Franck who hath no heart to stay,
That better he may scape, and runne away.

I know no fit executor for this will:
But, if that any please it to fulfill,

I leave them power; and doe begge with teares,
England and Scotland to be overseers:

That each may have their own due legacie.
Soe farewell friends: Death calls away for me.

Within two or three days after this retreat, there was an agreement made between the two armies, and both of them were to dissolve their forces. Whereupon order was given in the Kings camp, that every man should have a monethes pay to carrie him home to his country: But the captaines and commanders did so shuffle and shirke the poore souldiers, that some of them had nothing, and the most had but foure or five shillings a piece, to travell three hundred miles: Yet, to give the devill his due, they did them a court-courtesie, in giving them a passe home to their countrey, with a licence to begge by the way, and a tiquet to all maiors, iustices, constables, and the like, not to trouble the stocks, nor whipping-posts, with any such souldiers as came from the Kings

camp.

Now good gibbie get them, quoth Iamic, and ye kenn, that, if he once shake hands with any, they had need say their prayers, for they are not long lived after it. But what silly souldiers were those that would be pat off so? Marie, it is no mervell then they begged and robbed all the way home. And so deeply swore, They would rather be hanged at home, then ever goe abroad in the Kings camp againe.

They could not helpe it, quoth Willie, for they might tell their tale one to another, for no-body els would heare them. And besides, they were so glad to be gone, as they never stayed for any conduct or company; for they were not so farre in love with the businesse, as to play Loath to depart: But every man shifted for himselfe, as soon as he could, for feare he should have been called backe againe, and put upon some new imployment there.

We could never, quoth lamie, understand the truth of the agreement at the camp, some told one thing, some told another.

The effect of the agreement, quoth Willie, was thus, in brief, That both the armies should be dissolved. That the Kings castles should be surrendered. That the Kings shippes should depart the Firth. That a set assembly should be called, and have libertie to settle the government of the church. That a parliament should immediately follow, which should ratifie the assembly, and redresse the grievances of the kingdome.

Their demands, as I was informed, were these; that, besides the holding and confirmation of the assembly, to be holden by the succeeding parliament, they desired these particulars, namely, That the Scottish delinquents should be sent home to their tryall; Restoration of the states dammages, and, lastly, Security from further danger from the fireworks ingeneers of this combustion: And, whether these were granted or not, not to meddle with hand or seale, I referre myselfe to the martyred papers, and the consciences of some of the English lords.

Good agreements, brother, but badly performed: For assoone as the armies were dissolved, and the King possessed of the castles of Edinburgh, Dumbarton, &c. new cavells were raysed against the covenanters. And it was reported, That, under the colour of a parle with the lords at Berwicke, they should all have been detayned, and sent prisoners to London. But, as good happe was, they went not, but excused themselves to the king, because the appointed assemblies was then to begin, which hath since quite abolished bishops.'

The King seemed displeased, and thereupon placed Generall Rothwen governour of the castle of Edenburgh. And now he, having gotten that by a tricke, which they never could have gotten by strength, keeps a couple of false knaves to laugh at the lords, a foole and a fidler; and, when he and they are almost drunke, then they goe to singing of Scots ligges, in a jearing manner, at the covenanters, for surrendering up their castles.

The fidler he flings out his heels, and dances and sings:

Put up thy dagger, Iamie,

And all things shall be mended,
Bishops shall fall, no not at all,

When the parliament is ended.

Then the fool, he flirts out his folly, and, whilst the fidler plays, he sings :

Which never was intended,
But onely for to flam thee:
We have gotten the game,
Wee'll keep the same,
Put up thy dagger, Iamie.

The devill a dagger, quoth Iamie, shalbe put up by me, nor, I beleeve, by any man in the kingdome, untill the parliament be ended, and have confirmed the putting down of bishops; wee'll be no longer flim-flamb'd by any of them. And, for this trick, we will have that false papisticall traitor Rothwen, and all his knaveries, out of the castle; or else we will make it too hot for him to hold it. I am in such a rage at these rascalls, as, if I had them here, I would beat them both black and blew, and teach them to sing another song, called, The Lowns Lamentation; yea, and make them dance after my pipe, ere I had done with them.

Peace, quoth Willie, patience will bring all to perfection, and time will discover the truth. But if this pacification was onely pretended, that they might get the castles into their custodie, and the parliament but onely promised, and never intended to confirm the abolishing of bishops, then we have just cause to doe that which was never dreamed on. Dreamed on, quoth Iamie, if dreames prove true, I shalbe master of a mytre ere it be long; for every night I am so troubled with finding of mytres, crucifixes, rich copes, and the like, that I thinke, to my com

fort, it wilbe my fortune to fall upon the rifling of some of those bellygod bishops houses, before this warre be ended; and then let me alone to expone my dreame. And I hope, if I take pains, to pull down popery in such a manner, as it will not trouble my conscience hereafter. I would it were come to that, quoth Willie, if it must needs come to it; but it were better the businesse ended in a peaceable way.

That will never be, quoth lamie, for there is a time when Babylon must down, and the bishops, who are but whelps of that whores litter, must down before her; and why may not the time be now? For the pope had never such a blow as Scotland now hath given him; and, if England give him but such another, it will make him stagger.

Ha, Iamie, there thou hitst the marke, for all the pollicie that I have can never possesse me any possibility of bringing peace and safety, except the bloudy and undermining locusts be sent to the bottomlesse pit, from whence they came; and the whole litter of the whores whelps, as thou callest them, the bishops, with all their appendices, be rooted out: yea, except some carpenters arise, and saw off these strong hornes of the beast, which, by stickling, make so many leakes in the English church, she and all in her are like to perish; and then those hellish pirats, worse than Tunnees and Algeir, will have a bout with the bordering of the Scots: but I hope they shall be hanged first. The Scots have set the English a faire coppy, and, if they cannot write for these also, the Scots will lend their hand, if they be willing to learne. Yet not to write a letter, much lesse a line of rebellion; for, as they may compare with any nation in the world for their loyalty, so to terme the saving of the church, king, and state rebellion, is of the devill, the father of lyes.

I am confident, that the English will not be so forgetfull of their honour and profession, as to make such use of the Scots, as the monkey made of the spannell, in pulling the chestnut out of the fire with the spannells foot: but, as mutual necessity craves mutuall ayd, so I hope the Scots and English will, in a brotherly conjunction, like Ioab and Abijbai, help one another against the Syrians and Ammonites; that is, forraigne and domesticke enemies. If the Syrians be too strong for me,' saith Joab, then thou shalt helpe me; but, if Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and helpe thee,' 2 Sam. x. 11. The application is easie. But whither am I gone, certainly beyond both packe and packe pin, yea, and the warehouse too.

O Billie Willie, that some good engine had the hammering of this, and it might prove a bonny piece. But I meane well. Now to close up all, as I wish, with the spirit, all happinesse to attend those that dash Babels brats against the walls: so let both nations take heed of that curse denounced against those that doe the worke of the Lord negligently, Psal. cxxxvii. 11. Jer. xlviii. 10.

By this time we were called to supper, and thereupon gave over discourse: and the next day after departed all three for Edenburgh, where agreed over againe to owne the hazard of a new journy to London, to see how things were carryed there. But the manner of the carriage, and how we shall dispose of our selves there, cannot be resolved till we

see the successe of this parliament. Till when, and ever, we remaine ready to do our utmost indeavours in any thing that may tend to the good of this kirk and kingdome.

The intention of this discourse appears to be levelled against the government and ministry of K. Charles I. and by way of apology for Machiavell, which, I think, is very artfully composed, endeavours to depreciate Archbishop Laud and the Earl of Strafford, by alledging them to be more dishonest than Nicholas Machiavell.

NICHOLAS is I

TICHOLAS Machiavell is cried down for a villain, neither do I think he deserves a better title; yet, when I consider he was not only an Italian, but a courtier, I cannot chuse but commiserate his for tune, that he, in particular, should bear the marks, which belong to the wisest statesmen in general.

He, that intends to express a dishonest man, calls him a Machiavil

* Published about the year 1641. Quarto, containing seven pages.