An Apologie for the Royal Party; and A Panegyric to Charles the Second | Page 5

dissipated and squandred away, to
gratifie a few covetous and ambitious wretches, whose appetites are as
deep as hell, and as insatiable as the grave; as if (as the Wise-man
speaks) _our time here were but a market for gain_.
Look then into the Churches, and manners of the people, even amongst
your own Saints, and tell me, if since Simon Magus was upon the earth,
there were ever heard of so many Schismes, and Heresies, of Jewes and
Socinians, Quakers, Fifth-monarchy-men, Arians, Anabaptists,
Independents, and a thousand severall forts of Blasphemies and
professed Atheists, all of them spawned under your government; and
then tell me what a Reformation of Religion you have effected?
Was there ever in the whole Earth (not to mention Christendom alone)
a perjury so prodigious, and yet so avowed as that by which you have
taken away the estate of my L. Craven, at which the very Infidels
would blush, a Turke or Sythian stand amaz'd?
Under the Sun was it never heard, that a man should be condemned for
transgressing no law, but that which was made after the fact, and
abrogated after execution; that the Posterities to come might not be
witnesses of your horrid injustice: Yet thus you proceeded against my
_L. Stafford_. How many are those gallant persons whom after articles
of war, you have butchered in cold-blood, violating your promises
against the Lawes of all Nations, civill or barbarous; and yet thus you
dealt in the case of my L. Capel, Sr. J. Stawel and others.
Is not the whole nation become sullen and proud, ignorant and
suspicious, incharitable, curst, and in fine, the most depraved and
perfidious under heaven? And whence does all this proceed, but from
the effects of your own examples, and the impunity of evill doers?
I need not tell you how long Justice has been sold by the Committees,
and the Chair-men, the Sequestrators and Simoniacall Tryers, not to

mention the late Courtiers, and a swarm of Publicans who _have eaten
up the People as if they would eat bread_.
Will you come now to the particular mis-fortunes, and the evident hand
of God upon you for these actions (for he has not altogether left us
without some expresse witnesses of his displeasure at your doings,)
Behold then your Essex and your Warwick, your Ferfaix, and your
Waller, (whom once your Books stiled the Lord of Hosts) Cashiered,
Imprisoned, Suspected and Disgraced after all their Services. Hotham,
and his Son came to the block; Stapleton had the buriall of an Asse, and
was thrown into a Town Ditch; Brookes and Hamden signally slain in
the very act of Rebellion and Sacriledge; your atheisticall Dorislaw,
Ascam and the Sodomiticall Ariba, whom though they escaped the
hand of Justice, yet Vengeance would not suffer to live: What became
of Rainsborough? Ireton perished of the Plague, and Hoyle hanged
himself; Staplie 'tis said, died mad, and Cromwell in a fit of raging; and
if there were any others worthy the taking notice of, I should give you a
list of their names and of their destinies; but it was not known whence
they came which succeeded them; nor had they left any memory behind
them, but for their signal wickednesses, as he that set on fire the
Ephesian Temple to be recorded a Villain to posterity. Whereas those
noble souls whom your inhumanity, (not your vertue) betrayed, gave
proof of their extraction, Innocency, Religion and Constancy under all
their Tryals and Tormentors; and those that dyed by the sword, fell in
the bed of honour, and did worthily for their Country; their Loyalty and
their Religion will be renowned in the History of Ages, and pretious to
their memory, when your names will rot with your Carkasses, and your
remembrance be as dung upon the face of the Earth. For there is
already no place of Europe where your infamy is not spread; whilst
your persecuted brethren rejoyce in their sufferings, can abound, and
can want, blush not at their actions, nor are ashamed at their addresses;
because they have suffered for that which their Faith and their Birth,
their Lawes and their Liberties have celebrated with the most glorious
Inscriptions, and Everlasting Elogies.
And if fresher instances of all these particulars be required, cast your
eye a little upon the Armies pretended Plea, which came lately a

birding to beat the way before them, charm the ears of the Vulgar, and
captivate the people; That after all its pseudo-politicks and irreligious
principles, is at last constrained to acknowledg _your open and
prodigious violations, strange and illegal Actions, (as in termes it
confesses) of taking up Armes, Raising and Forming Armies against
the King, fighting against his Person, Imprisoning, Impeaching,
Arraigning, Trying and Executing Him: Banishing his Children,
abolishing Bishops,