Father Rector,

Let not the damp of astonishment seiz upon your most dear, & zealous soul, in apprehending the sudden, & unexpected calling of this Parliament; we haue not opposed, but rather farthered it; for that we hope as much in this Parliament, as ever we feared one in Q. Eliz. days; You must know the Councell is engaged to assist the King by way of prerogatiue, in case the Parli- ament shold fail. You shall see this Parliament resembl the Pelican, which takes pleasure with her beak to digg out her owne bowalls.

The elections of the Knights, & Burgesses haue been in such confusion, & by such apparent faction, as that which we were wont to procure heretofore with much art, & industry (when the Spanish match was in treaty) now it breaks out naturally, as a botch or boyl, & spitts out, & shows it own rancour, & venome.

You may remember how that famous, & immortall Statesman the Conde of Gundamor fed K. Iames his fansy, & rocked him asleep with the soft, & sweet sound of peace, to keep up the Spanish Treaty; likewise we were bound to some emi- nent Statesemen of our own Country to gaine time, in procuring thoe advantage- ous cessations of Armeses in the Palatinate; & in admiring the worth & honor of the Spanish Nacion, & vilifying the Hollanders; Remonstrating to K. Iames that, that the States were most ungratefull to his predecessor Q. Eliz. & to his most sacred Majesty; that the States were more obnoxious then the Turk; & perpetually iniured his Majestyes Subjects in the East Indies; as likewise they had usurped from his Majesty the Regality of the Narrow-seas in fishing upon the English Coasts:

Had e Spanish match taken effecte (which was broken by the heate, & violence of our furious enemy the Duke of Bucks, certenly K. Iames had deserted the Hol- landers. These great Statesmen had but one principall meane to further their great & good designes, which was, To make K. Iames belieue that none but the Puritan faccion (which plotted nothing but Anarchy, & his confusion) were averse to this most happy union. We steer the same cours, & make great use of this Anarchicall election, & haue preiudicated, & anticipated the greate one, That none but the Kings enemies & his, are chosen of this Parliament; & yat this Parliament vowes to begin where they left, & will never giue over, till they haue extirpated him & his posterity. On the other side the same parties incessantly foment (who are to be admired for their indefatigabl in- dustry) Revenge, & Iealousies in most of the Parliament men; And especially they work upon the Pride & Vain-glory of such as haue been imprisoned, posses sing sing yem, yat they are the only Martyrs, & worthies of their Country

London is as much distempered as ever Florence was; for the Companies are at odds; & the Common Counsell haue opposed the Magistrates against the usuall customs in the electiones of their Knights; which hath bred a great heart-burning in yat City is so yat twice a day we can divulg what we list in Pauls, & upon the Exchange. And we haue already rendred our irreconciliabl enemy the D. of Bucks, as odious as a toad; for the peopl are apt to belieue any thing against him. We hope to be revenged on yat ball of wild-fire the D. & to quench his fury; you shall see yat same sword yat wounded us, being drawn upon the wound with an oile yat we haue, shall make us whole; and yus it shalbe don.

The Parliament, as a great ship, hath dashed twice against the same rock; & we haue so wrought upon the severall complexions of Parliament men, In Charming the most temperat & wisest, yat the best way to overthrow the D. is By humbl pe- ticion to his Majesty; With the Violent, we haue taken a quite contrary cours, by working upon their passions, & inebriating their fancyes, with probabilities & presidents yat were never heard of, That favourites were never Parliament-proof; they may wrestle for a time, but at last the parliament hath overthrown yem. We encourage yem, with all the witt we haue to fall upon the D. & persuade yem now is the time or never, the K. being in such necessity; insomuch, yat we assure ourselus yat God hath forsaken & infatuated yem, yat they not only strike, & dash upon yat rock again, but sink, & wrack in the bottomles sea of distruction.

We haue now many strings to our bow, & haue strongly fortified our factions, & haue made 2 bulworks more; for when K. Iames lived, you know he was very violent against Arminianism, & interupted by his pestilent wit & deep learning our strong designs in Holland, & was a great friend to yat Arch-rebæll, & old Heretique the Pr. of Orange; now we haue planted yat soveraing drug Arminianism, which we hope will purge the Protestants of their Heresy; & it flourisheth, & will beare fruit in du season.

The Materialls which build up our 2d Bullwork, are The Proiectours, & Beggars of all ranks & qualities whatsoever; both these factions operate to destroy this Parliament, & introduce a new species & form of goverment, which is Oligarchy. These factions serue as divers meanes & instruments to our end, which is, The Universall Ca- tholique Monarchy. Our foundacion must be Mutacion, this mutacion will cause reluctacion, which will seem as so many violent diseases; as the Stone & Gout, & the to the speedy destruccion, or perpetuall & insufferabl languish of the body, which is wors yen death itself, well to proceed by Counsell, & Mature Deliberacion, when & how to work upon the Dukes iealousy, & revenge; & in this, we giue the honour to those yat meritt it, yat is, the Church-catholiques.

There is another matter of consequence, which we take much into our conside- racions & tender care, which is, to staue off the Puritans yat they hang not on the Dukes eares; they are an impudent, & subtle people & it is to be feared least they shold negotiate a reconciliacion between the Duke & the Paliament. Certenly the duke wold gladly haue reconciled himself to the Parliament at Oxford, & Westminster, but now we assure ourselues we haue so handled the matter, yat the D. & the Parl. are irreconcile- able; for the better prevencion of the Puritans, the Arminians haue all- ready blocked up the Dukes eares, & we haue those of our religion, who stand continually at the Dukes chamber to see who goes in & out; we cannot be too circumspect & carefull in this regard. I cannot choose but laugh to see how some of our coat haue accoutred themselus, you wold scarce know yem if you saw yem; & it is admirabl how in speech & ge- sture they can act the Puritans; The Cambridg schollers to their wofull experience shall see that we can act the Puritan a little better they they haue don the Iesuite; they abused our sacred Patron Ignatius in iest, but we will make yem smart for it in earnest. I hope you will excuse my merry digression, for I confess I am at this instant transported with ioy, to see how happily all instruments, & meanes, as well great, as less, cooperate to our purpose. But to return to the main fabrick of our foundacion, Arminianism. The Arminians, & Projectours (as appeares by their devises) affect Mutacion, this we second & inforce by probabl arguments; In the 1st place we take into con- sideracion The Kings honour & present necessity; & we show how the K. may free himself of the his present Wardshipp, as K. Lewis 11th of france, did; & for his splendour & lustre he may raise vast summs of mony & not be beholding to his Subjects, which is By way of Imposicions, & Excise; we instance The Low-countries, & show What a vast sum of mony they raise to pay their armies by sea & land, merely by excise. Then our Church-catholique proceeds to show the meane how to settle this excise, which must be By a mercinary Army of Horse, & foot; for the Hors, we haue made it sure yat they shalbe forreners, & Germans, who will eate the Kings Revenue, & spoile the Country wheresoever they come, though they shold be well paid; what havock will they make yen, when they haue not pay, or be not duly paid? surely they will do much more mischief yen we hope the Catholiques Army will doe. We are provident yat this Mercanary Army of 2000 Hors, & 20000 foot shalbe taken into pay before the excise shalbe setled. In forcing the excise, the Country is most likely to rise; if the Merci- nary Army subiugate the Country, yen the Soldiers, & Proiectours shalbe paid out of the Confiscations; if the Country be too hard for the Soldiers, yen they must consequently mutiny, which is equally advantageous to us.

Our superlatiue desires are, To work the Protestants, as well as the Papists to welcom in a Conquerour; & this is by this meane; We hope instantly to dissolue Trading, & hinder Building of Ships, & devise probabl designes, & putting the State upon Expedicions, as that of Cales, for which we must take away the marchants Ships; or Putt yem in hope to take the West-Indian fleet, which is, to seek a needle in a bottle of hay; His Catholick Majesty shall not want our best intelligence; besides, he hath Puttaches, & Carvalls abroad to discover, so you cannot be surprized in any Harbour. When trading is ruined, & shipping decayed, what will becom of Excises? nay what will become of Noblemens, & Gentle mens Revenues? the yeomen, & farmors (in whom consists the glory of this Kingdom) will turn Rogues, & will resemble abiecte fellowes Peasants, which are little better yen slaves. Trade, & Shipping are so much decayed all- ready, yat London is as it were besieged already for want of fewell, for sea-coales are at 3li a Chalder.

When thinges are brought to perfection (which we hope wilbe by yat time his sacred Majesty hath setled his affaires in Germany) all the people in generall will hunger for a Conquerour, missinge their severall ranks & qualities. Then we are sure yat the Lands that were rent & torn from the Church by yat ravenous monster K. H. 8. shalbe reassumed & restored by our mighty Protectour his Catholique Majesty. to the recalling of those which are exiled, & delivering of 1000's of soules which suffer persecucion for the testimony of a good conscience.

Ioyn your prayers with ours, in importuning the blessed Virgin, & all the Host of Angells, & Holy Martyrs for to intercede for us, & no question but God will make hast to help us.

Thus hoping to see Conde de Tilly, & Marquis Spinola here about Iuly come twelue-month, I rest. In the meane time we pray for the happy success of his Catholique Majesty in Germany, & the Low-countryes.