A Happy Handful, Letter 1 – Statement 1
AN EXPRESS FROM THE KNIGHTS and GENTLEMEN OF CHESHIRE, Now Engaged with Sir George Booth: To the City and Citizens of London, and all other Free-men of England.
Worthy Citizens, and all other our Engliſh Free-men and Brethren,
AS we are Engliſh-men we are all incorporated into one Body, and though diſtinct and different Families, Fortunes, and Qualities, yet fellow Members and Coheirs of one and the ſame Birthright; not onelyonly by nature, as we are the Sons of men (nature obliging all in one common and equal Bond of Freedom and Unity,) but by certain ſacred Laws and Cuſtoms of peculiar and inherent Right to this Nation; general, equal, and impartial to all, without reſpect of perſons, rank, quality, or degree, derived through all ſucceſſions of Ages, by the Blood, Juſtice, and Prudence of our Fore-fathers to us their Poſterity, as ours, and the Right of our Children after us, not diſ-inheritable: though this Age were wholly made up of Apoſtates and Traytors to Common Juſtice and Freedom, and ſhould make ſale of, and deliver up their Children as ſlaves and Vaſſals, yet Engliſh Right abideth, to wit, our juſt Laws and Liberties, and may juſtly be re-inforced as opportunity may preſent; Sometimes they ſleep, but never die, their total Extinguiſhment is not to be imagined, ſo long as any Engliſhman, or Engliſh blood abideth: and whoever undertaketh (though by Arms or otherwiſe) their recovery and redemption is juſtified in that very Action by the Laws of God, of Nations, Nature, Reaſon, and by the Laws of the Land; and within the Bowels of our Nation amongſt our ſelves no War can be juſtified, but upon that ſcore, the contrary is Sedition, Murde… Treaſon, Tyranny and what not, and the Inſtruments thereof no other in the Eye of Engliſh Freedom and Right, but as Bears, Wolves, and other Beaſts of prey.
Now right worthy and noble Citizens, and all other our Engliſh Brethren, let us conſider and lay to heart the ſad and deplorable condition of our native Countrey: Oppreſſion, Injuſtice, and Tyranny reigneth; diviſion, diſcord, and diſtimulation fomented and foſtered; Trade and induſtry diſcouraged, our Land rent into Parties and Factions, and the common Band of Unity Cancell'd, our fundamental Laws ſupplanted, High Courts of Juſtice introduced, the blood of War ſh…d in times of Peace; Arbitrary and illegal impriſonments, Patents, Monopolies, Exciſe, and other payments brought upon us, and continued contrary to Magna Charta, and the Petition of Right; no form or face of Government of Engliſh Conſtitution amongſt us; the Name and Athority of the People in Parliament uſurped and abuſed, and the ſtamp thereof put upon ſtrange and prodigious Actions, vexing and oppreſſing the People with dayly Changes and Alterations in government, as the Intereſt of ſome few ambitious Grandees alter and change, or get advantages one of another, and all under the Name of a Commonwealth, when as the Nature is not practiſed or intended at all, it being utterly inconſiſtent with their very temper and intereſt; they are wrapt up and compounded of nothing but guilt-blood, and Tyranny; and equal and common Juſtice (the eſſence of a Common-wealth) are utterly repugnant thereto; and whatſoever they can do muſt be planted and maintained by Sword and violence againſt the very Heart and Sence of the Nation; and they know not where or how to centre an Oligarchy, or ſomething they would have to be Maſters of the People, and perpetuate their power and Tyranny, and therefore would amaze and confound us with their New Debares of a Coordinate Power, or Senate for Life, ſuch as our Engliſh, Laws and Liberties know not of, and of pernicious conſequence to this Nation; ſo that from theſe men that thus handle the Stern at Westminſter, there is no expectation of any juſt ſettlement of Peace, or Freedom from Oppreſſion; eſpecially conſidering the Apoſtacy, Hypocracy, Deceipt, and perjury of thoſe men, their manifold ſolemn Engagements, Oaths, Vows, Proteſtations, Appeals unto Heaven; Promiſes, Remonſtrances, Declarations, all by them broken again and again, never keeping Faith, Truce, or Oath, being unbounded, unlimited, certain to nothing, not to be held either by the Law of God or Man, of Conſcience or Reaſon; And from ſuch Perſons in Government, Good Lord deliver us, and all the good People of England; and that all this is true of them, your Conſciences (Noble Citizens, and all other the Free-People of England) can witneſs, there is no tongue, no pen is able to vindicate them in this point; it is known of all, owned by all, and can be denied by none; how then can any honeſt or juſt man ſhed any blood in their Quarrel, or lend them aſſiſtance? ſurely that blood will be required at their hands, and we doubt not but you will be carefull what you do.
And therefore from thoſe Conſiderations and juſt provocations, that we have taken up Arms in purſuance of, and Inquiſition after our Government, Laws, and Liberties, that every Engliſh-man may be protected and ſecured in his Religion, Liberty, and Property; and though it may be ſuggeſted, that we intend to introduce Proſecution for Conſcience into the Land again, we do hereby (in the preſence of Almighty God) proteſt and Declare against all Coercive power in matters of Religion, and that to the utmoſt of our ſtrength (through Gods aſſiſtance) we will endeavour, to the hazzard of our Blood and Fortunes, the Freedom and Protection of all vertuous and religious People, by what Name ſoever differenced from us, equal with our ſelves: and that no forreign, or other Authority, ſave only the Civil be exerciſed in England: That the Practiſe of the Law be reformed; all corrupt Statutes repealed; Annual Elections of all Officers and Magiſtrates, with the conſtant Succeſſion of Parliaments reſtored; our fundamental Laws cleared and aſſerted; and whatever is contrary there to be aboliſhed: That no Trials be admitted in England for Life, Limb, Liberty or Eſtate, but by the good old way of Juries; and that they be reſtored to their original power and purity: That all Extrajudicial and Illegal proceedings by High-Courts of Juſtice, or otherwiſe, with all Illegal and Arbitrary Committees, be ſtrictly provided againſt: that the Exciſe, and all other Payments and Taxes, (ſuch as our Anceſtors never knew of) together with all Monopolies and Patents deſtructive to Trade and the Common good of the Nation be alſo aboliſhed; And, that our Parliaments and Magiſtrates be ſecured from all Force and Violence; and utterly cleared from all boundleſſe Prerogative, and unlimited Priviledge: That the Right of the Poor in the Commons of England, all Donations for Charitable Uſes, and all Lands formerly belonging to the People, be reſtor'd again: And that Mercy and Juſtice be truly eſtabliſhed amongſt us. And for theſe ends, and what elſe may be of publick good to the Nation, we do deſire, and indeed challenge, as of Engliſh Right, the ſpeedy Election of a New Free Parliament.
And thus, moſt Noble Citizens, Brethren and fellow Freemen of England, we have dealt truly and plainly with you, and given you the real Grounds and Reaſons of our taking up Arms; looking upon you as the moſt concern'd in the Nation, and therefore hold our ſelves the more obliged to give you this Early Advice of our Candid and juſt Intentions in this undertaking, that you may not be deluded or frighted (though falſly) into any ſtrange opinion of us, either through your own miſtake, or by the pollicy of thoſe men who will leave no means unattempted to render us as publick Enemies, Rebels and Traitors, Plunderers, Tyrants and Perſecutors, or whatever is odious and monſtrous, to engage you in Blood.
Believe us, right worthy Citizens, and Free-born Engliſh Brethren, we have no Deſign of Fire or Sword, or of Evil toward you or your City, or any part of the Nation, or any Perſon in it: We know there are thouſands amongſt you that are ſatisfied in us; it may be indeed that many or moſt of the Gathered ſeparate Churches may be fearfull and jealous of us, and ſo may be induced to Arms againſt us; but we do again and again proteſt before Almighty God, and the whole World, that we have no other purpoſe towards them, but that they with us, and we with them, may be bound up as Friends and Brethren in the Common Cauſe of our Countrey, that every Engliſh-man may have Engliſh Freedom and Right; and we do not deſire to wrong Man, Woman, or Childe the worth of a Shoo-latchet: Therefore we hope you will firſt well adviſe before you proceed in a new War, leſt you bring not only your own, but others blood on your heads, (for we are reſolved to preſecute this to the laſt drop of our blood.) The Caſe of England is laid before you, our Laws and Liberties, they are yours as well as ours, and for which we have all engaged in the firſt War, and not to be ſo ſlightly valued as to be ſet at ſtake againſt the private ends of ſome ambitious and corrupt perſons: Salus Populi, Suprema Lex; let the People live, and their Enemies periſh.
Therefore we beſeech you, we conjure you as Engliſh men, to ſtand by your Native Countrey, and your Countrey's Cauſe: Our Voice is, and it is no other than the Conſent and Voice of the People, A new free Parliament, A new free Parliament; it is the Engliſh man's main Birth-right, which we are reſolved to put the People in poſſeſſion of, or to periſh with our Swords in our hands. But if you will not joyn, but degenerate, we hope notwithſtanding (by Gods bleſſing) to carry on this Work: Yet to that juſt and glorious Work we may challenge your concurrence, it being your duty as well as ours to endeavour the procurement thereof? And therefore to you make it our Propoſal, to your Militia, to the Army, and the whole People, for the prevention of a New War, and the effuſion of Engliſh blood, that you would be inſtrumental with us for the ſpeedy Election of a New Free Parliament, for the ends aforeſaid; and in the interim all hoſtility to be forborn; and that a day may be appointed, and the People ſuffered to go to their free Elections, and we ſhall quietly ſubmit to their Authority; heartily deſiring, that all revenge, diviſion, rancor, and animoſity of ſpirit may be for ever buried in one General Act of Oblivion; And that all Parties, Sects, and ſorts, (now jarring and making up intereſts one againſt another) may reconcile, cement, and concenter in the common Brotherhood of Engliſh Freedom and Right; in, and for which we are.
Sir George Booth to a Friend of his in London.
SIR,
MY laſt to you of the ſecond inſtant, I underſtand you have committed to open view, the Publication whereof was of general Satisfaction to your Friends here, and for which we all hold our ſelves obliged. I have ſent you here incloſed an Expreſs from the Knights and Gentlemen engaged with me, and beg this further addition to your former many Favours, that you would pleaſe to take the care upon you, to get the ſame Printed and publiſhed, for the undeceiving of thoſe amongſt you, and all other that are yet doubtfull or unſatisfied in us. The Meſſenger will inform you of the preſent State and condition of Affairs with us, to whom I refer you. In haſte I reſt,
Sir, Your moſt affectionate Friend and Servant, George Booth. Manchester Aug. 9. 1659.
Alleyn Mayor.
At a Common-Council holden in the Guildhall, LONDON, On Tueſday the 20. of December, 1659.
THis Court having taken notice of divers Affronts put upon the Right Honorable Thomas Alleyn, the preſent Lord Mayor of this City, with many falſe and ſcandalous Aſperſions caſt upon his Lordſhip, and the Committee appointed by this Court to confer with the Lord Fleetwood touching the Peace and Safety of this City: as if they had deſerted their Truſt, or betrayed the Rights and Liberties of this City. And in particular, that the ſaid Committee ſeemed ſatisfied with the Limitations of Parliament, called The Seven Principles, or unalterable Fundamentals, printed in a late ſcandalous Pamphlet ſtiled, The Publick Intelligencer. The ſaid Committee here openly declaring; that they never heard the ſaid Principles, or had them any way communicated to them, much leſſe ever conſented to the ſame, or any of them.
This Court being deeply ſenſible of theſe great Indignities, doth declare, That the ſaid Lord Mayor is ſo far from deſerving any of the ſaid Affronts or Aſperſions, that he hath highly merited the great Honour and Eſteem of this Court and the whole City, having in all things demeaned himſelf with much Prudence and faithfull Integrity to this City and Court, which doth therefore return his Lordſhip their moſt hearty thanks.
And that the ſaid Committee in all their Tranſactions, touching the Peace and ſafety of this City, have alſo diſcreetly and faithfully diſcharged their Truſt, to their own trouble, and great ſatisfaction of this Court.
And whereas this Court and City hath been lately repreſented by ſome, as having deſerted their firſt Cauſe and Declarations in the uſe of all lawfull means for the maintenance of the true reformed Proteſtant Religion according to the Scriptures; The ſupport and maintenance of a ſettled lawfull Magiſtracy, a learned pious Miniſtery, and publick Univerſities, with the ancient fundamental Laws of the Nation, Juſt Rights, Properties and Liberties of all Perſons: And for theſe ends will endeavour, all they lawfully may, the ſpeedy convening of a Free Parliament to ſit and Act without Interruption or Moleſtation, by any perſons whatſoever.
Sadler.