Priests, and Jesuites out of Newgate, and that he did combine with Lawrance
Whitaker, and other Members of the House to endeavour the taking
away the lives of such, as he did conceive might discover, prosecute or
witnesse these (by them call'd, Treacheries.
Also they declare that at a publick tryall they will make it appear that
Master Speaker hath acted the part of a dangerous Agent for the Pope, and
whatsoever he hath acted with or for the Army hath been meerly out of designs
to destroy them, & make the Parliament odious, and they have above
100 articles of extraordinary injustice committed by him in his offices
of being Speaker of the House of Coxcombs, Master of the Rolls, and Commissioner
of the great Seal of England, all which they are ready to exhibit
and make good against him as soon as there shall be a place, appointed for
his free and publick tryall, which I am confident will never be, for the
Supremists begin to smell out the businesse, and therefore date not give
way for their ears; for they know that if they should consent to the tryall
of one of their Members, that they should all by degrees come under the
lash, so that some think that Cromwels plot will sail him, which is not
unlikely, for the prosecutors declare that the Judge-Advocate of the Army,
and the other Commissioner appointed by his Excellency to make further
progresse in the businesse, do take M. Speakers part, and do labour to ensnare
the prosecutors, witnesses and their assistants, and to question them for
prosecuting him (although the D positions are cleerly proved upon oath as
if they intended to asperse, and abuse the prosecutors and witnesses for
speaking the truth, the better to sinother Master Speakers Treacheries.
And therefore they doe declare that it is the duty of the people of England
both Souldiers and others, in every city and Country but more especially
in London, with all possible speed to move the Parliament with importunate
Petitions, to appoint Commissioners for the speedy publike tryall
of Mr. Speaker, either for vindication or Condemnation, &c. They likewise
declare that they are confident that no well affected person whatsoever
will dare directly nor indirectly to oppose his publike triall, but
on the contrary will stir up their friends and neighbours, to second the
busines
with such vigour and resolution as becommeth a free Commoner of
England, in so publike and equitable a matter. And that whatsoever doth
sollicite any Member of the Parliament, Army, Councel of State, or Common-wealth
to hinder the publike tryall of the said Speaker, shall bee
looked upon as a Mercenary Judas, a friend to the Sons of Belial, an Enemy
to the God of Justice, and to the future safety of this divided and languishing
Nation.
So you see how politick Cromwel and his Agents are to attain their
owne ends, But no more of this till the next, therefore to the proceedings