so terrifies and incanses the Saints, that speciall cognizance was
taken thereof in the house, with great dislike; insomuch that a motion
was made, whether they should not send a Messanger purposely to
Scotland, to know if the Estates or Assembley would owne it or not;
but carried in the negative; only Order was given, that the Pinter
and sellers there of should bee called to give as Account where they
had it, and severely punished for Printing and Publishing the same
without Licence of the house.
And indeede they deserve much more punishment then honest John
Taylor does for his Westerne voyage, the only cause wherefore they
have sized the poore old man, and burned him to Westminster, there
to bee examined and tryed for a Spie by the Councell of State: a very
likely thing that hee so well known all the Kingdome over, and
who made his Intentions so publique before hee set forward, and since
Li[unr]returne Printed every dates action and travell, should bee conceived
a Spie, is very strange and unbeseeming John Taylors present condition
and yeares, who though I know him to bee in honester man
then any of the Councell of State, and one that would hazard his life
upon any good occasion to serve his King; yet is hee not now so
nimble as to act the part of a Spic; and (if I bee not mistaken) has
so much of good in him as might tender him capable of a better Imployment.
Now what Bradshaw does with him, perhaps I shall tell you before
I conclude: But now I know beforehand the gentleman is highly
enraged against all such as dare Print or Publish any thing which
tells him and the rest of their Usurpation and Tyranny; and uses all
meanes possible to suppress them: to which purpose (before they
finished the intended knack or Treason-trap, which so long the Committee
have beene a licking) it was Bradshawes Designe (upon the
advise of that hypocriticall Levite Nue, and some else I could name)
to treate with and engage the Printers of London to assist them in suppressing
of those they call scandalous and seditious Pa[unr]phl[unr]s, for
whose encouragement is was thought fit to tempt them with the
promise of any Acts of Grace and favour they could doe them, for
advancement of their Mistery in defyance of the Stationers (who had
ever failed them in this service) whereupon a generall meeting of the
Printers was appointed at the Mouth neare Aldersgate, where only
some of the principall did mere, such as Symmons, White, Bradenell
&c. and the rest of that gang, out of whom they choose foure to treat
with Bradshaw, who accordingly repaired to White-Hall, but what
they did I have not as yet, not is the knack fioished.