oppressors? and can the knowing people of this Nation (the like not
in the whole world) submit longer to this slavish burthen? I am heartily sorry to
have this cause to complain, but my necessities, through free Quarter, Taxes, &c.
(which I have hitherto freely and most willingly paid, while I had any thing to sell
or pawn) enforces my sad spirit to expresse its necessitated condition. The Parliament
declared to us at first, that such as engaged for them against the common
enemy, and held faithful, should be repaid all their losses received form them: this
we finde they have made good to themselves, with interest, and those Committeemen,
Gentlemen, and others of neer and high esteem and relation, but the poor
Commoner, that hath endured the brunt of the day, lost his life, spent his estate,
and his all in their service, and left wife and many children behinde him, cannot
receive either principal or interest from them, through want thereof there have been
many widows and fatherlesse children famished, and most in this condition, are at
present forced to beg their bread from door to door. Is it just or honest to pay
the rich, which have estates to maintain them, and neglect the poor, that have nothing
to support them? But is it not then most miserable, to lay taxes heavier and
heavier upon them, whilest in this low and saddest condition, when there are wayes
enough to ease them? I am heartily sorry to hear the people say that the ------
can countenance base corrupt men, as others, for their own ends, and seclude those
that are righteous in their actions. Is this a putting an end to this P------? Is
this a calling in question Committee-men, Sequestrators, Treasurers, &c? (the common
cheats of the Nation) certainly God will not be mocked. And if some course
be not shortly taken herein, I am confident the people will rise up against this
self seeking and destructive Generation, and chuse others in their stead. If there
was not a neer compliance and equal sharing among some in City and Countrey,
it was impossible they should make such a prey of the poor people. And are you
like to prosper, when you work this manifest injustice and corruption? How
many thousand families, besides my own, are like to starve, when a company
of Petifoggers and Caterpillars drink the sweet, and eat the fat of our daily
and hard labours, heap up thousands for their children, though scarce worth
six pence before the wars begun, having got the greatest Estates in the
Kingdom? and is this to put the self-denying Ordinance in execution, and act
upon Principles of Integrity and Freedom, or was it only a mockery to the
people? Well might a Cavalier say once, that a P. man could not be worth lesse
then a thousand pound per annum by his place. I hope there are some faithfull
ones, men of publick spirits in every Countrey; let these be intrusted in
calling all corrupt fellows to a strict and speedy accompt, and look what they were
worth before they were put into these publique imployments, so much they should
have, with some small addition, and the rest to be imployed for feeding the poor,
and almost starved faithful people of the Land with bread, for why should any
particular persons give themselves great estates out of the Assesments of their distressed
brethren, and ruins of a distracted Kingdom.
March 14.
The Common Vote Sir John Stowel to be tried for his life at