moners, that may any way divide or fever the Public Intereft, remov'd, what can a perpetual Senat have then, wherin to grow corrupt, wherin to encroach upon us, or ufurp? or if they do, wherin to be formidable? Yet if all this avail not to remove the Fear or Envy of a perpetual Sitting, it may be easily provided, to change a third part of them yearly, or every two or three Years, as was above-mention'd; or that it be at those times in the Peoples choice, whether they will change them, or renew thir Power, as they fhall find cause.

I have no more to say at present: few words will fave us, well confider'd; few and easy things, now seasonably don. But if the People be fo affected, as to prostitute Religion and Liberty to the vain and groundless apprehenfion, that nothing but Kingship can restore Trade, not remembring the frequent Plagues and Peftilences that then wafted this City, fuch as through God's Mercy we never have felt fince; and that Trade flourishes no where more than in the Free Commonwealths of Italy, Germany, and the Low Countries, before thir eyes at this day: yet if Trade be grown fo craving and importunate through the profufe living of Tradesmen, that nothing can fupport it, but the luxurious Expences of a Nation upon Trifles or Superfluities; fo as if the People generally should betake themselves to Frugality, it might prove a dangerous matter, left Tradesmen should mutiny for want of Trading; and that therfore we must forgo and set to fale Religion, Liberty, Honor, Safety, all Concernments Divine or Human, to keep up Trading. If, laftly, after all this Light among us, the fame Reason fhall pass for current, to put our Necks again under Kingship, as was made ufe of by the Jews to return back to Egypt, and to the worship of thir Idol Queen, because they falfly imagin'd that they then liv'd in

more plenty and profperity; our Condition is not found but rotten, both in Religion and all Civil Prudence ; and will bring us foon, the way we are marching, to those Calamities which attend always and unavoidably on Luxury, all national Judgments under Forein or Domestic Slavery: So far we shall be from mending our condition by monarchizing our Government, whatever new Conceit now poffeffes us. However with all hazard I have ventur'd what I thought my Duty to speak in season, and to forewarn my Country in time; wherin I doubt not but there be many wife Men in all Places and Degrees, but am forry the Effects of Wisdom are fo little feen among us. Many Circumftances and Particulars I could have added in those things wherof I have spoken: but a few main Matters now put speedily in execution, will fuffice to recover us, and fet all right: And ther will want at no time who are good at Circumstances; but Men who fet thir Minds on main Matters, and fufficiently urge them, in these moft difficult times I find not many. What I have spoken, is the Language of that which is not call'd amifs The good Old Caufe : if it seem strange to any, it will not feem more strange, I hope, than convincing to Backfliders. Thus much I fhould perhaps have faid, though I were fure I should have spoken only to Trees and Stones; and had none to cry to, but with the Prophet, O Earth, Earth, Earth! to tell the very Soil it self, what her perverse Inhabitants are deaf to. Nay, though what I have spoke, should happ'n (which Thou suffer not, who didft create Mankind free; nor Thou next, who didst redeem us from being Servants of Men!) to be the last words of our expiring Liberty. But I trust I fhall have spoken Perfwafion to abundance of fenfible and ingenuous Men; to fom perhaps whom God may raise of these Stones to become Children of reviving Liberty; and may reclaim, though they

feem now chufing them a Captain back for Egypt, to bethink themselves a little, and confider whither they are rushing; to exhort this Torrent alfo of the People, not to be fo impetuous, but to keep thir due Channel; and at length recovering and uniting thir better Refolutions, now that they fee already how open and unbounded the infolence and rage is of our common Enemies, to stay these ruinous Proceedings, justly and timely fearing to what a Precipice of Deftruction the deluge of this epidemic Madness would hurry us, through the general defection of a misguided and abus'd Multitude.

Prefent Means, and brief Delineation of a

Free Commonwealth,

Easy to be put in Practice, and without Delay. In a Letter to General MONK. Published

from the Manufcript.

IRST, all endeavours fpeedily to be us'd, that the enfuing Election be of fuch as are already firm, or inclinable to conftitute a free Commonwealth (according to

the former qualifications decreed in Parlament, and not yet repeal'd, as I hear) without fingle Perfon, or Houfe of Lords. If these be not fuch, but the contrary, who forefees not, that our Liberties will be utterly loft in this next Parlament, without some powerful course taken, of speediest prevention? The speediest way will be to call up forthwith the chief Gentlemen out of every County; to lay before them (as your Excellency hath already, both in your publish'd Letters to the Army, and your Declaration recited to the Members of Parlament) the Danger and Confufion of readmitting Kingship in this Land; efpecially against the Rules of all Prudence and Example, in a Family once ejected, and therby not to be trufted with the power of Revenge: that you will not longer delay them with vain expectation, but will

put

into thir hands forthwith the poffeffion of a free Commonwealth; if they will first return immediately and elect them, by such at least of the People as are rightly qualifi'd, a standing Council in every City, and great Town, which may then be dignified with the name of City, continually to confult the good and flourishing state of that Place, with a competent Territory adjoin'd; to affume the judicial Laws, either these that are, or fuch as they themselves fhall new make severally, in each Commonalty, and all Judicatures, all Magiftracies, to the Administration of all Juftice between man and man, and all the Ornaments of publick Civility, Academies, and fuch like, in thir own hands. Matters appertaining to men of several Counties, or Territories, may be determin'd, as they are here at London, or in fome more convenient Place, under equal Judges.

Next, That in every fuch Capital Place, they will choose them the ufual number of ableft Knights and Burgeffes, engag'd for a Commonwealth, to make up the Parlament, or (as it will from henceforth be better called) the Grand or General Council of the Nation whofe Office muft be, with due Caution, to difpofe of Forces, both by Sea and Land, under the conduct of your Excellency, for the preservation of Peace, both at home and abroad; muft raise and manage the publick Revenue, but with provided infpection of thir Accompts; muft administer all forein Affairs, make all General Laws, Peace, or War, but not without Affent of the ftanding Council in each City, or fuch other general Affembly as may be call'd on fuch occafion, from the whole Territory, where they may without much trouble, deliberate on all things fully, and fend up thir Suffrages within a fet time, by Deputies appointed. Though this grand Council be perpetual (as in that Book I prov'd would be beft and moft conformable to beft examples) yet