and fomenter of these disturbances. You have the fum of my prefent thoughts, as much I understand of these affairs freely imparted; at your requeft, and the perfuafion you wrought in me, that I might chance hereby to be fome way ferviceable to the Commonwealth, in a time when all ought to be endeavouring what good they can, whether much or but little. With this you may do what you pleafe, put out, put in, communicate or fuppress: you offend not me, who only have obeyed your opinion, that in doing what I have done, I might happen to offer fomething which might be of fome ufc in this great time of need. However, I have not been wanting to the opportunity which you prefented before me, of fhowing the readiness which I have in the midft of my unfitnefs, to whatever may be required of me, as a public duty.

-October 20, 1659.

THE PRESENT MEANS

AND

BRIEF DELINEATION

OF

A FREE COMMONWEALTH,

Eafy to be put in Practice, and without Delay.

IN A LETTER TO GENERAL MONK.

Published from the Manufcript.

IRST, all endeavours fpeedily to be used, 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to conftitute a free commonwealth, (according to the former qualifications decreed in parliament, and not yet repealed, as I hear) without fingle person, or houfe of lords. If thefe be not fuch, but the contrary, who forelees not, that our liberties will be utterly loft in this next parliament, without fome powerful course taken, of speedieft prevention? The speedieft 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 published letters to the army, and your declaration recited to the members of parliament) the danger and confufion of readmitting kingship in this land; especially against the rules of all prudence and example, in a family once ejected, and thereby not to be trufted with the power of revenge: that you will not longer delay them with vain expectation, but will put into their hands forthwith the poffeffion of a free commonwealth; if they will firft return immediately and elect them, by fuch at leaft of the people as are rightly qualified, 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 adjoined; to affume the judicial laws, either thofe that are, or fuch as they themselves

themselves fhall new make feverally, in each commonalty, and all judicatures, all magiftracies, to the adminiftration of all juftice between man and man, and all the ornaments of public civility, academies, and fuch like, in their own hands. Matters appertaining to men of feveral counties or territories, may be determined, 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 bur-, geffes, engaged for a commonwealth, to make up the parliament, 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 fea and land, under the conduct of your excellency, for the prefervation of peace, both at home and abroad; muft raife and manage the public revenue, but with provident infpection of their accompts; must adminifter all foreign 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 called on fuch occafion, from the whole territory, where they may, without much trouble, dsliberate on all things fully, and fend up their fuffrages within a fet time, by deputies appointed. Though this grand council be perpetual (as in that book I proved would be best and most conformable to beft examples) yet they will then, thus limited, have fo little matter in their hands, or power to endanger our liberty; and the people fo much in theirs, to prevent them, having all judicial laws in their own choice, and free votes in all thofe which concern generally the whole commonwealth, that we shall have little caufe to fear the perpetuity of our general senate ; which will be then nothing else but a firm foundation and cuftody of our public liberty, peace, and union, through the whole commonwealth, and the tranfactors of our affairs with foreign nations.

If this yet be not thought enough, the known expedient may at length be used, of a partial rotation.

Laftly, if thefe gentlemen convocated refuse these fair and noble offers of immediate liberty, and happy condi

tion, no doubt there be enough in every county who will thankfully accept them; your excellency once more declaring publicly this to be your mind, and having a faithful veteran army, fo ready, and glad to affift you in the prosecution thereof. For the full and absolute adminiftration of law in every county, which is the difficulteft of thefe propofals, hath been of most long defired; and the not granting it held a general grievance. The reft, when they fhall fee the beginnings and proceedings of these conftitutions propofed, and the orderly, the decent, the civil, the fafe, the noble effects thereof, will be foon convinced, and by degrees come in of their own accord, to be partakers of fo happy a government.

THE

READY AND EASY WAY

TO ESTABLISH A

FREE COMMONWEALTH,

AND THE EXCELLENCE THEREOF,

Compared with the

INCONVENIENCIES AND DANGERS

Of readmitting KINGSHIP in this NATION.

Et nos

Confilium dedimus Syllæ, demus populo nunc.

A Ging the change, the

LTHOUGH, fince the writing of this treatise, the

face of things hath had some change, writs for new elections have been recalled, and the members at firft chofen readmitted from exclufion; yet not a little rejoicing to hear declared the refolution of those who are in power, tending to the establishment of a free com monwealth, and to remove, if it be poffible, this noxious humour of returning to bondage, inftilled of lateby fome deceivers, and nourished from bad principles and falfe apprehenfions among too many of the people; I thought beft not to fupprefs what I had written, hop ing that it may now be of much more use and concernment to be freely published, in the midft of our elec tions to a free parliament, or their fitting to confider freely of the government; whom it behoves to have all things reprefented to them that may direct their judgment therein; and I never read of any fstate, scarce of any tyrant grown fo incurable, as to refufe counfel from any in a time of public deliberation, much less to be offended. If their abfolute determination be to inthrall us, before so long a Lent of fervitude, they may VOL. III.

D D

permit