Mr Hartlib
I haue not yet corrected Glawberus, &finde it takes me vp more time then I expected; I doe it upon your desires, &vpon confidence that yo (vpon perusall) you will correcte my errours, I very muche longe for Glauberus[altered] his ouens or other ingenuities, &am confidente I shall vnderstande the vse of them
I cannot but differ from our Frinds at Saint Ieames, concerning my power to doe any thinge yf I were in the army; I muste confesse I muste heartily wishe that there were a perfecte reunion between the 2: parties, beinge assured within my selfe that the King will other<wise> come to noe reason, but (in the ende) preuayle on bothe; I conceiue allso that the Independente (beinge v for the presente) vpon the fore horse) showlde offer peace to the other party &suche fayre conditions as may stande with the beinge of eache party, This wowlde vnite the 2: nations the 2: houses &the <2> parties in eache house, &wowlde cause greefe, feare, &tremblinge in none but suche
as deserue to feele them, &(in truth) cannot be made capable of reason or justice; when but when (by our vnion, &suche better propositions then (from that union) for the good of the People then eache party seuered are like to eyther demand or procure) they are frighted into them, Truly it greeues my sowle that they whoe whoe haue noe other strenght then our diuisions, showlde haue theire spirits soe hyghtened by our folly; But I muste yet deale very freely with you, that (thowgh I wishe this vnion, in respecte of the third party), yet when I consider howe the presbiterian party haue had it severall times in theire power to haue ended this warre, &that the other party hathe <not> as yet loste one oportunity which God did put into theire hande, when I consider that (when our game was at a stande) what fayre intimations (of a harmelesse liberty of conscience) was made to the Independente, &when (by Gods blessinge vpon his faythfull indeauors) hee had done that which the other party eyther cowlde or (which is woorse) wowlde not, howe vnkindly (I had
allmoste said) vnjustly &falsly I he was dealte with all, euen in his wages which he do had earned with his bloode, &lastly when I consider that what the Independente hathe done lately, hathe beene (thowgh not alltogether justifiable) yet) in defence of that subsistence, which bothe (by promise &in prudence) was due from the presbiterian party; I say when I consider all this &seuerall other suche circumstances I cannot but (in this vnion) wishe that the presbiterian, (in the dispute concerninge the swoorde - as likely a theme of contradiction between these 2: parties as he it hathe beene between the King &Parliament) wowlde not expecte to haue that truste of which the other is possesste, &(by former experience) cannot for sake, &<(at the same time)> leaue himselfe soe muche as a little assurance of a future beinge; this pointe of the swoorde beinge settled, I wishe that the Independent showld in all thinges else yelde to the Presbiterian &yf bo the Parliament (when it is reunited) holde the same growndes towards the King it will not be amisse; my conclusion is that that theire hands whoe haue showlde shewed themselues moste impla[left margin:]cable, showlde be bownde, &that they that haue the swoorde showld be truly the seekers of peace; my papers done
CC
August the [5?]
47
