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men would unite in the equal principles of common right, and hearken to reason, with clearness of mind, whosoever offers it, not regarding whether he that speaks it is called a leveller, or a sectary, or an anabaptist, or a presbyter, or a cavalier, but considering what he says; and then the number of hands, to defend our liberties, and properties, would be so numerous, that the ambition of one, or a few, could not hope for success in attempting a tyranny over us. And if this poor paper may have such an effect, that my countrymen be not deluded with the idle scandal of levelling, cast upon honest men, into an opposition of their own welfare, I and many that agree in the publication of this, shall have our ends.

Consider therefore, what you here read, and the Lord make you understand the things, that conduce to your peace and free, dom, and the glorifying his name in righteousness, in this nation.

SHUFFLING, CUTTING, AND DEALING,
IN A GAME AT PICQUET:

BEING ACTED FROM THE YEAR 1653, To 1658, BY o. P. AND OTHERS
WITH GREAT APPLAUSE.

Tempora mutantur, & nos

Printed in the year 1659. Quarto, containing ten pag 6.

Oliver.

IAM like to have a good beginning of it; I have thrown out all my best cards, and got none but a company of wretched ones;

so I may very well be capetted.

Lambert. Now you have a good pack, my lord, I am content to play; but you knew every card of the old ones, and could make your game as you listed.

Lawrence. I took a few, yet they make me a good game; for I left all the little ones behind me.

Fleetwood. If your highness had those, my Lord Laurence left, you would have a better game, than you have; I could wish you would look upon them; but yet, I know, you can hardly tell what to play well. I am for the little ones, if there be enough of them; for two quint minors will win the game, before you come to reckon you are fourteen by knaves.

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Fines. It is fit you should play at some common game, where all the small cards are in, and where the ace goeth but for one. was too long at the sport, and left it, because I could make nothing of it; but, here, whosoever gets one card is like to make a good hand: I have got a good tearse already,

Musgrave. I was somewhat scrupulous, whether play was lawful, or not; and so sat out the last game, which had like to have undone me: for the future, I shall play what game soever your highness pleaseth, especially now I see you play so well, when you lose.

Lisle. If I go into France, I must practise another game; but, do what I can, I shall be over-reached by Hoc Mazarine.

Desborough. I am nothing but a ruff, yet I shall do well; I have got a card of a right suit, and should hope to have a better game, if the cards were in any other hands, than your lordship's. Skippon. I sit here, and hold the cards, but know no more how to play, than a post.

Rouse. I am more diligent at this game, than ever I was at any, but I got more the last game, when I played cent; for I had a hundred, and all made: All, that I desire, is to save myself, and help my kindred to something, by betting on my side, while my luck lasts.

Jones. I must needs lose, for I have thrown out the card that made me a good game.

Ouseley. A pox on it, I left Piccadilly, and the Three Kings, to play here, and I shall get nothing all the days of

my life. Ashley-Cooper. I was picquet at Whitehall, and thought to save myself amongst the cavalier posts; but, I doubt, I shall be deceived.

Pickering. I had rather play at another game, where more may play; but, I thank the Lord, I can frame myself to any sport, so my Lord P. be one at it.

Strickland. You play not here, as they do in Holland, where I learned this game; for you make lifting here, and there they deal by turns.

Major. All, that I am, I had in my rise; I was the pitifullest game in the world before.

Sydenham. I am pretty well, though I changed my suit; I went in all one, and had another as good in the stock.

Montague. You make me play at a game, I never knew in my life before; I must needs lose.

Blake. I shall be a kind of a stander.by this time, and so shall have time enough to teach you the game against the next, when you may play by yourself.

I will Thurloe. My lord, it will not be so well for me to play; stand behind your chair, and make and shuffle, with what you are to play, the next game.

St. John. My lord, I shall not play neither; but I will go your halves, so you keep my counsel.

Pierpoint. You play so rashly, I will not bet a farthing on your head.

Salloway. I am but a stander-by; yet I observe, the small cards, that are left, and not played with, are all very clean; but the rest of the pack are filthy foul already.

Bradshaw. I dispatched out one king, and went for another,

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but have missed him; yet he hath not a card of his suit with him ; so I shall snap him, when he comes into my hands.

Haslerigge. May we not play levet-coil? I have not patience to stay till another match be made, and I had as live be hanged, as

sit out.

Nevil. I will not play for a farthing; besides that I love not the game, I am so dunned with the spleen, I should think on something else all the while I were a playing, and take in all the small cards; for I am all day dreaming of another game.

Waller. My lord, you have hanged my king, and I have no other way, than to play into your hands.

Whitlocke. I shall be content to play at any game, but shall be unwilling to play for a dead horse; yet I care not if I keep stakes. Knightly. My lord, give me leave to speak against your game, that so I may be thought not to bet; and then I shall be able to give such advice, as I may help you to play.

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Roberts. I have the luck of it; I win as well at this game, as at the last, when I played at Loadam; I had all the small cards then, and now I have all the great ones.

Gerrard. I do not like the game so well, as to leave the match I have made for myself; yet I do not care, if I venture a little on your hand, and try if I can get a stock to set up my youngest son for a gamester.

Bernard. May I not talk as much as I will in your play, so long as I am resolved never to bet or play with you at this game, for a groat?

Vane. One had better, sometimes, play with a good gamester, than a bungler; for one knows not where to have him: If Cromwell had discarded, as he ought to have done, I had won my stake at it; as it is, I shall save myself; which, I fear, he will hardly do, though he mingles the cards well, when he deals himself, and hath excellent luck in cutting, when another deals.

Rich. I play a thousand times better, now I have a bad game, than when I had a good one.

Harrison. I played the fool, and went in for a fifth king, when there were but four in the stock.

Lawson. My lord, the game was not dealt you, you took it; I throw up my cards.

Streater. My lord, if you would curse and swear soundly, the game would become you, better than it doth, in regard you pretend so much to religion; I shall disturb you in the game, if I stand by; I see you play in the dark, therefore I must take my leave of your lordship, and bid you good night.

Noell. I make my fortune by lending the gamesters money. Young Trevor. Shall not I play? My lord protector has given me a stock, and I will pack the cards with all the cavalier-gamesters in the town.

Sir John Trevor. Well said, Jack; thou art none of my son, if thou beest not in all games, and canst carry a trump in thy pocket.

Harvey. They caught me playing false, and would let me play no longer, though I was on my lord protector's side.

Tichborne. I had reason to desire to play at council-picquet, since I am like to lose so much by another man's ill play. Newdigute. I have lost by play, but I got by leaving off. Chute. There is such cheating, that I will play no longer. Purefoy. I will play at small game, rather than sit out; for I was never set at work.

Pride. Baxter and I are at the old foolish Christmas game with honours.

Monk. My lord, when you came to play, your stock was none of the greatest; but, since I see your good fortune, I am resolved still to play, as you do; especially since you have made me master of one of your great play-houses; but, above all things, if you can keep the bone in your hand, the dogs will follow you; if you can keep the treasure, the gamesters all croud to you.

Dissenting army-members. My lord, when you began the game, you promised us fair play above-board; but, since we see you be gin to juggle, we will play no longer.

Exchequer. I must win at last, yet at present I have il luck; for I have three knaves, and had cast out the fourth.

Upper Bench. Sure you are no better than a cheat; for I threw out one of them, and you have taken him up into your hands.

Common-Pleas. You served me the very same trick the last term, and took in one of them whom I discarded; but ye had best leave your cheating and wrangling, all of you, lest ye be found what ye are, and be forbid to keep a Christmas here any more; and then we be forced to set up a mis-rule in the country, where there are but small games, and the box will be poorly paid.

Chancery and Duchy. I am blank; if it had not been for the queen, I had cast out a knave, which now proves the best of my game.

Trustees. I have taken more than I should, I must reckon nothing.

Commissioners for Excise and Customs. Gentlemen, pay the

box.

Presbyterian. I lost the last game for want of a king, and now have got one that doth me no good in the world; I had a good hand, but I played the fool, and threw him out; so that allm help depends on one card.

Independent. I have none but small cards, and they of several suits, so that I shall make little of it this bout.

National Minister. I went in for those cards, the bishops and deans parted with the last game; but, though I missed them, yet, if my tenths be good, I shall make shift till another dealing. Divine. I was picquet the last, but am now re-picquet. Papist. If you all complain, I hope I shall win at last.

EPILOGUE.

IT is to be noted, that the gentlemen, that have been eminent in this last dealing of the cards, played very fair in the former game here described, with a PLAUDITE.

Sic transit gloria mundi.

AN EXPEDIENT

FOK

THE PREVENTING ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HIS HIGHNESS AND THE PARLIAMENT

ABOUT THE RECOGNITION, THE NEGATIVE VOICE, AND THE

MILITIA.

BY A LOVER OF HIS COUNTRY,

THAT DESIRES, AT THIS TIME, TO BE NAMELESS.

London: Printed for Giles Calvert, at the Black-spread-Eagle, at the West-end of St. Paul's, 1659. Quarto, containing eight pages.

Though I look not upon the present dispute about the negative voice, and the command of the militia, as like to give us much trouble (for usurpations and tyrannies, once judged by God, never recover to rise again in the same form:) yet, to satisfy the doubts and fears of those honest souls, who see not what strength they have on their side, I shall desire them to be assured, that there is reason and equity sufficient to stop the mouth of such a claim, by any single person in this nation: And, therefore, we shall need no other compromise of this difference, but to reflect upon the rise and occasion of this government, from whence the nature and power of it will best appear.

THE

HE present form of government, then, as it varies from a republick, was begotten by necessity. For the nation having traversed all the ways of a parliament and council of state; and seen all they could afford, and at length, finding through long continu ance, as standing waters, they did corrupt, discontent gathered and fermented, and sought where it might most advantageously discover itself; and so fell in with the power of the army; and the person of the then general, whom they had found so stout and faithful, and withal successful; and was willing to throw themselves and their cause into his arms and protection, consenting that he should use any means, yea, though he were most arbitrary therein, to ease them of their old masters, whom they could bear no longer. So that, as I said, it was pure necessity and straight, that cast us here, and not any affection to monarchick government. The clear intent and expectation of the honest people, that were accessory to the devolving the power here, being: That that per

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