Page:Eikonoklastes - in answer to a book intitl'd Eikon basilike - Milton (1649).djvu/18

 all his adherents, consisting most of dissolute swordmen and Suburb royfters, hardly amounted to the making up of one ragged regiment strong anough to assault the unarmed house of Commons. After which attempt seconded by a tedious and bloody warr on his subjects, wherein he hath so farr exceeded those his arbitrary violences in time of peace, they who before hated him for his high mifgoverment, nay, fought againft him with display 'd banners in thefeild, now applaud him and extoll him for the wifeft and moft religious Prince that liv'd. By so ftrange a method amongft the mad multitude is a fudden reputation won 5 ofwifd.omeby wilfullneis and futtle ft?ifts 3 of goodnefs by multiplying evil!, ofpiecie by endeavouring to root out true religion.

But it is evident v that the cheife of his adherents never Jov'd him, never honourd either him or his caufe, but as they took him to fet a face upon thir own malignan: defignes, nor bemoan hislofs at all, but the lofs of their own afpiiing hopes: Like thofe captive women whome the Poet notes iii his ///<?,:/, to have bewaild the death off itroclus in outw T ard fhow, but indeed their own condition.

Hpm. Iiiad. t.

And it needs muft be ridiculous to any judgement uninthrall'd, that they who in other matters express so little feare either of God or man 5 mould in this one particular outstripp all precilianifm with thir scruples and cases, and fill mens ears continually with the noise of their conscientious loyaltie