were of transcendent parts yet was he tainted with the same infection and not many years after perished in his own corruption which shews That neither Example nor Precept he having seen so many and been made capable of so much can be a Pilot sufficient to any Port of Happiness though Reason be never so able to direct if Grace doth not give the gate But the King more to exalt Iustice and to shew the people his high abilities came in Iune this year to the Star-Chamber where in a long and well-weighed Discourse he turns over the volume of his mind that the World might read his excellent parts in lively characters He told the Lords he came thither in imitation of Henry the seventh his great Predecessor and the reason he came no sooner was that he resolved with Pythagoras for seven years to keep silence and learn the Laws of the Kingdom before he would teach others and the other seven years he was studying to find an occasion to come that might not be with prejudice For in his own cause he could not come in a great cause betwixt man and man it might be thought some particular favour brought him thither and in a small Cause it was not fit for him to come but now he had so much to say in relation to good Government that he could no longer forbear First He charges himself Secondly The judges Thirdly The Auditory in general In his own Charge he lays a foundation for raising a most excellent structure in Government wherein he was a Master-workman and had a most admirable Theory and full abilities to put it in practice and happily the bent of his intentions tended that way though it had for the most part a loose strong And to that which concerned the Judges he not only reckons up their Duties in their publick Relation but shews them the Iurisdiction and power of their several Courts how far every one did extend to which he would have them limited that they might not clash and contest one against another to shake the Basis on which they were built but that there might be a harmony and sweet concordance among them Expressing himself with such Elegance and Prudence that the most studious Lawyer whose design had been to imbellish a Discourse fitting for the ears of his Prince could not have gone beyond what he exprest to his People so strong and retentive was his judgment and memory so natural and genuine that which came from them that it did emanare flow from him to the admiration of the hearers To the people in general and under-Officers he gave an admonition to submit to the Law and Justice of the Land and not to go upon new Puritan strains such was his expression to make all things popular but to keep themselves within the antient limits of Obedience For he feared Innovation as a Monster got loose which should be always kept in such a Labyrinth as none should come at but by the Clew of Reason Then he commands the Judges in their Circuits to take notice of those Justices of the Peace that were most active for the good of the Country that they might have incouragement from him For to use his own words I value them that serve me faithfully there equally with those that attend my person Therefore let none be ashamed of this Office or be discouraged in being a Justice of the Peace if he serve worthily in it The Chancellor under me makes Justices and puts them out but neither I nor he can tell what they are therefore we must be informed by you Judges who can only tell who do well and who do ill without which how can the good be cherished and the rest put out the good Justices are careful to attend the service of the King and Country the bad are idle slow-bellies that abide always at home given to a life of ease and delight liker Ladies than Men and think it is enough to contemplate Justice when as Virtusin actione consistet contemplative Justice is no Justice and contemplative Justices are fit to be put out Another sort of Justices are Busie-bodies and will have all men dance after their Pipe and follow their Greatness or else will not be content A sort of men Qui se primos omnium esse putant nec sunt tamen These proud spirits must know that the Country is ordained to follow God and the King and not them Another sort are they that go seldom to the Kings service but when it is to help some of their Kindred or Alliance so they come to help ther Friends or hurt their Enemies making Jugice serve for a shadow to Faction and tumultuating the Country Another sort are Gentlemen of great worth in their own conceit and cannot be content with the present form of Government but must have a kind of liberty in the people and must be gracious Lords and Redeemers of their Liberty and in every cause that concerns Prerogative give a snatch against Monarchy through their Puritanical itching after Popularity some of them have shewed themselves too bold of late in the lower House of Parliament And when all is done if there were not a King they would be less cared for than other men So wise the Kings fears made him and so wary to prevent the popular violence And even in these Infant-times the contention doth appear which afterward got more strength when by his power he had gained in every County such as he made subservient to his will For as the King strove to loosen the Piles and Banks of the peoples liberties so the people strove to bound and keep off the Inundation of his Prerogative Then he takes notice of the swarms of Gentry that through the instigation of their Wives or to new model and fashion their Daughters who if they were unmarried mar'd their Marriages if married lost their Reputations and rob their husbands purses did neglect their Country Hospitality and cumber the City a general Nuisance to the Kingdom being as the spleen to the Body which as in measure it over-grows the Body wasts and seeing a Proclamation will not keep them at home he requires that the power of the Star-chamber may not only regulate them but the exorbitancy of the new buildings about the City which he still much repined at being a shelter for them where they spent their Estates in Coaches Lacquies and fine Cloaths like French-men living miserably in their houses like Italians becoming Apes to other Nations Whereas it was the honour of the English Nobility and Gentry above all Countries in the World to be hospitable among their Tenants Which they may the better do by the fertility and abundance of all things Thus the King pried into every miscarriage being willing to reform these then growing abuses But among all the heights of Reason that the spirit of man doth actuate and give life to the highest and most transcendent is that of Religion which
Peer that was nobly descended he could not be justified but was enjoyned by the House to give the Lord Spencer such satisfaction as they prescribed which his Greatness refusing to obey he was by the Lords sent Prisoner to the Tower and Spencer re-admitted into the House again When Arundle was well cooled in the Tower and found that no Power would give him Liberty but that which had restrained him rather blaming his rashness than excusing his stubborness his great Heart humbled it self to the Lords betwixt a Letter and a Petition in these words To the Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in the Higher House of Parliament assembled May it please your Lordships WHere as I stand committed here by your Lordships Order for having stood upon performing some part of that which was injoined me by your Lordships which I did rather in respect the time was short for advice than out of any intent to disobey the House for which I have suffered in this place till now I do therefore humbly beseech your Lordships to construe of what is past according to this my profession and for the time to come to believe that I both understand so well your Lordships power to command and your nobleness and tenderness to consider what is fit as I do and will wholly put myself upon your Honors and perform what is or shall be injoyned me So beseeching your Lordships to construe these lines as proceeding from a heart ready to obey you in what you command I rest Your Lordships most humble Servant Thomas Arundle Tower 2 June 1621. Upon this submission the Lords commanded him to be sent for and presenting himself at the Bar of the House with the accustomed Humility that Offenders do he thus expressed himself Because I have committed a fault against this House in not obeying all the Order that your Lordships commanded me I do here acknowledg this my fault and ask your Lordships pardon for the same and am ready to obey all your Lordships commands Thus this great Lord though he fluttered in the Air of the Court and mounted by that means upon the Wings of Passion was glad to stoop when consideration lured him to it lest by the heat that he himself made melting the Waxen Plumes that he thought would have supported him his suffering might have been a greater mischief to him than his submission so sour and severe a School-master is Passion to be both Author and Punisher of our Errors yea making the best Natures often correct themselves most The fourth of Iune this year the Parliament had a Recess the King being to go his Progress wherein some Lords and others of the Parliament were to attend him For it seems his business was not yet ripe for the Parliament and he was loth they should have too much leisure therefore they were not to meet again till the eighth of February following which being a long time of Vacancy the House of Commons before they parted took the Miseries of the Palatinate into serious debate and though they felt the King's pulse and knew the beat of his thought when he spake of providing an Army this Summer for the recovery of it and would engage his Crown Blood and Soul for it finding him apt to say what he had no will to do yet they were so wise as not to slacken or draw back in so good a work that if there were a failing it should not be on their side knowing how much Religion was concerned in it for to the appearance of Reason the triumphing Emperor and Universal King would quickly tread all under foot therefore with one voice none daring to oppose they made this Declaration THe Commons assembled in Parliament taking into most serious consideration the present state of the King's Children abroad and generally afflicted estate of the true Professors of the same Christian Religion professed by the Church of England in Forreign Parts and being touched with a true sence and fellow-feeling of their distresses as Members of the same Body do with unanimous consent in the name of themselves and the whole Body of the Kingdom whom they represent declare unto his most excellent Majesty and to the whole World their hearty grief and sorrow for the same and do not only joyn with them in their humble and Devout Prayers unto Almighty God to protect his true Church and to avert the Dangers now threatned but also with one heart and voice do solemnly protest That if his Majestie s pious endeavours by Treaty to procure their Peace and Safety shall not take that good effect which is desired in Treaty wherefore they humbly beseech his Majesty not to suffer any longer delay that then upon signification of his Majestie s pleasure in Parliament they shall be ready to the utmost of their Powers both with their lives and fortunes to assist him so as that by the Divine Help of Almighty God which is never wanting unto those who in his fear shall undertake the defence of his own Cauâ—e he may be able to do that with his Sword which by a peaceable Course shall not be effected The King took this Declaration of the Commons in very good Part and meant when occasion served to make good use of it For as he found them forward enough to begin a War so he knew his own constitution backward enough the Sword being in his Hand and did fore-see an advantage arising from a Medium betwixt the Parliament and him if he could bring his Ends about which he after put in practice but it broke all to pieces and now away he goes on his Progress Towards Winter the Lord Digby returns from his soliciting journey in Germany His first addresses he made to the Emperour his second to the Duke of Bavaria and his last to the Infanta at Bruxels and all to as little purpose as if he had stayed at home that three-fold Cord twisted by the power of Spain was not easily to be broken Some little twilight and scintil of Hope was given him by the Emperour for restitution of the Palatinate yet not so much as would discover the error of our easie belief But the Bavarian had already swallowed the Electurate and his Voraginous appetite gaped after the possession of the Countrey though the English there were bones in his way Digby being arrived at Court and bringing him with doubtful answers from the Emperour and sullen ones from the Duke of Bavaria the King thought it good Policy to shorten the long Recess till February and to re-assemble the Parliament the 20 th of November that meeting before their Time it might more amaze them and intimate some extraordinary Cause which happily might produce some extraordinary effect if well mannag'd And as incident thereunto he gave order to Digby as soon as the Parliament assembled to make relation to the Houses of his proceedings there which he did in these words IT pleased his Majesty to
for at my hands Thus the Beams of Majesty had an influence upon every branch and leaf of the Kingdom by reflecting upon the Root their Representative Body every particular expecting what fruit this Sun-shine would produce striving as much to insinuate into him as he did into the general so that there was a Reciprocal Harmony between the King and the People because they courted one another But when the Kings Bounty contracted it self into private Favourites as it did afterwards bestowing the affection he promised the whole people upon one man when the golden showers they gaped for dropt into some few chanels their passions flew higher than their hopes The Kings aims were to unite the two Kingdoms so that the one might corroborate the other to make good that part of his Speech by this intermixtion wherein he divides England and Scotland into halves But the English stumbled at that partition thinking it an unequal division and fearing that the Scots creeping into English Lordships and English Ladies Beds in both which already they began to be active might quickly make their least half the predominant part But he was Proclaimed King of Great Britain England must be no more a Name the Scotish Coyns are made currant and our Ships must have Saint Georges and Saint Andrews Crosses quartered together in their Flags all outward Ensigns of Amity But those English that had suckt in none of the sweets of this pleasant Stream of Bounty repined to see the Scots advanced from blew Bonnets to costly Beavers wearing instead of Wadmeal Velvet and Satin as divers Pasquils written in that Age Satyrically taunted at Which is not set down here to vilifie the Scots being most of them Gentlemen that had deserved well of their Master but to shew how cross to the publick Appetite the Hony-comb is that another man eats But the King like a wise Pilot guided the Helm with so even an hand that these small gusts were not felt It behoved him to play his Master-prize in the Beginning which he did to the life for he had divers opinions humours and affections to grapple with as well as Nations and 't is a very calm Sea when no billow rises The Romanists bogled that he said in his Speech They were unsufferable in the Kingdom as long as they maintained the Pope to be their Spiritual Head and He to have power to dethrone Princes The Separatists as the King called them were offended at that Expression wherein he professed willingly if the Papists would lay down King-killing and some other gross errors he would be content to meet them half way So that every one grounded his hopes or his fears upon the shallows of his own fancy not knowng yet what course the King would steer But these sores being tenderly dealt with did not suddenly fester but were skinned over The King desirous of the Title Pacificus did not only close with his own Subjects but healed up also that old wound that had bled long in the sides of England and Spain both being weary of the pain both willing to be cured The King of Spain sent the Constable of Castile with a mighty Train of smooth-handed Spaniards to close up the wound on this side where the old Enmity being well mortified they were received with singular Respect and Civility The King of England sent his High Admiral the Earl of Notingham with as splendid a Retinue of English to close it on that Who being Personages of Quality accoutred with all Ornaments suitable were the more admired by the Spaniards for beauty and excellency by how much the Iesuits had made impressions in the vulgar opinion That since the English left the Roman Religion they were transformed into strange horrid shapes with Heads and Tails like Beasts and Monsters So easie it is for those Iuglers when they have once bound up the Conscience to tye up the Vnderstanding also EARL OF NOTTINGHAM GEORGE CAREW EARL OF TOTNES And to satisfie the Kings desires about an Vnion betwixt England and Scotland the Parliament made an Act to authorise certain Commissioners viz. Thomas Lord Ellesmere Lord Chancellor of England Thomas Earl of Dorset Lord Treasurer of England Charles Earl of Notingham Lord High Admiral of England Henry Earl of Southampton William Earl of Pembroke Henry Earl of Northampton Richard Bishop of London Tobie Bishop of Duresme Anthony Bishop of Saint Davids Robert Lord Cecil Principal Secretary Edward Lord Zouch Lord President of Wales William Lord Mounteagle Ralph Lord Eure Edmund Lord Sheffeild Lord President of the Council in the North Lords of the Higher House of Parliament And Thomas Lord Clinton Robert Lord Buckhurst Sir Francis Hastings Knight Sir Iohn Stanhope Knight Vice-Chamberlain to his Majesty Sir Iohn Herbert Knight second Secretary to his Majesty Sir George Carew Knight Vice-Chamberlain to the Queen Sir Thomas Strickland Knight Sir Edward Stafford Knight Sir Henry Nevill of Berk-shire Knight Sir Richard Bukley Knight Sir Henry Billingsley Knight Sir Daniel Dun Knight Dean of the Arches Sir Edward Hobby Knight Sir Iohn Savile Knight Sir Robert Wroth Knight Sir Thomas Chaloner Knight Sir Robert Maunsel Knight Sir Thomas Ridgeway Knight Sir Thomas Holcroft Knight Sir Thomas Hesketh Knight Atturney of the Court of Wards Sir Francis Bacon Knight Sir Lawrence Tanfield Knight Serjeant at Law Sir Henry Hubberd Knight Serjeant at Law Sir Iohn Bennet Doctor of the Laws Sir Henry Withrington Sir Ralph Grey and Sir Thomas Lake Knights Robert Askwith Thomas Iames and Henry Chapman Merchants Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons or any eight of the said Lords and twenty of the said Commons Which Commissioners shall have power to assemble meet treat and consult with certain select Commissioners to be nominated and authorised by Authority of the Parliament of Scotland concerning such Matters Causes and things as they in their Wisdoms shall think and deem convenient and necessary for the honour of the King and common good of both Kingdoms Yet the good intentions of this Vnion took no effect as will follow in the sequel of this History But there were a great many good Laws made which are too voluminous for this place having a proper Sphere of their own to move in Thus the King sate triumphing as it were upon a Throne of his Peoples Affections and his beginnings had some settlement for being loth to be troubled he sought Peace every-where But our inbred distempers lay upon the Lee intermixt with other gross dregs that the Princes lenity and the Peoples luxury produced For the King minding his sports many riotous demeanours crept into the Kingdom the Sun-shine of Peace being apt for such a production upon the slime of the late War The Sword and Buckler trade being now out of date one corruption producing another the City of London being always a fit Receptacle for such whose prodigalities and wastes made them Instruments of Debaucheries divers Sects of vitious Persons going under the
press upon our most undoubted and Regal Prerogative as if the petitioning of Us in matters that your selves confess ye ought not to meddle with were not a medling with them And whereas ye pretend that ye were invited to this course by the Speeches of three honourable Lords ye thy so much as your selves repeat of the Speeches nothing can be concluded but that We were resolved by War to regain the Palatinate if otherwise We could not attain unto it And you were invited to advise forthwith upon a Supply for keeping the Forces in the Palatinate from disbanding and to fore-see the means for the raising and maintaining of the Body of an Army for that War against the Spring Now what inference can be made upon this That therefore we must presently denounce War against the King of Spain break our dearest Son's Match and Match him to one of Our Religion Let the world judge The difference is no greater than if we would tell a Merchant that We had great need to borrow money from him for raising an Army that thereupon it should follow that We were bound to follow his advice in the Directions of the War and all things depending thereupon But yet not contenting your Selves with this excuse of yours which indeed cannot hold water ye come after to a direct contradiction to the conclusion of your former Petition saying that the Honor and Safety of Us and Our posterity and the patrimony of our Children invaded and possessed by their Enemies the welfare of Religion and State of Our Kingdom are matters at any time not unfit for your deepest considerations in Parliament To this generality We answer with the Logicians That where all things are contained nothing is omitted So as this plenipotency of yours invests you in all power upon Earth lacking nothing but the Popes to have the Keyes also both of Heaven ahd Purgatory And to this vast generality of yours we can give no other Answer for it will trouble all the best Lawyers in the House to make a good Commentary upon it For so did the Puritan Ministers in Scotland bring all kind of Causes within the compass of their Jurisdiction saying That it was the Churches Office to judge of Slander and there could no kind of crime or fault be committed but there was a slander in it either against God the King or their Neighbour and by this means they hooked into themselves the too fair a ground and opened them too Wide a Gate for Curbing and oppressing of many thousands of our Religion in divers parts of Christendom And whereas you excuse your touching upon the King of Spain upon occasion of the incidents by you repeated in that place and yet affirm that it is without any touch to his Honour We cannot wonder enough that ye are so forgetful both of your Words and Writs For in your former Petition ye plainly affirm that he affects the Temporal Monarchy of the whole Earth then which there can be no more malice uttered against any great King to make all other Princes and Potentates both envie and hate him But if ye list it may be easily tried whether that Speech touched him in Honour or not if we shall ask him the Question whether he means to assume to himself that Title or no For every King can best judge of his own Honour We omit the particular ejaculations of some foul mouthed Orators in your House against the Honour of his Crown and State And touching your excuse of not determining any thing concerning the Match of our dearest Son but only to tell your opinions and lay it down at Our feet First We desire to know how you could have presumed to determin in that point without Committing of high Treason And next you cannot deny but your talking of his Match after that manner was a direct breach of Our commandment and Declaration out of Our own mouth at the first sitting down of this Parliament where we plainly professed that we were in treaty of his Match with Spain and wished you to have that Confidence in our Religion and Wisdom that We would so manage it as Our Religion should receive no prejudice by it And the same We now repeat unto you professing that We are so far engaged in that March as we cannot in Honour go back except the King of Spain perform not such things as we expect at his hands And therefore We are sorry that ye should shew to have so great Distrust in Us or to conceive that We should be cold in our Religion otherwise We cannot imagine how Our former public Declaration should not have stopt your mouths in this point And as to your Request That We would now receive your former Petition We wonder what could make you presume that We would not receive it whereas in our former Letter We plainly declared the Contrary unto you and therefore we have justly rejected that suit of yours For what have you left un-attempted in the Highest points of Soveraignty in that Petition of yours except the striking of Coin For it contains the violation of Leagues the particular way how to govern a War and the Marriage of our dearest Son both Negative with Spain nay with any other Popish Princess And also Affirmatively as to the Matching with one of Our Religion which We confess is a strain beyond any Providence or Wisdom God hath given Us as things now stand These are unfit things to be handled in Parliament except your King should require it of you For who can have Wisdom to judge of things of that Nature but such as are daily acquainted with the particulars of Treaties and of the Variable or fixed Connexion of Affairs of State together with the knowledge of the secret ways ends and intentions of Princes in their several Negotiations otherwise a small mistaking in matters of this Nature may produce more effects than can be imagined And therefore Nesutor ultra crepidam And besides the intermedling in Parliament with matters of Peace or War and Marriage of Our dearest Son would be such a diminution to Us and to Our Crown in forraign Countries as would make any Prince neglect to treat with Us either in matters of Peace or Marriage except they might be assured by the assent of Parliament And so it proved long ago with a King of France who upon a trick procuring his States to dissent from some Treaty which before he had made was after refused treating with any other Princes to his great reproach unless he would first procure the Assent of his Estates to their Proposition And will you cast your eyes upon the late Times you shall find that the late Queen of Famous memory was humbly petitioned by a Parliament to be pleased to marry But her Answer was that she liked their petition well because it was simple not limiting her to place or person as not besitting her liking to their Fancies and if they had done otherwise she would
drooping condition and it was only sustained till they could bring their ends about Which our King now suspecting as he had good cause from the constant intelligences given him of the diminution of his own Forces in the Palatinate and the Growing strength of the Enemy He dispatches this second Letter to the Baron Digby to let the King of Spain know how sensible he was of being abused and how loath he was to see it RIght Trusty c. There is none better knoweth than your self how we have laboured ever since the beginning of these unfortunate Troubles of the Empire notwithstanding all opposition to the contrary to merit well of our good Brother the King of Spain and the whole House of Austria by a long and lingering Patience grounded still upon his friendship and promises that Care should be had of our Honour and of our Childrens Patrimony and Inheritance We have acquainted you also from time to time since the beginning of the Treaty at Bruxels how crossly all things have there proceeded notwithstanding all the fair Professions made unto us both by the King of Spain and the Infanta and all his Ministers and the letters written by him unto the Emperor and them Effectually at least as they endeavoured to make us believe but what fruits have we of all these Whil'st we are Treating the Town and Castle of Heidelberg are taken by force our Garison put to the Sword Manheim besieged and all the Hostility used that is in the power of an Enemy as you may see by the Relation which we have commanded our Secretary to send you Our pleasure therefore is that you immediately as soon you can get Audience let that King understand how sensible we are of these Proceedings of the Emperor towards us and withall are not a little troubled to see that the Infanta having an absolute Commission to conclude a Cessation and suspension of Arms should now at last when all Objections were answered and the former solely pretended Obstacles removed not only delay the conclusion of the Treaty but refuse to lay her Command upon the Emperor's Generals to abstain from the Siege of our Garisons during the Treaty upon a Pretext of want of Authority so as for avoiding of further Dishonour we have been forced to recall both our Ambassadors as well the Chancellor of our Exchequer who is already returned to our Presence as also the Lord Chichester whom we intended to have sent unto the Emperor to the Diet at Ratisbone Seeing therefore that meerly out of Our extraordinary Respect to the King of Spain and the firm Confidence We ever put in the Hopes and promises which He did give Us desiring nothing more then for his Cause principally to avoid all occasions that might put Us in ill understanding with any of the House of Austria We have hitherto proceeded with a stedfast patience trusting to the Treaties and neglecting all other means which probably might have secured the Remainder of Our Childrens inheritance these Garisons which We maintained in the Palatinate being rather for Honour sake to keep a footing until the general accommodation then that we did rely so much upon their strength as upon his friendship and by this Confidence and Security of Ours are now exposed to Dishonour and Reproach You shall tell that King that seeing all those endeavours and good offices which he hath used towards the Emperor in this business on the behalf of Our Son-in-law upon confidence whereof that security of Ours depended which he continually by his Letters and Ministers here laboured to beget and confirm in Us have not sorted to any other issue than to a plain abuse both of his trust and Ours whereby We are both of Us highly injured in Our Honour though in a different Degree We hope and desire that out of a true sence of this Wrong offered unto Us he will as Our dear and loving Brother faithfully promise and undertake upon his Honour confirming the same also under his Hand and Seal either that the Town and Castle of Heidelberg shall within Threescore and ten dayes after your Audience and Demand made be rendred into Our hands with all things therein belonging to Our Son in law or Our Daughter as near as may be in the State they were when they were taken and the like for Manheim and Frankendale if both or either of them shall be taken by the Enemy while these things are in Treaty As also that there shall be within the said Term of seventy daies a Cessation and Suspension of Arms in the Palatinate for the future upon the several Articles and Conditions last propounded by Our Ambassadour Sir Richard Weston and that the general Treaty shall be set afoot again upon such Honourable Terms and Conditions as We propounded unto the Emperour in a Letter written unto him in November last and with which the King of Spain then as We understood seemed satisfied Or else in case all these Particulars be not yielded unto and performed by the Emperour as is here propounded but be refused or delayed beyond the time aforementioned That then the King of Spain do joyn his Forces with Ours for the Recovery of Our Childrens Honours and Patrimony which upon this Trust hath been thus lost Or if so be his Forces at this present be otherwise so imployed as that they cannot give Us that assistance which We here desire and as We think have deserved yet that at the least He will permit Us a free and friendly passage through his Territories and Dominions for such Forces as We shall send and imploy in Germany for his Service Of all which distinctively if you receive not from the King of Spain within ten daies at the furthest after your Audience a direct Assurance under his Hand and Seal without Delay or putting Us off to further Treaties and Conferences That is to say of such Restitution Cessation of Arms and proceeding to a General Treaty as is before mentioned or else of assistance and joyning his Forces with Ours against the Emperour or at the least permission of passage for Our Forces through his the said King's Dominions that then you take your leave and return to Our Presence without further stay Otherwise to proceed in the Negotiation for the Marriage of Our Son according to the Instructions We have given you This Letter was dated the Third of October And presently after it was sent away the King recollected himself and thought it good Policy to make some advantage of this Breach with Spain if there were One by letting his People see he would no longer wait the Spanish Delayes which they were impatient enough of therefore his Ambassadours to hinder the knowledge of it at home must conceal the Breach abroad stay still in the Spanish Court as if the Business were in full Motion and ripe for projection And he must break it to pieces here himself to make it the more acceptable either to get the more love or
POTENTISS IACOBVS DG MAGNAE BRITAN GALLIAE ET HIBERN REX FIDEI DEFENSOR BEATI PACIFICI HONY SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE THe right high and most mightie Monarch IAMES by the Grace of God King of great Britaine Fraunce and Ireland Defendor of the Faith THE HISTORY OF Great Britain BEING THE LIFE AND REIGN OF King JAMES THE FIRST RELATING To what passed from his first Access to the Crown till his Death By ARTHUR WILSON Esq. LONDON Printed for Richard Lownds and are to be sold at the Sign of the White Lion near Saint Paul's little North-door 1653. THE PROEME I Am not ignorant or insensible from what Precipice and into what Gulf I am falling not like one in a Dream who starts at the horrour of the Object which his own imagination creates But deeply affected with those serious and real impressions which Time and Experience the two great Luminaries of Reason have fixt upon me Methinks I see the various cloudy and sad distorted Fancies of these Times that flutter up and down betwixt the Twi-light of Ignorance and Self-conceitedness bandy themselves against this Work led on by Prejudice which they muster up and gather together haply from the dross of those Fragments or vapours of Story that like crude and undigested Matter have something tainted that precious Order which Truth the Commandress of the Soul loves to appear and be admired in Making it a Crime even to name Kings as if from that Name nothing could result but such dreadful Apparitions as would blast and throw an odious tincture upon them to the defacing and besmearing of Virtue and Innocence when these will sit Triumphing upon a Throne in despight of Envy pleading their own Cause the Beams of that Majesty being too bright and splendid to be overcast with the Mantle of Malice though clouded and interwoven with all the false Pretences she can put on And yet I see no Reason why Princes towring in the height of their own Power should think themselves so far above ordinary Mortals that their Actions are to be incomprehensible This is but a weakness contracted in the high place they look down from which makes all things beneath them seem little yea very little to them And though Men at so great a distance from them are not able to discern every particular Plume that carries them about yet their often Circumgyrations and Turnings are Obvious many times stooping after a mean and inconsiderable Quarry By which they shew that they are carried up by the Airy Body of Admiration and that those gross Materials which tend to their Composition are as subject to distempered Passions as the meanest of the People Yet as they live in a Sphere above others if their Minds be suitable to that Height if they aim more at Piety than Policy if Religion be set up in their Hearts for her Humbleness rather than her Ornaments more for her Beauty than Bravery If Mercy and Iustice instead of Wild Beasts be Supporters of the Throne and Ensigns of Royalty If Truth in her plain Attire the loveliest Object of the Soul be not turned out of the Presence and her painted Enemy sit perching under the Cloth of Estate If Vertue and Goodness be venerated from an internal Principle in them rather than the specious outside of them Who will not admire and reverence such Majesty But when they shall so much debase that sublime and supereminent Region they are placed in and come down below that Dignity to drive a Trade of petty things thinking it a great Conquest to deceive protesting to do what they never intend and intending what they rather should protest against To what low Condition do they bring themselves We see all the Motions of Superior Bodies in what excellent Order and Perfection they move and if some Exhalation starts up among them from gross and putrid Matter whose Course is not yet known what horrid trepidations bring they with them and what Prodigious Calamities are they the fore-runners of Yet they hold not that Station long but blaze a little there and then extinguish and all that can be said of them is That we know not for what mischievous intent these Meteors did appear Whereas the other Celestial Bodies beget no wonder are no Prodigies but keep a constant Course in their own Spheres and are not contaminated with things below them yet they retain a Powerful Influence over them So Princes should always shine in Glory and a Noble Soul that loaths to soyl it self in sordid things is the true splendor of it But when they grovel here for trash and trumpery and trade away that gallant stock of Love housed in their Peoples Hearts for some false Coin minted by Passion mutable Affection or mis-led Reason they do degrade themselves And then the only difference betwixt a King and a mean Man is That the one by his Trade cosens a few the other a great many but himself most Thus we can look up to things above us easily discerning the Cracks and Flaws in Vessels of the purest Metal by that lustre that comes from them but if we cast an impartial Eye into our own Bosoms we may doubtless discover in our selves so much of Human Frailty even of a grosser Nature that may make Pity the Mistriss of our Passion rather than Pride and mourn for our own rather than glory in the Miscarriages of Others Shrouds are the fittest Ornaments for dead Bodies and who will rip up wounds that Time hath closed A little Urn will hold a great Mans Ashes and why should we bedribble with our Pens the Dust that rests there there is now no fear that it will rise and fly upon our faces Histories are like Anatomies especially when they reflect on Persons He must be a skilful Artist that can dissect a Body well If Ignorance or Malice attempts to hack hew or bespatter it 't will be most inhuman and barbarous it must be done by a gentle hand with Authority and Knowledg lest instead of discovering the Similar Parts they mangle and deface them and so dissect and open only their own follies When the true end of this dissection is to shew the ways and passages of the Body where Obstructions have been where Diseases have bred and by this Pattern learn to remove the accretion of bad Humors and apply fitting Remedies for prevention of such Evils So History must not cauterise and slash with Malice those Noble Parts the true end of whose discovery is to better Mankind For Examples of baseness and unworthiness if truly and genuinely related may deter and hinder the violent Career of such as mind no other happiness than what this vapour of vain-glory can contribute and esteem a good Name more among men than acceptance with God But yet in these Relations some grains of Human infirmity must in reason be allowed to Greatness because they have the means to more Temptations And though there are very many guilty and many Men
may justly suffer by the Law yet there are but few allowed to be dissected Therefore he that is too rash in the Censure of others snatching Reports from the lips of Fame and venting them for Truths without some probability or knowledg to enlighten and direct digs in the Bowels of another Man and wounds himself But the Metaphor still holds for as the dissimilar parts of the body head hands feet c. are apparently known and the Similar parts as veins sinews nerves c. are easily discovered so the motions and operations of the more secret and hidden parts are controverted and hard to find out as the Circulation of the Blood c. Yet we find the effects of it tend to life and preservation the end though there be some dispute in the motion or means to it So in this Work the chief part of what is written is either apparently known or easily discovered and those things that never saw the Light yet may be collected and inferred finding their Operations tend to one and the same end For I expect all men will not be of my mind and look to be Anatomized my self by the Hand of Opinion and blinded Passion that strike at whatsoever comes cross to them Yet this I will say boldly I have made Truth my aim and though I fly high and may rove I am sure not to light very far from the Mark. For this Piece is not culled out of several Authors of intricate Opinions and different Iudgments as a confused and ruffled Skein where with difficulty an useful Thread may be pickt out which Livie complains of and wonders at in the Authors that wrote before him But these like Simples were gathered as they sprung up in the Garden of the Times where Weeds and Flowers grow together with intention to compose something for the Publick health for above thirty years before the Ingredients were mingled in that long Series of Time weighing every Grain and Scruple that there might be a due proportion and quantity as well as quality of them for the Composition of it and this not only acted by a natural Propensity but I may say the hand of Providence brought many things to my knowledg that were not in my hopes or thoughts to procure And I confess there are some things in it may seem bitter and sharp to some and though they be so the Body many times requires such Medicines to dispel and check the peccant humours and I doubt not but it will do the more good to those that are distempered But sound and gallant Minds have no need and are above the operations of it As Titus Vespasian said when one spake ill of him Ego cum nihil faciam dignum propter quod contumeliâ afficiar mendacia nihil curo He was above false Reports and if they were true he had more reason to be angry with himself than the Relator The good Emperor Theodosius commanded no man should be punished that spake against him for what was spoken lightly was to be laught at what spightfully to be pardoned what angerly to be pittied and if truly he would thank him for it Nor did I ever read that Tacitus was blamed for personating Tiberius Dissimulation Nero's Cruelty Seianus Pride Livia's and Messalina's Adulteries nay Domitians Tyranny and Baseness though he was his Creature advanced by him But they that intend Truth must take this Counsel of his Sed incorruptam fidem professis nec amore quisquam sine odio dicendus est they must write without the passions of Love or Hate And I am sure I have as little cause to be partial as He though I have more to inlarge my self in Apology having more Adversaries to incounter with He living in as he saith Rara temporum felicitate where Men might think what they pleased and speak what they thought Whereas these Times are as full of perplexed and disasterous Divisions as the calamities of a Civil War when the poyson of Malice lies raging and foaming in mens breasts like the troubled Sea after a Tempest can possibly produce And this Dis-union springs from that stock of Pride in us when we put a greater valuation upon our Opinions stampt and made current by Custom than upon Reason that Regent of the Understanding that should bring all things in obedience to it Nor can I discover all the Contrivances hatcht and brooded in the secret corners of Princes Councils All things are not revealed at a time This Ground-work may serve for others to build on and 't is easier to add to a Pattern than to make one The Iews to whom the Oracles of Truth were committed calculated their Times and Seasons by Lunary motions the Solar were found out long after by Pythagoras and now we have new apprehensions inserted by Copernicus that may be as useful tending to one time and end though various ways So by degrees there may be greater Discoveries made than is yet here related And what is doubtful give me leave with Tacitus only to touch at who speaking of Domitians attempting to get the Power of the German Army under his command saith Qua cogitatione Bellum adversus Patrem cogitaverit an opes viresque adversus fratrem in incerto fuit Whether he intended War against his Father by it or to strengthen himself against his Brother when time served is not certainly known for who can dive into the Abyss of Princes intentions And in another place speaking of Domitian's jugling with Agricola Sive verum istud sive ex ingenio Principis fictum ac compositum est Whether this were true or surmised probably as correspondent to the Prince's disposition I cannot affirm Yet where he finds out his extravagancies of Knowledg he asserts them punctually So some things in Princes actions may be left to conjecture if there be any ingenuity in the Declaration of them And I hope some will come after me that will imbellish and perfect the way with a more cunning and exquisite hand though I must confess I have done my best dressing this Story with the best Ornaments I could to intice and allure the Reader leaving out many long and tedious Discourses that often damp the Spirits and make them Loiterers And it were to be wished that Philosophy had some intermixtures of History and that Divinity the Mistris of Arts were temptingly adorned that she might intice her Lovers the more to observe her The Iesuits dress their Morality and History with all the Eloquence they can and cunningly mix and intermingle with it the fine Baits of Popish Theology for people to nibble on hoping to gain them by such tempting Allurements And I am not of Aurelius's mind that thankt Rusticus that by his example he had given over the study of Elegant and fine Language unless he reflected upon such crabbed pieces as are interlarded with huge lushious words that give no good rellish to the sense or such high affected strains wherein words are crowded that serve rather
providence to prevent the perils otherwise inevitable Considering their absolute submission to Foreign Iurisdiction at their first taking Orders doth leave so conditional an authority to Kings over their Subjects as the same Power by which they were made may dispense at pleasure with the strictest Bond of Loyalty and Love between a King his People Among which Foreign Powers though We acknowledg Our self personally so much beholden to the now Bishop of Rome for his kind Offices and private temporal Carriages towards Us in many things as We shall be ever ready to requite the same towards him as Bishop of Rome in state and condition of a Secular Prince Yet when we consider and observe the course and Clame of that See We have no reason to imagine that Princes of Our Religion and Profession can expect any assurance long to continue unless it might be assented by mediation of other Christian Princes that some good course might be taken by a general Council free and lawfully called to pluck up those Roots of Dangers and Iealousies which arise about Religion as well between Prince and Prince as between them and their Subjects and to make it manifest that no State or Potentate either hath or can challenge power to dispose of earthly Kingdoms or Monarchies or to dispense with Subjects obedience to their natural Soveraigns In which charitable Action there is no Prince living that will be readier than We shall be to concur even to the uttermost of Our Power not only out of particular disposition to live peaceably with all States and Princes of Christendom but because such a setled Amity might by an Union in Religion be established among Christian Princes as might enable Us all to resist the common Enemy Given at Our Palace at Westminster the two and twentieth day of February in the first year of Our Reign c. This did something allay the heat and hopes of the Iesuits and their correspondents but it made way for dark and more secret Contrivances which afterwards they put in practice On the contrary another Proclamation came out for Vniformity in Religion according to the Law established to reduce those to Conformity that had not received satisfaction at the last Conference The Bishops thought themselves unsecure while so many opposites unblameable in their conversations by their Pens and Preaching gained upon the people striking at the very Root of Hierarchy that it was a hard Question whether the Iesuits whose Principles would advance their Greatness or these that would pluck it down were most odious to them And now Proclamations are the activest Agents some go abroad to please the people some the King All Monopolies like diseases that crept in when the good old Queen had not strength enough to keep them out must be purged away and such protections as licentious liberty had granted to hinder proceedings in Law must be taken off Saltpeter-men that will dig up any mans house by authority where they are not well fee'd must be restrained and Purveyors Cart-takers and such insolent Officers as were grievances to the people must be cryed down by Proclamation A Prince that is invited or comes newly to a Kingdom must have his Chariot wheels smooth shod And yet the liberty of Hunting must be forbidden the Kings Game preserved and a strict Proclamation threatens the disobeyers Indeed take this Kings Reign from the beginning to the end and you shall find Proclamations current Coin and the people took them for good payment a great while till the multitude of them lessened their valuation The Bishops could not be so wary but some Courtier or other would commend a Preacher to the King if they knew any of excellent parts so that some preached before him that were averse to the Bishops ways Among the rest one Mr. Burges an excellent Preacher and a pious man moderately touching upon the Ceremonies said They were like the Roman Senators Glasses which were not worth a mans life or livelihood For saith he this Senator invited Augustus Caesar to a Dinner and as he was coming to the Feast he heard a horrid Out-cry and saw some company drawing a man after them that made that noise the Emperor demanded the cause of that violence it was answered their Master had condemned this man to the Fish-ponds for breaking a Glass which he set a high value and esteem upon Caesar commanded a stay of the Execution and when he came to the House he asked the Senator whether he had Glasses worth a mans life Who answered being a great lover of such things that he had Glasses he valued at the price of a Province Let me see them saith Augustus and he brought him up to a room well furnished The Emperor saw them beautiful to the eye but knew withal they might be the cause of much mischief therefore he broke them all with this expression Better all these perish than one man I will leave it saith he to your Majesty to apply But the Bishops got this and some other things against him by the end and silenced him for venting any more such comparisons So that for many years after he practised Physick and grew an excellent Physician Put upon second considerations he was admitted again to Preach retaining both his Piety and Integrity though he writ a book for the moderate use of the Ceremonies ending his days in a good old age at Sutton Cofeld in Warwick-shire after a journey into the Palatinate as shall be exprest in its time The fifth of August this year had a new title given to it The Kings Deliveries in the North must resound here Whether the Gowries attempted upon the Kings person or the King on theirs is variously reported It may be he retained something of his Predecessor and great Parent Henry the seventh that made Religion give way to Policy oftentimes cursing and thundring out the Churches fulminations against his own Ministers that they might be received with the more intimate familiarity with his Foreign Enemies for the better discovery of their designs I will not say the celebration of this Holy-day had so much Prophaneness for Fame may be a slanderer But where there is a strength of Policy there is often a power of worldly wisdom that manages and sways it The King forgot not the services there done him or the secret contrivances acted for him for Erskin and Ramsey two of his then deliverers were not long after rewarded with wealth and honour the one made Earl of Kellie the other Earl of Holderness the first prime Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber to the King and second got to his Bedfellow one of the prime Beauties of the Kingdom daughter to Robert Earl of Sussex and both of them had their Masters purse at command yet in our time the one died poor with many children the other poor and childless The Kings first going abroad was privately to visit some of his houses for naturally he did not love to be looked on
That Place is no Place for you to utter your Affections in you must not there hate your foe nor love your friend fear the offending of the greater party or pity the misery of the meaner ye must be blind and not see distinctions of Persons handless not to receive Bribes but keep that just Temper and Medium in all your Proceedings that like a just Ballance ye may neither sway to the right hand nor to the left Three principal Qualities are required in you Knowledg Courage and Sincerity that you may discern with Knowledg execute with Courage and do both in upright Sincerity And for my part I do vow and protest here in the presence of God and of this Honourable Audience I never shall be weary nor omit occasion wherein I may shew my carefulness of the Execution of good Laws And as I wish you that are Iudges not to be weary in your Office in doing of it so shall I never be weary with Gods grace to take account of you which is properly my calling And thus having told you the three causes of my Convening of this Parliament all three tending only to utter my thankfulness but in divers forms the first by word the other two by action I do confess that when I have done and performed all that in this Speech I have promised Inutilis servus sum When I have done all that I can for you I do nothing but that which I am bound to do and am accountable to God for the contrary For the difference betwixt a Rightful King and an Usurping Tyrant is this That the proud and ambitious Tyrant doth think his Kingdom and People are ordained for satisfaction of his desires and unreasonable appetite The righteous and just King doth by the contrary acknowledg himself to be ordained for procuring the wealth and prosperity of his People and that his greatest and principal worldly felicity must consist in their prosperity If you be rich I cannot be poor if you be happy I cannot but be fortunate and I protest that your welfare shall ever be my greatest care and contentment And that I am a Servant is most true that as I am a Head and Governour of all the People in my Dominions who are my Natural Vassals and Subjects considering them in numbers and distinct ranks So if we will take the People as one Body and Mass then as the Head is ordained for the Body and not the Body for the Head so must a righteous King know himself to be ordained for his People and not his People for Him For although a King and his People be Relata yet can he be no King if he want People and Subjects But there be many People in the World that lack a Head wherefore I will never be ashamed to confess it my Principal Honour to be the great Servant of the Common-wealth and ever think the Prosperity thereof to be my greatest felicity as I have already said But as it was the whole Body of this Kingdom with an uniform assent and harmony which did so far oblige me so is my thankfulness due to the whole State For even as in Matter of faults Quod à multis peccatur impunè peccatur even so in the Matter of virtuous and good deeds which are done by the willing Consent and Harmony of the whole Body no particular Person can justly claim thanks as proper to him for the same And therefore I must here make a little Apologie for my self in that I could not satisfie the particular humours of every Person that looked for some Advancement or Reward at my hand since my entry into this Kingdom Three kinds of things were craved of me Advancement to honour Preferment to place of Credit about my Person and Reward in Matters of Land or Profit If I had bestowed Honour upon all no man could have been advanced to Honour for the Degrees of Honour do consist in preferring some above their Fellows If every man had the like access to my Person then no man could have it and if I had bestowed Lands and Rewards upon every man the Fountain of my Liberality would have been so exhausted as I should want Means to be liberal to any man Yet was I not so sparing but I may without Vaunting affirm that I have enlarged my favour in all the three Degrees towards as many and more than ever King of England did in so short a space No I rather crave your pardon that I have been so bountiful For if the means of the Crown be wasted whither should I have recourse but to you my Subjects and be burthensome to you which I should be lothest to do of any King alive Two special Causes moved me to be so open-handed whereof the one was reasonable and honourable but the other I will not be ashamed to confess unto you proceeded of my own infirmity That which was Just and Honourable was that being so far beholden to the Body of the whole State I thought I could not refuse to let some small Brooks run out of the Fountain of my Thankfulness to the whole for refreshing of particular Persons that were Members of that Multitude The other which proceeded out of mine own Infirmity was the Multitude and importunity of Suters But although Reason come by infusion in a manner yet Experience groweth with time and labour And therefore do I not doubt but Experience will teach the particular Subjects of this Kingdom not to be so importune and undiscreet in craving and Me not to be so easily and lightly moved in granting that which may be harmful to my Estate and consequently to the whole Kingdom And thus at length having declared unto you my mind My Conclusion shall only now be to excuse my Self in case you have not found such Eloquence in my Speech as peradventure you might have looked for at my hands I might alledg the great weight of my Affairs and my continual business and distraction that I could never have leisure to think upon what I was to speak And I might also alledg that my first sight of this so Famous and Honourable an Assembly might likewise breed some impediment But leaving these excuses I will plainly and freely in my manner tell you the true Cause of it which is That it becometh a King in my opinion to use no other Eloquence than plainness and sincerity By plainness I mean that his Speeches should be so clear and void of all ambiguity that they may not be thrown nor rent in sunder in contrary senses like the old Oracles of the Pagan gods And by Sincerity I understand that uprightness and honesty which ought to be in a Kings whole Speeches and Actions that as far as a King is in Honour erected above any of his Subjects so far should he strive in Sincerity to be above them all and that his tongue should be ever the true Messenger of his heart And this sort of Eloquence you may ever assuredly look
up to three hundred pounds a piece But now again the poor Courtiers were so indigent that sixty pounds would purchase a Knighthood the King wanting other means to gratifie his Servants Yet he was of so free a Nature and careless of Money when he had it though solicitous to get it that he batled in his own bounty For being one day in the Gallery at White-hall and none with him but Sir Henry Rich who was second Son to the Earl of Warwick afterwards Earl of Holland a Gentleman of excellent Natural Parts but youthfully expensive and Iames Maxwel one of his Bed Chamber some Porters past by them with three thousand pounds going to the Privy Purse Sir Henry Rich whispering Maxwel the King turned upon them and asked Maxwel what says he what says he Maxwel told him he wisht he had so much money Marry shalt thou Harry saith the King and presently commanded the Porters to carry it to his Lodging with this Expression You think now you have a great Purchase but I am more delighted to think how much I have pleasured you in giving this money than you can be in receiving it This Story intervenes to shew the Temper of his Mind About this time also Gold was raised to two shillings in the pound occasioned from the high value set upon it abroad which made the Merchant transport it But the first Inhancers can make their Markets by ingrossing great Sums especially the Payments of those times and all this Kings Reign being for the most part in Gold so that it might be called the Golden Age that it is a wonder now what gulf hath swallowed those great sums if their golden wings be not flown to the Sun-rising But these little projects will bring in but small store of money to maintain the Work many such Materials must go to make up a Royal Building and little Streams will not easily fill a Cistern that hath many Issues A Parliament can furnish all but who dare venture on such Refractory Spirits Yet there was a generation about the Court that to please and humour Greatness undertook a Parliament as men presuming to have Friends in every County and Borough who by their Power among the People would make Election of such Members for Knights and Burgesses as should comply solely to the Kings desires and Somerset is the Head and Chief of these Vndertakers But this was but an Embrion and became an Abortive The English Freedom cannot be lost by a few base and tame spirits that would unmake themselves and their Posterity to ingrandize one Man For the Parliament meeting according to their Summons such Faces appeared there as made the Court droop who instead of Contributing to the Kings wants lay open his wasts especially upon the Scots with whom they desire medietatem linguae a share of favour The Bread by our Saviours rule properly belonging to the Children of the Kingdom And they beseech His Majesty to stop the Current of future access of that Nation to make residence here having enough to eat up their own Crums They enquire into the Causes of the unexpected increase of Popish Recusants since the Gun-Powder Plot the detestation whereof they thought should have utterly extinguished them and they find it to the Admission of Popish Nobility into his Counsels the silencing of many watchful and diligent Ministers the divers Treaties his Majesty hath entertained not only for the Marriage of the deceased Prince Henry but for Prince Charles that now liveth with the Daughters of Popish Princes which dis-heartneth the Protestant and encourageth the Recusant laying open with these many other miscarriages in Government which the King willing to have concealed stopt them in their Course dissolving the Parliament and committing to the Tower and other Princes the beginning of incroachment upon the publick liberties such as were most active for the Common good These fair Blossoms not producing the hoped-for fruit they find out new Projects to manure the People different much in name and nature a Benevolence extorted a Free-gift against their wills was urged upon them and they that did not give in their money must give in their names which carried a kind of fright with it But the most knowing men like so many Pillars to the Kingdoms liberties supported their Neighbours tottering Resolutions with assuring them that these kind of Benevolences were against Law Reason and Religion First against Law being prohibited by divers Acts of Parliament and a Curse pronounced against the infringers of them Secondly against Reason that a particular man should oppose his judgment and discretion to the wisdom and judgment of the King assembled in Parliament who have there denyed any such aid Thirdly against Religion That a King violating his Oath taken at his Coronation for maintaining the Laws Liberties and Customs of the Realm should be assisted by the people in an Act of so much Injustice and Impiety These and many other Arguments instilled into the people by some good Patriots were great impediments to the Benevolence So that they got but little money and lost a great deal of love For no Levies do so much decline and abase the love and spirits of the people as unjust Levies Subsidies get more of their money but Exactions enslave the mind for they either raise them above or depress them beneath their sufferings which are equally mischievous and to be avoided This Summer the King of Denmark revisited his Sister the Queen of England with some forty Lords Gentlemen and others in his Train landing at Yarmouth and passing directly to London took up his Lodging in our Common Inns and was not known but for some Outlandish Nobleman till he came to the Queens Palace in the Strand where she was surprized with the unexpected joy of a Brothers company distanced from her by the interest of his people the great Bar that hinders Princes the common civilities and happiness of their Inferiors But the joy continued not long for after some fourteen days interview they parted again But those days had such a plenitude of all those delights that contend to satisfaction as if a great deal of more time had been involved and contracted in them VERA EFFIGIES FRANCISCAE COMITISSAE SOMERSETIAE VICECOM ROFFEN ETc The lively portraict of the Lady Francis Countesse of Somerset Sir Ralph Winwood who had been Lieger-Ambassador with the States in the Netherlands for his abilities and good service had merited so much from the King that he made him Secretary of State The Queen closes with him the better to discover Somersets miscarriages and he was ready enough to oblige her for Somerset made him but an Vnderling grasping all Publick imployments into his own hand not caring whom he disobliged or what Malice he pulled upon himself for like a Coloss he stood the brunt of all the Tempests of Envy making those that carried the greatest sail to strike and come under him Nor would he suffer any
easily committed and concealed It is an offence that is Tanquam sagitta nocte volans it is the Arrow that flies by night it discerns not whom it hits for many times the poyson is laid for one and another takes it As in Sanders case where the poysoned Apple was laid for the Mother and the Child eat it And so in that notorious Case whereupon the Statute of 22 Hen. 8. cap. 9. was made where the intent being but to poyson one or two poyson was put in a little Vessel of Barm that stood in the Kitchen at the Bishop of Rochesters house of which Barm Pottage or Grewel was made wherewith seventeen of the Bishops Family were poysoned nay divers of the poor that came to the Bishops-gate and had the Pottage in Alms were likewise poysoned Here is great talk of Impoysonment I hope I am safe I have no enemies nor any thing men can long for that is all one for he may sit at the Table by one for whom poyson is prepared and have a drench of his Cup or of his Pottage and so as the Poet saith Concidit infelix alieno vulnere he may die another mans death and therefore it was most gravely judiciously and properly provided by that Statute that Impoysonment should be High-Treason because whatsoever offence tendeth to the utter subversion and dissolution of Human Society is in the nature of High-Treason But it is an offence that I may truly say of it Non est nostri generis nec sanguinis It is thanks be to God rare in the Isle of Britain It is neither of our Country nor of our Church You may find it in Rome and Italy there is a Religion for it if it should come among us it were better living in a Wilderness than in a Court. For the particular fact upon Overbury I knew the Gentleman it is true his mind was great but it moved not in any great good order yet certainly it did commonly fly at good things and the greatest fault that ever I heard by him was That he made his Friend his Idol But take him as he was the Kings Prisoner in the Tower and then see how the Case stands In that place the State is as it were a Respondent to make good the Body of the Prisoner and if any thing happen to him there it may though not in this Case yet in some others make an aspersion and reflexion upon the State it self For the person is utterly void of his own defence his own care and providence can serve him to nothing He is in the custody and preservation of Law and we have a Maxim in our Law that when a State is in preservation of Law nothing can destroy it or hurt it and God forbid but the like should be in Persons and therefore this was a circumstance of great aggravation Lastly To have a man chased to death in a manner as it appears now by matter of Record for other privacy of Cause I know not by poyson after poyson First Rosaker then Arsnick then Mercury sublimate then sublimate again it is a thing would astonish mans nature to hear it The Poets feign that the Furies had Whips and that they were corded with poysoned Snakes and a man would think that this subject were the very Case To have a man tied to a post and to scourge him to death with Serpents for so truly may diversity of poysons be termed It pleased my Lord Chief Justice to let me know that which I heard with great comfort which was the charge that his Majesty gave to himself and the rest of the Commissioners in this Case worthy to be written in Letters of Gold That the business should be carried without touch to any that was innocent not only without impeachment but without aspersion which was a most Noble and Princely caution for mens Reputations are tender things and ought to be like Christs Coat without seam And it was more to be respected in this Case because it met with two great Persons A Nobleman that his Majesty had favoured and advanced and his Lady being of a great and Honourable House though I think it be true that the Writers say that there is no Pomegranate so fair or so sound but may have a perished Kernel Nay I see plainly in those excellent Papers of his Majesties own hand-writing as so many beams of Iustice issuing from that Vertue which so much doth shine in him the business so evenly carried without prejudice whether it were a true Accusation on the one part or a practice or false Accusation on the other as shewed plainly that his Majesties judgment was Tanquam tabula rasa as a clean pair of Tables and his ears Tanquam janua aperta as a gate not side open but wide open to the Truth as it should be discovered And I may truly affirm that there was never in this Kingdom nor in any other the blood of a private Gentleman vindicated Cum tanto motu Regni or to say better Cum tanto plausu Regni If it had concerned the King or Prince there could not have been greater or better Commissioners The term hath been almost turned into a Iustium or Vacancy the people being more willing to be lookers on in this business than proceeders in their own There hath been no care of discovery omitted no moment of time lost and therefore I will conclude with the saying of Solomon this part of my Speech Gloria Deicelare rem and gloria Regis scrutari rem It is the glory of God to conceal a thing and it is the glory of the King to find it out And his Majesties honor is the greater for that he shewed to the World this business as it hath relation to my Lord of Somerset whose Case in no sort I do fore-judg being ignorant of the secrets of the cause but take him as the Law takes him hitherto for a suspect I say the King hath to his great honor shewed That were any man in such a case of blood as the Signet of his right-hand as the Scripture saith he would put him off Now will I come to the particular Charge of these Gentlemen And first I will by way of Narrative relate the Fact with the occasion of it This wretched man Weston who was the Actor or Mechanical party in this Impoysonment the first day being indicted by a very substantial Iury of selected Citizens to the number of nineteen who found Billa vera yet nevertheless at the first stood mute But after some days intermission it pleased God to cast out the Dumb Devil and he put himself upon his Trial and was by a Iury of great value upon his own Confessions and other testimonies found guilty So as thirty and one sufficient Iurors have past upon him and he had also his Judgment and Execution awarded After this being in preparation for another World he sent for Sir Overbury's Father and falling down upon his knees with great remorse
more prayers and oblations offered here to the Mother than to the Son For the Marquess himself as he was a man of excellent symmetry and proportion of parts so he affected beauty where he found it but yet he looks upon the whole race of Women as inferior things and uses them as if the Sex were one best pleased with all And if his eye cull'd out a wanton beauty he had his Setters that could spread his Nets and point a meeting at some Ladies House where he should come as by accident and find Accesses while all his Train attended at the dore as if it were an honourable visit The Earl of Rutland of a Noble Family had but one Daughter to be the Mistris of his great Fortune and he tempts her carries her to his Lodgings in Whitehall keeps her there for some time and then returns her back again to her Father The stout old Earl sent him this threatning Message That he had too much of a Gentleman to suffer such an indignity and if he did not marry his Daughter to repair her honour no greatness should protect him from his justice Buckingham that perhaps made it his design to get the Father's good will this way being the greatest match in the Kingdom had no reason to mislike the Union therefore he quickly salved up the wound before it grew to a quarrel And if this Marriage stopt the Current of his sins he had the less to answer for This young Lady was bred a Papist by her Mother but after her Marriage to the Marquess she was converted by Doctor White as was pretended and grew a zealous Protestant but like a morning dew it quickly vanished For the old Countess of Buckingham never left working by her sweet Instruments the Iesuits till she had placed her on the first foundation So that the Marquess betwixt a Mother and a Wife began to be indifferent no Papist yet no Protestant but the Arminian Tenets taking root were nourished up by him and those that did not hold the same opinions were counted Puritans These new indifferences now grew so hot in England that the Protestant Cause grew very cold in Germany Which made the spirits of most men rise against the Spanish Faction at home and Spain's incroaching Monarchy abroad And though the King sped ill the last Parliament of Somerset's undertaking and thought to lay them by for ever as he often expressed looking upon them as incroachers into his Prerogative and diminishers of his Majesty and Glory making Kings less and Subjects more than they are Yet now finding the peoples desires high-mounted for regaining the Palatinate he thought they would look only up towards that and liberally open their Purses which he might make use of and this Unanimity and good agreement betwixt him and his people would induce his Brother of Spain to be more active in the Treaty in hand and so he should have supply from the one and dispatch from the other But Parliaments that are like Physicians to the bodies of Common-wealths when the humors are once stirred they find cause enough many times to administer sharp Medicines where there was little appearance of Diseases For in this Recess and Ease Time-servers and Flatterers had cried up the Prerogative And the King wanting Money for his vast expenses had furnished himself by unusual courses For Kings excessive in gifts will find followers excessive in demands and they that weaken themselves in giving lose more in gathering than they gain in the gift For Prodigality in a Soveraign ends in the Rapine and Spoil of the Subject To help himself therefore and those that drained from him he had granted several Patents to undertakers and Monopolizers whereby they preyed upon the people by suits and exactions milkt the Kingdom and kept it poor the King taking his ease and giving way to Informers the Gentry grown debauched and Fashion-mongers and the Commons sopt and besotted with quiet and restiness drunk in so much disability that it might well be said by Gondemar England had a great many people but few men And he would smile at their Musters for through disuse they were grown careless of Military Discipline ill provided of Arms effeminate Officers neglecting their charges and duties conniving for gain at their Neighbours miscarriages Some of the Officers in the Militia and Iustices of the Peace not a few being Church-Papists floating upon the smooth stream of the times overwhelming all others that opposed them stigmatizing them with the name of Puritans and that was mark enough to hinder the current of any proceeding or preferment aimed at or hoped for either in Church or State And the Iesuits ranging up and down like spirits let loose did not now as formerly creep into corners using close and cunning Artifices but practised them openly having admission to our Counsellors of State for when Secretaries and such as manage the intimate Counsels of Kings are Iesuitical and Clients to the Pope there can be no tendency of Affection to a contrary Religion or Policy Those were only most active in the Court of England that courted the King of Spain most and could carry the face of a Protestant and the heart of a Papist the rest were contented to go along with the cry For they hunted but a cold scent and could pick out and make nothing of it that drew off or crost or hunted counter Which raised the spirits of the people so high against them that were the chief Hunters in these times that they brought the King himself within the compass of their Libels and Pasquils charging him to love his hounds better than his people And if this bad blood had been heated to an itch of Innovation it would have broke out to a very fore and incurable Malady every man seeing the danger few men daring to prevent it The Pulpits were the most bold Opposers but if they toucht any thing upon the Spanish policy or the intended Treaties for the Restitution of the Palatinate was included in the Marriage before it was the Spaniards to give their mouths must be stopt by Gondemar without the Lady Iacob's Receipt and it may be confined or imprisoned for it So that there were noplain downright blows to be given but if they cunningly and subtily could glance at the misdemeanors of the Times and smooth it over metaphorically it would pass current though before the King himself For about this time one of his own Chaplains preaching before him at Greenwich took this Text 4 Mat. 8. And the Devil took Iesus to the top of a Mountain and shewed him all the Kingdoms of the World saying All these will I give c. He shewed what power the Devil had in the World at that time when he spake these words and from thence he came down to the power of the Devil now And dividing the World into four parts he could not make the least of the four to be Christian and of
have thought it a high presumption in them Judge then what We may do in such a Case having made our public Declaration already as we said before directly contrary to that which you have now petitioned Now to the points in your Petition whereof you desire an answer as properly belonging to the Parliament The first and the greatest point is that of Religion concerning which at this time We can give you no other answer than in the General which is that you may rest secure that We will never be weary to do all we can for the propagation of Our Religion and repressing of Popery But the manner and form you must remit to Our care and providence who can best consider of Times and Seasons not by undertaking a public War of Religion through all the World at once which how hard and dangerous a task it may prove you may judge But this puts Us in mind how all the World complained the last year of plenty of Corn and God hath sent Us a cooling Card this year for that heat And so We pray God that this desire among you of Kindling Wars shewing your weariness of Peace and Plenty may not make God permit Us to fall into the miseries of both But as we already said Our care of Religion must be such as on the one part We must not by the hot persecution of Our Recusants at home irritate forrain Princes of contrary Religion and teach them the way to plague the Protestants in their Dominions whom with We dayly intercede and at this time principally for ease to them of Our profession that live under them Yet upon the other part We never mean to spare from due and severe punishment any Papist that will grow insolent for living under Our so mild Government And you may also be assured We will leave no Care untaken as well for the good Education of the youth at home especially the Children of Papists as also for preserving at all times hereafter the youth that are or shall be abroad from being bred in dangerous places and so poisoned in Popish Seminaries And as in this point namely concerning the good Education of Popish youth at Home We have already given some good proofs both in this Kingdom and in Ireland so will We be well pleased to pass any good Laws that shall be made either now or any time hereafter to this purpose And as to your request of making this a Session and granting a general pardon it shall be in your Defaults if We make not this a Session before Christmas But for the Pardon ye crave such particulars in it as We must be well advised upon lest otherwise we give you back the double or treble of that we are to receive by your entire Subsidy without Fifteens But the ordinary course We hold fittest to be used still in this Case is that We should of our free grace send you down a Pardon from the higher House containing such points as We shall think fittest wherein we hope ye shall receive good satisfaction But We cannot omit to shew you how strange we think it that ye should make so bad and unjust a Commentary upon some words of our former Letter as if we meant to restrain you thereby of your ancient privileges and liberties in Parliament Truly a Scholler would be ashamed so to misplace and mis-judge any Sentences in another Mans book For whereas in the end of our former Letter We discharge you to meddle with matters of Government and Mysteries of State namely Matters of War or Peace or our dearest Sons Match with Spain by which particular denominations We interpret and restrain Our former words And then after We forbid you to meddle with such things as have their Ordinary course in Courts of Justice yet couple together those two distinct Sentences and plainly leave out these words Of Mysteries of State errâ—à benè â—à benè divisis ad malè conjecta For of the former part concerning Mysteries of State We plainly restrained our meaning to the particulars that were after mentioned And in the latter we confess we meant it by Sir Edward Cook 's foolish business And therefore it had well become him especially being Our Servant and One of Our Consel to have complained unto Us which he never did though he was ordinarily at Court since and never had access refused unto him And although We cannot allow of the stile calling it Your Ancient and undoubted right and inheritance but could rather have wished that ye had said That your Privileges were derived from the Grace and permission of our Ancestors and Us for most of them grow from Precedents which shews rather a toleration than inheritance yet we are pleased to give you Our Royal assurance that as long as you shall contain your selves within the limits of your Duty we will be as careful to maintain and preserve your lawful Liberties and Privileges as ever any of Our Predecessors were nay as to preserve Our own Royal Prerogative So as your House shall only have need to beware to trench upon the Prerogative of the Crown which would enforce Us or any just King to retrench them of their Privileges that would pare his Prerogative and Flowers of the Crown But of this We hope there shall be never cause given This was the effect of the King's Answer which was dated at New-market the 11. of December 1621. Thus the King acted his part and though his answer might be the Result of his thoughts yet it was some transcendent Cause that put it into Words for his Nature was apt enough to fear the Sound of its own impressions But now his Spirit was mounted either the Breach of the Treaty with Spain or the Breach as he thought upon his Prerogative gave wing to raise his Anger higher than his fear Princes that never knew how to obey ride their Passions with a loose rein and are easiest carried by that impulsion The Prince and the People are here Competitors both jealous of encroachments both striving to prevent them Liberty is a power that gives a well being and life to the People Power is a liberty that Princes take to be the very life of their Being Kings are like the Sea and the people like the land the industry of the one striving with the Piles and Banks of good laws and Precedents to bound the often-springtides and over-flowing of the other In Scotland the Land was high Rocky and inaccessible for his Waves though never so boisterous Here he finds a smooth Shore and the people as tame in their obedience as they were in their sufferings which makes him the bolder with them But the Parliament weighing the King's answer by the Ballance of Reason not Passion found that there was little for them to do For how is this a mixt Government when Kings do what they please They Call their People to a Parliament where the three Estates are said to be the mixt Government
hot and intemperate Region to soom cool Considerations If he should yield by Silence or Connivence to this Protestation it would remain as an impregnable Bulwark for the people to Posterity And what is this terrible thing their just Liberties If he should oppose it with Rigor it might produce such an intestine Division at home as with all industry he strove to prevent abroad Break the Treaty with Spain he would not his Heart was too much set upon it for he could find no Protestant Princess good enough the high and elated Extraction of Kings will raise the people up to a kind of Adoration as the old Heathens did the Race of their Gods and Heroes Whereas true Honesty and piety finds out such matches as may as well bring Glory to God as to man not worldly Blessings only but heavenly also Lose the love of the people he was loth for he thought his peaceable Reign gained upon them and that no King had ever deserved better of a People than he But Peace is a kind of Soft Rayment or Masking-dress not always to be worn Standing lakes beget Corruption The Pool of Bethesda had no Virtue till it was stirred War is necessary as Physick for unsound Bodies Iustum id bellum quibus necessarium When the King had weighed every particular scruple by the Ballance of his own Reason and Councel about him he took a Resolution to dissolve the Parliament which he did by Proclamation the sixth of Ianuary being fifteen days after the Protestation was made so much time he measured out by the Scale of consideration before he would pull down such a Structure of Love as never was built by the people for any of his Predecessors which he implies in his Proclamation laying there all the blame upon the House of Commons and not on them in general but on some ill-tempered Spirits as he called them that sowed Tares among the Corn and frustrated the Hopes of a plentiful Harvest Striving by these imputations to take away the Odium that such a Dissolution might produce The Parliament and consequently the Union between the King and People being thus dissolved every man's tongue is let loose to run Riot And though the King loved Hunting above all other exercises and had many good Hunters about him yet all those and the Strength of a Proclamation put out to forbid talking of State Affairs could not restrain them from mouthing out That Great Britain was become less than little England that they had lost strength by changing Sexes and that he was no King but a Fidler's Son otherwise he would not suffer such disorders at home and so much dishonour abroad So dangerous it is for Princes by a stegmatick remisseness to slacken the ligaments of the peoples tongues for such an overflux of bad Humor may bring their obedience to a Paralytick And the Story of David Ricius written by the King 's own Tutor Buchanan had died in every English Opinion if it had not had a new Impression by these miscarriages Edward Herbert Lord Herbert of Castle â—Land and Lord Hâ—rbert of Câ—â—erbery in England The Earl of Oxford was betrayed and accused by one White a Papist who was vulgarly called after in derision by the Name of Oxford-White to have spoken some words to the Dishonour of the King and disparagement of his Government and was committed to the Tower The Earl of Southampton was also committed to the Dean of Westminster Oxford lay by it a great while and being an Active man the King sent him at last to Sea to be one of Buckingham's Vice-Admirals for the English Coast while Sir Robert Mansell guarded the Coasts of Spain from being infested with the Turks of Algier and Sally Sir Edward Cook that was looked upon as one of the great incendiaries in the House of Commons is put from the Council Table with disgrace The King saying he was the fittest instrument for a Tyrant that ever was in England And yet in the House he called the King's Prerogative a great Over-grown Monster And how can these agree Unless because the King would not take his counsel he hanged himself on the other side But whether the King had cause to say the one I know not but he it seems found cause enough to say the other Sir Thomas Crew Sir Dudly Digges Sir Nathaniel Rich and Sir Iames Perrot men of great Repute and knowledge active in the House were sent into Ireland and joyned with others in commission to inquire into Misdemeanors committed there but it was thought as a punishment for what they had committed here for they were long detained from their own occasions under the colour of an honorable imployment And Sir Peter Hammon of Kent and others were sent into the Palatinate This kind of punishment beginning now to be in fashion and not long after this Sir Iohn Savile the Knight of York-shire that carried all the Country at a Beck and a powerful Man in the House is taken off by the King made Comptroler of his Household a Privy Councellor and not long after a Baron so the King found out two ways of silencing those that were able to do him mischief Active Spirits that come too near him must either come nearer to him or be sent further from him which he doubts not will take off the edge and bate the sharpness of the Humor another time And these preferments and punishments were also practised by his successor with this Experiment in both that the most popular men as soon as they wore the Court Livery lost the love of the people but those that suffered for them were the more beloved and admired by them The Commons of England having more than an ordinary Genius to support and strengthen the pillars of their Liberties And as these Troubles bred disturbance at home so they begot discredit abroad for now by this Breach they undervalued the King's power as much as they did before his Spirit yea even in the King of Spain's own Towns whilst this beloved Treaty was in heat they in their Comedies presented Messengers bringing News in haste That the Palatinate was like to have a very formidable Army shortly on foot For the King of Denmark would furnish him with a hundred thousand picked Herrings the Hollanders with a hundred thousand Butter-boxes and England with a hundred thousand Ambassadors And they picture the King in one place with a Scabberd without a Sword In another place with a Sword that no body could draw out though divers stand pulling at it At Bruxels they painted him with his pockets hanging out and never a penny in them nor in his purse turned upside down In Antwerâ— they pictured the Queen of Bohemia like a poor Irish Mantler with her hair hanging about her ears and her child at her back with the King her father carrying the Cradle after her and every one of these Pictures had several Motto's expressing their Malice Such
so spacious that her said Servants and Family may enter and stay therein In which there shall be an ordinary and publique door for them and another inward door by which the Infanta may have a passage into the said Chappel where she and others as above said may be present at Divine Offices 9. That the Chappel Church and Oratory may be beautified with decent Ornaments of Altar and other things necessary for Divine Service which is to be celebrated in them according to the custom of the Ho. Ro. Church and that it shall be lawful for the said Servants and others to go to the said Chappel and Church at all hours as to them shall seem expedient 10. That the care and custody of the said Chappel and Church shall be committed to such as the Lady Infanta shall appoint to whom it shall be lawful to appoint Keepers that no body may enter into them to do any undecent thing 11. That to the administration of the Sacraments and to serve in Chappel and Church aforesaid there shall be so many Priests and Assistants as to the Infanta shall seem fit and the election of them shall belong to the Lady Infanta and the Catholike King her Brother Provided that they be none of the Vassals of the King of Great Britain and if they be his will and consent is to be first obtained 12. That there be one Superiour Minister or Bishop with necessary Authority upon all occasions which shall happen belonging to Religion and for want of a Bishop that his Vicar may have his Authority and jurisdiction 13. That this Bishop or Superiour Minister may correct amend or chastize all Roman Catholiks who shall offend and shall exercise upon them all Jurisdiction Ecclesiastical and moreover also the Lady Infanta shall have power to put them out of her service when soever it shall seem expedient to her 13. That it may be lawful for the Lady Infanta and her Servants to procure from Rome Dispensations Indulgences Jubilees and all Graces as shall seem fit to their Religion and Consciences and to get and make use of any Catholike Books whatsoever 15. That the Servants of the Family of the Lady Infanta who shall come into England shall take the Oath of Allegiance to the King of Great Britain provided that there be no clause therein which shall be contrary to their Consciences and the Roman Catholike Religion and if they happen to be Vassals to the King of Great Britain they shall take the same Oath that the Spaniard doth 16. That the Laws which are or shall be in England against Religion shall not take hold of the said Servants And onely the foresaid Superiour Ecclesiastical Catholike may proceed against Ecclesiastical persons as hath been accustomed by Catholikes And if any Secular Judge shall apprehend any Ecclesiastical Person for any offence he shall forthwith cause him to be delivered to the aforesaid Superiour Ecclesiastick who shall proceed against him according to the Canon-Law 17. That the Lawes made against Catholikes in England or in any other Kingdom of the King of Great Britain shall not extend to the Children of this Marriage and though they be Catholikes they shall not lose the Right of Succession to the Kingdom and Dominions of Great Britain 18. That the Nurses which shall give suck to the Children of the Lady Infanta whether they be of the Kingdom of Great Britain or of any other Nation whatsoever shall be chosen by the Lady Infanta as she pleaseth and shall be accounted of her Family and enjoy the priviledges thereof 19. That the Bishop Ecclesiastical Persons and Religious of the Family of the Lady Infanta shall wear the Vestment and Habit of his dignity profession and Religion after the custom of Rome 20. For security that the said Matrimony be not dissolved for any cause whatsoever The King of Great Britain and Prince Charles are equally to pass the Word and Honour of a King and moreover that they will perform whatsoever shall be propounded by the Catholike King for further confirmation if it may be done decently and fitly 21. That the Sons and Daughters which shall be born of this Marriage shall be brought up in the company of the most Excellent Infanta at least until the Age of Ten years and shall freely enjoy the Right of Succession to the Kingdoms as aforesaid 22. That whensoever any place of either Man-servant or Maid-servant which the Lady Infanta shall bring with her nominated by the Catholike King her Brother shall happen to be void whether by death or by other Cause or accident all the said Servants of her Family are to be supplied by the Catholike King as aforesaid 23. For security that whatsoever is Capitulated may be fulfilled The King of Great Britain and Prince Charles are to be bound by Oath and all the King's Council shall Confirm the said Treaty under their hands Moreover the said King and Prince are to give their Faiths in the Word of a King to endeavour if possible that whatsoever is Capitulated may be established by Parliament 24. That conformable to this Treaty all these things proposed are to be allowed and approved of by the Pope that he may give an Apostolical Benediction and a Dispensation necessary to effect the Marriage But though our King and Prince subscribed these Articles as they were sent to them by the Earl of Bristol in this manner Hos supra memoratos Articulos omnes ac singulos approbamus et quicquid in iis ex nostra parte seu nostro nomine conventum est ratum atque gratum habemus approving and expressing them to be very acceptable unto them And after they had wrought the King to sign these large immunities to the Papists viz. Quod Regnorum suorum Romano Catholici persecutionem nullam patientur molestiáve officientur Religionis suae causa vel ob exercitium illorum ejusdem sacramentorum modò iis utantur absque scandalo quod intelligi debet inter privatos parietes nec juramentis aut sub alio praetextu qualicunque ordinem Religionis spectante vexabuntur That the Roman Catholikes should not be interrupted in the exercise of their Religion doing it privately without Scandal nor be vext with any oaths in order to the same What rested but a closing of both Parties Yet all would not do for the Spaniard never intended the Match at all as is evident by a Letter of the King of Spain's written to his Favourite the Conde of Olivares dated the Fifth of November 1622. found among the Lord Cottington's Papers THe King my Father declared at his Death That his intent never was to marry my Sister the Infanta Donna Maria with the Prince of Wales which your Unkle Don Baltazer understood and so treated this Match ever with intention to delay it notwithstanding it is now so far advanced that considering all the aversness of the Infanta to it it is time to seek some means to divert the Treaty
which I would have you find out and I will make it good whatsoever it be But in all other things procure the satisfaction of the King of Great Britain who hath deserved much and it shall content me so it be not in the Match Thus was our King's plain heartedness deluded his Honour blemished his Love among his Subjects diminished the time for a positive answer for the Dispensation from Rome long expired and prolonged his Childrens Patrimony destroyed and he left so unsatisfied that the Prince himself and the Marquess of Buckingham must go into Spain to unfold this Riddle where they found it as full of Aenigma's as at first He that went to tye a knot there found it so intangled that he took some time there to clear it and when it was clear he thought it best Scindere nodum to cut that at last which he could not unloose at first The Marquess Spinola having long since left the Palatinate to the Imperials Generals with a great Army consisting of above Thirty thousand men the last Summer sits down before Berghen ap Zome a Town of very great Strength and Importance upon the Borders of Brabant and incloses himself with two strong Lines of Circumvallation notwithstanding all the Power the Town could oppose from within or Prince Maurice General of the States Army without And though he were well intrenched for his own Security yet the Works of the Town were so impregnable that he could find no way to gain it but by starving them and that could not be done but by commanding the River and those Batteries that he planted to hinder the access of Shipping with Relief into the Town were within reach of their Cannon so that he found there was little good to be done tending to the reducing of it This struck the Marquess to the Heart that he should bury his Honour as he had done a great part of his Army in those bloody Trenches and therefore he gave scope to his Resolution to make use of his time for he converted his intentions of Starving to Assaulting and his assaults were the more furious because he found they would not last long and Old Morgan that gallant Colonel with his English Brigade gave them their hands full the Scots did Gallant Service in the Town and their Colonel Hinderson was slain but many of the Enemy fell on every side for it is a great disadvantage for living Bodies to fight against dead Walls being so high and unassaultable A General that goes to besiege a City should have his access to it in his apprehension as plain as a Mathematician hath a Demonstration except it be upon some emergent cause otherwise there is an Error in his account and there cannot be two for the Honour dyes in the first which touched the Marquess near being his great trouble and made him and his enterprise both droop ERNESTUS D G COMES MANSFELDIAE MARCHIO CASTELINO VI ET BUTIGLIERAE NOB DNS IN HELD SUP DUX BELLIC ET HEROS FORT MARTE votens decus et dubijs siâ—sucia rebus ERNESTUS CAMPI VIR generosus nic est Qui genus illustri ducens à stirpe Parentum Auget honoratum per sua facta genus E. 〈◊〉 D.M.C.B. But with many Necessities in their March through Lorrain and Lutzenburgh they came to Fleury within eight miles of Namurs where Corduba with a Spanish Army strove to hinder their passage The Conflict was great betwixt them and many slain on both sides and both triumphed in the Victory For Corduba kept the Field and Mansfieldt kept his way But Mansfieldt's Victory was the compleatest because he attained to his End which was to break through Corduba But Corduba did not attain to his End which was to hinder Mansfieldt Yet the Spanish Bravery was highly exalted with Bonfires and rejoycings both at Madrid and Bruxels The Duke of Brunswicke lost his Bridle Arm in that service and many Gentlemen both English and Scots out of Love to the Queen of Bohemia behaved themselves gallantly and let the Spaniard know it was more than an ordinary shock they encountered with Among whom Sir Charles Rich brother to the E. of Warwick was a Principal person whose Voluntary Spirit not necessity made danger his Companion where Honour attended it Sir Iames Heyes Knevet Humes Heiborn and other Commanders striving for Corrivalship in Bravery Spinola hearing that Mansfieldt was broken through Corduba's Army and come into Brabant made the Court Splendor of Corduba's Conquest appear but Ignes fatui which also something extinguisht the glory of his own fame For he thought it good policy seeing he should be necessitated to leave the Siege of Berghen to do it at that time when there might be cause to think it occasioned by that Accident more than his default And therefore as soon as the Prince of Orange and Mansfieldt had joyned forces though Corduba came to him and reinforced his Army yet Winter drawing on and his Army almost wasted he trussed up his Baggage in haste set his Camp a-fire and departed leaving to his Hungry Enemies good store of Wine and other Provisions in his burning Quarters And thus stood the Ballance this year betwixt the King of Spain and the Netherlands But our King receiving so many delays and dissatisfactions from Spain and Rome they begot him so much trouble and Vexation that crowding into his thoughts prest upon his Natural Temper some fits of Melancholy which those about him with facetious Mirth would strive to Mitigate And having exhausted their inventions or not making use of such as were more pregnant the Marquess and his Mother instead of Mirth fell upon Prophaneness thinking with that to please him and perhaps they were only mistaken in the unseasonableness of the time being not then suitable to the Humor For they caus'd Mistris Aspernham a young Gentlewoman of the Kindred to dress a Pigg like a Child and the Old Countess like a Midwife brought it in to the King in a rich Mantle Turpin that married one of the Kindred whose name was renowned for a Bishop in the Romances of the Emperor Charlemain was drest like a Bishop in his Sattin Gown Lawn sleeves and other Pontifical Ornaments who with the Common Prayer book began the words of Baptism one attending with a silver Bason of Water for the Service the King hearing the Ceremonies of Baptism read and the squeeking noise of that Brute he most abhorred turned himself to see what Pageant it was and finding Turpin's face which he well knew drest like a Bishop and the Marquess whose face he most of all loved stand as a Godfather he cryed out away for shame what Blasphemy is this and turning aside with a frown he gave them cause to think that such ungodly Mirth would rather increase than cure his Melancholly Another time at Theobalds the King wanted some papers that had Relation to the Spanish Treaty so hot in Motion which raised him highly into the Passion of Anger
that he should not know what he had done with them being things so material and of such conoernment And calling his Memory to a strict account at last he discharged it upon Iohn Gib a Scotchman who was of his Bedchamber and had been an old Servant to him Gib is called for in haste and the King asks him for the Papers he gave him Gib collecting himself answered the King he received no papers from him The King broke into extream Rage as he would often when the Humor of Choler began to boil in him protesting he had them and reviling him exceedingly for denying them Gib threw himself at the King's feet protesting his innocency that he never received any and desired his life might make satisfaction for his fault if he were guilty This could not calm the King's Spirit tossed in this tempest of Passion and overcharged with it as he passed by Gib kneeling threw some of it upon him giving him a kick with his foot Which kick infected Gib and turned his humility into Anger for rising instantly he said Sir I have served you from my youth and you never found me unfaithful I have not deserved this from you nor can I live longer with you with this disgrace Fare ye well Sir I will never see your face more and away he goes from the King's presence took Horse and rode towards London Those about the King put on a sad countenance to see him displeased and every man was inquisitive to know the cause some said the King and Gib were faln out but about what some papers of the Spanish Treaty the King had given him cannot be found Endimion Porter hearing it said The King gave me those Papers went presently and brought them to the King who being becalmed and finding his Error called instantly for Gib Answer was made he was gone to London The King hearing it commanded with all expedition to send post after him to bring him back protesting never to Eat Drink or Sleep till he saw Gib's face The Messenger overtook him before he got to London and Gib hearing the Papers were found and that the King sent for him with much earnestness returned to the Court. And as he came into the King's Chamber the King kneeled down upon his Knees before Gib intreating his pardon with a sober and grave aspect protesting he would never rise till Gib had forgiven him and though Gibs modestly declined it with some humble excuses yet it would not satisfie the King till he heard the words of absolution pronounced So ingenious was he in this piece of Passion Which had its suddain variation from a stern and furious anger to a soft and melting affection which made Gib no loser by the bargain Thus the King 's Melancholy Cholerick and Sanguine constitution appeared But of all the Humors Flegm was now the most predominant which made him so tamely swallow those raw fruits of Spain that all his Exercise could not well digest In Ianuary this year the Diet which the Emperor had summoned contrary to his promise as our King intimates met at Ratisbone where the Electors and divers other Princes of Germany assembled either in their own persons or by their Deputies The Imperial design was to take off the edge of the Princes dissatisfaction for his harsh proceedings against the Prince Palatine wherein he makes him the ground work and cause of all the Wars and miseries that have hapned in the Empire And thinking no man as he said would take the boldness to mediate the Restitution of the proscribed Palatine into the Electoral College he could do no less than dispose of the Electorate now plenojure devolved unto him as Emperor which he had bestowed on the Duke of Bavaria for spending his Treasure and hazarding his Blood in his service against his own Nephew the expulsed Palatine Wherefore he requests the illustrious presence of Electors and Princes to give their opinions how the peace of the Empire may be established to prevent all commotions for the future The Princes took this Proposition of the Emperor into debate and the Protestant Princes desired Caesar to consider the importance of the Business That though his Imperial Majesty in his own judgment may have had Cause enough to publish the Ban against the Prince Palatine yet they are of Opinion that in his particular Cause which so neerly concerned the disposing of an Electorate of the Empire and so principal a Person of the Electoral College the suddain doing whereof might occasion long and tedious Wars dangerous to the Roman Empire that Caesar should not of himself have proceeded so rigorously nor without the advice and consent of all the rest of the Electors according as it was agreed upon in the Capitulation Royal which is holden for a fundamental Law of the Empire Which course of Caesar's even for the manner of proceeding in it was distasted by Divers because the Prince Palatinate had never been legally summoned but uncited and unheard without all knowledge of his Cause and contrary to all ordinary Course had been condemned and against all Equity oppressed by the Publication of that Imperial Ban. We purpose not to call the Power Imperial into question yet we cannot but remember your Majesty of that Promise made in your Capitulation unto the Electors and humbly We admonish Caesar to stand unto his own word and not to intermit the performance of it And as for the disposing of the Electorate we desire nothing more than that We could gratifie Caesar with Our Suffrages But perceiving so many and so great Difficulties in it We cannot but admonish your Majesty of the danger of it This being the Opinion of Our Electors that seeing your Majesty hath graciously called the Diet for restoring Peace in the Empire that it were altogether necessary first to remove the Obstacles of Peace And seeing that all the stirs began in Bohemia Caesar should do well to labour first for the quieting of that Kingdom and command a stay to be made of the severe Reformation and frequent Executions there That so the Hearts of your Subjects being overcome with Grace and Mercy might be sweetly joyned to you and all fear and distrust utterly taken away without which we see no hope either how your Majesty can sit sure upon your Imperial Throne or how the Electors and Princes can be freed of their fears being evident that the Bohemians and others made desperate by the Extremity of their sufferings will take any occasion to begin new troubles and to involve the Empire with new Dangers All the Lutheran States of the Empire likewise which follow the Augustan Confession have their Eyes upon this Bohemian Reformation which though it were given out to be for private Iustice yet it is so linkt with the publick cause that unless it be speedily ended and the two Churches at Prague granted by Rodolphus the second not in favour of some private men alone but of Christian Elector of
the Ban against him which course of ours seeing it was never intended to be prosecuted to the prejudice of the Electoral College or against our own Capitulation we hope that the Electors will not take it otherwise being that we promise withal so to moderate it that no detriment or prejudice shall result thereby unto the Dignity Electoral As for the Translation of the Electorate and your advice for Restoring of the Palatinate there is I perceive some difference in your Opinions One part wisely and in favour of us affirming the great Reason we have to do it But for the other party which adviseth his Restoring we purpose not so far to consent unto it as to the restoring of him to the Electoral Dignity seeing that in the disposing of it other where we are resolved that we shall do no more than we have just reason to do nor will we defer the filling up of the Electoral College because the dispatching of it doth so much concern the Common good But for the Restitution of the Person of the Palatine you shall see how much our Mind is inclined towards clemency and how far we will declare Our self to gratifie the King of Great Britain the King of Denmark the Elector of Saxony and other Electors and Princes interceding for him And as concerning our forbidding the Exercise of the Lutheran Religion in the City of Prague we do not see how it any way concerns this Diet to inquire of our Letter have signified the causes that moved us to begin it unto the Elector of Saxony nor can we think that what we have done there any of the Neighbour States or Territories need be suspicious of seeing that we have sworn oftner than once in the Word of an Emperour that we will most Religiously observe the Peace both of Religion and civil Government throughout the Empire And thus much we could not but advertise this Illustrious Presence of Electors and Princes and you the Ambassadors of those that are absent The Protestant Electors and Princes still persisted in their Resolution that the Emperour could not translate the Electorate legally the words of the Capitulation being clearly these In all difficult businesses no process ought to be made without the knowledg and consent of the Electors and that without ordinary process no proscription should go out against any one of the States of the Empire before the cause were heard This is the fundamental Law of the Empire which required no more but to be constantly observed nor is it to be drawn into further dispute or deliberation And it stood the Electors upon to be open eyed to see to the observation of it being it concerned the three Secular Electors especially whose Dignity did by an Hereditary Right descend unto their Posterity to keep it safe and entire which they hoped that Caesar would not contradict But the Emperour would not be perswaded from his own Resolution yet in conclusion to gratifie the Princes he was contented to confer the Electorate with a Proviso that the investiture of the Duke of Bavaria should not be prejudicial to the children of the Palatine and so the Diet ended The ending of the Diet in Germany and our Prince's Journey into Spain were much about a time He went with the Marquess of Buckingham privately from Court the 17. of February to New-Hall in Essex the Marquess's House purchased of that unthrift Robert Earl of Sussex and from thence the next day by Graves-End the straight way to Dover attended onely by Sir Richard Graham Master of the Marquess's Horse where they were to meet Sir Francis Cottington who was thought fit to be the Prince's Secretary and Endimion Porter who was then taken from the Marquess's Bed-Chamber to wait upon the Prince Cottington was at first Clerk to Sir Charles Cornwallis his Secretary when Cornwallis was Ambassadour in Spain and being left there an Agent in the Intervals of Ambassadours was by that means trained up in the Spanish affairs Porter was bred up in Spain when he was a Boy and had the Language but found no other Fortune there then brought him over to be Mr. Edward Villers his man in Fleetstreet which was before either the Marquess or his Master were acceptable at White-Hall And Graham at first was an underling of low degree in the Marquess's Stable It is not hereby intended to vilifie the persons being men in this World's lottery as capable of advancement as others but to show in how poor a Bark the King ventured the rich freight his Son having onely the Marquess to steer his Course The Prince and Buckingham had false Beards for disguizes to cover their smooth Faces and the names of Iack Smith and Tom Smith which they past with leaving behind them impressions in every place with their bounty and presence that they were not the Persons they presented but they were not so rudely dealt with as to be questioned till they came to Dover and there the Mayor in a Supercilious Officiousness which may deserve the title of a careful Magistrate examined them so far being jealous they were Gentlemen going over to fight that the Marquess though Admiral was glad to Vail his Beard to him in private and tell him he was going to visit the Fleet so they had liberty to take Ship and landed at Bulloign the same day making swist Motion by Post-Horses which celerity leaves the least impression till they came to Paris There the Prince spent one day to view the City and Court shadowing himself the most he could under a Bushy Peruque which none in former times but bald people used but now generally intruded into a fashion and the Prince's was so big that it was hair enough for his whole face The Marquesses fair Face was shadowed with the same Pencil and they both together saw the Queen Mother at Dinner the King in the Gallery after Dinner and towards the Evening they had a full view of the Queen Infanta and the Princess Henrietta Maria with most of the Beauties of the Court at the practice of a Masking Dance being admitted by the Duke of Montbason the Queens Lord Chamberlain in Humanity to Strangers when many of the French were put by There the Prince saw those Eyes that after inflamed his Heart which increased so much that it was thought to be the cause of setting Three Kingdoms afire but whether any spark of it did then appear is uncertain if it did it was closely raked up till the Spanish fire went out the heat whereof made him neglect â—no time till he came to Madrid At Burdeaux the Duke D'Espernon Governour there out of a noble freedom to Strangers offered them the Civilities of his House which they declined with all bashful respects and Sr Francis Cottington who always looked like a Merchant and had the least Miene of a Gentleman fittest for such an imployment let him know they were Gentlemen that desired to improve themselves and
time than at others the mischief that fell to them in this Height of their pride and greatness is very remarkable For at at a Sermon in Black-Friers where Father Drurie a Iesuit vented his pestilent Doctrine to an Auditory of near three Hundred people the Floor of the Chamber being an upper room fell down and killed the Preacher and almost if not a full Hundred of his Auditory outright maiming and bruising most of the rest many of them lying a long time under the Rubbish crying for Help and with much difficulty recovered their broken Limbs Thus many times we might immediately see the hand of God who is the Lord of Life and Death though through wilful stupidity because we must judge modestly we look upon these accidents by mediate and second causes thinking an old house can destroy so many lives without the permission of that supreme Authority that orders all things both in Heaven and in Earth The Duke of Brunswick this Spring being healed of his wounds received in the last Battle with Mansfeldt and having gotten an artificial Arm to manage his Horse which he could do with a great deal of dexterity what by his own interest and power and the assistance of his friends being but a younger Brother and having nothing but the Bishoprick of Haverstat for his portion he raised a great Army in the lower parts of Germany about Brunswick and Munster consisting of about sixteen thousand foot and five thousand horse every way compleatly armed and accomplished with a gallant Train of Artillery The Horses Wagons and Carriages in such trim and suitable Equipage as shewed by their suitableness in furniture they had not been patched up nor hastily hurried together His Design being invited thereto was to joyn with the Prince of Orange to be revenged of the Spaniard for the loss of his Arm the last year But the chief motive as he alwaies pretended was his respects to the Queen of Bohemia who in those dayes whether out of pity for her suffering so much or out of fear that Religion would yet suffer much more carried a great stream of affection towards her ILLVSTRISSIMVS PRINCEPS CHRISTIANVS DVX BRVNSVICENSIS ADMINISTRATOR HALBERSTADENSIS Tali Brunonis claro de stemmate Princeps Vultu Barbaricos acer consurgit in hortes Nec Patriae tristes fert mens generosa ruinas That having in their March the Enemie at their Backs if the Rear-guard made a Halt the Battail should do the same and consequently the Van-guard according to the best Discipline attending with firm foot the cause of the Halt that they may be ready to put themselves in order for service if occasion were presented The Army thus coming to pass any Passage while the Van-guard did advance the Battail and Rear-guard should make a stand with the front towards the Enemy The Van-guard being past should face the Passage and stay for the Battail which being past also should do the same for the Rear-guard that they might be ready upon the approach of an Enemy to assist one another With this Order and Direction they began to march into Westfalia Brunswick trusting to Stirem Kniphuisen and Frenck who being Natives of the Country gave him assurance of the safe Conduct of his Army by wayes short and commodious And he commanded especially the General of the Horse to send out parties of Horse every way that he might have intelligence of the Enemie's Motions who gave him assurance that the Enemies Army was not within thirty English Miles when by other hand at the same time he had certain notice that the Enemy was within three English Miles with his whole Power This miscarriage made Brunswick hast away to Newburgh the next Town where resting a little he took a Resolution to march all night to recover time and ground again that Stirum's negligence had made him lazily lose And to that end he commanded Kniphuisen and Count Isenburg to make the Baggage march at eleven a clock at Night the Cannon at Midnight and the Army two hours after But Brunswick getting up at three a clock in the Morning hoping to find his Commands obeyed and the Army in a good forwardness of advance found nothing done and these great Officers in their Beds This disobedience of his Officers troubled Brunswick much but he was constrained to Diligence as well as Patience And hastning them away they pretended forwardness but made it eight of the Clock in the morning before the Rear-guard stirred out of their Quarters From Newburgh to Statloo Bridge a place of Security was but fourteen English Miles and there were in that way seven passages or Straits where a few men might oppose an Army The Baggage Cannon and Munition except six pieces with Munition that marched with the Rere-guard had past them all and the Foot three of them without disturbance but Count Stirum with the Horse loitered still behind at Newburgh which caused Brunswick to make the whole Army face about and stay for the Horse sending a strict Command to Stirum with all speed to come up and joyn with the Foot and not to skirmish with the Enemy at any rate But he stayed so long that the Enemy began to charge him in the Rere before he advanced to the third Passage So that he sent to Brunswick for five hundred Musqueteers to amuse the Enemy till he had passed the third Passage with his Horse The Duke sent these Musqueteers according to Sirum's desire and advancing his Army forward he passed the fourth Passage and there made the Rere of his foot face about the better to favour and receive his Horse Which having done he speeds back towards Stirum to see how the Business went with him and incountring Kniphuisen he asked him what the Enemy had done Who answered Nothing all is well But Brunswick going forward found the contrary for the Enemy had made a great slaughter laying almost a thousand Horse upon the Ground This perplexed Brunswick exceedingly so that with some Passion he sent a Command to Stirum to advance his Horse towards the Body of the Army who had stayed three hours for them at the fourth Passage whither the Duke returned to secure the same planting two Peeces of Demi-cannon at the Mouth of the Passage and leaving two thousand Musqueteers to guard it for the assistance of the Horse if the Enemy should come to charge them at the Entrance and so he marched forward with the rest of the Army But Stirum drew the Horse into a Body under the side of a Wood which was in the middle of a spacious plain betwixt the two Passages and that brought the Enemy to a stand for they suspected the whole Army stood in Battalia behind that Wood and therefore did not advance which shewed they watched only for advantages And Stirum seeing the Enemie at a stand drew his Horse towards the fourth Passage which the Enemy observing made all the haste after that could be to pelt them in
Pyrenes had bounded it towards Spain And the French Activity being loath to be cooped up thought it better to endure a little inconvenience at home than so much prejudice abroad and therefore to oppose Him they closed with the Protestants And what was it brought them in Obedience The re-edifying of their ruined Temples the restoring and maintaining their banished Ministers and Security in their Religion and Consciences So that it was not their Rebellion that was cause of the War but the War made against their Religion caused it to be called a Rebellion Thus when all other means failed their worst enemies though much against their wills proved to be their best Friends But to return to the Spanish Treaty all this while in Agitation As soon as the Articles Our King had sealed and sworn to observe were come into Spain and the Prince had ratified and comfirmed them and had sworn to another Article there wherein he ties up his own hands and gave leave to Satan and all his complices to buffet him which was To permit at all times that any should freely propose to him the Arguments of the Catholick Religion without giving any impediment and that he would never directly nor indirectly permit any to speak to the Infanta against the same the two Kingdoms of England and Spain as it were shook hands to the Agreement Preparations were made in England to entertain the Infanta a new Church built up at Saint Iames the Prince's house the Foundation stone with much Ceremony laid by Don Carlos a Coloma the Spanish Ambassadour for the publick exercise of her Religion Her very Shadows are courted in every Corner Painters being set a work to take the Height and Dimensions of this new Star that was to rise in the North before it appeared Such as hoped to flourish by her influence grew up to exuberancy what would they do then when they found the effects of it Why be drowned in their own redundancy For the Moderate Spirit did foresee what bad Omens this Apparition did threaten On the other side in Spain the Substance is as much courted as the Shadow is here with the Title of Princess of England her Maiden Restraints are taken off and she may come abroad to publick Meetings where now their Eyes may prattle loving Stories though the great Courtier Olivares gave it no better Title than The Prince watches the Infanta as a Cat doth a Mouse too gross 〈◊〉 Expression for a Master of those Ceremonies And in fine there was such an Union betwixt the two Crowns that it might well be said Philip and Iacob made one Holy-day But this closing betwixt England and Spain made the breach the wider in the House of the Palatine the Restitution of the Palatinate and the Electorate to the Queen of Bohemia and her Children being waved in the Treaty and a great sum of Money proposed as a Dowry which was also lessen'd after the first Proposition and some part of it promised to be sent with Her in Iewels which as one said might be Counterfeit as the rest of their Actions yet Our King accepted of all so eager was He and greedy of the Match that no Obstacle could stand in his way which he did not remove But there was some under-hand promise that the Infanta among the Courte-Complements should work that feat in presenting the Restorative of that Dignity and Country for a break-fast to ingratiate her Self with the Prince her Husband and as a pawn of her good Will and Affection to the English Nation And these Promises with the Spanish stamp were taken in England for current Payment so that all things tended to a Conclusion But time in Spain came too swift upon them they were willing the Infanta should winter there but knew not well how to delay the Prince longer And as they were in this plunge ruminating upon and striving to find out some new Remora to help them Pope Gregory the fifteenth that had granted the Dispensation dies and then their Subtilties flew upon that accident to make-the Dispensation invalid yet with a Reserve to keep up our Prince's Spirit that it should be no hinderance to the Match for the new Pope would instantly do it if not it should be dispatched by the Dean of the Cardinals and the King of Spain assured the Prince That if he would stay till Christmas the Marriage should be really celebrated then These delayes coming one on the neck of another and the Duke of Buckingham having taken some disgust 〈◊〉 Spain presented all things to our King in the worst habit he could put upon them For there had been some jarrs betwixt him and Olivares Two great Favourites though of different Kingdoms could not well squat in one form Olivares hunted Buckingham so close that he had almost caught him in his own Burrow but instead of his Game he incountered some Vermin which darkness could not distinguish who bit him shreudly and whether it were by this Common Hunt I know not but I am sure it was by the Common-Cry that he was so displeased with the Spanish for it that he afterwards much inclined to the French I acknowledge the Gravity and Dignity of History should not appear in such Metaphorical Habiliments but that we now live in an Age where Truth is forced to shroud her self in such Attire lest she should have imprinted on her face a Mark of Malice against Greatness which if it be not ballanced with Goodness and Piety is but an empty and frothy Title But it was said this Tetrical Humour made Buckingham dislike all the Spanish proceedings and just in the nick when it was on him the Queen of Bohemia by a private message gave him some intimation that She and her Children were to be thought on inviting him to be a Witnesse to the Christning of one of them which came fit to his acceptation not so much out of affection to the one Party as in opposition to the other And what disrelished with him gave an ill Savour to Our King who having cause enough to dislike the Spanish delates and finding the Hearts of the People bent against the Match and some neer him as the Duke of Lenox made Duke of Richmond when Buckingham had his Title that the Scots might still precede the English and the Marquess Hamilton made Earl of Cambridge to intitle him a Peer the last Parliament a man of a gallant and stately presence one whom the King much listened to and others having as little affection to it The hopes of a Daughter of France left to give life yet to a Royal Race did bate something of Our King 's keen edge so that he wrote to Buckingham That he could not expect after so long a stay in Spain and so little done that they had any cordial intention to perfect the Treaty and therefore conjured him to bring his Son back with all speed but if his Sonnes youthful follies should tye him to a
free Trumpet sending into England with the Prince Don Mendosa de Alcorcana to our King to congratulate the Princes happy Voyage into Spain and his safe return into England And from thence he had instructions to go into Flanders Germany and Italy to make known to all Princes and Potentates Allies to the King of Spain how neer the Treaty of Marriage betwixt the Prince of England and the Infanta of Spain was to be consummated And the Polonian Ambassadour at Madrid that solicited to have the Infanta for the Prince of Poland when he saw such preparations for the Match with England fainted in his Hopes and returned home For as soon as the Dispensation came from the new Pope which was in the Beginning of December Bonefires were made throughout all Spain for joy and the great Ordnance every where thundred out the noise of it The ninth of the month was prefixt for the Mariage day a Tarras being erected betwixt the Court and the next Church almost a quarter of a mile in length covered with Tapestry for the more magnificence and all things appointed in the highest State for so great a Solemnity Presents were providing in the Court of Spain for Our King and Prince the Infantas family to take into England was setled and established She had used her best skill among the Sweets of Spain as one of the Principal of them to cloth her Lord and Husband with some suits of perfumed Amber leather some imbroidered with Pearl and some with gold she had practiced long the English tongue to make it natural by the help of her two Iesuit Tutors Wadsworth and Boniface and began to draw the letters which she intended to have written the day of her Espousals to the Prince her Husband and the King her Father-in-law Her journeyinto England being resolved on about the Beginning of March In this State and perfection were the affairs of Spain when Our King's commands like a Cloud overshadowed the Brightness of them For Bristol had now Order to declare positively to the King of Spain that without the Restitution of the Palatinate and the Electoral Dignity the Treaty should proceed no further Four Messengers viz. Mr. Killigrew Gresly Wood and Davies followed each other at the heels which raised such a dust of Discontentment among the people at Madrid that as some report they wished they had broken their necks by the way so highly were the Commonalty of Spain affected with the Match And if they felt the Influence of this cloudy Message what did the Lady Infanta and the King do The one to lose her Lover the other to lose his Honour She whose Heart was affected and He who found himself affronted But his answer to Bristol was The Palatinate was none of his to give and the Electorate was in the Power of another but if the Emperor and the Duke of Bavaria would not yield to reason he would Arm himself on our King's part against them But this would not satisfie fair Promises having now lost their Virtue and the King of Spain discerning a Breach towards by this Various Motion sent to the Earl of Bristol to demand no more Audience of him to deliver no more Letters to the Infanta and gave command that none should call her hereafter Princess of England This was the end of seven years Treaty Wherein the King of England a King of Peace in spight of all the Spanish Armadoes got the Victory and Spain for many years did not receive so great an overthrow Yet they were paid in their own Coin For at the first and in the highest Progress of the Treaty when Our King was so eager for the Match in all likelyhood they never intended it But the Prince's Presence gaining much with both Sexes his Journey into Spain being esteemed among them so glorious an action and the hopes they had now by this Marriage to propagate the Catholick Cause finding the Prince as they thought something inclined that way better digested their first intentions and brought it to the state from whence it declined The Duke of Buckingham by the insinuation of a long converse having brought the Prince up to his own Humor taught him to look back to the Beauty he had seen in France which was neerer to him that he might remember the Spanish no more now esloigned from him But the Treaty with Spain must be first dissolved to give a tincture of Honor to a proceeding with the other and nothing but a Parliament shall do that which thâ—y had fore-determined For a Parliament taking away the cause which was a Treaty of Peace were best able to make good the effect which would be a War that must follow it Therefore a Parliament was summoned to meet the 12 th of February but a sad accident intervened which made it to be deferred for some few daies That morning the Parliament was to begin the King missed the Duke of Richmond's attendance who being a constant observer of him at all times the King as it were wanted one of his Limbs to support the Grandure of Majesty at the first solemn meeting of a Parliament and calling for him with earnestness a Messenger was dispatched to his Lodgings in Hast where the King's Commands and the Messenger Importunity made the Dutchess his wife somewhat unwillingly go to the Duke's Bed-side to awake him who drawing the Curtain found him dead in his Bed The suddenness of the affright struck her with so much Consternation that she was scarce sensible of the Horror of it and it was carried with that violence to the King that he would not adorn himself that day to ride in his Glories to the Parliament but put it off to the nineteenth of February following dedicating some part of that time to the Memory of his dead Servant who might serve as a fore-runner to the King and an Emblem to all his People That in the dark caverns of Man's Body Death often lurkes which no Humane Prudence or Providence is able to discover For the Dutchess to some of her intimates confessed afterwards that She found the effects of his full Veines that night that he was found dead the next Morning The portraiture of the illustreous Princesse Frances Duchess of Richmond and Lenox daughter of Thomas LD. Howard of Bindon sonne of Thomas Duke of Norfok. whose mother was Elisabeth daughter of Edward Duke of Buckingham Anno 1623. When She was Countess of Hertford and found admirers about her She would often discourse of her two Grand-Fathers the Dukes of Norfolk and Buckingham recounting the time since one of her Grand-Fathers did this the other did that But if the Earl her Husband came in presence she would quickly desist for when he found her in those Exaltations to take her down he would say Frank Frank How long is it since thou wert Married to Prannel which would damp the Wings of her Spirit and make her look after her feet as well as gawdy Plumes One
put by her Government to say nothing of Prince Henry but the violence of it did not work because the Operation was somewhat mitigated by the Duke's Protestation of his Innocency For the King at the next Interview saying to him Ah Stenny Stenny which was the Familiar name he alwayes used to him Wilt thou kill me The Duke struck into an Astonishment with the Expression after some little Pause collected himself and with many asseverations strove to justify his Integrity which the good King was willing enough to Believe and Buckingham finding by some discourse that Padre Macestria the Spanish Iesuit had been with the King he had then a large Theme for his Vindication turning all upon the Spanish Iesuitical Malice which proceeded from the ruins of their quashed Hopes And the King knowing Inoiosa and all that Party very bitter against Buckingham and though he did not directly accuse the Prince to be in the Conspiracy with Buckingham yet he reflected upon him for such an attempt could never have been effected without his Privity therefore out of the Bowels of good Nature he did unbelieve it and after Examinations of some Persons the Duke's Intimates and their constant denyal upon oath which they had no good Cause to confess the King was content being loth to think such an Enterprize could be fostred so neer his own Bosom to have the Brat strangled in the Womb. And he presently sent into Spain to desire Iustice of that King against the Ambassadours false Accusation which he said wounded his Son's Honour through Buckingham's side which Sir Walter Aston represented to the King of Spain for Bristol was coming over to justifie his Actions to the Parliament But the Duke of Buckinghams reputation there procured no other Satisfaction than some little check of formality for when Inoiosa was recalled home he was not lessen'd in esteem Thus was this Information waved though there might be some cause to suspect that the great intimacy and Dearness betwixt the Prince and Duke like the conjunction of two dreadful planets could not but portend the production of some very dangerous effect to the old King But the Duke's Reputation though it failed in Spain held firm footing in England for Bristol no sooner appeared but he is clapt up in the Tower Their jugling practices whereof they were Both guilty enough must not yet come to light to disturb the Proceedings in Parliament Bristol had too much of the King's Commission for what he did though he might overshoot himself in what he said which was not now to be discovered Yet the Rigor of that imprisonment would have sounded too loud if he had not had a suddain Release who finding the Duke high mounted yet in power and himself in no Degree to grapple with him was content with Submission to gain his liberty and retire himself to a Country privacy The Lords being now at leisure began to consider of that stinging petition as the King called it against Papists how necessary it was to joyn with the Commons to supplicate the King to take down the pride of their high-flying Hopes that had been long upon the Wing watching for their prey and now they are made to stoop without it And after some Conferences betwixt both Houses about it the Petition was reduced to these two Propositions and presented to the King as two Petitions We your Majestie 's most humble and loyal Subjects the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament do in all humbleness offer unto your Sacred Majesty these two Petitions following 1. That for the more safety of your Realms and better keeping your Subjects in Obedience and other important Reasons of State your Majesty would be pleased by some such course as you shall think fit to give present Order that all the Laws be put in due execution which have been made and do stand in force against Jesuits Seminary Priests and others having taken Orders by authority derived from the See of Rome and generally against all Popish Recusants And as for disarming that it may be according to the Laws and according to former Acts and Directions of State in that Case And yet that it may appear to all the World the Favour and Clemency your Majesty useth towards all your Subjects of what Condition soever And to the intent the Jesuits and Priests now in the Realm may not pretend to be surprized that a speedy and certain may be prefixed by your Majesties Proclamation before which day they shall depart out of this Kingdom and all other your Highness Dominions and neither they nor any other to return or come hither again upon peril of the severest Penalties of the Laws now in force against them And that all your Majesties Subjects may thereby also be admonished not to receive entertain or conceal any of them upon the Penalties and Forfeitures which by the Laws may be imposed on them 2. Seeing We are thus happily delivered from that danger which those Treaties now dissolved and that use which your ill-affected Subjects made thereof would certainly have drawn upon us and yet cannot but foresee and fear lest the like may hereafter happen which would inevitably bring much peril upon your Majesties Kingdoms We are most humble Suters unto your Gracious Majesty to secure the Hearts of your good Subjects by the ingagement of your Royal Word unto them that upon no occasion of Marriage or Treaty or other request in that behalf from any forein Prince or State whatsoever you will take away or slacken the Execution of your Laws against Jesuits Priests and Popish Recusants To which Our humble Petitions proceeding from Our most Loyal and Dutiful affections towards your Majesty Our Care of Our Countries good and our own confident persuasion that these will much advance the Glory of Almighty God the everlasting Honour of your Majesty the Safety of your Kingdoms and the incouragement of all your good Subjects We do most humbly beseech your Majesty to vouchsafe a gracious Answer The King was prepared for the Petition having given his own Resolution the Check at present that whatsoever he might do hereafter yet now he would comply and therefore he sends for both Houses to Whitehall to sweeten them with a gentle answer to this Petition that might take off those sour aspersions that this miscarriage in Government might happily cast upon him And we will not say but his intentions might rove towards the End though he gave too much liberty through a Natural easiness in himself to those that He trusted with Management of the great affairs by evil means to pervert that end which made him guilty of their Actions For where true Piety is not the Director Carelesness as often as Wilfulness carries men out of the way But he had this Principle and made often use of it like ill Tenants when they let things run to ruin to daub all up again when forced to it and find no other Remedy This was the effect of
what he said in his own excuse My Lords and Gentlemen of both Houses I cannot but commend your Zeal in offering this Petition to me yet on the other side I cannot but hold my Self unfortunate that I should be thought to need a Spur to do that which my Conscience and Duty binds me unto What Religion I am of my Books do declare my Profession and Behaviour doth shew and I hope in God I shall never live to be thought otherwise surely I shall never deserve it And for my part I wish it may be written in Marble and remain to Posterity as a mark upon me when I shall swerve from my Religion For he that doth dissemble with God is not to be trusted with Men. My Lords for my part I protest before God That my Heart hath bled when I have heard of the increase of Popery God is my judge it hath been such a great grief to me that it hath been as Thorns in my Eyes and Pricks in my Sides and so for ever I have been and shall be from turning another way And my Lords and Gentlemen you shall be my Confessors that one way or other it hath been my Desire to hinder the growth of Popery and I could not be an honest Man if I should have done otherwise And this I may say further That if I be not a Martyr I am sure I am a Confessor and in some sense I may be called a Martyr as in the Scripture Isaac was Persecuted by Ismael by mocking Words for never King suffered more ill Tongues than I have done and I am sure for no cause yet I have been far from Persecution for I have ever thought that no way increased any Religion more than Persecution according to that Saying Sanguis Martyrum est Semen Ecclesiae Now my Lords and Gentlemen for your Petition I will not onely grant the Substance of what you craved but add somewhat more of my own For the Two Treaties being already anulled as I have declared them to be it necessarily follows of it self that which you desire and therefore it needs no more but that I do declare by Proclamation which I am ready to do That all Jesuits and Priests do depart by a Day but it cannot be as you desire by Our Proclamation to be out of all my Dominions for a Proclamation here extends but to this Kingdom This I will do and more I will Command all my Judges when they go their Circuits to keep the same Courses for putting all the Laws in Execution against Recusants as they were wont to do before these Treaties for the Laws are still in force and were never dispensed with by me God is my judge they were never so intended by me But as I told you in the beginning of the Parliament you must give me leave as a good Horse-man sometimes to use the Reins and not always to use the Spurs So now there needs nothing but my Declaration for the disarming of them that is already done by the Laws and shall be done as you desired And more I will take order for the shameful disorder of the Resorting of my Subjects to all forein Ambassadours of this I will advise with my Council how it may be best reformed It is true that the Houses of Ambassadors are privileged places and though they cannot take them out of their Houses yet the Lord Mayor and Mr. Recorder of London may take some of them as they come from thence and make them Examples Another Point I will add concerning the Education of their Children of which I have had a principal care as the Lord of Canterbury and the Bishop of Winchester and other Lords of my Council can bear me witness with whom I have advised about this Business For in good faith it is a shame their Children should be bred here as if they were at Rome So I do grant not onely your Desire but more I am sorry I was not the first mover of it to you But had you not done it I should have done it my self Now for the second part of your Petition You have there given me the best advice in the World For it is against the Rule of Wisdom that a King should suffer any of his Subjects to transgress the Laws by the intercession of other Princes and therefore assure your selves that by the Grace of God I will be careful that no such Conditions be foisted in upon any other Treaty whatsoever For it is fit my Subjects should stand or fall to their own Laws If the King had seriously and really considered the Minute of this Petition the very last Clause wherein the Glory of God and the Safety of his Kingdoms so much consisted as the Parliament wisely express and foresee and which the King saith is the best Advice in the World and which he promised so faithfully to observe in the next Treaty of Marriage for his Son it might perhaps have kept the Crown upon the Head of his Posterity But when Princes break with the People in those Promises that concern the Honour of God God will let their people break with them to their Ruin and Dishonour And this Maxim holds in all Powers whether Kingdoms or Common Wealths As they are established by Iustice so the Iustice of Religion which tends most to the Glory of God is principally to be observed The King grants them more than they desire but not so much as they hope for they have many good words thick sown but they produce little good fruit Yet the Parliament followed the Chace close and bolted out divers of the Nobility and Gentry of Eminency Popishly affected that had Earth'd themselves in Places of high Trust and Power in the Kingdom as if they meant to under-mine the Nation Viz. Francis Earl of Rutland the Duke of Buckingham's Wives Father Sir Thomas Compton that was married to the Duke's Mother And the Countess her self who was the Cynosure they all steered by The Earl of Castle-Haven The Lord Herbert after Earl of Worcester The Lord Viscount Colchester after Earl of Rivers The Lord Peter The Lord Morley The Lord Windsor The Lord Eure. The Lord Wotton The Lord Teinham The Lord Scroop who was Lord President of the North and which they omitted the Earl of Northampton Lord President of Wales who married his Children to Papists and permitted them to be bred up in Popery Sir William Courtney Sir Thomas Brudnell Sir Thomas Somerset Sir Gilbert Ireland Sir Francis Stonners Sir Anthony Brown Sir Francis Howard Sir William Powell Sir Francis Lacon Sir Lewis Lewkner Sir William Awberie Sir Iohn Gage Sir Iohn Shelly Sir Henry Carvel Sir Thomas Wiseman Sir Thomas Gerrard Sir Iohn Filpot Sir Thomas Russell Sir Henry Bedingfield Sir William Wrey Sir Iohn Conwey Sir Charles Iones Sir Ralph Connyers Sir Thomas Lamplough Sir Thomas Savage Sir William Moseley Sir Hugh Beston Sir Thomas Riddall Sir Marmaduke Wivel Sir Iohn Townesend Sir William Norris Sir