THE ANSWER TO Tom-Tell-Troth THE Practise of PRINCES and the LAMENTATIONS of the KIRKE Written By The Lord Baltismore late Secretary of STATE London Printed 1642. Most Gracious Prince I Know well what Reverence Subjects owe to their Soveraigne and am not ignorant of the puissance and Majesty of a King of great Brittaine believe I should not presume to write to so great a Monarch if the Loyalty of a Subject the honour of Your vertues and some particular obligations of my own did not command me to neglect all other respects and prefere Your safety honour and bonum publicum before any dangers or blame I foresee may incurre and the rather because I speake in your owne care only without publishing or imparting to others that which I delivered unto Your Majesty The cause is briefly thus Wandring abroad in the world I was informed of certaine secret conference in Holland and how to relieve the distressed estate of the Count Palatine and I have seene diverse discourses out of England of the necessity to maintaine the Ancient authority of Parliaments how to assure Religion from oppression and alteration and how to reforme the government there both in Church and Common-wealth audacious arguments and as insolently handled I meane not to trouble Your Highnesse with pedlors stuffe and so stale wares as Vox populi and votiva Angliae but to inform You of some books amongst many others T. T.Troth The practise of Princes and the lamentation of the Kirke which are the works of such Boutefeus as are able to set the whole State on fire imbroyle the Realm and aliene the hearts of people from their Prince for these Maskers under the Visards of Religion seeke to undermine Loyalty and either to ingage you abroad in forraigne wars or in danger Your person at home in Civill And yet I write not to confute these learned scriblers more worthy to be contemned then answered but to advertis Your Highnesse of them that by an obsta principiis you may upon such smoake prepare all things needfull to quench such a fire when it shall flame and first breake out which is may doe when you least looke for it For by nature these spirits are fiery hot spurs and fitter for any thing then that they most professe Piety and Patience And that they may plainely appeare in their own likenesse Your Highnesse may bee pleased to mark and consider how sawcily and presumptuously they contemne Monarches scorne and disgrace them The Emperour Tom Tell-Troth calls a quiet lumpe of Majesty and in scorne of him tells his Reader he cannot wrong a Mouse without the Spaniard which I think the K. of Denmarke Will not believe he mocks the K. of France and tells him he is not old enough to be wise and that he hearkneth to lying Prophets and to be led by spirits of illusion The King of Spaine he calleth the Catholike usurper and the great ingrosser of the West-Indies And which argueth a spirit of Frenzie he spareth no King for of King Iamâ—s himselfe he delivereth such a character as is both disloyall and most intollerable And first touching his maintenance of Religion he taxeth him mâ—st scandalouslâ— that he is only head of the Church Dormant there are so many corruptions in it that he hath more pulled downe the Church with his proceedings then raised it up by his writings and whereas he calleth himselfe defender of the Faith His faithfull Subjects saith he have just cause to question it for the Papists were never better defended as appeareth by the Kings private instruction to Iudges and prohibition of Pursevants And for his inclination to peace for which hee was most commended they wrest it wholly to his dishonour and professe they have too much cause to complaine of his unlimited peace and suspect that his peaceable disposition hath not proceeded so much out of his Christian pietie and justice as out of meere impotencie and basenesse of mind Besides touching his honour and reputation he flouts him for he saith a number of defects cover the glory of his Raigne and that the greaâ— stocke of Soveraigne reputation which our late Queene left us is quite banished and is to bee reckoned amongst other inventions we haâ—e lost through the injury of his time so as now great Brittaine is lesse in glory strength and riches then England was whereby our adverse parties have the triumph of the time and heâ— alledgeth the reasons because when Gundamore taught to juggle who knew the Kings secrets before most of His Councell so as discontent runs with a seditious voyce over the kingdome And in contempt of his choyce of a Treasurer they alledge that the Merchants feared the Court would pull down the Exchange because one of their occupation was made Treasurer so aâ— all things must be bought and sold But above all other scandalous defamations the description they make of a protestant King Page 25.26 27. is most transcendent and traiterous let him saith he excell in mischiefe let him act Nero Phalaris c. he shal not need to feâ—re nor weare a private Coate for he may have Lords temporall for hâ—s â—unuches spirituâ— for his mutes and whom hee will for his Incubus and kisse his Minions without shame Behold a Calvinist in puris naturalibus perfectly factious and under the Cloake of zeale Carnifex regum peruse Mariana and all the works of the Iesuites looke as curiously into their acts and proceedings as they were examined at Paris and you shall not find I such paradoxes of mischiefe and such prophane calumniations of Princes which may parallell and match these yet I can overmatch them or equall them for they murmure as much at Your Majesties own proceedings neither doth your Monarchie oâ— mild tempâ—r priviledge or exempt you from their tongue-shot and the poyson of Aspes in their lips The Author of the Practise of Princes printed 1630. in England pag. 11. saith that the people when King Iames died seeing our King that now is making great preparations and for ought we knew with great sinceritie Yet by the practise of the Duke and his faction retaining all his fathers Counsell which for the most part were Hispaniolized Frenchified Romanized or Neutralized and suffering some worse both spirituall and temporall to be added unto them all those forces were soone brought to nought Things are grown to a great deale worse passe then before and to the great greif of goodnesse and good men without Gods speciall mercy remedy lesse This is the picture and portraiture they make of your Government and they dare censure their Soveraign and like mad-men they also rave against your Councell pag. 13. what a miserable thing is it to see wicked Counsellors get such a hand over the King that he is wholly ruled by them neither dares he favour a good man nor his cause further then they admit Thus they currishlie barke against Kings and Councells and spitt upon the Crown like Friends of Democracies of confusion
sunt ad gubernationem Regis Regni duo Episcopi duo Barones duo Baronetti duo Baccalaurij milites cum uno Iurisconsulto Yet was this done because of the Kings minoritie and under the name and authoritie of the King The Cheif Justice of Aragon hath a large command and the States claime a power Nosque valemos tanto como vos masque vos c but this holdeth not to underpropp the usurpation of the Directors and their Conventicles for the Cheif Justice is an ancient and an ordinary Officer established by Custome and long continuance and is allowed by the King and is deposeable by him as the King gives the Office so may he take it away from him as he did from Didaco And seeing all subordinate Magistrats have their Authoritie jure humano non potestate sua sed alienâ And seeing these Directors of Bohemia were not chosen nor admitted by the whole State but which was worse usurped an Authoritie inconsulto Rege I may say of them truelie whom these usurpers elected that which God himself said Osee 8. Ipsi Regnant non ex me Principes extiterunt non cognovi eos And therefore I will conclude that this Election of the Count Palatine was contrary to Law and reason being made by Conspiratours who usurped an authoritie which they lawfullie had not and by private men and not by the King nor Officers of the Realme nor the Generall States And I the rather hold this opinion because King Iames in his oration to the Parliament 1620. used these words very judiciallie Kings and kingdoms were before Parliaments the Parliament was never called for the purpose to meddle with complaints against the King the Church or State matters but ad consultandum de relus arduis Nos Regnum nostrum concernentibus as the writ will informe you I was never the cause nor guiltie of the Election of my Sonne by the Bohemians neither would I be content that any other King should dispute whether I am a lawfull King or no and to tosse Crowns like Tennis-balls Besides if the Count Palatine had been elected in any shew of order a maine defect yet lyeth as a block in his way For the Aur. Bulla cap. de confirmat Regis Bohemiae setteth down this clause as an essentiall Axiome volentes ut quicunque in Regem Bohemorum Electus sit accedat ad nos successores nostros which Frederick did not sua à nobis Regadia accepturus which he likewise never did and it must be done debito modo solito to shew the use Custome and dutie And to take away all cavills he binds it with à non obstantibus legibus municipalibus that the pretence of impostors the name of liberties and the title of Vicarius Imperij might have no place for excuse And to prove the necessitie of his investiture Read Aur. Bullae exp. 2. and Curia Nurimbergh art 7. 8. Si quis autem Principum Electorum aliusve feudem à sacre tenens Imperio supra infrascriptus Imperiales constitutiones adimplere noluerit aut iis contraire praesumpserit ex tunc cateri Coëlectores à suo ipsum deinceps consertio excludant And surelie the Palsgrave had ill Councell and as weak a judgment to seek to dispossesse the Emperour of his right and title who was to give him the investiture of Bohemia and by disorder to seek a Crown also by men who had no power to give it by which ambition came the ruine of that mightie Familie who aspiring to a Crown it could not rightfullie challenge lost that Crown which it had lawfully long possessed CHAP. 5. Of the proscription of the Palsgrave NOw I come to the maine point which the Puritans call the head of all these evills the proscription of the Palsgrave wherein we must examine whether it were done de jure or injuriouslie and whether there be just cause why the Father should vindicate the honour of his Sonne the grounds of the proscription were too solid For after the Assemblie at Franckford 1619. where by the pluralitie of voices Ferdinand was Elected the Palsgrave not contradicting it the Count Palatine took the Crown of Bohemia as it were from the head of the Emperour he joyned with the Directors begun this unfortunate tragedie made himself head of the union the most dangerous that ever was contrived in Germany consented to the invasion of the Lower Austria and at Retz the States being assembled 2. August 1620. Fredericum Palatinum Dominum Protectorem elegerunt Besides he assisted all the malcontents of the State and raised Armies for his defence as if he had not been fullie satisfied with the Crown of Bohemia except he had likewise dispossessed him of the Empire and forced him to flye into Spaine for succour as it is evident by the Records of Cancellaria Anhaltina Nay the same Count Palatine in his Letters to the Duke of Saxonie confesseth that he took upon him the Crown of Bohemia First that the kingdom might not be longer restrained from the exercise of their Religion Secondly that they might enjoy their priviledges Thirdly and cheifly that the Election of the King of the Romanes might be in the power and choice of the Protestant Electors faire Colours on a false ground zeal to Religion out of Charity is made to break the peace of Europe and to maintaine the liberties of Bohemia he must needs violate the Laws and orders of the Empire and to enlarge the Dignitie of the Secular Electors he would tread upon all the Ecclesiasticall But to say more plainly he scorned to hold the stirrup while the House of Austria did mount and surmount him But to proceed was their end only to releive Bohemia no surely For they sollicited the revolt of Hungaria they joyned with Bethlem Gabor the Turks vassall and if you look well into the scope and intention of these correspondents you shall see a Medusaes Head For what was their project by the Rolls of Cancellaria Anhaltina the union intended to give the Palsgrave for his share more then Bohemia Alsatia and a part of Austria and to enlarge his Dominions with the spoiles of the Bishopprick of Mentz and Spires the rest of the Correspondents purposed to share the fattest morsells of Germany amongst them Onoltsback gaped for Writzburgh Barlâ—n thirsted after Brysack and to oppresse the poore Count Eberstein Anhalt hoped to supply his prodigaliâ—ies with Brambergh and some escheats in Bohemia al of them resolved by fire and sword to extirpate pied a pied the Papalty And Blessen iâ— his letters to P. Anhalt 27. November 1619. certifieth him unitat in conventu Noricâ— bellum decrevisse in catholicas Ecclesiast invasio pag. 67. Cancellariae was resolved upon and the deprecation also of Tryer and the surprizing also of that Prince Electors country and pag. 131. it was concluded ut adversae partis Provincia invadantur Besides as if they went to cast the
is de capite for which they seeke their owne ends not yours and though some of your puritan Subjects will dare to contradict it yet let traffique be heard and consult with your merchants who can best tell where entercourse and commerce is to be for their most advantage And I am sorry that so religious a King and so magnanimous as the King of France for privatum odium singulare commodum I should lay any block in the way of peace yet your highnesse knoweth that France hath their particular exceptions and piques against Spaine which no way concerne England and pretend what they will for your good it is their owne they seeke and keepe Spaine low and draw dry their finances but you shall shew to the world both great policy and vertue to glorifie your judgement if you can keep them both your friends albeit è duobus milibus utrum 〈◊〉 tibi ut your Majesty and Councell can best judge Therefore I beseech your Majesty consider what inconveniences may happen to England if either you should bee councelled to restore the Palatine or revenge his quarrell in despight of justice whom the law and justice have cast downe For cui bonos it can be no honour to defend a mans errours who might have said with Albinus Arma ameus capio let not a non putaram be laid to your charge The Realme hath no such interest in the quarrell of Forreigners but by alliance and I should pitty that Councellours weaknesse who should advise your Highnesse to the contrary for nothing is so neere and deare to a King as his Crowne and solus populi supreme lex est it is not your case but by consequence and participation and if you would attempt to restore or revenge him by indirect courses how are you provided to performe it Vana est sine viribus ira and to breake with Spaine and doe the Palatine no good is to damnifie England undoe your merchants and blemish the honour of your judgement CHAP. 7. Reasons why the Count Palatine is not to bee restored by Armes CAll therefore most gracious Prince true polici experience and vertue to give you councell and consult whether that your attempt be honourable falsible and for a King of England Cicero at Rome the best schoole of civill government being asked his opinion in a case like to this whether it were good for Lentulus and the common-wealth to undertake the charg to restore Ptolomy and put him in possession of his Kingdome out of which he was ejected he gave this advise li 1. epist familia si exploratum tibi sit posse te illius regni potiri non esse constandum si dubium non esse conandum and why totius facti tui judicium non tam ex concilio tuo quam ex eventu homines esse facturos si cecidisset ut volimus et optamus omnes te sapientur et fortiter si aliquid est offensum eosdimillos te et cupidè et temerè fecisse dicturos apply this to your selfe and you cannot erre Ptolomy was a Prince deposed and to be restored by force of armes who had cast his self into the protection of the Romanes and yet the danger hazard and uncertainty of that action did disswade and discourage the whole state I will shew another president to guide your judgment neerer to your case Christian the second King of Denmarke was deposed by his uncle Fredericke and his owne subjects his wife Isabella sister to Charles the 5th as the Palatines wife is to your highnesse and afterward hee was betrayed by Canutus Gulderstein who promised him in Fredericks name security and capitulations but notwithstanding he was taken and imprisoned many yeares yet the Emperour his brother maintained her and her children very nobly but though his cause was just his title without question his case lamentable Halfnia Malbogia and both Burgers and Paisants seeking his restoration and his cause depending in suite at Spires where he was like to have judgement for him as is manifest by the acts and records there Denmark contra Denmark in causa spolij as Melchior Geldastus testifieth yet for divers causes the Emperour resolved not to hazard himselfe and his people in a war so dangerous and unnecessary and for a man of forlorne hope and especially he himselfe being engaged in other occasions of more importance touching his honour and safety hee neglected this which though it were a crosse to his friends yet for their good hee was not to neglect himselfe and his State But if the practises of your predecessours may bee thought best to guide you Queene Isabell wife to King Edw. 2. flying to her brother the King of France for succour against the Spencers the Kings minions the French Kings Councell advised him to give her money and leave her to solicite such friends as she could procure but in no sort to appeare in the action nor give commission to levie men against the King of England for so he should give cause to renue the warre and set France in an uproare and danger which were a thing incommodious to himselfe and inconvenient to the State such was their warinesse and providence to preferre the place safety and prosperity of their Country farr above the respect of particular persons not regarding the Queene his sister so much as his crowne and safety And afterwards when Sir Iohn Heynault Lord Braumont undertooke to restore her both the heart of Heynault and his cheife officers opposed it as an enterprize of more courage then wisedome and although good successe made it seeme good yet it was not so of it selfe but by accident for the Queene having strong partie in England as now the Palatine hath in Germany the Barons sent over the Archbishop of Canterbury to assure her of their assistance and besides she carried over into England with her solem orientem Prince Edw. the Kings sonne and heire It was lately objected to me that the famous blacke Prince aided Don Pedro King of Castile against his Subjects who rebelled and wrongfully expelled him and therefore King Charles ought to doe the like for the aide of his sister I denie that he ought and I say also that the consequence is not good for the Prince aided a lawfull King against rebels you shall aide a usurper against a lawful King and an Emperour so in the cause there is odds Besides have you a blacke Prince the mirrour of all martiall Princes to be imployed in this expedition Or have you in Spaine or Ger. such a Rendezevous to let in your Forces with facility as he had in Aquitaine And besides you shall break a treaty of peace solemnly sworne which the Princes did not I adde also that valiant Candâ—is disswaded the Prince from undertaking the action you ought saith he to be content with the state you have and not to pull upon you the malice of forreign Princes but Prince Edwards owne reason why he