order to proceed in their journey Twenty ships of war and 4000. land Souldiers which is the force of that Fleet being here held sufficient for that enterprize The Armado in Cadiz is not yet departed but hath her men aboard and there is daily expectation of newes that it is gone to Sea The Duke of Saxonie having received letters from the King our Master and the King of Denmark sent presently coppies of them unto the Emperour with his answers unto their Majesties and accompanied them with a letter of his own unto the Emperour All which the Emperour sent unto the King The carriage of the Duke is much esteemed here for having given as I am informed by his Letters unto the King our Master and the King of Denmark such an answer as they are here much satisfied withal Nothwithstanding in this Letter to the Emperour with many reasons and much instance he advises him to apply himself to the setling of the peace in Germany and expressing much affection to the composing of the affaires of the Prince Palatine doth earnestly intreat his Majestie not to destroy that ancient house In the mean time the Duke of Bavaria uses all diligence to combine himself with this Crown and now doth offer to cast off all other thoughts of leagues and to depend wholly upon Spain so that this King will protect him in his Electoral dignity and what he hath lately possessed himself of in those parts This offer of the Dukes hath been several dayes debated in Councel where the Marquesse Ynoiosa hath been busie in the behalf of the Duke but the wiser part of this Councel seeing how prejudicial the increase of the Dukes greatnesse may prove to the Empire do no way favour his pretentions They likewise hold fit to continue the state of things in a possibility of an accommodation without our Master The Arch-Duke Don Carlos hath brought power from the Emperour to proceed to the consummation of a marriage betwixt the Emperours son and the Infanta Donna Maria wherein he sayes he hath nothing to Capitulate but brings them a blanck paper and hath power and order to confirm what conditions they shall here set down The Emperour's Embassadour doth much presse to proceed to the Capitulations but there is yet nothing done The Infanta of Brussels hath lately written hither importing this King to admit of a treaty of marriage betwixt the Prince of Polonia and the Infanta his Sister extolling with many expressions the worth and parts of that Prince There hath been some moneths a general stop of their proceedings here in all suites of English Merchants depending in this Court but I have at last procured a Junto to be assigned for the hearing of all English Causes wherein I am promised there shall be a speedy Resolution taken of whatsoever is at present in Question The Duke of Feria hath lately advertised hither from Millain that the French King and the Duke of Savoy do minister much occasion of jealousie that they intend to attempt some novelty in those parts and doth therefore desire that his Troops may be augmented whereupon above the ordinary charge there was instantly remitted unto him 2000. Duckets The great annual Assiento which this King makes with the Genoueses is newly concluded it is for 7. millions whereof 4. are remitted for Flanders to be paid by monethly portions In a late meeting of the Councel of State upon a discourse that passed amongst them taking into consideration this Kings wants and the present distemper of his affairs the Inquisidor General expressing how necessary a time it was for his Majesties Subjects to assist his present occasions made offer of 100 Duckets for his part which the Conde of Olivares followed with a tender of 300 the Conde of Monterrey of 100 all the rest of the Councel of State following their example gave according to their quality Notice being taken of this abroad the Condestable wrote a Letter unto this King wherein he made tender of 200 Duckets the Marquesse of Castel Rodrigo of 100 the Marquesse of Carpio of the like summe Divers others have likewise declared themselves in this donative and it is hoped that it will go over the whole Kingdome and bring in an extraordinary Treasure into the Kings purse Thus with the remembrance of my duty I rest Your Graces c. W. A. Archbishop Abbots to Secretarie Nanton 12. Septemb. 1619. Good Mr. Secretarie I Have never more desired to be present at any Consultation then that which is this day to be handled for my heart and all my heart goeth with it But my Foot is worse then it was on Friday so that by advice of my Physitian I have sweat this whole night past and am directed to keep my bed this day But for the matter my humble advice is That there is no going back but a countenancing of it against all the world yea so far as with ringing of Bells and making of Bon-fires in London so soon as it shall be certainly understood that the Coronation is past I am satisfied in my Conscience that the Cause is just wherefore they have rejected that proud and bloody man and so much the rather because he hath taken a course to make that Kingdom not elective but to take it from the donation of another man And when God hath set up the Prince that is chosen to be a mark of honor through all Christendom to propagate his Gospel and to protect the oppressed I dare not for my part give advice but to follow where God leads It is a great honour to the King our Master that he hath such a Son whose virtues have made him thought fit to be made a King And me thinks I do in this and that of Hungary foresee the work of God that by piece and piece the Kings of the earth that gave their power unto the beast all the Word of God must be fulfilled shall now tear the Whore and make her desolate as St. John in his Revelation hath foretold I pray you therefore with all the spirits you have to put life into this businesse and let a return be made into Germany with speed and with comfort and let it really be prosecuted that it may appear to the World that we are awake when God in this sort calleth us If I had time to expresse it I could be very angry at the shuffling which was used toward my Lord of Doncaster and the slighting of his Embassage so which cannot but touch upon our Great Master who did send him and therefore I would never have a Noble Sonne forsaken for respect of them who truly aym at nothing but their own purposes Our striking in will comfort the Bohemiant will honour the Palsgrave will strengthen the Union will bring on the States of the Low Countries will stirre up the King of Denmark and will move his two uncles the Prince of Orange and the Duke of Bovillon to-together with Tremoville a rich Prince in France to
his Correspondence with the Popes Ministers as long as he doth live under the protection of his Majestie but when I understood that the Duke had lodged him in a prison with an intent to send him to Venice I was glad that I had so little to do with him and the Nuntio so much The Duke of Savoy doth assure himself that when his Majestie shall have perused this Letter of Signiour Donato's he will withdraw his countenance and protection from him and account him unworthy of any favour for having wronged in so high a degree a Prince that is so much a servant of his Majestie I may not likewise conceal from his Majesties knowledge that Signiour Donato hath not been wanting to ruine as far as he could Padre Paolo and Fulgentio in Venice two persons that have done his Majestie very long and faithful service as by an inclosed Paper your Honour may see which is an abstract of a Letter written from Fulgentio The Prince of Piedmont having made a posting voyage hither to receive his Fathers blessing before he bring his Lady in the Country I did present unto him his Majesties Letters of Congratulation whereunto he hath returned an answer which I send here inclosed So with my hearty prayers unto Almighty God for the preservation of his Majesties Person in all happinesse and prosperity in all humility I take leave And rest Your Honours Most faithfully to command Isaac Wake Turin 3 15 of Octob. 1619. Sir Isaac Wake to the Duke Right Honourable and my very singular good Lord IN these parts we have nothing of moment worthy the relating the storms which do vex our neighbours round about us keeping us here in calme and quiet as it were per antiperistasin Howsoever I am of opinion that we shall enter into the Dance either actively or passively before the next summer passe over All over Italy there doth raign a great dearth which did lately cause in Naples a dangerous Cullevation of the people against the Cardinal Zappata Vice-Roy who had somewhat to do to save himself from the fury of the Popolarzo In the State of Millan likewise some insurrections were beginning to be made in Novarra Allessandria and Cremona both for want of bread and for the insolencie of the Garrison Souldiers who having had no pay for many moneths did commit many violent excesses upon the people which did drive them into despair but those Commotions were appeased betimes and no great matter of Consideration hath ensued although there are some neighbour Princes who did stand aux Escoutes and would be ready to have acted a troublesome part if the scene had been ready The Duke of Parma hath imprisoned his natural son Don Octavie the mysterie whereof is not well known but it must needs be for some great matter because he did make shew to love him passionately The Infanta Isabella of Modena hath been in danger of her life by being surprized with a violent feaver neer the time of her child-birth from hence the Duke of Savoy sent his Physitians to help her and we hear now that she hath escaped that danger and is safely delivered of a daughter Count Mansfelt is grown formidable and doth daily increase in strength and reputation Although he hath hitherto intitled his armes unto the service of the King of Bohemia yet I believe he will neither disarm nor suspend his arms when he shall be commanded so to do by that King For being now intertained by the State of Venice with an honourable provision of 12000. Crowns per annum in peace during his life and the pay of 10000 Foot and 2000 horse in the time of War he will try what he can do for the infranchising of the Grisons when the affairs of the Palatinate shall be accommodated And if the Austriaci do not bend all their forces against him very speedily and break his Armie before it grow more strong he is like to give them a greater blow then they have had these many yeares That which he hath gotten already in Alsatia is much more worth then the lower Palatinate and although he hath hitherto made those people to swear Allegiance unto the King of Bohemia yet when the said King shall make his peace with the Emperour it may be doubted whether Count Mansfelt will resign up what he hath conquered and it is thought that he will either keep it for himself or intitle some other Prince thereunto The Austriaci were never so matched as with Count Mansfelt for he is a perpetual motion and doth not stand upon the defensive as others have done hitherto and lost by the bargain but he is alwaies setting upon them and doth make War at their cost let them take heed how they proceed with him for he who hath nothing to lose is ready to hazard the Paquet upon all occasions And if he do chance to overthrow them once in battel they will run danger or lose all that they have in Germany Let me in all humility beseech your Lordship to continue me in the honor of your good opinion and to favour me with your honourable protection especially with a good word to my Lord Treasurer for the sending me some relief without which I cannot possibly subsist having for want of my pay consumed all that I had in the world God Almighty increase upon your Lordship all happinesse and prosperity as is unfainedly wished unto you by him that is Your Lordships most humble obliged Creature and Servant Isaac Wake Turin 13 23. of Febr. 1621. Sir Isaac VVakes Proposition for the King of Denmark IT seemeth that the Glorie of this State which at all times was great doth shine brighter now adayes since that besides so many Neighbouring Kings and Princes whereof some are in a made league with us and some do keep a good correspondence and all a good intelligence with us Now the friendship of your Highnesse is sought by the mighty King of Denmark a monarch of those nations that in time past have left their remembrance of their prowesse in Italie France Spain and in whole Europe behind them This Great King of the Nâ—â—th who like a Second Atlas holds up the Artick-pole rich in treasure numerous in men dreadful for his invincible generosity and Courage doth here offer himself unto your Highnesse And acquainting you of his actions doth confidently promise you to stand firm and stout in the defence of the common cause if so be that he receive that assistance as he hath reason to expect from those that are interested in the same cause His Majestie of Denmark hath had from the King my Master as much as can be given and it is no small matter that his Majestie of great Brittain doth still continue the same assistance having withall still those great expences that are required for the surety of his Realmes and for the offence of the common enemie His Majestie of France hath also contributed to this good work somewhat and there is great
hath dibursed and stands engaged more for my affaires and the States then any Number of Noblemen of England whatsoever and therefore there is reason that from a King he would receive his own and more And now my Lords since I have thus far opened a Kings Cabinet unto you at least by the measure of this foot of answer you may discover what may be said concerning that great bodie and bulk of accusations of the Highest kind made against the Duke I desire you would take it to heart remembring that it is your King that speaketh this who therefore expects your service and love herein and who will requite the same assuredly hoping you will believe me indeed and do accordingly indeed and that you will also rest assured that my spirit is not so young though a young King as that I would bring this testimony in mine own wrong were not that I say true in my own knowledge And being so you also will grant that it is not for a King to use his Servant and Instrument as he doth his Horses which being by hard riding in his service foundred and lamed to turn them off to grasse or to the Cart. I must therefore in right of the King my Fathers Honour and my own protect a man though I have said justly seeming guiltie yet in mine own knowledge innocent and free as I have delivered it will you then deny the King to favour whom he please which the King hath never denyed you that are his subjects will you controle me your Head and Governor in things wherein your selves have taken liberty uncontroled would you that I should require accompt of your liberalitie nay of all your failings which are liable to my authority well commend me to my Lords and tell them that if any thing had been formerly done amisse by others I have power and will to redresse it and to prevent the like I speak it in the word of a King neither Lords nor Commons can desire of me any thing that is honest which I am not ready to give them Let not therefore the world by these mistakings make Table-talk any longer of your King and his negotiations nay of his secrets and necessities for alas what great wrong or indignity can the Glorie of the State receive then that the private grudges of subjects accusing to the ignorant when in their consciences they could excuse should be the businesse of our Parliament and that the King himself should be forced to appear as a partie No doubt this is a Cocatrice egge that craftie heads of our enemies seek to hatch whilest the weightie affaires that in present concern the Honour and welfare of the King and State and the peace of all Christendome are by us utterly neglected I end hoping your Lordship now privy to these things will be tender of your Soveraigns honour and will so satisfie and treat with the rest that those particular janglings may be by some other course and in some other place and time discussed and determined that so our minds and time may be employed in the care of better things which earnestly invoke our ayd at this instant Thus much spoken or written or the like for I seek but to awaken your Lordships higher spirit and invention I conceive it may get this effect That these 6. Lords won by these reasons and by other the Kings invitations may deliver to the House that for their parts they have received unexpected satisfaction in those greatest points of the accusation against your Lordship and of such secret nature as are not fit to be published without further deliberation Wherefore since it pleased their Lordships to have made choyce of them to be trusted in this imployment they have faithfully served accordingly and do upon their Honours freely and without any ingagement or respect protest the fame And therefore humbly desire their Lordships that they would intreat his Majestie to be President in advice with their Lordships What further were to be done in this private Contention betwixt your Lordship and the Lord Digbie which obtained something may then follow for your Lordships good by yeelding up that Cause into the Kings hands And his Majestie hath great reason to bend it that way because it is conceived that the Lords will be loath to admit the King to be supream Judge and Accuser which point will much touch his Majestie And his Majestie were better give some ease to the Lord Digbie then permit that dispute And now for my self I beseech your Lordship to pardon my strange boldnesse I know I am a mere stranger to you and if ever you have heard of me it must be as of a friend of such you then did not love I know it shewes me a medler in businesse or an insinuator which are suspitions that may distast you and make you suspect my pretences though they were not altogether witlesse I know this disadvantage and am in my own nature offended for putting my self thus into your notions But yet I resolved to undergo all this First because you made my Brother a Captain in Ireland who had otherwise perished Next for the favour you did to my Lord of Northumberland and the retiring of disfavour from my Lord of Sommerset And lastly for your firm hand that advanced the now Lord Treasurer To all which Lords I am familiarly known and bound But neerest to you your Lordship may hear of me from the Lord Treasurer I am confident of your Lordships noble interpretation since I seek no ends no acquaintance no other thanks being one that have no Court-suits to your Lordship but being one that loves not ruines which my friends have tasted nor that the publique should wrestle with a private Inturn of Spleen And I offer it but as a simplicity yet with good will enough for what can a man that is not privy to the Elements of State demonstrate any conclusion thereof yet I hear sometimes how the world goes as other men do I conceive I have said something to your Lordship and though perhaps short yet enough to occasion and stir up your deeper thoughts I also may have deeper but also I know that little pinnes of wood do sustain the whole building More I could have said touching the other points but these greatest elided the fall of the others may be easily directed What I have said against those objections I touched doth arise from grounds of truth and they must win and prevail and my conceit is fitted to the Kings part and to the occasions now on foot I humbly cease your Lordship further trouble and wish you all good desiring your Lordship also to pardon my tedious and hasty scribled hand Your Lordships unknown servant Ch. Th. Postscript YOur Lordship shall be pleased to take off some part of my boldnesse and impute it to the obligation and service I owe this worthy Lady the Bearer To Count Gondomar My Lord I Thought my hands bound that I could no sooner have
then by informing his Majestie that our Prince whom he had ever so much valued would be as I conceived free and dis-ingaged from our Spanish Treatie by reason that the King could not find them answer his expectation in those things that made him principally desire their Conjunction the which your Lordship seeing you have exercised your interest and credit with the King your Master and the Prince to convert those thoughts towards his Majestie from whom you were perswaded nothing but truth and honour would be returned the which at this time more then ever would be an infinite advantage to both these Kingdoms and that I believed if his Majestie would shew a disposition as affectionate to receive Propositions to this purpose as the King my Master had to make them a long time would not passe before the effects of this might appear the which would shew the report raised here of the ends of my coming to be false and me to be free of all other designs then those which I had expressed unto him He told me that he had not heard that the Spanish Match was yet broken the which justly might give him cause to be reserved yet thus far be would assure me in the general That whatsoever should be propounded unto him from the King of Great Brittain he would most heartily and affectionately receive it but this was with such a fashion of Courtesie as shewed that he desired cause to have said more and I am fully satisfied not onely from him but the Queens and most of all of Madam her self who shewes all the sweetnesse and contentment that may be and likewise from all the Officers of the Crown and State that they can desire nothing equal with this alliance A better and more large preparation then this my instructions cannot make and I wonder to see it thus fair considering the hinderances and defacings the Spanish Embassadour desires to cast upon it who besides the Rodomontado's and threatenings of the preparations of his Master doth here take a contrary but cunning way letting them know that the Prince cannot have two Wives for their Infanta is surely his onely to create a jealousie and shienesse in them towards me that he suspects labours to do offices that are not to his liking You will therefore I hope speedily put this State out of these doubts and clearly and freely proceed with them Upon my credit and reputation they are all of that disposition that we can wish them to be and it appears by their tender care of the States and their resolution to ayd them And likewise in sending Captain Coborn that came from the Duke of Brunswick to demand a supplie of men who is returned with answer unto him that he shall have double what he required and great satisfaction to the Count Mansfelt that sent a Gentleman hither to let the King know he was not yet in such disorder but that he could assemble his Troops to such a number as might do his Majestie good service if he would be pleased to take him into his protection and favour And the King hath sent a Gentleman of the Religion a Sedanois to Leige to give information to this State of the proceedings of the Spaniards there and to be ready to receive if the Town shall seek it the protection of them But these passages I am sure you continually understand from our Embassadour the which makes me omit many particularities in this kind that I could inform you of I have sent this Bearer of purpose the which I beseech your Grace return with some speed and with him the resolutions of our dear and Sacred Master whom God ever blesse and keep to our glorie and comfort My Lord I am The humblest and most obliged of all your Graces servants Kensington The Lord Kensington to the Secretary the Lord Conway Right Honourable ACcording to his Majesties order which your last of April the 14. derived unto me I have represented such reasons to the King and his ministers of State here against the sending of any person in what quality soever to the Duke of Baviers as they acquiesce in them speciallie for that they come commanded under his Majesties desire which they professe to be very willing to comply with not only in this but in any other occasion wherein his Majestie may directly or indirectly be any way interessed I took the same opportunity of preparing the way a little farther to a formal treaty of alliance by feeling once again their pulse in matters of religion and find that it beats so temperately as promises a very good Crisis of any thing that may concern that particular I dealt plainely with the Marquesse de la Veiville touching the course that his Majestie may be driven to hold against Jesuites and Priests of banishing them the Kingdom and of quickning the lawes against the other Catholiques as well out of necessity of reducing them within the bounds of sobriety and obedience as of keeping good intelligence with his Parliament without which he could not possibly go thorough with such a weighty work as he is now to undertake He approved of the course for the ends sake under hope notwithstanding that his Majestie would not tie his own hands from some moderate favour hereafter which is all they pretend unto and desire it may flow from the mediation of this State upon an alliance here for the saving of their honour who otherwise will be hardly reputed Catholiques In representing a facility in these things I leave no other difficulties to be imagined Their good inclination to the match in general they are willing to demonstrate as by many other evidences so by the care they are now under of lodging and defraying my Lord of Carlile and my self in a more splendid and Magnifique manner then ever yet they did any Embassadour whatsoever for such is the language that Ville-aux Cleres holds to me upon that subject The Count of Soissons sees it and stormes and manifests his discontent towards me who am the instrument more fellie then discreetly I encountred him the other day and gave him the due that belonged to his rank but instead of returning me my salute he disdainfullie turned back his head I was somewhat sensible thereof and I told Mounsieur de Grandmont of it and as he and I were discoursing of it the day following Soissons offered himself full butt upon us a second time I again repeated my courtesie and he is childish in civility Grandmont found it strange and intimated to the Marquesse de la Valette a familiar and confident of the Counts both my observation and his own distaste of such an uncivil kind of proceeding Valette conveyes the same to Soissons himself who answered that he could not afford me a better countenance not for any ill will he bore unto my person but to my errand and negotiation which were it not in the behalf of so great a Prince went so near his heart as he
Cabala Mysteries of State IN LETTERS of the great MINISTERS of K. James and K. Charles WHEREIN Much of the publique Manage of Affaires is related Faithfully Collected by a Noble Hand LONDON Printed for M. M. G. Bedell and T. Collins and are to be sold at their Shop at the Middle-Temple Gate in Fleetstreet 1654 The Preface to the Reader HEre is published a Piece not to be matched in Antiquity a Collection not so much of Letters as of the mysteries of Government the wisdom and manage of Publick businesses in the late Reigns where the great Ministers of State are presented naked their Consultations Designs Policies the things done by them are exposed to every mans eye as they were brought forth by themselves The most famous of all Modern Historians glories in the helps and advantages he had above all men else to write He came so he tells us prepared and furnished from the Cabinets of Princes Strada be had seriously perused and sifted their Letters and Orders the Letters of the Illustrious Persons imployed by them the private Commands Dispatches and Instructions of Embassies Debates and Resolutions of Councels without which all History must be lame and imperfect This was the way to make the causes of actions as visible as their effects and without which all Diligence and Faithfulness else will do little Much of the History of the last years of King James and beginnings of King Charles may be here read Here the height of the mighty Favourite the Duke of Buckingham may be taken The Arts and Subtleties of Spain of the Conde Gondomar and the English-Spanish Party are discovered the Journey into Spain breach of the Spanish overtures for the French Match for the renuing Leagues with the enemies of the Spanish Pride and Vniversality the carriage of the Imperialists French Netherlanders and other Concurrents of those Reigns are exactly Related with the Practises of our home Roman Catholicks and growth of those who were here called Puritans then the Secrets of the Court and State without any false glosse to writhe or streighten to deprave or extenuate with more truth and sincerity then all the Annals can show where Passion and Interest sway oftentimes too much and the cleanest hand makes blots and stains carried away with Love or Hatred to the side or man Here are no snares set to catch or inveagle any mans judgment all things are left clearly to their own worth and Reputation A TABLE OF THE LETTERS Contained In this Collection EArl of Sommerset to King James Page 1. Lord Chancellour Bacon to the King 31. July 1617. p. 8 Lord Chancellour Bacon to the King 2. Januar. 1618. 5 Lord Chancellour Bacon to the Lords 5 Lord Chancellour Bacon to the Marquesse of Buckingham 25 March 1620. 10 Lord Chancellour Bacon to the King the 25. of March 1620. p. 10 Lord Chancellour Bacon to the Duke 122 Magdibeg to the King 11 A Letter by King James to the Lord Keeper Bishops of London Winton Rochester St. Davids and Exeter Sir Henry Hubbard and others 30. Octob. 1621. 12 The Archbishop of York to King James 13 A Letter from Spain concerning the Princes arrival there 30. Septemb. 1623. Madrid 17 The Earl of Bristol to the Prince touching the Proxies Madrid 24 The Earl of Bristol to Secretary Cottington April the 15th 1623. 28. The Earl of Bristol to the Bishop of Lincoln August the 20. 1623. p. 20. The Earl of Bristol to the Bishop of Lincoln 24. Septemb 1623. Madrid 22 The Earl of Bristol to the Prince September 24. 1623. Madrid page 26. The Earl of Bristol to the Duke the 6. of December 1623. Madrid 28 The Earl of Bristol to King James the 27. of July 1624. London 30 King Charles to the Earl of Bristol Jan. 21. 1625. 17 The Earl of Bristol to the Lord Conway the 4. of March 1625. Sherborn 19 The Lord Conway to the Earl of Bristol March 21. 1625. 19 Sir Walter Aston to the Duke 30 Sir Walter Aston to the Duke 15. Novemb. 1623. 34 The Duke of Buckingham to Sir Walter Aston 34 The Duke of Buckingham to Sir Walter Aston 36 Sir Walter Aston to the Duke of Buckingham December 22. 1623. 37 A Memorial pressing for the Palatinate c. given to the King of Spain by Sir Walter Aston 19. Jan. 1623. 38 Sir Walter Aston to the Duke 22. Jan. 1623. 40 Sir Walter Aston to Secretary Conway the 22. of January 1623. 40 Sir Walter Aston to the Lord Conway 44 Sir Walter Aston to the Lord Conway 5. June 1624. 46 Sir Walter Aston to the Lord Conway 17. July 1624. 58 Sir Walter Aston to the Duke 20. of Octob. 1624. 52 Sir Walter Aston to the Duke the 10. of December 1624. 165 Sir Walter Aston to the Duke 10. of Decemb. 1625. 53 Dr. Williams to the Duke 54 Williams Lord Keeper to the Duke 27. July 1621. 55 The Earl of South-hamptons Letter to the Bishop of Lincoln 57 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 22. July 1621. 61 The Lord Keeper his answer to the Earl of South-hampton 2. August 1621. 58 The Lord Keeper to the Duke concerning the same Earl of South-hampton 2. Aug. 1621. 59 The Lord Keeper to the Duke concerning the Lord of St. Albans Octob. 27. 1621. 60 The Lord Keeper to the Duke concerning the Earl Marshals place 1. September 1621. 62 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 16. Decemb. 1621. 65 The Lord Keeper to the Duke about Mr. Thomas Murrayes Dispensation c. 23. Febr. 1621. 66 The Lord Keeper to the Duke about the Liberties of Westminster the 6. May 1621. 68 The Lord Keeper to the Duke Aug. 23. 1622. 69 The Lord Keeper to the Duke about the Lord Treasurer September 9. 1622. 70 The Lord Keeper to the Duke of Buckingham the 14. of October 1621. 82 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 8. Aug. 1623. 83 The Lord Keeper to the Duke the 21. of September 1622. 93 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 12. Octob. 1622. 75 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 78 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 84 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 6. Jan. 1623. 86 Mr. John Packer to the Lord Keeper the 21 of January 1623. 86 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 2. Febr. 1623. 88 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 24. May 1624. 93 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 22. Aug. 1624. 95 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 11. Octob. 1624. 95 The Lord Keeper to the Duke concerning the Countesse of South-hampton 17. Novemb. 1624 96 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 24. Decemb. 1624. 99 The Lord Keeper to the Duke concerning Dr Scot the 4. of Jan. 1624 100 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 2. March 1624. 101 The Lord Keeper to the Duke about Sir Robert Howard 11. March 1624. 103 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 13. March 1624. 104 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 22. March 1624. 106 The Bishop of Lincoln to the Duke the 7. of January 1625. 107 The Bishop of Lincoln to his
and acquaint the Kingdom with the undutifulnesse and obstinacy of the Commons 66 accused by the Lord Treasurer of making injust advantages of his place vindicates himself 71 72 74. forbidden the Court 78 Will not seal the Kings Patent of honour without knowledge of the Dukes good pleasure 79 against the Councel Table 75 Dislikes prohibiting execution of Statutes against the Papists 80 His advice to hang the titulary Bishop of Calcedon 81 Would have all honours and offices derived from the Duke 83 84 Is his vassal 85 100 101 103 Lives not but in the Dukes favour 107 Loves and hates as the Duke does 84 88 94 does equal Justice 83 Wants 85 Would not be over-topped 94 charged by the Duke to run Courses dangerous to his Countrey and to the cause of Religion betrayes the Duke esteemed by him a fire brand and not worthy of trust 87 88 his Reply 89 96. Writes unworthily of King James to the Duke 94 sues to the Duke for the Countesse of Southampton 96 Would have the Duke to be Lord Steward 101 102 Mercy with Sir Edward Coke 104 advises concerning the Proxies and Marriage with France 106 107 In disgrace the Seal taken away excuses himself to King Charles 108 suspected as a Malecontent and willing to imbroil 225 Wimbledon Viscount See Cecyl Sir Edward c. Wotton Sir Henry 193 194. sends rare Pictures to the Duke 195 Complains that after his long service his Embassage should be given another and himself left naked without any rewards or provision for his subsistance 196 197 too bashful 199 Wynwood Sir Ralph Embassadour in the Netherlands how contemned there 331. Y. YElverton Sir Henry 310 Ynoiosa Marquesse Embassadour in England his ill Offices here and false informations 40 41 50. endeavours to stain the Prince of Wales his honour 52. See Olivarez for the Duke of Bavaria 's pretences 167 Young Patrickl 94 Z. ZAnten Treatie 318 Zapara Cardinal Viceroy of Naples 188 Zutenstein of Utrecht 317 Books Printed for or to be sold by M. M. G. Bedell and T. Collins at their shop at the Middle Temple Gate in Fleetstreet EAdmeri Monachi Cantuariensis Historia Novorum Joannes Seldenis Notis in Folio Mare Clausum seu Dominio Mare Joannes Seldeni in solio The History of great Brittain from the first peopling of this Island to the Reign of King James by William Slayter with the Illustrations of John Selden Esq in Folio The History of Tythes in the payment of them the Lawes made for them and touching the Right of them by John Selden Esquire in Quarto Annales or a general Chronicle of England with an Appendix or Corrollary of the foundations of the Universities of England begun by John Stowe and continued to the year 1631. by Edm. Howe 's Gent. in folio A Chronicle of the Kings of England from the Romans Government unto the Raign of King Charles Containing all passages of Church and State with all other observations proper for a Historie The second Edition enlarged with Marginal notes and large Tables by Sir Richard Baker Knight in Folio The History and Lives of the Kings of England from Wil. the Conqueror to the end of the Reign of K. Henry the eighth by Wil. Martyn Esq to which is added the Historie of K. Edward the sixt Q. Mary and Queen Elizabeth in Folio The History of the Reign of K. Henry the seventh written by the right Honourable Francis Lord Verulam Viscount St. Alban with a very useful and necessary Table annexed to it in folio The Life and Reign of K. Henry the Eight written by the Right Honourable Edward Lord Herbert of Cherbury in folio Orlando Furioso in English Heroical verse by Sir John Harrington Knight now the third time revised and amended with the Addition of the Authors Epigrams in folio The Marrow of the French tongue containing rules for pronunciation an exact Grammer of the nine parts of speech and dialogues for Courtiers Citizens and Countrymen with varieties of Phrases Letters missive Proverbs c. So compiled that a mean capacity may in short time without help attain to the perfection of the Language by Mr. John Woodroephe in folio Pyrotechina or a discourse of artificial fire-works laying down the true grounds of that Art to which is annexed a treatise of Geometrie by John Babington student in the Mathematicks in folio A French-English Dictionary with another in English and French Compiled by Mr. Randal Cotgrave Whereunto are added the Animadversions and supplement of James Howel Esquire in Folio Annales veteris Testimenti à prima Mundi Origine deductis una cum Rerum Asiaticarium et Aegyptiacarum Chronico Jacobo Vsserio Armachana digestore in folio With the second Part now in presse in Latine in folio Devotionis Augustinianae Flammae or certain devout and learned Meditations upon several Festivals in the year written by the excellently accomplisht Gentleman VVilliam Austin of Lincolnes Inne Esquire in folio The Christian man or the Reparation of nature by grace written in French by John Francis Sennault and now Englished by H. Gresly Master of Arts and student of Christ Church in Oxford in quarto An Interpretation of the number 666 wherein not onely the manner how this number ought to be interpreted but it is also shewed that this number doth exactly describe that state of government to which all other Notes of Antichrist do agree by Francis Potter B.D. with Mr. Medes Judgment of this Treatise in quarto John Barclay his Argenis translated out of Latine into English the prose upon his Majesties command by Sir Robert le Gry's Knight and the verses by Thomas May Esquire with a Clavis annexed to it for the satisfaction of the Reader in Quarto The History of the Imperial state of the Grand Seigneurs their Habitations Lives Favourites Power Government and Tyranny to which is annexed the History of the Court of the King of China written in French and translated by Edward Grimston in quarto The state of France as it stood in the ninth year of this present Monarch Lewis the 14th written to a friend by J.E. in Duodecimo The Pourtract of the Politick Christian Favourite drawn from some of the Actions of the Lord Duke of St. Lucar by the Marquesse Virgillio Malvezzi to which is annexed Maximes of State and political observations on the same story of Count Olivarez D. of St. Lucar in Duodecimo The Prince written in French by Mounsiour Du Balzac now translated into English by Henry Gresly Master of Arts and Student of Christ Church in Oxford in Duodecimo The Life and Reign of King Edward the sixth with the beginning of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth both written by Sir John Hayward Knight Doctor of Law in Duodecimo Of Liberty and Servitude translated out of the French into the English tongue and dedicated to George Evelyn Esquire in duodecimo The new Planet no Planet or the earth no wandring Star Here out out of the principles of Divinity Philosophy c. the earths
understood the hard measure that he was there likely to suffer by the power of his enemies and that the onely crime which they could impute unto him was for labouring to effect the marriage which his Master could not but take much to heart and held himself obliged to publish to the world the good service that my Lord had done unto the King of great Brittain and therefore for the better encouragement likewise of his own and all other Ministers that should truly serve their Masters he was to offer him a blank paper signed by the King wherein his Lordship might set down his own Conditions and demands which he said he did not propound to corrupt any servant of his Majesties but for a publique declaration of what was due unto his Lordships proceedings He said further that in that offer he laid before him the Lands and Dignities that were in his Masters power to dispose of out of which he left it at his pleasure to choose what estate or honour he should think good adding thereunto some other extravagant and disproportionable offers My Lords answer was That he was very sorry to hear this language used unto him telling the Conde that his Catholique Majestie did owe him nothing but that what he had done was upon the King his Masters Commands and without any intention to serve Spain And that howsoever he might have reason to fear the power of his enemies yet he trusted much upon the innocency of his own Cause and the Justice of the King and that he could not understand himself in any danger but were he sure to lose his head at his arrival there be would go to throw down himself at his Majesties feet and mercy and rather there die upon a Scaffold then be Duke of Infantada in Spain On the 16th of this moneth there was declared here in Councel a resolution of this King to make a journey to his frontier Towns in Andaluzia with an intention to begin his journey upon the 29. of this moneth Stil Vet. And as I am informed his Majestie will there entertain himself the greatest part of these three moneths following so that his return hither will not be until the beginning of May. My Lord of Bristol hath sent divers to the Conde for leave to dispeed himself of the King but in respect of his Majesties being at the Pardo he hath been hitherto delayed and hath yet no certain day appointed for it But I conceive it will be sometime this week The Cause of the delaying of his Lordships admittance to the King as I understand is that the same day that his Lordship shall declare his revocation to the King they will here in Councel declare the revocation of the Marquesse of Ynoisa Howsoever in respect of the Kings departure at which time they use here to embarge all the mules and means of carriage in this Town I believe his Lordship will not begin his journey so soon as he intended All the relations which are lately come out of England do wish them to entertain themselves here with no farther hopes that there is any intention to proceed to the Match and this advice comes accompanied with such a report of the state of all things there that hath much irritated all these Ministers and let loose the tongues of the people against the proceedings of his Majestie and Highnesse I labour as much as I can and as far as my directions will give me latitude to give them better understandings of the real intentions of his Majestie and Highnesse but divers of them cleerly tell me That I professe one thing and the actions of his Majestie and Highnesse upon the which they must ground their belief are differing from it I shall therefore here in discharge of my duty advertize your Honour that they do here expect nothing but a War about which they have already held divers Councels and go seriously to work preparing themselves for what may happen Which I desire your Honour to advertize his Majestie being high time as far as I am able to judge that am here upon the place that his Majestie do either resolve upon some course for the allaying of these storms or that he go in hand with equal preparations Having observed in former times the strange rumours that have run in England upon small foundations I have thought it fit to prevent the credit which may be given to idle relations by advertizing your Honour that I cannot conceive how any great attempt can be made from hence this year howsoever businesses should go The Squadron of the Kings Fleet under the Command of Don Fadrique de Toledo is come into Cadiz and joyned with that which Don Juan Taxardo is Captain of And as I am credibly informed this King will have by the end of April between 50. and 60. Gallions at Sea It is true that other years the number commonly falls short of what is expected and their setting forth to Sea some moneths later then the time appointed but there is extraordinary care taken this year that there be no default in neither The chief end that I can understand of this Kings journey being to see the Fleet of Plate come in to take view of his Armado and see them put to Sea That which I understand is onely left alive of the Marriage here is that the Jewels which the Prince left with this King for the Infanta and her Ladies are not yet returned but it is intimated unto me that if the Letters which they shall receive out of England upon the answer they have given to his Majestie about the businesse of the Palatinate be no better then such as they have lately received they will return the Jewels and declare the businesse of the Match for broken I shall therefore intreat your Honour to know his Majesties pleasure how I shall carry my self if they be offered unto me being resolved in the mean time untill I shall know his Majesties pleasure if any such thing happen absolutely to refuse them The Princesse some few daies since fell sick of a Calentura of which she remaineth still in her bed though it be said she is now somewhat better I will conclude with many thanks for your friendly advertizements concerning my own particular which God willing as far as I can I will observe and do earnestly intreat you that you will please to continue the like favours unto me which I shall highly esteem of And so with a grateful acknowledgment of my obligations I rest Your Honours c. Wa. Aston Sir Walter Aston to the Lord Conway Right Honourable I Have advertized by former dispatches that the Parliament here had granted unto this King 60 millions of Duckats to be paid in 12 years which with 12 millions which remain yet unpaid of what was given the King at the last Session this King was to receive 72 millions in the 12 years next following I shall now acquaint your Honour that there are only 19. Cities
a thing that sounds very harsh in the old Councels and Canons of the Church The Papists will not spare to descant upon the one and the other I leave the knot to his Majesties deep wisdom to advise and resolve upon A theume falne into mine eye together with the rumour I last wrote unto your Lordship about hath fastened me unto my bed which makes this Letter the more unhandsome But I will take nothing to heart that proceeds from his Majestie or from that King who hath raised me from the dust to all that I am If the truth were set down 1. That my self was the first mover for a temporary Keeper 2. That his Majestie hath promised me upon the relinquishing of the Seal or before one of the best places in this Church as most graciously he did 3. The year and a halfs probation left out which is to no purpose but to scare away my men and to put a disgrace upon me 4. That my assisting Judges were defired and named by my self which your Lordship knowes to be most true Such a declaration would neither shame me nor blemish his Majesties service in my person And it were fitter a great deal the penning thereof were referred to my self then to Mr. Secretarie or the Lord Treasurer who if he had his demerit deserves not to hold his staffe half a year I do verily believe they will hasten to finish this act before I shall hear from your Lordship which if they do God send me patience and as much care to serve him as I have and ever had to serve my Master And then all must needs be well I send your Lordship a Copy of that speech I have thought upon to deliver at London upon Munday next at the Commission of the Subsidies If his Majestie have leisure to cast his eye thereupon and to give direction to have any thing else delivered or any point of this suppressed I would be directed by your Lordship whom I recommend in prayers to Gods good guiding and protection And do rest c. The E. of Southhamptons Letter to the Bishop of Lincolne My Lord I Have found your Lordship already so favourable and affectionate unto me that I shall be still hereafter desirous to acquaint you with what concerns me and bold to ask your advice and councel which makes me to send this bearer to give your Lordship an account of my answer from Court which I cannot better do then by sending unto you the answer it self which you shall receive here enclosed Wherein you may see what is expected from me that I may not onely magnifie his Majesties Gracious dealing with me but cause all my friends to do the like and restrain them from making any extenuation of my errours which if they be disposed to do or not to do is impossible for me to alter that am not likely for a good time to see any other then mine own family For my self I shall ever be ready as is fit to acknowledg his Majesties favour to me but can hardly perswade my self that any errour by me committed deserved more punishment then I have had and hope that his Majestie will not expect that I should not confesse my self to have been subject to a Star-chamber sentence which God forbid I should ever do I have and shall do according to that Part of my Lord of Buckinghams advice to speak of it as little as I can and so shall I do in other things to meddle as little as I can I purpose God willing to go to morrow to Tychfield the place of mine confinement there to stay as long as the King shall please Sir William Parkhurst must go with me who hoped to have been discharged at the return of my Messenger from Court and seemes much troubled that he is not pretending that it is extream inconvenient for him in regard of his own occasions He is fearful he should be forgotten If therefore when your Lordship writes to the Court you would but put my Lord of Buckingham in remembrance of it you shall I think do him a favour For my part it is so little trouble to me and of so small moment as I meane to move no more for it When this bearer returns I beseech you return by him this inclosed Letter and beleive that whatsoever I am I will ever be Your Lordships most assured friend to do you service H. Southampton c. The Lord Keepers answer to the E. of Southhamptons Letter 2. August 1621. My Lord I Have perused your Lordships Letter and that enclosed I return back again And doubt nothing of my Lord Admirals remembring of you upon the first opportunity Great works as I hope this will be a perfect reconciling of his Majesties affections to you of your best studies and endeavours to the service of his Majestie do require some time They are but poore actions and of no continuance that are Slubbered up in an instance I know my Lord mens tongues are their own nor lieth it in your power to prescribe what shall be spoken for you or against you But to avoid that Complacentia as the Divines call it that itching and inviting of any interpretation which shall so add to your innocencie as it shall derogate from the Kings mercie which I speak as I would do before God had a great cloud of jealousies and suspitions to break through before it came to shine upon you This I take it is the effect of my Lords exhortation and I know it ever hath been your Lordships resolution How far you could be questioned in the Star-Chamber is an unseasonable time to resolve The King hath waved off all judgment and left nothing for your meditation but love and favour and the increasing of both these Yet I know upon my late occasions to peruse Presidents in that Court that small offences have been in that Court in former times deeply censured In the sixteenth of Edward the second for the Court is of great antiquity Henry Lord Beaumout running a way of his own about the invading of Scotland and dissenting from the rest of the Kings Councel because of his absenting himself from the Councel Table was fined and imprisoned though otherwies a most worthy and deserving Noble man But God be thanked your Lordship hath no cause to trouble your head about these meditations For if I have any judgment you are in a way to demean your self as you may expect rather more new additions then suspect the least diminution from his Gracious Majestie For mine own part assure your self I am your true and faithful servant and shall never cease so to continue as long as you make good your professions to this Noble Lord. Of whose extraordinary goodnesse your Lordship and my self are remarkable reflections The one of his sweetnesse in forgetting of wrongs the other of his forwardnesse in conferring of courtesies With my best respect to your Lordship and my Noble Lady and my Commendations to Sir William
his fine he is protected from all his Creditors which I dare say was neither his Majesties nor your Lordships meaning I have presumed to send your Lordship a true Copy of that speech which I made at VVestminster Hall at my entrance upon this office because somewhat was to be spoken at so great a change and alteration in so high a Court And I was never so much troubled in my life not how but what to speak I humbly crave pardon if I have failed in points of diseretion which a wiser man in such a case might easily do With my heartiest prayers unto God to continue all his blessings upon your Lordship I rest deservedly c. Postscript MY Lord I find my Lord Treasurer affectionately touched with removing from the Court of Wards and do wish with all my heart he may have contentment in that or any thing else but orderly and in a right method Let him hold it but by your Lordships favour not his own power or wilfulnesse And this must be apparent and visible Let all our greatnesse depend as it ought upon yours the true original Let the King be Pharaoh your self Joseph and let us come after as your half-brethren God blesse you c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke concerning Sir John Michel 8. Aug. 1622. My most noble Lord IN the cause of Sir John Michel which hath so often wearied this Court vexed my Lady your Mother and now flieth as it seemeth unto your Lordship I have made an order the last day of the Tearm assisted by the Master of the Rolls and Mr. Baron Eromley in the presence and with the full consent of Sir John Michel who then objected nothing against the same but now in a dead vacation when both the adverse party and his Councel are out of Town and that I cannot possible hear otherwise then with one ear he clamours against me most uncivilly and would have me contrary to all conscience and honesty reverse the same The substance of the order is not so difficult and intricate but your Lordship will easily find out the equity or harshnesse thereof Sir Lawrence Hide makes a motion in behalf of one Strelley a party whose face I never saw that whereas Sir John Michel had put a bill into this Court against him and one Sayers five years ago for certain Lands and Woods determinable properly at the Common Law and having upon a certificate betwixt himself and Sayers without the knowledge of the said Strelley procured an injunction from the last Lord Chancellour for the possession of the same locks up the said Strelley with the said injunction and never proceeds to bring his cause to hearing within five years It was moved therefore that either Sir Johns bill might be dismissed to a tryal at the Common Law or else that he might be ordered to bring it to hearing in this Court with a direction to save all wastes of Timber trees in favour of either party that should prove the true owner until the cause should receive hearing Sir John being present in Court made choice of this last offer and so it was ordered accordingly And this is that order that this strange man hath so often of late complained of to your Mother and now as it seemeth to your Lordship God is my witnesse I have never denyed either justice or favour which was to be justified to this man or any other that had the least relation to your good and most noble Mother And I hope your Lordship is perswaded thereof If your Lordship will give me leave without your Lordships trouble to wait upon you at any time this day your Lordship shall appoint I would impart two or three words unto your Lordship concerning your Lordships own businesse Remaining ever c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke May it please your Grace NOw that I understand by Sir John Hipsley how things stand between your Grace and the Earl of Bristol I have done with that Lord and will never think of him otherwise then as your Grace shall direct Nor did I ever write one syllable to that effect but in contemplation of performing true service to your Grace I was much abused in the Lady Hennage her Vice-Counteship being made to believe it was your Grace's act or else I had stayed it finally until the Princes return as I did for a time If your Grace will give any directions in matters of that nature I can pursue them My Lord Treasurers sons Wardship is a thing of no moment at all and not worthy your Graces thinking of And in good faith as far as getting and Covetousnesse will give him leave I do not see but that Lord is since your absence very respective of your Grace especially in your own person and affairs I never received any answer from your Grace concerning the Provostship of Aeton nor was it good manners for me to presse for the same because in my Letters I did presume to name my self The place is mine to bestow for this time and not his Majesties nor the Colledges But I do very willingly reserve the Collation of the same to be disposed as your Grace shall please Yet this will be a sufficient answer to any former promise or any reasonable Competitor His Majestie as your Grace best knoweth promised me at the delivery of the Seal a better Bishoprick and intended it certainly if any such had fallen My Charge is exceeding great my Bribes are very little my Bishoprick Deanery and other Commendams do not clear unto me above one thousand pounds a year at the uppermost It hath pleased God that the casualties of my office which is all the benefit of the same and enriched my Lord Elsmor hath not been worth to me these two years past one shilling It may mend when it pleaseth God I leave all these and my self who am your Vassal at your Lordships feet and do rest c. Your Graces c. J. L. C. S. Postscript MAy it please your Grace I troubled his Highnesse with a long relation of the Consulto we had about his Majesties taking of the Oath Which I had written to your Grace and not to his Highnesse but that I was frighted by great men that I had done his Highnesse a displeasure in pressing his Majesties assent unto the same And I protest I was so poorly accompanied in my opinion that I was truly afraid I had not done well And therefore I took occasion to write my reasons at large unto the Prince Which I heard by Sir John Hipsley from your Grace was well taken I humbly thank your Grace who I know forwarded the same And so I perceive by a Letter from his Highnesse so full of sweetnesse as I am overwhelmed J. L. C. S. The Lord Keeper to the Duke 6. January 1623. May it please your Grace DOn Francisco being with me this night about a pardon for a poor Irish man whom I reprieved from execution at the suit of those
told he heard your Grace move his Highnesse to speake unto me to quit my place after your Graces professions of friendship to me 6. Mr. Secretarie Conwaies and my Lord Carlile's estrangednesse from me which I suspected could not be for I ever loved them both but true copies of your Graces displeasure I have opened to my truest friend all my former thoughts and being fully satisfyed by his Highnesse how false they are in every particular do humbly crave your Graces pardon that I gave a nights lodging to any of them all Although they never transported me a jott further then to look about how to defend my self being resolved as God shall be my protector to suffer all the obloquie of the world before I would be drawn to the least ingratitude against your Grace All that I beg is an assurance of your Graces former Love and I will plainely professe what I do not in the least beg or desire from your Grace 1. No Patronage of any corrupt or unjust act which shall be objected against me this Parliament 2. No defence of me if it shall appear I betrayed my King or my Religion in favour of the Papist or did them any real respect at all besides ordinary complements 3. No refuge in any of my causes or clamours against me which upon a false supposal of your Graces displeasure may be many otherwise then according to justice and fair proceeding And let this paper bear record against me at the great Parliament of all if I be not in my heart and soul your Graces most faithful and constant poor friend and Servant His Highnesse desires your Grace to move his Majestie to accept of my Lord Sayes commission and to procure me leave to send for him Also to move his Majestie that my Lord of Hartford may be in the house accepting his fathers place and making his protestation to sue for his Grandfathers according to his Majesties Lawes when the King shall give him leave His Highnesse and my Lords do hold this a modest and submissive Petition His Highnesse upon very deep reasons doubts whether it be safe to put all upon the Parliament for fear they should fall to examine particular Dispatches wherein they cannot but find many Contradictions And would have the proposition onely to ayd for the recovery of the Palatinate To draw on an engagement I propound it might be to advise his Majestie how this recovery shall be effected by reconquering the same or by a War of diversion This will draw on a breach with Spain without ripping up of private dispatches His Highnesse seemed to like well hereof and commanded me to acquaint your Grace therewith and to receive your opinion I humbly crave again two lines of assurance that I am in your Grace's opinion as I will ever be indeed c. The Heads of that Discourse which fell from Don Francisco 7. Die Aprilis 1624. at 11. of the clock at night This Relation was sent by the Lord Keeper to the Duke HOw he came to procure his accesses to the King The Marquesse putting Don Carlos upon the Prince and Duke in a discourse thrust a Letter into the Kings hand which he desired the King to read in private The King said he would thrust it into his pocket and went on with his discourse as if he had received none The effect was to procure private accesse for Don Francisco to come and speak with the King which his Majestie appointed by my Lord of Kelley and he by his secresie who designed for Don Francisco time and place At his first accesse he told the King That his Majestie was a prisoner or at leastwise besieged so as no man could be admitted to come at him And then made a complaint against the Duke that he aggravated and pretended accusations against Spain whereas its onely offence was that they refused to give unto him equal honour and observance as they did unto his Highnesse And that this was the only cause of his hatred against them At the last accesse which was some 4. dayes ago he made a long invective and remonstrance unto the King which he had put into writing in Spanish which he read unto me corrected with the hand of Don Carlos which I do know It was somewhat general and very rhetorical if not tragical for the stile The heads of what I read were these viz. 1. That the King was no more a freeman at this time then King John of France when he was prisoner in England or King Francis when he was at Madrid Being besieged and closed up with the servants and vassals of Buckingham 2. That the Embassadours knew very well and were informed 4. moneths ago that his Majestie was to be restrained and confined to his Country house and pastimes and the Government of the State to be assumed and disposed of by others and that this was not concealed by Buckinghams followers 3. That the Duke had reconciled himself to all the popular men of the State and drawn them forth out of prisons restraints and confinements to alter the Government of the State at this Parliament as Oxford South-hampton Say and others whom he met at Suppers and Ordinaries to strengthen his popularity 4. That the Duke to breed an opinion of his own greatnesse and to make the King grow lesse hath oftentimes brag'd openly in Parliament that he had made the King yield to this and that which was pleasure unto them And that he mentioned openly before the Houses his Majesties private oath which the Embassadors have never spoken of to any creature to this hour 5. That these Kingdomes are not now governed by a Monarch but by a Triumviri whereof Buckingham was the first and chiefest the Prince the second and the King the last and that all look towards Solem Orientem 6. That his Majestie should shew himself to be as he was reputed the oldest and wisest King in Europe by freeing himself from this Captivity and eminent danger wherein he was by cutting off so dangerous and ungrateful an affecter of greatnesse and popularity as the Duke was 7. That he desired his Majestie to conceal this his free dealing with him because it might breed him much peril and danger And yet if it were any way available for his service to reveal it to whom he pleased because he was ready to sacrifice his life to do him acceptable service And this was the effect of so much of the penned speech as I remember was read unto me out of the Spanish Copy His Majestie was much troubled in the time of this speech His Offer to the King for the restitution of the Palatinate TO have a Treaty for three moneths for the restitution and that money was now given in Spain to satisfie Bavaria That in the mean time because the people were so distrustful of the Spaniard the King might fortifie himself at home and assist the Hollanders with men or money at his pleasure And the King of Spain
his name and Surname and his person so well as no change of his apparrel nor disguising of his body can cause him to mistake or be deceived By his report that party is no. Clergie man though he be a good Schollar and reputed to have an excellent Latin pen. But those commendable quallities are drowned by his greater vices he being much addicted to lewde women and unsatiable drinking He is now by this mans information resident in a town upon the Frontiers of Germany And as for Flavius he can if he truly declare where he lurketh and assureth me that his wife is at a place within ten leagues of this town The Cannon that did oversee the presse and withdrew the leaves of this booke as they were printed is called as he heard Mr. Claud. and dwelleth at Nostre Dame de Halles whither I purpose to send him this Easter holidaies to make farther inquirie More then these and some other particulars which are so transcendent as I dare neither believe nor set them down in writing he will not impart unto me until he be assured of his Majesties protection by a Letter under his hand and a competent reward for his labours And the reason he alledgeth therefore is that if once it be known he did meddle in this matter there can be no more safety for him to continue in these provinces He doth further undertake that in case his Majestie will be pleased to grant him his demands allow mony for the expences of the journy and give him two persons of courage and fidelity to accompanie him he will either lose his life or put the sayd author into their hands who may carry him as he thinketh with little danger either into the Pallatinate or the united Provinces Hereupon I guesse that if this report be well grownded that wicked fellow must be in or near about the town of Cullen I cannot amongst all those of my acquaintance and his Majesties subjects here call to mind any one so fit for this interprize as the Gentleman whose name is written in Cipher in my letter to his Majestie For he is universally well spoken of for his honestie and other good Parts and in sundry occasions hath given good testimony of his ardent desire to do his Majestie some remarkeable and meritorious service And his sufficiencie being better known to his Majestie then to my self I will not commend it any further The want of imployment and some disgustes he received in Holland while he served there compelled him by necessity to looke for preferment under the King of Spain But hitherto his religion the respect he beareth to his Majestie and my perswasions have detained him from those Courses By him I am told that he hath heard out of the mouths of one Captain Carpentine and his son in law Captain Hamilton pencioners to the King of Spain but subjects to his Majestie that they being one day walking in a street at Antwerp called the Major Brugg where they reside with 4. or 5. others in their companie and there happening some speech amongst them about a book his majestie had then published against the Pope it fell out that one of them apprehending that opportunity said that he had subject enough to furnish a book which should more vex the King of great Brittain then his Majesties book could offend his Holinesse and if he could meet with a Schollar that were able to put it into a method and good latine he would be ready to perform his word Another of the troop made answer that he would undertake the work upon that condition and they both for a great whiles after were absent at Lovain even about the same time that the Libel was forged Perhaps some part of this may draw neer to the verity But they both depending upon the King of Spain as is before mentioned and being averse in religion I am much afraid I shall do little good upon them by examining them before the Arch Dukes Commissioners seeing they may delude me and the truth with equivocation and mental reservation Although he conceiveth that if they were called before a judge and summoned upon their oathes to speake the truth they would not refuse to discharge their consciences I have seriously intreated him to bestow his best indeavour in attempting what he can further learn about this relation and he hath accepted to perform my request The said Gentleman from whom I had it is not willing to be brought publiquely upon the Stage for this businesse lest thereby he should incurre the note of an informer then which nothing is or can be more odious in these parts Neverthelesse he hath promised if his Majestie like to have it so and will be pleased to give commandement for it to justifie what is before rehearsed to their faces Whether both these parties encounter upon one and the same authour or understand them to be divers men I can neither judge nor fortell yet it seemeth that one of them may hit on the right And as I will not spare any paines charges nor peril whatsoever to bring the parent of this child of darkenesse into the light so I hope his Majestie whose cause it is will not refuse to hazard a little mony to give himself satisfaction These things having passed in this manner I humbly beseech your Honour at a fit opportunity when the King is alone to acquaint him with these particulars and intreat his Majestie to keep them secret for I am of opinion being spoken under humble correction and without offence that had not his Majestie by communicating this businesse at the first to Mounsieur Borschot given him meanes to advertize it to his wife who by tatling divulged it and foyled the way we had never been put to half this trouble but had taken Flavius in the form and by him discovered the authour My intention is not that his Majestie should be induced to put 2000. Pistols or the summe that shall be allotted Laken into his hands before the service be done but that his Majestie would vouchsafe if he approve the project to cause so much mony as in his profound wisdom he shall think meet for this occasion to be forthwith remitted to me by Mr. John More by the meanes of Mr. Ducket a Marchant dwelling in Milk street in London to be repayed at Antwerp by Mr. Lionel Wake trading there or by the companie of our English Marchants at Middleborough in Zealand in the name of reward for service done or to buy Tapestries or linnen for his Majestie And I will either return it back again by exchange if this design cannot be effected or defaulk the remaines thereof upon my entertainment All that I would venture in this case should only be for those mens necessary expences that are to be imployed therein and that also I would have not to exceed but to be limitted within the compasse of 200. pounds sterling By apprehending these men the Arch-Dukes cannot take any just
make me best known and better esteemed by you as one whose true heart is alwayes watchful of taking all opportunities to do you service My Lord you shall find me not only a word-friend but an active who never am better pleased then when I find most opposition And for conclusion I am so far from shunning dangers to do you service as that I would willingly wade in blood at any time to manifest my self yours And therefore I should receive great content if you knew how truly I were yours because then I am sure in the Noblenesse of your nature it would be impossible for any to be able to do me wrong in your Honourable thoughts My dear Lord pray suffer no longer delayes in Spain but either dispatch what you went for quickly or else return speedily for assure your self their desire to have you continue there is for no love to you but to further thereby their own designs elsewhere Nay I dare justifie it out of my own weak judgment that the longer you stay the farther off you shall be from obtaining what you desire And if you resolutely purpose your return with speed you will force them out of their dull pace and put them upon the rock from which they cannot escape except they fulfil your desires Besides your presence is most necessary here for home-affairs for your absence hath caused too great insolencie in the Court by such as bear themselves very loftily and insult very much over yours especially your poore servant Mewtis is much threatned as being yours and must suffer till you come back Some other things likewise are otherwise carried in your absence then would be in your presence therefore for Gods sake return but with the Prince and count delayes denyals And the longer you stay there the stronger you make them and your selves the weaker My Lord of Bristol hath a great and more powerful party in Court then you imagine in so much that I am confident were the King a newter he would prevail and I do not much marvail at it for you trust upon the honour and justification of all your actions desirous to make no friends because you need none but he deales with a great deal of cautelous wisedom and as he hath wrought into the Kings opinion by reason of some pleasing services so hath he into all those who are about the King or powerful that they may better his good services and smother his bad Besides the man who is suspitious as he must needs be hath far greater care of after-reckonings how to make fair glosses then he who doth all things with the avowment of all honour and the only intent of service to his King and Country It grieves me I am not thought worthie to hear from you any word by these last messengers especially being promised the imployment from which I was put Farewell dear Lord and the Almightes protection be upon our unmatchable Prince upon whose worth and brave atchievements all eyes are fixed and the same protection light upon you his right hand and give you the good fortune to make as brave a return as you did voyage thither to the eternal praise of your future memories And upon these hopes I rest happie to think my self Yours H. R. Sir George Carie to the Marquesse of Buckingham 8. December 1619. Your Lordship VVIll be satisfied before this of mine will have the happinesse to kisse your noble hands that the great Mysterie of iniquity in the Star-chamber is now revealed and as many as could be discerned to have the mark of the beast upon them have undergone their censure Some I must confesse and great fishes too have broken out of the nett But that escape must be objected to the errours of some of the pursuers whose courses in some things were not enough direct to warrant what otherwise might have been done And your Lordship who is a good Woodman well knowes unlesse the Wind-lace be well carried the Bowes which stand up can never shoot Notwithstanding all the defaults of the meaner Agents the Court maintaining the honour of their own uprightnesse and integritie hath with moderation too yet such as leaves subject to his Majesties mercy to work upon some particulars raised in Fine some 130000 l. or thereabouts If no errours had been committed whereupon those Defendants which escaped took advantage to be safe by this which is done you may imagine what it would have amounted to For my part I rejoyce to conceive how with the shortest of the daies we are at the worst of our estate hoping by this means with the return of the Sun to see some such return of the money the riches of his Majesties Treasurie and bloud of the Common-Wealth as that the Exchequer may flow and the Veins of the State may fill again and both with the Spring renew their strength lustre and complexion I have now stayed here so long attending this businesse that I hold it too late to wait upon you at Newmarket That gives me cause to crave your pardon for this presuming imperfect Accompt of this daies action and withal to desire the assurance that I live in your estimation the same I will ever be Your Lordships Most sincerely honest and humble servant G. Cary. To King James ab ignoto Your Majestie BOth in the eminencie of your regal dignitie and in the excellencie of your judgment doth truly represent the common sense whose part it is to judge and discern of all things whereas the other senses do but report their particular objects And in that manner do I humbly offer to your Majesties Consideration in this importune Chrisis of the affairs of Christendom so much as I have observed in France that may now concern your service in which place I have been heretofore imployed in your affaires And first considering the present estate of things in France and weighing against it the seizure made of the Valtoline by the King of Spain the late invasion of the Palatinate and now this new defeat arrived in Bohemia I do put this for an infallible ground that either the King of France will resolve out of jealousie of the progressions of the house of Austria effectually to succour the Palatinate or else abandoning the affairs of Germany to their own successe and neglecting the increase of the house of Austria on that side he will think more then to recompence himself by taking this opportunity to extinguish the body of those of the Religion in France And as undoubtedly he will resolve on one of those two points so on both of them for sundry reasons he cannot To move him to the succour of the Palatinate the main motive will be the jealousie between those two Monarchies which can never die so long as they do both subsist in no greater a disproportion of strength and power As also that France shall by their usurpation of the Palatinate be on all sides Circled by the house of Austria and particularly on that
cast in their shares And Hungarie as I hope being in that same cause will run the same fortune for the meanes to support the war I hope Providebit Deus The Parliament is the old and honourable way but how assured at this time I know not yet I will hope the best certainly if countenance be given to the action many brave spirits will voluntarily go Our great Master in sufficient want of mony gave some ayde to the Duke Savoy and furnished out a prettie army in the cause of Cleve We must trie once again what can be done in this businesse of a higher nature and all the mony that may be spared is to be turned that way And perhaps God provided the Jewels that were layd up in the Tower to be gathered by the Mother for the preservation of her Daughter who like a noble Princesse hath professed to her Husband not to leave her self one Jewel rather then not to maintain so religious and righteous a cause You see that lying on my bed I have gone too far but if I were with you this should be my language which I pray you humbly and heartily to represent to the King my Master telling him that when I can stand I hope to do his Majestie some service herein So commending me unto you I remain Your very loving friend Geo. Cant. The Lord Brook to the Duke 11. November 1623. May it please your Grace OUt of Spain we hear the world comes so fast after you since your departure as we assure our selves this great work is at a good end with contentment to our blessed Prince and like a Princely treaty with addition of honour to the Monarchie he intends to match with But Sir we hear of a new treaty sprung up between the Palsegraves Eldest son and the Emperours youngest Daughter A Labrynth into which what hope soever leades us I fear no one thread will be able to guide us well out Because in the passages between these far distant Princes education of children seemes like to be demanded Ballancing of Councels to the jelousie of friends Question whether the Palatinate shall be delivered in the Nonage before marriage or after Then whether sequestred into a Catholique or Protestants hands If into a Catholique a probable argument that both it and the Valtoline are equally reserved free to fall with associated forces upon our antient Bulwark the Nether-Lands at pleasure Lastly whether the Myter and these Scepters thus united with their advantage in number of swords and Deskes abroad their new springing partie at home strengthes by sea and land Constant ambition of adding Crown to Crown and perfect Auditt of their neighbours powers and humors even while the second Heire male of this Kingdom shall live in the hands of enemies and strangers I say whether these will not prove fearful in equalities casual to the lives of our King and Prince dangerous to the Crown by changing successive rights into tenures of Courtesie and charging of the peoples consciences with visions of confusion or bondage Again Sir admit this new project should vanish into smoak as undigested vapours use to do yet give me leave to question whether to your Grace you have overtlie protested against the intricate Courses of the Spaniard even the specious issue of the Palatinates delivery before consummation of marraiage but not like to prove Mother of many Colourable and unavoydable delayes Because suppose the proposition should be granted yet who sees not that the effecting of it will prove an act of so many parts Viz the Pope Emperour King of Spain Duke of of Bavaria c. and of so great consequence joyntlie and severally to them all and must of necessity require divers assemblies commissions perchance Dietts c. And then what time the execution of the Minutes under these Heads will demand he that knowes the divers natures of Nations in treating may easily conceive To begin with the least what mony or other conditions can be offered like to satisfie the honour humour and huge expence of the Bavarian for quitting his Conquest to so unreconcileable a neighbour and if there be possibility yet out of whose estate or treasury are these conditions or large proportions of Dowrie probably to be expected touching the Emperour Is there any forraign alliance able to perswade this Prince who having by an untimely war changed all tenures of Election into succession and thereby shaken the antient freedom of our Germany Princes what I say can in likelihood winn him to restore these dead forces of his Enemies to the prejudice of all he injoyes or aspires Besides what shall move this Emperour to take away the Bann from the Palsegraves person who hath so desparately hazarded not only his own private Kingdomes and Provinces but by his undertaking waved the main ambition of of the Austrian familie For the Spanish King if he be prest his answer will be ready and fair that he hath no right in him but mediation as appeares by the divisions already made Notwithstanding how little right soever pretends yet his Councel his instruments his charge by diversion Overt Ayde insensible succours the world sees have been used in all these wars so as this together with his right by strong hand gotten and kept by arts of depositing upon the Voltaline may lead us to discern clearly that he finds the passage of his forces through them equal and so resolves both to over-run the Low countries when he please Against which little State whether out of revenge or ambition of greater conquests by them he will constantly carry a warchfull and Griping enemies hand Concerning the Pope who knowes not that his universal affected supremacie howsoever dissembled yet hath doth and ever will urge his Holinesse to stir up colourable Warres of Religion Since Warres Contentions and tumults among Princes have been his old way of adding more wealth and power to his sanctified Sea How I say this new fashion'd Monarch shall be won to suffer Heidelberg the most dangerous nest of Heretiques after Geneva to return to her former strength is a poynt beyond my Capacity By these short hastie and imperfect images your Grace may yet judg that except the restitution of the Palatinate be instantly pressed and like a work of Faeries either furnished or broken off at once we may easily be over-shot in our own bowes by having the strengths and free Councels of England Scotland and Ireland during this treaty kept under a kind of Covert-baron and so long made a forge for other Princes ends as my Blessed Soveraigns trust may perchance find it self compelled to play an After-Game amongst discouraged friends and combination of powerful enemies such as under characters of Allyance will think they have won one great Step towards their inveterate Ambition of a Westerne Monarchie Noble Duke If you find me lifted above my earth in handling a subject to which I am utterly a stranger yet bear with a Monks humour in a man that is
hope that he will bring forth in a short time some fit remedie against this evill The Lords States do as much as they are able And the Princes of Low Saxonie do not want in their duties There remaineth now that your Highnesse put also your powerful hand to this work and with a vigorous succour worthie of your great heart do incourage all the rest to continue their Emprese The two Kings are not ignorant of the great sincerity wherewith this most Excellent State doth observe the capitulations made with Allies of the league and that rather then to be wanting in things agreed upon you have surpassed in necessarie provisions for the advancement of the designs and that you have not been partakers nor agreers of the treaty made at Moncon But that you do continue to keep some forces in your Dominions and likewise some troops in the Valtoline for the effecting as much as is in you of what was first thought fit and of the agreement of the League And as that generous resolution and constancie of this State is never enough praised so there is great hope that you will not bring this same in the reckoning of the two Kings who never will misse to praise the wisdome and generositie of this State though not obliged for their particular for any thing whatsoever done till now either by the league in general or by whomsoever of the united in particular because that the league was made two years and more before his Majestie of great Brittain broke with Spain or that the King of Denmark had declared himself Since the time that these two Kings are come to the Dance your Highnesse hath not levied one man and the Forces which you do yet keep as they were not levied so are they not maintained in Contemplation of the two Kings but onely for the first reasons of the League The onely thing here sought for is to go with a common pace that those that are now too heavily laden may be supported by their friends either by way of diversion or by way of assistance And therefore your Highnesse and other Princes are now requested to help seeing there is small appearance of diversion And set the case that the Peace between Spain and France should be firm would it not turn against the Common Cause Italiae incendium ruina Germaniae extinguere To quench a little fire in Italy by the ruine of whole Germany In Chronical diseases Physitians do not so much respect the symptomes and accidents as they do the causes of the evil The Valtoline Palatinate Hussia Marchisat of Baden Dukedome of Brunswick and so many other Countries attempted and oppressed by the Spanish and Austrian usurpation are grievous and dangerous symptomes and accidents but the Cause and fewel of the evil remains yet in the ambitious bowels of the Spaniard who now with spread sailes goeth on towards the universal Monarchie unlesse there be applied betimes some fit remedies all topick remedies will do but little good The King of Denmark doth offer himself ready to apply such an issue whereby he may be brought back to terms of modestie and with the assistance he doth expect from your Highnesse and other interessed Princes he hopeth to bring his good intent to passe And being prodigal of his great Soul there is no doubt he will ever go back unlesse he be forsaken Thus there remains the Common liberty almost in your hands and if this most excellent Senate resolves to give ayd unto that King that libertie will be preserved If you do forsake him that will also be indangered yea lost I therefore beseech your Highnesse to ponder well this matter and to grant such an assistance as is requested by the King of Denmarks Embassadour Sir Henry Wootton to the Duk. My most Noble Lord I Will be bold by this opportunity to give his Majestie through your Lordships hands an accompt of a Command which I had from him at Theobalds about sounding how the Venetian Embassadour stood satisfied with the late determination touching his predecessour Donato I did visit the said Embassadour immediatly at my return from the King and saluted him as by expresse Commandment interjecting some words of mine own gladnesse that he had received contentment in this tender point which would signalize his beginnings This I said because in truth I had found him alwaies before the more passionate in it by some reflection upon himself His answer after due thanks for his Majesties gracious remembrance of him from abroad was That for his own part he was Contentissimo and had represented things home in the best manner He hoped likewise it would be well tasted there also though with some doubt because the State out of their own devotion towards his Majestie might form a confidence of expecting more I replyed that the King upon the matter if we consider disgrace had done more then themselves for he was but once banished at Venice and twice here viz. once from the Verge of the Court and secondly from London which was as much as could be done with preservation of National immunities and more then would have been done at the suit of any other Embassadour here resident or perhaps of any of their own hereafter if the like case shall occur For as I told him it was the Kings expresse will that his particular respect to the republique and to him in this businesse should not be drawn into examples With this point he was not a little pleased for his own glory and said that indeed Mr. Secretarie Nanton had told him so This was the summe of what passed between us omitting impertinencies Let me end my dear Lord as I am bound in all the use either of my pen or of my voice with an humble and hearty acknowledgment of my great obligations towards your Lordship which will make me resolve and in good faith unhappy till I can some way shew my self Your Lordships most thankful and faithful servant Henry Wootton 25th of January 1619. Sir Henry Wotton to the Duke My most honoured Lord and Patron THese poor lines will be presented unto your Lordship by my Nephew one of your obliged servants and withal some description as I have prayed him of my long infirmities which have cast me behind in many private and often interrupted even my publique Duties with which yet I do rather seek to excuse some other defects of service then my silence towards your Lordship For to importune your Lordship seldom with my pen is a choice in me and not a disease having resolved to live at what distance soever from your sight like one who had well studied before I came hither how secure they are whom you once vouchsafe any part of your love And indeed I am well confirmed therein by your own gracious lines for thereby I see that your Lordship had me in your meditation when I scant remembred my self In answer of which Letter after some respite from mine own evils I have
of Divine Grace THe authority wherein we have understood your Noblenesse to flourish in the Brittish Court is accounted not onely the reward of your merits but also the patronage of virtue certainly an excellent renown and every way so worthy that the people desire a diuturnity to be annexed unto it But it is almost ineffable what an increase of glory thoroughout the world would be annexed unto it if by Gods favour it should become the defence of Catholique Religion Certainly you have gained an opportunity by which you may insert your self into the Councels of those Princes who obtaining an immortal name have attained the Celestial Kingdom Suffer not then O Nobleman this occasion presented to you from God and commended by the Bishop of Rome to slip out of your hands You that are privie to their royal Councels cannot choose but know in what estate the affaires of Brittain at this time stand and with what voyces of the Holy Ghost speaking in them they daily sound in the ears of your Princes What Glorie would redound unto your Name if by your exhortation and perswasion the English Kings should again recover their Celestial inheritance of that Glorie left unto them by their Ancestours in those Kingdomes in abundant manner by providing for the increase of Gods Worship and by not only defending but propagating the jurisdiction of the Pontifical authority There have been many and shall be hereafter whom the bountie of Kings hath enriched with fading riches and advanced to envied titles and yet mindful posterity will not celebrate your name with eternal Prayses for having attayned these but if your Councels should reduce those most powerful Kings and people unto the bosom of the Romane Church the name of your Noblenesse would be written in the book of the living whom the torment of Death toucheth not and the Monuments of Histories shall place you amongst those wise men in whose splendor Kings walked but with what comforts in this life and what rewards in the life to come God who is rich in mercy would reward you they easily see who know the art and force by which the Kingdom of heaven is conquered It is not only our Pontifical charity to whose care the salvation of mankind pertaineth but also the piety of your Mother who as she brought you into the world so she desireth to bear you again to the Romane Church which she acknowledgeth for her mother that moved us to desire that you were made Partakers of so great felicity Therefore when our beloved son the religious man Didacus de la Fuente who hath wisely administred the affaires of your Princes in this City prepared his journie for Spain we commanded him to come unto your Noblenesse and present these our Apostolical Letters by which the Greatnesse of our Pontifical charity and the desire of your salvation may be declared Your Noblenesse may therefore heare him as the interpreter of our mind and as one indued with these virtues which have won him the love of forraign nations being a Catholique and religious priest He certainely hath reported those things of you in these parts of the world that he is worthie to be imbraced of you with singular affection and defended by your authority being a servant to the Glorie and salvation of the Brittish Kings and people This thing truly will we pray for to the father of mercies that he will open to your Noblenesse the gates of his Coelestial kingdom and afford you frequent Documents of his Clemency Given at Rome at St. Marie the Greater under the Ring of the Fisherman the 19. of May. 1623. and of our Popedom the third John Champolut To his Sacred Majestie abignoto My most Gratious King THese things which your Majestie did lately command to be spoken unto you and now to be repeated in writing are not such as they can be made bylegal and Judicial proofes both because they by whose testimony they may be confirmed do for fear of a most potent adversarie withdraw themselves And also because they think it a crime to come into the Embassadours house yea even they are afraid to do it who have commandement from your Majestie but neither was it lawful for the Embassadours themselves to speak these things especially not to such as they directed when the order of the affaires required it because they had never the freedom to speak unto your Majestie and no audience was given or granted them in the absence of tht Duke of Buckingham An example certainly unusual with other Kings and never to be taken in good part unlesse it be perhaps when the King himself wanting experience and being of weak judgment and no wisedom some one that is familiar and inward with the King a man wise and circumspect of great judgment and no lesse experience supplies the Kings place But here when all things go preposterously and the King himself being a most prudent and experienced Prince he that is familiar or favorite doth in all things shew himself a rash headie young man a Novice in managing of businesse and to the Crown of Spain most offensive Certainly by all just right this man was to be kept away from the audience of the Embassadour of the State We may also be bold to say that his presence so earnestly desired of him doth argue a great fear in him and a great distrust in him as well of his own upright conscience as also the Kings wisdom Hence therefore it is come to passe that your Majesties most faithful Vassals dare not so much as indirectly disclose their minds to the King though they take it in very ill part that a very good King should be driven into such streights And that a man pleasing himself in his own designs should use the favours of Princes so sinisterly that he doth of set purpose stir up breach of friendship and enmity between most Mighty Kings Besides who can without a discontented mind endure that the greatest affaires and of greatest moment if any in the Christian world can be so tearmed shall be ordered or concluded at the pleasure of your Parliament and from thence all things carried on with a headlong violence at his will and pleasure and a most deadly war to be preferred before a most happie Peace When as neverthelesse I am not ignorant that not so much the restitution of the Palatinate as the very claime to it will very difficultly be obtained or recovered by force of armes Let your Majestie exactly consider as it useth to do whether this be not an evident argument of that I have said that the conference or treatie about the Palatinate was taken from the Councel of State a society of most prudent men only forthis cause that almost everie one of them had with one consent approved the proposition of the most Catholique King and did not find in it any cause of dissolving that treaty Hereupon the Parliament of this Kingdom was procured by the Duke because he thought his
plots would be most acceptable to the Puritans not without great injury to your Councel of State from which he fled and disclaimed by way of an appeale and with such successe that we may be bold to say that the Parliament is now above the King Nay which is more that this daring Duke propounded many things to the Parliament in the Kings name your Majestie being neither acquainted with them nor willing to them Yea and that he propounded many things contrary to your Majesties service Who is there that doth not see and commend the royal disposition of the Prince adorned with so great endowments of his mind that he doth not in them all shew and approve himself to be a very good son of a very good King And yet neverthelesse that the Duke doth so much presume upon his favour that he contemneth all men as knowing that those who are obedient to his Highnesse will also subject themselves to his will I would to God he did direct those his actions to the good of the Prince But that is a thing so far from the opinion of good men that they rather believe that he who hath overthrown the marriage with Spain will be of no lesse power to the breaking of any other marriage and that is it which many do prophesie They knew in Spain that very same day that he had received Letters from the most illustrious Prince Palatine that he caused the procuration to be revoked and in a few dayes after when the comming of the foresaid Princes Secretarie and the confirmation of his hope of having his Daughter married to her Highnesse son all things were utterly dashed in pieces Let your Majestie have a care of your self and the Prince and foresee the hurts and damages which a man of such a turbulent humour may stir up whose headie spirit your Majestie saith you have noted and have desired to mittigate A man I say that is ambitious of popular ayr as plainly appeared in Parliament when the casting of all odious matter upon your Majestie he did arrogate the thanks of all things that were acceptable to himself being stiled the redeemer of his countrie I say again a man that hath envied so great a good to the Christian world and principally to the kingdomes of England and Spain having used some certain meanes which do argue that he aymed at such an end as many already do fear and to prophesie in it the worst event that can be if the Puritans desire a kingdome which they do against their wills they wish it not to the most illustirous Prince the best and true Heir of your Majestie but to the Prince Palatine whose spie and Scout Mansfelt is what shew soever he makes He that makes these things known to your Majestie dischargeth the part of a good man as well towards God as your Majestie and the illustirous Prince whom it now standeth in hand to foresee the vengeance of God provided by the Dukes plots and the furie of the Parliament there having been so many and so great testimonies published against Spain contrarie contrarie to truth so many and so frequent infamous Libels begotten and brought forth and many such other things so full of bitternesse and ignominie that they cannot be read even of our enemies without some taint upon the English Nation It is mostapparent and stories will testifie that here Leagues have been broken by the will and pleasure of them whom it especiallie concerneth to provide for your peace and quiet and to wish from the bottom of their hearts that after many and these most happie yeares that Motto of yours blessed be the Peace-makers might be verified in Letter of the person of your Majestie and to propound the same Counsel to the most illustrious Prince to be imitated which your Majestie hath done to the whole world to be commended and admired A happie Prince will he be if he comes and succceeds peaceably into the haereditarie possession of his kingdom and which will be of no lesse advantage to him having his peace established with those Princes whose friendship and amitie your Majestie hath procured and deserved He would certainly love and commend those that had given him those Counsels of peace Peace and tranquillitie are by haereditarie right devolved to the most illustrious Prince in as much as he is born of the Father who hath with so much industrie procured them not onely to this Island but to the continent also esteeming them at a higher value then his kingdomes themselves Which since it is thus and that the blood of his Father which is in him and the love wherewith he is carried towards your Majestie and the experience of this your most happie Government and that great example wherewith your Majestie hath drawn and won the Christian world to an admiration and love of you did all direct the most illustrious Prince with a kind of connatural motion to the same Counsel and purpose of peace as might have heretofore been likewise hoped Certainly this Machination is very strong violent and mighty which doth suddainely labour to turn him into a clean contrarie course And questionlesse if the very entrance into a war the war it self if it want justice it will want also happie successe It cannot be unknown to your Majestie that the Duke of Buckingham carrieth himself so lofty that he would have all men perswaded that he hath and doth exercise a kind of dominion over the will of your Majestie and of his Highnesse All things shall be made manifest to your Majestie if you will have them so for there are not meanes wanting whereby you may free your vassal from fear and diffidence who will otherwise dare nothing nor say nothing which certainely appeares so far to be true that when all things standing as they do it is an easie matter to find who will speak against your Majestie yet there is none that dare speak against the Duke Let your Majestie call some certain men unto you and sist out of them the opinion of the more moderate Parliament and enquire of those that come out of Spain who did first give the first cause of falling out whether the Complaints against the King of Spain be true or no whether that foresaid King were not desirous to satisfie the desire of the Prince his Highnesse Whether he did not faithfully endeavour to effect the marriage Whether the Duke of Buckingham did not many things against the authoritie and reverence due to the most illustrious Prince Whether he was not wont to be sitting whilest the Prince stood and was in presence and also having his feet resting upon another seat after an undecent manner Whether when the Prince was uncovered whilest the Queen and Infanta looked out at the Windowes he uncovered his head or no Whether sitting at the Table with the Prince he did not behave himself unreverently Whether he were not wont to come in to the Princes Chamber with his cloathes half on so
by the frequent proof he had of his great abilities in that kind Since the time of H. 6. these Parliamentary discoursings were never suffered as being the certain symptomes of subsequent rebellions civil Wars and the dethroning of our Kings But these last 20 years most of the Parliament men seek to improve the reputation of their wisdomes by these Declamations and no honest Patriot dare oppose them lest he incur the reputation of a Fool or a Coward in his Countries Cause 2. Covetous Landlords Inclosers Depopulators and Justices of the Peace who have got a habit of Omniregencie and an hope to extend the same against the King in Parliament as they do on his Subjects in the Countrey Hereby the King loseth 24000 l. in every whole Subsidie for Anno 1600. it was 80000 l. and now it is but 56000 l. which cometh by the decay of the yeomandry who were three and four pound men And these Gentlemen most of them of the Parliament do ease themselves to afflict those who are the true Commons and yet perswade them that the grievances are caused by the Duke and the ill government of the King 3. Recusants and Church Papists whose hatred is irreconcileable against the Duke for the breach of the Spanish Match The French Lady though as zealous a Catholique doth not please him for they were tyed to Spain by their hopes of a change of Religion that way All the Priests are sent from the Spanish Dominions and the sons and daughters of the Papists remain as hostages of their fidelities in the Colledges and Nunneries of the King of Spain And though the Papists have no place in the house of Commons yet privately they aggravate all scandals against the Duke to kindle a separation between the King and his people and avert them from enabling the King to resist or be avenged of our great enemy Remember the course held by these men in the Parliament of undertakers also Dr. Eglesham and all the Priests daily practice libelling against all great men about the King 4. Needy and indebted persons in both Houses who endeavour by these Parliamentary stirres not so much the Dukes overthrow as a rebellion which they hope will follow if it be not done This is much to be suspected as well by their Calumniations against his Majestie as for their own wants many of them being outlawed and not able to shew their heads but in Parliament time by priviledge thereof and they know that there are enough to follow them in the same mischief 5. Puritans and all other Sectaries who though scarce two of them agree in what they would have yet they all in general are haters of Government They begun in Parliament about Anno 23. Eliz. and spit their venom not only against the Bishops but also against the Lord Chancellour Hatton and others the Queens favourites and Councellours as they do now against the Clergie and the Duke But their main discontentment is against the Kings Government which they would have extinguished in matters Ecclesiastical and limited in Temporal This is a fearful and important Consideration because it pretends Conscience and Religion and they now more deadly hate the Duke because he sheweth himself to be no Puritan as they hoped he would at his return from Spain 6. Malecontents censured or decourted for their deserts as the kindred and dependants of the Earl of Suffolk and of Sir Henry Yelverton Coke Lake Middlesex though all of them the last excepted were dejected by King James without any Concurrencie of the Duke Others because they are not preferred as they do imagine that they deserve as the Lord Say Earl of Clare Sir John Eliot Selden and Glanvile Sir Dudley Diggs and the Bishops of Nerwich and Lincoln These and many others according to the nature of envy look upon every one with an evil eye especially upon the Duke who either hath or doth not prefer them to those places or retain them in them which their ambition expecteth 7. Lawyers in general for that as Sir Edward Cook could not but often expresse our Kings have upholden the power of their Prerogatives and the rights of the Clergie whereby their comings in have been abated And therefore the Lawyers are fit ever in Parliaments to second any Complaint against both Church and King and all his servants with their Cases Antiquities Records Statutes Presidents and Stories But they cannot or will not call to mind that never any Nobleman in favour with his Soveraign was questioned in Parliament except by the King himself in case of Treason or unlesse it were in the nonage and tumultuous times of Rich. 2. Hen. 6. or Edw. 6. which happened to the destruction both of the King and Kingdom And that not to exceed our own and Fathers memories in King Hen. 8. time Wolsies exorbitant power and pride and Cromwels contempt of the Nobility and the Lawes were not yet permitted to be discussed in Parliament though they were most odious and grievous to all the Kingdom And that Leicester's undeserved favour and faults Hatton's insufficiency and Rawleigh's insolence far exceeded what yet hath been though most falsly objected against the Duke yet no Lawyer durst abet nor any man else begin any Invectives against them in Parliament 8. The Merchants and Citizens of London convinced not by the Duke but by Cranfield and Ingram to have deceived the King of Imposts and Customs and deservedly fearing to be called to accompt for undoing all the other Cities and good Towns and the poor Colonie of Virginia as also for transporting of our silver into the East-Indies these vent their malice upon the Duke in the Exchange Pauls Westminster-Hall with their suggestions and therein they wound both to Subjects and strangers the honour of his Majestie and his proceedings 9. Innovators Plebicolae and King-haters At the latter end of Queen Elizabeth it was a phrase to speak yea to pray for the Queen and State This word State was learned by our neighbourhood and Commerce with the Low-Countries as if we were or affected to be governed by States This the Queen saw and hated And the old Earl of Oxford his Propositions at her death they awakened King James to prevent this humour and to oppose the conditions and limitations presented unto him by the Parliaments The Lawyers Citizens and Western men who are most hot infected with Puritanisme stood strong against him under a colour of Parliaments and Parliamentary priviledges His Majestie therefore strengthened himself ever with some Favourite as whom he might better trust then many of the Nobility tainted with this desire of Oligarchie It behoveth without doubt his Majestie to uphold the Duke against them who if he be but decourted it will be the Corner stone on which the demolishing of his Monarchie will be builded For if they prevail with this they have hatched a thousand other demands to pull the feathers of the Royalty they will appoint him Councellours Servants Alliances Limits of his expences
me one of the Junta as they called it of the selected Councellours and his imployment given me the last year as his Extraordinary Embassadour into Germany I told them I had been bred a Souldier as their Excellencies had been but that I wanted the capacity and abilities which they had and that for want of Language not affecting to speak by an Interpreter I had forborn to wait on their Excellencies as otherwise I would have done To that they returned the like Complement and then said Their Master had sent a good answer touching the Palatinate and they assured me that he would perform what he had promised with advantage I said if it were so I then hoped all things would sort to a good end They then asked me how his Majestie and the Lords were affected and whether therewith they were satisfied or no I answered That I conceived their Excellencies knew his Majesties mind as well as the Lords for that they had so lately audience of him They said It was true they had so but not a private audience nor could they obtain any though they had much desired the same but that others were still present I said merely that they were two and I believed that the King their Master had sent as able and experienced Ministers as he had any and therefore his Majestie might peradventure think fit not to hear them alone They said his Majestie might alone hear a thousand Ministers of any Kings but if he should be otherwise pleased they well liked of the Princes being present but they said there were also other great Ministers of the Kings who wished not well to their Masters affairs I said There might therein be a mistaking or misunderstanding on their part for if the King their Master mean so really as they said I conceived that no body would be willing to remove his Majestie from those purposes and that good affection which he bore unto his dear Brother the King of Spain The Marquesse said in English The King was a good King and the Prince a good Prince but some of their Ministers they doubted were ill willers to them I asked if greater demonstrations of reality could be devised then had been given on the part of the King and Prince instancing in the Prince his going in Person into Spain They confessed it but as the times now were they said ill offices were done them I assured them That I neither knew nor understood of any neither did I ever hear them spoken of but with due respect had unto them as to the Ministers of a great King and his Majesties dear Brother They said their meaning was not that the ill offices were done to their Persons but to the great Businesses which a certain Person had shewed a willingnesse to disturb but they hoped that the intended amity between our Masters would hold and proceed neverthelesse I professed that I knew nothing to the contrary neither understood I the particular at which they aymed The Marquesse swore as he was a Christian he knew that the King his Master did so truly and really esteem his dear Brother the King of England and the Prince of Wales that if they needed part of his blood they should have it for their good But he complained that they could not have their Messages delivered nor returned from the King of late but qualified according to the pleasures of others I said They misconceived it for I thought they had no cause to complain seeing they now had or might have as I supposed the Kings Ear when they craved it in due and befitting times They seemed to deny it alledging That they could not get their Messages and Papers answered as aforetime I said When the Prince was in Spain they had free accesse to his Majestie whensoever they desired it Yea said the Marquesse in Latine Tune but now he said the ease was altered I said the King had given many testimonies to the world of his willingnesse to comply with their Master and Them And if either his Majestie or the Prince seemed now more reserved and deliberate in their actions then heretofore it might be that his Highnesse had learned that wary and circumspect proceeding in Spain where they are said to use it in matters of far lesse moment They smiled hereat and prayed me to continue my good intentions and respects towards them and to the joynt affairs of both our Masters I said I would alwaies serve the King my Master with a true and faithful heart and so far as should be agreeable to his desires and good liking I would to my small power be ready to serve them In Conclusion they said They came but to visit me but being come they could not choose but say something and touch upon businesse Arthur Chichester 22. of May 1624. Having made visits at sundry times to the Spanish Embassadours I do here under my hand declare what passed betwixt them and me so neer as my memory serveth lest in my absence any such maâ—ter should fall in question I now intending to travel for a space VVHen his Highnesse was in Spain being upon my journy in Scotland I went to Elis-House to take my leave of Don Carles where Vanvail was present I expressing much joy of the march which in my mind would without all question be perfected did find no such humour nor inclination on their part which did much astonish me for they grumblingly did alleadge that the King my Master did perform nothing that he promised or how could any thing be expected the Infanta being here whereas nothing was per formed the Prince being in Spain I besought them to do better offices then without reason to put jealousies betwixt my Master and theirs who would never have sent his son to Spain without a real intention Which onely act was reason sufficient to remove all doubts Yet did they still continue their challenge of divers Bracks specially anent the sending of ships to Scotland to bring away the two Dunkirkers and not perfecting such conditions as were promised to Catholiques I did intreat them again that such conceits of my Master might be removed for they might be confident of full performance of what he had promised by reason he had never broke his promise to any I desired them likewise to consider with what love our Prince was gone and what a stain it should be to the State of Spain if uncourteously he should return with distast Besides it might fall out to be the worst act that ever they committed where anent if they had love to their Master they would prove good Instruments What was spoke by me in English was related in Spanish to Don Carlo so was it to me what they spoke in Spanish Sometimes Don Carlo spoke in French so that not a word passed which each man did not know I went again after the Treaties were given up and did remember Don Carlo of what I had forespoke when the Marquesse was present and took
you may all noble thoughts forsake me Because I seldom am honoured with your Ear I thus make bold with your all-discerning eye which I pray God may be inabled with power and strength daily to see into them that desire your ruine Which if it once be I will never believe but so good a King will constantly inable you daily with power to confound them Many men would not be thus bold and saucie If I find you distaste me for my respect to you I will respect my poor self who ever hath honoured you so much as hereafter to be silent So I kisse the noble hands of your Grace Your Lordships servant during life Tho. Cromwell Sir Robert Philips to the Duke of Buckingham 21. August 1624. May it please your Grace BEfore the receipt of that Dispatch with which you were pleased to honour me from Apthorp dated the last of July I was fully determined at your return to Woodstock to have presented your Grace my most humble and faithful service and by that means to have obtained the knowledge in what state and condition of health you had passed this part of the progresse Your former weaknesse together with the dangerous temper of the season giving me cause both to doubt and pray against the worst But I found my self then to be more strictly obliged to the performance of this dutie when I received from your Grace so clear and abundant a testimonie as well of your good opinion as of the trust you reposed in me Obligations certainly of that nature and of so large an extent as do with reason deprive me of all degree of libertie and justly subject me to a perpetual state of servitude and obedience to all your Graces Commandements I have diligently perused my Lord of Bristols answer which it pleased your Grace to communicate unto me And although it become me not neither will I presume to give my opinion of the strength or weaknesse thereof yet will I take the liberty to say thus much That I find in his case that to be verified which I have observed at other times to wit That when able and prudent men come to act their own Parts they are then for the most part not of the clearest sight and do commonly commit such errours as are both discernable and avoidable even by men of mean abilities Being now fallen to speak of this Lord I humbly beseech your Lordship to give me leave plainly and briefly to set before you some Cogitations of mine own touching his present occasion First that it may be maturely considered Whether the tendring him any further charge unto which he may be able to frame a probable satisfactorie answer will not rather serve to declare his innocencie then to prepare his Condemnation and so instead of pressing him reflect back with disadvantage upon the proceeding against him Secondly That your Grace would be pleased to consult with your self whether you may not desist from having him further questioned without either blemish to your Honour or manifest prejudice to the service Considering that you have to your perpetual glory already dissolved and broken the Spanish partie and rendred them without either the means or the hope of ever conjoyning in such sort together again as may probably give the least disturbance or impediment to your Graces waies and designs And lastly Although his Lordship in sundry places of his answer especially in the latter part doth seem directly to violate the rule of the * Provident prudent Marriner who in foul weather and in a storm is accustomed to prevent shipwrack rather to pull down then to set up his sailes Neverthelesse as this case stands it deserves to be thorowly pondered which of the two waies will most conduce to your Graces purpose and is likely to receive the best interpretation and success either to have him dealt with after a quick and round manner or otherwise to proceed slowly and moderately with him permiting him for a time to remain where he is as a man laid aside and in the way to be forgotten A state of being if I mistake not his complexion which will be by him apprehended equivalent to the severest and sharpest censure that possibly can be inflicted on him Thus have I over-boldly adventured to present unto your Grace these few Queries and Proposals which they might be both inlarged and more forcibly urged yet to avoid the being too tedious I have chosen to omit the further insisting upon them till such time as I may have the honour and felicitie of being neer your person At this present it shall suffice humbly to beseech your Grace to be assuredly perswaded that what I have now delivered in this subject doth not proceed from any over indulgent respect I bear either to the person or fortune of my Lord of Bristol though I should not be sorry that like a prudent man he might by his discreet application to your Grace render himself capable to be again readmitted to your love and favour But the motive which hath induced me principally to use this plainnesse and libertie is the Consideration how importantly as I conceive the well ordering and disposing this particular doth concern your Graces service Unto the advancement and furtherance whereof if I may be able now or at any time to contribute the least proportion I shall esteem my self most happie and more then abundantly rewarded in case that my right humble endeavours in that kind may receive from your Grace a favourable and acceptable construction I will conclude this Letter with a twofold prayer first to you for my self that your Grace will be pleased to pardon this boldnesse Next to God for you that he will give you health and length of daies for his Majesties service and the good and honour of this Common-wealth I humbly crave leave to remain Your Graces Most obedient and devoted servant Rob. Philips The Earl of Middlesex to the Duke Right Noble and my most honoured Lord I Have received divers Letters from your Lordship since your going from Theobalds which though they concern several men and in sundry kinds yet they all conclude upon diminution of his Majesties estate contrary to your general ground when his Majestie delivered me the Staffe and contrary to your Lordships private directions given me at Theobalds with which I did your Lordship the right to acquaint the King I have of late had cause to take into consideration the miserable condition of my present estate who since I received the staffe have led such a life as my very enemies pity me which I foresaw the distraction of the Kings estate and burthen of that place would of necessitie throw upon me Yet my dutie love and thankfulnesse to his Majestie and my love and thankfulnesse to you contrary to my own judgment and advice of my friends made me undertake it little expecting these Crosse accidents which have lyen heavy upon me and more troubled me then the continual cares
your Lordship this further assurance that no particular interest or consideration of mine own shall have power to alter my constant course of serving my gracious Master faithfully and industriously And so humbly submitting all to his Majesties good pleasure and your Lordships wisdom I remain eternally Your Graces most faithful friend and humble servant Carlile Postscript I Most humbly beseech your Lordship that this unfortunate Complement put upon my son may be no prejudice to the deserts of Sir James Ramsey The Lord Kensington to the Duke My Noblest Lord I Find the Queen Mother hath the onely power of governing in this State and I am glad to find it so since she promises and professes to use it to do careful and good offices in the way of increasing the friendship that is between us and this State and likewise to relieve and assist the united provinces the which they are preparing to do fullie and bravely for she hath now a clear sight of the pretentions of the King of Spain unto the Monarchie of Christendom during the absence of the King who went out of this town earlie the next day after I arrived here before I was prepared to attend him I have been often at the Lonure where I had the honour to entertain the Queen Mother She was willing to know upon what terms stood our Spanish alliance I told her that their delayes had been so tedious that they had somewhat discouraged the King and had so wearied the Prince and State which the dilatorie proceedings in it as that Treatie I thought would soon have an end She streight said of marriage taking it that way I told her I believed the contrarie and I did so the rather because the Spanish Embassad our hath given it out since my comming that the Alliance is fully concluded and that my journey had no other end then to hasten his Master unto it only to give them Jealousies of me because he at this time feares their dispositions stand too well prepared to desire and affect a conjunction with us And truly his report and instruments have given some jealousies to the persons of power in this State especially since they find I can say nothing directly unto them yet thus much I have directly from them Mounsieur de Vievielle and others but he is the chief guider of all affaires here That never was the affection of any State so prepared to accept all offers of amitie and alliance so we will cleerly and as disingaged persons seek it as is this but as a wise minister he saies that until we have whollie and truly abandoned the treatie with Spaiu they may lose the friendship of a brother in law that is alreadie so in hope of gaining another that they may fail of But when we shall see it reallie by a publique Commission that may declare all dissolved that touches upon the way of Spain we shall then understand their hearts not to be capable of more joy then that will bring them And the Queen Mother told me she had not lost those inclinations that she hath heretofore expressed to desire her Daughter may be given to the Prince with many words of value unto the King and person of the Prince and more then this she could not she thought well say it being most natural for the woman to be demanded and sought It is most certain that under-hand Spain hath done all that is possible to procure this State to listen to a crosse-marriage but here they are now so well understood as this baite will not be swallowed by them This I have from a grave and honest man that would not be brought to justifie it therefore he must not hear of it It is the Savoy Embassadour that is resident here a wise and a Gallant Gentleman who vowes this to be most true So general a desire was never expressed as is here for alliance with us and if the King and Prince have as many reasons of State at this time besides their infinite affection here to have it so continued let it be roundly and clearly pursued and then I dare promise as respective and satisfactorie a reception as can be imagined or desired And if it were not too much saucinesse for me to advise I could wish that the propositions of a league and marriage may not come together but may be treated apart For I doubt whether it may not be thought a little dishonourable for this King to give his sister conditionallie that if he will make war upon the King of Spain his brother we will make the alliance with him on the other part if the league should be propounded here with all those reasons of State that are now pressing for them to make it they have causes to doubt and so have we too that we may both be interrupted in that for certainly the King of Spain will if he can possibly please one side the which they think here may be us with the restitution of the Palatinate and we may likewise fear may be them with the rendring of the Valtoline these being the only open quarrels we must ground upon Now as long as these doubts may possesse us both this will prove a tedious and jealous work of both sides But if we fall speedily upon a treatie and conclusion of a marriage the which will find I am perswaded no long delayes here neither will they strain us to any unreasonablenesse in conditions for our Catholiques as far as I can find then will it be a fit time for to conclude a league the which they will then for certain do when all doubts and feares of fallings off are by this conjunction taken away and the necessity of their own affaires and safety will then make them more desire it then we and so would they now if they could think it so sure and so honourable for them For the King of Spain hath so imbraced them of all sides as they fear and justly that he will one day crush them to their destruction My Lord I do not presume to say any thing immediately to the King thorough your hands this I know will passe unto him and if he should find any weaknesse in this that I have presumed to say let the strength of your favour exercise those accustomed Noblenesses that you have alwayes expressed unto Your Graces most humble and obliged Servant Kensington Postscript VVIthin these few dayes your Grace shall hear again from me for as yet I have not seen the King no otherwise then the first night I arrived here This night he is come unto the Town again The Lord Kensington to the Prince 26. February 1624. May it please your Highnesse I Find here so infinite a value of your Person and virtue as what Instrument so ever my self the very weakest having some commands as they imagine from you shall receive excesse of honours from them They will not conceive me scarce receive me but as a publique Instrument for the service
businesse But I gave him great satisfaction in that point My Lord these are passages of my first nights being here matters of ceremonie and yet I omit much of that I thought these too slight to trouble his Majestie or the Prince with yet I thought it fit since this Messenger goes to let you see this outward show and face of this Court to have as much sweetnesse smoothnesse and clearnesse towards our designs as is possible My next Letters shall inform you of a further search made by me the which I am confident will be of the same nature And I conceive it the rather because I find them in a great alarum at the newes that they have received from Leige that the King of Spain makes a Fort upon the ruine there to command both that and the Town This they say hath made them more clearly see his vast ambition to inlarge his Monarchie and do all speak the careful and honest language of our Lower house men how it may be prevented I have said enough the Messenger I dare say thinks too much yet this I will add That I will study to make it appear to the world and your self by a thankful heart and to God himself in my prayers for your Lordship that I am Your Lordships Most devoted and most humble servant Kensington Postscript IF the French Embassadour or my Lord of Carlile wonders I have not written unto them I beseech your Lordship let them know this Messenger is not of my sending and in such haste as he cannot be stayed The Lord Kensington to the Prince May it please your Highnesse I Cannot but make you continual repetitions of the value you have here to be as justly we know you the most Compleat young Prince and person in the world This reputation hath begotten in the sweet Princesse Madam so infinite an affection to your fame as she could not contain her self from a passionate desiring to see your Picture the shadow of that person so honoured and knowing not by what means to compasse it it being worn about my neck for though others as the Queen and Princesses would open it and consider it the which ever brought forth admiration from them yet durst not this poor young Ladie look any otherwise on it then afar off whose heart was nearer it then any of the others that did most gaze upon it But at the last rather then want that sight the which she was so impatient of she desired the Gentlewoman of the house where I am lodged that had been her servant to borrow of me the picture in all the secresie that may be and to bring it unto her saying She could not want that Curiositie as well as others towards a person of his infinite reputation As soon as she saw the party that brought it she retired into her Cabinet calling onely her in where she opened the picture in such haste as shewed a true picture of her passion blushing in the instant at her own guiltinesse She kept it an hour in her hands and when she returned it she gave with it many praises of your person Sir this is a businesse so fit for your secresie as I know it shall never go farther then unto the King your Father my Lord Duke of Buckingham and my Lord of Carliles knowledge A tendernesse in this is honourable for I would rather die a thousand times then it should be published since I am by this young Lady trusted that is for beautie and goodnesse an Angel I have received from my Lord of Buckingham an advertisement that your Highnesse opinion is to treat of the General league first that will prepare the other Sir whatsoever shall be propounded will have a noble acceptation though this give me leave to tell you when you are free as by the next newes we shall know you to be they will expect that upon those declarations they have here already made towards that particularitie of the Alliance that your Highnesse will go that readier and nearer way to unite and fasten by that knot the affection of these Kingdomes Sir for the general they all here speak just that language that I should and do unto them of the power and usurpation of the Spaniards of the approaches they make to this Kingdom the danger of the Low-Countries the direct Conquest of Germany and the Valtoline By which means we have cause to joyn in opposition of the Ambitions and mightinesse of this King The which they all here say cannot be so certainly done as by an Alliance with us This they speak perpetuallie and urge it unto my consideration Sir unlesse we proceed very roundly though they be never so well affected we may have interruptions by the arts of Spain that make offers infinite to the advantage of this State at this time But they hearken to none of them untill they see our intentions towards them The which if they find to be real indeed they will give us brave satisfaction But Sir your Fathers and your will not my opinion must be followed and what Commandments your Highnesse shall give me shall be most strictly obeyed by the most devoted Your Highnesse Most dutiful and humblest servant Kensington The Lord Kensington to the Duke the 14. of March 1624. My Lord I Have already acquainted your Grace how generally our desires are met with here much more cannot be said then I have already for that purpose There was never known in this Kingdome so intire an agreement for any thing as for an Alliance with England the Count of Soysons onely excepted who hath had some pretensions unto Madam but those are now much discouraged upon a free discourse the Cardinal of Rochfalcout made unto the Countesse his Mother telling her That if she or her son believed or could expect the King would give him his sister in marriage they would as he conceived deceive themselves for he imagined upon good grounds that the King would bestow his Sister that way that might be most for her honour and advancement and likewise for the advantage of his Crown and Kingdom and he professed for his part although he much honoured the Count as a great Prince of the bloud yet was he so faithful unto his Master as he would advise him to that purpose The Queen Mother and Mounsieur Le Grand have advised me to say something unto the King concerning my businesse I told them I could say nothing very directly unto him and yet would I not so much as deliver my opinion of the King my Masters inclinations to wish an alliance with him unlesse I were assured his answers might make me see his value and respect unto him They then spake unto him and assured me I should in that be satisfied Having that promise from them I told the King that I had made this journey of purpose to declare unto him my humble service and thankfulnesse for all his Honours and favours the which I thought I could not better expresse
told her That if the intentions of your Majestie were no better considered by the King here your Majestie commanding us for the good and happinesse of his Kingdom to endeavour to bring and give him the which we have done the greatest blessing in this World Peace in his Countrie then to be ballanced with a person that in requital hath stirred up and dailie desires to do it disputes and jarres even between your Majestie and the Queen we had reason to believe your Majestie most unjustly and most unworthily requited And it might take away upon any such occasion the care that otherwise you would have had to do the like And for my part it took from me all desire ever to be imployed upon any occasion hither where our Actions that their acknowledgments have been acceptable but a few daies past are now of so little consideration as we are of no more weight then the unworthiest Minister that ever was imployed Upon that I found she was sorrie for having expressed so much But this day we had from her a more favourable audience and from the King the effects and circumstances of that which we have in our Dispatch presented unto my Lord Conway Sir the malice of this Blanvile is so great unto your worthie servant my Lord Duke as he hath written a private Letter unto the King the which I saw by the favour of a friend that he is in a condition of danger to be ruined by the furie and power of the Parliament And to confirm him in that opinion hath sent all the passages amongst them that concern my Lord Duke adding to that of great factions against him at the Councel Table and naming some Lords the which makes me see he hath intelligence with all those that he believes may contribute any thing towards the mischieving of him But those that know the magnanimitie and noblenesse of your Majesties heart know that so noble a vessel of honour and service as he is shall never be in danger for all the storms that can threaten him when it is in your Majesties hands not onely to calm all these tempests but to make the Sun and beams of your favour to shine more clearly upon his deservings then ever the which upon this occasion your courage and virtue will no doubt do to the encouragement of all deserving and excellent servants and to his honour and comfort that is the most worthie that ever Prince had And so affectionate that the world hath no greater admirations then the fortunes that the Master and servant have run together And certainly our good God will ever preserve that affection that in so many accidents and one may say afflictions hath preserved your Persons Sir this boldnesse that I take proceeds not from the least doubt these foolish rumours give me of changes but out of a passionate meditation of those accidents that your courage and fortune hath carried you through blessing God for your prosperitie the which will be by his grace most glorious and lasting according to the prayers of Your Majesties Most humble and most obedient Subject and servant Holland Paris 1 13. March 1625. The Earl of Holland to the Duke My dear Lord THis Messenger is so rigid and such an enemie to all Jantileise as by him I will not send any news in that kind but when the little Mercurie comes you shall know that which shall make you joy and grieve that you cannot injoy what your fate and merit hath so justly destined unto you We have such daily alarums here out of England from Blanvile of the beating of his servant and at the last the danger that of late he himself hath been in of being assassinated in his own house for the first word that his servant said unto the King and the whole Court was The Embassadour had run such a bazard of his life as no man that heard him believed he had escaped with lesse then 5. or 6. wounds Insomuch as your friend Bouteve asked Fait vn belle fine And this hath so animated this Court being as your Lordship knowes apt upon all occasions to be fired and ftirred up as the King hath been moved to forbid us our entries and liberties here And yesterday Madam de Blanvile did openly petition the King to imprison us for the wrongs and injuries done unto her husband and his Embassadour that she feared was by this time dead But that had no other effect but to be laught at I never I confesse saw the Queen Mother in so much distraction and passion for she never speaks of her Daughter but with tears and yesterday with some heat and bitternesse to me about it the Circumstances I have taken the boldnesse to present unto his Majestie That which distracts me infinitely is to hear that they do traduce you as the cause of all these misfortunes and that you stirre up the King to these displeasures And so much impression it hath made into the Queen Mother as this day at the audience she told me That you had made the marriage and were now as she imagined and was informed resolved to destroy your work I asked her what particularitie could make her say and believe so against the general and continual actions and endeavours that the whole world ought to be satisfied of your infinite care and affection to fasten and tye together a good and constant intelligence and friendship between these Crowns She told me that you intreated Madam de St. George to do some service for you to the Queen the which she did and instead of giving her thanks you threatned the sending of her away I told her Though I had as yet heard nothing of this particularitie yet I knew your nature to be so generous as you would never do any action unjust I told her that she must distinguish between what you say as Commanded by the King and what you say of your self for if it be his pleasure to make the instrument to convey his will upon any occasion of his displeasure you are not to dispute but to obey his Command in that and in all other things I told her farther that I saw the continual malice of the Embassadour that invents daily injuries and falshoods of your Lordship to unload himself from his insolencies and faults but I hoped that nothing should light upon your Lordship but what you deserved the which to my knowledge was more value and esteem then any man in the world could or can ever merit from this Kingdome And I desired her not to entertain the belief of these things too hastily until we had newes out of England that we knew would contradict all these malitious discourses And I must tell your Grace that by a friend whom I am tyed not to name I was shewed the private Lettter that Blanvile wrote to the King in the which he sent him the whole proceedings of the Parliament and concludes they will ruine you naming great factions against you
No. Mounsieur Langrack hath given this State many important advertisements as first that he hath obtained of the French Kng a continuance of the succours of the 3. Regiments of foot and 2. Troops of horse of that Nation for one year longer notwithstanding the opposition of the Spanish and Arch-Dukes Embassadours who advised the recalling of them upon occasion of the present troubles in France That there is order given and assignation for 120000 Crownes towards the arrearages of their pay That a resolution is taken in that Court by the advice of the new Councellours contrarie to the opinion of the old to prosecute the Princes by war and maintain the Kings authority henceforward by force That to this effect the King desires the State should perform their promises of sending towards the river of Burdeaux 5. men of war That he likewise requires of them in conformitie of the last treaties betwixt the Crown and this Stat an assistance of men to the number of the French which are here in service under some good Commander But the French themselves the King will not have for fear when they shall come into France of their revolting to the Princes That he demands free passage through these Countries down the Mause and the Rhene of 3000. Souldiers with their armes which are leaived by the Count John Giacomo Belioyosa in Luke-Land and thereabouts and shipping to transport them into France All these particulars were moved unto him as he writes by the Marshal de Anchre to which he adds That the King is so much incensed against the Duke of Bovillon for seeking to this State for protection by these Letters whereof I advertised your Honour in my last that there is a resolution taken to declare him Criminel de lese Majestate These Grauntes are so scantie the continuance of the French Troops in the service of the State being but for a year only and the payment of them arriving only to the tenth part of what is alreadie due that they here interpret them to proceed from the Marshal de Aucre Pour tenir as they say le bee en Leau and the demands are so large and extravagant that they are thought iniquum petere ut aequum ferant Whereby on the one side to keep this State in devotion to the French King and on the other to prevent the like requests of the Princes for there is small appearance they will give passage to so many men through their Countries armed and commanded by an Italian who hath born armes against them and is married into the Arch Dukes Countrie And when it comes to question of sending forces of their own thither it is like they will find as good excuses for that point as they have hitherto done for the sending of the ships now three months since promised and still solicited For howsoever the chief Persons here have been long particularly interested and ingaged as your Honour knowes by neer dependance on this Crown I find them of late very much alienated in consideration that it is so much governed by Spain which in the end they apprehended will turn to the ruine of this State In France they are jealous of this coldnesse and have of late expostulated the matter with Mounsieur Langrack as if they here did incline to the Princes there being a bruite raised in Paris that Count Maurice would go in Person to their assistance whereof the Queen Regent was very sensible but I do not find here that there was any ground for that report Here hath been lately a fame spread and nourished by such as desire to weaken the correspondence betwixt his Majestie and this State that his Majestie is in neer terms of matching our Prince with Spain Which report is now the more credited by an adviso out of Spain from a secret Minister this State entertaines under colour of solliciting Merchants causes That this match hath been there by order of the King of Spain debated in the inquisition and judged necessarie in regard it would serve for introduction of Poperie into England This I find to be the Remora of my chief affaires with this State my pressing the restitution of the Townes in Cleves and Juliers being thought by many of these jealous people to hang on this thread as a thing very acceptable and agreeable at this time to the King of Spain and much advantagious in this present conjuncture to his affaires and my insisting upon sending of Commissioners to his Majestie in the businesse of our Merchants they applie the same way as if the opinion which would be conceived of this Embassage howsoever Merchants affaires were pretended the chief intent was to play Davus in Comaedia should according to the use of Nitimur in Vetitum rather kindle then quench the desire of the Spaniard and draw the match to a more speedie conclusion At my last being with Mounsieur Barnevelt I did expostulate the States delay of sending Commissioners to his Majestie upon this occasion as neither answereth to Sir Noel Caron's word and promise to his Majestie nor to that which from his mouth I did advertise your Lordship of the States inclination in general and the resolution in particular of those of Holland To which he answered me That with much difficultie and opposition he had obtained the assent of Holland and that now the matter rested with Zealand but he doubted that his Majesties restoring the old Company of Merchants would make a stay of any farther proceeding as now lesse requisite howsoever that Sir Noel Carone had advertised that notwithstanding this change he thought the sending of Commissioners very necessary The Questions here about Religion rest in the same state as I advertised your Lordship in my last the Assembly of Holland being separated untill the end of February stil no. when they are to meet again Mean while a provisional order is taken that the Contra-Remonstrants shall continue their preaching in our English Church which they have accommodated with Scaffolds to make it more capable of their number There was much question in this Assemblie whether his Excellencie should be present or no but in the end he was called by the major part of voices contrary to Mounsieur Barnevelt's opinion and his authoritie over-swayed the matter in favour of the Contra-Remonstrants for the continuance of their preaching which it was proposed to hinder by some violent Courses By example of this place there is the like provisional order taken for preaching at the Brill and Rotterdam and certain of the Burghers are established in Tergow who were put from their Trade and Commerce for their expostulating with the Magistrate upon this quarrel I have been spoken unto by divers particular persons well affected in this cause to procure a Letter from his Majestie to his Excellencie whereby to comfort and encourage him in his Zeal for the maintenance of the true doctrine and the professours thereof against these Novellists and their opinions Which I most humbly refer to
return to the antient support of his Crownes which by the way of gratitude for her good usage since she had her refuge into these parts she could not but admonish his Excellencie of and advise him not to let it slip This he did not so suddenly lay hold of as not first to cast many misdoubts as if the alienation were too great and his Majestie too much wedded in affection if not in Alliance to new friends to be so soone reconjoyned to his old as their necessities did require Here I took occasion to play my own Part and to remember unto him how things had passed within the compasse of my experience from the beginning letting him know what friendship his Majestie had shewed this State in the making their Truce what sinceritie in rendring their Cautionarie Townes according to contract when they were demanded what affection in supporting their affaires during their late domestique disputes what care in settling our East-Indian differences finallie what Patience in conniving at all the misdemeanours and insolencies of their Sea-men without seeking revenge And hereupon concluded that I found them here in the same errour as men are which put first from Land to Sea and believe the Land passes from them not they from the Land in that the Alienation which hath long been nourished betwixt his Majestie and this State sprang originally from them First by Barnevelt and his faction of Arminians carrying the State to new Alliances with the Hans-Townes and otherwise by themselves refusing so much as the knowledge of them to my Predecessour in this place Sir Ralph Wynwood with much scorn and contempt Next by a harsh and peremptorie stile used in all we had then to do with them savouring rather of Pride and presumption then any due respect or desire of friendship Lastly by a precipitate course taken at Sea by their ships of war and Merchants against his Majesties Subjects making prize of some shouldering others out of their places of trade and entring in the East-Indies into open hostilitie avowed by a publique Act of the States General This ill course begun and pursued for some yeares continuance breeding a deserved distaste in his Majestie on this side and on the Spanish part fair overtures of friendship being continuallie made and confirmed by the tender of a Match of a potent Prince None can marvel that his Majestie did imbrace the same unlesse it should be expected of him that for love of this State how ill soever deserving he should lend a deaf eare to all other friendships that did not concurre with the interest of this State And the remembrance of these things not being so old as to be worn out they might here very well conceive that the suspition of Alienation and disaffection is as strong on our side for their giving the cause of our leaning another way as on theirs for the effect which hath since followed And now the cause is removed the effect may possibly cease in like manner if we may have good assurance that breaking with our new friends upon the occasions now presented we might fasten after the wonted manner with an old and the King be satisfied in such doubts he may upon good reason cast and know certainly what to trust to To this conclusion he answered confessing first their many obligations to his Majestie both for his favour and sufferance that nothing could be more certain then the affection of this State to a Prince embracing their cause of opposition to Spain And if his Majestie could take that resolution he might dispose of them their lives and their fortunes I told him that more in a case of this importance when there was question of alteration of the whole course of a great Princes affaires would be required then bare professions and protestations and the rather because he knew I was not ignorant how many Billets and Papers have been heretofore brought hither by * An old Popish Gentlewoman of this towne who by passeport on both sides trots so often to and fro betwixt this and Bruxells where she hath private accesse to the Infanta that she is known by the title of la Maquerelle de la Trefue Madam Serclaus and others tending to Truce or peace and how much such a matter was thirsted after by their Frontier Provinces which being free for them to take or leave after their own humours it was not likely his Majestie would discharge them of their burthen to pull it upon his own Shoulders But to enter into the common cause of defence and add a powerful hand in supporting them might be faisable in the present conjuncture upon good assurance he should never be left single in the quarrel Whereunto he answered that true it was the woman I named and divers others had been tampering heretofore about such Treaties that he had continually put their Papers into his Pocket and so suppressed them with consent of some of the States of whom he was most confident lest such propositions being brought into their publique Assemblies might have driven them into distraction and dispute one with another according to their several affections either to Peace or War and thereby slacken their Contributions wherewith they pay their Army and by consequence expose them to the mercie of the enemy And that this course of his being finally discovered by the Merquesse Spinola and Peckius their purpose now was as he is privately advertized from Bruxels to steal over some person hither by the usual meanes of Passe-ports for Merchants and Travailers to make some such like Proposition at the several Assemblies of the States of these united Provinces which it should be his studie to prevent because of the mischief may be bred thereby amongst them And this he assured me for conclusion That as their affections and affairs now stand nothing but despair can bring these Provinces to Peace or Truce with Spain To this I yielded but said That was not enough because of such changes to which the world was daily subject Neither did Queen Elizabeth undertake their protection upon such bare presumptions wherefore some further assurance must be thought on which he consented unto as a thing requisite on both sides and joyned issue with me in this point That when the King would be to this State as Queen Elizabeth was this State would be to him as it was to Queen Elizabeth This being opus unius diei not unlike the first day of the Creation of the world in distinguishing light and darknesse I will give your Grace this further light of what belongs to negotiation with this State The present opportunitie of the Prince of Orange's good affection and strength of these Provinces both by Sea and Land as it yet stands but not possible so long to continue being seasonably laid hold of his Majestie may have with this State a firm and fruitful alliance But if the Prince of Orange should die as he is much broken and the last year at