THE ANSWER TO Tom-Tell-Troth THE Practise of PRINCES and the LAMENTATIONS of the KIRKE Written By The Lord Baltismore late Secretary of STATE London Printed 1642. Most Gracious Prince I Know well what Reverence Subjects owe to their Soveraigne and am not ignorant of the puissance and Majesty of a King of great Brittaine believe I should not presume to write to so great a Monarch if the Loyalty of a Subject the honour of Your vertues and some particular obligations of my own did not command me to neglect all other respects and prefere Your safety honour and bonum publicum before any dangers or blame I foresee may incurre and the rather because I speake in your owne care only without publishing or imparting to others that which I delivered unto Your Majesty The cause is briefly thus Wandring abroad in the world I was informed of certaine secret conference in Holland and how to relieve the distressed estate of the Count Palatine and I have seene diverse discourses out of England of the necessity to maintaine the Ancient authority of Parliaments how to assure Religion from oppression and alteration and how to reforme the government there both in Church and Common-wealth audacious arguments and as insolently handled I meane not to trouble Your Highnesse with pedlors stuffe and so stale wares as Vox populi and votiva Angliae but to inform You of some books amongst many others T. T.Troth The practise of Princes and the lamentation of the Kirke which are the works of such Boutefeus as are able to set the whole State on fire imbroyle the Realm and aliene the hearts of people from their Prince for these Maskers under the Visards of Religion seeke to undermine Loyalty and either to ingage you abroad in forraigne wars or in danger Your person at home in Civill And yet I write not to confute these learned scriblers more worthy to be contemned then answered but to advertis Your Highnesse of them that by an obsta principiis you may upon such smoake prepare all things needfull to quench such a fire when it shall flame and first breake out which is may doe when you least looke for it For by nature these spirits are fiery hot spurs and fitter for any thing then that they most professe Piety and Patience And that they may plainely appeare in their own likenesse Your Highnesse may bee pleased to mark and consider how sawcily and presumptuously they contemne Monarches scorne and disgrace them The Emperour Tom Tell-Troth calls a quiet lumpe of Majesty and in scorne of him tells his Reader he cannot wrong a Mouse without the Spaniard which I think the K. of Denmarke Will not believe he mocks the K. of France and tells him he is not old enough to be wise and that he hearkneth to lying Prophets and to be led by spirits of illusion The King of Spaine he calleth the Catholike usurper and the great ingrosser of the West-Indies And which argueth a spirit of Frenzie he spareth no King for of King Iamâ—s himselfe he delivereth such a character as is both disloyall and most intollerable And first touching his maintenance of Religion he taxeth him mâ—st scandalouslâ— that he is only head of the Church Dormant there are so many corruptions in it that he hath more pulled downe the Church with his proceedings then raised it up by his writings and whereas he calleth himselfe defender of the Faith His faithfull Subjects saith he have just cause to question it for the Papists were never better defended as appeareth by the Kings private instruction to Iudges and prohibition of Pursevants And for his inclination to peace for which hee was most commended they wrest it wholly to his dishonour and professe they have too much cause to complaine of his unlimited peace and suspect that his peaceable disposition hath not proceeded so much out of his Christian pietie and justice as out of meere impotencie and basenesse of mind Besides touching his honour and reputation he flouts him for he saith a number of defects cover the glory of his Raigne and that the greaâ— stocke of Soveraigne reputation which our late Queene left us is quite banished and is to bee reckoned amongst other inventions we haâ—e lost through the injury of his time so as now great Brittaine is lesse in glory strength and riches then England was whereby our adverse parties have the triumph of the time and heâ— alledgeth the reasons because when Gundamore taught to juggle who knew the Kings secrets before most of His Councell so as discontent runs with a seditious voyce over the kingdome And in contempt of his choyce of a Treasurer they alledge that the Merchants feared the Court would pull down the Exchange because one of their occupation was made Treasurer so aâ— all things must be bought and sold But above all other scandalous defamations the description they make of a protestant King Page 25.26 27. is most transcendent and traiterous let him saith he excell in mischiefe let him act Nero Phalaris c. he shal not need to feâ—re nor weare a private Coate for he may have Lords temporall for hâ—s â—unuches spirituâ— for his mutes and whom hee will for his Incubus and kisse his Minions without shame Behold a Calvinist in puris naturalibus perfectly factious and under the Cloake of zeale Carnifex regum peruse Mariana and all the works of the Iesuites looke as curiously into their acts and proceedings as they were examined at Paris and you shall not find I such paradoxes of mischiefe and such prophane calumniations of Princes which may parallell and match these yet I can overmatch them or equall them for they murmure as much at Your Majesties own proceedings neither doth your Monarchie oâ— mild tempâ—r priviledge or exempt you from their tongue-shot and the poyson of Aspes in their lips The Author of the Practise of Princes printed 1630. in England pag. 11. saith that the people when King Iames died seeing our King that now is making great preparations and for ought we knew with great sinceritie Yet by the practise of the Duke and his faction retaining all his fathers Counsell which for the most part were Hispaniolized Frenchified Romanized or Neutralized and suffering some worse both spirituall and temporall to be added unto them all those forces were soone brought to nought Things are grown to a great deale worse passe then before and to the great greif of goodnesse and good men without Gods speciall mercy remedy lesse This is the picture and portraiture they make of your Government and they dare censure their Soveraign and like mad-men they also rave against your Councell pag. 13. what a miserable thing is it to see wicked Counsellors get such a hand over the King that he is wholly ruled by them neither dares he favour a good man nor his cause further then they admit Thus they currishlie barke against Kings and Councells and spitt upon the Crown like Friends of Democracies of confusion
is de capite for which they seeke their owne ends not yours and though some of your puritan Subjects will dare to contradict it yet let traffique be heard and consult with your merchants who can best tell where entercourse and commerce is to be for their most advantage And I am sorry that so religious a King and so magnanimous as the King of France for privatum odium singulare commodum I should lay any block in the way of peace yet your highnesse knoweth that France hath their particular exceptions and piques against Spaine which no way concerne England and pretend what they will for your good it is their owne they seeke and keepe Spaine low and draw dry their finances but you shall shew to the world both great policy and vertue to glorifie your judgement if you can keep them both your friends albeit è duobus milibus utrum 〈◊〉 tibi ut your Majesty and Councell can best judge Therefore I beseech your Majesty consider what inconveniences may happen to England if either you should bee councelled to restore the Palatine or revenge his quarrell in despight of justice whom the law and justice have cast downe For cui bonos it can be no honour to defend a mans errours who might have said with Albinus Arma ameus capio let not a non putaram be laid to your charge The Realme hath no such interest in the quarrell of Forreigners but by alliance and I should pitty that Councellours weaknesse who should advise your Highnesse to the contrary for nothing is so neere and deare to a King as his Crowne and solus populi supreme lex est it is not your case but by consequence and participation and if you would attempt to restore or revenge him by indirect courses how are you provided to performe it Vana est sine viribus ira and to breake with Spaine and doe the Palatine no good is to damnifie England undoe your merchants and blemish the honour of your judgement CHAP. 7. Reasons why the Count Palatine is not to bee restored by Armes CAll therefore most gracious Prince true polici experience and vertue to give you councell and consult whether that your attempt be honourable falsible and for a King of England Cicero at Rome the best schoole of civill government being asked his opinion in a case like to this whether it were good for Lentulus and the common-wealth to undertake the charg to restore Ptolomy and put him in possession of his Kingdome out of which he was ejected he gave this advise li 1. epist familia si exploratum tibi sit posse te illius regni potiri non esse constandum si dubium non esse conandum and why totius facti tui judicium non tam ex concilio tuo quam ex eventu homines esse facturos si cecidisset ut volimus et optamus omnes te sapientur et fortiter si aliquid est offensum eosdimillos te et cupidè et temerè fecisse dicturos apply this to your selfe and you cannot erre Ptolomy was a Prince deposed and to be restored by force of armes who had cast his self into the protection of the Romanes and yet the danger hazard and uncertainty of that action did disswade and discourage the whole state I will shew another president to guide your judgment neerer to your case Christian the second King of Denmarke was deposed by his uncle Fredericke and his owne subjects his wife Isabella sister to Charles the 5th as the Palatines wife is to your highnesse and afterward hee was betrayed by Canutus Gulderstein who promised him in Fredericks name security and capitulations but notwithstanding he was taken and imprisoned many yeares yet the Emperour his brother maintained her and her children very nobly but though his cause was just his title without question his case lamentable Halfnia Malbogia and both Burgers and Paisants seeking his restoration and his cause depending in suite at Spires where he was like to have judgement for him as is manifest by the acts and records there Denmark contra Denmark in causa spolij as Melchior Geldastus testifieth yet for divers causes the Emperour resolved not to hazard himselfe and his people in a war so dangerous and unnecessary and for a man of forlorne hope and especially he himselfe being engaged in other occasions of more importance touching his honour and safety hee neglected this which though it were a crosse to his friends yet for their good hee was not to neglect himselfe and his State But if the practises of your predecessours may bee thought best to guide you Queene Isabell wife to King Edw. 2. flying to her brother the King of France for succour against the Spencers the Kings minions the French Kings Councell advised him to give her money and leave her to solicite such friends as she could procure but in no sort to appeare in the action nor give commission to levie men against the King of England for so he should give cause to renue the warre and set France in an uproare and danger which were a thing incommodious to himselfe and inconvenient to the State such was their warinesse and providence to preferre the place safety and prosperity of their Country farr above the respect of particular persons not regarding the Queene his sister so much as his crowne and safety And afterwards when Sir Iohn Heynault Lord Braumont undertooke to restore her both the heart of Heynault and his cheife officers opposed it as an enterprize of more courage then wisedome and although good successe made it seeme good yet it was not so of it selfe but by accident for the Queene having strong partie in England as now the Palatine hath in Germany the Barons sent over the Archbishop of Canterbury to assure her of their assistance and besides she carried over into England with her solem orientem Prince Edw. the Kings sonne and heire It was lately objected to me that the famous blacke Prince aided Don Pedro King of Castile against his Subjects who rebelled and wrongfully expelled him and therefore King Charles ought to doe the like for the aide of his sister I denie that he ought and I say also that the consequence is not good for the Prince aided a lawfull King against rebels you shall aide a usurper against a lawful King and an Emperour so in the cause there is odds Besides have you a blacke Prince the mirrour of all martiall Princes to be imployed in this expedition Or have you in Spaine or Ger. such a Rendezevous to let in your Forces with facility as he had in Aquitaine And besides you shall break a treaty of peace solemnly sworne which the Princes did not I adde also that valiant Candâ—is disswaded the Prince from undertaking the action you ought saith he to be content with the state you have and not to pull upon you the malice of forreign Princes but Prince Edwards owne reason why he
King of England but ultra posse non est esse It is neither the fault nor the fallacie of Spaine and for the restitution of the Palatinate your Majestie well knoweth and I think hath discovered that there is a knot in that businesse which onely the Duke of Bavaria can untie The Emperour cannot except he would hazard to loose part of his owne inheritance the upper Austria and what if that cannot during the Duke of Baviers life be yet effected will you breake of all treaties with Spaine for a matter hee cannot compasse nor prevaile to effect Will you make a perpetuall deadly feud with Spaine because he cannot yet therein fully satisfie you It is a cause neither charitable nor politique for marke the reason and project of this silly states-man pag. 13 your children saith he perhaps may have committed a fault and though you thought good to purge them yet to let them still drinke of affliction you may be thought justus sed crudelis pater Well how should the King helpe his children and shew his royall wisedome as well as naturall affection and regard the kingdome as well as his cradle A secret treasure saith he lies hid in your peoples hearts wee will contribute more to redeeme the credit of our nation then to regaine the Palatinate men and mony are the engines of war send forces that shall be able to make their way thither Mark I humbly pray your Majestie how ignorance roveth and looseth it selfe and yet he saith as much as any other can object If you aske him shall they march into the Palatinate No saith he there is great difficulty to get thither the Palatinate is ill seated for us to warre in being remote from the sea and surrounded with enemies and the protestant league is beheaded which should have succoured you and therfore here solveth that you must not confirm the action to the bare Palatinate for so it will never have an end but draw it selfe into such a circle of troubles as wee may look twelve years hence to see two such armies keep one another at a bay in the Palatinate as now they doe in the low Countries So by this his Argument to recover the Palatinate you must not march thither For the reasons he wisely alleadgeth for that it is out of your way Is not this man in a labyrinth for hee wisheth a thing whereof hee hath no hope something hee would have done but he knoweth not what nor how what then qua spe quo concilis would he proceed heare a counterfeit Hanniball speak like a souldier give the Hollanders your helping hand and lend the Palatine an armie to dispose of as he shall see cause Consider well first that his plot is to relieve or revenge the Palatine but not to recover the Palatinate I hope your prudence and providence is such as you wil be assured how they wil imploy this army For if the Hâ—llanders must tutor him they will assaile Flanders or some parts of the Empire or invade Spaine or the Indies and your Majesty shall beare the name of the great Nimrod have all the blame and malice of your neighbours and yet the Palaâ—ine himselfe shall gaine nothing by these sharkers who serve onely their owne turne by you both and when you come to the account and reckoning for the charges you shall finde neither honour comfort profit thankfulnesse nor reputation by dealing with them Nay Tom T. T. in all his booke hath but one wise sentence and that touching them the Pedlers whom wee our selves set up for use are become our masters in the East-Indies and think themselves our fâ—llowes It is now given out in Holland that your Majestie meaneth not to make peace with Spaine but to confirme the treaties made with the Hollanders at Southampton before the last journey to Cales which report I cannot beleive for your wisedome may foresee many dangers and inconveniences by it it is neither for the benefit of your merchants nor for the wealth of your Realme nor the peace of Europe nor your owne safeâ—ie And I beleive France will finde in the end occasions to cast them off for the Gummarists and the Huganots draw in one line have suck't one nurse and like no royaltie Forget not your Amboyna and the imperious and cruell usage of our merchants in the east-Indies Forget not how scornefully they used Sir William Morison your Fathers Admirall of the narrow seas not without apparent contempt of your Majestie Forget not how thâ—y used your sea men and Fishers in Greâ—neland And call to remembrance how unthankfully they used Quâ—ene Elizabeth their Patrone and Protectour Anno 1594 whâ—n she seâ—t Sir Thomas Bodley to demand the mony she had laâ—ed out for them And as if they hated Royaltie and the King himselfe they cause and suffer to bee printed Tom Tell-truth and other malicious libells and scandalous to defame Majestie and bring it into contempt and secretly publish them in Brabant and Flanders Consider also how presumptuously they only use the fishing on your coasts without licence and challenge it as a due to them which the French never durst doe Besides you may discerne clearely what insolency Armata semper militia ever groweth unto and I can witnesse how falsely they dealt with the Earle of Leicester and my Lord Willoughby who was forced to write an Apology for himselfe against them And as for your glorious Father I protest for all his favours to them which were many and great yet how shamefully they spake of him both living and dead I cannot with modesty relate Nay they have dared to sheere the grasse from under their feete and laugh at his councell and therefore they have planted so many low-country-men in England to serve their turne who robbed you and transported all your gold thither that the States might make their benefit of it which your Starre-chamber can well witnesse and these men are yours externally theirs in heart and affection neither hath your Majesty cause to repose too much trust in them for their Astrologer Dr. Fink long since foretold them of a Starre rising out of the east which I perceive they long to see come into England that they might adore him But to speake freely and loyally it would be censured by forraigne Princes as a great weaknesse in so wise a Prince to hazzard your owne safety and the welfare of the Kingdome and the lives of your dearest Subjects for a cause so desperate And on the contrary part to enter into amity and league with your ancient confederates with Spaine and all men of judgement and impartiall hold it most honourable and profitable Your leagues with the house of Burgundy were ever wont to be tyed with a suâ—e knot and inviolable even by Hen. 2. Rich. the 1. and Hen 3. Edw. 1. bestowed upon Flandâ—rs and Brabant great pensions as it appeareth by the records of the Exchequer Edw. 3. loved no nation better and so did they him So long