honest Servants traduced to satisfie the humours of any I beseech you take my staffe for were my selfe and the Earl of Worcester here present put in the ballance against Sir Robert Mansell we should prove too light I am in a great Place and cannot say but by my selfe or servants I may faile yet not with our own wils therefore Sir if you wil suffer such inquisitions there will be no serving your Majesty in such places as I hold by your Majesties favour thus ended the Earle of Northamptons malice which only served to honour Sir Robert Mansell and make a scorne of himselfe and this only to make the venome of this Monster appear who did flatter the King and dissemble with God And now begin Embassadours to appeare from divers Princes the principall were Roney Duke of Sullice from the French King the Constable of Castile from the Spanish King the Count Arremberg from the Arch Duke the former came to congratulate only and desired the confirmation of the ancient amity betwixt the two Crownes the latter two about the establishing a firme peace betwixt these two Kingdomes that had lived in perpetuall Warre and hatred of each other by which it might appeare where the advantage of such a peace would fall by those that sought or rather bought it with an infinite masse of treasure prodigally cast about the English Court To bring these Embassadours over were appointed Sir Robert Mansell being Admirall of the narrow Seas and Sir Jerome Turner his Vice-Admirall the first commanded to attend at Graveling for the Spanish Embassadour the latter at Calis for the French but the French comming first and hearing the Vice-Admirall was to attend him the Admirall the other in a scorne put himselfe in a Passage-boat of Calis came forth with flagge in top instantly Sir Jerome Turner sent to know of the Admirall what he should doe Sir Robert Mansell sent him word to shoot and sinke him if he would not take in the flag this as it made the flag bee pulled in so a great complaint and 't was beleeved it would have undone Sir Robert Mansell the French Faction pressing it so home but he maintained the act and was the better beloved of his Master ever after to his dying day This makes it appeare how jealous old Commanders were of their owne honour and of their Masters and Kingdomes honours which since hath been so prodigally wasted as we are utterly bankerupt having spent our old Stock and have not bravery enough to erect a new The Constable of Castile so plyed his Masters businesse in which he spared for no cost that he procured a peace so advantageous for Spaine and so disadvantageous for England that it and all Christendome have since both seen and felt the lamentable effects thereof There was not one Courtier of note that tasted not of Spaines bounty either in Gold or Jewels and among them not any in so large a proportion as the Countesse of Suffolke who shared in her Lords interest being then a potent man and in that interest which she had in being Mistris to that little great Secretary little in body and stature but great in wit and policy the sole manager of State affaires so it may be said she was a double sharer and in truth Audley-end that famous and great structure had its foundation of Spanish Gold The King was a peaceable and merciful Prince yet God for some secret intent best known to himself laid the foundation of his reigne with the greatest mortality ever before heard of in this Kingdome by a fearefull Plague and some by that judged what his future reign would be yet their wisdomes failed for he was a King of mercy as well as peace never cruell yet surely it had some morall He was forced by that contagion to leave the Metropolis and goe into a by corner in Wiltshire Wilton the Earle of Pembrookes House in which time of his abode there a kinde of Treason brake forth but what it was as no man could then tell so it is left with so dark a Comment that posterity will never understand the Text or remember any such treason it is true some lost their lives yet the world was never satisfied of the justice and one of them and that the only marke of Tyranny upon this good Kings reigne executed many yeares after without all president and on my conscience without any just cause and even against that good Kings will who in many things was over-awed by his timorous disposition But the Spanish Faction and Spanish Gold betrayed his life as they had done the Kingdome before and I beleeve it was one of the greatest Master-peeces of that Embassadour to purchase Rawleighs head yet had not Bristol co-operated the King would never have consented and it may be he had his secret ends fearing his wisdome might once againe have raised him to have looked over Sherborne Castle once his owne and how unjustly taken from him God will one day judge I know not whether there be a curse on those that are owners of it as Fables report but I am confident there is a curse on Bristol for taking away his life I will not take upon me too farre to pry into Gods Arke yet what is like to befall him and hath already his Son as hopefull a Gentleman as any in the Kingdome may give some token of Gods anger against him and his family But because I will not leave you altogether blinde-folded I shall as neare as I can lead you to the discovery of this Treason which consisted of Protestants Puritans Papists and of an Atheist a strange medley you will say to meet in one and the same Treason and keepe counsell which surely they did because they knew not of any the Protestants were the Lord Cobham and George Brook his Brother the one very learned and wise the other a most silly Lord the Puritan the Lord Grey of VVilton a very hopefull Gentleman blasted in the very Bud the Papists VVatson and Clarke Priests and Parham a Gentleman the Atheist Sir Walter Rawleigh then generally so beleeved though after brought by affliction the best School-Mistris to be and so dyed a most religious Gentleman This Treason was compounded of strange ingredients and more strange then true it was very true most of these were discontented to see Salisbury their old friend so high to trample on them that before had been his chiefe supporters and being ever of his faction now neglected and contemned it was then beleeved an errand trick of State to over-throw some and disable others knowing their strong abilities might otherwise live to over-throw Salisbury for they were intimate in all his secret Councels for the ruine of Essex especially Rawleigh Grey and Cobham though the latter was a foole yet had been very usefull to them as the Toole in the hand of the Workman and to have singled out these without some Priests which were Traytors by the Law had smelt
purpose one Noy a very famous Lawyer as ever this Kingdome bred and formerly a great Patriot and the only searcher of Presidents for the Parliaments by which he grew so cunning as he understood all the shifts which former Kings had used to get monies with This man the King sends for tels him he wil make him his Attorney Noy like a true Cynick as he was for that time went away not returning to the King so much as the civility of a Thankes nor indeed was it worth his thankes I am sure he was not worthy of ours For after the Court sollicitings had bewitched him to become the Kings he grew the most hatefull man that ever lived And it s to me a wonder that this Parliament of Wonders doth not enact a Law that his very name should never more be in this Kingdome he having been as great a Deluge to this Realme as the Flood was to the whole World for he swept away all our Priviledges and in truth hath been the cause of all these miseries this kingdome hath since been ingulphed whether you consider our Religion he being a great Papist if not an Atheist and the protector of all Papists and the raiser of them up unto that boldnesse they were now growne unto who formerly had some moderation or if you consider our Estates and Liberties they were impoverished and enthralled by multitudes of projects and illegall wayes this Monster was the sole Author of all But first now because there must be some great man as a Captaine Projector to lead some on and hearten others to follow Sir George Goring leads up the March and Dance with the Monopolie of Tobacco and Licensing of Tavernes setting some up where and as many as he pleased and this done by a Seale appendicular to an Office erected by him for that purpose as if authorised by a Law besides all this hee hath Pensions out of the pretermitted Customs insomuch as I have heard it most credibly reported that his Revenue was 9000. l. per annum all of these kindes and for this peece of good service he was made a Lord and Privy Councellour to countenance his traine of Projectors the better Then did Weston enhance the Customes and laid new and heavyer impositions on all things exported or imported with such unconscionable rates upon Tobacco that millions of pounds of it lay rotting in the Custome-house the Merchants refusing to pay the Custome besides losse of all other charges for the Tobacco it selfe In short there was not any thing almost that any man did eate drinke or weare or had in his house from forraigne parts or scarce any domesticke commodities exempted but he paid as it were an Excise for it yea at last even Cards and Dice escaped not but they were monopolized by a great Councellour the Lord Cottington yea to keep their hands in ure they got Patents for the very Rags Marrow-bones Guts and such like Excrements as were thought of no use but to be cast on the Dunghils and he was held the bravest Common-wealths man that could bring in the most money yet the Kings private Purse or publick Treasury little or nothing bettered but to impoverish and vex the Subject and to no other end for which he was ordinarily rewarded with honour This good service the quite contrary way did Weston and Noy doe for the King and I beleeve you shall see God reward them and their posterity for the one like a Jonas Gourd sprang up suddenly from a beggerly estate to much Honour and great Fortunes will shortly wither the other his Son and Heire was killed in France presently after his death and when both are dead let their names and memory rot and be extinct from the face of the earth Now doth Buckingham provide for another forraigne Enterprise but carried so close I could never learne what it was nor did any wise men much inquire after it assuring themselves that such counsells could produce no better effects than those former In the beginning yea even at the very entrance thereunto he did so stinke in the Nostrils of God and Man that God made one Felton his Instrument to take such a Monster as he was indeed from his longer domineering amongst men by a blow as fearefull as strange after which he had not time to say Lord have mercy on him a just judgement on him that forsooke God to seeke to the Devill by Witches and Sorcerers in his life one whereof was Doctor Lamb who was his great defensitive preserver as he thought him whose fate it was to be brained by a Shoo-makers Last when he least look'd for it the other was stabb'd the next morning after that night he had caused a Fellow to be hanged not suffering him to have that nights respite after his sentence and offence what ere it was to repent him of his sins with this vow he would neither eate nor drinke untill he see him dye God in requitall of his mercilesse cruelty would neither suffer him to eate nor drinke before he dyed by that dismall stroake of a poore tenpenny knife of the said Feltons setting home Thus neare alike in time and manner were these two hellish Agents Catastrophees And now is set that great Sun or rather portendous Comet from whose influences all the Officers and Ministers had by reflexion their life and heat After his death the very name of a Favourite dyed with him none singly engrossing the Kings eare and favour but a regular motion was set to all Officers as appertained to their severall places as to the Arch-Bishop the mannagement and chiefe super-intendency of the Church to the Lord Treasurer the Exchequer and the Customs to the Lords Keepers of the Great and Privie Seales what belonged to equity to the Judges what belonged to Law so that one would have thought all things now went so just and equall and in their proper Channell as none but might now expect from that new and better government halcyon dayes But it far'd farre otherwise God being angry at the Nations sins the generall juggling of the State was one and a great one all those procedures being but in appearance righteous nothing really so but like the Apples of Sodome faire in shew rotten and corrupt within For now instead of the late but one Favourite every great Officer and Lord of the Councell proved a very Tyrant and it appeared that not their vertues but the former Favourites power only did restraine them from being so for that falling together with himselfe as you have heard and they left to their owne Arbitrary power you would verily have beleeved that Hell had been broke loose And to make good that Metaphor one of the Councell being told by a Gentleman that the country was much troubled at a certaine great grievance replyed Doth that trouble them by God there are seaven worse Devills to be shortly let out amongst them And in sober sadnesse they all might truly have undergone the name of
very nothing but never wrote he any thing to accuse Rawleigh by which you may see the basenesse of these Lords the credulity of the King and the ruine of Sir Walter Rawleigh I appeale now to the judgement of all the world whether these six Lords were not the immediate Murtherers of Sir Walter Rawleigh and no question shall be called to a sad account for it And thus have you a true relation of the Treason and Traytors with all the windings and turnings in it and all passages appertaining to it and by it you may see the slavery these great men were inslaved in by Salisbury that none durst testifie such a truth as the not testifying lost their most precious Soules And now doth the King returne to Windsor where there was only an apparition of Southamptons being a Favourite to his Majesty by that privacy and dearnesse was presented to the Court-view but Salisbury liking not that any of Essex his faction should come into play made that apparition appeare as it were in transitu and so vanished by putting some jealousies into the Kings head who was so farre from jealousie that he did not much desire to be in his Queenes company yet love and regality must admit of no partnership Then was there in requitall of the Spanish Embassadours two stately Embassies addressed the one to Spaine the other to the Arch Duke to have that peace they so dearly purchased confirmed and sworne to by ours as formerly by them the old Lord Admirall was sent to Spaine the Earle of Hartford for Bruxels that the Duke of Leonox might have the better opportunity The Spaniard was astonied at the bravenesse of our Embassie and the handsome Gentlemen in both which few Embassies ever equalled this for you must understand the Iesuites reported our Nation to be ugly and like Devils as a punishment sent to our Nation for casting off the Popes supremacy and they pictured Sir Francis Drake generally halfe a Man halfe a Dragon When they beheld them after the shape of Angels they could not well tell whether to trust their own eyes or their Confessors reports yet they then appeared to them as to all the world monstrous Lyers The Embassadour had his reception with as much state as his entertainment with bounty the King defraying all charges and they were detained at their Landing longer then ordinary to have provisions prepared in their passage to Madrid with all the bounty was possible to make the whole Country appeare a Land of Canaan which was in truth but a Wildernesse In their abode there although they gave them Roast-meat yet they beat them with the spits by reporting that the English did steale all the Plate when in truth it was themselves who thought to make Hay while the Sunne shined not thinking ever more to come to such a Feast to fill their purses as wel as their bellyes for food and coyne are equally alike scarce with that Nation this report passed for currant to the infinite dishonour of our Nation there being at that time the prime gallantry of our Nation Sir Robert Mansell who was a man borne to vindicate the Honour of his Nation as of his owne being Vice-Admirall and a man on whom the old Admirall wholly relyed having dispatched the Ships to be gone the next morning came in very late to Supper Sir Richard Levison sitting at the upper end of the Table amongst the Grandees the Admirall himselfe not supping that night being upon the dispatch of Letters the Table upon Sir Robert Mansells entrance offered to rise to give him place But he sat down instantly at the lower end and would not let any man stirre and falling to his meat did espy a Spaniard as the Dishes emptied ever putting some in his bosome some in his breeches that they both strutted Sir Robert Mansell sent a Message to the upper end of the table to Sir Richard Levison to be delivered in his eare that whatsoever he saw him doe he should desire the Gentlemen and Grandees to sit quiet for there should be no cause of any disquiet on the sudden Sir Robert Mansell steps up takes this Spaniard in his armes at which the table began to rise Sir Richard Levison quiets them brings him up to the end amongst the Grandees then pulls out the Plate from his bosome breeches and every part about him which did so amaze the Spaniard and vindicate that aspersion cast on our Nation that never after was there any such syllable heard but all honour done to the Nation and all thanks to him in particular From thence next day they went for Madrid where all the royall entertainment Spain could yeeld was given them and at the end of the Grand entertainment and Revells which held most part of the night as they were all returning to their Lodgings the street being made light by white Wax lights and the very night forced into a day by shining light as they were passing in the street a Spaniard catcheth off Sir Robert Mansells Hat with a very rich jewell in it and away he flyes Sir Robert not being of a spirit to have any thing violently taken from him nor of such a Court-like complement to part with a jewell of that price to one no better acquainted with him hurls open the Boote followes after the fellow and some three Gentlemen did follow him to secure him houseth the Fellow in the house of an Allagozy which is a great Officer or Judge in Spaine this Officer wondering at the manner of their comming the one without his hat and sword in his hand the other with all their swords Demands the cause They tell him He saith surely none can think his house a sanctuary who is to punish such offenders But Sir Robert Mansell would not be so put off with his Spanish gravity but enters the House leaving two at the Gate to see that none should come out whiles he searched A long while they could finde nothing and the Allagozy urging this as an affront at last looking downe into a Wel of a smal depth he saw the fellow stand up to the neck in Water Sir Robert Mansell seized on his Hat and Jewell leaving the fellow to the Allagozy but he had much rather have fingered the Jewell and in his gravity told Sir Robert Mansell hee could not have it without forme of Law which Sir Robert dispensed with carrying away his Hat and Jewell and never heard further of the businesse now the truth was this fellow knew his Burrough well enough as well as some Theeves of our Nation after they have done a Robbery would put themselves into a Prison of their acquaintance assuring themselves none would search there or rather as our Recorders of London whose cheif revenue for themselves and servants is from Theeves Whores and Bawds therefore this story cannot seeme strange in England The other Embassadour sent to the Arch Duke was the old Earle of Hertford who was conveyed over in one of the
condemning and executing him in despight of the King himselfe Nay some have made no bones on 't to affirme that for misgovernment the King himselfe is not exempted from that Officers Power Politickly therefore did the aforementioned Hatton who well understood the validity of such a Power when Leicesters Commission was in dispute to tel the Queen that his own hand should never strike off his own head which word was enough to her who was hereat so wise as also in all other matters of Stateconcernment wherein as she were hinted to a fore-sight of any prejudice she knew how to prevent it And thus that ended in his time But Buckinghams ambition would not be so bounded For upon the opposing it by Coventry he peremptorily thus accosted him saying who made you Coventry Lord Keeper he replyed the King Buckingham sur-replyed It s false 't was I did make you and you shall know that I who made you can and will unmake you Coventry thus answered him Did I conceive I held my Place by your Favour I would presently unmake my selfe by rendring the Seale to his Majesty Then Buckingham in a scorn and fury flung from him saying you shall not keep it long And surely had not Felton prevented him he had made good his Word And before that hapned Weston was by his power for his ends made Treasurer it should seem upon some assurance from him that he would find ways where-out to raise monys into the Treasury he judging him to be one that out of his own necessitous condition would adventure on any desperate projection to raise himself but yet withall to fill the Chequer Coffers who was no sooner warmed in his Office but hee began to shew his inbred base disposition to his Rayser Buckingham as formerly he had don to Cranfield who was indeed his preserver from perishing in a Prison whence he redeemed him making him a free partaker first of his bounteous Table then raising him shortly after to be Chancellour of the Exchequer who at length for requitall supplanted him But for all this Buckingham feared not his high spirit in himselfe and vast Power with the King were so predominant and unmoveable He now therefore used at his owne pleasure to come to the Counsell Table he being then honoured as the Oracle from whom they gaped for all Answers but ever made them wait his comming and were so tutored to their duteous observance of him that at his approach or returning thence they ever must rise as if he had been the King himselfe So that you may see to what a pretty passe those great men by their poor spirits had brought themselves But on a time there issued this amongst other passages of insolencies from Buckingham who comming into the Councell without any other Court-preface sayes to the Treasurer Weston My Lord the King must have 60000l provided against to morrow morning The Lords startled at the mention of such a sum the whole Exchequer not haing seen within its keeping scarce 1000l in many yeares and could not imagine how unlesse by the Philosophers stone such a sum was possible to be gotten but yet all looking on Weston to whom it was in this case proper to make answer who bethought himselfe what to say the rest every one the while gazing at each other another while againe all at Weston as a man of great wisdome for so was hee accounted of a Plebejan At length up he stands and thus he answers Buckingham My Lord The Exchequer is in a deep consumption Wherat Buckingham interrupts him saying How Sir You came in to cure that Consumption and to restore it to its usefull plenitude I remember you promised like a Mountebanke when you were to be invested by the King you would do so therefore Sir see you the money be provided otherwise you shall hear further of it With that high strain hee rose up and departed Now are all ways indeavoured to get mony from the Subjects which was not to be gotten by fair means the King having tryed all the shifts which any former Prince out of the Parliamentary way had ever don and had great sums brought in such as none of his Predecessors ever had of which one was the Royall Subsidy every man lending as much as the summe in the Subsidy towards which he was assessed as if for example assessed at 40. livre. besides so much payd he lent also 40. livre. and so from the least to the greatest proportions assessed Yet all this would not serve him but that quickly vanished then all other faire meanes proving as was thought for their profusenesse too sâ—ant and slow Force then must be the last remedy the King must keep standing Garrisons to awe his good Subjects and they consisting too of strangers not of Natives To that end one Dalbier that had been Generall of Count Mansfield Horse is dealt with for the raising of 1000 or 2000 German Horse the most whereof to bee quartered betwixt Gravesend and London For advancing of which service Sir William Balfore as great a Servant and Confident he is now of this Parliament was sent to Hamborough with 30000. l. to buy and to bring over those Horse with their impressed Riders and Furniture but many of them ready to bee imbarked it should seeme they were told by the way by some well affected to England that the King had not mony to continue them in Pay and Plunder they could not there for they should be so invironed with Sea that there was no flying but they must expect to have all their throats cut if they took any thing from any man Upon which those Rascals out of feare not conscience refused to come over However Balfore so wel lickt his fingers in that employment as that he therewith laid the foundation of his future fortunes yet if this Parliament consider well this action of his there is no reason he should be so deare unto them For of any thing yet toucht upon against any man by this Parliament I dare affirme this of his to be the greatest peece of villany and to be the nearest way to render us all slaves and to make us have neither propriety in our Estates Wives nor Children And yet was this Balfore a principall undetaker and actor in this pernicious designe and perhaps for that very cause the greatest creature of Buckinghams that ever was In this intervall their shifts not avayling them to see therefore if by this faire means their ends might be obtained another Parliament was summoned wherein after some expostulations on both sides there proved no better a good speed and successe then a meere frustration of all hopes on both hands which for the Kings part hee apprehended with so great aversnesse that as 't was said he made a vow never to call more Parliaments Forreigne Forces and fraudulent and faire devices home-spun failing all now must Projects in all their variegated inventions bee set on foot to which sage or rather rufull