preuent the discontented Hispanolized faction so shall we be sure of them from annoying of vs that would else make vs sure from defending our selues Let vs with the Belgick Souldier alwayes be in a readinesse keepe good watch and ward stand vpon our guards and looke to our charge the King the Prince the State the Church the Common-wealth is our charge yea our Neighbours are our charge whose Countries haue beene lately ouerrun their Villages destroyed their houses burnt their Cattle pilledged their Wiues deflowered their Daughters rauished their Infants brained their Children starued and their Husbands taken prisoners and thus while they haue I meane their enemies and ouâ—s the Spaniards beene treating a peace and contract with vs they haue established a warre against them and so by degrees will at last set vpon vs if we prepare not to set vpon them Looke ouer stories and peruse them with iudgement and you shall find that Spaine hath ouer reached all Nations with treaties because he found himselfe to weake to deale with actiue imployment so that his greatnesse hath beene the well spring and head of all mischiefe the foundation and ground of Europes troubles and the meere author and proiector of Religions ruine I will goe no further then 88 while we were treating of a peace the Armado comes vpon vs while France lookes for a pacification of troubles the Iesuites inuite the King to a bloudy warre While we are sending to the Emperor for a restitution of the Palatinate Bauaria enters and is not onely Lord of the Countrey but made the Electorate In 23 he treats of a match in signe of loue but prepares powder and match as effect of his mallice In a word we must looke about vs to ouermatch this match and so no doubt euery true English heart will affoord his helping hand heart purse prayers and all he hath to ouerthrow the boasting pride of this running enemy and teach him a new lesson for his great ambition and forward presumption As for me an old Belgick Souldier I will pray from my heart with sorrow in my soule and sadnesse from my conscience with a liuely spirit and passionate affection that my King Prince and natiue Country that aâ—l may ioyntly conforme themselues to the fashioning a worke which may tell the Princes of Europe how patiences abused turnes to fury and the King of Great Brittaine is not a subiect for Spanish scornes and indignities Me thinkes I heare his Maiestie say you haue my good will the Prince crys out take my true heart with you the Councell warrant their iudicious consent the Clergy assure their vnfained prayers the Nobillity and Gentry propose their reuinues the Countryman expose his body the Cittizen proffer his wealth the Merchant yeeld his warres the Drum ready to beate the Trumpet ready to sound the Horse furnished and all sorts are ready with their best endeuours except Hispanolized Papists and temporizing couetuous wretches What then doe we stay for but prouide our t 〈…〉 sure prepare our armes reconcile our hearts and pray to God that we may be strong enough with Abraham against the fiue Kings to recouer his Brother Lots substance And so may we gaine and regaine what hath beene lost and by an honest and iustifiable warre repaire all our ruines and damages ouer-working and ouerweying vs by a dissembling peace To conclude the Belgick Souldier once againe intreates the reuerent Bishops and Clergy to prepare their prayers the Senate of wise men their councell the Nobles and Gentry their courages the true Courtiers their loyalty the commonalty their armes and prouision the Merchants their Shipping the Cittizens their meanes and the very Vsurers their money That euery one may be ready with the Machabes to defend the Sanctuary of the Lord And with true English hearts not onely fight in the defence of their Countrey but when God commands not to spare to goe on and prepare and let euery one prepare himselfe For the Belgick Souldier is prepared and made ready to goe to the battell And the God of heauen prepare your hearts wayes words deeds and dealings to be vigilant and carefull to prouide for vs and we with gods helpe will be carefull to fight for you And so the God of heauen Fight for vs all A Prayer O Lord glorious God and euerlasting Father we intreate thee mercifully to looke downe vpon vs and hearken to our complaint and desires and grant we beseech thee our request O gracious Father thou knowest our sinnes and our iniquities are not hid from thee they lie open to thy iudgements yet we know that thy mercies are the cure of our miseries and when we flie to thee thou drawest neere to vs we beseech thee now to be fauorable and spare vs for all our sinnes past and be ready to deliuer vs from sinnes to come looke down in mercy vpon vs and as thou hast beene our euerlasting defence so now defend vs from the rage of our Enemies Go in and out O Lord before our Armies before our Generall and grant we may he thy Souldiers to fight vnder thy banner stirre vp our hearts and strength against the enemy defend thy afflicted flocke Remember we beseech thee the burden of misery layd vpon the Church at this time in Germany and in thy due time restore it to his former glory settle our hearts and affections to regaine and recouer that which hath beene lost by their treacheries and now we see their double dealing grant we may no longer trust to them which haue no truth they imagine mischiefe in their heart and are set on fire to doe ill but break thou the knot of their malice lay open their plots discouer their deuises weaken their Armies and ouerthrow their inuentions confound their councells and consume their numbers O Lord thou hast in times past made the Starres to fight in order the Sunne to stand still the Seas to deuoure the Winds to ouerthrow thy enemies so now O Lord prepare these thy creatures to assist and helpe vs that all the world may know it is thou that fightest our battailes Finally O Lord blesse we beseech thee vs and euery one of vs in what we shall take in hand for defence of thy Church Blesse we intreate our King our Prince our State our Clergey our Commonalty and giue thy blessing vnto vs all And last of all blesse we beseech thee all that worthy and excellent Companies of the Artillery and Military exercises in London and also in this Land blesse O Lord we intreat their new inuentions of warre and mike their practises expert make them skilfull and full of knowledge that all the world may know that thou conductest our Armies Grant this deare Father and all other good things vnto vs now and for euermore Amen FINIS
ruled from Euphrates to Sidon and the Mediterranean Sea I could alledge that all the famoussest Common-wealths in the world haue augmented their territories by the actiue imployment of Heroick spirits and receiued a fulnesse of wealth and renowne from the raging Sea of turbulency and warre I could produce examples of Scripture to proue directly that Daniels Monarchies succeeded one another by the preuailing of mighty armies and the stronger euer shouldred aside the weaker I could adde that the corruptions of peace in all ages haue like standing pooles increased durt and slime that is pleasures and impieties which haue growne to that outragiousnesse that men haue forgot their first benefactor and with a luciferion rebellion continually defied God in his Maiesty liuing as if we should neuer die and dying as if there were no after account to be made And yet we dote on peace And I am afraid will rather lep on shore to be destroyed by the incantations of the daughters of Achelous then tie our selues to the mast of Vlisses ship to be secured from the temptation But I purpose no such discourses onely a small encheridion to proue that warre was a blessing and hath beene allowed from heauen and that a corrupted peace hath increased sinnes and sin brought Gods vengeance vpon such tainted Kingdomes There was a warre in Rebeccas wombe betweene her children and Iacobs blessings proceeded from wrastling with God There was a warre in deliuering the Church out of bondage or else Israel had beene still moyling in the brick-kills of Egipt but at last Canaan was subiected and Gods people made glorious for euer It was a warre that charactered Salomon the Prince of peace or else why are Dauids worthies and their actions set downe by name It was a warre that finished Octauius troubles and surnamed him Augustus And in many places you shall reade that God did fight from heauen against his peoples enemies What shall warre come from heauen and shall we be afraid of it on earth God forbid Considering that in the times of peace when the warres had set the people of Israel downe in the chaire of tranquillity euen then forgat they both God and themselues stretching out their limbs on beds of iuory carowsing in goblets of gold and killing the fat lambs of the flocke but no man remembred the affliction of Ioseph may I not well then conclude that warre was a blessing And thus much for warre before Christ Now you shall see what warre and peace haue both done since Christianity tooke a fairer progresse and God had determined that his Church should florish through the dissention of the Nations For although by the first persecutions it had a feareful dishartning and by the augmentation the pompous Papacy a more fearefull suppression and martirdome yet such was the will of God That as Siria Edom Moab Egipt and the Iland Gentiles one were their owne enemies and Gods instruments to destroy one another So in the beginning of Christianity the barbarous nations that possessed Europe although they made themselues fortunate by the warres yet in the end they consumed themselues and from their ruines the Popes of Rome became great and from their greatnesse through the swelling prosperity of peace the true Church of God by little and little dispelled the clouds of their contempt and deiected and so at last obtained that faire sunshine which is now so translatent Some 300 yeere after Christ or there about you shall reade that in Goteland and those northen regions now called Finmarck Norway and Sweden the peace had so multiplied the people and those remote healthfull Countries affoorded them so long liues that they could not liue one by another so that the aged impotent and beggers swarmed in euery place at which time one Stenio was the principall Monarch who called a councell to redresse these inconueniences and they concluded to take them all that were so vnprofitable to the Common-wealth and tying them backe to backe throw them into the sea But when the Queene whose name was Iuditha heard of so cruell and vnmercifull a doome she could not containe her selfe but at the Kings returne kneeled before him desiring to haue it reuersed for she had found a better way of preuention and effect of chaâ—itie which was to ship the people and let them try their fortune in other places which was both nobly apprehended and effectually practised and so in processe of time they possessed those Countries which you now call Seruia Bulgaria Moldunia Pedolia and at last became famous Nations of Gotes and Lombards infesting Italy and Spaine and dispossessing the Emperours who had called them into their succours thus the warres made them famous till by the warres of Christian Emperours they were dispelled and extirped againe Afterward the Othoman family comming out of that Countrey you once called Scithia augmented their reputation by the warres of Asia So did Tamberlaine conquer Persia and claimed renowne to his Actions by famous battell So did the Turks come into Europe And all the beggerly Nations of the world became rich and potent by raysing of warre and were diminished and consumed to nothing by the corruption of peace and bewitching of pleasure Thus receiued the Papacy the fulnesse of her progression by the warres of the Countries especially after the German Eagle had affoorded her some feathers of her wings then tooke she a flight beyond reach and at last stradles ouer Rome making Rome haue roome of precidency before other Kingdomes So that I may well say the barren soile of their potency was watred and manured with the blood of Souldiers as the Prouinces of Europe gathered together the scattered bodies of Pelops and made a more perfect body then the first Thus did the Popes florish by forreigne warres and setting Emperours on worke to destroy one another But now what became of their owne peace and established greatnesse they fell to pride gurmundize and riot they supplanted one another they proued incendiaries to Christendome they intertained newmantict spells with diuelish and exoptick Artes they practised murther whoredome and incests they deposed one another they attempted the humiliation of Emperours and made a sport at the inauguration of Kings and Princes as if it lay in their power with a Prophets hand to tumble aside their fastest Diadems In a word they grew proud with peace and plenty and as warre had caused their greatnesse they caused their sinnes to be more great through the corruption of prosperity so that from mortified Preachers and Ministers of Gods word they grow Statists and diuelish Pollititians then from Schollers they proued proficients in Villanie raysing Quarrells against Princes and exciting Princes one against another So that I may well say according to their owne computation that warre was a blessing And if the Nations had maintained their pristinate quietnesse and idolatry they had neuer florished in such outward brauery and visibility as they now boast of And thus you see how the warres haue
state of an Emperour and they forgat the duty of obseruation For when the people perceiued that he was carelesse to satisfie their expectation they were as carelesse to gratifie or glorifie him as a Magnificent prince for in the Citty they left him all alone in his blacke Spanish cape cloake and would not attend him downe to his Galsies Last of all Comming into Spaine he found the Clergie humorous against him for his ransomming Pope Clement and other contumaces against the Church whereupon perceiuiug his peace to thriue worse then his warres he left all his honors to his sonne and brother and retired himselfe to the Monastrey of Saint Laurance or Escuriall where within three yeares he finished his life and yet he liued to say that warre was to him a blessing farre beyond his peace 2. Touching those fruits of pollicy it is well knowne First That he not onely proiected himselfe but instructed his sonne Phillip to make the Empire hereditary to the house of Austria and all Europe to depend vpon Spaines Monarchy as by the subsequent actions of King Phillip was apparant Secondly That Ferdinando Emperour be especially carefull to firme and contract vnto himselfe by one meanes or other especially consanguinity the King of Poland Saxony and Bauaria as within short time after came to passe Thirdly That of all other things a peace be ratefied with the Gran Signeur and correspondency kept betweene them Fourthly That a iealous eye be had ouer Prague Presburg and Glatz For Prague was the absolute commander of Bohemia and the Prouinces durst not start if the other Citties were Garisond with Spaniards Fiftly That the Iesuites be countenanced in their designes For although the Pope and conclaue of Cardinalls might repine at their intrusion and intermedling with matters of State yet by their meanes and sanctified religious deuotion such businesses might be effected as should euer tend to the augmentation of Spaines greatnesse Sixtly That an Imperiall faction be ever nourished in Lusatia Silesia and Morauia especially that the Catholick Bishops be maintained in the suppression of the Protestants who else will follow the former Bohemians in taking vp Armes against their Princes and therefore the safest way were to disarme them by one meanes or other Seuenthly That the Gouernour of Millaine in his due time labour to get a footing in Swittzerland by building some fort or fortresse to secure the passages that so the Armies in Italy might march in peace or without preiudice ouer the Alpes into Germany Last of all That the Grizons escape not without visitation although it cost pentions reward and flattery and if the protectors which must be either Imperiall or French name it an intrusion meanes must be wrought that neither of both haue leisure to preuent it Thus ended this great Proiector his dayes but then began his Family their Phaetons florish of mightinesse which questionlesse had runne ouer the bancks of Europe like an inundation had not that miror of mankinde I meane Queene Elizabeth with the States of Holland kept King Phillip and his sonne play 50. yeares at least whereby they were hindred from either sending forces into Germany or growing to fast like broade spredding burrs which are not onely noysome in themselues but spoile the sweeter grasse which neighbours them Notwithstanding Ferdinando Rodulphus and Mathias proceed in the affaires of the Empire with the former cautions and outward lenatiue courses laying aside all forcible Armes and imperious ouerruling the Princes whereby by in lesse then forty yeares many things are effected tending to combustion of gouernment and ouerthrow of true religion which may be contracted to these heads and serue to proue that Warre was a blessing and peace a meere enemy to their proceedings First Certaine marriages augment the incests of Spaine and reconcile Poland and Saxony to the house of Austria Secondly Vnder the colour of securing the confines of Hungary and Poland against the incursions of the Turke Spanish Garisons are admitted into Rab Camora Presburge Camisia Glatz Vienna and Prague it selfe Thirdly The free Citties of Germany put vp a 100 grieuances against the Papists and neuer desisted vntill they had obtained their owne manustions to haue the excercise of religion Fourthly The Protestants increasing both in Prague and Vienna a certaine tricke of the Popes is discouered by admission of the Iesuites and Priests into Poland Hungary and Germany whereby Saxony was poysoned with the infections of Popery as diuers other Prouinces Last of all The Inquisitors and Catholike Bishops grew so presumptuous of their papall authoritie and potent adherents that they began to tyrannizr ouer the Protestants And when Mathias had ouercome the iealousie betweene his Brother and himselfe whereby he was inuested King of Hungary in Rodulphus life time and within a while after absolute Emperour they fell from threatnings to bloudy executions not sparing the liues of men women and children nor desisting from opening the graues of the reuerend defunct and burning their bones yea the variety of tortures and exasperating displeasures was so forcible that all sortes exclamed on their cossening peace and prosperitie confessing warre was rather a blessing unto them Shall I follow now with Bohemias story their distastings of Mathias government the repinings at the inauguration of his cousin Ferdinand now Emperour their resolution to reduct the government to electiue Suffrages their apprehension of the Palsgraves worthinesse their presumption of Englands coadjutemēt and at last their raising of severall forces vnder the government of the Protectors of Prague in all which Warre was a blessing indeed and the dissimuled peace of the Provinces with the confederate Princes tripped downe as it were the standing or rather staggering glorie of Bohemias proceedings For while Englands embacies and slender preparations made Vienna smile at the protraction Bauaria enters the Palatinate on the East Leopoldus of Elsac Saueren on the South and Spinola with Gonzales de Cordua on the North yea before the reuolt and taking of Prague the mystery of warre was not searched and the hope of peace ouerclouded King Fredercks good parts with parcemonie and neglect of execution of discipline whereby the Citie of Prague grew factious and the inhabitants suspected themselues yea were angrie with their former iudgements that had elected a man who staggered in his opinion betweene peace and warre and committed a great sollecisme in State as leauing his country vnfurnished and Heidelberg in a manner vnfortified when yet there was nothing but warre either to support him standing still or further him aduancing forward But there is no reuiuing of fearfull accidents and vnsauory contingents to deiected Princes Yet come to Mansfields coming into the Palatinate and Prince Fredericks returne with Brunswicks heroike and noble opposition all the while the armies lay watching one another there was hope of recouery and the enemy seemed so farre from insulting that he feared their incursions into his owne countrey of Bauaria Yea Vienna knew not what to say
ordinary courses to the disappointing of his Garrisons in Europe which hath caused many mutinies and innouations amongst the souldiers The East Indies haue been visited by them and so visited that they haue planted Colonies in the Ilands in despight of opposition they haue dared the Portingals and ouertopped the English their ships exceed in number and their Merchants in industrie and husbandry their labours haue made way vnto continual thriuing and the seuerall Kings of the nations haue reputed them greater then the English The Philippines and Molunes haue been searched by them and neither Iland nor harbour but reioyced at their trade and traffique The South seas with the streights of Magellane haue been adventured on and their voyages set the pens of learned Chronologers on worke Both the Guincies and the coasts of Afrik are explored by them and if there be no more in the satisfaction of expectation then knowledge experience and augmentation of wealth they attained to all by their nauall encounters and adventures The Leuant is stored with their shippes and the Streights of Gibraster are not so straight but in their defiances with Spaine they rushed them open to giue them passage so that both Turkey and Italy have admitted their factories and opened the lapps of their plenty to bid them take the blessings by shippes full If you step into France you shall finde they not onely stepped thether but visited every towne of importance yeelding an honest account of their traueles What thinke you of the fishing in Newland of Whales in Greeneland of the commodities of Island Freezland of the Herings of Scotland Ireland and England of the coasts of America and all those Nations which are accessable yeelding either pleasure or profit they haue euery where suckt the hony with the Bee and extended their trauaile with the Ant so that the summers labour hath fed and cloathed them in winter and the winter it selfe never had such fearefull blasts but the winde either breathed good vpon them or draue them to seeke it in all the corners of the earth If you are not afraid of the Easterne violence and mountanous ice of Russia you shall finde that they are not afraid of winters snow nor summers contagion but visit Norway Sweden Goteland the sound of Denmarke the Haus Townes Prussia Poland Muscouia and all maritime coastes Insomuch that like the honest explorators of the land of Canaan they not onely returne with clusters of grapes but continue undaunted So that I may well say warre hath beene a blessing unto them and the God of all blessings hath multiplied Israel euen vnder their grieuances But now if they kindly let you within their doores you will be amazed at the furniture of their houses I meane the successe of their affaires and the noble proceedings of the warres which hath made them famous in the successe and left their honest defences exemplary to all posterity They haue expulsed the Spaniard out of Zealand Holland and as it were exprobrated great Princes for not being content to insult ouer the obedienc of their subjects but they must tyranize their soules either by Inquisition or change of religion is it any other then the working of slumbring patience which being abused turneth to fury disobedience They haue not onely preserued their virgin prouinces from the rauishings of Burgundy but reuenged the vsurpation which challenged their captiuitie by hereditary birthright yea besides their owne ordinary walkes to visit Vtreck Gelderland and many fortified Townes they haue made larger steps vpon their enemies Countries and by maine force shouldred open the Castillian gates and throwne the Portcullis on the ground which boasted of Austrias fasting and the Popes Benediction so they entred Hamlers and still keepe Sluice and the adiacent places to depend vpon their garrisons they possesse Breda diuers Bergens the fort of Lillo and aboue 20 forts and fortresses in Brabant What haue they done in Cleue Munster Westphalia the Land of Luke and those places of Freezland wherein the Spaniards are now politicke intruders For what Papist or Hispanolized temporiser can yeeld an accouâ—t of any thriuing action or preuailing successe against them these 50 yeares yet the Pope curseth and excommunicateth the Emperor threats the Archdutches proscribes them Spaine assembles armies the Iesuites coniure the Priests imposture and all the practises which pollicies mightinesse treasure or friends haue hatched and brought forth was but to amaze them with some monstrous birth of treason and perfidious reuenge yea those strange hindrances of diuers reuolts and couert supplantations haue proued their owne shame Thus by the corruption of Spanish rewards haue diuers English themselues proued traitors to Holland and onely abused their honors and loyalty by such inconstancy which yet ended with Spaines scornes and their Countries eternall hate and banishment Yet for all this haue the Low Countries thriued by such exasperating difficulties and the following warrs haue beene a blessing vnto them insomuch that the Spaniard hath not onely admired theirs and Englands happy estate but blasphemed heauen to suppose we had a pulling hooke to bring prosperity vnto vs. In the time of Don Lewis Requescens Commander and Captaine Generall for the King of Spaine by the exciting of diuers Priests certaine English reuolted which added life to the Spanish affaires After this Aegremont Ratelife Grey and some others Gentlemen of Noble Families in England went from the Low Countries and fell into the seruice of Spaine as if they had fallen into a deuouring graue At the siege of Audenard 600 English vnder Norris Barney Cornish and Gipson proued traytors to the States and violated their first alleageance to be afterward abused by them which set them on worke Alost was betrayed to the King of Spaine by a whole Regiment of English ouer whom Pigot commanded who with the association of Dalton Tailor Vincent Smith and Weâ—sh thought to pull away the stones of the high built walles of the Low Countries bulwarks In my Lord of Leicesters time Deuâ—â—ter and Zutphen were deliuered to Stanley and Yorke in the Queenes name who in the diuels name redeliuered them to Spaine Grane was betrayed by Hermet the Gouernour Venlo sold by the Burghers before the enemy approached Newis lost by treachery Berck besieged and so abandoned And many other places and persons left the seruice of the States to state themselues in the King of Spaines intertainment Yea by perfidious practises another Regiment vnder Sir William Stanley whose Captaines were Scurlock Peter Winn Hart Guin Salsbury Eaton Reignolds and Harison forsooke their first faith and flattered themselues with the hope of great treasuâ—es of Spaines Indies I could also name the failing and falling away from Englands loue and the Low Countrey embraces of the Earle of Westmerland Lord Paget Charles Paget Sir Francis Englefield Hugh Owen Dakers Tempest Norton Harman Markenfield Tremaine Stradling Carew Allen Southwell Fleming Bulmer with diuers others whose reuoults might haue been great discouragments to the States
actions like vnfethered shafts which could not flie to any purpose And though in the Iland Voyage Fortune seemed to giue Vertue the check yet it was a braue attempt worthy of memory and Illustration Remember the batteries of Roane and the besieging of Paris the many exploits and Marches of our Souldiers the admiration of our Kingdome and vnmatchable glory of our Queene all which proceeded from the warres and the Heroick spirit of a woman Whose vertue proued like an Vberant spring the more plentifull and sweeter by agitation and extracting Yea her Countries was made famous and illustruous to forreigne Nations by the endurances of her Gentlemen and Souldiers I haue not breath enough to tell the rest but for these and the rest I will be bold to say we were beholding to the warres and such Martiall spirits who tooke example from ancient Patriots to be indulgent ouer their Countries renowne and enriching and yet withaâ—l was ioyned the glory of God the Princes honour the Kingdomes prosperity and their owne increases of nob enesse and generosity But what hath the peace done it hath made vs drunke with ease and carelesnesse forget our God be vncharitable to our neighbours neglect our calling sleepe in security accustome our selues to foolish exercises and by studying euery man for his priuate the whole kingdome is confounded with pouerty and wretchednesse insomuch that the complaints fly about like flies and pollicy is ashamed of her own fallacies for you see it hath inuented a trick by factory and drawne diuers worthy men into the net of couetuousnesse to aduenture the Indies when I must say it the very exhausting of our treasure will be the discomfort of our soules I insist not vpon the remotenesse of the place losse of shipps decay of men abuse of time vnwholesomnesse of women danger of shipwracks and the want of our account in our owne channells things subiect to fearefull construction and sensible to examination but say plainly that the bringing in of a million of commodities is not or cannot be so beneficiall as the expoâ—tation of 30000 l. sterling a yeare besides the conuenâ—ency at many greater summes is preiudiciall to the Common-wealth a great disparity I confesse but experience goes beyond apprehension For it is well knowne that Henry 8. from one of the richest and mightiest Kings became the discontentest and meerly indigent to the turmoile of the subiect by reason of the ransome of Pope Clement so foolishly and trecherously sent out of England And in former dayes was not the wealth of this Land almost in the hands of the Romanists and how poore were our people by reason of Peter pence paid vnto Rome Looke into the story of Salomon you shall reade of great store of gold brought into the Land but neuer any sent out or permitted to be transported onely commoditie for commoditie or necessaries for their gold and siluer in such Countries as wanted them As for their obiections or cossenning their owne hearts that say England hath no gold growing and therefore we may spare a little of a great deale which is brought in I answer that because England was sometimes barbarous full of boggs woods and a wildernesse for beasts therefore it matters not to haue braue Citties a reduction to ciuillity and an extraordinary beauty of Magnificense and glory we should be no worse then we were before I hope such arguing is weake poore and full of morosity seeing all the Maiestie of Europe receiues exornation from the various commodities of other Countâ—ies whom it hath pleased God to deny the vse of his creatures that they might serue such as serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse And then shall Isack sow in the Land of Abâ—melech and receiue a hundreth for one But to our peace againe Now since our peace what hath that done to vs or we done to ourselues hath it not proued our sicknesse and wrought vpon our corrupt bodies like a feuer not onely obnoxions in it selfe but bringing on apace other diseases And haue not we taken a libertie to sinne because no punishment followed suddenly But hearken how the vengeance of God comes vpon vs the cry goes the countrey is weighed and found lighter by 14 Millions in 15 yeares we are haunted with Beggers vndone in our Trades pestred in the prisons the Common-wealth ouerrunne with pouerty the people cry out of misery and feare and terrors make vs all amazed insomuch that in many Countrey Townes such idle lasie discontented vagabonds abound that the inhabitants are affraid of spoiles and rapes euen in the face of Iustice that is though there be officers to threaten them so that if it were not for forreigne plantations and compulsiue sending some people away we might deuoure one another But marke withall to what inconueniences we are driuen in our cheefest Citties there are so many of all Trades who confound one another by vnderworke and indirect abuses that the welthy are made poore and the poore in a maner labour for nothing besides young men are growne so proude and sauering of liberty that they must be house-keepers the first hower and consume themselues with comparatiue expences to their superiors filling their houses with children and the Common-wealth with bancke-routs so that there is no preuenting of these mischiefes but warre warre must cure this sore which if we looke to in time we may finde remedie with ease either by disburthening the Common wealth of vnnecessary people or enriching the Common-wealth with surprisalls vnlookt for Let vs then resolutely assist the Dutch they and we are all one good neighbours and friends and so no doubt France will come in and then a three fold cable will be very strong otherwise who would not condemne his negligence that standeth still while his neighbours house is on a blase But if we now take opportunity by her faire foretop and ioyne heart and hand wealth and courage prayers and preuentions against the practises of Spaine whose very looke discouers the pride of his heart we shall finde his treaties are trecheries his speeches deceit his deuises scornes his heart hollow his dealings double and his whole course of his proceedings make but so many discourses of abuses and deceit In a word they are the great dissemblers of the world but let vs not dissemble with our selues especially take heed and prepare against them Let vs then take a veiw of our Countries especial Ireland and the Ilands fortifie our Harbours repaire our Castles double our Garisons Muster our Souldies visit our Nauy store our armories countenance the Merchants strengthen our passages disarme our Papists change their dwellings dissolue their meetings breake the knot of their factions watch their wayes and discouer the villany of their darke lanternes so shal their insulting pride and trecherous hearts be kept vnder and aâ—l the rest be sure and safe againe from home disturbances But yet this is nothing except you banish the Priests hang vp the Iesuites imprison the false hearted and