thly What he Levyed was so effectually imploy'd to the Reputation and Interest of the Kingdom as they that found fault therewith must needs whilst doing it blush at their own Perverseness Especially for that 6 thly These pretended Redressers brake thorough all the Laws of God and Man and for every Pound he Levyed and so honourably expended in the Nation 's Defence and Security as impudently as unjustly extorted Thousands from the People to promote a most cursed and unnatural Rebellion Nec dum sinitur we are since come to Millions and justly deserve no better who made such a Muttering and Stir when he did not raise above Six Pence in the Pound and to so good Purposes as the Dominion of the Sea was never so well secur'd and Traffick so considerably advanc'd above what was ever known in the Nation before Had they who pretended greater Right to raise Money taken a greater or equal Care in disposing thereof to the Kingdoms and Peoples Good all must have gon well but to act like the Dog in the Manger resolve to do nothing themselves yet keep away barkat and Quarrel all others to whom it more properly belong'd was the Extremity of Baseness Mischief for Mischiefs sake And which is still worse that mischievous Humour 't is to be fear'd we shall never get quit of there being several Curs nay whole Packs of that Old Breed which continue on the Cry and are so wholly bent upon their Common-wealth Confusions as to prefer them before any thing of a Monarchy not excepting the Kingdom of Heaven whereof having but small Hopes they may think to oblige the Devil by bringing Hell upon Earth CHAP. XII Of King James's Death I Have had some little Dispute with my self whether it was requisite to take Notice of Iames's Death especially as relating to this Excellent Prince his Son but finding the Calumny impudently improv'd as well from the former Age to this as by the several Libellers now every one striving to out-do the other in this Villanous Forgery till the last hath brought it to such an Impossibility as every Child may discover and see thorough I must trouble both the Reader and my self with the Examination of this Abominable Nothing King Iames had an ill Habit of Body very unwiel'dy and full of gross Humours which improv'd the more upon him for that he was so uneasy as to the Regiment of his Health either from his Own or Physicians Observation whereupon falling into a Tertian Fever at Theobalds 't was thought by most Men amongst the rest him himself that Crasy Constitution of his would not be able to withstand its frequent Assaults and it happen'd accordingly Soon after his Death it was whisper'd about Court that the Duke had recommended something of a Cure for his Ague without the Physicians advice which doing no good must be presum'd to do hurt this coming to the Duke's Ear he concern'd himself so far as to have the Matter examin'd by the Physicians where the Lady appear'd and disclos'd that great secret of an Ague-Cure few of that Quality amongst their Country Neighbours for she was a Country an Essex Lady being without something of that kind which was only a Plaster of Methrydate with a Posset Drink of Harts-Horn and Marygold Flowers This for that time put an end to the Rumour but about two Years after in the Second Parliament it was Reviv'd again and made an Article against the Duke which they that please may Consult with his Reply and perhaps be satisfied therewith if not I shall only add further Lord Keeper Williams perform'd the last Offices of a Divine to King Iames continued with him several Days and Nights before his Death so that had he observ'd or suspected any such foul Play there is no doubt but it would have made a sufficient Noise both in Parliament and elsewhere when the Duke caus'd the Seal to be taken from him and the Author of his Life who relates the one would not have been sparing to discover the other And now to show how Artificially the Master was brought in as concern'd with what the Servant never did when the Articles were Exhibited against the Duke Sir Dudly Diggs who as Foreman manag'd the Prologue and gave a Summary of the whole Charge was reported to have said these Words That he was commanded by the House concerning the Plaister apply'd to the King that he did forbear to speak farther in regard to the King's Honour or Words to that Effect whereupon the King ordered him to be Committed and Sir Dudly Carlton Remonstrated the same to the Commons but upon his own and the Two Houses Compurgation that no such nor such like Words were spoken he was again discharg'd yet whoever Consults that Eloquent Harangue as Recorded by Rushworth will find it very scurvily tending that Way and thus for 20 Years following it was wholly laid asleep no one harbouring so groundless a Thought But when God curs'd this Nation with a Successful Rebellion whereby the Army got the King into their Clutches and so purg'd the House as consisting only of their own Properties they pass'd that Preludium to his Murder their Votes of no more Addresses wherein amongst many other Villanous Forg'd Accusations indeed whatever the Devil or Devils of Men could assist them withal this of King Iame's Death was one and 't is very remarkable what a doughty Topick they have to make it out delivered down by our as doughty Authors He Dissolv'd the Second Parliament to prevent their Enquiry into his Father's Death says Ludlow p. 2. And Roger Coke to the same purpose King Charles rather than this Charge should come to an Issue dissolv'd the Parliament The Defence to out-lye all that went before him tells you Divers Parliaments were dissolv'd upon that Account whereas there was but one more and this Business never mention'd therein In Answer to all which false and groundless Presumptions I shall only Request them to Consult their Friend Rushworth where they will find that Parliaments Dissolution did not in the least proceed from this or any other Articles Exhibited against the Duke who had given in his Reply and press'd for a Rejoynder that they would come to the Proof of their Common-Fame Charge wherein there appear'd not much forwardness The King on the other hand was in great Expectation of those Subsidies they had Voted and indeed only Voted for though that was done the 27 th of March yet had not the Bill been once read the 9 th of Iune by which delays his Majesties Designs with his Allies abroad were Frustrated and Honour expos'd for want of supplying them according to Treaty whereof giving Notice in a Letter they had so little regard as to fall to preparing a Remonstrance in reference to Tonage and Poundage and other such like unseasonable and unreasonable Cavils which the King understanding and esteeming as he had Cause to be a denyal of the promised Supply and finding that no
Admonition could move no Reasons or Perswasions prevail when the Time was so far spent that they had put an impossibility upon themselves to perform their Promise whereof they esteemed all Gracious Messages to them to be but Interruptions His Majesty upon mature Advisement dissolv'd them This is the Account the King himself gives in his Declaration of their unkind Dealing and his too just Provocation for that Act otherways would they have comply'd with him in those his urgent Necessities there should have been no Obstruction upon the Duke's Account they might have gon on with their Articles and been certainly Baffled as to that of King Iames's Death and perhaps most of the rest But I must not break off here without my promis'd Remark upon the Defence who by adding another most Impossible Story renders that aforemention'd yet more Improbable There are few will believe because he brings none That for many Reasons it was concluded King Charles had no small share in that abominable Act of Poysoning his own Father King James I. But to add and that Good Man Prince Henry his Son is such a Stretch as nothing but one by a Halter can keep pace with and they deserve to go together That Prince Henry was thought to have something of foul Play Sir W's Libel does insinuate but no Man of Sense or History ever believed a Syllable thereof and that Answer Intituled Aulicus Coquinariae clearly makes appear it was right down Libel that is absolutely false and as there was no ground to place it where Sir A's Baseness design'd so for this unthinking Blockhead to transfer it upon that poor innocent Child his Brother let the most prejudic'd Fanatick judge when told that at Henry's Death this his younger Brother was not Twelve Years Old having been all along of a weak unhealthy Constitution liv'd a Studious retir'd Life with very little Conversation but that of Books and Tutors which was indeed of great Advantage to his future Accomplishments but kept him then from making any Figure at Court or entring upon any Intrigue there which the most Active Princes of that Age have seldom been known to engage in much less to carry on such an Unnatural Enterprize Yet doubtless this is as true as the other and whoever for the Time to come relate either may the same Fate attend them as did Horace's Planus a Lying Cheat not to be believ'd when they speak Truth tho their Lives depend thereupon Nulla fides damnis verisque doloribus adsit Roger Coke hath another the prettyest Maggotty Reason to prove King Iames could not dye a Natural Death because all the five James 's his Predecessors in Scotland were carryed off otherwise I will not concern my self with what was done in Scotland but dare be the Courts Compurgator for all of that Family which have dy'd since it came into England although none have gon off without some such ill-natur'd and ill-grounded Suggestion I wish I could say as much for the Parliament or rather a Rump of it which out-did whatever hath been done in Scotland or any where else upon the Face of the whole Earth And further to provoke Divine Vengeance we have got a Generation of Villains which at this Hour dare to justify it and no Notice taken thereof Nay these eager Blood-hounds are so delighted with that sort of Game as when they cannot come at it themselves will needs have it done by others for so it was confidently mutter'd of the last which went off by Death and if God curse us with continuing this Set of Men will pass for an Authentick Story 50 or 60 Years hence it was enough at present to found it in a Whisper especially since the Physicians and amongst them Dr. L a great Confident of theirs declar'd that upon inspecting the Brain there was so clear Evidence of an Apoplexy as 't was impossible to think of any other Cause However there is nothing Extraordinary in all this besides the grosseness of the Fiction there are few Historians relate the Death of Princes without something of a real or imaginary Force But to bury them alive by Supposititious Births is altogether Modern an Advance of this present Age with how much Interest or Honour the next may Judge CHAP. XIII His Government before the Rebellion THese be the most tho' not all for all it is impossible to Enumerate and therefore let it be all the most considerable Exceptions false Clamors and frontless Cavils wherewith the wide-mouth'd Factions blackned the King and Trumpetted up Rebellion into which dismal and bloody Scene before we enter Let us take a general View of his Government during the Twelve Years Interstitium or if you will Interregnum of Parliaments for they were never quiet till Supream and then least of all where we shall find this true Father of his Country so tenderly Provident for a crooked and perverse Generation Nurtur'd them up in so much Peace and Plenty such a continued Affluence of all Things requisite to Humane Welfare as never any Nation enjoy'd a greater and very few have equall'd them therein That he Hated or had any Prejudice against Parliaments is so far from being True as if there were any Mistake it appear'd rather at First on the other Side he Caress'd them a little too much To be sure it was by his Inducement the Duke of Bucks made that Narrative relating to the Spanish Match and Treaty to both Houses of Parliament in Iames's Last whereto as occasion serv'd he gave his Attestation which so pleas'd their Popular aspiring Humour as the Duke was then the Whitest Boy and his Master the Hopefullest Prince in the World And he doubtless intended to have gon on in that Sincere plain-dealing Way represented Things as they really were and expected they should have met him half Way in all reasonable Returns But his more Experienc'd Father understood better told them both how short-liv'd such Caresses would be as they should find too soon Which immediately upon his coming to the Crown most Prophetically fell out in his first Parliament where making a small Complement of Two Subsidies they return'd to their Old Vomit Evil Counsellors Grievances and the like must be the only Subject of Debate after which they made so strict a Search as such another Set of Busy Men according to the Latin Adage would for a Knot in a Bulrush yet hereupon the Breach so gradually widned Three several Parliaments as to part at last in a final Separation Whereunto after all is say'd never Prince had greater or juster Provocation Nevertheless I cannot find in his Proclamation set out upon the last Dissolution or any where else that it was declared Criminal for the People to speak any more of Parliaments as Ludlow with his usual Impudence affirms p. 2. The King as I say'd finding the Factions so prevalent in all Elections as it was impossible to get a Parliament would either hearken to Reason or Act with Temper
began to Complement the Commonwealth-Party inviting some of them to confer with him at his Chamber with which acquainting me the next time he came to the House I took the Freedom to tell him that he knew how to cajole and give them good Words when he had occasion to make use of them whereat breaking out into a Rage he said they were a proud sort of People and only considerable in their own Conceits Whether he spake this in a Rage is of little Concern to be sure as seldom as he spake Truth this was a certain Truth he spake and effectually confirm'd in the many Contrasts he had with them and Baffles he gave them and Ludlow's Reply is very faint for that he only hop'd it was not yet their Case whereas all others knew it actually to be so since they lay under a total defection from Honesty Generosity and all true Virtue However therefore they may wheedle others into better Thoughts I shall stick to Cromwel's Character which is a strong Confirmation of my former Opinion that they are a proud sort of People only valuable in their own Conceits In Confirmation whereof I shall add but this one Instance farther in Relation to the sundry fanciful Hypotheses they every Day start to support their Politick Novels wherein a strange Force is put upon all those Natural Obligations and Regular Dependencies which were formerly thought the main Support of all Humane Societies such uncooth States of War and Nature such Origins of Political Societies and Subordination of Commonwealth-Powers as make Parents their Childrens Servants and Magistrates their Peoples Slaves and all this with very little regard to the Doctrine of the Creation which being set aside or brought in only to serve at a hard Push a Man may as well write a Romance and swear it a true History as resolve how Mankind came upon the Earth and what Measures they took upon their first meeting there Neither is their Deference to the Creation less than to the Creator not that they disown the Existence of an Infinite Being or can imagin this admired Fabrick of the Universe should be any other way than from an Almighty Power for most of the Atheists have lately thought of a retreat to Deism as a more tenable Fort but then they allow this Almighty Power very little share in the Governing Part Man being some how or other plac'd here is suppos'd solely to act upon a Principle of Interest and Self-preservation without any regard to those Divine Impresses of Good and Evil Right and Wrong which many old Pedants even amongst the Antient Philosophers conceiv'd as natural to the Soul of Man as Thought and of so strong an Obligation that the Guilt of violating ipso facto inflicted Punishment in a just dread of the great Avenger Thus as Preservation was truly stil'd a continu'd Creation was Providence by the same Reason presum'd to interpose in all humane Transactions to speak upon a Philosophical not Scripture Account disappoint the Devices of the Crafty turn all their Wisdom into Madness and Folly and how can any Man imagin a more rational Supposition than that he who made should Govern the World continue Absolute Monarch Sovereign over all and whenever any of our Undertakings clash with or otherwise thwart the Eternal Purposes of his Will how troublesom do they prove in the Management and fatal in the End So that however plausible their Speculations may seem and whatever Success attends their first Attempts I dare Conclude with this as an infallible Truth There can be no lasting and happy Establishments without some moral Assurance of the Almighty's Approbation and Blessing April 6. 99. UNDIX CAPITUM CHAP. I. The Commonwealth-Party could never agree upon any one Model pag. 15. Chap. II. Monarchy hath ever had the preference p. 30. Chap. III. King James and Charles I. design'd nothing of Arbitrary Power p. 38. Chap. IV. Not any just Ground for complaint of Grievances p. 58. Chap. V. No reason to complain of Favorites and Evil Counsellors p. 72. Chap. VI. Innovasions in Religion never design'd p. 87. Chap. VII No design of introducing Popery p. 109. Chap. VIII Of the Lent Ships Rochel and French War p. 132. Chap. IX Of the Palatinate Bohemia and that Queen p. 149. Chap. X. Of the Book of Sports p. 159. Chap. XI Of Ship-Money p. 175. Chap. XII Of King James's Death p. 185. Chap. XIII His Government before the Rebellion p. 1â—â— Part II. Chap. I. Of the Scotch Rebellion p. 1. Chap. II. Of the Irish Rebellion p. 59. Chap. III. Of the English Rebellion p. 81. Chap. IV. Of the King in Custody c. p. 148. Chap. V. Of the King's Murder p. 181. THE INTRODUCTION T IS not full forty Years since this unhappy Nation for about half that time immediately precedent groan'd under the miserable Distractions of an unnatural Civil War had her Antient Monarchy and whole Frame of Government expos'd and trampled upon by the Arbitrary impositions of Presbyterian Rage Independent Licentiousness Protectorian Usurpation and Fanatick Fury all which as they took their Turns and made their several Insults upon each other so the poor Kingdom continu'd under every of them one dismal Scene of Slavery and Confusion till the Provocation arose to so high a Ferment as all Orders and Degrees of Men whatsoever unanimously resolv'd to free themselves from such Intolerable Oppressions And whoever saw the Turn of our Captivity in the year Sixty how sensible we were of our own Madnesses and Follies and taught by that dear-bought experience resolutely bent upon our Old Establishment that well tempered Politie in Church and State which alone could fix us upon a sure Bottom and prevent our utter Ruin I say whosoever saw this as likewise what a fright the several Delinquent Factions were in what Acknowledgments and Submissions they made what Pardons they su'd for and how Graciously how Generally they were misbestow'd could ever have imagin'd that either they or any descended from them should presume in this Age at least to open their Mouths by way of Apology or Extenuation for such fatal Mischiefs much less endeavour to have them Trump'd up and Reacted The few design'd for Exemplary punishment were those Execrable Regicides who dar'd to embrew their Hands in the Blood of their Sacred Sovereign yet this with a reserve of Favour to such as sat but did not sign that cursed Bill or afterwards came in upon a Proclamation of Surrender and if one of that Villanous Crew escaping the Hangman's clutches by a Foreign flight had the Impudence to leave a Narrative of what part himself and some of his Complices bore in that dismal Tragedy 't is no more than what might be expected from such Reprobate Minds to which how far that Blood-thirsty pack were given over too sadly appear'd as well from their Deportment at the Gallows as all the former transactions of their Lives But that the Monarchy still continuing and a Monarch on the Throne
well affected to Monarchy in general as well as the Memory of those two Princes are yet prone to suspect they might have some Inclinations that way and for their Satisfaction more especially it is I give them and my self this Trouble To shew therefore how little Ground there was or is for this Suspicion King Iames call'd Parliaments as often as any Prince ever did and courted them as much perhaps more than was requisite considering the Temper they were of And so did his Son at first as Ludlow owns 'T is true he call'd some in the first Years of his Reign But then makes this malicious Reflection The People soon perceiv'd he did it rather to empty their Purses than redress their Grievances The Truth of it is there was such a Spirit of Innovation and Faction got abroad such groundless Suspicions and Distrusts every where not only whisper'd but openly proclaim'd throughout the Nation as 't is equally unaccountable how Men should have the Confidence to forge such gross Untruths and the People suffer themselves to be so absurdly impos'd upon Altho as to this latter nothing can seem incredible to such as observ'd what a Fright the whole Nation was abus'd into the other Day as if between two and three thousand Irish for that was their utmost Number could fire all their Habitations and cut all their Throats Yet by such Artifices as these altogether as groundless and improbable the People were kept up in a continual Ferment so foolishly prejudic'd and so freakishly peevish as no Reason could be heard nor Truth prevail upon them whereunto both the foremention'd Kings were too forward to appeal and too condescending in giving an Account of themselves and Actions by frequent Proclamations Declarations c. considering they had to do with the most petulant malicious Generation ever any Age or Climate produc'd As to the present Charge of affecting Arbitrary Power I cannot but remark in the first place the different Method these two Kings are suppos'd to propound in order to bring about the same King Iames by Fraud King Charles by Force As to the former whatever King-Craft he pretended to every discerning Eye hath all along discovered him to be the most open easie Prince this Nation ever had studied nothing but his People's Peace and therein his own Quiet the Enjoyment of himself Such a bold I may say desperate Undertaking must have a Prince that is active daring and resolute of a subtile Head and hollow Heart understanding all the Arts of Dissimulation and Wheadle so as to fool the People out of their Mony and therewith maintain an Army to support his Usurpation with many such like bad Qualities as opposite to Iames's Temper and Genius as one Pole to the other For to speak freely he laboured under the contrary Extream wanted Courage to exert his just Rights stoop'd Majesty too low would expostulate and reason where he ought to have commanded which blind Side the Faction in his several Parliaments once finding out grew wresty thereupon would neither lead nor drive but their own Pace and Way What I remark in the second Place is the Inducement our Author assigns of King Charles's attempting the same by Violence the nearer View of a Despotick Power in his Iourny to France and Spain What will not a Republican's Rebel Spite catch hold of His Iourny was not in but thorough France which he consummated in ten or twelve Days and riding Post had great Opportunities of being taken with Glittering Shews and Imaginary Pleasures c. And his Business in Spain was of another Nature and took up so much Time as he had little Leisure to make Observations and less Reason to be enamour'd with any thing there observ'd to be sure upon Enquiry he could not but find that the several Courts or Councils there have as great a Restraint upon the Crown as our Parliaments have here though they are a sober wise Nation and seldom or never found to extend their Privileges beyond Right and Reason I shall not reflect upon the Prudence and Policy of that Design only observe it was hard for a young Amorous Prince to attend the tedious Delays of old Statesmen wherewith having been so long kept in Suspence this Adventure was thought the only Expedient for a final Issue Desperate enough which notwithstanding he manag'd so dexterously as to weather all Difficulties and come off with Honour and Safety contrary to the Expectation of the whole World I cannot forbear to mention the Account Rushworth gives of his Deportment there The Prince for his part had gain'd an universal Love and was reported by all to be a truly noble discreet well deserving Prince His grave Comportment suited with the very Genius of that Nation and he carryed it from the first to the last with the greatest Affability Gravity Constancy and at his Farewel with unparallell'd Bounty Yet this excellent Prince we murder'd and forc'd his Sons to travel for Security of their Lives and if during that Royal Exile they depended chiefly upon Papists for their Subsistence and observ'd how a Neighbour Prince weathering the like Storm from his three Estates as their Father met with for all Rebellions do not prosper as in England took the Government solely into his own Hand I say if upon these Obligations and Observations they return'd home less affected to the Protestant Religion and our Old Establishments of civil Government than could be wish'd Who can we blame but our selves Upon the Prince's Return home and making a Report to his Father what slippery Statesmen the Spaniards were especially as to his Sister 's Concerns King Iames at the earnest Request of the Parliament brake off that Match who engaging him in a War for Recovery of the Palatinate promis'd all the Assistance could be desired which was soon after by his Father's Death devolv'd upon King Charles and a Parliament thereupon summon'd de novo whom he bespake with all Affection and Tenderness imaginable acquainting them how The Eyes of all Europe were upon that his first Attempt and what a Blemish it would be to sustain a Foyl Hereupon a Supply was voted which serv'd the present turn and that was all For in the next Session which was at Oxon that unquiet Spirit which had been so troublesome most part of his Father's Reign began to let him see what little Hope there was of better Terms from them Immediately those old Cavils of Grievances evil Counsellers and what not were brought upon the Carpet and of these the first insisted upon was the Increase of Recusants the Growth of Popery which was presented in a Petition shewing the principal Causes of their Increase and properest Remedies to suppress them whereunto his Majesty gave an Answer so full and satisfactory that all undesigning Members were abundantly satisfied therewith and resolv'd to acquiesce therein and fell immediately upon a Supply which the adverse Party unable to oppose seemingly comply'd likewise but with a Back Blow
Covetous he withdrew his Favour by degrees as any Wise Man would have done unwilling to expose himself for an ill-plac'd Affection But when the Business of Overbury was discovered he detested it with the utmost Indignation of a good Christian a just Prince and ordered a Prosecution according to the Baseness of the Fact though after several Partisans had suffered the importunity of Relations and Country-Men first got a Repreive and at length a Pardon for him and his Eve the Temptress though it was many Years before the last was obtained and not many Months before the King's Death which 't is pity he did at all considering the solemn Protestations he had made that all concern'd in that Matter should suffer but what will not Importunity do especially coming from his own Country-Men This Court-Meteor being thus sunk down and disappearing the English Nobility about the King began to reflect upon the ill Influences it had and what worse its longer aboad in that Horison might have produc'd Hereupon they thought it their concern to take more care for the future and not suffer a second Foreign Page of as little Wit Good Nature or Manners to be Topt upon or rather over them in order whereunto they resolv'd to manage Matters so as an English Man might be Topt upon the King about which they had several Consults and several young Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber and other Places in their Eye but amongst all the rest George Villyers both for Person and Parts seem'd most promising him therefore having fix'd upon such Court intrigues were carry'd on as the King made choice of the Person they design'd And this is the true Origin of that great Man's Rise whatever impertinent Relations Roger Coke makes of his Mother decking him up and setting of him in the King's Eye when Ignoramus was Acted at Cambridge with many other as groundless and false Conjectures To be sure he no sooner appear'd upon the Publick Stage of Business and Address but the Expectation of all concern'd in his Advancement was not only answer'd but exceeded neither could they any where have made a better Choice among the Nobility there were scarce any to be found who would undertake such a Fatigue of Business or had Parts to go thorough with it and though there were some in a lower Sphere of more Reading and greater Experience yet few that equall'd him in Strength of Natural Parts dayly improv'd by consulting the most Knowing and Judicious in all the several Affairs which came before him whereby he brought things to a better Issue than could be expected from the most cry'd up Wisdom accompanied with a self-sufficient peremptoriness So that whatever Odiums he lay under as no Man ever lay under greater and indeed who could bear up against Common-Fame and a House of Commons yet more impartial Iudgments which consider'd things as they really were became surpris'd at so young a Man's falling to Business with so great Application his judicious Choice of fit Persons to every concern he engag'd them in and as Honourable Rewards upon their well Performance I have already mention'd his manage and improvement of the Navy as likewise how express his Replies were to their several Articles without any thing of a Rejoynder on the other side tho' he provok'd them thereto for 't is absolutely false that the King dissolv'd the Parliament on that Account as shall hereafter appear Neither was there more of Truth in that other Charge his inriching himself by the Crown which of all Imputations saith the Disparity was the most unskilful and worst laid some few of those Lands Engross'd by Somerset before were assign'd him by his first Master and that was all Yet Roger Coke opens most violently upon this Account and with an odd kind of Arithmetick will consider what he received by his many great Places without taking notice it was all Expended in the same Service To be sure one of our Historians saith he died 60000 l. in Debt and whoever Audited his Estate then considering he married an Heir General of the House of Rutland who was a very great Fortune will find that Sir Edward Coke and several of that Robe since have left greater Revenues than this Duke did of his own Acquiring The foremention'd Roger Coke tells another idle Story which I shall mention here tho it reflects chiefly upon the Good King which was that Spiteful Fellow 's greatest Satisfaction viz. How he design'd first a Sumptuous Funeral for this Duke his Favourite from which the Lord Treasurer Weston put him off by saying a Monument would be more lasting and less cost And when the King afterwards press'd for the Monument the Wary Treasurer diverted him from that by representing how ill it would hear in the World should the Duke's be Erected before there was one for his Father This Faithful Roger relates as a great Secret which he had from a Learned Gentleman well acquainted with the Transactions of those Times whereas it was a Common-fame Story every where whispered by the Faction and so secret that Mr. Hamond Le Strange was impos'd upon to put it into his History and is reply'd to be Sir William Saunderson for that mistake who must know better being all that time the Duke's Domestick and assures us he was Sumptuously intomb'd at Westminster which his Executors paid for and it cost not the King a Penny nor the stately Monument Erected over his Grave This Passage tho somewhat out of Course I could not but here insert as an exact Specimen of Fanatick Sincerity what Secrets they Detect and Truths relate Well now we have done with Favorites for Buckingham being fatally cut off the King made no one Person his Confident but equally consulted the Ablest and best Principled Men he could find thoroughout the Kingdom who were equally Maligned and Persecuted to Death by a Virulent Party because they studied the peace and welfare of the Nation were for every thing to run in its proper Channel the Laws duly Administred to the People and the King's Occasions Honourably supply'd without Suggesting Fears and Hunting after Grievances the Mormo's of disaffected and designing Spirits For sometime in King Iame's Reign there was a cursed Distinction started of a Court and Country Party which kept the House divided most implacably in that and this following Reign of Charles the I. for I shall descend no further and several honest well-meaning Gentlemen like so many Barnabas's were led away by the Dissimulation of such as promoted it whereas in all well-settled Times the King was look'd upon as the Common Father of the Country and had constantly a select Number of Understanding Men knowing the World and well practis'd in Business to sit in Council and assist him in keeping things Right or bringing them so when wrong But then Enacting of Laws Raising of Mony and several other Ardua Regni are to be consulted of and consented to in Parliament where the foremention'd Privy
be drawn up And Mr. Harrison did in the face of the Court confess that by Phelim's order he stitch'd the Silk Cord or Label of the Seal with Silk of the colour of the said Label and so fix'd the said Label and Seal to the Commission whereupon Sir Edward Bolton and Judge Donelan urging Sir Phelim why he would so deceive the people he answered that no man could blame him to use all means whatsoever which might promote the Cause he had so far engag'd in 'T is farther depos'd by the said Dr. that on the second day of his Tryal some of the Iudges told him that if he could produce any material proof that he had such a Commission from Charles Stewart to declare and prove it before Sentence should pass upon him and he should be restor'd to his Estate and Liberty But Sir Phelim Answered that he could prove no such thing Nevertheless they gave him time to consider of it till the next day which was the third and last day of his Tryal upon which day Sir Phelim being brought into the Court and urg'd again he declar'd he never could prove any such thing as a Commission from the King And added there were several Outrages committed by Officers and others his aiders and abettors in the management of that War contrary to his intentions and which now press'd his Conscience very much and that he could not in Conscience add to them the unjust Calumny of the King though he had been frequently solicited thereunto by fair promises and great rewards while in Prison And proceeding further in this discourse he was stopt and had Sentence of Death pronounced against him The Dr. farther declares that he was present and very near Sir Phelim when he was upon the Ladder at his Execution and that one Marshall Peake and another Marshall before Sir Phelim was cast came riding towards the Place in great haste and called aloud Stop a little and having passed through the throng of Spectators and Guards one of them whisper'd a pretty while with Sir Phelim whereto he answer'd in the hearing of several hundreds of People of whom my self was one I thank the Lieutenant General for his intended mercy but I declare Good People before God and his Holy Angels and all of you that hear me that I never had any Commission from the King for what I have done in Levying or Prosecution of this War and do heartily beg your Prayers all good Catholicks and Christians that God may be merciful unto me and forgive me my Sins More of his Speech I could not hear which continued not long the Guards beating off those that stood near the Place of Execution Thus far this worthy Gentleman who ought I know may be yet alive for the Deposition was made in 81. And the party declared himself upon all occasions ready to justify it and had it been then thought such Books as Ludlow's Memoirs should have ever dared to peep forth much less be publickly sold there would have been more care taken to anticipate those antiquated Cavils they have now the impudence to revive Upon which account it was that I declar'd Ludlow a worse Man than Sir Phelim the Bloodiest Wretch in that whole Pack because first 't is demonstratively clear he was the Person who sent the Marshall to Sir Phelim upon the Ladder ready to be thrown off with proffer of Mercy if he would fix the Commission on the King there being no other Lieutenant General then in Ireland but himself and therefore highly probable in the Second place that 't was by his inducement the Iudges were so earnest upon the same account and Thirdly that the fair promises and great Rewards in Prison were shot out of the same Bow and levell'd by the same General 's rancorous spite at the Martyr's Reputation But then having so full a Conviction as neither Liberty nor Life could prevail upon the Unfortunate Man to add that to the too many other Guilts already upon his Conscience for Ludlow to continue the Calumny and as far as his Credit will pass leaves it upon Record to Posterity is such an Argument of an Impenitent Heart and Reprobate Mind as I look upon Sir Phelim's condition to be much more Iustifiable He lay under a sad remorse for the Innocent Blood spilt with several other Acts of Injustice and Cruelty begged God's Pardon and Good Mens Prayers whereas our Lieutenant General seem'd to die as he liv'd By those Remains his Admirers have curs'd the World withall may be presum'd to leave it with like Regret as the Apostate Angels did their Regions of Bliss amongst whom without the least breach of Charity I cannot but suppose him Belching out his Blasphemies against God as he did here on Earth against his Anointed Yet 't is to be fear'd these concessions of his Majesty turn'd no less to his own prejudice for the Parliament having rais'd the Crisis to its full heighth and resolving very immethodically as well as unjustly to open the vein of War imploy'd both the Men and Money rais'd for Ireland against the King nay the very Benevolence begg'd for the relief of those poor distress'd Protestants was borrowed to pay their Soldiers and a Question whether ever repaid though the Kings Soldiers having seiz'd upon some Provisions sent by the Parliament towards Chester as but design'd for Ireland they were presently upon complaint restor'd Ludlow continues That the King acquainted the Parliament that when an Army was rais'd he would go in Person to reduce them p. 19. which they would not consent to for other reasons than what he assigns tho' that of putting him at the head of an Army might be one he would certainly have put a speedy end to the War which had spoil'd all their Villainous designs at home and therefore they would not so much as trust any of those Officers which had serv'd him in the two Scotch Expeditions though known the best in the Kingdom The Scotch on the other side were caress'd to the highest degree and had whatever money or other terms they demanded though to serve the Ulster Plantation of their own Countrymen several strong-holds Towns and Castles were put into their hands with unusual Circumstances of Power even to an Independency upon the Lord Lieutenant and whole English Government and when his Majesty did but desire them to reconsider their own Proposition and reflect how much it might trench upon the English Interest they furiously voted that whosoever advis'd his Majesty to that delay was an Enemy to the Kingdom and a Promoter of the Rebellion in Ireland Whatever Ludlow farther urges how the Parliament neglected no opportunity to carry on that necessary Work and besides the Forces of Scotland dispatch'd several Regiments from England thither who were bless'd with wonderfull success against the Rebels p. 20. 'T is true some Regiments were sent and brave men they were and great things they did but not so many as design'd or requisite and so little