Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
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A67902
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A seasonable expostulation with the Netherlands. Declaring their ingratitude to, and the necessity of their agreement with the Common-wealth of England.
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Osborne, Francis, 1593-1659.
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1652
(1652)
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Wing O523; ESTC R206922
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10,155
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20
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of till some of your Country-men came and inhabited them Besides it were madnesse for those who may live quietly in Ireland to venture fighting for an estate in Holland Neither is our alliance likely to change if once firmely established Whereas there is no longer hold with France then whilest the two potent factions of Protestant and Papist shall subsist by the clashing of which you are no lesse then the Spaniard able to kindle the fire of a Civill Warre so as when you have throughly scan'd your alliance with France you shall find it signify more danger then Protection It having been alwaies the humour of that People to swagger with their Neighbours for roome upon the least enjoyment of quiet being seldome or never willing to serve their Allies but when they are in the worst case to help themselves If this afflicted people were sensible of their own condition that the most scorching Slavery in all Christendome lies under the Line of their Kings And animated by our example and yours should procure their freedome Yet you would be worsted on that hand too for after their Liberty attained the conquest of you or your Neighbours were likeliest to be their next imployment there being no Peace with them at home unlesse they be at Warre with other States Which makes it none of Englands smallest blessings that they are not able to come hither on horseback The French are not so sutable to your Nature as the English who look upon Merchants as Gentlemen they as Pedlers I know you are too wise to expect reall friendship from Spaine or a continuance of the agreement made with Him if you break with Vs It not being likely he should oversee the advantage will be offered him of catching Gudgeons in your inland Waters whilest we are out at Sea scuffling for Spratts If you be prohibited trading hither I pray what will you doe with French Wines the most staple commodity they have to barter for The East countries being as unable to take them off by reason of cold as you to consume them in Brent Wine Monarchs neither doe nor can look upon you under a milder aspect then Traytors without a tacit consent of the like power resident in their People to explode them as conscious of giving the same cause Whereas England cannot but esteem you in a more honourable Relation For though you like the Diall of Ahaz recoyled so many degrees back in the Sphere of Policy It is naturally more proper for the hand of power in a Free State to be touched with an inclination towards a Common-wealth then a Monarchy Though the advantage that may accrue to you from an English confederacy is made apparent from by-gon experience yet if you consider how honourable it would be to Spaine who hath long endeavoured it And convenient to France in regard of her clayme to Artoys and Hannault to convert you into a Colony you would not be so intent upon Profit esteemed by all prudent Nations inferior to safety Therefore let your pretences be what you will The incroachments you made through the remisnesse of our Kings and corruption of their Councell are the Silver Smiths that doe really raise all these clamours it being otherwaies unpossible that Monarchy should be such a Diana in your eyes Your Alliance with Denmarke is likelier to adde number then weight to your Frindship being liable to be whisled off or on according to the inclination of his Imperiall Majesty so twisted in Marriages with the Catholick King That the difficulty is as great to distinguish between their Interests as Consanguinity Besides those Eastern Countries have ever been looked upon not only as a store-house wherein God hords up the miseries of Winter But also the cruell Plagues of Incursions apparent in the Goths and Vandals whose barbarous hands assisted Time in the destruction of such Monuments in Italy as she alone had not been able to demolish To conclude with a few Queries Let me humbly desire you to consider First whether such as may or shall foment this division doe not act the policy of the Wolfe in the Fable that perswaded the Sheepe to give over their Mastives 2ly What other Alliance can afford you so safe Harborage in case of foule weather at Sea as England Scotland and Ireland if none whether Contingencies driven in by stormes under our shelter may not exceed all the English prizes you shall make by Van Trump 3ly In case the match with the Infanta had proceeded or Prince Charles miscarried in Spaine through detention whether your old patrons our Kings might not easier have been perswaded to have renounced your friendship or delivered up the Cautionary Towns had they been then in their power then c. 4ly If Venice may not unproperly be called the Signet on Neptunes right hand whether England and the Netherlands being in a straight Confederacy may not be stiled his two armes by which in relation to their Shipping he imbraceeth the universe 5ly Whether your Maiden Townes as you call them May not longer enjoy that title under the Alliance of England who hath many as rich and beautifull Harbours as of France that cannot justly bragge of the like plenty or conveniency for situation 6ly Whether a breach between us may not conjure up a third party of Pirats formidable to us both Dunkirke being in so wavering a condition and fit to make an Argiers of c. 7ly Whether in case a difference should happen some of your Provinces irritated by the inconveniences must in Reason follow may not be tempted to divide and adhere to the stronger part and which that is may be easily resolved from the great assistance England hath given you and the small dammage she hath through the mercy of God received from yours through out the whole Series of our Warre 8ly Whether during our Monarchs They or the English Parliaments were aptest to put a more favourable construction upon your worse or better actions in relation to-us if the Kings what signified the bleating of such of your Countrymen as they daily fleec'd if the Parliaments who ever rendred themselves rather partiall then severe on your side Are they not well requited Lastly Whether the World may not afford Us and You sufficient Trade without intrusion or in case our Heardsmen should foolishly differ is not Abrahams answer ready are we not Brethren in Language Nature and Religion If you adde to this the Parallel of the causes of your and our taking Armes you shall find your King a stranger by Birth wilfull by nature and apt to be led away by the seldome Auspicious counsell of Church-men The Peoples advice neglected Petitioners Imprisoned All dear-sold to the Natives by Courtiers so as Injustice it selfe could scarce be afforded without Mony There a Woman made an ingredient in the Court Here the Regent of our Councels Yours the wisest King in his time in all things but thinking himselfe so Ours no lesse prudent had he but known it Yours happy in all but the losse of you Ours successefull in nothing but his returne from Spaine Yours inscrutable to all but tried friends Ours patent to none but such as deserved the name of Enemies Yours spent immense treasure in such buildings as may strive with Time for continuance Ours in Playes and Maskes more transitory then a Winters night Tours a better King then a Man Ours a better Man then a King You won freedome by mingling patience with the valour of Strangers in long Sieges which spun out the War to a chargeable length Our liberty the Natives obtained in the Field with a miraculous celerity by trusting providence with their endeavours Our wants were So true a friend as you found of England and at first such trusty Commanders as your Prince Borne to those titles which our present Generall hath more abundantly deserved having been followed with so uninterrupted successe as you are no where able to sing of thousands but may be matched by us with ten thousands But for this as all good things else let glory praise and honour be first given to God next all thankfull obedience to those who have or shall be instrumentall in reforming what is amisse in both FINIS One made a Lord the other a Knight at Oxford Lampries
A Seasonable Expostulation WITH THE NETHERLANDS Declaring their Ingratitude To and the Necessity of their Agreement With the Common-wealth of ENGLAND OXFORD Printed for Thomas Robinson Anno Dom. 1652. To the Reader IF in this Conjuncture of Affairs you think I have said too little as things now stand between us and the Dutch I wish all my faults were as capable of amendment if too much 't is out of a partiality I was never found guilty of in relation unto them it being my project To vindicate my Countries Interest as modestly as such high provocations multiplied by the weight of so many Obligations may justly beare However I shall be more ready to aske pardon then offend by being too Censorious And if inclin'd to the same humor it is possible you may be pleased if otherwaies I am resolved not to be angry intending only to perswade Peace no way so advantagiously obtained from others as by keeping in Vnity amongst our selves under those God hath placed over us Nothing increasing forraign Enemies so much as Domestick feuds amongst such as ought to be servants to the State as I am though never in their Pay A Seasonable Expostulation with the NETHERLANDS CAESAR endured without exclamation the Senators Poniards as whetted by interest or revenge but when that of his own Imp Brutus was presented against him he cover'd his face leaving the World with no lesse shame then indignation against so much unnaturall ingratitude The like might we doe in relation to the Dutch whose part I have been hitherto so farre ready to take as to impute the assistance they contributed towards the losse of Rochell And the fomenting the Royall party against the Parliament of England only to the sordidnesse of their Merchants who have not only been known to sell amunition to the Mahumetans the blasphemers of their Religion if they own any by retaile but even to his Catholike Majesty bound in Honour no lesse then interest to be their enemy in grosse Neither had I ever wished the charming of those Froggs but that I see them so ready to become an Egyptian plague unto us by croaking against us in our own Waters Yet though most of their Gentry were buried in the Cruelty of such as formerly govern'd them And all markes of Honour almost blended amongst them in those of Profit they shall find so much civility in me as to endeavour rather to Bind up then Inlarge the rupture their indiscretion hath made with this State to whom I shall in modesty shew how farre they stand obliged And offer reasons to disswade them from these wild courses by which they doe no lesse tickle the hearts of their enemies with delight then wound those with shame and feare who doe affect them Here then let me crave leave to addresse my speech to this our Neighbour State and thus expostulate with them After that France tired with the labour the striving of her own Children had caused in the Bowells of her Estate And child by the cold distrust conceived of your successe had deserted you in Despayre you may remember how England opened her armes to receive your fugitives And her purse to pay your Souldiers so that a foot of ground cannot be called yours that owes not a third part to the expence Valour or Counsell of the English Of whom such spirits have expired in your defence as have been thought at a mean rate to double the value of what they fought for Brave Sidney falling upon such ground as his glorious Mistresse thought too base to bury him in Though you offered to purchase that honour at the price of the richest Monument you were then able to erect Did not the English dispute your title to Ostend till they had no earth left to plead on The Ground failing them before their valours Yet whilest fighting there not only against the flower of the Spanish Army But the Plague Hunger and cold Despaire Their fellowes put you in possession of Sluce beyond your hopes So as it may be said without Hyperbole the Nobility and Gentry Q. Elizabeth lost doubled the number the cruelty of Philip had left you Doe not the Maritim Townes of Kent Essex Suffolke Norfolke c. abound at this day with the issue of those Swarmes the sound of their fellowes misery had driven out of their Hives Have you not had liberty to trade And to become free Denizons with power to buy Land and inhabit upon the same termes with the Natives both in City and Country no marke of distinction being imposed in relation either to Honour Profit or Iustice The Parliament have been alwaies so tender of your preservation whilest you needed it and Friendship since God hath inabled you to subsist As their Speaker could scarce make an impression upon his Cushion before the sense of your safety no lesse then their own Nature and Religion Inspired them with an earnestnesse to renew or strengthen their Alliance with you not so observeable in respect of any Neighbour beside Doubling no lesse in their Retaliations then acceptance the few markes of gratitude have dropt from you Rather then expunging them with your more frequent injuries as being more willing to impute your failings to the lesse courtly nature of the soyle and people Then the want of gratitude and Civility in so prudent a State to a Potent Neighbour who next to God may justly be stiled her maker in dispensing with so many dangers and inconveniences for your sake Can you think so wise a Councell as this Nation was steer'd by did not apprehend That though the making you Free might fortify the Queenes out-workes it could not but as much dismantle the Royall fort of Monarchy By teaching Subjects they might depose their Prince and be no loosers by the bargaine Which by the way will render you unacceptable to all Neighbour Monarchs furnishing their Subjects with a pretence upon all occasions of advantage Therefore prudence might tempt you rather to advance then depresse the like endeavours in others observed by your elder I dare not say Wiser Sister Venice In whose proceedings partialities on this side are rarely found But to returne to what is in this place more materiall Was not the assisting you an occasion of our Invasion in Eighty eight by a Navy held Invincible in the Creed of Rome Till the more Canonicall Valour of the English assisted by the Iowder arguments of Heaven had cleerly confuted the Popes title The Reason that kept King Philip from heading an Army in his own person was a fear he did apprehend of being cast in his passage out of Spaine as his father Charles the 5th was upon the British shore knowing the English more cordiall to your preservation then to suffer him to come and goe on so bloudy an errand And though he did often desire his Sister of England to heare as he pretended his just defence for his so rigorous proceedings She refused to dispute the truth of your Complaints presuming it more