Generation as besides their many Abettors amongst the Common People were not unprovided of some in the House of Commons which Mr. Cambden tells us the Queen took Notice of and much dislik'd their unquiet Humor greedy of Novelty and forward to root up things well Established to prevent which for the future she commanded the Severity of the Laws to be every where put in Execution And sometime after procured two New Acts one against the Papists and another against the Puritans on purpose to restrain the insolency of both Factions and by which several of them were afterwards adjudg'd to Death But such Turbulent Spirits are not so easily quell'd the same Historian continues the Complaint in a following Parliament 85. But nothing so much irritated her great Mind as their Villanous Deportment in 88. for thinking they had the Queen at an Advantage upon the Rumor of a Foreign Invasion beset her with greater Importunities than ever and play'd their Affairs with so much Confidence as if of Confederacy with the Spaniard never as Cambden goes on with the Complaint did contumacious Impudency and contumelious Malepertness advance it self more insolently giving an account what Scandalous Books they writ Belching forth such Calumnies and Reproaches therein as the Authors seem'd rather to be Scullions in a Kitchen than followers of Piety The present Course she thought fit to take with such unnatural Beautifeus was only to secure some of the most busy and chief amongst them in Wisbich Castle where many of the leading Papists were likewise secur'd But as soon as that Storm was over she resolv'd upon a more effectual Course to keep a constant Calm at home for in Feb. 92. a Parliament was call'd amongst other things to Enact such Laws as might restrain those Insolencies wherewith the Patience of the State had been so long exercis'd Wherein the Puckering's Speech to both Houses of Parliament is very Remarkable which amongst other things lets them know that they were Especially commanded by her Majesty to take heed that no ear be given nor time afforded to the wearysom Solicitations of those that commonly be called Puritans wherewithall the last Parliaments have been exceedingly importun'd which sort of Men whilst in the Giddyness of their Spirit they labor and strive to advance a new Eldership they do nothing else but disturb the good repose of the Church and Commonwealth And as the Case standeth it may be doubted whether they or the Iesuit do offer more danger or be more speedily to be redress'd with much more to the same purpose even Prophetical of the Mischiefs they have since produc'd Hereupon followed that formidable Act Tricesimo Quinto Elizabethae which was so closely hook'd into the Nostrils of this Spiritual Leviathan as though frequently endeavour'd they were never able to get it out till they had at one desperate Plunge freed themselves from all Regal Power as well as Ecclesiastical Discipline To be sure the remaining ten Years of this great Queen's Reign the swelling Humor of that haughty Faction was so taken down as they never made the least effort towards those Innovations either in Church or State which had been so uneasy to the Government before and so Fatal since In this Excellent Posture and Regular Subordination did this Prudent Princess leave an exact and practicable Model of the English Monarchy that her Successor as I observ'd before did not tread in the same steps take the same care and shew the like Courage Hinc Illae Lachrymae For coming to the Crown with a General Applause on every Side it was never considered that the brightest Sun-rise is soonest intercepted by a Cloud that Hosanna's from the Vulgar as well Great as Small naturally run into the contrary extream unless that Mercury of theirs be fix'd by such a well weigh'd Politick as knows how to temper them in both It was likewise no small Prejudice to our English Church that the King came accompanied with so great a Retinue of his own Country whose Kirk-Leven put our Puritans into a fresh Ferment made them Swell and Domineer with their usual insolence upon the least Countenance of Connivance from such as are in Power or have an Interest in the Government Upon this account I cannot but take Notice of a Passage in Hacket's Life printed before his Sermons He was born of Scotch Parents dwelling in London during the Queen's Time They were both true Protestants great Lovers of the Church of England constantly repairing to the Divine Prayers and Service thereof and would often bewail to their young Son after the coming in of their Country-men with King James the seed of Fanaticism then laid in the Scandalous neglect of the Publick Liturgy which all the Queen's time was exceedingly frequented the People then resorting as Devoutly to Prayers as they would afterwards to hear any famous Preacher about Town And his Aged Parents often observ'd to him that Religion towards God Iustice and Love amongst Neighbours gradually declin'd with the disuse of our Publick Prayers This Observation was made at first which we have since seen Fatally verify'd and cursedly Improv'd It was likewise no small prejudice to the Interest of our English Church that a Scotch Peer Top'd an Archbishop upon her no ways qualify'd with parts or principles for so great a Trust The Story stands thus Upon Bancroft's Death such as wish'd well to the Church Bishops and other great Men about Court recommended Bishop Andrews a Person every way unexceptionable to the King who approv'd so well of him as they thought their Business fix'd and neglected to press it further when the Earl of Dunbar a powerful Minister with the King saith my Author put in for his quondam Chaplain Abbot and got the King's Hand for passing the Instrument before the Matter was discover'd and then too late to prevent God grant Scotch Peers may never more recommend English Prelates Indeed the less any of them have to do with our Church the better although in this great Time of Tryal amongst them where all Religious Order is run into Enthusiasm and Madness there are several have signalis'd themselves with a Zeal truly Primitive not only to the spoyling their Goods but the loss of all their Fortunes and of some of their Lives For our New Metropolitan when in Place he fell very much short of what his own Admirers expected to be sure his Remiss Government and unexcusable Partiality towards the Puritans neglecting all those worthy Methods his two Predecessors Whitgift and Bancroft had prosecuted introduc'd those many Desolations Fractions and Schisms which the Church hath not yet and 't is a Question whether will be ever able to weather for whilst several worthy Prelates in his Time and his Successor who next came in Place endeavour'd to continue or revive such Articles Injunctions and Canons as had been fram'd in Q. Elizabeth's Time and to reduce the Church to the same Order and Regimen in which Abbot found it These forsooth must
that he should any wise give the least Ear to Insinuations of that kind And a nearer Compliance with the Church of Rome is Nonsense for as they will not set the least Step give up one title in order to an accommodation so will they admit none into their Communion without swallowing the whole Digest of their Trent Determinations which the Iudicious Author of that History expressly declares and most passionately complains of That what was desir'd and procur'd by Godly Men to reunite the Church which began to be divided hath so establish'd the Schism and made the Parties so obstinate that the Discords are become irreconcilable And whatever his Ignorance or Malice suggests the Church of England is a greater Eye-sore to those of Rome than any other in the World and not to mention our King of whom there was no hopes whatever some tatled and so they knew would have ventur'd aye and promoted the Ruin of the Queen however of their Communion and all her Posterity rather than it should have been continued in that Uniform Splendour Decency and Order his pious Care had so thoroughly Establish'd The Spaniards having the Prince in their hands impos'd very severe Articles on behalf of the English Recusants which amongst other things might be considered in breaking off that Match when we came to Treat with France upon the same Subject though Rushworth tells us the Articles were not much short of those with Spain yet what he mentions and he is constantly found to mention the worst on the best side are very much short of the former requiring no more than that such Recusants as had been committed since the breach with Spain should be set at liberty and that there should not be so strict an Inquisition after them for the future All which considering the Circumstances of Protestancy in Foreign Parts was neither an Unreasonable Demand on their side nor an Unpolitick Concession on ours and what the Violent Party both within doors and without quarrell'd at only for quarrelling sake Had indeed the Popish Party no other Abettor but the Pope his Bruta Fulmina might have been easily repell'd but when the greatest Princes in Christendom call themselves Catholicks and will be zealously engag'd in the concerns of his Emissaries the mutual Correspondence between these Potentates Popish and Protestant doth frequently introduce a petimusque damusque vicissim mutual returns of Kindnesses and equal Indulgence of Pardons insomuch as Cromwell no sooner entred into Foreign Alliances but he was forc'd to comply therein and the World to this day cannot tell what was transacted between Sir Kenelm Digby and himself upon that account So likewise at present they are the only Party amongst us back'd with Foreign Friends and it would cause very severe Sollicitations perhaps Remonstrances too should the Laws in that Case provided be put in vigorous Execution Although the Scale on the Protestants side is now so drawn up as there is very little prospect things standing as they do they should ever be brought even but on the contrary no little danger that the Disjointed Interest among them abroad and Unreasonable Separations amongst us at home may once more Enslave us to that Universal Supremacy which otherwise all their Arts and Emissaries could never have brought about Nevertheless this little favour then obtain'd was not free from Abuse by the too forward Zeal of their Priests and some other Priest-ridden Persons who having got an Inch would take an Ell drive on in a strange kind of Unthinking Bigottry without the least regard to their Friends Foes or indeed themselves A fault which Dissenters on every side could never forbear running into as appear'd not long since by that furious Cureer both of Papists and Fanaticks when the Reins were thrown Loose upon their Necks by a Dispensing Power Neither doth it appear that they made any considerable progress in gaining Converts more than before some they always prevail'd upon amongst which there might be a few well-meaning Persons who had a real Regard for Piety and Religion and seeing such Disputes about it wish'd for some Infallible Guide to determine them in the Right in which Melancholy Humour they were easily Wheadled into a Belief that an Old Man in a Chair at Rome was plac'd there for that purpose Although the generality of their Proselytes were such loose vitious Livers as brought little Reputation to whatever Profession they joyn'd in Communion with and 't is to be feared went over on purpose for too easy an Absolution As I know a Lady who having Sacrific'd her Reputation took the foremention'd Course and ever after express'd a great deal of Contempt for the Church of England because there was no Admission of Venial Sins Archbishop Laud when at that Barbarous Trial of his by an Ordinance of Parliament he was charg'd with an Endeavour to Advance and bring in Popery made it appear that the two or three Priests he had Corresponded withall was for the good of the Church as Bancroft and others his Predecessors had done before and then gave an account of what Persons by Name he had brought over to or retain'd in the Church of England who for Quality and perhaps Number might Vye with all the contrary Party had prevail'd upon during that time he Sat at the Helm of Church Affairs Afterwards indeed when the War broke out several Persons who had been impos'd upon by their fair Pretences discovering when too late that their Faith was Faction and Religion Rebellion would have no more to do with such Protestants and so ran over to the Roman Extream which had a more plentiful Harvest during those Confusions than ever before in this Nation And really it hath cost me many a Melancholy Reflection what after all their Railing that truly great Man Archbishop Laud too Prophetically Boded on the Scaffold that however he was Charg'd as the Pharisaical Iews did our Saviour with a Venient Romani the many Rents and Divisions Sects and Factions they caus'd and promoted was as likely to bring them upon us as the Crucifying our Saviour did upon the others The Defence likewise opens very loud upon the French Match and Articles thereof Pag. 3. yet at present charges no more than what I have already mention'd out of Rushworth He directs indeed to them at large farther on in his Book but none to be found 't is probable upon exacter View they fell short of the Mischief design'd and were omitted upon that account One thing I admire since they delight so much in Falshoods none of these Libellers have hit upon what is reported in several French Historians that there was an Article for all the Children both Male and Female to be at the Queen's Disposal as well to the Religious as Civil part of their Education till they were Twelve or Thirteen years old There is seldom any Bargain driven between private Persons but more is demanded than they knew would be granted and without doubt the Agents
all shews him more a Puritan than Politician with very little Regard for what the truly Catholick Church hath ever held in that Point Yet this is further remarkable that deciding Battle at Prague was fought on a Sunday the Twenty Third after Trinity where the Gospel holds forth Reddite Caesariquae sunt Caesaris But when King Iames saw the Palatinate invaded and that all the Spanish Protestations were Trick and Wheedle he then as averse as he was to War engaged in good Earnest to the utmost of his Abilities by supplying the Princes of the Union in Germany forwarding the King of Denmark to concern himself in that Quarrel and furnishing Count Mansfield with an Army the Miscarriage whereof he could not help and several other considerable Supplies both of Men and Mony far beyond those few Subsidies his last Parliament gave to that end and would they have been more open-fisted he might have done a great deal more but we have since seen how hisficult it is for the strongest Confederacy to bear up against the United force of one Potent Prince the Dutch slowness saith my Author was not excusable nor the Marquis of Ansback General of the Union so forward to seek or take Advantages as he might Nay another affirms That he carryed himself neither so Faithfully nor so Valiantly as he should have done being much condemn'd for suffering Spinola with his Army to pass by unfought with when he had all Advantages that could be wished for to impede his March the greatest part of the Palatinate being lost upon that neglect and by degrees the rest of the united Princes either taken off from their Engagement or ruin'd for adhering to it with too great constancy Yet still the Clamour must be continued especially amongst our Factious Mend-all's the King of Great Britain did not take care to preserve his Childrens Patrimony And for King Charles he was not much better serv'd by that great Gustavus Adolphus when he made such an Inroad into Germany whom he furnished both with Men and Mony very considerably in hopes the Palatinate might be one Acquest of his many Successes and so it was but when he came there the Right owner was so little regarded as he ravag'd and carry'd off whatever Spinola and his Forces had left the constant practice of those Necessitous Northern Princes who will take your Mony and do their own Business if they can but mind no other Obligations Neither was the King's Kindness the less for 't was mostly at his expence if that other Expedition in the Year Thirty Eight miscarry'd as they March'd through Westphalia towards the Palatinate only it had been well for him Good man if some guilty of that ill conduct had fallen upon the Place and never come to be guilty of the same with other Mistakes or something worse here All which I have mention'd and could a great deal more to Obviate that false and malicious Slander of Roger Coke who saith They that is the Prince Elector King of Bohemia if you will have him so his Queen and Family were more relieved by the Dutch States Prince of Orange with some Bishops and Noblemen of England than both the King's Father and Son For whether Relief relates to those Publick Transactions abroad or the Subsistence of the Queen and her Court at the Hague 't is in both Senses a gross untruth the Dutch States were always concern'd in their Confederacies as a considerable branch of the Union but I never heard they contributed any thing to their Subsistence till all help from England was gone The benefit rather accrew'd to their people from the continu'd expence of such a Court Retinue and Resort for the Princes of Orange indeed they were all Nobly kind to the Queen and pay'd her a profound Deference there being three of them successively in the Supreme Command during her Residence at the Hague Neither will I detract any thing from what the Nobility here did both Spiritual and Temporal yet still the King 's did more than all these in every respect whatsoever whether there was a setled Allowance during the few Years of her Fathers Life after dispossest of the Palatinate I cannot Resolve but am sureher Good Brother as she ever term'd him gave the utmost Expressions of a Tender and Indear'd Affection in that he not only was continually making Presents to her and her Children took great care of them and Advanc'd whomsoever they recommended or belong'd to them but allow'd moreover eight Thousand Pound per Annum for her Table which was punctually return'd every Month out of the Exchequer at the same time Mony was carry'd thence for like purpose to Whitehall which when the Rebel Parliament had seiz'd all the Crown Revenue was continued during the Presbyterian Iunto's Usurpation the more readily because most of the English in her Family were of that Leven who when the Cash fail'd as basely deserted her and sought Employment from her Brothers Murtherers And I presume upon her being thus destitute of Supply from hence it was that the States General allow'd her One Thousand Guilders per Mensem which sounds big in the Number but reduc'd to our Account amounts not fully to a Hundred Pound Sterling Her Son likewise about that time was restor'd to the Lower Palatinate and therein her Ioynture who promis'd fair but perform'd little To be sure there was one Noble Man of ours the late Earl of Craven though for most part of that time his plentiful Estate here was Sequestred contributed more to her and her whole Family's Subsistence than both the foremention'd with all the World beside and that not out of any Sinister unworthy respect as some idle People would have it thought but a pure Principle of Honour and Religion a Munificent Charitable Soul CHAP. XI Of the Book of Sports BUt the loudest Cry and that wherein all the several Packs however of different Mouths and Games joyn'd together in Hunting down was against the Book of Sports as they must have it Termed which is to be consider'd here tho' not set out till some Years after because Ludlow according to his no Method and Chronology brings it in immediately after the Surrender of Rochel and that with several spiteful and false Prefacings About this time saith he the most profitable Preferments in the English Church were given to those of the Clergy who were most forward to promote the Imposition of New Ceremonies and Superstitions p. 5. Never was there more care taken in preferring the Clergy according to their several deserts and qualifications than by this excellent Prince nor a greater Set of worthy deserving Men but the promoting New Ceremonies and Superstitions was one of their Old Common-place Calumnies upon his Pious care in consulting some other Bishops and taking their Assistance towards keeping up Decency and Order in the Externals of God's publick Worship the then Arch-Bishop being so Remiss and Negligent therein What he adds of an Oath being
in short what a prodigious Advantage the Faction made of this just and reasonable Demand what Out-cries and Revilings follow'd there upon is altogether unimaginable by such as were not Witnesses thereof so that having fix'd their Party in the City by tarrying there some Days they return'd to Westminster accompany'd with an hideous cry of Rabble-Guards both by Land and Water His Majesty seeing it was absolutely impossible to have any Justice done against these accused Persons who were so surely Intrench'd in the Rabble's Favour that they were out of the reach of Law and finding also that he was in perpetual Danger of having his Person as well as Authority expos'd to the daring Affronts of the deluded People who ran up and down in Multitudes as if they had lost their Wits as well as Loyalty resolv'd notwithstanding several Gallant faithful Gentlemen proffer'd their Service to curb any Insolencies should be Attempted on him to withdraw himself and Family Queen and Children hoping that Time having allay'd their first Fury they might be brought to Reason and Temper And whosoever reads his Majesty's Paper upon this his going to the House of Commons must own there was never Prince so grosly abus'd had his Actions so abominably perverted with a total Subversion of all Law Iustice and Reason whatsoever Hereupon his Majesty retired to Hampton-Court from thence to Windsor whither none of those entertain'd at White-Hall repair'd except his own Family as Ludlow basely Suggests And since he owns likewise the Houses though I believe 't was only the House of Commons were about to accuse the Queen of High Treason can she be blam'd to withdraw into Holland And if she carried the Iewels of the Crown with her 't was much better than to have them seiz'd upon by the Parliament as they did whatever else belong'd to the King to carry on their Rebellion against him Ludlow tells us That during his absence many Papers pass'd between him and the Parliament the chief aim of those of the latter was to perswade the King to return to London and settle the Militia in such hands as they should advise Those from the King that he could not part with the Militia esteeming it the best Jewel of the Crown nor return to London with safety to his Person p. 27. all which is true and that is much as likewise that the Declarations on both Sides prov'd ineffectual wherein notwithstanding it was observ'd that the King 's had all the force of Law Reason and Argument their 's nothing but Cant popular Wheadles and false Suggestions He goes on to tell that the King's Designs both at home and abroad being grown Ripe he express'd his Dissatisfactions more openly and withdrew to York Had he said the Parliaments Designs there had been a great deal of Truth in it for so indeed it was they under pretence of a Guard had rais'd a considerable Force setled the Militia of London and Middlesex in confiding Hands sent down several Members to do the like in most Counties throughout the Kingdom could dispose of the Mony and Men rais'd for Ireland to what purpose they please and imploy'd them most shamefully to promote their Rebellion seiz'd upon his Majesty's Revenue Fleet Forts Magazins c. even to Hull its self where Hotham deny'd him entrance in the Name of his Brethren and was well rewarded by them The King on the other Hand was left destitute of all Things but the Hearts of Loyal worthy Gentlemen whereof he found more than his Enemies ever imagin'd and were not a little surpris'd at with which Stock alone and hopes of God's Blessing upon his just Cause he lay'd aside all Thoughts of Treating with those unreasonable Men for that he evidently saw they resolv'd to seize upou the Militia by Force since they could not obtain it by Perswasion and their many fine Pretences to Loyalty and Duty had been only to gain Time for ripening their Rebellion of all which he now resolv'd to let the World know how sensible he was by Publishing his Grand Declaration from York wherein he saith very truly 't was more than Time after so many Indignities to his Person Affronts to his Kingly Office and traiterous Pamphlets against his Government to Vindicate himself from those damnable Combinations and Conspiracies contriv'd against him giving a full Account of his own sincerity as to his many and too gracious Concessions since they on the other Side perverted all to Sedition and Treason Amongst other Charges he brings one against an Impudent Fellow call'd Sir Henry Ludlow who said Publikly That the King was not worthy to be King of England that he hath no Negative Voice that he is fairly dealt with that he is not depos'd that if they did that there would be neither want of Modesty or Duty in them upon which I shall only observe that our Author could be no Bastard The King there tells them further how they Committed his great Officers for doing their Duty Rais'd an Army and chose Essex General with Commission to destroy all that adher'd to him Converted the Mony given to discharge the Kingdom 's Debts and for Relief of Ireland to carry on their Rebel-War whilst his Levying a few Gentlemen for his Guard must be Voted waging War against the Parliament Now this Declaration was too much to the Purpose for Ludlow to take Notice of or indeed any thing else which gives an impartial Relation how the Rage and Fury of those Men engag'd the whole Nation to Lanch into a Sea of Blood Neither doth he mention how the King went into Lincolnshire Nottinghamshire c. to assure the Gentry of his upright Intentions and confirm them in their Loyalty Only his going into Leicestershire must be remembred because he had a Brother there one of the first in Rebellion against his King and first taken Prisoner and better us'd than he deserv'd But tho' Ludlow takes no Notice of the King's Declaration he would be sure not to omit the 19 Propositions sent by the Parliament which 't is strange he should say were intended that they might leave no means unattempted to perswade the King to return to them p. 30. whereas he immediately adds and more truly much of the Parliaments Intentions appear'd in them and they were in effect the principal Foundation of the ensuing War for which Reason he thinks it not amiss to recite them at large it had been more Candid and Historian like to have recited the King's Answer too so full and express as they never thought of any other Reply but by Essex's Army and therefore no wonder if omitted here Amongst other things the King tells them some of their Demands are in the Style not only of Equals but Conquerors and tend so far to the Subversion of this equal well-pois'd Government as to make him from King of England a Duke of Venice and this of a Kingdom a Republick And in that which we may call another Answer those Divine Meditations