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england_n	henry_n	king_n	queen_n	22,548	5	7.7438	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90222	Observations upon the Provinces United. And on the state of France. Written by Sr Thomas Overbury.; Sir Thomas Overbury his observations in his travailes upon the state of the Xvii. Provinces as they stood anno Dom. 1609.	Overbury, Thomas, Sir, 1581-1613.; Pass, Simon van de, 1595?-1647, engraver.	1650 (1650)	Wing O609; Thomason E1317_4; ESTC R203062	13,450	85

own without oppressing their Subjects But at this day though the Revenue be thus great and the taxes unsupportable yet do they little more then serve for necessary publick uses For the King of Spain's greatnesse and Neighbourhood forceth the King there to live continually upon his Guard and the treasure which the Spaniard receives from his Indies constraines him to raise his Revenue thus by Taxes so to be able in some proportion to bear up against him for feare else hee should be bought out of all his Confederates and servants For the relation of this State to others It is first to be considered that this part of Christendome is ballanced betwixt the three Kings of Spain France and England as the other part betwixt the Russian the Kings of Poland Sweden and Denmarke For as for Germany which if it were entirely subject to one Monarchy would be terrible to all the rest so being divided betwixt so many Princes and those of so equall power it serves only to ballance it selfe and entertaine easie Warre with the Turke while the Persian with-holds him in a greater And every one of those first three hath his particular strength and his particular weaknesse Spaine hath the advantage of both the rest in Treasure but is defective in Men his Dominions are scattered and the conveyance of his Treasure from the Indies lyes obnoxious to the power of any Nation that is stronger by Sea France abounds with Men lyes close together and hath mony sufficiently England being an Iland is hard to be Invaded abounds with men but wants money to imploy them For their particular weaknesse Spain is to be kept busie in the Low-Countreys France is to bee afflicted with Protestants and England in Ireland England is not able to subsist against any of the other hand to hand but joyned with the Low-Countreys it can give Law to both by Sea and joyned with either of them two it is able to oppresse the third as Henry the Eighth did Now the only entire body in Christendome that makes head against the Spanish Monarchy is France and therefore they say in France that the day of the ruine of France is the Eve of the ruine of England And thereupon England hath ever since the Spanish greatnesse inclined rather to maintain France then to ruine it as when King Francis was taken prisoner the King of England lent Money towards the payment of his Ransome And the late Queen when the Leaguers after the of Duke Guise his death had a designe to Cantonize France though offered a part would not consent So then this reason of State of mutuall preservation conjoyning them England may be counted a sure confederate of France and Holland by reason it partly subsists by it the Protestant Princes of Germany because they have Countenance from it against the house of Austria the Protestant Swissers for Religion and Money the Venetians for protection against the Spaniard in Italy so that all their friends are either Protestants or en clining and whosoever is extream Catholick is their enemy and Factors for the Spanish Monarchy as the Pope the Cardinalls for the most part and totally the Jesuites the hatholick Princes of Germany and the Catholicks of England and Ireland For the Jesuites which are the Ecclesiasti call strength of Christendome France notwithstanding the many late Obligations hath cause to despaire of them for they intending as one Pope so one King to suppresse the Protestants and for the better support of Christendome against the Turke and seeing Spaine the likelier to bring this to passe they follow the neerer probability of effecting their end No addition could make France so dangerous to us as that of our Low-Countreys for so it were worse then if the Spaniard himselfe had them entirely As for their hopes of regaining Italy it concerns the Spaniard immediately rather then us Concerning the state of the Protestants in France during Peace they are protected by their Edict For their two Agents at Court defend the Generall from wrong and their Chambres-impartyes every particular person And if troubles should arise some scattered particulars might be in danger but the main body is safe safe to defend themselves though all France joyne against them and if it break out into Factions the safest because they are both ready and united The particulars of their strength are first their Townes of surety two of which command the River of Loyre Secondly their Situation the greatest part of them lying neer together as Poictou Zaingtongue High Gascoigne Languedoc and Daulphine neer the Sea so consequently fit to receive succours from abroad and remote from Paris so that the quality of an Army is much wasted before it can approach them The third is the sufficiency of their present Governours Bulloigne and Desdeguiers and other second Commanders And for the Princes of the Blood whom the rest may in shew without emulation obey when they come once to open action those which want a party will quickly seeke them The last is the aide they are sure of from forraigne Princes for whosoever are friends to France in generall are more particularly their friends And besides the Protestant party being growne stronger of late as the Low-Countreys and more united as England and Scotland part of that strength reflects upon them and even the King of Spain himself which is Enemy to France in generall would rather give them succour then see them utterly extirpated and yet no Forraign Prince can ever make further use of them then to disturbe France not to invade it himself For as soon as they get an Edict with better conditions they turn head against him that now succored them as they did against us at Newhaven Concerning the proportion of their number they are not above the seventeenth or eighteenth part of the people but of the Gentlemen there are 6000 of the Religion but since the Peace they have increased in people as principally in Paris Normandy and Daulphine but lost in the Gentry which losse comes to passe by reason that the King when he finds any Gent. that wil but hearken tempts him with preferment and those he finds utterly obstinate suppresseth And by such means he hath done them more harm in Peace then both his Predecessors in War For in all their Assemblies he corrupts some of their Ministers to betray their Counsel in hand and of the hundred and sixe thousands Clowns a yeer which he payes the Protestants to entertain their Ministers and pay their Garisons he hath gotten the bestowing of 16000 of them upon what Gentleman of the Religion hee pleaseth whom by that means he moderates if not gaines and besides they were wont to impose upon him their two Deputies which are to stay at Court but now he makes them propose sixe out of which he chuseth the two and by that obligeth those and by notwithstanding all this in some occasions hee makes good use of them too For as towards England hee placeth

THE LIVELY PORTRAICTURE OF SIR THOMAS OVERBURY A mans ' best fortune or his worst's a wife Yet I that knew nor mariage peace nor strife Live by a good by a bad one lost my life A wife like her I writ man scarse can wed Of a false friend like mine man scarse hath read OBSERVATIONS Upon the PROVINCES UNITED And On the STATE OF FRANCE WRITTEN By Sr Thomas Overbury LONDON Printed by T. Maxey for Richard Marriot and are to be sold at his Shop in S. Dunstan's Church-yard Fleetstreet 1651. OBSERVATIONS Upon the PROVINCES UNITED ABout the beginning of this STATE all things did most notably concurr for the Rising and Maintenance of it the disposition of the people being as mutinous so industrious and frugall The Nature of the Countrey every where Fortisiable with water the Situation of it having behinde them the Baltique Sea which yeelds them all materials for Ships and many other Commodities and for Men hard before them France and England both fearing the Spanish Greatness and therefore both concurring for their Aid the remotenesse of their Master from them the Change of Reilgion falling out about the time of their Revolt and now the Marquis of Brandenburgh a Protestant like to become Duke of Cleve The discontentments of the Low-Countries did first appear soon after the going away of the Kings of Spain while the Dutchesse of Parma Governed to suppresse which beginnings the Duke of Alva being sent inflamed them more upon attempting to bring in the Inquisition and Spanish Decimation upon the beheading Count Horne and Count Egmont persecuting those of the Religion and undertaking to build Cittadels upon all their Towns which he effected at Antwerp but enterprising the like at Flushing that Towne revolted first and under it began the War But the more generall revolt of the Provinces happened after the death of Don LEVVIS de Requiesens and upon the coming down of Don JOHN of Austria when all the Provinces excepting Luxenburgh upon the lack of Antwerp and other Insolencies proclaimed the Spaniards Rebels and enemies to the King yet the abjuring of their obedience from the Crown of Spain was not in a yeer or two after Holland and Zealand upon their first standing out offered the Soveraigntie of themselves to ELISABETH Queen of England and afterward the Protection both which shee neglected and that while the French sent greater Aid and more men of Quality then we But after the Civill Warr began in France that kept them busie at home and then the Queen seeing the necessitie of being supported upon the pawning of Brill and Flushing sent Money and Men And after that most part of the great Exploits there were done by the English who were commonly the third part of the Army being four Regiments besides eleven hundred in Flushing and the Ramekins and five hundred in the Brill But of late the King of France appearing more for them then ours and paying himself the French that were there they gave equal if not more countenance to that Nation But upon these two Kings they made their whole Dependancie and though with more respect to him that was stronger for the time yet so as it might give no distaste unto the other For the manner of their Government They have upon occasion an Assembly of the Generall States like our Parliament being composed of those which are sent from every Province upon Summons and what these enact stands for Law Then is there besides a Councell of State residing for the most part at the Hague which attends daily occasions being rather imployed upon affairs of State then of particular Justice The most potent in this Councel was BARNAVILL by reason of his Advocates with Holland And besides both these every Province and great Towne have particular Councels of their own To all which Assemblies as well of the Generall States as the rest the Gentrie is called for Order sake but the State indeed is Democraticall the Merchant and the Tradesman being predominant the Gentry now but few and poor and even at the beginning the Prince of Orange saw it safer to relie upon the Towns then them Neither are the Gentrie so much engaged in the Cause the People having more Advantages in a Free State they in a Monarchie Their care in Government is very exact and particular by reason that every one hath an immediate Interest in the State Such is the equalitie of Justice that it renders every man satisfied Such the publick Regularity as a man may see their Lawes were made to guide not to entrap Such their exactnesse in casting the expence of an Armie as that it shalt be equally far from Superfluitie and Want and as much order and certainty in their Acts of War as in ours of Peace teaching it to be both Civill and Rich And they still retaine that signe of a Common-wealth uncorrupted PRIVATE POVERTY and PUBLICK WEALE For no one private man there is exceeding rich and few very poor and no State more sumptuous in all Publick things But the Question is Whether this being a Free State will aswell subsist in Peace as it hath done hitherto in Warr Peace leaving every one to attend his particular wealth when Fear while the Warr lasts maketh them concurre for their common safety And Zealand upon the least security hath ever been envious at the Predominancy of Holland and Utrick ready to Mutinie for Religion and besides it is a doubt whether the same care and sincerity would continue if they were at their Consistence as appears yet whiles they are but in rising The Revenue of this State ariseth chiefely from the Earle of Holland's Demains and Confiscated Church Livings the rising and falling of Money which they use with much advantage their Fishing upon our Coasts and those of Norway Contribution out of the Enemies Country Taxes upon all things at home and Impositions upon all Merchandises from abroad Their expences upan their Ambassadors their Shippings their Ditches their Rampiers and Munition and commonly they have in pay by Sea and Land 60000 men For their strength The nature of the Country makes them able to defend themselves long by land neither could any thing have endangered them so much as the last great Frost had not the Treaty been then on foot because the Enemy beeing then Master of the Field that rendred their Ditches Marshes and Rivers as firm ground There belongs to that STATE 20000. Vessells of all sorts so that if the Spaniard were entirely beaten out of those parts the Kings of France and England would take as much paines to suppresse as ever they did to raise them For being our Enemies they are able to give us the Law at Sea and eate us out of all trade much more the French having at this time three Ships for our one though none so good as our best Now that whereupon the most part of their Revenue and strength depends is their Traffick in which Mystery of STATE they are at this

none in any place of strength but firme Catholikes so towards Spain and Savoy hee often gives charge to Protestants as la Force in Bearne Desdeguiers and Boisse in Bresse Concerning the King himself he is a person wonderfull both in Warre and Peace for his Acts in Warre he hath manumized France from the Spaniard and subdued the League being the most dangerous plot that hath been laid not weakning it by Armes but utterly dissolving it by wit that is by letting the Duke of Guise out of Prison and Capitulating with the heads of it every one apart by which means he hath ye left a continuall hatred among them because every one sought by preventing other to make his Conditions the better so that now there remans little connexion of it amongst the Gentry only there continues some dregges still among the Priests and consequently the people especially when they are angred with the increase prosperity of the Protestants For his Acts of Peace he hath enriched France with a greater proportion of Wool and Silk erected goodly buildings cut Passages betwixt River and River and is about to do the same betwixt Sea and Sea redeemed much of the Mortgaged demains of the Crown better husbanded the Mony which was wont to be drunk up two parts of it in the Officers hands got aforehand in Treasure Armes and Munition increased the Infantry and supprest the unproportionable Cavalry and left nothing undone but the building of a Navy And all this may be attributed to himself only because in a Monarchy Officers are accordingly active or carelesse as the Prince is able to Judge and distinguish of their labours and withall to participate of them somewhat himselfe Sure it is that the peace of France and somwhat that of Christendome it self is secured by this Princes life For all Titles and Discontents all factions of Religion there suppress themselves til his Death but what will ensue after what the rest of the House of Bourbon wil enterprise upon the Kings Children what the House of Guise upon the house of Bourbon what the League what the Protestants what the Kings of Spain England if they see a breach made by civill Dissention I chuse rather to expect then Conjecture because God hath so many ways to turn aside from humane foresight as he gave us a testimony upon the death of our late Queen The Country of France considering the quantity is the fairest and richest of all Christendome and contains in it most of the Countries adjoyning For Picardie Normandie and Bretaign resemble England Languedoc Spain Provence Italy and the rest is France Besides all the Rivers that passe through it end in it It abounds with Corne Wine and Salt and hath a Competency of Silke but is defective in Wool Leather Metals and Horses and hath but few very good Havens especially on the North side Concerning the People Their Children at first sight seem men and their men children but who so in negotiating presumes upon appearance shall be deceived Compassionate towards their own Nation and Country loving to the Prince and so they may have liberty in Ceremony and free accesse to him they wil be the better content that he shall be absolute in matter of Substance impatient of peace any longer then whiles they are recovering the ruines of Warre the presentnesse of danger inflames their corage but any expectation makes it languish for the most they are all Imagination and no Judgement but those that prove solid excell Their Gentlemen are all good outward men good Courtiers good Souldiers and knowing enough in Men and Business but meerly ignorant in matters of Letters because at fifteen they quit books and begin to live in the world when indeed a mediocrity betwixt their form of education and ours would do better then either No men stand more punctually upon their Honors in matter of Valour and which is strange in nothing else for otherwise in their Conversation the Custome and shifting and overspeaking hath quite evercome the shame of it FINIS