Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
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A80507
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The coppy of a letter written to the lower house of Parliament touching divers grievances and inconveniences of the state &c.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing C6176A; Thomason E167_9; ESTC R318
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12,938
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26
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for a Merchant to become a Judge for I have ever heard that there are five things necessary in a Generall to wit knowledge valor prevention authority and fortune The last whereof but one had beene better spared at the Isle of Rhee for also late authority joyned with wilfulnesse of the Commander was the utter bane of the action as the relation tels us And it is no marvell for according to the old saying the best Fencer is not alwayes the best Fighter the fairest Tilter not the best experienced Souldier nor the eare of the favorite at the Court the best Generall of an Host And whosoever every takes upon him that command beholds himselfe in a false Glas that makes him seeme what hee is not as on the contrary experience is the Mother of prudence and prudence will not take Councell least shee joyne her will with her will hastinesse causeth repentance and frowardnesse causeth hinderance For the evils that followed upon these two voyages your selves are sufficient witnesses and can judge of it As namely the billetting of Souldiers in the Countrey and bringing their Ships in harbours not abating the entertainement of the one nor the wages of the other And yet notwithstanding this needlesse cost and charges our ships and coasts are daylie infested in such sort as we dare not peepe out of harbour Were the carriage of things now answerable to the prudence and presidents of former times wee cannot pretend a feare of invasion because our Ships are divided into severall harbours and our Souldiers billetted in inward Countries besides the season of the yeare giveth no oportunity to an enemy to attempt it Here is a masse of wealth carelesly consumed whether the King or Subject beare it no man bettered but onely those that have the titles of Souldiers yet never had the happinesse or honour to see what appertained to service they are taught insteade of worke by which they have lived and beene bred now to spend their time in idlenesse ale-houses and to forget their occupations their example of disorder encourageth other to follow their liberty People that were wont to live poorely yet safely are now by their fellowes and their followers robbed and spoiled and no remedy for redresse The rich stand upon their guard and dare not resort to Church least in their absence their houses bee surprized and rifled The Justices have onely the name of Officers but have no power to punish injustice all mens prayers are now a dayes to bee defended from the wroth of a mighty man and the tumult of the people Garrisons in England which have no strong walled Townes nor is used to the disorder and loose carriage of Souldiers is more perillous uncouth and straying then where Warre is practized innovations in all states are dangerous especially where there is a diminution of the Lawes or a feare to execute Justice through too much liberty given to Souldiers No Countrey but hath more hurt by their Garrisons then by their enemies Enemies onely rob the frontiers others the whole Countrey The enemy may bee resisted the other not spoken against The enemy giveth a sudden attempt and returneth the others doe every day rob and spoile The enemy surpriseth with feare the other have neither feare nor shame The first lessoning the greatnesse of the Romane Empire who by the insolency of Souldiers and the first raising of the house of Ottoman was by promission and his conniving at his Army What man is so old in England that hath seene or what youth so young that ever thought to see Scottishmen and Irishmen garrisoned in England and no enemy appeare against us or who could have imagined hee should have ever a seene our owne people tyrannized over in our owne Kingdome by this of our owne Nation and those Scottish and Irish yea and dare not so much as complaine Would our fore-Fathers have thought it safety or policy to drawe 2000. Scottishmen and Irishmen into the Isle of Wight for their defence against France when they of the Isle desired it not nay when they opposed it Would they have thought it wisedome that 2000. mouthes besides the Inhabitants should live on the food of that Island and so bring themselves into want and penury of victuals if they should in earnest be attempted by an enemy Would they have thought fit the charge of it should bee required of them And yet they to suffer all injuries from the hands of strange Souldiers where the meanest boy in the Island is thought to manage Armes better then the best of them that are therebilletted No but they would rather have thought it discretion upon the returne of those voyages to have caused the men to repaire to the place where they were pressed and to have ordered that each parish should have set them on worke for their maintainance with command to be ready upon warning to repaire to the place of randevous There is no part or place in England so remore from the Sea but they might have resorted to the port assigned before the Ships could be furnished or drawn together They would have thought it more wisedome to have retired to their owne harbours and to have had their men discharged then to have continued this needlesse and expencefull course that is taken They would have judged it better to have supplied the Isle of Wight with 2000. men out of the maine land when they feared any evill to the Island then to send for them into Scotland and to keepe them in continuall entertainement They would have thought it more fit to have returned the barbarous Irish into the Countrey from whence they came then to make them a vexation to the places and parts where they remaine seeing no shadow of reason can be pretended for it England wants no men and hath as good and able men as either of the other two Nations if his Majesty had occasion to use them England with small charge and trouble can raise what men his Majesty pleaseth to command and that suddenly and discharge them againe without trouble or charge as quickly The Wisemen of England would have thought 2. or 300000. pound better spared then thus wast fully consumed and disorders committed wee may compute it to that summe and yet keepe our selves within compasse and notwithstanding the want of money and the wayes to exact it of the subject is all the song now sung Hee that sees or complaines of the evill managing of things is either imprisoned banisht the Court or censured for a discontent There is no Englishman but knoweth the heart of every other true hearted Englishman and with one consent will all obey their Prince and to his person owe all due reverence and wee may truly say no King is more happy in Subjects for their love nor never subjects readier to serve their King with their purses persons nor never people was better blest with a King who is endued with all kind of vertues staynd with no
manner of vice his mercy his temper his chastity and his meekenesse is such as wee may say of him as of David that hee is a man according to Gods owne heart But if any man shall poison this opinion of ours by sinister reports hee is a worker of sedition Hee hath a lying tongue and speaketh not truth hee is worthy to bee spued out not of the Court but even from the face of the earth False Informers and misguiders of good Kings are much more perilous then if Princes themselves were evill for commonly as wormes breed soonest in soft and sweet wood so are the best natures inclined to honour and Justice soonest abused by false Flatterers The evill they commit under the authority of good Princes is accounted as done by the Prince himselfe But commonly such people in the end pay for it for hee that desires not to doe good cannot bee wise but will fall into 4000. follies One of the first propositions made to the house will bee for money to support his Majesties vast expence at this time that the enemy threatens thunder against the Kingdome your often Alarums upon such pretences may make you now to secure for true it is that the last Parliament bookes were published of invincible preparations intended against us and nothing came of it but beware you bee not deceived by an old saying that when one usually tels lies he is not trusted when hee speakes truth for certainely the danger is much more then by the power and greatnesse of another enemy In this case you must give for your owne sakes that so you may bee sure to enjoy what is yours for your soveraignes sake to maintaine his greatnesse and state and for your Countries sake to keepe it from oppression of the enemy but withall you ought to lay downe the condition of the Kingdome and to shew that your necessity cannot paralell with your hearts and desires that your minds will bee carried with a willingnes to give but your hands will keepe back your hearts for want of ability to give Themistocles demanding tribute of the Athenians told them hee brought two Gods with him that is to say perswasion and violence they answered that they had other two Gods in their Countrey both great and powerfull which were poverty and impossibility which hindred them from giving but least this answer should be poisoned or mis-reported to his Majesty and wrested to the worst sense I pray you to examine the state and condition of every man in particular and their impossibility of giving will appeare What can bee hoped for from the Merchant that is prohibited the greatest Trade of profit and gaine and dayly damnified by the spoile of Dunkirkes What can we expect from the owners of Ships that have suffered more Shipwracks lately then in an hundred yeares before What can wee looke for from the Husbandmen when Corne and Wooll is underfoote for it was an observation of the wise Lord Treasurer Burleigh that every twelve pence abated in a stone of Wooll was 100000. pound losse to the Kingdome What can bee required from the multitude considering the little commerce the dayly payments to the King to the Houses of correction to the Poore to the maimed Souldiers to the often appearing at Musters the altering of Armes the watching of High-wayes the garding of Beacons and other services at the Justices command What can Knights and Gentlemen give their sheepe dying their tennants decaying and their rents falling and fayling What can bee looked for from the Clergy considering their charge of induction their first fruits and the maintenance of their Wives Children and Families yea though they came freely to their benefices What can bee expected from the Trades-men or Artificers when all other either want or decay Now people will bee contented with one suite of cloathes that two heretofore would not have served shooes boots hats and all other apparell they will Husband after that proportion There are two sorts of people in the Common-wealth well able to give the one the Vsurer which is commonly free from all payments in regard the necessities of most making them beholding to them in one kind or other for themselves and their friends they in requitall shew him all possible ease and favour in publique disbursements The other are Noblemen and Gentlemen formerly spoken of that have had their advancement from the King and his Father though not immediatly but Collaterally for if you cast your eyes upon divers servants of great persons and remember what you have knowne them 10. or 12. yeares past it would put you into an admiration yea some from Horsekeepers other base callings are now promoted to the degrees of Baronets Knights and the like for though that new devised order of Baronets was first instituted for money yet such is the fortune of servants if one great man that is their master once preferre them to the King the first day they enjoy the dignities of Baronets when Gentlemen of great ranck and qualities that have long served their Princes cannot compasse it without consideration of money When these things you shall collect and seriously call to mind you would thinke your selves these 12. yeares last past a sleepe and that you are now newly wakened you shall heare of many things past in that space as making and removing of Treasurers Keepers Secretaries Judges and all manner of Councellours and Officers with a million of such memorable and unlookt for accidents But leaving these as grievances and vexations to the Subject let us come to a neerer point which is the safety of the Kingdome that the enemy threatens so in danger wee may truely say that God hath so placed and seated this Isle of England that nothing but evill councell can hurt it but true it is advice that is not warranted from wise men may prove more forcible and perilous then the power of an enemy the Scripture telleth us that the thought perisheth that taketh not Councell A King of the Lacedemonians asked how a Kingdome might ever stand was answered two wayes if a King take Councell of wise honest men that they speake freely and doe justice uprightly There was never Censor that judged Senatour that ordered Emperour that commanded Consull that executed Orator that perswaded nor any other mortall man but sometimes hee committed errours and deserved either blame or punishment for his misdoings and if hee were wise desired advise what to doe Saint Gregory saith no man can give so faithfull Councell as hee who loves one more then his guift then who are or can bee so true Councellours to our noble King as a house of Commons that hath no relation to a Kings guift but onely to his honour flourishing estate and safety This is the time to amend evill Councels past and to let evill Councellours see their errours This is the time for all men to put to their helpes some with their hands to fight others with their advise to counsell And for mine advice this it is that you present to his Majesty in all humblenesse your willing minds and hearts to repaire and fit to Sea his Majesty navy your selves to have power to make them able and serviceable with the advice of experienced men that you may call unto you this is a matter of great importance at this present for the safety of the Realme King and Subject for the strength of the Kingdome much depends upon this Bulwark which wee may well tearme the walles of England His Majesty shall find himselfe much eased by it businesses shall bee carried without his trouble or care moneyes shall not bee sought for to that end but provided by you his Majesty may dispose of the rest of his revenew at his pleasure By your frugality and husbandry his Majesty shall have occasion to judge of things past of yours in present and hereafter it will serve for a president to walke after It will stop the mouthes of malignant tongues that informe his Majesty of the unwillingnesse of the Subject to give and it will make it apparant that their true griefe is not in the matter of giving but to see the evill imploying of it when it is given If any man shall prevent this good meaning and motion of yours and infringe his Majesty 't is a derogation from his honour to yeeld to his Subjects upon conditions His Majesty shall have good cause to prove such mens eyes malicious and unthankefull and thereby to disprove them in all their other actions for what can it lesson the reputations of a Prince whom the Subject onely and wholly obeyeth that a Parliament which his Majesty doth acknowledge to bee his highest Councell should advise him and hee follow the advise of such a Councell what dishonour rather were it to bee advised and ruled by one Councellour alone against whom there is just exception taken of the whole Common-wealth Marcus Portio saith that that Common-wealth is everlasting where the Prince seeks to get obedience and love and the Subjects to gaine the affection of the Prince and that the Kingdome is unhappy where their Prince is served out of ends and hope of reward and hath no other assurance of them but their services FINIS