Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A61941
|
The coppy of a letter written to the Lower Hovse of Parliament touching divers grievances and inconveniences of the state &c.
|
Suckling, John, Sir, 1609-1642.
|
1641
(1641)
|
Wing S6124; ESTC R318
|
12,954
|
26
|
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 iâ—justice all mens prayers are now a dayes to bee deâ—ended 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 Scotâ—ishmen 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 there billetted 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 remote from the Sea but they might have reâ—orted 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 wastfully 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