among them For it was a custom that each Family used to select one for the Head of the Family unto whom they almost paid more respect than to the King himself and if any one of the Family had received an Injury he made complaint thereof to the Head of his Family And if the Head of the same Family did resolve to revenge the Injury the whole Family under the Conduct of their Head fell upon the Family of the Aggressour with Fire and Sword Which abominable Custom King James VI. did endeavour to abolish Besides this they are easily stirr'd up to Rebellion very obstinate in defending their Opinions to the utmost Their fruitfulness in Children makes them seek other Countries since their Country can scarce maintain them all at home There is another reason also to be given for this which is the right of the First-born whereby the eldest Son is Heir of all the real Estate of his Father the rest of the Brothers being obliged to be satisfy'd with their share in the Personal Estate These then being obliged to advance themselves as well as they can apply themselves either to the Wars or Study Wherefore most Ministers in Scotland are said to be younger Brothers of good Families But in England it is no shame for the younger Brothers of such Families to be Merchants In former times before Scotland and England were united under one King the Scottish Souldiers were in great esteem because the French made constantly use of them in their Wars and at home they were always picquering with the English But afterwards they grew careless of Warlike Exercises and especially when Cromwell subdu'd them their ancient Glory was quite obscur'd The Scots are also often very Ingenious and well vers'd in the Latin Tongue And at that time when all Liberal Sciences were suppress'd in Europe by a long Barbarism the same were kept up in Scotland which did furnish several other Nations with Learned Men who instructed them in these Sciences But as the Scots which live in the low Countries on the South-side are well civiliz'd so those who inhabit the Mountains who are called Highlanders as also the Inhabitants of the Orkney and Western Islands are very raw and unciviliz'd § 33. The Irish are commonly esteem'd to be a fool-hardy and ill sort of people very lazy yet pretty hard in undergoing the Fatigues of War They are very obstinate and never to be bent from their Opinion After Ireland was conquer'd by King Henry II. abundance of English settled themselves in that Kingdom whose numbers increased from time to time to that degree that scarce the fourth part of the Island remaine in the possession of the ancient Inhabitants And because most of the Irish adhere to the Popish Religion they did not only rebel under Queen Elizabeth but also under the Reign of King Charles I. enter'd into a most horrid Conspiracy against the English living among them of whom 't is said they murther'd 200000 within the space of six Months But when the English had recollected themselves they again kill'd about 100000 of them Cromwell had once a mind to have rooted out the whole Nation as being quite incorrigible and past hopes of any amendment Wherefore he sent some thousands to the King of Spain under condition that none of them should return into the English Dominions He used also to plague them every way so that they are become a miserable Nation § 34. Concerning those Countries which belong to the King of England the Kingdom of England is a Rich and Fertile Country abounding in every thing either for the Necessity or Pleasures of Mankind except Oyl and Wine and such other Commodities as do not grow in the other parts of Europe are of the growth of that Country But else they have great numbers of very fine Horses and good Cattle especially the best Sheep of all Europe which make the best part of the native Riches of England bearing so good a sort of Wooll that an incredible quantity of the best Cloath is made in England and from thence every Year transported into Foreign Parts These Sheep feed in great Flocks in the Country without as much as a Shepherd there being no Wolves to be met withal in England the reason of which as 't is reported is that King Edgar about the Year 940 did order a certain number of Wolves to be paid by the Prince of Wales to him as a yearly Tribute by which means the Wolves were quite destroy'd in England Tho' it is also very probable that the great English Mastiffs have been very instrumental in this point it being certain that for Fierceness and Strength they surpass all the rest in the World A great quantity also of Lead but especially of the finest Tin is to be found in England which surpasses in goodness all others in that kind The Sea also is very profitable to the English since it produces a great quantity of Fish which are daily catch'd by the Inhabitants Tho' by the Negligence and Laziness of the ancient English who did not apply themselves industriously to Fishing they have lost a great part of that advantage But the Netherlanders from ancient times have made use of this advantage and got vast Riches by the Fishery of Herrings and Cods giving only a small Gratuity to the English in case they have occasion to dry their Nets on their Shores tho' oftentimes the English envying the Netherlanders will force them to pay more than ordinary which has several times served as a pretext for a War betwixt both Nations Besides this the Sea is extreamly advantageous to England for thereby the English being separated from their Neighbouring Nations cannot easily be attack'd whereas they may easily invade others And because this Island is situated almost in the very middle of Europe in a narrow Sea where all Ships which either go East or Westward must pass by and having besides this a very deep Coast and commodious Harbour it lies most convenient for Commerce and Trade which the English carry on in most parts of the World and the Dutch hitherto have been the only obstacle that they are not become Masters of the whole Trade of the World For it proves very disadvantageous to the English that they love to eat and drink well and that in great quantity and by reason of their love of Ease they are â—ain to employ double the number of Seamen in their Ships of what the Dutch do and besides this they will not be contented with a small gain Whereas the Dutch live very sparingly do not refuse the Penny and therefore are easier to be dealt withall than the English They import a great deal of raw Silk into England which being wrought in the Country mightily encreases their Riches In the same manner they do with their Woollen Manufactury now whereas before the times of Henry VIII they used to transport most of their Wooll into the Netherlands where it was wrought
and Emma Brother of Hardiknut on the Mother's-side who had sought Sanctuary in Normandy was called in to be king of England He was crowned in the Year 1042 and to gain the Affection of the People he remitted a Tax called Danegeld which had been constantly paid for forty Years last past He reigned very peaceably except that he was now and then pester'd with the Irish and Danish Pirates whom nevertheless he quickly overcame He was the first to whom was attributed that Virtue which even to this day the Kings of England are said to have to heal by touching that Disease which in England is called the King 's Evil. He died without Children He intended to have left the Kingdom to his Cousin Edgar Atheling Grandson of King Edmund Ironside but he being very young Harald Son of Goodwin Earl of Kent who had the Tuition of Edgar put the Crown upon his own Head but did not enjoy it above nine Months being slain in a Battel by William Duke of Normandy whereby the Crown of England was transferr'd to the Norman Family § 5. This William sirnamed the Conquerour was Son of Robert Duke of Normandy who was descended from Rollo a Dane who about the Year 900 with a great number of his Country-men and Norwegians fell into France and ravaging the Country without resistance Charles the Simple the then King of France thought it the best way to set him at quiet by putting him into possession of the Province of Neustria which afterwards was called Normandy and giving to him in Marriage his Daughter Geisa under condition that he should become a Christian Rollo had a Son whose Name was William sirnamed Long-sword whose Son was Richard sirnamed the Hardy who was the Father of Richard II. sirnamed the Good who was succeeded by his son Richard III. as he was by his Son Richard IV. But he dying without Issue after him Robert became Duke of Normandy This Robert was Father to William the Conquerour whom he had by one Arlotte a Furrier's Daughter with whom 't is said he fell in love seeing her dance among other Maids in the Country and afterwards married her And notwithstanding this William was a Bastard yet his Father made him his Successour and got the Nobility to acknowledge him as such when he was but nine Years of Age and died soon after This William met with great Troubles and Dangers in his younger Years which he had the good fortune to overcome by his Valour and acquired thereby great Reputation After the death of Edward the Confessour William understanding that Harald had made himself King resolv'd to demand the Crown of England as belonging to him by virtue of the last Will of King Edward who he pretended had left the same to him as an acknowledgment for the great Favours he had received from his Father Robert There are others who say That Edward did only promise this by word of mouth and that Harald being then in Normandy was forc'd to engage by Oath to help him in obtaining the Crown of England It is possible this was only made use of as a pretence But however it be William landed without resistance with a great Army compos'd of Normans French and Netherlanders whilst the Fleet of Harald was sailed to the Northern Coast of England to oppose his Brother and Harald Harfager King of Norway who were enter'd England on that side and both vanquish'd by him but thereby he left open the Door to William to enter into the Kingdom and brought his Souldiers back much weakened and fatigued by their great Marches Yet having reinforc'd his Army as well as he could he offer'd Battel to William near Hastings in Sussex which Battel was fought on both sides with great obstinacy till Harald being mortally wounded by an Arrow the Victory and Crown of England remain'd to William England without any further resistance acknowledging him for a King The English were at first extreamly well satisfy'd with his Government he leaving each in possession of what was his own and only giving the vacant Lands to his Normans partly also because he was related to the former Kings of England partly because he was greatly recommended to them by the Pope He was also very strenuous in securing himself commanding all the Arms to be taken from the People and to prevent Nocturnal Assemblies and Commotions he ordered That after the Bell had rung at eight in the Evening no Fire nor Candle should be seen in their Houses Besides this he built several Forts in the most commodious places Notwithstanding all this Edgar Atheling being with some of the Nobility retir'd into Scotland and being assisted by the Danish Pirates continually ravag'd the Northern Parts of England burning the City of York it self wherein all the Normans were put to the Sword but he forced them afterwards thence There was also a dangerous Conspiracy set on foot against him which was happily suppress'd by him before the Conspirators could join their Forces His Son Robert also endeavoured to take from him Normandy against whom his Father led a great Army out of England and the Father and Son encountring one another in the Battel the first was dismounted by the latter but he discovering him to be his Father by his voice immediately dismounted embraced him and begg'd his pardon and was reconcil'd to his Father who freely pardon'd all past Injuries This King also forc'd Wales to pay him Tribute and King Malcolm of Scotland to swear Fealty to him But perceiving that this new-conquer'd People would not be govern'd altogether by Mildness he began to act more severely taking away out of the Convents what Gold and Silver he could meet with of which there was great store convey'd thither as into Sanctuaries He also imposed heavy Taxes he appropriated to himself a great part of the Lands of England which he gave unto others reserving to himself out of them a yearly Revenue He took upon him the Administration of the Goods and Possessions of all Minors till they came to the 21st Year of Age allowing them only so much as was requisite for their Maintenance He revised all their Privileges introduced new Laws in the Norman Tongue whereby a great many that did not understand that Language fell under severe Penalties He erected new Courts of Judicature and employed great tracts of Ground for the conveniency of his Hunting This King introduced first the use of the long Bow in England whereby he had chiefly obtained the Victory against Harald and whereby afterwards the English did great mischief to the French and gained many Battels from them At last Philip I. King of France by stirring up his Son Robert against him endeavouring to raise Disturbances in Normandy he went in person over into Normandy where the Son was quickly reconcil'd to the Father But being obliged to keep his Bed at Roan by reason of an Indisposition in his Belly which was very
gross the King of France ridicul'd him asking How long he intended to lie in to whom William sent this Answer That as soon as he could go to Church after his lying in he had vow'd to sacrifice a thousand Candles in France and he was as good as his word for he was no sooner recover'd but he invaded France and burnt all where-ever he came But he having overheated himself he fell ill and died leaving by his last Will to his eldest Son Normandy but to the second called William the Crown of England § 6. William II. sirnamed Rufus met at first with some Disturbances occasioned by his Brother Robert who pretending to the Crown was back'd by a great many of the Nobility but he appeased him by promising to pay him yearly the Summ of 3000 Marks and that he should succeed him after his death But the Nobles who had dispersed themselves up and down in the Country he partly by fair means partly by force reduced to Obedience This Rebellion proved very beneficial to the English the Rebels being most of them Normans wherefore the King afterwards rely'd more upon the English as the most faithfull He waged War twice with Malcolm King of Scotland whom he forced in the first to swear him Fealty but in the last he killed both him and his eldest Son He also subdued the Province of Wales Among other Inventions to get Money one was remarkable for he summon'd together 20000 Men under pretence to go with them into Normandy but when they were just agoing to be shipp'd off he caused Proclamation to be made that every one who was willing to pay ten Shillings should have leave to stay at home unto which every one of them readily consented He was kill'd by a random shot in hunting Him succeeded his younger Brother Henry who being present when the King died seized upon his Treasures whereby he procured himself a great many Friends so that he was preferr'd before Robert his elder Brother who at that time assisted in the taking of Jerusalem which proved no less than the loss of a Crown to him For Henry the better to establish himself in the Throne remitted not only several Taxes which were laid upon the People by the former Kings but also secured unto his Interest the King of Scotland Edgar his most dangerous Neighbour by marrying his Sister Maud. 'T is reported that this Maud had vow'd Castity and that when her Brother forced her to marry she wish'd that such Children as should be born out of this Marriage might never prove fortunate which wish was afterwards sufficiently fulfilled in her Children and a great many of their Posterity Notwithstanding this Robert landed a great Army in England but Henry and Robert by the mediation of some Friends and a Promise of a yearly Pension to be paid to Robert from Henry were reconcil'd which Pension also afterwards Robert remitted to Henry But afterwards repenting of what he had done Henry was so exasperated against him that he made a Descent in Normandy with a great Army and vanquish'd him in a bloody Battel wherein he took him Prisoner He kept him not only a Prisoner all his life time but also at last put his Eyes out uniting Normandy to the Crown of England But King Lewis of France sirnamed Crassus being very jealous of the Greatness of Henry undertook with the assistance of Fulco Earl of Anjou and Baldwin Earl of Flanders to restore unto William Son of Robert the Dukedom of Normandy whereupon a bloody War ensued which was at last composed under this condition That William Son of Henry should swear Fealty to France for this Dukedom of Normandy And it obtained afterwards as a Custom That the King 's eldest Son was called Duke of Normandy as long as this Province was united to England The new Duke of Normandy did also marry the Daughter of the Earl of Anjou And William Son of Robert being then made Earl of Flanders and endeavouring a second time to regain Normandy was slain in that War It is related by some tho' others contradict it That this King was the first who admitted the Commons unto the Grand Council of the Kingdom unto which the Nobility and Bishops only were admitted before it came to be divided into the Higher and Lower House His Son William being by the carelessness of a drunken Master of a Ship drowned at Sea with a great many other persons of Quality of both Sexes as they were coming back from Normandy to England he endeavoured to settle the Crown upon his Daughter Maud and her Heirs she being at first married to the Emperour Henry IV. by whom she had no Children and afterwards to Geoffrey Plantagenet Son to Fulk Earl of Anjou Her Father made the States of England take Oaths of Fealty to her in his life time He died in the Year 1135 and with him ended the Male Race of the Norman Royal Family in England § 7. After the death of Henry Stephen Earl of Boulogne Henry's Sister's Son did by great Promises obtain the Crown of England notwithstanding that both he and the States had taken the Oaths to acknowledge Maud for their Sovereign which they endeavoured by a great many frivolous pretences to prove to be of no force The better to establish himself in the Throne he gained the Affection of the States with Presents and discharged the People of several Taxes giving Authority to the Nobility to build fortify'd Castles which afterwards proved very mischievous to him He also married his Son Eustace to Constantia the Daughter of Ludovicus Crassus King of France This King's Reign was overwhelmed with continual Troubles For the Scots at first and afterwards a great many of his Nobles trusting in their strong Castles raised great Disturbances yet he bridled the Insolence of the Scots giving them a signal overthrow But his greatest Contest was with the Empress Maud for she landing in England was received by a great many and King Stephen in a Battel fought near Chester was taken Prisoner But she refusing to restore to the Londoners King Edward''s Laws they sided with her Enemies and besieged her very closely in the City of Oxford from whence she narrowly escaped and King Stephen also got an opportunity to get out of Prison These Troubles continued till Henry Son of Maud came to the nineteenth Year of his age who being Lord of four large Dominions as having inherited Anjou by his Father's Normandy by his Mother's side Guienne and Poictou by his Wife Eleonora Daughter and Heiress of William the last Duke of Guienne he also endeavoured to obtain the Crown of England for which purpose he landed with an Army in England But he obtained his End without any great opposition for Eustace King Stephen's Son dying suddenly an Agreement was made betwixt them whereby Stephen adopted him and constituted him his Heir and Successour and died not long after in the Year 1124.
conceiv'd against his Father And the Earl of Pembroke to whose Tuition he was committed having totally routed the French near Lincoln and destroyed the French Forces at Sea that were sent to their assistance Lewis did renounce all his Pretensions upon the Crown of England and retir'd into France This King's Reign was very long but also very troublesom occasion'd chiefly by the great concourse of Foreigners into England who crept into all places of profit For the Pope sent at one time 300 Italians who being admitted into Church Benefices did so lay about them that their yearly Rents amounted to 60000 Marks of Silver which was a greater Revenue than the Crown had at that time And by reason of the Prodigality of the King tho' constantly burthening the People with Taxes he was always in great want of Money He married besides this the Daughter of the Earl of Provence who having abundance of poor Kindred they enrich'd themselves out of the Treasury of the King This caused at last an open War betwixt the King and the principal Men of the Kingdom in which Henry resign'd to the King of France all his Pretensions upon Normandy Anjou Poictou Touraine and Mans in consideration of the Summ of 300000 pounds paid him by the French King and he was himself taken Prisoner in the first Battel But his Son Prince Edward gathered another Army and killed the General of the Rebels Simon of Monfort Earl of Leicester delivering thereby his Father and suppressing the whole Rebellion He did nothing worth mentioning abroad except that he undertook two Expeditions into France both which prov'd fruitless He died in the Year 1272. Him succeed his Son Edward who was at that time in the Holy Land and tho' he did not come into England till a Year after his Father's death yet took quiet possession of the Crown This King entirely united the Principality of Wales to the Crown of England the last Prince Lyonel being slain in a Battel Under his Reign also began a bloody War and an implacable hatred was raised betwixt the English and Scotch Nations which for 300 Years after caused abundance of bloodshed betwixt both Nations The occasion was thus After the death of Alexander III. King of Scotland who died without Heirs there were several that pretended to the Crown of Scotland wherefore King Edward took upon him the Arbitration of this matter that Crown having depended on his Predecessours and the Scots being still obliged to do Homage to the King of England The matter being examined it so proved that John Baliol Earl of Galloway and Robert Bruce were found to have the best Title to that Crown But these two having contested for the same during the space of six whole Years Edward sent under hand to Bruce telling him That he would decide the difference concerning the Crown of Scotland in favour of him if he would swear Fealty to England which Bruce refused answering That he was not so fond of the Crown as to purchase the same with the prejudice of the Liberty of his Native Country But John Baliol receiving the same offer was made King of Scotland There was about that time a capital Quarrel in Scotland betwixt the Earl of Fife and the Family of Alberneth who had kill'd the Earl's Brother and the King of Scotland had by his Sentence absolv'd the latter The Earl therefore appeal'd to the English Court whither King Baliol was called to appear and to sit with the King in Parliament But as soon as this matter came under debate he was admonished to rise from his Seat and to give an account concerning his Sentence He pretended to answer by his Advocate which being denied him he was obliged to answer in person from the same place where others used to plead their Causes Which both he and the Scots resented as so signal an affront that no sooner was he returned home but he renounced his Oath to King Edward pretending the same to have been unjust and that it was not in his power to make such a promise and renewing the ancient Aliance with France he denounced War against England King Edward therefore enter'd Scotland with an Army took the best strong Holds and forced the Scots and their King to swear fealty to him their King he sent a Prisoner into England leaving considerable Forces in Scotland which were nevertheless soon after beaten out of Scotland by the Scots under the Conduct of a Gentleman of a mean Fortune whose name was William Wallis But King Edward soon returned kill'd 40000 Scots in a Battel near Torkirke and forced them to swear Fealty to him a third time Notwithstanding all these Oaths Robert Bruce who had been John Baliol's Competitour took upon him the Crown who was several times worsted but also beat the English at other times particularly when King Edward going with an Army against Robert in person fell sick and died This King Edward had also had some Differences before with France For some of his Subjects in Aquitain having done considerable mischief by Privateering on the Coast of Normandy King Philip sirnam'd the Handsome summon'd Edward to appear at his Court as his Vassal and to answer the same which Edward refusing to do he declared all his Possessions which he held from the Crown of France to be forfeited taking from him by force of Arms Bourdeaux and some other places against whom Edward enter'd into a Confederacy with the Earl of Flanders and the Emperour Adolphus But coming into Flanders with an Army and finding every thing in confusion and disorder he made a Truce with King Philip promising That his Son Edward should marry Isabella Philip's Daughter This King caused likewise all the Jews to be banished out of England not allowing them to carry away any thing more than what they could carry themselves § 10. Him succeeded his Son Edward II. who at the very beginning of his Reign married Isabella Daughter of Philip sirnamed the Handsom with whom he had for a Dowry Guienne and the County of Ponthieu the greatest part whereof had been taken from his Father by the French This King was very unfortunate in his Wars against the Scots who in the Battel fought near Bannoksborough with an Army of 30000 Men defeated 100000 English which struck such a terrour among them that 100 English durst scarce face three Scotchmen And the English were continually beaten by the Scots except in Ireland where they beat the Scots out who had enter'd that Kingdom so that Edward was at last obliged to make a Truce with them He met also with great Disturbances at home the great Men of the Kingdom pressing him without intermission to leave to their Mercy his Favourites Gaveston and after him the Spencers which he refusing to consent to they fell into open Rebellion in which they proving unsuccessfull several of the Nobility paid with their lives for it But the Queen
and turn'd to the great advantage of those Cities But this King perceiving that his own Subjects might as well make the same benefit of it he set up the Woollen Manufactury in his Kingdom which increased prodigiously afterwards when at the time of the Troubles in the Netherlands a great many of these Weavers did settle themselves in England The Riches of England also are as it seems not a little increased because it is not permitted there to any Body to carry any Gold or Silver of their own Coin out of the Land except it be perhaps to the value of ten pound Sterling for a Traveller But Scotland does not come near England neither in Fertility nor Riches having not any Commodities fit for Exportation except Salt-fish Salt Lead and Coals The Western and Orkney Islands also produce nothing but Fish Ireland abounds in Cattel and especially in Sheep tho' the Irish Wooll is not so fine as the English but for the rest it is a fertile and plentifull Country In America belong to the English Crown the Islands of Bermudos Virginia and New England and some of the Caribby Islands whither the English have sent their Colonies and have also begun to settle themselves on the Continent of Guiana The Product of these Countries is chiefly Tobacco Sugar Ginger Indigo and Cotton They have also a Colony in the Island of Jamaica from whence the English Buckaneers and Privateers do great mischief to the Spanish West Indies For it is a custom with the English That tho' they are at Peace with the Spaniards in Europe they do them nevertheless all the Mischief they can in the West Indies Tangier King Charles II. got as a Dowry with the Infanta of Portugal Lastly The English also are possess'd of some places in the Banda Islands and thereabouts in the East Indies which are of no small consequence to them § 35. The Constitution of the Government in England is chiefly remarkable for this that the King cannot act at pleasure but in some Matters is to take the Advice of the Parliament By this Name is to be understood the Assembly of the Estates of England which is divided into the Higher and the Lower House In the first sit the Bishops and the Lords in the latter the Deputies of the Cities and of the 52 Counties or Shires into which the whole Kingdom of England is divided The first origin of the Parliament as 't is related was this That the former Kings of England did grant great Privileges to the Lords by whose assistance they had conquer'd the Country and kept the common people in obedience But these in conjunction with the Bishops growing too head-strong proved very troublesome especially to King John and Henry III. wherefore to suppress their Insolence Edward I. took part with the Commons And whereas formerly out of each County or Shire two Knights and two Citizens only were call'd to represent their Grievances which having been debated by the King and the House of Lords they used to receive an answer and to be sent home again This King Edward call'd together the Commons and consulted with them concerning the publick Affairs tho' there are some who will have their origin to be much more ancient This House after it was once establish'd did extreamly weaken the Authority of the Lords and in process of time did not a little diminish the Regal Power for ever since that time the Rights of the People were maintained with a high hand the House of Commons imagining that the Sovereignty was lodg'd among them and if the Kings refused to gratify them in their Requests they used to grumble at their proceedings And because the Power of the Parliament is not so much establish'd by any ancient Laws as Precedents and Customs this is the reason why it is always very jealous of its Privileges and always ready to make out of one single Precedent a right belonging to it ever after This Parliament the King is obliged to call together as often as any extraordinary Taxes are to be levy'd for the Parliament did assign this King at first for his ordinary Revenue 1200000 l. per annum which has been considerably augmented since or any old Laws are to be abrogated or new ones to be made or any alteration to be made in Religion For concerning these matters the King cannot decree any thing without consent of the Parliament The Parliament also used to take into consideration the state of the Kingdom and to present their Opinion to the King yet is the same of no force till approved of by the King It often also calls into question the Ministers of State concerning the Administration of publick Affairs and inflicts Punishment upon them with the King's approbation And it is a common rule in England that whatever is committed against the Constitutions of the Realm is done by the Ministers and Officers for the King they say does never amiss but his ill Counsellours which is not altogether contrary to Truth But if the Parliament should pretend to transgress its bounds the King has power to dissolve it yet ought the King also to be cautious in this lest he should by an unseasonable Dissolution of the Parliament exasperate the People § 36. If we duely consider the Condition and Power of England we shall find it to be a powerfull and considerable Kingdom which is able to keep up the Balance betwixt the Christian Princes in Europe and which depending on its own Strength is powerfull enough to defend it self For because it is surrounded every where by the Sea none can make any attempt upon it unless he be so powerfull at Sea as to be able entirely to ruine the Naval Forces of England And if it should happen that the English Fleet were quite defeated yet would it prove a very hard task to transport thither such an Army as could be suppos'd to be superiour to so powerfull a Force as the English Nation is able to raise at home But England ought to take especial care that it fall not into civil Dissentions since it has often felt the effects of the same and the Seeds of them are remaining yet in that Nation which chiefly arises from the difference in Religion and the fierce Inclinations of this Nation which makes it very fond of Alterations Nevertheless a Wise and Courageous King may easily prevent this evil if he does not act against the general Inclination of the People maintains a good Correspondency with the Parliament and for the rest is very watchfull and as soon as any Commotions happen takes off immediately the Ringleaders Lastly England and Scotland being comprehended in one Island whose chiefest Strength lies in a good Fleet it is evident that this King need not make any great account of such States as either are remote from the Sea or else are not very powerfull in Shipping Wherefore as the King of England takes no great notice of Germany except as far as