papers of Creighton a Scotish Jesuite intercepted and discovering fresh plots of invasion by the Pope Spain and the Guisâ—s the State of England began more narrowly to look about and to begin with the Queen of Scots miserable Tragedy herein Leicester and other Lords associate by oath to persecute to the death the obstacles of Queen Elizabeths peace and safety Mary fearing the effects made the most humble and satisfactory propositions and concessions to what Queen Elizabeth could possibly urge and to which she indeed inclined but the Scots opposed especially to hear of her return home And to assist the hight of evils the Presbyters in Scotland are alwaies at hand railing at her and the King in the Pulpits and being summoned to answer their contempts absolutely refuse saying That Ecclesiastick persons were exempt the Kings authority Althought to suppresse their insolencie very lately even this year and last Assembly of States it was enacted The Kings authority over all persons Ecclesiastick and Layick and confirmed for ever Their Assemblies as well general as particular were condemned as arrogating boundlesse authority when they list to meet and to prescribe lawes even to the King and Kingdome And here the popular equality of Ministers were abrogate and the dignity of Bishops restored whose vocations the Presbyters had condemned as Antichristian The scandalous books of Buchanans Chronicles and his Dialogue De jure regni apud Scotos and other such were condemned So you see in this Parliament the King had Royally and Religiously confirmed the Articles of true Religion and had united to his Crown the supream Authority Ecclesiastick and Civil heretofore usurped by Papists and lately by Prebyters Hereupon they declare the King inclin'd to Popery and nothing to be left of ancient from but the shadow and not being suffered to vent their spleen they fly into England under pretence of persecution Yet the King delt with them by hopes and fear Appoints their appearance in November from all parts And were then pressed to subscribe obedience to their ordinary To obey and acknowledge Bish. according to the Word of God which words they construed to be a restriction or limitation for say they The Word of God commands no obedience Thus either deceived or deceiving to redeem their ease with yeilding cover it with equivocation some subscribed others refused preaching against them And evermore Praying for the banished rebellious Lords as the best Subjects who fled from â—yranny Amongst sundry of such men that suffered trial and others executed Daglith the chief Minister of St. Cuthberts upon that score and for corresponding by letters with Walter Balcanqual he was sentenced for Treason but upon his humble supplication was pardoned David Hume and his brother executed and indeed divers grand designes of Treason put the State to necessary jealousies and fears Robert Hamilton accuses Douglas of Mains and Iohn Cunningham of Drumhosel for conspiring to intercept the King at hunting and to detain him till the banished should return and receive him Upon which they were found guilty and executed at Edenburgh And indeed Angus and others lay lurking at Barwick who were removed therefore further into England to New Castle lest the Lord Hunsdon Governour of Barwick should suffer suspition in their designes against all reason of State which now in England seems to side with King Iames And at New Castle they lodge Iohn and Claud Hamilton retire and take up by the way to settle all here The Scots Ministers wanderers were all found out and called to the Juncto Lowson Carmichel Erskin And Mr. Iohn Colvil sent away to Secretary Walsingham at Court Who led them with hopes that the Queens fleet usual rigging was intentional for their interest this encouraged them and gave occasion to the Scots Ambassadour to draw up Criminations against them and so they were removed to Norwich and after to London and lodge at Long ditch beyond Tuttle street against the Park-wall to whom all their Ministers resort a petty corporation preach pray keep fasting more than private and were so bold as to expect leave to be allotted a Church of their own as French Italian Dutch and other strangers but the conformity of language with us and the deformity in discipline made their request insolent of which they complain in their preachings and therefore are all silenced which they say brake the heart of Lawson their Malapert minister or rather the letter from Edenburgh aforesaid renouncing him their Pastor who deserting his cure upon pretence of conscience not to subscribe yet takes part the Rebells against his Soveraign But the particular manner and occasion in Scotland was as followeth In civill affairs the Earl Arran comanded all keeper of the Castle of Sterlin Edenburgh and Provost there lately made Chancelor upon the death of the Eaâ—l Arguile The office of secretary he conferred upon Iohn Metallan Lethingtons son having banished the Abott of Dumferlin who possessed that place and made himself Lieutenant of Scotland which greatness procured private envy of others at Court ploting his ruine To conserve him self he endeavoured to gain Queen Elizabeth to be his friend and after he had privately conferred with the Lord Hunsdon Governour of Barwick several legations were sent to England by the Arch-bishop of St. Andrews to confirm the Kings constancy in Religion much suspected by the cunning informations of the banished abroad and Kirkmen at home And after him the Master of Gray came to remand the fugitive Rebells and Lewis Ballandine Justice Clark was sent to accuse them as guilty of the conspiracy of Mains and Drumhosell but indeed Ballendines interest conniving his accusations were so slenderly urged that the very ground was laid to work their restitution and Arrans destruction the Queen and her counsel under hand giving ayme to all Arran abused with hopes of the Queens friendship continues his greatness into terms of Tyranny against Athol Hume and Casils With frivolous arbitrary justice It fell more particular upon the Lord Maxwell for refusing exchange of Lands the Barrony of Kinnell fallen by attainder with the Barrony of Mernis and other Lands of Maxwell Heath And to work out the mischief the Lord Iohnston is made Provost thereby being warden of the West Marches might curb the power of Maxwell whose right it was to the Provostry and therefore rayses forces of his friends and apposed Iohnston for which and other Insolencies he is denounced Rebell and commission to Iohnston with power to pursue him Maxwell sends his two brothers to intercept Lamby and Cranston ere they should joyn head in the fray the first is killed the other made prisoner which encouraged Iohnston to incurse upon Maxwells lands by fire and sword with great spoyl booty the same were answered upon return of the like against Iohnston who is taken prisoner and the regret therof gâ—eived him to his grave shortly after The Quarel now engages the
annointing was as justifiable as their Crowning with other ceremonies of Sword and Scepter But rather than a Bishop should profane the office and that one of themselvs be the first Minister Presbyter that ever sanctified that ceremony they were content that Bruce should do it on Sunday following at Edenburgh 2 daies after she made her triumphant entry through the Town with Feasts and Banquets Masks and shews for two moneths together These popish proceedings in Scotland makes Queen Elizabeth more serious at home both Kingdomes involved in the like danger which to prevent she falls upon such as gave most suspition and having restrained Philip Howard Earl of Arundell for three years in the Tower to keep him out of the way of doing mischief she now conceives it more safe to take him quite away from further danger He is arraigned therefore at Westminster The Earl of Darby High Steward for the day His accusations were such of which usually the greater Catholiques are guilty and being confirmed by Cardinal Allan before his banishment Parsons and other Jesuits with whom he kept correspondence viz. for reducing Papistry here proved by his Letters and the confessions of several Traytors lately executed Savage Throgmorton Babington Gerrard and Shelles But the Bull of Sixtus Quintus deposing the Queen and so the Legacy of these Realms bequeathed to the Spaniard together with his devotions prayers and Masses for successe of the Armado the last year 88. was the Choak-Pear which could not be relished His tender years thirty three not able to defend innocency in opposition to those excellent Pleaders Popham Egerton Scutleworth men of admiral abilities in the law made him submit to their arguments with some palliation and excuse not sufficient to save him from sentence of guilt which he received with submission saying Fiat Voluntas Dei His request was easâ—e to see his Wife and young Son born since his imprisonment whom he left to the Queens favour which was effected to the Fatheâ— also with pardon of his life though she kept him up from doing harm The loss of the Spanish Fleet and credit last year incourages two gallant Undertakers Sir Iohn Norris and Sir Francis Drake with the convenient assistance of the Queens men of War to an expedition into Portugall with eleven thousand Souldiers and fifteen hundred Mariners It was not amiss to take up the Claim and to take in the person of Don Antonio base born Prior of Craâ—o to the Kingdom of Portugall upon his vain expectation of that nations revolt from Spanish thraldom and assistance of the King of Morocco all which failed They land at the Groyne take and drown it burn the villages thereabout with slaughter of the Spanish forces three miles chace and imbarque again for Portugal where they land and march sixty miles to Lisbone over against the sacred Promontory St. Vincent where they feign there are certain Mares at a set time conceive by the Wind and bring forth Foals who live but three years several Authors say so The Suburbs of this City abandoned they enter and intrench whilst Drake undertakes to pass up the River to the City but he failing upon the shallowness of the Water and danger of the Castles no Natives comming in to their design and the Calanture infecting their Fleet they return with honour upon the enemy but loss of six thousand men by sickness to which the Northern people are subject and by contraries the Southern are rather confirmed in the North. Inward heat being remitted or intended by outward air as by sad experience of Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster in R. 2. and the Marquess Dorset 1512. and this now We call it the Earl of Essex Expedition who indeed ambitious of common Fame put himself to sea and got aboard the Fleet conceiting that their respect to his birth and quality would receive him their chief but was mistaken in that honour though he carried all the commendations with the comman man as titles get advantage from the merit of others more deserving though I know this comment upon that Lord gains little credit in these our daies With this honour of assisting the distressed Portugall the Q. assumed an interest in others her Allies to ballance her common Enemy the Spaniard and his Catholique cause as it fell out forthwith in France and Navaâ— For the French King Henry the third not likely of issue that Kingdom was to descend to the King of Navar and afterwards to the Prince of Conde both Protestants whereupon the Catholique Peers of France combine a Holy League Not to permit a Reformed Professour to reign no though he renounce it lâ—st he rechange his Religion with his State This design was to exclude Navar and Conde The fortunate Successes of the Duke of Guise the chief of this Villany magnifies him above the King who in jealousie of surprize by the multitude retires from Paris to Bloys where his necessity forces him to consent to the Holy League and ruine of the Religion and Guise to be Generallissimo and all this under Seal and receipt of the Sacrament But repenting of what he had done caused Guise in the Presence Chamber to be run thorow his Brother Cardinal to be strangled and his Son Cardinal Bourbon and others of the League to be committed Hence followed a various Rebellion the people at liberty to do what they list and several Cities affecting several Governments Democracy Aristocracy Oligarchy few or none Monarchy The Leaguers get possessession of the Crown Revenues a new Seal share the strong Holds are joyn'd with some Parliaments and all the Cleagie who cause one of their Monks Iaques Clement to murther the King The first Murther and first occasion of that damnable Docctrine of the Iesuits to murther Kings which the Pope Pius Quintus stiles Rarum inâ—â—gne memorabile non sine Dei particulari providentiâ Spiritus Saâ—cti suggestione designatum longè majus esse quam illud sanctae Judith quâ— Holoâ—ernam è medio suâ—â—uliâ— The Iesuit Francis Verona Constantinus in his Apologie for Iohn Casteelin c. Câ—m eâ— tempore c. that King being become intolerable it was not lawfull de jure or de faâ—to â—o condemn this Act of Clement by reason of King Henries tyranny in Church and State for his horrid Murders at Bloys oppression of Catholicks and favour to Hereticks and so became a private man subject to the Civil and Canon Law Besides says he this act was lawfull being committed upon him from whom all obedience and alleageance of his Subjects were taken away by the Pope Platina another Historian makes it the common opinion Eâ—m Clement à nemine ad hoc factum subordinatum â—ed à â—eipso poâ—tquam duabus aut tribus mensibus in hoc animi conceptu perseverâ—verat ad hoc arduum opus permotum esse instigatum post jejunia longa post orationes ad Deum
That witches can cure or cast on diseases the same reason that proves their power by the Divel of diseases in general their power in special is also proved as weakning the nature of some men towards women In others to abound above nature and so of particular sicknesses But in all he observes the different ends of God in the first cause and the Divel as his instrument in the second cause as Gods Hangman For where the divels intention is to perish in the patient soul or Body or both God by the contrary draws evermore out of that evil glory to himself either by destruction of the wicked or tryal of the patient and amendment of the faithfull being awakened by that rod of correction But who likes to be too curious of all their Practises read but Bodinus Daemonomancie collected with greater diligence than Judgment And further if you would be acquaiuted with the opinions of the Ancients concerning their power It is well described by Hyperius and Hemmingius two Germain Authors Besides many other Neoterick Theologues largely setting down that subject And if curious and inquisitive of the rites of this unnecessary Perilous black-art the Divel may too soon direct any unto Cornelius Agrippa and Wierus afore mentioned I know how it hath been of late urged that King Iames was not of the same mind alwaies and very tender of his Judges â—roceedings ignorantly condemning some innocent Melancholly simple old women whose miserable poverties made them weary of life and easily to confess themselves guilty of they knew not what though in sad condition otherwise liable to Satans suggestions and deceipt And so busied himself with curious perspicuity into tryal examination and discovery of sundry counterfeits pretenders to be possessed by evill spirits But yet to my knowledg he was ever constant to his former opinion of witches and witchcraft in particulars I can evidence The King thus busied to quiet the North Countries some Incursions were made on the Marches of each Nation the out-lodgers of Tindale Riddesdale for the English made in rodes upon the Scots County of Liddesdale The Laird Backlugh commander of those parts does the like into England and apprehending the chief mischief-makers 36 puts them all to the sword and returns with great spoil Against him is Sir William Bowes sent from the Queen to complain and with much adoe reconciled And for the future peace of the Borders the time was assigned for Hostages to be delivered on each side to either But Backlugh fayling to perform his part was feign to satisfie the Queens displeasure by entering himself into England as Hostage where he continued some Moâ—â—ths Queen Elizabeth evermore upon actions of diversion never upon conquest to assist her neighbours French and Netherlands prepares another Navy against Spain of 120 sail under command of Essex and Lord Thomas Howard and Sir Walter Ralegh in three sqadrons they set out of Plymouth but are weather beaten back and put forth again but become distressed ere they get cleer of land and so return And after fresh supply of men and victual they resolve for the Islands of Azores In the voyage by the way cross winds seperate Ralegh who being missed when the others came there Essex overhastily sent intelligence by a Bark into England that Ralegh had on purpose seperated himself from the fleet But he hastily coming in unto them that rash act of complaint was excused by Essex which Ralegh resented ever after And he landing on the Isle of Fiall before Essex came thither takes the Town which being misunderstood as in dispite of Authority they are peiced again They land upon Gratiosa and Flores take the spoil and depaâ—â— unto other Ilands to seek the Spanish India fleet which was then to come home And no sooner departed but within two houres after the whole fleet of 40 sail full of treasure arrives there and meets with some of the English ships But ere Essex came in they were shrowded under the safety and shot of their own Castles Yet Essex lands farther off and takes Villa Franka burns a great Carocque ship But not much done in answer to Essex his ranting intentions they return in some distress by the way home And being come to Court the Repetition of their several incounters moved contention between Essex and Ralegh casting all misfortunes on each other Besides Essex now blown up with ambition was offended that Sir Robert Cacil in his absence was made Secretary of State and Chancellor of the Dutchie of Lancaster emulous of his wisdom and besides he was then Raleghs great friend But more malitious That the Lord Howard Admiral of England was created Earl of Nottingham with some Testimonialls mentioned in his Patent That he had secured England from the Spanish invasion of 88 and that joyntly â—ith Essex he had valiantly taken the Iland and City of Cadiz and that he had there wholly destroyed the Spanish fleet designed for their assault of the Kingdom of England but Essex would have it fancied he did all himself For he that usually ascribed all the glory to himself could indure no Rivalls especially that Nottingham now Earl took place of him and all others of the same degree as being Admiral according to the Statute of Henry the 8. That the high Chamberlain high Constable Marshal Admiral high Steward and Chamberlain should have preheminâ—nce of all others of the same degree of Honor. But to please Essex He is therefore made Marshal of England and so his pride took place of the Admiral This I note in particular to shew by what steps and degrees of distast He took occasion to turn Traytor not long after See Anno 1600 and so we return to Scotland The winter quarter brought the Estates to Edenburgh and the King timely holds a Parliament in some respects for restoring the Popish Lords now called Proselytes to their honors and lands And the Commissioners for the Ministery are suiters for sundry Articles Amongst them this was one That the Ministers representing the Church and third estate of the Kingdom might be admitted voice in Parliament according to several acts here to foâ—â— in favour of the Church and the libertie and freedom The King was earnest therein to please them and had it past But then obtained the manner as for himself thus That such Pastors and Ministers as his Majesty should please to provide to the Place and Dignity of a Bishop Abbot or other Prelate at any time shall have voice in Parliament as freely as any other Ecclesiastical Prelate had at any time by-past And that all Bishopricks then in his Majesties hands and undisponed to any person or which should happen to fall void hereafter should be only disponed to actua Preachers and Ministers in the Church or to such other persons as should be found apt and qualified to use and exercise the Office of a Preacher or Minister and who in their provisions to the said
in this seeming security Norman Macklond Natural son to old Macklond with a Regiment of Rogues raised from all the Neighbour Isles fell upon them unawares and forced them to these Conditions To procure Him and His remission of all offences and pardon To resign to him all their right to the Isle Lewis That Sir James Spence and his son in Law should be Pledges to him til these were performed by Patent from the King The case thus altered Sir Iames Armstroder with his company came home many being killed obtained them remission and security of the Isle and sent to Norman by Iames Lermouth the Pledges released and this Enterprise defeated but was again attempted three years after 1605. in this manner The first Undertakers weary of thier Design by excessive expence made over their Right to Lumsdale of Ardie and Hay who with the treachery of Mackey Mackerzy and Donold Gorum forced the Indabitants out of the Isle and having done this work sends to the South-land for Artizans and Laborers and beginning to build and plant but wanting means to pay the Work-men went away the Natives abroad associate with a number of Islanders invade the Planters with often Incursions and so wearied them out of all for a piece of money to boot to Mackerzy There being no remedy left for Robert Bruce exiled into France yet upon intercession of some friends and submission to the King he had leave to return and so appearing before the King and Commissioners of the Church acknowledged his Error concerning Gowries guilt as you have heard and further to recant it in his next Sermon which Protestation he subscribes witnessed by eleven Commissioners and so had leave to preach but did not pretending That his ministery would be discredited if he should preach by injunction and was therefore discharged his Ministery by the General Assembly who enacted That in memory of his Majesties Deliverance from Gowries Attempt Sermons Prayer and Thanksgiving should be solemnied in all the Burghs every Tuesday the fifth of August for ever as the Parliament had prescribed in all Churches of the Kingdom The Iesuits as in England so in Scotland having no hopes of Toleration but much urged in both Kingdoms and that their pitifull Pamphlets for the petence of the Infanta's title to England not prevailing with the people nor their Treaty of Marriage of the Lady Arabella with the Prince of Savoy nor with her and the Earl of Hertfords Grand-childe they went the old way to work by Murder and Francis Mowbray son to the Laird of Barruâ—hoâ—g all by the Infanta'â— Court at Bruxels undertook to kill the King and in his journey home through England was discovered at London and accused by one Daniel an Italian which the other denied and were both sent secure to Scotland and there by more severe Examinations Mowbray was committed to Edenburgh castle where forcing the Grate Irons of his Window intended to let himself down by his Bed-sheets which proving too short he fell from the precipice and dasht out his brains upon the Rocks his body was ordered into quarters as the manner of Traitors though his kindred well born pretended that he was strangled in Prison and his body flung out of the Window to amuze the world with his own death and guilt Queen Elizabeths increasing towards her decreasing she was now left of all without recovery which occasioned the French King to send his Ambassadour into Scotland and another into England under pretence of impeaching the policies of Spain but rather to observe the motions and disposition of either people in reference to the Queens death accompanied with Letters to certain Lords of either Nation To Secretary Cecil with extreme affection it being high time to caress such men of interest in State when in a visit the Ambassadour to sound him fell into heart-burning for the miserable calamity that would befall the poor Nation in the death of the Queen and in particular Cecil's exchange of a gracious Mistress for a stranger King of Scotland if he should succeed a Prince no doubt subtile said he enough as yet to seem fair untill the future occasion give him power and means to revenge his Mothers death as upon others so in particulars on you for your fathers fault then and your counsels since The Secretary suspecting his drist answered That it was the usual reward of unspotted duty when Ministers of State chiefly respect the service of their Sovereign without regard to their own safety himself ready to suffer with comfort for so just a cause the credit thereof being the best security to an even conscience esteeming that Maries Martyrdom the highest honour but he supposed that matters past would not be challenged to memory if it should be so and his own case desperate he might be minded to flee into another City and take the benefit of his Majesties royal offer The Ambassadour made fair retreat and said That in case the King of Scots should carry himself with respect which was due to a King of France his Master was not purposed to impeach his interest Cecil replied The King was wise and shewed it in that resolution The Secretary sets down this passage to King Iames taking occasion thereby to assure him his faithfull service Though he does not as others had done needlesly hazard his fortune before fit time The King returns him this Answer As I do heartily thank you says he for your plain and honest offer so may you assure your self that it would do me no pleasure for you to hazard Fortune or Reputation since the loss of either would make you less valuable to me No I love not to feed on such fantastical humours though I cannot hinder busie-bodies their own idle imaginations but I hold it the Office of a King as sitting on the Throne of God to imitate the Primum Mobile and by his steady and â—ver constant course to govern all other changeable and uncertain motions of the inferiour Planets And I protest in Gods presence that for your constant and honest carriage in your Sovereigns service I loved your virtues long before I could be certain that you would deserve at my hands the love of your person Wherefore go on and serve her truly that reigneth as you have done for he that is false to the present will never be true to the future To give your judgment of the Kings wisdom and piety see the difference in his answer to the Earl of Northumberland who certified him of the Queens weakness and advised him to make sure of his Title by apprehending the necessity of hasty possession whilest time was offered To him he professeth That man can neither be religious nor just that deals not by his Neighbour as himself would be dealt withall and in a Person of quality it can be no wisdom to â—eap Hedg and Ditch and adventure his neck for gathering forbidden fruit before it be ripe
Kings to the Commons in Parliament and they to joyn with the Peers from whence it became the wisdom of Princes how to mannage this Government and to maintain this Form Lest some of this Body knit under one Head should swell and grow monstrous And Monarchy may sooner groan under the weight of Aristocracy as it often did than under Democracy which till now it never felt nor feared The Actions of which singly are inconsiderable after many Conjunctions grow at last into one great perfecting power or into Destroying Factions like smaller Brooks falling into some Main River The Parliament of England of long time and at this present was come to be a Convention of the Estates of the Kingdom assembled by the King of Bishops Peers and Peoples Commissioners They sat in two Senate-Houses or Chambers named a Higher and a Lower The Higher called also the House of Peers the Bishops and Peers viz. Dukes Marquesses Earls and Barons sit together with whom sit the Judges of the law for their advice not voice The Lower House called also the House of Commons is constituted of Knights of the Shire two Elected of every Shire and of Cities and Incorporations one or more Burgesses The day and place of Assembly is appointed by the King and adjourned removed elsewhere and dissolved at his pleasure The Lords or Peers are called by writs transmitted to them under the Kings hand The Commons by the Kings writ out of Chancery The writ to the Peers runs thus James by the Grace of God c. To the most reverend father in Christ so he stiles the Bishops Cousin if he speaks to the Peers for as much as by the advice of our Council upon some diffident and urgent affairs us and the State and defence of our Kingdom of England and the Church of England concernant We have ordained that our Parliament be held at c. there to consult and Treat with you and the rest of the Prelates Nobles and Heads of our said Kingdom of England We strictly charge and command you on your faith and love if to the Bishops by your fealty and Alleagance if to the Peers wherein you stand bound to us that considering the difficulty of the said affairs and the dangers iminent laying aside whatsoever excuse you be personally present on the said day and place with us and the rest of the Prelates Nobles and Heads to treat and give your advice touching the said affairs and this as you tender us and our Honour and the safety of our said Kingdom and Holy-Church and dispatch of the said affairs may you in no wise omit if he writes to the Bishops to warn the Dean and Chapiter of your Church and the whole Clergie of your Diocess that the same Dean and Arch-Deacons in their proper persons and the said Chapiter by one and the same Clergie by two sufficient substitutes having plenary and sufficient power from the said Chapiter and Clergy be personally present on the said day and place to consent to these things which then and there by the favor of the divine Clemencie shall happen to be ordained by the Common advice of our Kingdom Witness ourselves c. The other writ to the Sheriffs and Mayors of the Cities and Corporations is thus The King to the Sheriff Greeting For as much by the advice and consent of our Council and so goes on as above and there to confer and treat with the Prelates Peers and Heads of our Kingdom We strictly charge and command you that by proclamation made in your Shire upon the receipt of our writ you cause two Knights with swords by their sides the most sufficient and discreet of the Shire and of every City of that County two Citizens and of every Borough two Burgesses of the most discreet and sufficient to be freely and indifferently chosen by such as shall be present at the Proclamation according to the form of the Statutes on that behalf set forth and provided And the Names of the said Knights Citizens and Burgesses to be inserted in certain Indentures to be drawn between you and them that shall be present as such Elections whether the persons so chosen be present or absent And then to come at the same day and place so that the said Knights have full and sufficient power for themselves and the Communalty of the said Shire and the said Citizens and Burgesses for themselves and the Communities of the Cities Boroughs respectively from the same to do and consent to such things as then and there shall happen by Gods assistance to be ordained by the commune advice of our Kingdom concerning the affairs offered so that by your neglect therein the said affairs in any case remain not undone Notwithstanding we will not that you or any other Sheriff of our Kingdom be chosen At the day and place they meet at the Church first then at the Parliament-Houses orderly in their Robes with solemn gate such as might increase in the people the authority of their siting Then the King enters the Upper-House and either in his own person or by the mouth of his Chancellor declares the weighty causes of their Assembling in Contemplation whereof he desires their advice to communicate their Counsels in doubtfull matters most certain That himself be present at these consultations needs not but only as oft as he sees good There is no necessity after this unless in the end of the Session to add the strength and force of Laws to their results The Knights Citizens and Burgesses in the Lower-House are Man by Man called forth by their Names by some one delegated by the King and each is made to take the Oath of Alleageance heretofore was this I will keep true faith and Alleageance to James by the grace of God c. King His Heirs and successors Him and them I will defend to my utmost strength and with the hazard of my life and fortunes against all conspiracies and attempts against his Person Crown and Dignity And lest any should dream of a Consortship in Government there was superadded the Oath of Supremacy in these words I A. B. do utterly testifie and declare in my conscience that the Kings Highness is the onely Supreme Governour of this Realm and all other his Highness Dominions and Countreys as well in all Spiritual and Ecclesiastical things or causes as Temporal and that no forein Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate hath or ought to have any Iurisdiction Power Superiority Preheminence or Authority Ecclesiastical or Spiritual within this Realm and therefore I do utterly renounce and forsake all forein Iurisdictions Powers Superiorities and Authorities and do promise that from henceforth I shall â—ear Faith and true Alleageance to the Kings Highness his Heirs and lawfull Successors and to my power shall assist and defend all Iurisdictions Privileges Preheminences and Authorities granted or belonging to the Kings Highness his Heirs and Successors or united and
to turn Martial his Apostrophe upon me Tu male jam recitas incipit esse tuus And first he discovers his real constitution and thankfulness in three Forms and Reasons of his Convention of them In the first he renders to them the Representatives of his People his Princely thanks for their affection in receiving him in his Right to the Crown The other two he describes by the effect of his Actions and shews them the blessing of his Person in their outward Peace with his Neighbours with whom he found this State imbroiled Secondly Peace within issuing not onely by his lineal descent from Henry 7. in the union of the two Houses of Lancaster and York but also the union of these two Kingdoms illustrated in the conformities of Religion Language and Manners in their security of salvation encompassed with a Wall of Water and therefore Quae Deus conjunxit nemo separet And he being the Husband Head and Shepherd advises them to a joyfull Union by comparison of this blessing in the Union of the petty Principalities heretofore of this Nation into one Kingdom as also the composure of divers Duchies in the entire Monarchy of France those being happy though conjoyned by the Spear of Bellona but we the greater blessing being bound up by the Wedding-Ring of Astrea having an appearance of perpetuity in the blessing of hâ—s hopefull Issue and his profession of true Religion which he distinguishes from the Catholick Papist and also from another Sect rather than a Religion which he calls a Puritan Novellist differing from Truth in a confused Form of policy and parity insufferable He acknowledgeth the Roman-Church to be our Mother-Church defiled with some Infirmities as the Iews Church before Christ Crucified But as not wishing a sick man dead but his body to be purged Excusable in the Laicks either as well minded subjects inured thereto by birth and custom of Age or young by evil Education and therefore not to punish their Bodies for the Errors of their Mindes As for their Clericks their doctrine and practice insufferable The Arrogancie of the Popes Supremacie in the One and Murthering Kings in the other Otherwise he doth reverence Antiquity in the points of Ecclesiasticall Policie and so cleers himself from Heresie in Faith or Schism in Government But with this Caution to all as he is a friend to their Persons so an Enemy to their Errors Advising the Bishops by their Exemplary Life to convince the others doctrine The third Reason of calling this Parliament in the action of his thankfullness is first in making Some Laws by preserving the weal of the Kingdom and in discretion of not making too many because In corruptissima Republica plurimae Leges Secondly in execution of them by the Iudges and Magistrates whom he advises not to utter their affections in that Office of Hate to a Foe or Love to a Friend fear to offend the Great or pitty to the misery of the meaner but to be blind in distinction of Persons Handless for bribes and therefore describes them three principall qualities Knowledge to discern Courage and Sincerity to execute And thus having told them the three causes tending only to his thankfullness but in divers forms The first by Word the Other by Actions he concludes himself to be Inutilis servus His felicity consistâ—ng in their prosperity and gives them his Apologie for three things expected from him by so many advancement of Honor preferment of credit and reward in Land In all he hath been reasonable and honorable for refreshing some persons that were Members of a Multitude and if his infirmity hath exceeded He blames the Importunity of Suters which experience time and labour shall recover to teach his Subjects not to crave nor he to grant The Parliament unused to Princely Eloquence and Learning withall contracted their dutyfull affections to his Eminent virtues and willingly understood the Kings ayme to unite also the two Kingdomes which was soon put forward by proclamation of his Title of Great Britain our coins all Ensignes of honor quartering this Conjunction of crosses Red cross for England and Saint Andrews white for Scotland And the Parliament by act Commissionate eight Lords and twenty Commons to treat with other Commissioners Scotchmen for the honour and profit of both Nations The King thus far setled with his Parliament and people not without wonder of all our Neighbour Nations having lain at watch for conveniencie and honor to piece with so potent a Prince the advantages alike to either They came almost together The Constable of Castile from Spain and another from the Arch-Duke Rory Duke of Solia from France to treat of Peace Barnevelt from the Netherlands Solia was a gallant Man an excellent Courtier as they are all His business needed no other policy of State but to congratulate the Kings peacable and happy Possession for they had a Leiger in Scotland that came in with the King But the other two were Enemies and were to treat for establishing a firm Peace which was granted and do doubt they might make up of their Masters bounty to be so soon dispatcht for France mightily opposed and with little cunning of our Counsel the Spaniards dealt their golden Pistols to hit the mark And as they lay equally ready so their desires for Convoy hither came together and had order accordingly Sir Robert Mansell Vice-Admiral for the Narrow-Seas attended at Graveling for the Spaniard And his Vice-Admiral of the Fleet Sir Ierom Turner at Calais for the French who coming first disputed the choice and desired the Admirals ship but being told that he was commanded by Commission for the Other Monsieur in much disdain put himself in the French Passage-boat and in a brave bore his flag on the Top. Mansel commands Turner to shoot a warning and after to hit who took in his flag but complained at Court where his faction was powerfull yet the Justice and honor of that old Custom and Authority maintains his Act against them all being in himself besides a gallant brave Commander The Puritan was much troubled to be ranked with the Papist in the Kings Parliament Speech and to be termed so and somewhat they said too saucy and therfore were to expect more cause to chaw the cud for the King proclames all Conformity to the form of Gods Service established in Doctrine and Discipline to Gods Word and the Primitive Church that the Conference of late at Hampton Court concluded no cause of alteration notwithstanding the fiery pretended Zelots renewed the Question in Parliament and had been satisfied by the Kings Speeches and otherwise that particular and personal abuses are remediable other ways than by general alteration That all shall conform and have warning till the last of November next oâ— otherwise to dispose of themselves or Families to other meet persons in their places July 1604. These men were now stark mad and intelligence hereof they send to their dear
This Robert was at first Abbot of Holy-rood-house for divers years After the forfeiture of Hepburn Earl of Bothwell and the obtaining those Isles he exchanged the Abbacy with the Bishoprick of Orkney and so became sole Lord of the County Patrick succeeding to an elder Brother and grown a Courtier involved himself in great debts which inforced him the more tyrannous over the people to recover his wants At Glasgow was apprehended Oglevy a Jesuite lately come from Gratts by command of his Superior in that College He answered peremptory to the Commissioners questions professing not to prejudice others by any Confession Their torture to inforce him to impeach others was to debar him sleep for some time until he was forced falsely to accuse any body which he after repose would deny again The King was displeased with such forms to men of his profession and if no crime could be proved but his Calling and saying Mass they should banish him not to return on pain of Death but if his practice had been to induce the people to rebellion and maintained the Popes power transcendent over Kings and resused the Oath of Allegiance they should leave him to the Law But with all they were to urge his Answer to these Questions 1. Whether the Pope be Iudge in Spiritualibus over his Majesty and whether in Temporalibus if it be in Spiritualia 2. Whether the Pope hath power to excommunicate Kings such as are not of his Church as his Majesty 3. Whether he hath power to depose Kings after his excommunication and in particular his Majesty 4. Whether it be no Murther to kill the King so deposed 5. Whether He hath power to assoil subjects from the Oath of their native Allegiance to his Majesty He answers in writing To the first Affirmative in Spiritualibus But whether in Temporalibus he is not obliged to answer to any but a Iudge of Controversyes of Religion the Pope or one by his Authority To the second affirmative and that all persons baptized are under the Popes power To the third He will not declare but to a lawful Iudge of Religion To the rest ut supra He could not be moved by threats but rather railed at the Oath of Allegiance as damnable and treasonable against God and so came to Tryal of Life but was told over night That he was not to be tryed concerning his profession but for his former Answers to the Questions which he may recal and crave mercy but this he utterly refused And so was impannell'd grounded upon the Acts of Parliament against such as declined the Kings authority or maintained other Jurisdiction and upon his former answers He protests not to acknowledge the Iudges nor Iudgement Lawfull for if it be Treason here it should be so in all other Kingdoms which is not Your Acts of Parliament are made by partial men and of Matter not subject to their forum for which I will not give a fig. The King hath no Authority but derivative from his Predecessors who acknowledged the Popes Iurisdiction if the King will be to me as they were to minâ— he shall be my King if otherwise I value him not And for the reverence I do to you bare-headed It is ad redemptionem vexationis not ad agnitionem Judicii That the Iury were either his Enemies or his Friends if Enemies they could not sit upon his Tryal if Friends they ought to assist him at the Bar That what he suffered was injurious and not Iustice he had not offended nor would crave Mercy My Commission said he was by command of my Superiour and if I were abroad I would return hether again and repent only that I have not been so busie as I should in that which you call Perverting of Subjects and I call Saving of souls I do decline the Kings authority and will do it still in matter of Religion the most of your Ministers maintain it and if they be wise will continue in that mind As for that Question Whether the King being deposed by the Pope may be lawfully killed Doctors of the Church hold the Affirmative not improbably and as it is not yet determined so if it should be concluded I will dy in the defence And now to say It were unlawful I will not to save my life His insolent speech was shortned by the Jurors quick return who found him guilty and had Sentence of Treason and to stop his rayling was after Noon the same day hanged at Glasgow He was a desperate second Ravilliack and ready in that devilish doctrine of deposing and disthroning Kings which he urged the more he said as consonant to the Kirk Ministers tenents And that nothing troubled him but to be taken away ere he had done that which all Scotland and England should not have prevented and had it been performed no torments would have been by him refused So then we see the cause of his Execution For the King professed Never to hang a Priest for his Religion The opening of the Spring gave opportunity to sundry families of England to prepare themselves for planting in America Upon no great incouragement of profit or pleasure by any former Voyages of the English into those parts but people and trade increasing here they would unburthen this State with forein adventures The Design was for New England a part of America in the Ocean Sea opposite to that part of America in the South Sea which Sir Francis Drake discovered in his voyage about the world and named it Nova Albion But he was never imployed thither as a Discoverer or Planter upon this part of America taking the coast from Cape Florida in twenty degrees North Latitude North-East-ward to Cape Brittain Between the Degrees of Latitude from 20. to 45. King Iames granted Letters Patents being about fifteen hundred miles but to follow it aboard near two thousand miles And all this Coast from Cape Florida of twenty Degrees to five and forty was first discovered by Iohn Cabot with six sail of ships who had his Patent from Henry 7. Anno 1442. about the time that Columbus discovered the middle part of America for Ferdinand and Isabel of Spain and is called the West-Indies The first Colony from England was with Sir Walter Ralegh assisted in company of Sir Ralph Lane and Thomas Heriot that learned Mathematician Anno 1584. who in honour of Queen Elizabeth named it Virginia leaving there sixteen men which were brought home by Sir Francis Drake in his return from his West-India Voyage a year after and this part is contained from Florida to the Chesiopech Bay The next Northward is a part of Land to which Sir Iohn Popham Lord Chief Justice sent for Discovery and Trade 1606. but no success returned and since it is called New England Then the Land adjoyning Northward was discovered by Captain Gosnold all that coast being studded with broken Lands and called by him Elizabeths Isles Then you come to Cape Cod
prefer him to a Deanary of Windsor and for better support with the Mastership of the Savoy This vext Count Gondomore the Spanish Lieger who intending to tempt him as the Devil does his creatures with a bosom sin that which they love had intelligence of his innate disposition to avarice with this he tampers afar off and with leave of his Master invites him to turn again from this so mean allowance and take preferment in the Conclave to be Spain's Pensioner there as almost all are with this assurance of the Cardinal's Cap he was cozened into the Court of Inquisition and so to the Gaol where he ended his days with grief and died a Protestant Professor in malice to the Papist or rather of no Religion The late sudden Murther aforesaid of Henry 4. of France left the Sovereignty to Lewis his Son and his minority to be supported by his Mothers Regency and she in miscarriage through too much affection to her Favourite the Marques D' Ancre a mechanical Florentine her Countreyman occasioned the Princes of the Bloud to seek their freedom by force which lasted not long after their several imprisonments for the quarrel rising high and D' Ancre busied abroad they plotted their business by a bold Captain of the Gens d' Arms De Vitry and effected upon Ancre's person with a single Pistol at the instant when he returned to the Pallace the Loure in Paris and his Corps had no other Balm for their Burial than his own bloud being dragg'd about the City by the Peoples rage till the dis-jointed limbs were left for Ravens King Lewis was young and engaged before in his Mothers quarrel but this accident taking fire as the Princes would have it soon won their weak Sovereign on their party and in policy perforce he owned the Action as the most convenient Iustice for quieting the Differences and so the Government taking hold on this occasion turn'd to the other side and had the better of the Queens Faction she being afterwards led up and down the King's Army under oversight as a Prisoner but shew'd to the People as if reconciled to her Son the chief Mover having paid the account upon the execution of his person This for the present which lasted by fits for some years as her Faction took breath untill that excellent Engeneer of State-policy Cardinal Richelieu had put her into a jealousie of her own safety at home and so opened a Gap whereby as in stealth she might get loose out of the Kingdom but Sovereigns leaving their Subjects are seldom sent for again and after much turmoil and tampering with several States and Italian tricks she ended her days very poor in Germany in the City of Collen And Richelieu succesfull in all his policies settled that Nation to his death in their due submission to Sovereignty which broke out afterwards Anno 1652. into like examples of former miseries The blessings of Peace and Plenty enthroning this King resolved him for a leasurely Expedition into Scotland in the opening of the last Spring which was not performed this Summer season partly to make good his promise when he took leave of his native Countrey to give them a Visit after some time of settlement in his new Inheritance And in some policy it was hastened now to be out of the way of address from the Emissaries of the French that unstable State now in the height of diffension whilest King Iames and his Court were thus refreshed from affairs and business here in as much prudence and splendour as the consideration of this Journey was necessary to the Design which our Historian with his Pasquil observations spends in ridiculous Riot But it was indeed by his presence to warm those cold Countreys with the beams of Majesty and with his precepts to warn that rebellious Nation of their feuds by example of their old French friends fresh miseries to settle the spirits of the factious Presbytery in obedience to Episcopal Hierarchy to pass some Bills and Acts of Parliament to regulate the exacting powers of some Officers in trust to give grace to the humble and content to all And forthwith a Proclamation was advised in Scotland and there published of the Kings Solomon like instinct to visit that Kingdom and therein gave them assurance not to alter the Civil and Ecclesiastical Estate but by reforming abuses in Church and Common-wealth and advised them to all accommodations to bid him and his welcome These directions were accompanied with others of State and amongst them for repairing and orderly adorning his Chapel and Officers sent out of England with necessaries and some Portraits and Pictures of the Apostles carved for the Pews and Stalls but the People exclame at such sights That Images were to be set up The Organs were come before and after comes Mass. The King was angry at their ignorance and sent them word to distinguish betwixt Pictures intended for Ornament and Decoration and Images erected for Worship and Adoration Resembling such men to the Constable of Castile who being to swear the Peace concluded with Spain and to be performed in the Kings Chapel where some Anthems were to be sung desired that Gods Name might not be used therein otherwise he would be content with any thing else So the Scots Kirk can endure Dogs Bears and Bulls nay Devils dressings to be figured in Churches but not the Patriarchs nor Apostles He come to Berwick in May and there it was advised to prorogue the Parliament to Iune 13. which gave the King time to progress through the Countrey making his entry in the special Burghs and Towns after the most magnificent manner and welcomed with all the expressions of cost and glory that ever that poor Nation had been put unto that some effects might seem to make good the Scots Rants of their gude Countrey And because it hath been since surmized that nothing was acted there in order to the service of that Nation we shall trouble the Reader with some particulars The King enters their Parliament with Rules for establishing Religion and Iustice and a regard to the Ministers of both for notwithstanding the many years Profession of Reformation numbers of Churches remained unplanted and those that were wanted maintenance advising that Commissioners might regulate a local stipend to each Minister He remembred them of his continual care and pains heretofore and since for placing Iustices and Constables to preserve the Peace and execute Laws which he said had been neglected by some by the small regard shewed unto them from others of higher rank But as he would have them know such Officers to be of honourable esteem so none could deserve better at his hands than those that countenanced them and those others Enemies to the Crown and quiet of the Kingdom That he had long endeavoured to civilize men from their barbarous customs having made some progress by remove of the persons or by extinct of their Feuds and in place
UNion of both Nations intended 320 argued and the Kings answer 338 Vorstius and Arminius their Heresies and story 370 Villiers a favourite his story 455 Master of the Horse and Marquess 489 Earl and Duke 547 goes with the Prince into Spain 542 quarrels with Olivares 551 returns to the Ships 552 his Declaration to the Parliament 559 W. WAr the consequence 281 Whitgift Arch-Bishop dies 307 Waldenses vindicated 376 Sir Henry Wootton his Embassies to the Emperour and Princes in Germany 485 Dr. Williams Dean of Westminster and Bishop of Lincoln and Lord Keeper 504 his character 507 Y. SIr Henry Yelverton Prisoner and why 499 his Letters to the Duke of Buckingham 500 THE PROEME TO THE Seeond Part. WE now enter on the second part the Accession of a Crown rightly descended to King James by Succession from the Union of Marriage long since to this re-union of Kingdoms now as a period in shew of all Trepidation and Motions in him and his Posterity but the eye of all-seeing Wisdom hath with his powerful hand of Providence dissipated those designs and aims of perpetuity and hath not left any one of his in present possession of any part of his inheritance And though the prevailing Party minds no other Iustification than Success yet some men more busie than useful take upon them by deformed writings and Pasquilles to conclude this Fabrick from such Foundation as they please to contribute their Counterfeit Materials with their Prophecies Policies Directories Narratives and such like stuff the general blauch upon former Soveraigns Each one professing Truth to countenance their affectiions and Passions which alter too with the subsequence of Time and State And thereby comes to be published sundry Rapsodies Petit-Pamphlets and Papers But yet if you deny their Tenents you are forthwith to be taken for a State Heretique Non servata unitas nisi in credendo omnia 〈…〉 For though there may be granted great Antipathy between the former and this State in Civil Policy yet no such matter from thence for our disobedience now What ever may be pretended by Others I conceive the People no meet Iudge or Arbitrator For my part I am witness to my self as that no contradiction shall supplant in me the Reverence I ow to Authority Neither shall any Adveâ—saries by Calumny embase my Opinion and high Esteem of K. Iâ—â—es his just Merits and Royal Memory The Indisposition of these later times having pierced with Accusations very many Men of excellent Virtues Mala dicta ingenere concinnatis calumniis They leave all reveâ—end compassion tâ—wardâ— evâ—â—s or religious indignation towards faults turn all into a Satyr search and rip up wounds with smiling impudence and strain their counterfeit zeal to the publick with untruths abominable Et magnis Mendacii Credulitas Welcome whisperings are quickly heard where potent malice is Promoter They tragitally aggravate infirmities and slips unworthily upbraiding adverse Fortunes and that their belief herein must necessarily be the more perfect which is most degrees removed from the last Actors and so becomes Postumi erroris filii Non tam in odium boni Quam amorem Mali Proclives sumus As one saith These Kingdomes in King James time grown aged in happinesseâ— that as men used to say of the spiced air of the Sabaeans Summus quidem Odor sed voluptas Minor The very excess seemed to abate the pleasure Or as the hot sent of Musk to some Savors seem to stink Repetions of our Blessings then did not so much affect our Nations as dull them Peace made us wanton Plenty 〈◊〉 Mâ—â—ies secure Our Benefits then became our Weapons to rebell against his fame now The whole Land being sowred by the Peoples Sins too much felicity introdâ—â—ed Luxury and Correllaries of Vices Pride Ambition Contempt of things Divine and â—umane This Nation in short time sick of a surfeit of Health afterwards broke with two much wealth and now it comes to amendment Ryot begins to grow thirsty made so to go plain Gluttons to fast Wantonness starved into Soberness But we may already be affraid of Relapse Bedrid Exorbitancies fowlâ—r for purging Need is there none to number up the Graces and Blessings by this King in competition with Her his Predecessor It may be Her virtues then are now become Torches in the dark which appear greatest afar off as His Vices made so by some writers do neer at hand I shall endeavour to recover the truth of his time least slanderous Tongues run mad with railing they presuming to be got out of distanâ—â— of time and reach of Confutationâ— So that Maiesty which dies not may yet be discouloured As in particular a Writer indeed a few years since holds forth he saies The History of Great Brittain but speaks not a word of Scotland or Ireland and so this Vindication serves the turn to answer All. But to give this Man therein his due we may find truth and falsehood finely put together if it be his own for it is my hap to meet with Post-nati both these Books born from the dead and were Aborâ—â—ves but like Bear-whelps licked over by laborious Pen-men The one a Manuscript of Sir A. W. which with some regret of what he had malitiously writ intended to the fire and dyed Repentant though since stoln to the Press out of a Ladies Closet This Other designed an Epistle for honourable Patronage who disdained the owning And so comes out bare Collections of Old I knew of them and their Parent Presbyter put together by the Poet And shaped out by the Doctor and Wilsons Name set to the Sale My aym is in these times of Distraction to present to the pâ—blique the former fruits of Peace and Plenty planted by Providence and ripened to Maturity by Divine Influence throughout His Daies If any failings so much searched for and to be found at last are then to be attributed to his age not Him In declention of years not many Princes end in much splendor when vigour fails so does their fortune For my self having lived long time in Court and employed till my gray hairs more in Businesses than Books far unworthy I humbly confesse to have any hand to the Helm yee I cabin'd neer the Steerage and so might the more readily Run the compass of the Ships-Way And truly I traversed aboard too though not in Counsel with Masters or Mates observing also the Heights and Declinations of the Sun and Stars the better able to evidence their Actions and Influence upon our World Add herein to be read in few howers what have been reaped in many years These undeniable Truths which I have seen and heard Will. Sanderson The LIVES and DEATHS of MARIE Queen of SCOTLAND And of Her Son and Successor JAMES The Sixt of that name King of SCOTLAND And of Great BRITAIN FRANCE and IRELAND the First Introduction KINGS are Gods upon Earth God himself hath said so Intituling Them to this Dignity with power over their People But they shall die like Men
Humbling their Souls for a blessed End Lest their Greatness here should make them careless of their Glory hereafter Death being the entrance into eternal life And so much honour is done to Them that the Old Testament affords four Books of the Kings two of which are particular Chronicles of their Persons and Actions with many other memorable passages of Kings mentioned promiscuously both in the Old and New Testament besides those Books not extant of their wonderfull works to which much is referred by Holy-writ And it hath been held sacred with most Nations not to leave their Soveraigns long buried in the Graves of Oblivion And if so of most KINGS why not of these so well deserving Mary the Mother and JAMES Her Son and Successorâ— They came into the World when all was on fire not peace in any part All Europe in a Militia The East had much to do for Defence against the Turk The West in Offence one with the other The North at variance with their neighbours The South had influence upon them all A Massy body of War in several Postures and each Army of sundry Brigades Onely Himself never had an Enemy I desire to bring together much of the main into little and in due place to observe out of all what particular Interest became this King The measure of whose Glory may be taken by its Profundity which onely in him held out long and even Let us be mindfull of their Descent She was sole Daughter and Heir to Iames Stuart the fift of that Name and the 108. King of SCOTLAND begotten upon Mary his Queen of that Illustrious Family of the Dukes of Lorain Maried to him at Saint Andrews Iuly 1538. About the time when Henry 8. of England became Lutheran whom the Pope Excommunicates and interdicts His Dominions and with more than malice moves the Emperour and French King to be His Enemies To palliate such potency He procures an Interview with them at Nice a Maritime Town in the Confines of Provence And being returned desires Conference with the King of Scotland at New Castle But in time of preparation the English fall fowl with the Scotch Borderers Both parties arm with equal number about 30000. Iames himself in person The Duke of Norfolk for the English meet upon the Confines The young and daring King with the advantage of his own ground and neer home puts the Old Duke to advise and retreat And the next year heightned the Scotch with an Army of 10000 to affront the English Borders who hastily raise considerable Forces and ready for the onset the Scotch Lords envious against the choice of their General Oliver Saintclair though a man not deserving Malice an excellent Commander yet they refuse to fight basely suffering themselves to be Prisoners not only to the power of the Sword but also to the wanton insolencies of Boies and Women who haltring them by hundreds drove them home into England Ill News hath wings which flew to the King at Falkland whose youthfull spirit disdaining to out-live the infamy of his People with monstrous regret on his perfidious Army He willingly forced his own neglect of the necessities of natural support Sustenance and Sleep untill the weakness of his limbs not able to bear the burthen of his body He cast himself on his Bed When tydings came of his Queen brought to bed of a Daughter and Heir His two Sons Infants dying some years before at which he sighed out these his last words It will end as it began the Crown came by a Woman and by a Daugher it will return King Henry will make it His by Arms or Mariage and turning aside from his Servants sunk down into the deluge of Death 13. December 1542. being 33. years of age and the 32. of His Reign His Daughter Christned Mary five daies after sole Heir of His Kingdome and Misfortunes which She inherited to Her death His body was solemnly and sumptuously intombed in the Abby Church of Holy-Rood-house Nor rested he after death For Henry the eighth though his Uncle continued the advantages of this Defeat and some years after razed the Church and Tomb equal with the Earth Whose Body was afterwards by the pious duty of his Grandson Iames the sixt removed to another Vault embalmed again and enshrined in a costly Monument with Ensigns and Arms the Dignities of his Crown and Kingdome This Kings Person was well made up with advantage of an Excellent mind of a middle stature with abilities equal to any The first that pursued his Enemies and the last that left the Chase discreetly liberal sparing only for spending upon necessary disbursments well affected to Letters wherein he adventured in some verses of Poesie If we examine his Umbrages as we make our prospect upon a Picture of lights and shadowes Take him in the Circle of Himself He was of worthy fame What he was forced to do in justice upon Offenders the Dowglasses by pursute and others by Execution must be wisely referred to the then consequences of State which of late to him lay under the disease of two professions of Religion Romish and Reformed the latter increasing to the distemper of Him and his Successors His Daughter now left Heir to the Crown at eight daies old Age or Sex not debarring Hereditary Right to rule over their People which occasioned Her whole Life and Reign most sad and troublesome to so excellent a Lady To shadow out unto us that Eternity is not on Earth That Kings and Princes seeming the best substance of Elements and if possible incorruptible as being the fairest Seals of Natures impression yet these yield to the triumph of Death not calmly neither but by death dis-seasoned in several conditions of their life as well in Youth as after Age and so it fell out upon this Queen For being thus young Hamilton and Lenox cheef Heads of two Factions distracted all the one depending on Henry the Eighth of England whose only Son Prince Edward was afterwards affianced to Queen Mary And Lenox supported by the French King Henry the Second an utter Enemy to this Match These began the fewds which fell by Parties into a mischievous civil War And in respect her Person was aymed at by each of them to make advantage No sooner was Edward come to the Crown of England but that Queen Mother wise and prudent sent Her at Six years old to the French King and to the Duke of Guise for their Breeding And with Her to rid him for the present out of the way went Iames Hamilton Earl of Arran whom the French gained and afterwards created Duke of Chaste'auleroy He was the Grand-child-son of Iames the Second King of Scotland by His Daughter Upon their return he was Tutor and Governour of the Kingdome and her Heir designed in her Minority Of Him much is spoken hereafter But as He was plain and well meaning vexed with other mens policies so of himself
began his Rants applying all his Wit and Cunning of either he had sufficient to his own private discontent and ambition and under the goodly pretence of Religion had raked together such a rabble of the mad-headed Ministery countenanced also by the Duke Castle-herault that the whole Kingdom feared the disquiet The Queen of England might well as she did take compassion hereat two young couples her kindred and Successors having much to do to qualifie the twenty years custome of a turbulent people not to have a King till now and willing indeed to have none at all For Hamilton and Murray presuming of favour from England take arms but were so hotly persued by the King that they fled into England and were there covertly protected but might have been more openly by the same rule that some English fugitives had been received in Scotland as Taxley Standen and Welch besides Oneal out of Ireland All this was disputed by Ambassie from England of one Tanworth a Courtier to whom the Queen of Scots did not vouchsafe her presence her refusing to call her Husband King Thus stood the State of the Affairs in Scotland whilst the Queen conceived with Child and as if blessed in the peace of this Issue what she could never enjoy in her life she afterwards brought forth her only Son Iames the sixth a Peace-maker to all Our World in Iune 1566. But because the Religion as they call it is much concerned in all the troubles of that Kingdom as a defensive faction taken up at all times to mannage other Designs and Interests Give me leave to tell you their Story intermixing the affairs of State and other concernments of their contemporaries Wherein you shall find their pretended sanction from a Rule of Conscience to be an Instrumental of State from a pretence of Knowledge to be a very practice of Ambition Nor will it I hope repent the Reader the tedious Story for though Truth appears in Ordine Doctrinae yet never more fully than when we search the Original Veins thereof by the Increase Depravations and Decaies in Ordine Temporum And so we proceed to the History of their Church and State and the Contemporary Actions intervening with England and France and other Neighbour Nations The Life and Death of MARY Queen of SCOTLAND KIng Iames the fifth dying of discontent more than disease the 13. of December 1542. in the 33. year of his age and 32. of his reign left his Crown to an only Daughter Mary at six daies old as she did afterwards to her Son born a King Fatal sufferings to a people to be Subjects to young Soveraigns And this Succession was put into a Will patcht up by the Cardinal David Beaton and clapt into the Kings hand to sign The Government of the Kingdom for the present was intrusted unto the Queen Mother a wise and virtuous Princess of the House of Lorain And though she might as yet be ignorant of the Actions of State in this short time of her experience in Scotland but 4. years yet the Nobles dissenting factions agreed the rather herein to accept of her Each party presuming to work their ends the better out of her Ignorance The people were religiously divided in Opinions Romish and Reformed which had put the late King upon extremity of Iustice against the Separatists as they then were stil'd indeed Dissenting among themselves but afterwards Congregating and Covenanting gave them other Names But in their several Professions sundry persons suffered Imprisonment Life or loss of all The Scots derive their Christanity from the disciples of S. Iohn their Patronage of St. Andrew and the propagation thereof not from Rome I dare say noâ— indeed they will have it from their own Plantations in Germany where increasing Christianity the persecution of Domitian drove them home again into Scotland And so they utterly refuse to have any thing to do with Rome by means of Victor that held that See as others will have it But they confess That Celestine Bishop of Rome sent learned Palladius to convince the Heresie of Pelagius a welchman born and bred up in the Monastery of Banghor then overspreading that Nation And after his good success therein brought in say they Prelate Bishops having had by their favour Priests and Moncks long before and thereafter all kind of Romish Orders Nay Boniface the eighth making use of the complaint of the Scoâ—ish Clergy against King Edward of England cruelly afflicting them and also of the resignation of the people to the See of Rome The Pope thereby claims right to that Crown writes to Edward and malapertly Bids him not meddle with his Vassalls and Subjects But after too much lording of the Romish Clâ—rgy and the great Schism at Rome Pope against Pope three at one time Some men began openly to discover them to the world As Wickliff in England Iohn Hus and Ierome in Bohemia the Scots will have of theirs too Iames Resby and Paul Craw who indeed were but their Pupils that quarrell'd with their Arch-bishop of Saint Andrews and so began their fray So that the Scots reckon themselves happy without Bishops till Palladius from him to Malcolm from him to Patrick Graham their first Arch-Bishop who came in with that title to the dislike of all the Bishops The inferiour Clergy could not brook the strict authority of him and so by them and the Courâ—iers too boot Graham lost that Title And one Blacater traces his Steps and procures himself Archbishop also then followed Beaton and he brought in the Cardinals Cap and all these in opposition each of other which gave occasion to sundry men to publish these discontents together with some Corruptions of the Church not unlikely to make a rent And therefore the Pope sent unto Iames the fourth a Sword and Title Protector of the Faith and not long after his gifts were cheap unto Henry the eighth of England a Sword and Title Defender of the Faith I find the Scots had some Martyrs who begun their Reformation with private opinions Resby suffered anno 1422. Paul Craw 1431. In 1494. about 30. persons men and women called Lollards from one Lollard a Schismatick indeed not as the Fryer discanteth Quasi Lolium in area Domini And these put their Articles 34 in writing The first Protestation that we read of amongst them being in the year 1527. then suffered Patrick Hamilton of the Antient Family and so forwards many more The Northern Martyrs had repute of constancy in sufferings beyond others Which gives occasion to discuss the reason for it was observed That the people of this Isle exceed in zeal of profession and are called in Italian Pichia Pelli or Knock-breasts Hypocrites So are they naturally better qualified with courage in extremities of sufferings and therefore accounted most valiant in respect of the Climate the Heart furnished with plenty of Blood to sustain sodain defects is not so soon
to be rather for Conquest than Countenance and so was it time for the English to strike in for a share if not to prevent such Neighbour-hood upon that Rule Let the French be thy Friend but not thy Neighbour and indeed were afraid of an invasion as was threatned upon several Pretences And first the English Counsellors wisely considered not to provoke nor to give bad Examples for Princes to lend Protection to rebellious Subjects For so all Potentates esteemed the Scots against their Sovereign And on the other side it might be accounted little Piety to forsake a Protestant Party for so the Religion would have them But concluded it reasonable to be in Arms and to expect occasions It being alwaies the English fore-sight to prevent invasion at home On the sudden it was hastened to send forces to Scotland upon pretence however to assist Religion and so drive out the French from thence ere they should take firm footing there This Result might be grounded on former Examples by the English neglect lost Ambleteul and the Fortifications neer Bologn taken suddenly which necessitated the loss of Bologn it self presently after And the same carelessness rendered Calice to the French Upon which score lest Berwick and the Borders should be surprized forces are sent by Land thither and by Sea into Edenburgh Fryth with a Fleet that suddenly set upon the French Ships riding neer the Shore and their Garrisons in the Isle of Inchketh The Duke of Norfolk comes to Berwick with forces assisted with Commissioners Sir William Caecil Secretary and Doctor Wootton a Civilian And who must come to kiss their hands but the Prior of St. Andrews Iames the Bastard Son of Iames the fifth the Lord Ruthen and others Commissioned from Hamilton Duke of Castle-herault and the Confederates and there enter league with England In May 1560. For preservation of the Kingdom of Scotland against the French during their Mariage with the French King and a year after and for expelling the French provided that they preserve obedience to the Queen of Scotland The Governours of that State Who had imped their Wings with Eagles Feathers liked no game now but what was raked out of the ashes of Monarchy making head against Soveraignty And to make it the better called in to their aid the English Forces inviting their antient Enemy the English against the French and by that means turned her own Sword into her own bowells to the funeral of her own Liberty and so it was no wonder Scotland at that tiuse to pass under Foreign Servitude Evermore crying Liberty which they most avoided as they came neerer to the End and Event And hereupon an English Army of 10000. was sent under Command of the Lord Gray and were received by the Duke Arguile Ruthen and Others the Queen Regent with her faction took security in the Castle of Edenburgh The French inclosed within the Town issued out upon the Besiegers and put them to flight But rallying again forced the French into the Town and stormed it with great loss And now the Ministers make the fourth and last Covenant To expulse the French out of the Kingdome when in Iune 1560. the Queen Regent dies and forthwith came Commissioners Randan with a Bishop Deputies from the King and Queen in France Sir William Caecil and Doctor Whitton from England treat and conclude a Peace at Edenburgh in Iuly That the English and French should depart the Kingdom and 24. elect shall govern whereof the King and Queen in France shall nominate seven and the States five as one Council and six of those to be of the Quorum And Deputies of the Congregation to be sent into France by Petition to the King and Queen for granting privileges concerning the Reformed Ministers and their Religion Which Treaty Queen Elizabeth endeavored evermore hereafter to press Queen Mary to ratifie which she alwaies refused or excused And thus being rid of two devowring Armies some hopes remained to recover that poor Nation into reasonable quiet But the Strangets gone the Ministers pulpit their Design prescribing certain Diocesses to several Men. We shall use their Names hereafter Knox to Edenburgh Goodman to Saint Andrews Heriot to Aberdeen Row to Saint Iohnstons Meossen to Iedbrough Christoson to Dundee Forgeson to Dumfermling Lindsey to Lieth Afterwards they had their Super-Intendents Spotswood for Lothian Woram for Fife Willock for Glasco Canswell for Arguile and the Isles Dun for Angus and Mearors And then the next Parliament they supplicate for Liberty of Conscience with Invectives against Papistry but not Episcopacy as yet And presented 25. Articles of the Confession of their Faith ratified by the three Estates called Lords of the Articles viz. eight Lords eight Church-men eight Commons these are first to consider Articles and Heads and then to present them to the Parlament to pass and are called in the Latine Authores Apolecti And two Acts were published against the Mass the Popes Supremacy and Jurisdiction which were sent to the King and Queen in France for ratification but by them refused however Knox Winram Spotswood Willock Dowglas and Row devised a Policy of Church-Government which they called Discipline And fearing the future they send Commissioners into England to supplicate Queen Elizabeths assistance and support against fresh Forces out of France when in December 1560. Francis King of France and Scotland dies and therefore to his Queen Widow was sent the Lord Iames afterwards E. of Murray as her Counsel In this Interim the Ministers bethink of some Orderly Form in the Kirk The Manner of electing Super-Intendents was to summon the Churches about Edenburgh by publick Edict Iohn Knox presented Iohn Spotswood Super-Intendent of Lothian whom the multitude accepted and promise obedience as to their Pastor He by questions professes and answers That he accepts of this office without any respect of worldly Commodity Riches or Glory but since these daies of pluralties they leave out this Article without answering concluding to be subject and obedient to the late Discipline of their Kirk And thus he becomes a Minister of the Multitudes making which with the blessing of some one of them he is dismissed At this time comes over an Ambassadour from France to restore Bishops and Church-men He was answered Negative and so departed And presently after they fall to pulling down Abbies and Monuments of the Church And now begins Jealousies between the two Queens of England and Scotland For the Scots had sent into England for the Queens ratification of the Treaty at Edenburgh which she signed but the Queen of Scotland in France refused it with excuse until she comes home and consult with her Council which the other took ill Although she had endeavoured with reasonable Arguments to satisfie her Ambassadour Throgmorton therein But the Widow Queen arrived in Scotland out of France in August 1561. in most tempestuous weather Triste
establish Religion and abolish Mass but in that particular to be further discussed at Saint Iohnstons And forthwith was Darly created Earl of Ross and withall the Queen called for the Super-Intendents pleasing them with some Court-Holy-water but referred the business of Religion to a publique Dispute for Peace to the Kingdom This was not satisfactory to them but they advise upon six Articles for the next Assembly And then they presented them to the Queen at Saint Iohnstons by Commissioners from the Church National at Edenburgh as they now stile themselves First For abolishing all manner of Popery universally to be suppressed not onely in each Subject but also in the Quâ—ens own Person Secondly Provision of Maintenance for the Ministry and dissposing of Livings Thirdly For Tryal of Sufficiency of Super-Intendents and Ministers Fourthly For all lands of Popish Foundation to be restored for maintenance of the poor and Scholars preferment Fiftly Against all horrid Crimes Ecclesiastick and Temporal be appointed two Iudges Sixthly For ease and support of poor Hâ—â—sbandmen c. The Queen receives these Articles but refers answer till she comes to Edenburgh in eight daies which displeased the Assembly who therefore have private meetings and elect eight persons to see the Brethren well armed and after a longer time of attendance get answer in Writing To the first The Queen is not perswaded to Presbytery and believes no impiety in the Mass and so not to be prest against Her Conscience nor will she forsake hers and having no assured consideration to countervail the same she may not loose thereby her Allies of France the maried Ally of this Realm and other her Confederates That seeing they plead for Freedome of Conscience she lists not to be bound up That for the Establishment thereof in the body of the Realm she refers to the consent of Parliament and in the mean time assures that for Religion on her part none shall be disturbed Secondly She thinks it unreasonable to be defrauded of so great a part of the Crowns Patrimony as to put the Patronage of Benefices out of her own hands and want Support but allows consideration of her own Necessity and the Ministers Support The rest in effect she refers to Parliament By the way from Saint Iohnstâ—n to shew her inclination to the Kirk being to Witness the Christening of the Lord Levinstons child She gave her presence to the Protestant Sermon which she never did before And yet had she notice of some Conspiracy of the Kirk upon which divers were committed at Edenburgh And being minded to mary she prorogues the Parliament till September and summons by Letters such Lords and Gentlemen that were neer with Arms and Forces for fifteen daies to attend her person at Edenburgh the 23. of Iuly and proclamation also for Free-holders in like manner then Ross was made Duke of Roâ—hsay and the same day the Banes and Mariage was concluded Murray both privately and publickly was advised to attend but refusing an Herald is sent and after eight and forty hours he was denounced Rebell and put to the Horn and Arguile also And now begins Parties to stir Athole against Arguile Lindsey against Rothess the Lord Gourdon after three years imprisonment in Dunbar was released and restored to be a Bar in the North to ballance with Murray In the evening the Mariage was proclamed By name Henry and Mary King and Queen of Scotland and solemnized the next Morning 27. Iuly 1565. Not without Divine providence for the more certain conjunction of both Kingdomes in their right of Descension from Margarite the eldest Daughter to Henry 7. of England who had but two children Iames the fifth by Iames the fourth and Margarite Dowglas by Earl Angus her second Husband This Iames the fift had but one Child Mary sole Heir to the Crown Margarite Dowglas brought up with her Uncle Henry 8. maried Stuart Earl of Lennox who was banished into England by them came Henry Lord Darly and Charles father to Arabella So that the whole right of Q. Margarite all other issue of H. 8. failing was united in these The Earl Rothess the Laird Grange and Pilcar with others of Fife were put to the Horn for not appearing and immediately the Drums beat for men of War to take pay for the King and Queen which alteration begat several fears The Lords disperse to Arguile and send Elphinston into England for support who brought ten thousand pound Sterling And in August the Lords meet at Ayre Hamilton Arguile Murray Glencarn Rothess Boyd Uchiltry and Others conclude to be in force the 24. of August which the King prevented by hasty proclamation of their rebellion and commanding all men to appear at Lithgow the same day Upon the ninth of August being Sunday the King comes to the High Kirk at Edenburgh and hears Knox preach who speaks against Government of wicked Princes and for the sins of the people God gives them Boyes and Women Iustly punishing Ahab for not ordering the Harlot Jezabell Immediately Knox was summoned before the Council and silenced for twenty daies and Cragg to supply his place The 25. of August the King and Queen journied to Glasgow and the next day the Lords met at Paisley with a thousand Horse and march to Hamilton keeping the passes in sight of the King and Queen and so to Edenburgh entering the Town notwithstanding the Canon-shot of the Castle and immediately beat their Drum and offered pay for Defence of God as they called it but to Men or Arms came to their Support and that was strange for all the chief Lords were there the Duke Murray Arguile Glencarn Rothess Boyd Uchiltry and other Barons They write expostulatory Letters to the King and Queen without answer who martch with five thousand men Lenox had the Van Morton the Battel and the King and Queen the Rere and come immediately towards Edenburgh In the mean time the Castle makes six shot of Canon and the next day the Lords depart to Hamilton The King Queen pass to Sterlin and command all to return to Glasgow where remaining four daies the Lords being gone to Dunfres they return again to Sterlin their Army increasing both Horse and Foot and so to Fife where the Lords subscribe to defend the King and Queen against the English and Rebells and so come to Saint Andrews where the King summons the Lords by Name to appear within six daies which they refusing are put to the Horn and being come to Edenburgh they proclame The design of the Lords under pretence of Religion to suppress the present Government or to appoint Counsel of their own In October the Super-Intendent of Lothian with the whole Ministery under his Charge meet at Edenburgh present a supplication to their Majesties by their Super-Intendents Spotswood and Lindsay for payment of their Stipends which is promised to be paid The Lords removed to Carlisle the King and Queen march from
protested that although their Queen was content her innocence should be shewed yet being a free Princess she did not acknowledge her self Subject unto any The English urged likewise That they did not admit that protestation in prejudice of that right which the Kings of England alwaies claimed as Superior of the Kingdom of Scotland Queen Maries Commissioners declare by writing how Morton Mar and others had levied Arms misused their Queen and extorting her Resignation in Prison that Murray had usurped the Regency and inforced her to fly for succour into England Murray and the Commissioners for the King Infant answer and relate the manner of the late Kings murther by Bothwel for which the Noble-men called him in question whom the Queen protected that she voluntarily resigned and the Parliament had confirmed it and all this was evidenced by Letters Her Commissioâ—ers reply and deny all telling the Truth of these Stories in such particular as is before herein declared and therefore crave aid of England to assist Her The English Commissioners require better proofs than by Letters for Lethington had counterfeited her hand and was suspected might do â—o by these Murray refuses other proofs than such Letters as he shewed with much modest regret forsooth To be put to it to accuse his Sister at all unless the Queen of England would undertake to protect the King and to relinquish the Queen But the English told them all though there appeared not as yet sufficient for the present to be dilated upon yet Murray is required to leave some of his Company here to answer Exceptions which their Queens Ambassadors should propose hereafter and so they departed Much pleasing to the Duke of Norfolk so to break off having alwaies favoured Q. Maries Cause and from this time had a Mind to mary her But Murray to make things more safe poâ—â—s to the Queen of England and to her produces Articles and other 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Book called the Dâ—tection which had 〈◊〉 credit with her though â—illing she was that reproach â—ight lâ—dge â—pon the Queen of Scots Indeed many Engliâ—h Lords inclined to 〈◊〉 her 〈◊〉 at which Queen Eliâ—â—beth swore She 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 so long as Norfolâ— lives of whom hencâ—forward she was jâ—alous Duke Hamilton was returned out of Frâ—â—ce whither he had fled and besought that Murray might relinquish the Reâ—â—â—â—â— to him being as he 〈◊〉 his due as next heir to the Crown 〈◊〉 the Queen found his pulse beat too higâ— and least he should proceed in that Claim she commanded him not to depart without her Licence The Regent and his Company having leave to depart in Feâ—â—â—â— the Duke Hamilton made means to follow and being Lieutenant for his Queen and got home sends forth his Proclamations and sheweâ— his Authority which none obeys For Murray was comming to nip the Bird in the Head and comes to Glasgoâ— with an Army to whom Haâ—â—â—ton 〈◊〉 and prefixes a day for Hamilton with pledges to subsâ—ribe to his power at Edenbâ—rgh and there likewise he 〈◊〉 it off till his Queen sends her consent Hereupon he and Herris are committed 〈◊〉 and Huntley were the next to be reduced Both of them had been buâ—ie in the Regents absence but were now suppreâ—â—eâ— and so all 〈◊〉 to Perth to hold a Convention of â—tates Thither came two Packets from both Queens Elizabeth made three Propositions 1. That the Kings Mother might be restored to her 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 2. That her Name might be joined with her Sons in all writs and the Government continue in the Râ—gâ—â—â— 3. And if none of thesâ— then that 〈…〉 with all 〈◊〉 and honâ—â—â— without preâ—â—diâ—◠〈◊〉 the King This last was accepted the other rejected These Queens had several Designs in their Demands Elizabeth was wiâ—â—â—ng to be rid of the other rather than she should mary with Norfolk for she feared her great Friends here and beyond Seas And Mary was therefore more earnest to satisfy the Duke who meant not to adventure the Treaty upon uncertainties And Murray for these respects kept Bothwels title in being for from England he was assured by his Friends there that Norfolks plot and Queen Maries was so cunningly conveyed that no wit nor power was able to countermine Yet he remained stedfast and sent one of his Domestiques to Queen Elizabeth with Queen Maries Petition and their answer but She not satisfied with such an Ordinary Messenger the Abbat Pitcarn was sent Express from the Convention at Sterlin held only for that purpose About the same time of his last arrival at London the Duke of Norfolk was committed to the Tower October 11. and the Conspiracy discovered which was thus Murray with much cunning before his late departure out of England proposed some hopes to Norfolk of mariage with the Queen of Scots and secretly induced a belief of her present restoring and spread these Rumours to prejudice her and to increase jealousies with many other suspitious which surrounded Queen Elizabeth Of Rebellions at home and Plots abroad by the Papists And as many more Tales that Q. Elizabeth and Murray had compacted against the young King To wipe off these an Apology was printed in Queen Elizabeths defence In truth she was much perplexed with fears out of Emulation of the other Yet with some compassion for her Imprisonment and in both these distempers there wanted not Instruments to rub the wound Mary often solicited Queen Elizabeth with humble yet Princely Letters with such compassionate Eloquence that though the Queen had a Wolf by the Ears yet with tears had oft resolution to return her Home and dealt with Murray by Messengers herein but he was settled in malice and would not incline Then was rumoured the Mariage of the Duke of Norfolk with Queen Mary as advantagious to both Realms and security of the Kings person who must be brought also into England and so under Queen Elizabeths power and she so to be secured of fears And that for finishing so good a work the Dukes Daughter should be contracted to the King And these Designs many the chiefest Earls in England had contrived Murray himself at his being here intimated no less to the Duke for that She having maried her self to a Boy then to a rash young Man and last to a Mad-brain might now recover her honor to wed him a Man of discretion Nay more secretly by Melvin offered to the Queen of Scots his Service to effect it And the Secretary Throgmorton with the chiefest Lords Arundel Northumberland Westmerland Sussex Pembroke and Southampton and Leicester also his Rival were all of the Plot and he broke it very seriously to Norfolk Upon which the Duke not faint-hearted courted the Queen by Letters and all consenting Articles were propounded 1. For security of Queen Elizabeths person and issue 2. To Covenant a League between both Kingdomes 3. To establish Protestant Religion 4. To receive into favour with pardon all the Scots 5. To Revoke her assignation of the Kingdom of England
and some to the Gallies but were only all banished The King of Spain sends the whole Process to Venice and by His Ambassadour Lieger there one Mendoza declares publickly to all the World That in case his Minisâ—ers should so offend He remits them to punishment where they resiâ—e And another Mendoza for abusing our Ministers of Staâ—e here was first restrained and after banished 1586. See Another hereafter in this Kings Reign the Marquess Inojosa for scandâ—lizing the Prince and Duke of Buckingham 1624. And our Bookmen say that a Forein King though admitted here by safe Conduct for without Licence he cannot come may be impleaded for Debt or Trespass and condemned for Treason for iâ— is a general Law of Nations That in what place an offence is committed according to the Law of that place they shall be judged without regard of any Privilege For a King out of his proper Kingdom hath 〈◊〉 merum Imperium but only retains Honoris Titulos Dignitatis and per omnia distringitur etiam quoad personam And the same assuredly is of their Ambassadours Nâ— occasio daretur delinquendi He hath protection of His pâ—rson Like as a Sanctuary will save a Mans life from Manslaughter but not when Manslaughter is committed within the Sanctuary for then he does willfully wave the benefit Indeed their Persons as their Masters are sacred from violation of private men but not from punishment of offences against the publike State See Cook 7. part c. Here are Presidents but it hath been more nicely disputed let others conclude This year gave end of daies to that antient Noble Lord William Pawlet Marquess of Winchester and Lord Treasurer of England twenty years having lived 97. years whilst he saw the Children of his Childrens Children to the number of one hundred and three persons 〈…〉 bishop in spite of Adamson a Minister preaching against that Order which he divided in three sorts 1. The Lords Bishop to wit Christ and such was every Pastor 2. My Lord Bishop such who sit and vote in Parliament exercising Iurisdiction over his Brethren 3. The third sort was my Lords Bishop one whom some Lord in Coâ—â—â—substitutes hiâ— Receiver without means or Power Episcopal whom he called a Tulchan Bishop because the Tulchan which is a Calves skin stuffed with straw is set up to make the Cow give down her Milk Mr. Knox he preached more and pronounced Anathema dantâ— anathema accipienti Whilest the Estates were busie at Parliament far off from Edenburgh and thereby secure an attempt was made upon them There was one George Bell in Edenburgh Ensign to a Foot Company born in Sterlin well acquainted with each Corner there and each Lords Lodgings possibly to be surprized in their careless watch He marches from Edenburgh with two hundred Horse and three hundred foot Earl Huntley and others their Leaders thither and undiscovered till they had planted the Market place and set Guards in the Lanes entered the Lords Lodgings and surprize them Prisoners the Regent Glencarn and others Morton only defends himself with his Servants and the Enemy in hast set the House on fire some of his Men slain he yielded to Balclough who had married his Neece Margaret Dowglas The Souldiers careless fall to plunder the Houses whilst Mar and his men in the Castle force the Market place but in vain Then he sends sixteen pieces of Brass called Founds to his own new House a building and so not reguarded for plundering got up to the upper Rooms and shot out at the Windows into the very street when the Enemy was thickest who thus amazed fled without order and Mar pursues them with such other that crept out of their Hidings and make a sufficient number to be again Masters of their own both Prisoners and Spoil Morton and Glencarn seizing their Keepers the Regent was taken by David Spency who to save him at 〈◊〉 from the Souldier lost his own life and His also So both sides were vanguished and both victorious in a few hours Of such advantage is diligence and expedition and mischievous is negligencâ— and security Multum in utramque partem fortuna potest as Caesar saies The Kings Grandfather Lenox thus dead and presently buried there were three listed for Election Arguile Mar and Morton the first but lately reconciled to the Kings part the last was best beloved but Mar had the charge of the Kings person and so caried the vote to be Regent Sept. 1571. Much he could not do in his small time of Government he convend the Country and sate down against Edenburgh but wanting Artillery returns to Liâ—th parts the Kingdom â—â—to quarters and sends for their Divisions by turns Those in Edenburgh issue oâ—t and set fire on Dalkieth with Spoil and Pillage return but were so close beset that wanting victual they pâ—ocure the Ambassadors from France and England to mediate the reconcilemeâ—t And for a Preaâ—ble to future peace the Ambassâ—â—ours obtain a Truce in Iuly beginning the first of August 1572. until Ianuary following The Conditions were that Edenburgh should be free for all the Kings Subjects which was to say that the Enemy could keep it no longer And before the end of this Truce Mar takes leave of this life in a desperate Feavour at Sterlin October 1572. and without dispute Morton was elected to succeed him And now let us to return to England where in November 1572. appeared a blazing star alwaies portending ill fate to great persons It was placed Northwards in the Constellation of Cassiopeia making a Geometrical figure with three chief fixed Stars lozing-wise called Rombus It appeared bigger than Iupiter and less than Venus It never changed place but carried about by motion of the Heavens as other fixed Stars and so continued six moneths The Sphere far above the Moon where no other Comet was ever seen or indeed Natural can appear so strange to Astronomers as since the Creation was never the like and had onely reference to Caelestial or rather super-Câ—lestial consideration And therefore forthwith followed in Ianuary that Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk was arraigned in Westminster Hall before Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury High Steward and 25. Earls and Barons His Commission being read Garter King of Arms delivers to him the White Rod which he receives and delivers to a Serjeant at Arms standing by and holds it up all the time The Duke was brought in between two Knights and the Ax held besides him by the Executioner with the edge from the Duke but after sentence it was immediately turned to him His Tryal lasted till night and all the matters before remembred were urged against him together with his own Letters as also those of the Queen of Scots and Bishop Rosses besides evidence by Witnesses whereof he was condemned as in Case of High Treason and after 4 moneths delay he was executed upon the Tower-Hill where he acknowledged and confessed all Aboâ—t ten daies after Commissioners were sent
with the then congregation And afterwards in the ordering of distribution for Ministers amongst the Burgs he was elected for Aberdeen the place then of the ablest Papists the rather therefore to reclame them from their errors by practice of Piety profound preaching wherein he profited to again of many to the faith in 14 years labour and dyed 60 years of age And now was Andrew Melvil a fiery zelot labouring for the absolute Presbyterial discipline of Geneva iâ—sinuating with Iohn Dury minister of Edenburugh in their Assembly to question the lawfulness of the Episcopall function and the Authority of Chapiters in their election but himself cunningly pretended ignorance but since the question was so started he commended the speakers zeal seconding the purpose with a tedious discourse of the flourishing estate of Geneva Church and the opinion of wise Mr. Calvin and reverend Mr. Beza and came to affirm That None ought to be Officers in the Church whose Titles were not found in the 〈◊〉 And though that of Bishops were in Scripture yet not to be taken in the same sense that commonly was conceived Christ allowing no Superiority amongst Ministers Himself only Lord of his Church and all the Servants in one degree having like power Concluding Then the Corruptions of Bishops were so great that unless removed Religion could not be long preserved Hereupon divers are selected to confer three to three and concluded their opinions to the Assembly 1. That the Name Bishop was common to able Ministers of a flock his chief function to preach to administer Sacraments and exercise Ecclesiastical Discipline with consent of his Elders 2. That some one Minister might oversee and visit such reasonable bounds besides his own flock 3. And he to appoint Preachers with advice of the Provincial Ministers and the consent of the flock 4. And to suspend Ministers from their Office with consent of the Ministers of the bounds It is strange that the Arch-bishop of Glasgow and six other Bishops with Super-intendents and all interessed were not called to the conference though present in the Assembly Nor doth it appear that they spake at all therein so humble to hold their tongues in a case of their own or rather referring it to the Regents Wisdom whose opinion had been ever to uphold Episcopacy The next Assembly altered the question and formed it Whether Bishops as they were then in Scotland had their function warranted by the Word of God But the Major part approved of those in the last Meeting The Regent finding them so to differ sent them word to settle upon somewhat and to abide therein Of which they take advantage and with much ado present a form of Policy to the Regent Acknowledging in their Preface That they did not accompt it compleat but to add or diminish as God shall reveal vnto them But some Troubles in State prevent their further progress The Regent flesht in the fury of rapine having fleeced Commons and Clergy and settled the North and South Borders cared not for the Gentry and grieved the Peers His neerest friends the Earl of Angus and others forewarned him of his Slippery station But Morton settled in the very seat of the Scorneâ— careless of any complaints made good his greatness by grace of Queen Elizabeth whom he conserved with all diligent observance His aim was to ruin Hamiltons house hating them as his Hereditary Enemies scared thereto by an old Wives Rhime which bid him beware of Arrans Race Hamiltons Family whom he banished or suppressed The two last years as it seems slipt away in shew I am sure in silence of any disturbance for ought that Authors can tell to much purpose but it is like the more was in secret hatching For as the Queens Imprisonment grew to her impatient so by Q. Elizabeth it was heightned to some danger As a Wolf by the Ear. To keep her in durance was her own disquiet and to release her dangerous to the State all their study was to counsel what to do with her and with much difficulty it was agreed upon to put her to Death There was one Antonio d' Peres Secretary to Philip of Spain escaped thence out of Prison and over he comes to England as best able here to do his Master most injury He was grown intimate with the Earl of Essex which being known to Caecil Lord Burleigh he advised that Essex might deal with him to fish out somewhat from his Masters streams which was done to the purpose revealing all his designs for the imprisoned Queen and being rewarded here had his Invitation home again with some hope of reconcilement and favor also which fell out not as he desired but as he deserv'd for he was at last hangd for his labor In many of his Letters to Essex which since came to my hands I find much of the mâ—tter but for want of the Key the Cyphers put me to trouble with some consideration What uneven policies there were towards that poor imprisoned Queen Don Iuan of Austria Governour for the King of Spain over the Netherlands proud and ambitious being Neighbourly acquainted with the Troubles of England and Scotland for to him all these discontented Fugitives repaired was made believe that the Duke of Norfolk being gon the Queen of Scots was most fit to be offered to him and easie enough to be effected with the expulsion of Queen Elizabeth and assured hopes of both Kingdomes To which purpose he hastily makes perpetual peace with the Netherlands and labours his time and means to infest England But underhand to amuse Queen Elizabeth the more gives her the occasion to congratulate the Peace by sending the Articles for her perusal intending secretly with all speed to surprize some Pieces and Ports in England and Scotland with help of the Pope who sent to the King of Spain in his behalf and the chief Fugitives of England and Scotland being with him he in an instant had swallowed the Conceit and Mariage of a Queen with two Kingdomes to boot but his wilde ambition the sooner flatted and he fooled into neglect and disdain And now dies that Princely Lady Margaret Dowglas old Countess Dowager of Lenox 63 years of age whom Queen Elizabeth kept in England at her elbow whilst her sonne Darly was maried to the Scots Queen and her husband had power there She was descended from Henry 7. by Margaret his eldest daughter maried to James 4. who had James 5. And being a widow maried to a second husband Archibald Dowglas Earl of Angus by whom she had Margaret Dowglas of Harbotel in Northumberland who maried Mathew Earl of Lenox leaves France and comes into England to Henry 8. And here invested with honour and land in Yorkshire From these issued Henry Stuart Lord Darly who maried Queen Mary of whom came King James 6. So then her descent was royall in King Edwards time in much honnor here but after in adverse fortune she lived
supervivor to eight of her children thrice imprisoned for affecting mariages with Thomas Howard son to the Duke of Norfolk then for her sons match with Queen Mary and the last was for her younger son Charles with Elizabeth Candish daughter to the Countess of Shrewsbury and mother to the Lady Arabella She was Nobly intombed at Westminster an elaborate Sepulture and then left living King Iames the sixth and this Arabella who was thus neer to the Crowns And therefore imprisoned hereafter by King Iames for intermariage with Seymor the now Earl of Hartford but she died without issue and so without 〈◊〉 of future interest to these Kingdomes See anno 1616. Amongst other of Mortons plots and processes raysing the Revenues of the Crown one was for recovery of some lands which was given by the Queen to Mary Levingston whilst she was her maid of honour and now maried to Iohn Simple who made his best defence in his sute but fearing the Regents rigour had passionately avowed That if he lost his land the other should lose his life This and other discourse that he was countenanced by Lord Iohn Hamilton and his brother Lord Claud instigating also Adam Whiteford of Milton Nephew to Simple to kill the Regent in the street with an Harquebus Simple upon Torture confessed all and more also his cowardize not affording him courage to hold out Whiteford did better his constancie was not terrified with the wrack and therefore gave suspition that the others confession was extorted by the pain of punishment yet to make out the matter Simple was arraigned condemned and brought to the Scaffold but pardoned the like had the other and both of them the favour of the people to blame the Regent for his rigour whose main intention was thereby to invalue these Lords and their estates to his griping gain One Allester Dow Macallan a notorious thief was apprehended by Earl Athol who was prohibited by the council and charges directed against him for exhibition of the man the fellow being set at liberty by Arguile falls to his old profession and robd Athol who in revenge invades Arguile and so the countrey take uprore thereat until an Herauld discharges those convocations and cites them both before the Council but were reconciled Arguile goes on and arms against Claudonald seizes the Regents Messenger tears his Letters missive and swears him and his Train not to return to tell tales This insolencie fires the Regent to revenge and for the present did no more than proclaim him Rebel But these and other tumults shewed an Ecclipse of Ministerial Government and gave means to private mens discontents to open a way of complaint against the Regent Alexander Arskin attending on the King takes advantage of Arguile and Athols reconcilement plots with them to open their Causes to the King which they must countenance and did but so craftily as that the one Athols counsel was called upon the others complaint And advise to summon the Lords mostly enemies to the Regent to meet at Sterlin Mortons avarice and lust subjects him from his strength and Power that ruled all to become weak in Authority over any His enormities of several natures numberless which brought him sodainly to sinck Besides his fins the Hamiltons were his Enemies made so by his own malice upon that Noble Family as also upon the Earls Athol Montross and Arguile whose kinsmen he proclaimed Traytors for not appearing at his Call Arguile invites these Lords and others to accompany him to the King at Sterlin with remonstrance of such grievances as the State groaned under and were seconded by fit Instruments such as evermore reside at Court He is sent for by the King and Council but delaies time to make Friends their opinions various it was yet concluded as the safest way to piece Friendship with Arguile who refused unless he would also quit the Regency To this he demurs and retires from his Enemies power And this gave good occasion to the boisterous Praecisians whose pursute was after such prey as might innovate Authority which they hated because it was Regal though Mortons interest had been ever to preserve them the Arch-bishops only being lately commanded not to obey the Synods Decretalls against which they complain in the Pulpit and having there the liberty of the tongue for that time they tell all to the people and of more than he could be guilty The Earl of Angus was his Ally in blood and the chief of the Dowglasses who with Carmichel a Commander of War advise him to Arms But Morton rather submitted to a Parliament at Sterlin Thither he sends his Friends but withdrew himself and with them his Papers and Notes expostulatory of his good Services which were not liked because not Petitionary And thus they seemed to signify and first He craves leave of publique Iustice upon his Accusers If otherwise that his Majesty thought fit to oversee their disobedience to authority then to be pleased to disburthen him of his Office and not to suffer his Royall Name and Authority to be despised in the Person of his Servant for as he had oft times made offer to demit his Regency to his Majesty so now the more willing if a Substantial course might be assured for preservation of his Highness person the ordering of his Majesties Houshold and dispensing of the Revenues of the Crown And herewith he recommended the keeping of the peace contracted with England as a security to his Majesties Right and Title to Succession And so recounting his former Services from the Kings birth to this present His assistance at the Kings Coronation His and his Friends hazard at Lanside field the siege 〈◊〉 Brichen His legations undertaken into England the recovery of the Castle of Edenburgh the Pacification of the Realm all on fire a◠his first entrance the redeeming of Iewels and Plate of the Crown and restoring of the Royall Patrimony to some reasonable condition And in regard of all he craved no more than allowance of his expence and a discharge of his Intromissions by the Estates of Parliament These not sufficient to prevail and his friends having littl◠Power and his bad Cause to plead he was voted non-Regent And accordingly into the hands of Angus Claim Ruthen and Harris he delivers the Crown Scepter and other Regalities which were presented by them in a great Convention of Lords and Angus invests them on the King with the univocal acclamation of all He having not yet attained to the years of youth yet in this turbulent time took upon him the Scepter which was celebrated at Edenburgh and the affairs of State rendered to the King now at twelve years old but with assistance of twelve Noblemen three of them by turns alwaies about him and Morton of the number as to bring him to reason not to cast him quite off to ruin whose wit and experience was useful to the State which he soon imployed to master
them all The deposing Mort on exalted the Presbyterian hopes to erect the Geneve Discipline by Pastors Deans and Super-intendents and now to bring it about they call a Synod wherein all factions to the prejudice of the King were more cherished than Divine Worship intended for they decree The Ecclesiastical Regency to the Super-Intendents and left the Bishops only to one Church and exempt from Iurisdiction to relinguish Episcopacy and to omit Dispensation of Divine duties The King withstood this decree and revokes the business to his own brest and therein the Bishop of St. Andrews was the greatest Stickler The adverse party had Andrew Melvin a Man singular with them but not with the learned His tenents were To vindicate equality in the Ministry arrogantly endeavouring to suppress the Churches ancient authority and to erect to themselves a Statue of honour from the ruins of the Bishops disgrace Sick and ill disposed was the estate of Episcopacy the Praecisians prevalent in number The Nobles for Episcopacy joined with the Kings inclination To take protection of the fainting Ecclesiastick Discipline into his Care commanding the other to infuse fidelity into the people to abstain from innovation to reverence Bishops and follow peace Mortons 〈◊〉 gave him time and means to meditate Revenge and 〈◊〉 with the youthful inclination of the young E. of Mar 〈◊〉 quarrel with his Uncle Erskin for assuming the chiefty of that family and the usurpation of the Kings Tutâ—lage It took fire with the Gallant who secretly with his Train possesses Sterlin Castle his Uncle Erskin and the King and puts by Arguile one of the three Assistants The noyse hereof brings the Lords into Arms and their care of the Peace of the Kingdom assign Commissioners herein who decree all Erskins former interest upon Mar. The Queen of England sends Randolph whose often Legations had made him exquisite to congratulate the King whose rare and various Ornaments of Wit and Learning eminent in such an age as no Prince could ever parallel assures the Queens great affection and perswades the Lords to peace which was patcht up for the present But Morton grows insolent abolishing the Triumvirate rule and usurps all to himself of which Arguile Athol and Montross remonstrate to the King who refers it to the next Parliament in Iuly at Edenburgh where secretly some Lords covenant whom Morton undermines by fraction and advises for the meeting at Sterlin as more wholsom for the King and Nobles but indeed fitted for his faction of men of Arms and so it was to be there in the Court of the Castle and not as usual in the Common-Hall against which the other Edenburgh Lords protested as invalid and would not meet But the Parliament sate and the King this first time adorned with Majesterial Ornaments Robes and Scepter told them That it was not material where they met so his safety were included that his Court entertained all excluded none However this place should be no Prescript for posterity that he intended no innovation against his Predecessors Institutions that the opinions of a few should not dictate to the whole and so approves the Act by Proclamation Montross a Commissioner for the Lords remaining at Edenburgh posts thither with this news they take Arms ten thousand men and yet declare for the King Angus Mar and Morton do the like at Sterlin whâ—re both sides incamp but fought not at the earnest endeavour 〈◊〉 the English Ambassadour Sir Iohn Bowes and all disband And to piece this Discord the King proposes Moderators Lindsey Harris Ogleby Innerness for Arguile and Rothess Bucan Ruthen and Boyd for Morton but not prevailing Morton retires to his Palace at Dalkieth In whose absence the Delegates accord and he and Arguile and Athol meet and feast at Lieth which so pleased the King that he congratulates those whose endeavours had acted so much good and they again discuss what can be commodious for his Princely Dignity Magnificence and Profit And it began to be time so to do the Kings wants the Council supply by over value of Coyn which the Citizens withstood as over bitter for their digest Experience having taught this truth That the value of Silver alters the price of victual and all vendables the King as the great Rent Master or Land-lord bearing the greatest Loss for the future though not discernable for the present to his raw young Counsellors and this trick was put upon Morton and worse happened to his destruction The Earl Athole Lord Chancellour by the extremity of his disease yielded to nature or rather a delaying consuming poison forced him hence the suspition fell sadly upon his Corrival Morton and the revenge fell into the Power of Arguile who was chosen Chancellour in his Place This occasion no doubt the very Devil put into Mortons head to work himself mischief for in pure Conscience he intimates to the King the story of his death and so instigates his anger against the Hamiltons remembring also the slaughter of his Grandfather Lenox and of Murray late Regents and for these other crimes aforesaid 1573. and so begins their persecution with fire and Sword assisted with Mar and Angus The Hamiltons within their Castle and other places besieged were forced to yield to the Mercy of the King who executed the Actors of the Paracide and pardoned the rest Iohn and Claud the Sons of the late Duke of Castle-herauld in great distress what to do adventured to fly into England whom the Queen vouchsafed harbouring and sent Master Erington to intercede with the King The next Parliament was in October at Edenburgh where the King shewes himself to his People his years advanced with his Princely understanding to extraordinary Fame requiring his person more publike than at Sterling Solemnities and Ceremonies of Princes being the formal entertainments of reverence and respects And so he rode in all possible State the first day of sitting A great novelty to many to find Majesty in Man that had but seen the shadow for mâ—â—y years in Queens or Counterfeits but now attracted from the peoples hearts and hands venerations and blessings He tells the Houses the benefit of peace and this blessed opportunity to confer with them for the good of the Kingdome which his non-age had denyed them administring rather occasion of Commotion than the remedy of publick grievance which now he resolves to redress alwayes reposing confidence in their wise Counsels and calls God to witness his part aimed at the Preservation of Religion Subjects safety and Kingdoms security And first he enacted The form of Confession agreed in anno 1567. To the Prescript administration of the Sacraments in Act and Will That the present Religion embraced was to be esteemed Orthodoxal in doctrine and discipline And to be imposed upon all that went beyond seas by Oath and Subscription The Bible commanded in Scotch to each family The Power of Ministers regulated and
conserving the peace of Religion to which they were urged by the factious Ministery and which to secure they endeavour to remove Lenox and Arran from the King that was their colour but in their absence they invite the King to Ruthen Castle and their seize him Prisoner with threats of death untill he consented to the imprisoning of Arran banishing of Lenox into France and the return of the fugitive Angus out of England Of this the distressed Queen of Scots Prisoner at Sheffield writes to Queen Elizabeth a long letter full of miserable sadness Exquisitely expressing all her sufferings from the first of her subjects very oft Rebellion against her from which persecution being invited by her Majesty to rest secure upon her Princely succour and defence she is now by length of time drawn on to dispair of release from that hand which lodes her with lingring of a lothed life plainly and justly demonstrates her to be active and passive consenting to all her Mishaps She calls God to witness her Impartial affection to her Person and her innocency from prejudice of her affairs and State Desires justice of God and her and implores the mitigation of her misery and some more freedome though with Imprisonment of her Person Layes all particular differences home to the Conscience of the Queen and signs to her Letter Vostre tres desolei plus proche parente affectionate Seure Mary Reg. Indeed these were sharp and peircing which so much disquieted Queen Elizabeths Conscience that she consults to release her jointly to govern with the King And eight Articles were drawn up even such as they were the world knew she would never refuse for her extremity enforced her to yield to most unreasonable but this was but to spin time till the State could find some other expedients or some exceptions which dayly happened by Examinations Confessions or Suspitions grounded upon slender yet continual attempts of private persons and publique Designes of Forein States for the poor Queens interests which failing for her good she was though innocent sure to smart But because the manner of the Kings restraint in Ruthen is diversly related and which the Kirk justified for their own ends I shall adventure upon the Truth in these particulars hereafter Some of the Lords combining mischief to the King under colour of Religion and Liberty of the Kingdom took occasion and advantage of the Duke of Arrans absence from the Court and detained the King at Ruthen These Conspirators were Iohn Earl of Mar William Earl Gowry Lords Lindsey Boyd Clames and Oliphant Some Abbots and Lairds and stopt the King going to hunting who not being answered to the reason and cause grew in passion which concluded in tears to be thus vilified But it was reproached That better bairns should weep than bearded men This news hastens the Earl of Arran to Court where he was soon secured and bid be patient with safety of his life for his brother William Stuart was wounded by the way and kept Prisoner The like course they take with some Noblemen sent by the Duke of Lenox to enquire of the King Who cried out to them that he was a Captive and desired his good subjects to release him The conspirators excused themselves that their surprize only restrained the King from Arran and from Lenox whose banishment they threatned into France And forcing the King to pacifie the people with a Proclamation That for removing some differences His Majesty interposed himself Mediator and resolved to reside at Perth being his own free and voluntary choice and commanding such as were in Arms upon pretext of his restraint to dissolve within six houres on pain of death The Duke raises Forces but was countermanded by the Kings Letter to depart the Realm within twenty daies yet he retires to Dunbarton where the Noble-men and others flock to defend his Cause These uprores were posted to Queen Elizabeth who sends Sir Henry Cary and Sir Robert Bowes to advise the King to be counselled by the Lords against the Duke and Arran and to restore the Earl of Angus exiled in England since Mortons execution This last was obtained and soon after he was accepted into favour but much ado to incline the King to part with Lenox The Lords carry the King to Edenburgh where the Ministry justifie their act joyfully singing in Procession the 124. Psalm New Israel may say c. And the Assembly then convened ratifie the attempt on the Kings person at Ruthen and published it in all the Churches of the Realm to the regret and grief of all good men to see a bad cause thus coloured over and defended by the Church which made much for their Popedom that by these means of distraction the Lords gave themselves up to be governed by the Others Judgements Many there were that sided herein the most honest refused to subscribe But Arran was detained prisoner till the Duke was gon over Seas to France who fell sick at Sea and had leave to land at Blackness and so to pass by Queen Elizabeths favour though England where his sickness contracted into a Disease of which he died in Paris next year after and confessed the faith of the Church of Scotland which he alwaies maintained though in the Kirks policy he was accounted a Court Papist Two Ambassadors come from France Menvel and la Matt through England with whom was sent Davidson from Qu. Eliz. to undermine their Message being To work the Kings Liberty to confirm him to the French and renew the purpose of Association which was That the Queen of Scots should communicate the Crown with her son and administration of Iustice so that he may be acknowledged a lawful King by all Christian Princes and thereby all domestique factions suppressed This Embassy was voted in the Kirks Assembly to be a special grievance a wicked practice declaming in their Pulpits against la Matt who being a Knight of the Order of St. Esprit wore the badge of the White-Cross upon his Shoulder which they called The badge of Antichrist and him The Ambassadour of the bloody Murtherer meaning the Duke of Guise who sent him thither The King not able to do it otherwaies desired the Magistrates of Edenburgh not to demit them without a Feast at parting which was concluded on the Monday after And all cost prepared in Order thereto When on Sunday the very day before the Kirk proclame in their Pulpits the next day to be kept fast and in malice to the Kings honour therein appointed three Preachers the one succeeding the other to weary the poor peoples attention from Morning till night Thundering Curses Anathema's and Excommunication against all Nobles Magistrates and Others that attended the Ambassadors The good King sees these insolencies but lodges them up in silence till he got power to remedy these wrongs About this time dies Buchanan whose Character is chronicled by the Arch-bishop of Saint Andrews in his History of
their Church For his excellent wit and incomparable learning Born near the Highlands After his first commitment 1539. for his versifying against the Fryers he escaped to France Returning 1560. he professed Philosophy at Saint Andrews and became the Kings Tutor He is concluded by all moderate and faithful Recordes That he penned his Scotish History with eloquence and with such Judgement as that he is justly blamed by most men for joining with all factions of the time and evermore to justifie any base and scandalous proceeding against Queen Mary and falsly and fowly he endeavoured to depress the Royal authority of Princes siding with the Treasonable tenents of rebellious Subjects which afterwards he expressed with bitter unmanerly sauciness of his Soveraign Queen then deceased This is the joint opinion of some with whom we may be convinced to incline This next Summer the King got free from his Attenders for being in Faulkland he desired to visit his Uncle the Earl of March then at Saint Andrews where he took a view of the Castle and being entered the Captain of the Guard Colonel Stuart acquainted with the Design clapt to the Gates and shut out the Company and the next morning came the Kings friends the Earls of Arguile Marshall Montross and Rothess And of his former Jaylers none but the Earl Gowry was admitted by the Collonels means who had been his Servant and upon his humble submission for his Fact at Ruthen was received to mercy and all these Lords elected his Counsellors with Inhibition that none should presume to come to Court with more attendants than fifteen with an Earl or Bishop ten with a Lord or Abbot or Priour and six with a Baron And now declares in publique That however his Majesty did with patience perforce indure his restraint at Ruthen and all those former passages of Treasonable disloyalty yet willing to be an Example of Clemency to others he in favour pardoned all admonishing the Lords to do so too amongst themselves Yet their consciences accusing left not to convene in tumult and therefore for more security to the King they were confined to several Places by Proclamation which they disobeying were denounced Rebells except Angus who submitted and now was Iohn Metallan admitted Counsellor and hereafter became Chancelor of State These affaires took up the summer and at the fall of the leaf comes secretary Walsingham from Queen Elizabeth expostulating the Kings receiving of Arran and casting of his nobles who though thus mutenous as you have heard were yet justified by her to be defenders of his Crown The King told him He was not to be taught to rule in his own affaires being as free as his Princess and that his promise against Arran was made under his restraint but now being at liberty himself he doth him but the like justice Expecting his so much friendship from his Sister the Queen not to countenance his subjects in Rebellion The Ambassadour replyed that his Mistress medlâ—d not but for his good and complains that one Holt an English Iesuite and plotter in Throgmortons treason should be imprisoned by the King and yet permitted to escape by means of the French and not rather sent to the Queen he was answered that Archibald Dowglas guilty of his fathers murther and in England was not rendered to him as was desired Though in truth Holt got loose without leave And so the discourse ended in peace And in November Lodawick eldest sonn to the late Duke of Lenox from France at 14 years of age the King having sent for his Brethren before Investing him with his fathers honnors and lands and the Earl Montross to be his Trustee Some years after came over his sisters Henrieta married to the Earl of Huntley Mary to the Earl of Mar the third avowed her self a Virgin to the Cloister A younger sonne remained in France untill the King came into England where he was advanced to great honors Thus did a gracious King for a distressed family The former Declaration against the mutenous Lords could not deter them from conventions pretending the time too short which was limitted for their submission unto confinement And therefore in an Assembly of the Peers the King renews his offer of pardon to such as would confesse their foule act at Ruthen and submit to conforme themselves accordingly The Earl Rothess protests his subscription to that fact was forced upon him and repents to mercy from whose example the rest followed and the faction to fall asunder They had pardon and leave to depart some into Ireland others to France Amongst whom was Gowry who yet delayed his journey whilst he fell into new practises which brought him to his death No wonder to finde the Ministery much concerned in their Sermons to justifie one or other of these Revolters and the fact of Ruthen necessary and lawful Andrew Melvil affirming to the Council That the Presbytery only had power and authority to judge and censure the Pulpit and not the King nor his Council In primâ instantià to meddle therewith though they should be treasonable Telling the King to his face That he perverted the laws of God and man Upon which he was charged to enter his person in Blackness forthwith but he turn'd back fled to Barwick that night and alwaies after the Ministery complaining That the light of of the Countrey for learning and the only man to resist the enemies of Religion was exiled and compell'd for his life to quit the Kingdome And though the King descended to satisfie the people by Proclamation therein yet it caused a murmuring and encouraged Gowry to expect Mars and Glammins returne out of Ireland to joyne in Armes for Reformation of abuses in Church and State for preservation of the King and Kingdome The wonted old pretence of all Rebells Gowry to colour his intended treason from suspition comes to Dundee and there presseth a ship for his voyage But the King quickly advised sent Collonel Stewart Captain of the Guard to seize him who with others made some resistance but the Town concurring with the Captain he was taken and conveyed to Edenburgh under costody of Arran Within two daies after Angus and Mar surprise the Castle of Sterlin but hearing of the Kings march with formidable forces they fly into England Gowries confession under his hand sets down their practises thus That himself perceaving the Kings favour declining and his estate aimed at by power of his enemies he was forced to seek his own relief by concurring with other Nobles in the like Case by the means of James Erskin who travelled therein and assured me of their Return to Sterlin where we concluded That at home it was expected that all those who subscribed the bond in the first alteration would join with us and besides them the Earls Marshal and Bothwel the Lord Lindsey and others of the West From England we expected supply and that the Queen would intercede for restitution
unless she interposed her Seâ—â—â—nd Son would be excluded from inheritance to this Crown for that the King of Spain clamed a Right and would give place to none except to her self It was insisted upon the Letters of Nave and Curl She answered Curl was an honest man but no sufficient Witness and Nave was sometime Secretary to the Cardinal of Lorain and commended to her by the King of France and might be drawn by hope fear and reward to bear false witness and had a hand over Curl either of them might insert into Letters more than she dictated oft times she not examining them before she signed that all Princes may this way fall into mischief if their Servants and Secretaries may falsly accuse them I desire their presence face to face to reply to my Exceptions The Treasurer objected that she purposed to send her Son into Spain and to transfer her Right and Title to England upon that King She answered that she had no Kingdom to bestow however what was her own she might dispose as she pleased and not render accompt to any It was urged her Assistance and Pension to Morgan who sent Parry into England to assassinate the Queen She said Morgan for her sake had lost his Estate and therefore she was obliged in honour to relieve him nor was she bound to revenge an injury done to the Queen by a Friend that had deserved well of her yet that she did always deterr him from any bloudy Enterprizes However Pensions were allowed out of England to Sir Patrick Grey and other Scots my adversaries and to my Son also The heads of her several Letters to Paget Inglefield and Mendoza were read She said they made nothing to the Queens destruction but if any forein Prince would endeavour her enlargment it ought not be a crime in them or her having often intimated her self to the Queen that she would endeavour her own freedom She complained of her Servants and Secretaries perjury and treachery and very unfaithfull unto her that being a distressed Prisoner and grown in years there could be no hope to perfect those things which were expected from her and therefore she was advised to confirm the Succession of England to the King of Spain or to some English Catholick Nobleman And said that a Book was tendered to her for that purpose which because she not admitting incurred the displeasure of some eminent persons for being no hope from England she was to entertain forein help She desired to be heard in a full Parliament or before the Queen and her Council And now rising out of her Chair in great Majesty and confidence she exchanged some words with Burghley Hatton Walsingham and Warwick apart And so the meeting again was prorogued till the 25. day of October next at the 〈◊〉 chamber at Westminster before all the Commissioners where Nave and Curl constantly affirmed viva voce all those particulars which concerned them to aver and which she had denied So then Sentence was pronounced against her and ratified under their hands and seals in these words recorded By their unanimous consent at the Day and Place abovesaid they do pronounce and declare this judicial Verdict and say That after the end of the said Parliament specified in the Commission viz. after the first of June in the seven and twentieth Year of the Queen divers matters were compassed and imagined in England by Anthony Babington and others with the privity of Mary Queen of Scots pretending Title to the Crown of England tending to the hurt death and destruction of the Royal Person of our said Sovereign Lady the Queen And furthermore that after the said Day and Year and before the Date of our Commission the said Mary hath compassed and imagined in this Kingdom of England divers matters tending to the hurt death and destruction of the Royal Person of our said Sovereign against the form of the Statute specified in the said Commission All the Commissioners declaring that this Sentence did no way derogate to Iames King of Scots in right or honour but that he continued in the same right and honour as if that Sentence had never been passed This Sentence you see depended upon Nave and Curl and not face to face according to the first Statute 13. Elizabeth divers opinions passed whether credulous or incompetent Nave's Apology to King Iames afterwards 1605. purges him with deep Protestations neither Author nor Abetter nor remiss in his duty by negligence or otherwise but opposed the heads of her Accusation to the death But this appears not by Records his guilt shewed somewhat that needed an apology Not many days after a Parliament is called the which was begun by authority from the Queen derived to the Archbishop of Canterbury the Lord Treasurer and the Earl of Derby and the same it seems not without former Presidents A kinde of modesty perhaps that if a Virgin Queen must look upon her horrid act it must be seen through her fingers and Maries Sentence accompanied with the Proscriptions of the Lord Paget Inglefield Throgmorton Babington Salisbury Iones Tichburn Tilves and others confirmed and their Goods and Estates confiscate And the House of Peers by the Chancellor petitioned the Queen that the Sentence might be promulgated and besought her Majesty for safety of her Person and Kingdoms to execute justice on the Queen of Scots The Queen was not to be â—aught her Answer She acknowledged Gods protection and their love and circumspection for preservation of Her and her People against the many and mighty Plots of Hers and their Enemies How sorry she was that the Scots Queen notwithstanding her forewarnings should be thus entangled and guilty whom she protests as a Princess as her Kinswoman and Sister she had reluctancy to spare and to forgive were not the security of her People involved for their Peace she values before her own life Concludes her thanks for their care and advice But in a cause of so great consequence she will not be rash but consider Twelve days after she desires the Parliament to consult some other way of safety and to spare the Queen of Scots but they answer with no other satisfaction To which the Queen in an excellent method requests them to be answered without an Answer For if I should say said she I will not do what you desire I shall then say what I do not think and if I shall say I will do it I may precipitate my self to danger whom I know you wish to be conserved Then was Queen Maries Sentence proclamed throughout London and all the Kingdom which she apprehends chearfully and resolute and writes to the Queen for her Body to be allowed Christian â—urial in France where her Mother 's rested since violence was offered to the Ashes of her forefathers by the Puritans in Scotland nor could she hope for burial with the Kings of England that she might take her Death not in secret
but where her Servants and Friends could give good testimony thereof K. Iames her Son in sad perplexity for his Mother sends William Keith of his Bed-chamber with Letters to Q. Elizabeth though it seemed strange to him that the Nobility and Counsellours of England should take upon them to sentence a Queen of Scotland and one descended of the Royal Bloud of England yet he would think it monstrous justice for her Virgin Majesty to stain her hands with the Bloud and Death of his dear Mother a Lady of in comparable excellency in the worlds opinion and of the same Royal condition and Sex with her Self So if it should be resolved desires her to consider how his Honour stood engaged that was her Son and a King to suffer his Mother an absolute Princess to be put to an infamous Death Keith after some time of delay urges for an Answer but finding no hope he receives other Letters commanding him to shew the Queen how unjust the Proceedings had been against his Mother the Laws of God and Nations for an absolute Prince to be sentenced by Subjects and she the first Example of profaning Sovereign Diadems Himself concern'd in Nature and Honour to revenge such indignity and wills him to labour the delay of her Execution till he could send Ambassadours of his own into England for by Letters from Archibald Dowglas his Lieger in England he found him evil disposed to the business and therefore resolved to send one more honorable and of greater trust in his place But Keith doing his duty shewed the Queen his Masters direction enforcing her into some passion till Leicester and others calmed her and then she told him She would give no Answer in anger but consider till morning when she told him that no haste should be used if any other should come from the King in reasonable time â—roceedings should be staid and be glad to receive overtures to save the Queens life and assure her own The King certified of her passion posts other Letters more calm since his other were construed as threats to her Estates and therefore he courts her into kindness protesting that the Rumours spread amongst his Subjects moved them into disquiets and mutiny at the forms of Proceedings again their Queen That for his part he could well distinguish any pressure by the peril of her own life and so not blaming her directly prays her to put a kindness upon Him Her real Friend desires time till his Overtures be heard hastily coming by the Master of Gray and Sir Robert Melvil who were to set out on Saturday after and came to London in eight days Queen Elizabeth was better satisfied with these being frightned before into fear of breach of the late League and War with her Neighbours and so gave them speedy Audience She told them how sorry she was no means could be found to save their Kings Mother and secure her own life They answer Their Sovereign to save her life will interpose his credit his Nobility as â—ledges that no Plot or practice should be contrived by her against your Majesty or otherwise to set her aâ— liberty and send her into Scotland and so the better to secure the Queen Asking the reason What should move any man to attempt against her Majesty for Queen Maries sake Because said she they think Her to succeed me and she a Papist Then say they these means being taken away the Danger apparently ceases for if her Right in Succession to England shall be made over in our Sovereigns Person Papists will have no more hope and this we are sure his Mother will resign to him But replied the Queen she hath no Right being declared incapable of Succession If so that she hath no Right said they the Papists pretences cease and so no fear of them to enterprize for her But said she the Papists allow not our Declaration Then let it sink said they in our Sovereign by her Resignation Leicester being by objected that She being a Prisoner could not 〈◊〉 They answered It being made to her Son with advice of all her Friends in Europe in case Queen Elizabeth should miscarry none would partake with the Mother against her Son all the Princes her Friends standing engaged for her Resignation that it should be valid and essential for her Son The Queen mis-understanding was told the Ambassadours meaning that the King should be in his Mother place Is it so says she Gods Death that were to cut mine own throat He shall never come to that place and be party with me She was told that coming in his Mothers place through her Death he would be more party Well says the Queen tell your King what I have done for him to keep the Crown on his Head since he was born and for my part I shall keep the League betwixt us which if he break shall be a double fault and in passion got away Melvil made after requesting respite of execution for eight days Not an hour said she The King by this Conference expects extremity and therefore writes to Gray Think not to reserve your self any longer nothing doing good if her life be lost adieâ— dealing with that State As you affect my favour spare no pains nor plainness Reade what I writ to Keith and accordingly conform and in this your industry let me reap the fruit of your great Credit there and Duty here either now or never Farewell Leicester took some pains in a tedious Letter to satisfie the Kings importunity by telling him the common jealousie of all Princes for their own security especially by such persons as being within a Kingdom and claiming Title to that Crown should conspiâ—e with Traitors to kill the Queen comforting the King as well as he could how more dangerous Queen Elizabeths Death would be than his Mothers liberty would advantage concluding with grave advice not to quarrel the breach of amity and their last League of firm friendship And to boot Walsingham writes to the Secretary of Scotland the Lord Thirlstan with whom he kept private intelligence as a wonder the Kings earnest desire to save his Mother seeing all the Papists in Europe affecting the change of Religion in both Realms built their hopes altogether upon Her who in passion to Papistry had transferr'd her Right to both Crowns unto the King of Spain in case the King her Son should persist in his Profession And true it was that such tricks were rumored to divert the King from constancy in Religion but never so done by her if you will credit her Declaration at her Death though I know for I have seen it a Popish Abbot in the life of Cardinal Laurence at that time Protector of the Scots Nation affirmeth the said Translation of these Realms to be in his hands and delivered to him by Court Olivarez the Spanish Ambassadour at Rome but such forged Tales and Titles might have served the turn if the
the K. whom Huntley opposes with a weak Defence for himself whilest the Colonel escapes away and never more seen The King had a gracious inclination to Huntley having very lately married him to a gallant Lady of kin to the King but dismissed him the Court untill the Spanish Navy was dissipated and the general joy of that Defeat made all Friends at home Queen Elizabeth much pleased with the Kings fore-sight and with Maxwell's Commitment and Huntley's Banishment with other the like prudential Providences of the King sends Sir Robert Sidney in August to congratulate his wisdom herein and to conclude mutual assistance in case the Spaniard should land on either Kingdoms and discoursing of Spains ambition to seize on England Sidney said Your Majesty may be assured of the like kindness at his hand if he prevailed The King merrily answered That he expected the same which Polyphemus promised to Ulysses to devour him after his fellows and so with great curtesie dismissed him upon whose return home another Messenger was sent with News of the Navies overthrow But not to sit down with the contrary of Caesar's Motto who no sooner came but he overcame this Fleet no sooner seen but was sunk in the Sea the wonder of the worlds apprehension so invincible an Armado must needs demonstrate to these Nations Gods gratious and powerfull arm in the overthrow and though the main intent was against England whose Prayers and Pens have often given the glory to their Redeemer yet because some spoils of that wreck were cast on the Scots coasts we may not refer the Reader without the Book to others relation This Discourse I finde imprinted anno 1688. suddenly set out by the Queen to rejoyce her Subjects with each particular and published after by other Nations in French High Dutch and Hollands The Introduction invites the Reader to a religious consideration of the promise and power of God to defend his Church and People by Examples Lamech trusting to his sons inventions Iubal and Tubal-Cain boasteth unto his Wives that he would not take the least injury but he would slay a strong man in his wound and a young man in his hurt Nimrod in the second Age hunting men like wilde beasts erected a Tower to reach to Heaven in pride and contempt of God Nabuchadnezzar Nicanor and others the like It hath been frequent for the wicked to encourage themselves and discourage the good the one mighty in number the last but few and weak to that end tended the railing Rabshake the blasphemous Ambassadour of the wicked Sennacherib Make war saith he to Eliakim with my Master the King of Assyria and I will deliver to thee two thousand Horse Have any of the Gods of the Nations delivered their Land from the King of Assyria Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad those of Sâ—pharvaim and Ivah that the Lord should deliver Ierusalem out of my hand Truly the Italian Lamech and Spanish Nimrod the Pope and Spain the one by his Priestly practices Bulls Excommunications Interdictions the other by his several politick assaults heretofore not prevailing now his Babels Towers vast and high built Bulks Gallions Galliasses appear to amaze the World and frighten Heaven it self so that it may be urged in opposition to all as by the sequel was said of Iehosaphat We had no strength to resist so great a multitude coming against us neither knew we what to do but our eys were fixed on thee our Lord. The first Squadron was of Gallions of Portugal wherein were ten Gallions and Zabres amounting unto and imbarqued in them 7737 Tuns 3330 Souldiers 1230 Mariners 350 Guns The Army of Biscay ten great Ships and four Pinnaces 6567 Tuns 2037 Souldiers 868 Mariners 260 Cannon The Army of Castile fourteen Gallions and two Pinnaces 8714 Tuns 2458 Souldiers 1759 Mariners 348 Guns The Army of Andelusia eleven Ships 8762 Tuns 2400 Souldiers 800 Mariners 260 Guns The Army of Guipeuzie fourteen Ships 6991 Tuns 2092 Souldiers 670 Mariners 250 Guns The Army of the East ten Ships 7705 Tuns 2880 Souldiers 807 Mariners 310 Guns The Army of Hulks 7450 Tuns 2804 Souldiers 640 Mariners 315 Guns The Pitaches and Zabres of Don Mendoza three twenty Hulks 10271 Tuns 3221 Souldiers 788 Mariners 410 Guns The Squadron of Zaregosse two and twenty Pataches 1131 Tuns 479 Souldiers 574 Mariners 193 Guns The Galliasses of Naples four 873 Souldiers 468 Mariners 1200 Slaves 200 Guns The four Gallies 400 Souldiers 400 Slaves 20 Guns Summa Totalis 130 Ships 20 Caravels 10 Saluces with Oars for publick Service 57868 Tuns 19295 Souldiers 8450 Mariners 2088 Slaves 2630 Guns The chief Officers were The Duke of Medina Sidonia Captain General Iuan Martines de Ricalde Admiral Diego Flores General of the Army of the Gallions of Castile Don Piedro de Valdes General of the Army of Andalusia Michael de Oquendo General of the Army of Givopesque Martin Bretandona General of the Ships of the Levantines Gomer de Mendoza Commander of the Hulks Antonio Hurtado Commander of the Pitaches and Zabres Diego de Medrano Chief of the Gallies The numbers of thousands of Quintals of Biscuit Pipes of Wine Flesh and Fish Rice Beans and Pease Oyl Vineger the Carriages of War and all manner of Provisions for Land-service would amaze the Readeâ— and weary the Accountant which was truly summed up and imprinted at Lisbone before the Fleet set out being the 30th of May 1588. And afterwards there followed out of Lisbon towards the end of Iune a supply of an Army of eighty Sail of Ships to joyn with the Armada Their design was to join with the Prince of Parma who was to meet them in the Narrow Seas and so to invade England together but whether he was kept in by the Hollands fleet who assisted the English or was not ready or bribed he came not forth at all The English had Pinnaces of intelligence that of long time before expected the Armado who were detained by cross winds The English Fleet anchored at Plymouth and having sight of the Enemy waited on them a loof playing upon such as scattered or lagged hinmost amongst whom was the Gallion of Don Pedro de Valdes taken in fight and sent to Plymouth Another of Don Olenquo which took fire but he was saved and sent Prisoner The Galliass of Naples sunck in the sands of Callis In which Road the Armado anchored attending for Parma but by a Stratagem of eight old Ships fitted with all manner of combustable matteâ— the Ordinance charged with Bullets Stones Iron and Chains and fired at a reasonable distance the wind and tide serving they were carried in a flame upon the midst of the Enemies Fleet at which time the trains taking fire it falling out to be night and so unexpected that not able to weigh Anchors they cut Cables and in monstrous confusion sayled they knew not whether without Order or Command made to Sea till the morning light
ranged them in some Order and sailed towards Graveling but no Parma appearing the English small Ships swift and sure chaced divers of them and sunck the great Gallions of Biscay Two others of Portugall torn and tottered fell upon Flanders and were taken by the Dutch The General returned Soutward with such of his Ships best provided and arrived safe at Biscay in Spain The rest of the Fleet taking the Sea Northwards in distress for Water and hindered with wind ignorant also of those Seas and shoulds that above 40. sayl were cast away on the Coasts of Scotland the Isles Orkneys and so round again Southward between England and Ireland As the great Ship of Florence fell upon the West of Scotland fired by the High-Landers And of all the Numbers of Ships aforesaid onely fifty five came safe to Spain there were lost thirteen thousand five hundred Men and Mariners and as themselves say not a family of repute in all Spain but suffered the loss of some kinsman and in this fray but one English Ship and one hundred men in all missing So that what the Spaniard provided in four year was thus far ruined in four Weeks to the glory of God and everlasting comfort of Great Britain The King on his part first at Court and afterwards through all his Kingdom gave publique thanks to God for this good riddance of so formidable an Enemy Whether the Astrologers were in the right or wrong that foretold of Wonders to happen this year and ment the success glorious to Spain or whether the wonder was that they should be sunck in the Sea as they were certainly they writ of this and the succeeding years full of fatallity as in France it fell out more fearful But for the Western Isles we felt none at all and yet the effects were threatned by them upon all of us The Scots Catholiques were much amazed at this event who Parma comforted with Letters Intimating the loss not great which should been the next Summer by a fresh Fleet prepared before to succour these which now joining will soon make good all the defects of the former Robert Bruce brought this news to Huntley to be communicated unto the rest of that faction and some money was sent amongst them but because Huntleys share was not parted proportionable to his desire and desert he grew cold in the cause and in some discontent the King took the advantage and advised him to subscribe the Confession of Faith and so was reconciled to the Church and neglected by the other ever after But he was put upon it to satisfy the Prince of Parma and by letter That after the escape of Semple as aforesaid he was so beset by the Kings jealousies upon all his actions that either he ought to yield or to depart or to have taken up forces to secure himself which he was not then able to do all hopes failing with the evil hap of the Spaniards But what had evil effect he should endeavour to recover by some good service for advance of the Catholique Cause However God had put him in such good credit with the King as that he hath altered his Guards and added of his own friends by whom he hopes to be assured and at convenient time to be Master of the King And so when the promised support shall arrive he should be able to spoyl the Heretiques and make sure for the Catholiques Besought him to be perswaded of his unchangeable affection though in outward shew he was forced to accomodate himself with the present time January 1589. Edenburgh Another such like was sent over from the Earl of Arrol whom Hay the Iesuit had seduced That since his Conversion he was obliged to advance the Catholique faith and that Religion the greatest and most important cause in the world being now joined to another civil consideration of great affinity to the affairs at Home He was therefore the more intirely obliged to his Catholique Majesty and that in Scotland His Highness had not a more affectionate Servant than ARROL And at the very same time other letters were sent by Huntley Crawford and Morton so did Maxwell stile himself in prison to the King of Spain when after their great regret for the mischance of the Navy they assure that if it had visited them it should not have found resistance in Scotland and with their Support have assisted sufficient against England The blame of all they lodged upon the English Catholiques refugers in Spain who in enmity to others did too much magnifie their own as best able to do all And therefore prayed his Majesty not to over-countenance the one to other neglect but that the ends of all should aim at one And then remitting to the advise and Declaration of some of his own Subjects lately returned from hence for several Commodious advantages how and where to land an Army in Scotland they proposed that with six thousand Spanish and money to levy as many more they might within six hours arrival be well advanced in England to assist the forces that he should send thither They advise him not to make Armies by Sea but to assign some of his forces to Scotland others by the West of Ireland towards England and so the forces divided part at Sea others in Scotland the enemy should be amused therewith referring much more to the bearer Collonel Semples relation The Jesuits of Spain tyred out of their plots and designs against England resolved to work out their way by Sedition in Scotland undermining the affections of any discontented parties and so being put in muteny they might easily restore their decaying Romistry Industry and Secrecy would bring it about To that end were imployed Bruce the old Lieger Jesuit with Creighton and Hay his former Comrades to perswade Huntly bastard son of Iohn the Prior of Coldingham son of Iames the fifth King of Scotland with Arroll Crawford and Bothwell to force the King from the Chancellor and Treasureshands and no difficulty to induce the people to resent their actions supposing the King to be weary of such power about him as reduced him to their dispose The Faction of the English flesht with his Mothers death in time would do so by him and his Friends and no doubt these sufferings would soon justifie their rising to rescue him and the Realm from ruin and no mention being made of Religion the Country would be more calm to resist their enterprize The meeting must be between Lieth and Edenburgh and so to Edenburgh to settle themselves at Court about the King kill the two Counsellers Bothwel aboade at Crichton and kept about him some Souldiers whom he had seduced Crawford and Arrol with their Friends came to the Ferry Montross stay'd six miles off But Huntley came through and the evening of the appointed time assisted by Kinfawnes brother to Crawford and some of Arrolls servants these filling the presence find the Chancellour with the
continuas sese certissimum hoc periculum adiisse in vitâ Quinti pag. 180. But Marian a Spanish Jesuit says Clement had often premeditated with himself and imparted it to â—ome Divines who concluded it lawfull for any man to kill a King that is a Tyrant Mar. Lib. de rege et Regis Institutione cap. 6. pag. 53. though the Council of Constance possitively forbids it The Leaguers banish Navar from the Crown and Kingdom and differ about election of a King for though divers were in dispute they with some Justice in Rebellion elect Cardinal Bourbon a degree neerer to the Crown than Navar and released him out of Priâ—on to the Throne And the Duke de Maine a pretender is pleased to be Lieutenant General of France who instantly intends to surprize Navar proclaimed likewise King of France at Diep or drive him out of all Navar implores Q. Elizabeth profers league with her offensive and defensive â—he in reverence to Religion and pitty of his distreâ—s sends him twenty thousand pounds in Gold by which he kept his Stipendâ—aries Germans and Swisse from revolt some ammunition and four thousand men conducted by the Lord Willoughby with four Collonels Wilford Burroughs Drury and Baskervile The â—ame of the Queen interessed and these mens valour discomfited the Enemy the day before their landing who fled with bag and baggage to Paris and are pursued by the English and French who take divers pieces in Normandy and return home The King of Spain this while lay gaping after these distempers fomented by Mendoza his Ambassadour and Cardinall Cajetan the Popes Nâ—ncio not without their insolent proposition to nominate Spain Protector of the French Catholiques with such Prerogatives to boot as he enjoyes over Naples and Sicily of bestowing all Offices Ecclestiastical and Civil By which the French themselves foresaw his ambition to promote their Religion with loss of their Reason Thus stood the State of France distracted Navar unsettled war increasing which hindred the Queens design to promote a Match between the King of Scotland and Katherine Navars Sister as defensive interests in Religion to counter with the Catholiques and therefore she had advised the King to mary himself to his â—â—king for Katherines years was with the most and her means with the least which she understood was settled a year since on Ann the Daughter of Frederick the second King of Denmark But Navar she protects with great sums of money she had lenâ— him not three years â—ince a hundred and one thousand five hundred and sixty French Crowns wherewith he levyed his German Souldiers And the last year seventy and one thousand one hundred sixty five more It cost her twenty thousand Willoughbyes expedition And now this year she lends him thirty three thousand 〈◊〉 hundred thirty three more to muster an Army in Germany and as much more she spent for sudden service Thus much for France Every two moneths she paid to the Garrisons of Flushing and Brill one hundred and five and twenty thousand â—â—orins And two hundred and threescore thousand more to 3000 horse and foot in service with the Low Countreâ—â— Besides other Sums of mass expence at home and her own expeditions by Sea and in Ireland by Land Whether these moneys are mistaken by Historians figures the addition of a Cipher multiplying the same otherwise they are incredible but indeed this was the way to dy poor for she was much in debt But she was not nice in Husbanding her expence to good purpose or in providing for the main by extraordinary waies for she was sometime put to shifts then as well as her Successor since and by the Customer Carmardines intimation of the value of Commodities she raised her Farmer Sir Thomas Smith from the rent of her Customs of fourteen thousand pounds sterling annually to two and forty thousand and after to fifty thousand This gain was not put up to his own purse no doubt for the Lord Treasurer and Leicester and Walsingham opposed Carmardine whether of intercepting their Bribes therin or disparagement of their judgment and care not to finde it out themselves By her bounty to France she kept off the Spaniard from hence her own judgment that the end of France its ruine would be the Evening to England contrary to others opinion that now the cantoning of France by the Spaniard Leaguers and particular Pretenders she might put in for her share Picardy Normandy or Brittain but she kept them off from others For the Duke of Parma for his Catholick Majesty had run through Picardy called in by the Leaguers to relief of the Rebellion at Paris and Io de Aquila of Spain invited into Brittain to settle of pretension of the Duke Mercoeur to that Dutchy Queen Elizabeth looks upon this dangerous Neighbourhood and speedily she resolves of three thousand men into Picardy and Brittain and it was time to prevent the growing power of Spain admitted now into Paris who vouchsaâ—ed their lawfull Sovereign no other Title but King of Bern but the Spaniard as their Lord and King the Pope also lent some Switz to the aid of the Leaguers against whom the Queen proclames it Treason to assist them by any Traffick This Assembly of the Church now in Iune petitioned the King 1. For establishing the Churches Iurisdiction and abolishing all Acts to the contrary 2. For purging the Realm of Iesuits and Papistry 3. For providing Maintenance of Ministers out of the Tyths and the Remain to the Support of Schools and the Poor and Repair of Churches For the first the entrance into the Acts of Parliament always provide for the Church For the second he had already done it in part and would willingly perfect that Work And the last was committed to Commissioners of their own and others But to conclude the King advised them their duty as Peace-makers on earth by Preaching and Practice to remove the barbarous differences which the feuds of the Nation dayly foment and which by their former encouragements for private ends had been taken up so customarily as became national that their godly care for reconciling such variances might amend that Crime grown to that height as was abominable to all strangers I shall do my part said he and if you apply your pains my work will be the more easie and the success effectual And truly thence-forward such a course was taken that in future all those damnable feuds were quite abolished by this King Though for the present it prevailed not between the Earls Huntley and Murray in the North Iohn Gordon married to Widow Grant one of his Servants in private quarrel was killed by another of hers whom Gordon pursues and for not appearing is pronounced Rebell and Commission to Huntley to apprehend him in a house of the Grants he takes it by force but findes not the Fellow This was ill taken by that Family who fly to the protection of the Earl Murray with
for fifteen yeas together to his Death at Burdeaux his Predecessour in the time of Henry the Sixth hath on his Tomb this large Title Iohn Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury Washford Waterford and Valence Lord Talbot of Goodrich and Orchinfield Lord Strange of Blackmore Lord Verdon of Acton Lord Cromwell of Wingfield Lord Lovetoft of Warsop Lord Franifall of Sheffield Lord Falconbridg Knight of the Noble Order of the St. George St. Michael and the Golden Fleece great Marshal to King Henry the Sixth of France and died in the Battail of Burdeaux 1453. These he had and deserved more by the French Chronicle Orock Roe of noble birth in Ireland and by the Sir-name Mack-Mahon being purchased by might or right seem'd to privilege him in any tyranny over the People for which he was hanged his next Neighbour Brian Orock in Brenny for fear of the like turned Traitor and being pursued by Bingham President of Connaught flies into Scotland but was delivered to Queen Elizabeths command and executed for the ease of the King esteeming her Enemies his and caused Mack-Conel to give caution not to nourish Sedition by correspondence of the Hebrides and Orcades The Spaniard nourished Rebellions in Ireland the Queen protected the French against him who by the Duke of Parma was got into Picardy and his other Forces in Brittany wherefore she sends over four thousand covenanted at her cost but for two moneths under conduct of the Earl of Essex and land at Diepe expecting to joyn with the Kings Forces who came not in any reasonable time when they did it was too late to do much service yet they besiege Roan to no effect the English wasted the Queen displeased she sends for Essex but leaves the remain of his men to the command of Sir Roger Williams The Reformed Churches of Christendom increased number and repute by pious Doctrine and Discipline much to the prejudice of the Romish Catholicks that mightily opposed the publick peace of the Church and certainly had Satans help to boot to undermine the mindes of some more fiery zealous Professours that took the poor peoples affections with their seeming devout carriage and this way the Devil inâ—inuates to heighten their pride and self-conceited holiness with some pricks in the flesh and buffetings of Satan every day producing Examples of divers kindes in several places At this time more remarkable in the person of one Hacket in London illiterate and insolent seldom separate and poor who becomes suddenly seemingly holy and by degrees into that cheating way to be inspired with the evil spirit of Revelations He used says an Author a strange and monstrous form and manner of praying falling upon his face sometimes as if in an extaâ—ie otherwhile expostulating with God himself another kinde of prayer he used ordinary and familiar for as other mens devotions and ejaculations aim at the obtaining the sweet comfort of Gods heavenly presence he would in his hottest zeal intreat and as it were force upon God to depart from him and not assist such sinfull creatures which manner of prayer most of his own Disciples construed the effect of his rare and excessive humility and so as a rare Example might finde charitable censure yet it was to be adjudged in him as in truth it falls out frequent with some in these our last times the voice not of man but Satan dictated onely to him from that evil spirit that possest him for so his end discovered it in him He confederates the Devil goes by Legions with Wiginton a Genevan Minister Copinger a Gentleman and Arthington like the Fool in the Comedy a Lay admirer to be called by God to prophesie to the people and alter the English to the Genevan Discipline printing in Prose and Dog-rythm what was fit to seduce others and Hacket as the most proper person must be Arch Prophet But see how Satan brings it on Copinger and Arthington Knave and Fool tell Wiginton of Christ's appearing to them spiritually by Dreams and by Visions that Hacket was that Angel with his Fan and Hook to separate Sheep from the Goats overcome Satan and Antichrist and then follows the Day of Iudgment These prostrate themselves before Hacket in earnest prayer and he skips out of his Bed joyns his devotion with acknowledgment of his own divine nature and so seems in a Trance whilest Arthington bids Copinger in the name of Christ to annoint Hacket with the Holy Ghost and make him King kissing the Ground with bended knee and other reverence but he with careless gesture refuses being as he said already anointed by the Holy Ghost Go forth says he preach of me that Iesus Christ is come with his Fan to judg the World if they believe not let them come and kill me At the instant the Devil driving they all in fury fly abroad and cry out Christ is come repent repent that Hacket had a body truly glorified to constitute a new Discipline and Common-wealth that they were his Prophets of mercy and others of judgment for perfecting his work And this they declared by Vows Protestations of salvation to be all true that he was sole Monarch of Europe and all Kings his Vassals and the Queen to be deposed and so with a preass of people they return home to Hacket who were apprehended and are insolent before the Privy Council Hackets Crimes were condemned as Treason for the Devil prompt him to confess so much with such horrid Blasphemies as I tremble to relate He seems not as distracted but with settled gravity and temper and in the way to Execution he cries out fearfully Iehova Messias Iehova Messias behold the Heavens open Thou Son of God come down and deliver me And at the Gallows he roars out Thou God Iâ—hova Iehova Alpha and Omega c. Thou knowest that I am the true c. whom thou hast sent c. Shew some Miracle from the Clouds to deliver me from these accursed if thou wilt not then will I c. horrid Fire the Heavens and with these hands pull c. from thy Throne nay worse than can be imagined then turns to the Hangman who hastned the Halter Thou Bastard says he wilt thou hang the King of Kings and facing Heaven cried out Is this my reward for my Kingdom bestowed c. Behold I come and will revenge c. the rest Throttled with the Rope he was immediately cut down fresh alive and quartered Copinger stervs himself to death in Prison the others repent and are pardoned On the other side the Iesuits were lurking in every corner Emissaries from several Seminaries Rome France and especially from Spain against them therefore Proclamations forbid any man to be entertained as a Lodger unless his Hoast examine his condition his abode before and whether he will go to Church and Delegates in every Shire to receive the Accounts accordingly The Spaniard having very lately erected a Seminary at Valledolid in
also That Angus and Arroll assured him that the King of Spain would send thirty thousand men into Scotland part of this Army to force Toleration of their Romistry here and the other part to be convayed by them into England for the same design and this Army to land in Kirkud-bright in Galloway or in the mouth of Cluydo River These manifest plots of Papists drew the consideration necessary for the whole Nation and meetings of the Ministery and all men to propose their advice and aid to pursue the Rebells already risen and to raise a Guard of three hundred Horse constant with the King and the Conspirators to be called to Justice and the first example fell upon Graham of Fintre and executed in February And in this hurry Angus escapes out of Prison and flies to the North unto Huntley and Arroll But the King in great perplexity of Murthers rapine and slaughters publick and private upon their submission are received to mercy favour and preferment all means used to bring peace to these miserable people The French King in great distress and overwhelmed in his affairs craves more aid out of England and is assisted again with four thousand men more and ordinance But not to make peace with the Leaguers until the Spanish forces were driven out of France So necessary it was for England by these means to stop their career and to keep off revenge from home These Forces intrusted with General Norris land in Bretaign but find no French and so being hurried up and down Normandy Lamain and elsewhere the Spaniard increase number in Bretaign Norris returns home and the French King in distress upon some fear of his fewds and hopes of advantage turns Papist Whilest the Duke of Parma also prepared fresh forces to assault Picardy but being in readiness he fights a private combate with Death and is overcome after fourteen years Government in Flanders a man of excellent honour and virtue as Queen Elizabeth always acknowledged who to amaze and busie the Spaniard and to divert him from hence sends several Expeditions by Sea into his Territories of America with singular succession And to prevent his practices in Scotland of as great concernments to both Nations she keeps watchfull correspondence with King Iames who indeed wary of the Papists encroachments at home began to exercise his Regal power over his Nobility and other seditious Subjects having scattered the last Rebells into their Holds and Bothwel into England These Insurrections thus far happily suppressed contrary to the imagination of the English policies Queen Elizabeth to colour suspition sends the Lord Burrough to congratulate the discoveries and the succeâ—s offering her aid to bring the Malignants to Trial and wished him if he could not apprehend their persons to confiscate their Estates and seeing his case concerned all Princes of the Religion she desired his resolution therein for her to satisfie all others her Confederates against Spain The King gives her thanks and that he was assured Bowes her Ambassadour had certified her of all proceedings in particular as aforesaid wherein he had begun and was fully resolved to prosecute the guilty but advised with her how dangerous it might be for him to have such potent Rebells without her help to hunt such fugitives their Design being more dangerous to assist the Spaniards attempts upon England than either upon France or Holland to whom she had liberally already afforded supply with men and moneys and therefore what he desired on his particular his own Ambassadour should declare The next Audience furnished the Ambassadour with Arguments from his Mistris to advise the King to wise and well-affected Counsellours help to disarm and suppress such Rebells and withall intimating the Queens punishment upon those that harboured Bothwel in England and so by circumstances to draw out of the King what resolution he intended towards him in so troublesom time and if it were for his Majesties quiet to receive him upon submission The King seeming not to countenance Bothwel nor believing the Queens resentment of his Receivers said That if his Mistris meant honourably to her self or him she would rather deliver him to justice according to their League than to support him in her Dominion whose Crimes were unpardonable and her further favours to him would induce a necessity for the King to joyn with her Enemies for his own safety And so Burroughs returned and Bowes remained In an Assembly of the Church in April the King resolving to give them Items sends them Articles That hâ— would not suffer diminution of the Privileges of his Crown nor Assemblies without his order That an Act pass to inhidit Ministers to declame in the Pulpit against the King and his Council That some of every Presbytery should inform his Majesty of the Papists practices and Bothwels receivers That some of theirs should cause the Magistrates of Burghs at Sea-ports to examine Passengers and Plotters against the Reâ—ligion To the first they would follow former Acts. The scond they prohibit without just and necessary causes which the King esteeming no restraint was as causless to answer theirs against Papists his necessities enforcing civilities to the Papists to ballance with the rigid Reformers But the Mundays Market stuck in their stomacks against which their Act passed to alter for Tuesday their Reason was religious to prevent the Trades-men violating the Sabbaths Evening with too much care and travail against the next Morning The Shoomakers whom it most concern'd gathering tumult menaced the Ministers if they urged their consents to drive them out of Edenburgh which begat that saying Rascals and Sowters obtain from the Ministers what the King could not do in matters more reasonable The King sends Melvil to satisfie Queen Elizabeth of the affairs of Scotland and to desire aid of money for levying six hundred Souldiers for some Moneths and to renew the former complaint against Bothwels entertainment in England whilest he steals into Scotland and surprizes the King The Chancellour as you have heard retired from Court upon displeasure of Queen Ann requests the King by Letter that seeing his service was useless and his solitary life irksom he craves leave to depart out of the Kingdom untill his Majesties pleasure command his return The King being earnest with the Queen upon his resign of Muskleburgh which she clamed and his coming to Court resolved Lenox Athol and Ochiltry plot to prevent him and bring in Bothwel under disguise of attending the the Lady Athol by the Postern-gate with another his Companion armed into the very Bed-chamber The King at â—ight of them cried out Treason Treason Strike Traitor strike said he make an end of thy Villany I desire to die He answered with Oaths that he came for mercy And the King replied that Mercy extorted was Insolency and not the form of Suppliants and suddenly rushed in the Earl Mar with numbers of that Faction having possession of the Court
and outward Gates enforced the King to shew himself to the People who were come to his rescue as in freedom and to command them to depart And Bothwel thus emboldened got Bowes the Ambassadour to side with them and to urge these Articles from the King Pardon of all former Attempts and Treason by him or his Associates with restoration of all which they heretofore possessed and to abandon the Chancellour the Lord Hume the Master of Glammis and others To all the King signed with witnesses of all manner of men Lords and Ministers thereunto The next Day August 20. the King removes to Falkland Lenox Ochiltry and Crichton of Clany waited on him with directions from Bothwel to see that the King kept to his late Articles in which time Bothwel attained an Assise to purge him of his practicing with Witches the original of his mischief but the King in disdain to be thus misused goes to Sterling and under colour of conâ—orming the Highlanders proâ—ures a Convention of other Lords necessarily frequent and effectual Hamilton Mar Morton Glencarn Montross Lindsey and Levingston two Bishops and two Priors and some Burgesses The King enters them with some business of the Borders but in earnest relates to them the Indignities he had endured by Bothwel which they knew and puts it upon their Honours whether he were bound to the late Conditions so extorted from him in terrour and fear of his life lets them see their own insecurity when himself is over-powred and forced by Villanies as a captive King to submit unto Subjects unjust demands in destruction of his loyal Councellours and eminent Officers They concluded Bothwels Fact treasonable and those Articles void freedom in the King to call his Servants and Councellours about him and resolved to publish by Act his Majesties power as a free Prince to chuse his Councellours and Servants about his Person and that the Conditions signed to Bothwel in August last to be null And being now set upon it two Commissions were sent to him to signifie thus much and of the Kings favour for him to supplicate for pardon before November next and then to depart the Realm till the Kings pleasure Bothwel seemed humble but meets with Athol Montross and a number of men at Sterling to whom the King sends to dissolve his Train and retire home for the King was coming thither with the Lord Home and some Forces were sent before to scoure the way who encountring Montross takes him Prisoner and the Court coming to Edenburgh Bothwel is cited and denounced Rebell again These Troubles were raised by the Lords of Religion but see what the Papists do The Catholick Lords had been cited to the last Parliament in Iuly but failed by some defect in the Libell and so were remitted to the King and Councel which was suspected in favour the Synode of Fife therefore excommunicate Angus Huntley Arrol Home and Chisholm and writ to Edenburgh for them to do so there The King displeased with such Proceedings requires M. Bruce there great Pastor to stay Sentence the Persons neither cited nor subject to Fife Synode and if this be your Order says he for one to excommunicate with their direction for others to do so too who can be sure to eschew trouble But Bruce boldly told the King that the Ministers had their own Reasons and were answerable onely to the General Assembly Well says the King your Discipline hath distasted all men and seeing your practices are without good President I will bethink me of some Remedy The Popish Lords complain to the King at Falaw and humbly crave a legal Trial but were commanded to enter their persons at Perth and abide there till the Trial and lest any jealousie should censure the King as conniving the Abbot of Lunders was sent to the English Ambassadour and to Edenburgh Ministery to tell them the truth and it was time so to do For now such News got wings and Commissioners of all the several Churches from all parts convene and finding the Church of God King and Kingdom in eminent peril they prepare Articles of advice That the Trial of the excommunicate Lords be not prevented but their Day prorogued onely for the conveniency of the Professors of the Religion to be their Accusers for their Treasons committed in the mean time to stand committed their Iury to be nominated by their Accusers the whole Professors of the Gospel that they being excommunicate and so cut off from the Body of the Church of God have no benefit of the Law till they be reconciled to the Church and that such onely as profess the Religion may be a Guard to the King against the Enemies of God the Countrey not brooking them and us together The King startled at their Inscription not owning he said such Convention nor them Commissioners assembling without his consent â—ut vouchsafed to receive them as humble Subjects but not otherwise commissioned And of his own gracious intention told them That the said Lords met him at Falaw and humbly craved a legal Trial to which the Ministers had often solicited and which in honor and justice he with his Councel had granted and considering the time and place Perth not so proper he had resolved it at Linlithgow at the meeting of the Estates and with their advice and that neither Iudges nor Iuries should be other than men indifferent and for his own Guard those whom he called thither should be welcom others should not be so They accused the Lord Home of residing at Court The King told them His Day assigned to satisfie the Ministers was not as yet and if you can accuse him in particular for the present let him answer for himself And so sent them away The Assembly unsatisfied advertise all parts to be in Arms at the Day of Trial which the King timely prohibits without his Warrant They answer that in the cause of God their Defence must not be deficient Which the King inhibits by Proclamation Declaring his course taken for their Trial in July last but hindred by Bothwels Rebellions he now convenes the Estates at Linlithgow for that and other necessities of the Kingdom the Lords themselves earnest Suitors to abide the Law and satisfie the Church and therefore commands the Subjects not to make Convocations but if any meeting were already of that nature then to dissolve and return home under pain of punishment But meet they would with such numbers as shortened the Proceedings and in summe Commissioners were chosen by the Estates to consider of the Popish Lords their Offers and Petitions to try their Accusations and Purgations and what they determine should be valid and effectual as in Parliament or Convention The Commissioners were the Chancellour Mar Montross and Rothes sundry Lords and Lairds and divers of the Ministery named to be admitted to the Conference The 12th of November they meet and conclude That the true Religion established the
Rebellion And therefore Proclaims all their particular proceedings with remonstance of their Misdemeanors and to prevent disorder now and confusion to follow by advise of his Councill discharges the commissioners and dissolves their convention illegal in it self and worse unlawfully executed by them Whom he commands by Name to depart home in 24 hours to attend their flocks and duties in their Ministery And no wayes to return to convene either within or without the Burroughs of Edenburgh under the pain of Rebellion But we tire the reader and yet hereby we may discover what they did in such like many more for to the death they will proceed Hereupon they consult that seing they had been convened by the warrant of Christ to take care of hazard to the Church Et ne quid ecclesia detrimenti caperet They should obey God rather than man And notwithstanding any charge to the contrary to continue together and to send to the Octavians those 8 Councellors of State formerly mentioned that seing at the entrance to their places the Church was in quiet and peace and now to be imbroyled the Enemies to truth overpowring and all by their councels and connivance The event of evil must fall upon them the Contrivers or Connivers The President hastily made answer As they began so let them end the Councills advice neither was desired nor given on either part and therefore would not meddle between the King and them but leave it to his Majesty and Nobles This answer taught them fresh advice to remonstrate to the King himself by Messengers of their own and fearing the effects the Kings anger humbly interceed for surcease of Processe against Master Blake Until his Majesty should be pleased to convoke an Assembly for deciding all controversies to the Kings content To which he consented provided they would passe by the Declinator or at least to declare that it was not a Generall but a particular Declinator used in Blakes case only as being a cause of slander and so appertaining to the judgment of the Church This by the wiser was held fit to be received as an end of contention No! Rather to stand to their tacklings Gods cause Against worldly powers Ravelling into former examples of prevailing against Princes Others argued to try Mastery with Majesty may faile of effects as yet the Court stand in some fear of the Church and to keep up their concept let us take the best conditions we can least our weaknesse appear if we have the worst and so the terror of the Church despised or neglected Much will portends little wit and as it is often seen who gripes at all grasp nought but wind and to levy all their wills is to lose all their wits of which God send them more plenty than appears by their proceedings But not prevailing the King proceeds to proclaim their departure and Blakes appearance as afore ordered The next day sunday solemnized the christning of the Princesse Bows Ambassadour gave Her name from his Queen Elizabeth and the Town of Edenburgh by their Majestrates assisted as other witnesses Yet all that day in the Churches were bitter invectives The Commissioners of the Church presented a Petition to the King and Council That seing the decision of intricate questions could work no good and was subtilly urged to ingender discention between his Majesty and the Church he would be pleased to remit the discision to a lawfull Assembly and not to incroch upon the limitts of Christs Kingdom upon any pretence but to bend his actions against the common Enemie of the Church and state the Papists Then they exhort the Noblemen to give his Majesty faithfull Counsel and not to be subject to the guilt of sin by the craft of such as seek the thraldom of the Gospel who intend to exite their honours to be the Executors of their malitious devises With order to those that presented this Petition that if the same was refused to enjoyn them to protest against the preceeding of the Councel The King rejects it as not worthy of Answer commanding to call Blake to his summons First That he affirmed in Pulpit that the Popish Lords were returned with his Majesties knowledg and further assurance wherein he had detected the treachery of his heart Secondly that he called all Kings the Divells barns and that the Divel was in the court and in the Guiders thereof Thirdly That in his prayers for Queen Ann he had used these words we must pray for her in fashion but we have no cause she will never do us good That he called the Queen of England an Atheist That he had discussed a suspention granted by the Lords of Session in Pulpit and called them Miscreants and Bribers That the Nobillity were degenerate godlesse dissemblers and enimies to the Church That the Council were Holliglasses Cormorants and men of no Religion And that he had convocated divers Noblemen and others within Saint Andrews in June 1594. caused them to take arms in troops of Horse and Foot and thereby usurped the power of King and Council After reading of the summons Robert Pont their Minister protested that the processe in hand should not prejudice the Church To which the King answered that he meant not to meddle with matters of doctrine but to censure the treasonable speeches of a Minister which he and his Councel would judg except that by scripture it could be held forth that Ministers were not subject in these cases to judicatures Blake makes answer that the accusations were false calumnies producing testimonies of two which he alleged should be preferred to aâ—y report whatsoever Next he said That to the first six points the Council were not lawfull Iudges of speeches in Pulpit but the Presbytery where the sermon was uttered And so presents a second Declinator But being put to voyces it was sentenced That the crimes and accusations mentioned in the summons were seditious and treasonable and that the King and Council were competent Judges in all matters criminall or civill as well to Ministers as other subjects The Council dissolved the King willing to conserve peace and amity to the Ministers offered terms of reconciliation and to return Blake to his charge and Pastorage Bruce answered That if it concern'd only Master Blake the offer might be accepted but the liberty of Christs Kingdom being wounded by the Proclamation and by usurping spiritual Iurisdiction of greater consequence then Master Blakes life and twenty more and that if those things were not retreated they would oppose during the last aspiration of breath The King the next morning treated with some of theirs Shewing how far he was from impairing spiritual Jurisdiction that he would amplifie and inlarge the same but said he to discourse of State in Pulpits is intollerable I clame to judg in matters of sedition and civil and criminal causes and of speeches that may import such crimes and if the Pulpit should be a place of privilege under
colour of doctrine to stir up sedition no good man will grant If Treason and sedition be crimes punishable much more comitted in the Pulpit where the word of truth only should be taught I am not ignorant what France of late and England formerly have suffered by the violence of such spirits And I may not indure it Hereupon the Church finding the King resolved desire some Declaration to be made to the people in favour of Church Assemblies which they feared was hereby of late somewhat weakned which the King assented unto and it was accordingly published to give finall conclusion to these differences Blake was required only to acknowledg his offence to Queen Ann. And to be pardoned of all This he would not do and was therefore sentenced To have falsely sâ—andered and treasonably calumniated the Kings Majesty his consort the Queen his Neighbour Princesse the Queen of England the Lords of the Council and Session and that till his Majesties further pleasure he should be confined beyond the North water enter ward within six dayes and Ten daies more were taken up to decide these differences and the King condiscends to lesser submissions than before But the Commissioners refuse to agree to any censure of Master Blake as not done by the proper Iudg. And so they ordain a fast and pray and preach complaints of wrong done to the Kingdom of Christ. The King on his part made the grounds of his displeasure known to his people by Declaâ—ation setting forth particulars of the last Transactions Ordaining all Ministers to subscribe their obedience to his Majesty and to set their hands to the bonds presented to them to that effect under pain of sequestring their rents and stipends till they submitted Blake to go to ward and the Commissioners to remove out of Town They increase Aspersions upon the King who willingly would have recalled these sentences and Publications and some Ministers were treated therein till a scandalous Letter was devised and sent by under hand advise that Huntley had private reception by the King over night and caused the charge against the Ministers Balcanqual takes his text out of the Canticles and so to present the troubles of the Church relates the late proceedings which he calls treacherous forms of the Council naming particular officers The President and Controuler and Advocate with reproachfull raylings and concludes to advise the Barons and Nobles to meet in the little Church for assisting the ministry From them came a petition to the King in behalf of his Ministers and presented to him in the uper house of session with complaints uttered by Bruce of all which had passed The King declining the petition and remonstrance asked who they were that durst convene against his proclomation The Lord Lindsey passionatly replied That they durst do more than so and would not indâ—re destruction of Religion Numbers of people thronging into the Room the King removed the people seduced by Lindsey and others some said arm others called out to bring forth Haman others cry'd out the sword of the Lord and Gideon And with much adoe to appease the peoples rage at they knew not what The Lords and Ministers meet propose Articles to the King and whilst they design who shall present them each one refusing The King and Councel remove out of Edenburgh into Linlithgow Ordering a Proclamation to signifie the reasons of this departure the Town being unsafe for his person and Council and unfit for the administration of justice by the late in sufferable Tumults commanding all Lords of session Commissioners c. and their Deputies to remove out of the Town of Edenburgh and be in redinesse to that place they should be after assigned And the Noblemen and Barons to withdraw to their own Houses and not to covene or Assemble under pain of the Kings displeasure The City is amazed with these proceedings not knowing what to do or whom to trust unto The Ministers night and day restlesse to get subscriptions and to covenant to call in certain Noblemen of note Hamelton Backlugh and others Fast and pray and preach what stuffe best befits their projects one amongst many others Iohn Welch takes his theam the Epistle sent to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus rayl'd against the King who he said was possessed of a Divel and one Divel the King put out seven worse are entred in That the Subjects might lawfully rise and take the sword out of his hand by example saies he Of a father faln into frenzie might be bound hand and foot by his family from doing mischief Yet this execrable doctrine was received by some nay they preach that the Earl Arrol had come to the Ferry with four hundred horse the day of Tumult but the rising of the people as a providence of God for good scattered his forces in fear of the Town so prepared And being Masters of all they undertake to send Messengers to the Earl Hamelton with letters that the people animated by motion of Gods spirit had taken Arms with the patronage of such Godly well affected Noblemen and Brethren then at Edenburgh for the cause of God Only they wanted a Head an especial Nobleman to countenance their cause And having made chioce of him they invite him to Edenburgh with all convenient speed and thereby to signifie his affection and to accept the honor which the Church of God had offered unto him It was writ and subscribed by Bruce and Balcanquall and sent to Hamelton who receives the Messenger with all shew of kindness and seems to prepare his journey for Edenburgh but by the way better advised he turns to Linlithgow and presents the King with the letter who wondered at the modesty of the man accounted more ambitious than to neglect such a rise to tempt his humour by whom had the letter taken effect it might have caused strang Rebellions when the Church had begun to act their part with so much power a bloody issue alwaies following the pretended zeal for Religion as the most part of Christendom have felt the miserable effects and great Britain most of all The insurrection and letter made work for speedy Counsel to act for the King and the Provost had order for imprisoning the Ministers who got loose and fled to New Castle in England The Town send Commissioners to purge themselves protesting their Innocencâ—e and offer their obedience for repairing the indignity and dishonor done to the King but served not for their purgation for the next day the Tumult was by the Counsel declared Treason and the devisers Actors and Partakers to be Traytors Edenburgh smarted for all the inhabitants in fear of desolation the law-Courts removed to Lith the Session to Perth the Ministers fled the Magistrates dispised and all men without the walls their enemies And again most humbly supplicate the King with the best excuse for themselves The King told them that he would proceed with them
hapily in the nick of time confederates with the Italian Princes with the French and with Henry the eighth as Caput foederis and so Charles is forc'd to descend and at a Treaty at Cambray obliged to render some Pieces to the French and so to sit still from open violence The General safety of Christian Princes necessarily being involved in the danger But He begins again and contracts to assist Henry the eighth for his Title to France who no sooner entered into war and recovered Bullen but the Emperour concludes a perpetual peace with France and joynt confederation for restoring the Catholick Religion which was much declined of its lustre by the protestation of Luther and others in Germanie and soon after spread into all parts of Christendom Henry the eighth wearied with other mens designes with vast expence of blood treasure dies and leaves all the glory of his good actions to this son Edward the sixth who succeeds with no advantage by these and with less money in his purse whose wise Counsel meddles the less with Spain or France but contracts onely Union with the German Princes and other Allyes in confederation of Religion that could best ballance the Emperours ambition His successor Mary Imbarks her body in mariage with Philip of Spain and her Estate in war with France and lost Calice into the bargain 1558. Queen Elizabeth comes to the Crown and at the Treaty of Cambray King Philip pretends to assist her in recovery of Calais but his own turn served he leaves her in the lurch to work out her own safety but under a feigned pretence of Mariage wrought a stay of the Popes declaration against the Queen grounding this favour no doubt from his own fears lest that a Union of France with Scotland in the person of Mary the Mother of this King Iames should Unite these three Kingdomes against him How equall soever Queen Elizabeth had been for peace or war in her own nature and her people humble to follow her will in either yet her course more ambitious in ballancing Neighbour Princes from overgrowing than apt to conquer others carried her all her life in defensive actions at home and abroad and so to impoverish her Enemies but not to inrich her self for by those courses King Iames found her Treasure exhausted and the Estate of the House of Austria in this Condition when he came hither As for the French King his Crown-demain exhausted which he endeavours to recover by Impositions the people light enough the Nobility prone to dismember upon every occasion and so not easie to be governed for the Sovereigns Designs or Interest the Kingdom thereby the likelier to be cantonized by self-division than to conquer others yet their native wealth and variety of Objects preserve both King and people to live secure from their mighty Enemy the Spaniards even by the providence of chance I speak as it was when King Iames came here He saw Germany upon an immoveable centre of self-greatness governed with Bit and Bridle by the Emperour to do as he list with all the Princes or they by love or by fear obeying And however the Danish King was so much of Kin as to stick to his Brother King Iames's friendship the benefit of his Sound and unexhausting profit able to second with Ships and Money and active undertaking yet no doubt if to be trusted unto with all these helps the King might find him wary lest by strengthening a Neighbour himself become overmastered And indeed too wise in common actions to intangle his Estate being also in those daies not so absolute to do of Himself without leave of his people what he hath done very lately against this State in favour of the Dutch he feels the smart I need not repeat it The Swede incompassed with dangers and Enemies the Pole pretending Title to that Kingdom and in Arms they were for the wager and defended barely enough by the distance of Sea and Land between them Be fi des the Dane upon his back in all Advantages to quicken the quarrel though Providence since hath done wonders The Cantons swoln big with pride and equality divide themselves between two Monarches France and Spain that for each others ends they are supported by them both as their hired servants Italy distinguished into Principalities yet bundled together by common caution restrained of their freedoms by force of French and Spanish Multiply profit by strangers and spare the pains to do it themselves So by this narrow kind of wisdom become all Merchants and abused by the Conclave and Spain as never to be Monarchal The Muscovite from a Duke grown big with a Timpanie of Titles was kept under by the more huge and vast Enemy the Tartar making Inrodes of barbarous Murther upon each other without any Interest of Christian Princes unless sometime the Pole at leasure quarrels for the skirt of his Empire as he did very lately and prevailed Now whilst these Potentates lived thus fettered within the narrowness of their Estates or Humours Spain managing the Popedom by his power in the Conclave and pensions to the Cardinals seemed to give law to the Western part of the Christian world His Mines of gold effectual not only to carry on any design with Fleets and Armies where he had will or interest But also to make way where he list by corrupting the Counsels and Actions of any King with temptation and underminings either by his purse or the pates of Iesuits So that in a word he was now grown hard to be pleased and dangerous to be offended Through all these Considerations King Iames comes in to choose his Game and through all these distempers abroad he was to secure himself and his new Inheritance His safest way to take breath for the present was to make peace with Spain first of all and after with the rest which indeed were done together presuming that being in his power so to do then it should depend on his pleasure to break off after or to conserve it to his death which he did And being a wise and wary Prince rather solid than formal having been well seasoned at home with practice and broken to affairs abroad therefore now freed from former Distempers he began to search into the ground of his preceding miseries in Scotland and well assured where the Sword bears sway Virtue and Fortune the Guiders of the best of humane Action do not always endure the lasting no not of the memory of the Actors Here therefore He began to consider what advance ambitious Princes lust after for the present when hazardous success hurls upon them miserable events He was not ignorant of the interests of Christian Estates one with the other as is said and how it concerned them to caress him for his amity Amongst them all whom to trust he was not assured and how to depend upon his new Inheritance without confederacy
in all our Scotish discourse Yet at this time they renew their former wont as in Scotland and begin to perplex the King at his Entrance To pacifie such He appoints a Conference to be held with the Episcopacie and Them at Hampton Court In the mean time to let them see what they should trust unto he sets forth a Proclamation Against such as seditiously seek Reformation in Church Matters And that the Constitution and doctrine here is agreeable to Gods word and near to the Condition of the primitive Church And forewarnes them of publick invectives gathering of Subscriptions to supplications for Reformation savouring of Tumult sedition and violence Protesting to preserve the Estate Ecclesiasticall as politick in such form as he found it Reforming abuses if they be made apparent 14 Octob. 1603. But in truth these men were too hasty and might well remember the King of such their behaviour in Scotland which to prevent he did for ever after advance the power of Episcopacie there to even that Discipline with this in England and to inlarge their Bishops into some Eminencie heretofore clowded with Envy and Malice It was now time so to do when the Presbyterian Doctrines had amplified into these Heads The Reformation of Religion belongs to the Cominaltie The punishment of such Crimes as touching the Majesty of God doth not appertain to Kings and chief Rulers only but also to the Body of the People Princes for just causes may be deposed If Princes be Tyrants their subjects are freed from their Oath of Obedience Populo jus est ut imperium cui velit deferat Penes populum est ut leges ferat sunt Reges veluti Tabulariorum Custodes The people have the same power over the King as He hath over any Person It were good that rewards were appointed by the people for such as should kill Tyrants The People may arraign their Prince The Minister may excomunicate Him He that by excomunication is cast into Hell is not worthy of Life upon Earth Objections to some of their Doctrines with their Answers Custome is against such dealing with Princes Answ. Nothing more dangerous to be followed than Custome Ob. We must obey Kings be they good or bad Ans. It is blasphemy to say so Ob. Jeremie commanded obedience to Nebuchodonozer Ans. The Example is but singular Ob. God placeth Tyrants sometimes for punishment of the People Ans. So doth he private then sometimes to kill them Ob. The Iewes dealt not so with their Kings Ans. Their Kings were not first elected by the People but Ours have nothing but from the People Ob. Shew an Example out of Scripture Ans. Sundry good laws in divers Countries though no Example in Scriptures Ob. Saint Paul commands us to pray for Princes Tim. 2. Ans. We may punish Thieves and yet we ought to pray for them Ob. Saint Paul commands us to be subject and obedient to Princes Tit. 3. Ans. Paul writ in the Infancie of the Church the Christian not ripe nor rich for such a purpose and if Paul were now alive he would leave Kings to be punished by their Subjects not to be accounted any longer King c. These and many more such not only held by Buchanan and Knox but by their whole Consistorians beyond seas as Calvin Beza Hitamor Ursinius Vindicae contra Tyrannos Eusebius Shiladephus c. And now was their former proceedings in Scotland Examined according to their doctrines for setting up their Coâ—sistorian Discipline The Parliament in Scotland 1560. being disolved and their Book of Discipline compiled by Knox and others which their favourites notwithstanding termed but a devoutâ—Imagination yet they threatned the chiefest Noblemen if they should reject it some refused but at last it was forced upon all They appoint their Assemblies particular and general They exercise Jurisdiction and cart Saunders for Adultry And excommunicate the whole Multitude about a May-pole They burn divers places pretending of superstition Bishops houses Protestants also at Pasley the Bishop hardly escaping life The very calling of Bishops though Protestants became Antichristian and command them by their Authority to leave their Offices and Iurisdiction That they should have no voices in Parliament and desire that such as themselves should send might vote Commanding the King and His Council under pain of Excommunication to appoint no Bishops hereafter because the Brethren had concluded that estate unlawfull Beza their Consistorian Patriarch from Geneva had assured them of well doing and moves them Ne unqnam c. That they would never admit again that Plague Bishops although it might allure them of keeping Unity The Bishops being discharged they agreed of Superintendents but that device was laid aside and afterwards conclude that Ministers of the word should be equal and then began the Presbytery to flourish For then they usurped the whole Ecclesiastical Iurisdiction altering all lawes as they pleased They assembled the Kings Subjects injoyning Ecclesiastical pains unto them make decrees and execute them They Trayterously rail against the King in their Pulpits and being questioned utterly disclaim his Authority as an Incompetent Iudge That the Pulpit matters were exempt from the Judgment or correction of Princes They prescribe lawes to the King and State Appoint Fasts to the whole Kingdom when their faction were to act any enterprize Anno 1582. The King to prevent the dangerous consequence thereof divers of them were silenced and imprisoned but what was the Issue They surprize the King at Ruthen and declare it to be done for resisting the present dangers to Gods true Religion and for removing from the King the chief Authors The King being afterwards released that act was adjudged Crimen laesae Majestatis and some were hanged others fled into England Yet afterwards 1585. They avow the same and excommunicate such as would not subscribe to Them Another treasonable Attempt they had against the King at Sterlin Anno 1583. So that in the Parliament 1584. the Kings lawfull Authority Ecclesiastical was confirmed the Bishops restored and to be Treason for any man to procure diminution of the three Estates The Iudgments Senates and Presbyterian Iurisdiction discharged An Act made for calling in Buchanan's treasonable Book his Chronicle and his Iure Regni apud Scotos That none shall preach declame confer or utter scandalous words or slanders against the King or his Council or to meddle in State-affairs Sub poena c. And because they did advance their Modell as the most agreeable to the best and most Reformed Churches against Episcopacy it was examined the numbers that refuse their Sanedrim besides the Eastern and Western Reformers All in the Dutchy of Saxony Brunswick and Luxemburgh All those Churches in the Countreys of the Marquesites of Brandenburgh and Badu The Churches in the Earldoms of Henebergh Lemings Marisfeilt Stalburgh
four I shall answer with a truth and no marvel That some years after when the Roles were examined that were deposed they were found to be but nine and fourty in all England when in Scotland they were reckoned above nine thousand so great a stir could so few make here or else they subscribed to keep their Livings and no wonder they were ever loth to lose all and many of them knew how to turn And orderly afterwards the King put forth two Proclamations the one To satisfie his Subjects for Unifomity in Religion according to the established Laws And Doctor Abbot and others sent in Apostolical Embassie into Scotland to settle the Church and spirits of the Clergy there as he had done here that every spirit led onely with piety and not humour might be therein satisfied The other Proclamation against Iesuits expresseth That a greater contagion to our Religion was eminent by sundry persons common Enemies to them both namely numbers of Priests Seminaries Iesuits abounding here of such as were before and since our coming and with greater liberty than they durst have done upon confidence of innovation in Religion and general Pardon at our Coronation do exercise their Professions and saying Mass and endeavouring to seduce the Subjects from their duty to us and to reconcile them to Rome To prevent infection with Superstition pernicious to the soul and corrupt against Alleageance is to debar the People such Instruments of infection and they are Priests of all sorts ordained in forein parts prohibited here by the Authority of the Laws of this Land And therefore against such they shall before the 19th of March next depart out of this Realm and the Kings Dominions and not to return hereafter upon penalty of the Laws in force to be inflicted without any favour The Reasons and excuses for this seeming severity toward that sort of Subjects is enforced from the peril of his Person by late conspiracy of confusion conceived by persons of that sort onely And this may satisfie forein Princes proceeds from providence to prevent perils otherwise inevitable considering their submission to forein Iurisdiction seems to dispence at pleasure with the power of their own Sovereign or strictest bond of loyalty and love between a King and his People And though it is civilly considered personal respects to the now Bishop of Rome in state and condition of a secular Prince yet observing the course and clame of that See no Prince of our Religion and Profession can be assured of continuance unless by assent of other Christian Princes to a general Council free and lawfull to pluck up those Roots of dangers and jealousies arising about Religion as well between Prince and Prince as between them and their Subjects and also to manifest that no State or Potentate either hath or can challenge power to dispose of earthly Kingdoms or Monarchies or to dispence with Subjects obedience to their natural Sovereigns in which charitable action no Prince shall more readily concur his power not onely out of particular disposition to peace with all States but by such union an amity might be settled to resist the common Enemy Febr. 22. Jacobi I. This did something allay them but not the Presbyters who by pens and preaching saies he strook at the very root of Hierarchy so that it was a hard question which of them were the most odious Truly both of them Neither Barrel better Herring for the Papists wrought in private and these that way also besides their pittyfull preaching And at this time died that learned Arch-Bishop Whitgift a good and pious Man whom Banckroft succeeded no great friend to them but to satisfie their violence he is intrusted with their directory a Manuscript compiled as they gave out to startle the next Parliament which they deliver to the Arch-Bishop but he pretending to have loâ—t it when it was called for and they without any Copy devised another so different from the former as being afterwards compared the Parliament concluded that every new motion would alter their Model ad infinitum so unsetled they were then and are to this day as never to be satisfied with any as to our trouble and late experience hath been evident And which this most reverend Whitgift foretold on his death-bed the miserable effects of their violence Et nunc domine said he exaltata est Anima mea quod in eo tempore succubui quando mallem Episcopatus mei deo reddere rationem quam inter homines exercere But indeed Presbyters had so bitten the King and his Kingdom and now at his coming it behoved him to quiet them for as all knew it lay in his power to be Head of the Protestant Professours so upon this new access to these Crowns it was conceived he might alter all ancient Forms upon a new score who having bit on the Bridle so long at home it would concern him now to keep the Reins free having entailed Precepts upon his posterity to that end Instructions as frontlets and chains real and lasting and bequeathed to them as Legacies to after age forewarning his Son in his Basilicon Doron not to wrest the Word of God to self-appetite So now therefore he resolved to frame his own and his peoples affections to follow that true Rule of Scripture which suffered under several Interpretations he therefore commended it to the choice grave and most learned of this Nation and commanded them as they would answer at Gods Tribunal to be carefull therein painfull and just They did so and we have that blessing amongst us as the most perfect Translation in English of all others not without Exceptions in that also from our Adversaries the Papists and Sectarists The Scripture was writ in parts the most ancient Language was Hebrew the most copious the Greek and Latine the finest but as the Hebrews in their time accounted all Languages but their own Lognasim or barbarous so then that others might come to the waters of life we must as Iacob role the stone from the Well that the Sheep may drink of the waters of life we could not reade the Book for it was sealed And indeed whilest the dew lay on Gideon's fleece all the earth was dry but near before the time of ourâ—blessed Reconciliation by our Saviour CHRIST Not of the Jew onely but of the Greek also then God raised up the heart of a Greek Prince by descent and Language Ptolomy Philadelph King of Egypt to procure the Translation of the Old Testament into Greek out of Hebrew which we call the Seventy Interpreters The Greek Tongue made familiar to most Inhabitants in Asia by reason of their Conquests and also understood in many places of Europe and Africa but yet not so acceptable to some no not of the Iews For not long after Christ Aquila Theodosia Symmachus and others translate it again these with the Seventy made up the Hexapla and all together were compiled by Saint
Moses the Prophet and Servant of God had in all that belonged even to the outward and least parts of the Tabernacle Ark and Sanctuary witnesseth well the inward and most humble zeal born towards God himself The industry used in the framing thereof in every and the least part thereof the curious workmanship thereon bestowed the exceeding charge and expence thereof in provisions the dutifull observance in laying up and preserving the holy Vessels the solemn removing thereof the vigilant attendance thereon and the provident defence of the same which all Ages have in some degree imitated is now so forgotten and cast away by this super-fine Age by those of the Family by Anabaptists Brownists and other Sectaries as all cost and care bestowed and had of the Church wherein God is to be served and worshipped is accounted a kinde of Popery and as proceeding from an idolatrous disposition insomuch that time would soon bring to pass if it were not â—â—sisted that God would be turn'd out of Churches into Barns and from thence again into Fields and Mountains and under Hedges and the Officers of the Ministery robbed of all dignity and respect be as contemptible as those places all Order Discipline and Church-government left to newness of opinion and mens fancies yea and soon after as many kindes of Religions would spring up in Parish Churches within England every contentious and ignorant person pleasing his fancy with the Spirit of God and his imagination with the gift of Revelation insomuch as when the truth which is but one shall appear to the simple multitude no less variable than contrary to it self the faith of man will soon after die away by degrees and all Religion be held in scorn and contempt Which Distraction gave a great Prince of Germany cause of this Answer to them that perswaded him to become Lutheran Si me adjungo vobis tunc condemnor ab alis si me aliis adjungo a vobis condemnor Quid fugiam video sed quid sequar non habeo The time was come the first Anniversary Celebration in England with religious Rites and sacred Ceremonies of the unfortunately fortunate Nones of August noted in Red Letters in the Calendar to represent the bloud of many thousand Martyrs spilt of that day by Dioclesian in Rome but now to be distinguished with golden Letters in ours in memory of two renowned Kings in these Kingdoms the one receiving life the other escaped death on this day the Nativity of King Oswald who united the Crowns of England and Scotland which were severed afterwards for many Ages and who in the end died a Christian Martyr and sealed it with his bloud the other King Iames miraculously preserved from Gowry's Conspiracy Anno 1600. and who now again unites these Crowns and therefore we may change the old spell of the Martyrs Quintum fuge into Quintum cole if not for the Genesis of that one into life yet for this others Exodus out of the Chamber of death And as this King never failed of the day Tuesday weekly to hear a Sermon so neither of the Annual time unto his death kept holy by him and all his good Subjects and the truth of the Conspiracy sufficiently recorded heretofore and shall be hereafter confirmed Anno 1608. Though our Historian died it seems of a contrary faith in that himself being evenly conform to Gowry's loyalty Affectiones facile faciunt opiniones for he passes it over with this Odiism That Gowry assaulted him or he Gowry About this time a Commotion was stirred up by some Commoners against ingrossing their Ground when the King chanced to be invited in his hunting Journey to dine with Sir Thomas I. of Barkshire and turning short at the corner of a Common happened near to a Countrey-man sitting by the heels in the Stocks who cried Hosanna to his Majesty which invited him to ask the reason of his Restraint Sir Thomas said It was for stealing a Goose from the Common The Fellow replied I beseech your Majesty be Judge Who is the greater Thief I for stealing Geese from the Common or his Worship for robbing the Common from the Geese By my Sale Sir said the King to Sir Thomas I se not dine to day on your Dishes till you restore the Common for the poor to feed their Flocks Which was forthwith granted to them and the witty Fellow set free and care soon taken to quiet Commotions The Plague ceasing which hitherto bounded all mens expectations and persons at a distance the people now flock up to London to take view how the King would settle Laws and Constitutions afresh for the people A Parliament was expected the peoples Idol in those days which the King considered according to the power and interest of Lords and Commons therein and which thus grew up into a Body After the period of the Saxons time in England Herald one of the great men got power and put himself absolute the rest of the Satrapas call in Wiâ—â—iam Duke of Normandy an active and fortunate Prince against the French King the Duke leads over hither many the younger Sons of the best Families of Normany Picardy and Flanders and getting this Kingdom by the Sword he shared out his Purchace retaining to himself a Portion in each County and called Demenia Regnt ancient Demeans Crown-lands He assigns to others his Adventurers suitable portions to their qualities retains to himself dependency of their personal Services and were stiled Barones Regis Free-holders As the King to these so they to their followers subdivided part of their shares into Knights fees and their Tenants were called Barones Comitis The Kings gifts extended to whole Counties or Hundreds at the least the Earl being Lord of the one and a Baron of the inferiour Donations to Lords of Townships or Mannors As the Land was thus divided so was Iudicature each severally from the King to the meanest Lords had their Court-Barons yet perhaps Reddebant Iura by twelve of the Iury called Free-holders Court who with the Thame or chief Lords were Iudges The Hundred was next whence Hundredus or Aldermanus Lord of the Hundred wherewith the chief Lord of each Township judged within their Limits The County or Generale placitum was next Ubi Curiae Dominorumâ—probantur defecisse pertinet ad Vice-comitem Provinciarum The last was Generale placitum apud London universalis Synodus the Parliament of England consisting of King and Barons onely who ruled affairs of State controuling all Inferiours So were there certain Officers of transcendent power for executing not bounding the Kings will those were Steward Constable Marshal heretofore fixed in Fee to Families they as Tribunes grew too bold and their power was lessened after the death of that daring Eaâ—l of Leicester slain at Evesham Henry 3. by hard experience of his Father lessened their power by examining their usurpations over Regality being become Tot homines tot Tyranni Then began the favour of
annexed to the Imperial Crown of the Realm Thus oblig'd to their duty they chuse a Speaker whom they accompany to the King whose Election they desire him to ratifie whom the King usually is pleased with which done the Speaker in his own and the House of Commons name gives thanks and beseeches That the Lower House may use their Privileges and freedom of debating That if any therein shall happen to be more earnest in his own opinion his Majesty will vouchsafe not to take it ill nor be angry and that they may have access to the Kings Majesty or Higher House as oft as matters require which leave being granted they are dismissed Both Houses have free liberty to debate of matters propounded by the King or touching making or abrogating Laws and to determine to commit to writing what is to be transmitted to each other by Messenger whereto if upon debate had there ensue an assent by Votes the consent is noted upon the top of the Bill in this form amongst the Lords Les Seigneurs ont assentes among the Commons Les Communes ont assentes but if they differ both Houses not seldom meet or else principal persons chosen out of them to confer together in a commodious place for their meeting in the Painted Chamber there the Commons standing and uncovered with great observance receive the Lords covered and sitting and there they confer if they discord that business comes to nothing but if they agree they present it to the King which if he allows he writes Le Roy le veult and so as by a Soul infused into a Body it receives life and becomes an effectual Law forthwith to be promulgated to the People but when the King refuses to approve it he writes on the top of the Leaf Le Roy s' avisera sometimes he denies it in terminis and thereupon are reputed dasht The sacred matters the King permits not to be handled by Parliaments but Synods unless it may be for the force of Laws from Parliamentary Authority which they cannot so fully obtain from their divine verity The Deans Arch-Deacons Procuratours for the Chapters as also for every Arch-Deaconry the former being delegated by the Suffrages of the Prebendaries these of the Ministers meet in a place assigned to debate touching them where having first chosen a Prolocutor in the name of the Clergy they determine concerning Heads of Religion Ceremonies and other matters belonging to the Church as also granting of Subsidies to the King whose Results notwithstanding are not obtruded on the Seculars to be observed with the Authority of Laws untill as above-said they be allowed by assent of King and both Houses being provided That Civil hands should not intermeddle in these affairs Our Chronicles tell us That Queen Elizabeth expostulates with the Parliament for that they had appointed a Fast without her advice and were not restored to her favour but upon obtaining of Pardon Both Houses have respectively their peculiar Privileges To the higher House not onely to give counsels and to assist in making Laws but likewise to exercise the power of Iudicature and so of imposing Oaths in the more weighty causes as corruption of Iudges and Magistrates and in last Appeals which yet to bring back to examen without the Kings permission and Patent the Lawyers say is praeter-legal nor do they so unless the Judges of Law sitting by The House of Commons have Privileges of supplicating and craving Right or else the Accusers part never challenged to it self the Office of Judg save within their own Walls and on their proper Members and that extended no farther than penalty of Imprisonment or Mulct never having any right of pressing an Oath and therefore in a Statute the House of Commons say That seeing Parliamentary Iudicature belongs to the King and Lords and not to the Commons that they might not be obliged contrary to Custom to give Iudgment If any doubt touching the Election of their Members it was heretofore determined by the Lords House or by the Judg of the Kings Chancery If any of them had departed from the Houses without the Kings leave and both Houses also he was convened before the Kings Council-table or Kings Bench to undergo the penalty and was not punished at the discretion of his own House of Commons But they have Privilege first to debate and determine of levying money among the People This was the temperament of King Parliament and People in proper parts not harming each other for the Kings supreme Authority and Sword is as a sufficient power to vindicate the Laws from the Factions of the Grands and popular Tumults whilest in the mean time the Lords with that chief Authority wherewith they are vested of Iudicature and Legislation put a curb on one hand to the Kings Tyranny if he extravagate on the other to the tumultuating populace and in semblable manner the People by that their power of accusing whom they please and of granting or denying moneys are in a sufficient capacity to retrench the licentiousness of the Nobility and of the Kings Counsellours and break the Kings impetuous incroching on the publick The Laws have exceedingly provided That the freedom of voting and debating be not hindered through fear of insolent persons therefore none may come into either of their Houses with a Sword or armed The Members and their Servants not to be arrested for Debt or offences though of a mean alloy and if any so attached he may not be free but by a Writ out of the Chancery Seldom and that upon weighty cause would Kings create offence to so venerable an Assembly however it hath so faln out that excellent Princes upon too great provocations have reprehended the Senate and punisht some Offenders convening them before the Judges of the Kingdom imprisoned fined and put to death sometimes Thus by past stood the state of Parliaments when the King came in and calls one in March the King Queen and Prince some days before rode from the Tower to his Palace of White-hall in such Triumph as the several Pageants at each convenient place with excellent Oratory assured them the affections and duty of his Subjects as they did some days afterwards when the like occasion presented them in state to this Parliament And as usual with all Sovereigns his Predecessours themselves or Chancellour sweetens the Members with some Rhetorical Oration to the purpose of calling that Assembly and this the King undertakes now as best able of any Prince his Predecessours or any other Assistant for wit or wisdom to compare with him and therein he lays open his heart to both Houses in a very long Speech But because it is in print and bound with the Volume of his Works I shall adventure to abreviate here for some light to the Reader in this History which follows But then in this as in other his most eloquent and gracefull Speeches hereafter where you meet with any of his
Bishop or Knight to cry up and down their Subjects as their coin And as their Soul and Body to God so to the King affections of the Soul and service of the Body And he justified the Bishops late Sermon of the Kings power in Abstracto to be true Divinity But then as to the general so to exhort them how to help such a good King as now they have putting a difference between Power in Divinity and the setled state of this Kingdom For the second fathers of families had Patriam potestatem vitae et Necis for Kings had their original as heirs from them planted in Colonies through the world And all laws allow Parents to dispose of children at pleasure For the last The head judgeth of the Members to cure or cut off But yet these powers are ordained ad correctionem non ad destructionem and as God destroys not but preserves nature so a father to his Children a Head to his Members But then he distinguished the state of Kings in Original and of setled Monarchs For as God in the old Testament spake by Oracles and wrought by Miracles yet after the Church was setled in Christ and a cessation of both he governed by his revealed Will his Words So Kings beginning by Conquest or Election their Wills Lawes and being setled in a civill policie set down their mindes by Statutes and at the desire of the people the King grants them and so he becomes Lex Loquens binding himself by a double Oath Tacitly as King and expresly by his Oath at Coronation a Paction with his People as God with Noah If otherwise he governs them a King turns Tyrant Either govern by Law says the widow to Alexander Aâ—t ne Rex sis There needs no Rebellion against evil Kings for God never leaves them unpunished And concludes That to dispute what God may do is Blasphemy but Quid vult Deus is Divinity so of Kings Sedition in Subjects to dispute a Posse ad Esse He professes Reason for his Actions and Rule for his Laws He dislikes not the Common Law favourable to Kings and extendeth his Prerogative To despise it were to neglect his own Crown The Civil serves more for general learning and most necessary for commerce with Nations as Lex Gentium but though not fit for the general Government of this People yet not to be therefore extinct not to prefer Civil before Common Law but bounded to such Courts and Causes as have been in ancient use as the Courts Ecclesiastical Admiralty of Request reserving Common Law as fundamental Prerogative or Privilege King and Subject or themselves Meum Tunm No Kingdom in the World governed meerly by Civil Law their Municipal Laws always agree with their Customes God governed his People by Laws Ceremonial Moral Iudicial Iudicial onely for a certain people and a certain time Example If Hanging for Theft were turned to treble restitution as in Moses Law What will become of the middle Shires the Irishry and Highlanders If fundamentally be altered Who can discern Meum tuum It would be like the Gregorian Calendar which destroys the old and yet this new troubles all the Debts and Accounts of Traâ—â—ick and Merchandise Nay the King avows by it he knows not his own age for now his birth-day removes ten days nearer him than it was before that change And yet he desires three things to be cleared in the Common Law and by advice of Parliament 1. That it were in English for since it is our Plea against Papists for their language in Gods service an unknown Tongue Moses Law being written in the Fringes of the Priests garments so our Laws that excuse of ignorance may not be for conforming themselves thereunto 2. Our Common Law is unsettled in the text grounded upon Custom or Reports and Cases called Responsa Prudentum Indeed so are all other Laws save in Denmark and Norway where the Letter resolves the circumstances making variations that therefore so many Doctors Comments so many different Opinions the Iudges themselves disclame and recede from the judgment of their Predecessors the Parliament might set down Acts of Confirmation for all times to come and so not to depend on uncertain opinions of Iudges and Reports nay there are contrary Reports and Presidents The same corruption in the Acts of Parliaments which he called Cuffing Statutes and penned in divers senses and some penal which no man can avoid disagreeing from this our time yet no tyrannous or avaritious King would endure 3. For Prohibitions he hath been thought to be an Enemy to them he wishes that each Court might have limits of Iurisdiction certain and then if encroached upon Prohibitions to issue out of the Kings Bench or Chancery and so to keep every River within his proper banks The abuse and over-flowing of Prohibitions brings in most Moulture to their own Mill. The King had taken it in task in two or three several Meetings before and after a large Hearing he told them Ab initio non fuit sic And therefore ordered each Court to contain themselves within their own bounds That the Common Law be sparing of their Prohibitions also and to grant them 1. In a lawfull form but in open Court onely 2. Upon just and mature information of the Cause for as good have no Sentence as not Execution He instanced in a poor Ministers Case thereby enforced to forbear his flock becomes non-resident obtains a Sentence and expecting the fruit is defrauded by Prohibition like CHRIST'S Parable That night shall his soul be taken from him Tortured like Tantalus gaping for the Apple it is pulled away by Prohibition And concludes with the difference of true use and abounding in abuse to be considered The second general Ground Grievances are presented in Parliament as the Representative of the People the highest Court of Iustice but concerns the lower House properly The manner opportune in Parliament or inopportune as private men but then not to be greedily sought for nor taken up in the streets thereby to shew that ye would have a shew made of more abuses than in truth of cause not to multiply them as a noise amongst the People So that at the very beginning of this Session each one multiplied and mustered them as his Spleen pleased He therefore thanks them for that these finding many such Papers stuft up in a Sack rather like Pasquils than Complaints proceeding more from murmuring spirits they made a publick Bone-fire of them all a good effect of an ill cause So to take care to prevent the like lest the lower House become the place for Pasquils and may have such Papers cast in as may contain Treason or Scandal to the King and his Posterity the ancient order was to be openly and avowably presented to the Speaker first He confesses that they are just and faithfull to their Trust to be informed of Grievances and acknowledges that his publick Directions and Commissions may be
his supply All eys of forein statutes are upon this affair Either they are unwilling to help him or his state desperate not to be repaired or that they part in disgrace with the King or he in distast with the Parliament our reputations were bred abroad and at home the abilities of retribution to Neighbour Princes of good or harm works much respect A King contemned brings War too late then to be supported things foreseen are soon remedied Meddle not with too much business at once qui trop embrasse rien estreint And recommends to them necessary things Religion Papists increase as if some New plot the feminine sort so proud that as men say they are not to be medled with It is surer to remove the Materials of fire then to quench it Nam levius laedit quicquid praevidimus ante He means not stronger Lawes but better Execution Nor does blood and too much severity severe persecution makes but the gallantness of many mens spirits more than justness of the cause to take a pride to die in repute of Martyrs To clear some obscure doubts in taking the oath of Allegeance who ought to be pressed therewith Let all Recusants be presented without exception and brought under the law To wink at faults is neither Honor nor Mercy in a King but to forgive after Tryal may be Mercy dividing them in two Rancks Old Papists Queen Maries Priests and those that never drank other than what they suckt of their Mothers milk Secondly Or such as do become Apostates from our Religion upon discontent or idle humour new form as a new fashion he pities the first if good and quiet Subjects and may be civil and conversable But for the other Apostates they must expect no favour but Justice and so that these Papists be no longer concealed In the Common-wealth He recommends the framing some New statutes for preservatives of Wood which was the worse liked of you the last Session because I put you upon it then so necessary as not to be without it It concerns their Esse the most Necessary Elements Fire and Fuell Their Bene Esse decay of Wood decay of Shipping The security of this land is from the Sea as a wall and by the Sea wealth Out-going and In-coming of commodities If you will add pleasure Hawking and Hunting some of them may be of his minde in that too and preferre Game almost destroyed He thought them but little for their last law annent Partridges and Phesants that every Farmer may destroy them in his own ground So that if my brede fly over the hedg to his close they are at his pleasure the onely remedy to cast a Roof over all my ground or put his Vervels on all Partridges as on his Hawks so to be known by his Army And for their law against stealing of Dear or Conies After their tedious discourse and prohibition they conclude with restriction onely to stealers in the Night Like the Lacedemonian Law against theft not forbidding it but to do it cunningly whereupon the foolish Boy suffered the Fox to gnaw his heart through his breast Like the lesson of the Canon Si non castè tamen cautè Exclaims also against the Gentlemen that hunt not for sport but ravenly with Nets and Guns destroy the Game And ends as he began the mirror of his heart 1. Which may be abused with a false light to mistake or misunderstand him 2. Not to soil it with foul breath and unclean hands not apt to pervert his words with corrupt affections like the toll of a Bell to some mens fancying what it tincketh that he thinketh 3. Glass is brittle if it fall to the ground it breaks to contemn his heads is not to conform to him But he hopes with Gods blessing all things will end well so farewell And for this the Kings good Counsel to his Law-makers they rewarded him with one Subsidy and one fifteen which came to one hundred and six thousand one hundred sixty and six pounds These times of plenty intice the Gentry to spend at London where the concourse of people raised the house rents Prices Markets and robbed the Countrey of their commerce in the Neighbourhood of the wealthy House-keepers for refreshing the poor discharging that burthen which it brought upon the Commons as hath been said To restrain them another Proclamation forbids all new buildings within two miles of London This and other the like Inconveniences not giving leasure to the Parliament to advise upon remedy the Council-Table took care to rectifie And therefore hereabouts began the frequent necessity of publishing Proclamations which were cunningly carped at by such as could not endure that any Commands should come forth without license of the Lower-house And not only now and heretofore but from time to time during this Kings Reign the new buildings increasing in and about London were endeavoured to be suppressed the chief Justice Popham and all other succeeding resolved in opinion their great Nusance to the whole Kingdom like the spleen in Man which in measure as it over-grows the Body wasts the Countrey must diminish if the City and Suburbs so increase not bringing wealth but misery surcharge to them and the Court and therefore at Christmass the Gentry were commanded into their Countrey to keep Hospitality then and after Peace and plenty with us taught our Neighbours to court their own necessities into a blessing also and humbled the High-spirited Monarch of Spain to descend to a Treaty for a Truce with his Rebell-Subjects held so in former dayes the United provinces of the Netherlands which in much policie he soon concluded not with very religious resolve on either part longto continue for the Dukedome of Cleve descending to nice point of dissention between two neighbor Princes Pretenders Brandneburg and Newburg The house of Austria quarrells his Interest also and got hold of the strong Town of Iuliers The French K. evermore near at hand to draw back any advance to the swelling greatness of Spain was a ready friend to assist the Dutch who liked no such Neighborhood and K. Iames not unwilling to adjoyn his countenance and forces out of the General Interest of all states to ballance the over-powring of Neighbor Nations he being always more ambitious of hindring them for invading one the other than under any pretence of Title or revenge apt to question or conquer upon any others possession and all three not staying any further dispute or delay of a Treaty therein with a threefold Bond of an Army besieges the Town and with little difficulty took it for the right owner But what other Interest King Iames had in this quarrel I know not unless upon the old score of affection to a kinsman of the Scots and a suffering Prince The Duke of Guelders and Iuliers of whom this Duke was descended had been ancient and Magnanimous Kings of Saxonick-frizeland for many ages The younger Brothers of that
multitude of our own people from all parts of our three Kingdoms gave a wonderfull glory to the Court at this time the only Theatre of Majesty Not any way inferiour to the most Magnificent in Christendom Prince and people increasing in honor and wealth And it was prudentiall in state to set it forth with all moderate additions of Feasts Masks Comedies Balls and such like which our squeazie stomacht Historian it seems could never example in any part of his reading and therefore sets his Gloss of reproach upon the King and them but very favourably forsooth as not thereby to provoke himself to stain his innocent paper I shall not trouble the dispute how farr they were politickly used in the Romane Common-wealth and Monarchy how farr tollerable in Christian Kingdoms and States They are necessary Mirrors wherin mens Actions are reflected to their own view Indeed some men privy to the uglyness of their own guilt have been violent not onely to crack but to break in pieces all those Looking-glasses least their own deformities recoyle and become eye-sores to themselves We were wont to call them Theatres representing in little the Entrance Acts and Exits of Man where we may behold Language Manners and Behaviour the best the matter good for Imitation bad to shun to teach virtue reprove vice and amend manners tempering the mind for good impression or defect in most of our youth thrust into devotion without polite manners forceably taught on the Stage where virtue is somewhat more seen to a mortall eye with admiration not to inforce men spight of Humanity to serve God with austerity not Jubilation This Christall fullied by time and malitious reports not without some shadowes of piety and counterfeit dress to amuze the world for a truth hath been cleared up to the view by several Pens though by King Iames at that time little valued for his own content unless as Splendidae Nugae for the dress of Court-like recreations but evermore with so much wit as might well become the exercise of an Academy And thus much of playes But stay It is come to my knowledge that our squeamish Informer was bred up a Poet frequently a Rymer and Composer of playes not without exceeding delight in himself to be so styled though a mean one but indeed since the reformation of them the trade fell to decay and he turned trot any way to get money Such another was A. M. who whilst he kept within the compass of that Dialect did well and commendably but turn'd another professor and ended his daies miserably He went to Bed as I am credibly informed well in health but disguised with drink his usual custome and was found in the morning his head hung over the Bed-side his hand leaning on the boards it seems groveling for breath being choaked with loathsome blood and flegm foaming at his mouth his tongue bleeting out not able to call for succour of such as lodged in the next room so was he drencht in drink and death In this year 1611. was collected a Contribution of well affected Subjects called Loan-money being lent upon Privy Seals an ordinary use and custome of all former Sovereigns in time of necessity of their Prince or state affairs and no New device which now amounted unto One hundred eleven thousand fourty and six pounds which was repayed back to divers especially to such as craved satisfaction by money Defalcation or Composition for other considerations Satisfactory There are sundry ways and means to make men rich and commonly not so concealed but it happens within the Ken of some acquaintance But here we had one Thomas Sutton meanly born and bred but some subsistence by marrying a widdow at Barwick farr short of wealth It is rumoured onelybecause of some probability for other we have none that he bought a Fraight that came thither out of a Dutch Pirate who it seems could not stay to make better market And therein was found concealed Treasure in some Cask his first advance which he so increased by Interest and purchases as having no heir he designed a pious foundation at Hallingbury Bowcher in Essex but afterwards purchased the Charter-house near Smithfield London of the Earl of Suffolk enriched it with divers dependances of lands and Tenements for which he paid in hand 13000 l and procured Letters Patents to erect The Hospital of King James founded in the Charter-house in the County of Middlesex at the proper cost of Thomas Sutton Esquire for maintenance of eighty decayed Gentlemen Souldiers a chamber and dyet and 8. l a piece peâ—sion annually and a cloth-Gown in two years with a free School for Scholars Chamber Diet and Apparell to be governed for the present by the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Lord Chancellor Lord Treasurer Bishops of London and Ely chief Iustice and Iustice Foster the Attorney general Dean of Pauls and Worcester a Master of the Chancery and four more Gentlemen his familiar friends and Thomas Brown the first elect Master of the Hospital and this for ever and as any Governours die the Major party to Elect another Besides he gave in Legacie so many thousands as it did astonish all men in those daies how he came by so much wealth Since the Kings absence the Papists were for these last three years much increased in the North parts of Scotland and complaints made of the funeral Obsequies of the Lord Oglevy and Gight after the Popish rites And though as before remembred some care had been for reducing the Earls Huntley Angus and Arroll Yet of late Huntley returning from England pretends some commands from the King to mitigate Ecclesiastical proceeding on his behalf which encouraged the others and the rest of their Profession openly contemning the Church Censures The Assembly therefore had sent petitions to the King for further authority to suppress these Inconveniences The Kings answer was That Huntley had no such warrant from him but pretending that he had kept all injunctions prescribed him except that of communicating with the Sacrament of the Lords Supper which the King thought fit for the present to referr to the Council for time of conforming but if he did persist his Majesty would accompt of him as intending the head of a faction and therefore rather to root him out than to nourish his follies by a preposterous Toleration They were therefore confined unto several Cities ten dayes together there to hear Sermons and admit of conference and to forbear Papist-priests companies that the sons of Oglevy and Gight should be committed This prescription too strickt the three Earls revolt and therefore an Assembly was called by the Kings Comand for so of late they were regulated not to convene of themselves and the Names of Papists inrolled were found Numerous and Huntleys faction in the North were of the most He being cited appears not nor sends any excuse and therefore by the Assembly is excommunicated and the sentence pronounced publick and no
absolution to be given by any offers of his whatsoever and the like against Angus Arrol and Semple This was too rigorous and unchristian the Church being open to all Penitents And truly the inconveniences being examined from that time by the Churches too frequent Excommunicating of many persons fugitives for Capital Crimes The Kings Christian consideration herein was signified to them by his Commands That their Sentences of that kinde were far abused from the first pious policie of institution for such persons as have been cited before Ecclesiastical judicatures for capital cases and dare not compeir for fear of Life are yet excommunicated as Persons contumacious when onely their fear may excuse their absence and really cannot be judged Contemners of the Church And in truth the Venetian Padre Paulo in his Treatise did learnedly confute the Popes sentence against him for not appearing in a Cause of Heresie onely upon his just fear he pretended and had his Appeal justified by all good Christians and indifferent men Wee may resemble the Scots Courses therein to the Muscovites manner who if he be offended with any man commands him to send his head in a Charger even so they will the offender to come into Court and be hang'd which no Penitent would do rather to suffer sentence than to hazard themselves into Presbyters handling a second Inquisition and so in truth their Church suffers under scandall and contempt And accordingly their Assemblies were afterwards reduced to conform to Reformation herein The Clergies Arguments somewhat Canonicall if as the Pope they cannot erre That the Churches form may not be changed which terrifies the common Man from their Crimes But then let them be answered from the principall end of such Censures especially Excommunication which was reclaiming not confounding of offenders The principal use having no place that other Secondary Ends ought not to be respected The case of fugitives How could the Censure avail to their reclaiming they being absent from admonition Men in such a Case truly sorrowfull for their sinnee sentenced are in truth bound up by the Church whom God hath loosed But that Church evermore expressed their hot zeal of excommunication by their fire-brand Execution the pretended Sanction of their Sion The lustrous ray and beam of Sovereignty was intrenched upon by the Heir of the Earl of Eglington in Scotland being adopted so from him that had no Successor of birth or kindred This man was Sir Alexander Seaton a Cousin Germain and with this Proviso by will That he and his children should take the Name and use of the Arms of the House of Mountgomery This bold bearing came to the disquisition I remember in our Heralds office of which Garter principall King of Arms informs the King as an ill President for though Noblemen may dispose of their lands they cannot alienate their honors from the Sovereign fountain of all honours in his Kingdomes And so Sir Alexander was unlorded till the Kings grace gave him Creation some years after the honors of Eglington onely The King was had in high esteem to be not onely Rex pacificus in temporal affairs but Nutricius Ecclesiae in spiritual relations to the Church yet very tender to meddle in politicks of Neighbour Princes unless by Envoyes and Ambassies of Brotherly advice But for the state of the Church Reformed he was pleased to take upon him Defensor fidei with tongue pen and sword if need were And thereâ—n he gave his reasons for every Christian King to have an Interest though in Aliena Republica And in his hunting progress having met with two Bookes of Conradus Vorstius who had the degree of Doctor of Divinity at Leyden in Holland the one Tractatus Theologicus Dâ—o dedicated to the Landt-grave of Hessen dated 1610. the other his Exegesis Apologetica dedicated to the States 1611. Upon this latter book He dispatches commands to Sir Ralph Winwood his Ambassador Lieger and Counsellor in the Counsel of State in those Countries in his Name to declare to the States General Not onely his Majesties high resentment of the Monstrous Blasphemies and horrid Atheism therein worthy to be burnt and the Author punished but also his infinite displeasure to have him succeed Arminius such another Monster lately dead Divinity Reader in that University And though he hath recanted his former Atheisticall opinions it was too slender Satisfaction for so foul an Enemie to the Essence of the Deity The States General in answer do most humbly acknowledg his Majesties Princely assistance untill this time for preservation of their bodies rights and liberties against their powerfull Enemie introducing the Inquisition and constraint of their consciences in matters of Religion That the Curators of the University of Leyden by custome of that foundation have the charge to settle that Lecture and did elect and send for Vorstius in Anno 1610. from Steinford a Town of the County of Tecklenburgh the first that cast off the yoke of Papacy in Germany and so continue where he was Professor fifteen years and for Learning much admired by Prince Maurice Landt-grave of Hessen as worthy of preferment in any University in his Countrey And their Message was seconded from his Excellency Prince Maurice and the State of Holland in his behalf who notwithstanding had opposition by some against whom and all others accusers he challenged the dispute but they never appeared The next Moneth six Ministers accused him of false and unsound doctrine and disputed it with him before the Curators and six other Ministers in full Assembly of the States of Holland who all of them adjudged the Election lawfull and the man full of merit The next Moneth after that Certain Articles came over thither and dispersed in printed Pamphlets to which publick declarations were made by the States that Vorstius should be ready to answer the intention of the States being to permit no Professâ—rs but according to the Religion reformed and grounded on Gods word and that if his Majestie were well informed he would in his high wisdom prudence and benignity conceave favourably of their proceedings they being confident that this business is managed with all due reverence to his Majesties serious admonition as becometh them 1 Octob. 1611. In the time of these Transactions Vorstius gives ayme for his Bookes to be brought hither accompanied with an other De Apostasia sanctorum and a Letter of the Author Vorstius to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury avowing the doctrine therein to agree with the Church of England and so that Book intended to fire the next Neighbours with this fuell Non solum paries proximus jam ardebat was by order publickly burnt at Pauls-Cross and both Universities The King continuing the Hunt to Unkenell this Fox writes himself to the States That notwithstanding his Ambassà dors propositions They proceed to provide a place for that Corrupted Person and with Protection and License to print his Apologie dedicated to
so honest and worthily deserving a Servant and so praiing God to bless this mie cure I bid you heartilie farewell Febr. 9. 1616. New-market James Rex Hereupon there was some appearance of his amendment which the Prince congratulates under his own hand My Lord Chancelour As I was verie sorrie having understood of your dangerous sickness so I do much rejoice of the good appearance of your recovery which Thomas Murrey hath declared unto me and of the affection and caee you have of my person and of mie Estate for which you and yours shall ever find me most willing to give testimonie to the World how much I respect those who are truly affected towards me I hope bie Gods grace to give you particular bie mie self and that God shall give you health and strength of bodie and mind that the King Queen and I with this whole Kingdom may long enjoie the fruit of your long wise and religious experience which wishing from my heart I end New-market Febr. 18. 1616. Yours Charles Pr. These being the last Letters and thus assured of the acknowledgement of his Masters favour toward his merit he takes leave of this Life the fifteenth of March following 14. of Iac. 1616. The Common-pleas or Comunia Placita is the Kings Court or Bancus Communis Anno 2. Edw. 3. cap. II. so called Quia Communia Placita inter subditos or controversies between common persons it was now held in Westminster Hall But in antient times moveable as appears by Magna Charta cap. II. And that upon grant of that Charter the Court of common-pleas was erected and settled and one place certain viz. at Westminster wheresoever the King lay and that after that time all the Writs ran Quod sit coram Iusticiariis meis apud Westmonast Whereas before the party was commanded by them to appear Coram me vel Iustitiaris meis simply without addition of place see Glanvile and Bracton the one writing in Henrie the seconds time before this Court was erected the other in Henrie the thirds time who erected this Court. All Civil causes real and personal are or were in former times in this Court according to the strickt Law of this Realm And by Fortescue cap. 50. it seemeth to have been the only Court for real causes The chief Judge thereof is called Lord Chief Iustice of the Common-pleas accompanied with three or four Assistants or Associates who are created by Letters pattents from the King and are installed as it were upon the Bench by the Lord Chancelour and Lord Chief Iustice of that Court. See Fortescue ca. 51. who sets down all the Circumstances of their admission The rest of the Officers are these the Custos Brevium three Proto-Notaries or principal Notaries called also Pregnotaries Chirographer Filazers in number fourteen Exigenters four Clerk of the Warrants Clerk of the Iuries or Iurata Writs Clerk of the Treasury Clerk of the Kings Silver Clerk of the Essoines Clerk of the Out-laws The Common Law is so antient we know not the commencement Lex Angliae peculiar onely to this Land Of long time following the Conquest ever more quarrelled for enjoyment of antient Liberties until Henrie the third allowed English men English Laws add in his ninth year granted the great Charter which himself infringed and thereupon followed fourty years Barons Warrs as Histories stile them until in his fifty two year that Charter was again reviewed and compiled and solemnly sworn unto by succeeding Sovereigns The ground of which binds the King per Legem terrae and what is this Lexterrae Leges Anglicanae fuerunt approbatae consensu utentium Sacramento Regum confirmatae Lex facit Regem attribuat igitur Rex legi quod Lex attribuit ei viz. dominationem potestatem ubi non Lex ibi non Rex So then Lex fecit Regem Not so neither Kings in England before Lawes but indeed Communis Consuetudo Regni fuit Lex terrae This being the Law without commencement as the Genius to all and Parliaments Statutes Prerogatives of Princes Customes of Counties Cities Burroughs Mannors are but the species of it For general Customs made the Law authorities Parliaments Limits Prerogatives and Customes consonant or disonant to Reason so much for Communis Lex But in practice say some the Chancery is above Law and yet duely examined that also is allowed per Legen terrae as a species of that The reason thus The Common Law grounded upon general Maxims they might be too severe or too relax and therefore necessarily requiring Equity Secundum aequum bonum sanam consâ—ientiam And this Chancelour notwithstanding limitted by Law and erected by Law although it seems above Law For No Judge hath Jurisdiction without some grant or commission out of that Court under the Great Seal which is intrusted to the Chancelor No Judge can hold plea without an Original Writ framed in Chancerie and by his appointment returnable before the Judges and yet all these considered the King the Law the Chancery agree together The Chancerie then must needs be erected subsequent by the common Law to relieve and supply the Law in some cases where the simple subject was cosened by craft ignorance also may offend without malice Moses Law in divers cases Political and Ceremonial he could not decide uncleanness by touching the dead but referred it to God The name of this Officer is Dominus Cancelarius Angliae a a Cancelour do but then quere what he might cancel Some say it is Cancelare Iniquom legem commâ—nnem Iudicare secundum conscientiam but this is an errour will the Law give power to deface her self that made it The Chancelour cannot stay the course of Law but onely injunct the person not to follow the Law not to cancel the Law for notwithstanding this injunction if the party will sit out contempt and proceed at common Law the Judges cannot deny him Indeed rhis Officer hath his name of canceling the Kings Letters pattents so much of honour to the Law as the other way had been dishonourable The nature of Letters pattents bind the King and his Successors and all Subjects though unfit or unjust the Judges of Law are co judge it void but cannot deface it nor the Seal but the Chancelour as a Judge of Law may but not by his absolute authority by his ordinary power and course of common Law is to judge of it and to hold plea of it and to call the party interessed by process of Law and so to repeal it by Judgement and then cancel it which no person can do but And this was done Transversa linea circumducere vel conscindere aliquod Edictum decretum contra Principem aut jus Reipublicae impetrari which cancelling is made with Lines drawn across like Latices and it is said that Judgement seats were of old compassed with Latices or Barrs cross waies to defend the Judges and Officers from the prease of people and yet not to hinder
such as will not be themselves but their wives and families shall be and they shall appear at Church sometimes inforced by Law or for fashion these are formal to the Law and false to God The second sort are Recusants whose consciences are misled and therefore refuse the Church otherwise peaceable subjects The third are practising Recusants they will force all persons under their power and infect others to be as they are Recusants these are men of Pride and Presumption His opinion can bear with the person of a Papist so born and bred but an apostate Papist hâ— hates such deserve severe punishment He is loth to hang a Priest for Religion and saying Mass but if he refuse the Oath of Allegiance which is meerly Civil he leaves them to the Law against whom it is no persecution but Iustice and the like against those Priests that return from banishment such also as break Prison they can be no Martyrs that refuse to suffer for their conscience Saint Paul would not go forth when the doors were open and Saint Peter came not out till led by the Angell of God Then he concludes with the Ordinary charge against the numbers of Alâ—-houses too frequent buildings in and about London and also the extreme resort of the Gentry to the City bids them countenance the religious Clergy against all Papists and Puritans and God and the King will reward their service Let us remind Scotland It was eight years since the Marquess of Hunâ—lâ—y had been excommunicate upon hopes from time to time of his conformity and reconcilement but increasing insolencies was lately committed and as soon inlarged by the Chancelour underhand favouring too much the Papists The Church complain hereof to the King the Marquess posts to England to palliate his displeasure but a Messenger meets him at Huntington with command to return him home to Justice Yet here he staies until he receives new authority to appear at Court where he humbly submits and offers to communicate But being contrary to the Canons before absolution a great debate followed how to hazard him to the Church of Scotland lest by the way he should recant and indeed the King evermore endeavouring to rectifie his conscience and to recover him to be a Proselyte The adventure was thus pieced the Bishop of Catnes now at Court must consent in the name of the Scots Kirk for the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury to absolve him and the Form new devised so to do in respect of the correspondency of that Church with England The Scotish Church hears of this and interprets that Act as an usurpation upon their Rites which the King is fain to excuse in a long Letter to satisfie that curiosity and lest he should seem to take upon him to palliate so great a presumption of himself onely The Arch-bishop also gave his Reasons in writing without intrenching upon the independencies of so free absolute and intire Authority of Scâ—tland And withall Huntley come home must supplicate that Assembly now convened at Aberdene for their confirmation and his submission which was solemnly performed And because it was about the end of the General Assembly we shall shut it up with inserting such Articles as may enlighten the Reader to the knowledg of the Kings elaborate care and wisdom in reducing perverse Jurisdiction to this moderate issue in conformity to the Discipline of the Church of England by which we may conclude the evident signs and hopes of a full recovery in time from their peevish Hierarchy which had been prosecuted in some measure from the very time that this King took Government to himself and brought it before his death to a semblable conformity with England and might so have prospered to perfection had not their and our sins since set a period to us both 1. That for more reverence of the holy Communion the same should be celebrated Kneeling which always had been standing 2. Not to be denied the Patient desperate sick in his Bed with three or four of religious conversation to communicate with him 3. The Sacrament of Baptism not to be longer deferred than the next Sunday after the Birth and in necessity in a private house by the Minister and publication thereof the next Sunday in the Church 4. That the inestimable benefits received from God by our Lord Jesus Christ his Birth Passion Resurrection Ascension and Sending down the Holy Ghost having been commendably remembred at certain days and times by the whole Church of the world every Minister upon these days should therefore commemorate the said benefits upon those set days and to make choice of several pertinent Texts of Scripture to frame his Doctrine and Exhortations thereto And because Confirmation after Baptism stuck in their stomachs and indeed the King was unsatisfied therein terming it a meer Hotch-potch and not clear to his apprehension But yet thus much was concluded That seeing the Act of Confirmation of Children is for their good Education most necessary being reduced to the primitive integrity the Minister shall catechize them after eight years old to rehearse the Lords Prayer the Belief and ten Commandments with Answers to Questions in the small Catechism used in the Church And that the Bishop in their Visitations shall bless them with Prayer for their increase of Grace and continuance of Gods heavenly gifts with them So much was done indeed and presented humbly to his Majesty with some Reasons why the same being novel to them were not as yet inserted with the Canons which the King did not then otherwise press as resolving to effect his desire at his coming personally into that Kingdom when his presence should satisfie with Reasons all scrupulous aversion About this time happened that difference in the Family of Sir Thomas Lake one of the Secretaries of State between his Wife and Daughter and the Countess of Exeter which involved him and his into ruine This Lake was a learned Gentleman brought up under Sir Fr Walsingham that subtil Secretary of State as Amanuensis to him And after good experience of his deserts was recommended to Queen Elizabeth and read to her French and Latine in which Tongues she would say that he surpassed her Secretaries and was so imployed all her time for he was reading as to quiet her spirits when the Countess of Warwick told him that the Queen was departed But not long before she received him Clerk of her Signet And he was chosen by this State in that Place to attend King Iames from Berwick And so sufficient he was that the King made use of his present service in some French dispatches by the way that he came hither which indeed Secretary Cecil had reason to resent as too much trenching on his Office And therefore craveed leave of the King that he might not attend beyond his Moneth to prejudice the other Clerks which was excused and he kept still at Court These sufficiencies of his enabled him in these times of gaining with much repute and
forth to see it saying Jacta est alea The Die is cast in Gods providence not in Signes to be blasted with such beames which had a ground in Nature but no warrant in Scripture to portend Mishap to States and Princes But that which is most observable to me is this The Scripture which relates remarkable things mentioneth not one Comet Blazing Star nor Ecclipse but that miraculous Star at Christs birth though no doubt many such happened in that space of three thousand five hundred years but takes notice of other natural events less considerable and yet from the other we infer changes of Empires nay Church and Religion The Prophets never foretold of any Meteors as not troubling their writings with what could be foreseen by humane or natural means For though Agabus Acts 11. 18. foretold the Universal Famine twelve years after in the time of Claudius Ceasar yet he speaks not of the Ecclipse that fell then for that might be foreseen of a natural cause and was foretold by Astrologers but not the famine which could not be inferred by Eclipse nor by any Comet to presage evil We grant natural virtues which reside in the Stars besides enlightning for they were created four daies after the light to warm and give vigor and life and such good things And indeed those natural signs are rather marks of Gods favour than anger Stars do submission to Man unhappy to none but such as believe them fatal and unlucky Naturale est magis nova quam magna mirari And that Comet at Christs birth was Nero's death Cometes summe bonus aparuit qui praenuntius fuit mortis magni illius Tyranni pestilentissimi hominis saies Tacitus False Predictions prove true to them that fear them that is our superstition The other extreme is Epicurism which admireth not Gods works at all Continual custome without some change in natural things becomes less regardful God scatters intermixtures to force man to admire The sacred Chronology shews Gods admirable measures in the dispensations of time more worthy than in the speculation of Astrologers Nay even in humane History more wise than such Predictions for certainly a good Historian deserves better than a bad Prophet After the appearance of this Comet the same year died Q. Anne A lingring sickness and fulness of humours brought her to a dropsie and for recovery she for some years before frequented the Bath with continual Physick But the disease come to the height she took leave of this life at Hampton Court Her Corps brought from thence to Somerset House part of her Jointure and at her proper charge lately rebuilt and beautifyed to this lustre it appears now and by her desire called Denmark house from the name of that Kingdom whence she had her Birth And not long after with sumptuous obâ—equies she was intombed at Westminster Abby in the chapel of Hen. 7. ordained for Royal Interments A good Lady she was and Sister to the King of Denmark fetcht from thence by King Iames with great affection to her person and being a Stranger to these Kingdoms with Providence designed for her future fortune she medâ—ed the less in Matters of State A matchless pair drawing evenly in all courses of honour and both blessed with fair issue because never loose from eithers Bed abating that blemish basely abusing her excellent virtue for loving my Lord of Pembroke a crime as false as odious in the Author who yet concludes her character a monument of virtue I may not leave the Reader at random in the affairs of the Kirk of Scotland How they boggled with the King when he was lost there and so left them incorrigible never intending to hazard his honour any more by granting General Assemblies But he come home unsatisfyed then and after with their Synods had sharply reproved them by Letters which they excuse till one Assembly more might make tryal of their allegeance The King gratious to be reconciled adventures to grant them another General Assembly to be held at Perth August 25. But enters upon them with this caution That the affront offered his Royal self in the late meeting at Saint Andrews gave him just reason to resolve never to grant any more General Assemblies concerning the Churches policy what he hastily desired and what they did was to do him injury He is yet over intreated by their Bishops to permit a new Convocation who are now convened for the self same business as before Advising the Bishops not to admit the wonted ignorant and unruly multitude to overpower the more judicious He having placed them overseers of the rest in the chiefest Rooms He dislikes not the advice of the whole and the greater the consent the better his content But matters of this nature the Articles may yet be enjoined without them by his own authority as an innate power by his calling from God Perswade them they may to induce them by discretion in their duty to Him wherein he will not be delayed nor satisfied with their shifts from their simple acceptation of those Articles sent unto them the necessity whereof had better becomed them all to beg of him than he to propone the practice upon them What and how many abuses were offered to him by the Ministers before he came to the Crown of England can hardly be forgot nor likes he much to remember sufficient by their disobedience to have separated his affection from them His patience for Gods cause forgiving and forgetting foul faults endeavouring to force from them better effects of his best purposes He wishes that he be no more provoked nor the truth of God which they profess any longer shadowed under the Cloke of some of their seeming Saintlike holiness shaking hands and joining hearts with such persons as by their tenents against Majestracy uphold Popery In sum he craves God to witness on his part and let the World now at last see their dutyful obedience to their dread Soveraign that so his care of their good may meet with zeal and affections in them inferiour to no subjects of any Sovereign and the glory of God and peace to his Church which is his earnest prayer for them all unto whom he now and evermore commends them James Rex July 1618. We say not how much these might deserve from men holy minded nor what tedious and weak Arguments were reasoned which needed such a defence as was fain to be published in answer to a Pamphlet set out against them But truly shame of their trifling and fear to offend produced these effects from which yet in aftertime they fled That seeing the memory of all by-past superstitious and idolatrous worship of the sacraments by Papists is long since abolished Therefore in reverence of God and due regard of so Divine a Mystery and in remembrance of so mystical an Union they think good That the sacrament be celebrated hereafter meekly and reverently upon their knees If any Christian visited
years before had adopted Ferdinand his Uncles Son his Successour but not to meddle with Sovereignty of a King whilest Matthias lived however Ferdinand thus far set forward himself makes way to the Dignity of Boheme and to prevent discovery from the incorporate Confederate Provinces who have Voices in the Election he calls a Parliament forthwith onely of the States of Boheme with express denunciation that in the Assembly nothing should be consulted but the choice of a new King The Electoral Provinces nor their Deputies nor Ambassadours not being present the Assembly was not legal The best of the States of Boheme therefore refuse to appear against whom was denounced such threats as frightened them with hazard of their Heads and so was procured a pretended Election for the present and his Coronation assented by the main party Catholicks The Crowning Kings in the life of another was of late a sure policy to unite those Kingdoms in the Austrian Family contrary to the ancient custom of free Elections which now neithâ—r State durst oppose To this end therefore and to suppress all future free Elections the Paladium of the Kingdom Ferdinand secretly compacts with the King of Spain without consent of the States and before his Election or pretence to any interest That the King of Spain his Posterity and Heirs for want of Issue male of his Fathers Austrian Line should succeed him in that Kingdom contrary to the established Rules of Politicians that no elected King hath power to alienate without consent of the States this succession exposed them to the loss of all and Religion also and enabled him to enfeoff strangers into each Province and into the inheritances of those Royally descended high-born illustrious Families and by which as was then suspected and since came to pass he should easily seize the Dignity of the Crown Imperial and so abolish the foundation of the Golden Bull and Form of Empire This while the aged Emperour keeps Court at Vienna King Ferdinand at Gref in Steria the Government of Boheme continues in such Counsellours as Matthias left there chosen Ministers Catholick who with the Arch-bishop of Prague endeavour to suppress the Protestants The States Protestants assemble themselves to redress these injuries backt with some Forces which they brought with them and were opposed by the Emperour's Faction whom they over-mastered and flung his chief Justice Slabala his Secretary Fabritius and others out of a Window of the Castle down into the Court and being done in choller excused by Apology to the Emperour But on they go raise force and banish the Iesuit and others of that Faction whom they load with Complaints The Emperour as forward commits the command of two Armies unto Count Buquoy and Dampiere The Protestants counter-force with two Bodies severally under the Prince of Anholt and under Count Thorn and Mansfeilt skirmishing with different effects Some Princes King Iames and others interpose Mediations and Ferdinand complains of the Bohemians obstinacy They remonstrate former undue Elections and allege That between a conditional King and his Subjects there are reciprocal obligations the one Obedientia the other Promissa That he received the Scepter of the States with thankfull remuneration and royal grace to all to satisfie the desire of every one and to deserve their love and swears not to meddle with Government whilest Matthias lives Notwithstanding he maintains the Wars of others against the Bohemians Moravians and Silecians and raised Terra Maria against the Bahemians sent for his own Army out of Steria and pronounced the Protestant States of Boheme Traitors and Rebells and declared himself Enemy to them all That he banished the old President Cesal directs all Councils corrects the Decisians and Decrees Imperial disposes the actions of Buquoy as King and Lord of all and dis-inclines all means of Peace with Ambassadours of all Provinces who met at Prague carefully consulting to recover Peace That conditional elective Kings receive their royal Authority upon Oaths their Sovereign power Ex pacto non ex jure from the Subjects by concessions upon Covenant not by succession nor descent as other Kings who are so before they swear to their Subjects and do swear because they are Kings but are not Kings because they swear the one born a Prince without his Subjects the other made and given to be a King The Oath of Elective Kings is Et si quod absit in aliquibus Iuramentum meum violavero Nullam mihi incole Regni omniumque dominiorum unius cujusque gentis obedientiam praestare delebant And the Chancellour usually tells them Quandoquidem viderunt Ordines Majestatem regiam pactis conventis stare nolle non debere ait ipsius Majestatem in malam partem interpetari si Ordines obedientiam ipsius Majestate renuncient These things thus a doing the old Emperour dies and Ferdinand now King of Hungary and Boheme and adopted Heir of the Empire meets at Franckford by Summons with the three Electors Menâ—z Collen and Trevours the other three Silecia Moravia and Lusatia failing in their persons sent their Representatives only and so the Council chose him King of Romans which the State of Bohemia disclaim and of his being Elector as King of Bohemia he never actually possessing the Crown Their disâ—entions could not lessen his Election to the Empire yet they swore never to receive him their King King Iames much troubled at these interruptions of Germany took himself to be much conceâ—ned in the hazard of the Protestant party and the peace and danger of the Reformed Church and therefore sent Hay Viscount Doncaster Ambassadour extraordinary to mediate with the Emperour and Bohemians but to little purpose The Emperour by means avoiding to receive him knowing his errand being to paliate what was grown too high for his Reconciliation and removed his Gests when Doncaster came but neer him so whilest King Iames hunted at New Market his Ambassadour coursed the Hare in Germany but his business through the crudity and raw initiation took not the effect Ferdinand fearing the Success of Ingagements insinuates with the Germain Princes and had possessed the Duke of Bavaria and others The poor Bohemians in this strait and finding K. Iames an Inteâ—cessor thought it policy to bring him into the List for having published their Declarations and Reasons pronounced the Election of Ferdinand to be invalid and nul and the States of that Kingdom and other Provinces Elect by this Title The most Gracious and the most Mighty Prince Lord Frederick Count Palatine of the Rhine and King of Bohemia In the mean time King Iames consults with his Council diversly affected to this Design of taking or refusing Amongst them see what our Abbotâ—ends â—ends to Secretary Nauton not being able to come to Council Good master Secretary I have never more desired to be present at any Consultation c. My humble advice is That there is no going back but a countenancing of it
the Rhine by conduct of Prince Henry of Nassaw with two thousand horse and four hundred Musqueteers But ere they came there our raw English droop'd with eating honey and lost not the Nick-name for some years after Ninety four with Tents Truncks and Luggage were left at Bac-rack and they and the Town lost to Spinola by former example of all other that had stood in his way and with no more pains than his sudden summons And had done so to all the English if his Design to snap them had not miscarried by the boisterous stream of the Rhine which wet his Waggons of Ammunition and some of his Field-pieces disordered and so escaped they to Franckford the 24. of September Then to Darmstat a Town of Bohemia and to Hessen where Prince Henry and the Dutch take leave of the English and return home to Holland And here they joyn with fifteen hundred horse of the Princes of the Union and march to Reinshem the nether Town of the Palatinate and the third of October joyn with the Army four thousand Horse and six thousand Foot Spinola at hand frightned them with a charge but night afforded no light to sight the next day to quarters for a Week where the new Wine in the Must grapes and fruits brought crudities upon their weak stomacks till Spinola led them a Dance for Digestion as far as Keysers-Luther and the weather cold the Nights long disposed their necessities to several Garrisons and the Forces of the Reformed Princes cooped up to their several places whilest the Enemy carved to himself of the whole Countrey the good English went thither to fight and so came home again In this mean time the two Generals encounter Anholt for Bohemia had the better and scattered Bucquoys main Body this was in the Spring But in Autumn it fell out otherwise for whiiest Spinola and the Princes were hunting each other on the Hills the Duke of Bavaria joyns with Bucquoy and Tilly. Anholt and Mansfield got between them and Prague but the Enemy breaks through and routs the other into confusion and flight Anholt and Holloch the first that â—led to the King of Bohemia at Prague and the next morning the ninth of November they all fly for succour the King and Queen with both our Ambassadours Weston and Conway as far as Limburgh in their way to the Netherlands and the Ambassadours by safe conduct returned back to Bohemia where the conquering business took up more time than to spend with leasurely disputes and so they came home again The next Spring the Princes of the Union submit to the Emperour so does Anholt who is received into favour and made one of his Generals Mansfield not so capable and being put to his shifts doubles his brave Spirit with the necessity of his Fortune hurrying several Countries with Forces of fourteen thousand men for almost two years after till he constrained them to offer him peace which he accepts Whilest King Iames sends to the Emperour by Ambassy of Sir Henry Wootten a Man fitted for Negotiation by his often imployments to Several States and Princes and thus qualified he hath his Commission passes by the Duke of Lovain in transitu for I find not he had any Credentials to him onely confers the Kings Christian intents as one cumbred with the sad events of the Germane Troubles on this side and the French intents on the other and so not improper for the King to study the passages of both And out of his particular Commission to others he frames general Agruments to him of the Kings innocency in the beginning of the Bohemian business and his impartiality ever since and so rendered his Master the first Mediator therein being tyed in the conscience of a Christian King to prosecute the same and in it peace to all The Duke a cunning and subtile Prince told him that the Princes of the Union would assure him how his affections were in the cause more he could not get out of him His next was to the Arch-Duke Leopold of the Austrian family to him he had Letters and tells him That King Iames was cleer of all foreknowledge or counsells in the business of Bohemia and also of the Pdlsgraves preceding practice till it was laid upon him That his Master continued equal to both parties and was troubled that there should be so great preparations for invading the Nether Palatinate being the Patrimony of the Kings Descendants no way commixt with the affairs of Bohemia Perswades the Arch-Duke as a Personage of power to keep those that were in action from such precipitation as might preclude all mediation of accord He was answered with the Arch-Dukes protestation That he believes the Kings cleernes but of the Palsgrave he much doubts accusing him of practice with the Bohemians at the Emperours Election at Franckford and more foully said he to introduce the Turk into Hungary And conceived the Marquess Spinola might have some aim upon the Lower Palatinate assured the Emperours inclination to accord but never without restitution of the usurped Kingdom a loss not of easy concoction especially by the Palatine his subject And excused the Emperours levies for that there were likewise some English forces designed towards that place out of England which was no fair way if King Iames intended a Treaty It was replyed by Wootton That true it was the Kings people and some of the Nobility had taken Alarm upon a voice of that Invasion and voluntarily meant to sacrifice themselves in that action but without the Kings concurrence of mony or command And being ask he answered he had no particular form of Accord to propose to the Emperour for the King thought it necessary to dispose the affections on both sides and so collect some measure of agreement without spending the honour of the King in vain Treaties Then to the Community of Strasburgh and Ulme who professed themselves in Newtrality for it might be uncivil they said to offer their Counsels where such Kings imploy their Wisdomes and Authority they would only contribute their prayers The Duke of Wittenburgh made large professions towards thâ— King of Bohemia as he called the Palatine of whose cleerness from practice he could vindicate for visiting him presently upon his Election he found him perplexed even to tears for to accept of the Kingdom he was lyable to suspition as to ambition and if he refused he feared the people would call in more then Christian aid to the effusion of much bloud And professed that no Prince of the Empire should exceed his affection to defend the Palatinate with all his power by bond of consederacy and reason of State lest any Stranger should neighbour him He had likewise Commission to the Duke of Bavaria whom he found in actual arms about Lintz in the Upper Austria and the Emperour at Vienna with no success in those Messages Yet still King Iames hoping that time it self and
the experience of vexation might in some degree mollifie their affections better to digest difficulties he never refused by Ambassies to both sides and to all other the intervenient Princes and States to attempt that high work of Peace first and then afterwards of Restauration of the Palatinate by other waies and means The times when these Negotiations set forward were usuall in the Kings progress or retirements from London to his Sports as was conceived but they were then chosen abroad for better leasure of business even then when Kingdoms were in dispute An art he had thus to cover his weightier Meditations for most of his Dispatches were concluded in his hunting journies Prince Charls now grown man the King had disposed to a Treaty for his Marriage with the Infanta of Spain some while since and Sir Walter Aston sent thither Lieger to fit correspondence and now conceived not improper to induce the restauration of the Palatinate by that means However it may be observed the evil success of all our former medling with that Nation in matters of marriages so malignant and disagreeing with ours Let us ravel back to the memory of the Black Prince a person of the greatest performance that Christendome can parrallel Yet in his voyage to Spain to settle Don Piedro besides their monstrous ingratitude and perfidy to him then caused also that miserable revolt in France by his absence which lost us our Inheritance there and his health ever after his body either corrupted by the air or by their Drugs impoisoned And indeed their matches with the heirs and Princes of this Crown for above six score years having been no where else except the second Marriages of Henry the eight were alwaies unhappy Prince Arthurs sudden death left his Widow to his wicked Brother with whom God was less pleased as the Match was more unlawful and therefore not a Male was left of their race only one Daughter in whose short reign of six years was more bloodshed for the true Religion than for the false in sixty years she adventuring to marry there also this discontented Nation fell into insurrections Treasons Wiats Rebellion and therefore her Husband Phâ—lip suspecting the future effects forsook her who lost Callis to the French in six daies that the English had enjoyed 200. years but altogether broke her heart and she dyed Now to parallel these foreign Matches with those at home to our own Subjects the first being by Edward the fourth and the last with Henry the eight from which two Gods blessing brought forth two Queens Elizabeths such instruments of his Glory Peace in the Land and Religion in the Church as never could produce greater examples of Happiness to England until this of King Iames who brought hither them both with him But for settling affairs at Home for his purpose abroad he resolves of a Parliament which he had thought saies one to lay them by for ever as incroachers upon his prerogative and diminishers of his Majesties glory making Kings less and subjects more than they are Certainly he had good intelligence from the Kings thoughts or else the Man had a Devilish revelation to prophesy the effects for such they proved to be afterwards But in truth the people were grown high fed with plenty and peace and pretending their zeal for regaining the Palatinate were wilde for a War with any body for any thing The King willing to let blood in that vein meant to make it his purpose and to get money to boot Some sheets of paper together is wasted by Our adversary to let in his Reader into that Parliament he saies That for the Spanish faction was Arundel Worcester Digby Calvert Weston and others Popishly affected with Buckingham and all his Train The Duke of Lenox Marquess Hamilton and Earl of Pembroke their Antagonists Such and so few were they not in anger against the King but against his Ministers a plea evermore borrowed by practical people against their Sovereigns Proceedings The Papists flourished by Gondamores power with the Ladies of England their Nieces and Daughters presenting him in their Balconies in Drury-Lane and the Strand long before any were quilt in those places and himself in a Litter but was only accosted by the Lady Jacob with a gaping Yawn telling his servant that came on the Errand to know the meaning that she had a Mouth to be stopt too which Gondamore closed with a present That this Lady was a Bawd to the beauties and poor fortunes of young Gentlewomen whose parents sent them up hither for preferment and saies that for respects to their posterities he will spare to name their persons It seems he was Pimp-Major to them all How does this diâ—â—ecting become his grave Proeme if it be his own where he saies Histories are like Anatomies if ignorance or malice attempt to hack hew or bespatter it it will be most inhumane c. And so dissect and open their own follies c. They must not cauterize and flash with malice c Therefore he that censures others and vents them for truth digs in the bowels of another and wounds himself And yet as he saies though he fly high and may rove he is sure not to light far from the mark So he there in his proeme He goes on in his History and tells us That the Earl of Buckingham now Marquess rules all That the King bought of Worster to make the Marquess Master of the Horse But in truth that antient Earl being Chamberlain also to the Queens Houshold could not attend that service and wait abroad upon the King and it was therefore his own suit and Buckingham paid him for parting with it and so was made Master of the Horse The place of Marquess is the next in honour to a Duke the title came but of late daies the first was by Richard 2. upon Robert de Vere Marquess of Dublin and so it became a Title of honour for before that time they were called Lords Marchers and not Marquesses After the Conquest as in policy they were resident upon the Confines and Borders of the Welch and other places not subdued Men of valour of high blood of the Normans with the name and privileges of Earls of Chester And for the Nort Borders of Wales to be Count Palatines And the Barons of the Middle part of the South-Marches were adorned in a manner with a Palatine Jurisdiction having a Court of Chancery and Writs among themselves pleadable least their attendance abroad might be prejudicial at home And as for the other part of the South-Marches they seemed sufficiently defended with the River Severn and the Sea By these Ascents our Marquess Buckingham climbs to succeed at this time a good and gallant old Earl of Nottingham Admiral who being almost Bedrid made Suit to the King that he might dispose of his place as a Legacy in his life time upon Buckingham which was so done and who to my Knowledge went in person
from Sea and got in for safety within the Mole Mansel having trained his men in the execution of their several Duâ—â—es and likewise appointed a Squadron of Boats with small Shot to rescue the Vessels of Execution both in the Advancement and Retreat The 21. of May the Vessels of Execution were all advanced but by reason of contrary windes were presently commanded to retire The next two nights being likewise in readiness they were becalmed and could execute nothing The fourth night with a fair Gale being advanced again and the Fire-ships almost recovered the Mouth of the Mole the winde turned to the opposite point of the Compass The Boats performed their Direction in towing the Ships but considering that by continuance of this course they should expose our principal men to hazard by the Ordnance and small Shot that played upon them they debate therefore amongst themselves what to do Captain Hughes that commanded one of the Brigandines replied Go on and give attempt by the Boats which they did crying out King Iames and fearless of danger even in the mouth of the Cannon and small Shot which showred like Hail upon them the English fired the Enemies Ships in sundry places and maintained the fight to the delight of their fellow-shipping that were lookers on so long as powder remained striving in the end who should have the honour to come off last which was left to the Captain Hughâ—s and so retired only with the loss only of 20 men and leaving the fire flaming up in 7 several places The cowardly Turks who before durâ—â— not shew themselves to these weak forces but from the Walls and tops of houses so soon as the English were retyred opened their ports and sallied out a thousand and so by help of Multitudes and a sudden shore of rain and a calm the fire was extinguished making some of their Ships unserviceable In which time of Service only one Frygat came out of the Moal which was forced back upon the Shore sunck one of their best men of War being manned with one hundred thirty Turks and twelve Christians whereof twelve onely escaped And took also a Fly-boat which the Pyrates had formerly taken from the Christians which was sold to Leghorn her merchandize to be exchanged for Pyrats goods and some money above two thousand pound Sterling The Turks manned out 3. Gallies to rescue her but were beaten by the help of the 3. Brigandines sent out to her succour Ten daies together the English attended opportunity to send in the Ships with the fire-Works to finish the former service done by the Boats but not a breath of Wind happened fitting for the Work So that in this time the Pyrates had boomed up the Moles with Masts and Raffs and set a double Guard upon all their Shipsâ— planted more Ordnance manned out twenty Boats to guarâ—â—â—he Booms and sent out Gallies and Boats for Intelligence hereof East and West-ward to all Ships abroad not to come in during the English abode which made Mansel retire with all his Ships and Merchants assisting him into the Road of Alegant where he received Order from hence over land to return home and to intrust four of the Kings ships into the hands of Captain Rogers and not long after the Plague and infection possessing his Fleet he was forced to return home without any other assistance The time come and Parliament sit in Ianuary The King enters them thus My Lords and you the Commons CUi multiloquio non de est peccatum In my last Parliament I made long Speeches to the lower House I have piped to you and you have not danced I have mourned and ye have not lamented And wills them to apply it to themselves not to spend long Speches That a Parliament is composed of a Head and a Body the Monarch and Estates first a Monarch then after a Parliament No Parliaments but in Monarchies for in Venice and Netherlands there 's none and Parliaments duties is to treat of Difficulties and to Counsel their King To make Laws for the Common-wealth and the Lower House to petition the King with knowledge of their grievances but not to meddle with the Kings Prerogative They are to supply his necessities and he in recompence distributes his Justice and mercy It is the Kings Office to make good Laws whose fundamental is the peoples ill manners and so at this time new abuses and incroaching Crafts The Religious Laws are enough consisting only of Perswasion and Compulsion and Gods blessing Priests Puritans and Sectaries errours of the right and left hand are forward enough their way Let Bishops be as bold by good examples and preaching but compulsion binds the conscience There is talk of the Match with Spain However he will never proceed but to Gods glory and Subjects content And for their supply of his Necessities tells them of their eighteen years peace and plenty and yet he hath received far less assistance than any King since the Conquest Queen Elizabeth had communibus annis above one hundred thousand pounds a year in subsidies and he had in all his time but four subsidies and six fifteens and it is ten years since he had any that he hath been sparing to trouble them or to spend himself abated in his Houshold in his Navies and Munition changed an old Admiral for a young Man whose honesty and care hath lessned that charge Tells them he is not the Cause of Dissentions in Christendom but rather sent Doncaster to appease them at the charge of three thousand five hundred pounds His Son-in-Law sent indeed for his advice and accepts the Crown three daies after which the King never approved of for three reasons 1. Religion not as the Jesuits to dispose and overthrow Kingdoms but with our Saviour to uphold 2. He was no judge and ignorant of those laws Quis te judicem fecit 3. That he treated a Peace and will not be party yet he left not to preserve his Childrens patrimony and accounts to them his Receipts for that purpose and how disposed He borrowed of his Brother of Denmark 7500.l And of his own added 2500 And sent this to his Son  And to the Princes to hearten them 30000 Total 40000l That had the Princes done their parts his handful of men had not failed and now he must be fain to perswade unless a strong hand assist and purposes to provide a strong Army next Summer and desires them to consider his necessities qui cito bis dat And shews his equity to them in course of Law never obstructing Juâ—gement by message or Sentence Wâ—shes them to consider advance of Trade and why his Mint hath stood still theâ—e nine years confesses his Royal heart liberal in Granâ—s but being informed he will amend any grievance but yet he tells them that who ever hastens after grievances and neglects all other business of greater moment hath the Spirit of Saâ—an for himself will reform any errour and desires
course but it fell out more fatal to him which lasted to the end and thereby wrought its best use In the midst of sufferings the bread of sorrow tastes better than the Banquet of fools for afflictions brings such mens souls to be Saints at the Mark which otherwise would be overgrown with too much Greatnesse His memorable abilities remain but in few and his compassionate infirmities common to all To expiate which he did as became him to do to the House of Peers prostrate himself and sins which ingenuously he acknowledged promising amendment of his life and made it good to the Worlds eye Those excellent works contrived in his retirement do evidently manifest his wit and worth with much regret to many good men that such an one should be fallen off from the face of State In Bacons place comes Doctor Williams Dean of Westminster by the Title of Keeper of the Great Seal of England the same power and Jurisdiction as the Chancelour see Statute quinto Elizab which was not so besore At first but as Vice-Chancelour Matthew Paris saith Custodiam â—igilli Regii accepit Cancelarii Vices Acturus Officium c. He was also then made Bishop of Lincoln together to make him more capable of the Office brought in sayes one to serve turns which no Lay-Man was bad enough to undertake Former ages held it more consonant to reason to trust the Conscience of the Clergy with the case of the Lay-man they best knowing a Case of Conscience and antiently the Civil Laws were adjudged by the Ministers of the Church and the Chancery and other Courts of Equity then in the charge of a Divine Minister And therefore a mistake in the Record that sets it down as a Wonder for an Arch-bishop of Saint Andrews to be made Chancelour of Scotland by King Charles a thing he saies not known in that Kingdom for three hundred years before for a Clergy man to bear that office But we find Iames Seaton and David Seaton both Arch-bishops of Saint Andrews and Chancelours of Scotland within one hundred years space And many other Arch-bishops and Bishops within three hundred years not only Chancelours but Judges of the Law Master of the Robes and other Offices of Judicature By which means their onely Bishopricks too poor they advanced to degrees of wealth enabling them to erect most of those sumptuous Fabricks of piety and Honour in that Nation and so in England by our Clergy by this man also in some measure So ran the Channel till Bacons father had it from a Bishop and now a Bishop has it again and had King Iames lived to have effected his Desires the Clergy had fixed firm footing in Courts of Judicature out of the rode of the Common-Law and this was the true cause of Williams initiation thither his quality thus fitted for the Kings intention He was in truth Chaplain to Buckinghams Mother and let into Court parallel in some degree with Cardinal Richlieus entrance by Queen Mother of France a Man may take view of these conformities not few if you consider proportions what is allowed to the Jesuit must rebate of the Reformed and what this man could not do in competition as the other his aim shewed his will but not the effect But at his entrance into this Trust comes two Bills signed from the King to be made Patents by the Seal the one for a Pension of two thousand pound per annum and the other for the Office of Earl Marshal of England both of them to be conferred upon the Earl of Arundel The first though with some regret in those unseasonable times to receive such large pensions which yet he sealed but took upon him to trench upon the Lord Treasurer Middlesex who willingly gave way to it for which they both had enmity ever after The later he refused upon these Queries 1. Whether in the Delivery of the Staff to the Earl his Majesty did not declare it to him for ease of the other Commissioners that executed it before with him and so to imply no inlargement of power which this Patent doth 2. Whether his Majesty means that this Patent leaping over the powers of the three last Earls Essex Shrewsbury and Somerset should refer only to Arundels own Ancesters Howards and Mowbrays Dukes of Norfolk who claimed that place by Inheritance the usual way and reference of Patents being unto the last and immediate Predecessor and not to the remote whose powers heretofore in these troublesome times were vage uncertain and impossible to be limitted 3. Whether that this Lord should bestow those Offices settled in the Crown as Sir Edward Zouches in Court Sir George Reynolds in the Kings Bench and divers others all which this Great Patent sweeps away being Places of Worth and Dignity 4. Whether my Lord Stewards place shall be for all his power of Judicature is in the Verge either altogether extinguished or at least subordinate to the Office A point considerable because of the Duke of Lenox who was Steward his greatness of Person and neerness of blood to the King And here he claws him 5. Lastly whether that the Offices of the Earl Marshall of England and the Marshall of the Kings house in former times distinct shall be now united to this great Lord A power limitted by no Law or Record but to be searched out from Heralds Chronicles Antiquaries and such absolute Monuments and thereupon this sixty years for Essex his power was cleerly limitted only as Marshall unfit to be revived by the Policy of this State And by these queries the Patent was pared which increased malice to the end of their Days Certainly there is a difference between the Earl Marshal of England and the Marshal of the Kings House See Lambert Archiron or of the High Courts of Justice in England The Marshall of England and the Constable are united in a Court which handleth only Duells out of the Realm and matters within as Combats Blazon Armory but may not meddle with any difference tryable by the Laws of the Land The Marshal of the Kings Houshold is united in a Court with the Steward which holds Plea of Trespass Contracts and Covenants made within the Verge and that by the Laws Articl super Cart. cap. 3 4 5. The honour of Lord Marshal is so antient as Thomas Lord Mowbray by Richard 2. was created Duke of Norfolk and the first Earl Marshal of England anno 1397. And so successively unto Iohn Lord Mowbray who dyed the 15. of Edward 4. anno 1475. and had issue one only Daughter married unto Richard Duke of York second son of Edward the fourth and was by his Father created Duke of Norfolk and Earl Marshall of England murthered in the Tower anno 1483 without issue Then comes Iohn Howard Son of the Daughter and coheir of Thomas Mowbray Duke of Norfolk and was by Richard the third created Duke of Norfolk but not Earl Marshall Nor was his Son Thomas
common not mistrusting discovery from any of their own Yet it pleased God in mercy to put it into the Mind of an Indian servant to one Pace to discover it to him overnight who first securing his own Habitation with all possible speed gave waruing to each Plantation by several intelligence and saved the rest but in the fury three hundred fourty seven were slain And since that time the English are more wary to guard their houses And as the best Maxim in policy to separate the conjunct affections of their Indian Kings to make themselves the more secure It was the Spanish policy that got them the two rich Kingdomes of Peru and Mexico in America for the two heirs Brothers Attapalippa and Gasco quarrelling for the Kingdom each striving to gain the Spaniard to friend Francis Pizacro managing their differences for his own ends stripped them both of Peru. So did Fâ—rdinando Cortes vanquish Matezumo and got Mexico by the Neighbour Friendship of the Province of Tascala deadly Enemies for which service that Province is freed from Tax for ever So did the Romans advantage overcome Great Brittain as Tacitus sayes Ita dum singuli pugnant universi vincuntur And Iustin hath the same with the Grecian Cities And hereupon King Iames furnished these Plantations with ammunition and arms out of his own store-house at the Tower at his charge There were likewise shipped unto Summer Islands so named from the first sinder and Planter Sir George Summers alias Burmudoes above a thousand persons and nine Ships to transport them and to trade who have since so increased that they are forced to fly to the Main for elbow-room see before anno 1614. Page 400. The King and Parliament asunder it was resolved with his Councellours to speed Digby into Spain Extraordinary to proceed in the Treaty of the Match Sir Francis Cottington Lieger there form whom Digby had knowledge of that Kings Progresse towards the North of Spain to Lerma a Town in Biscay whether the Duke thereof a sublime Favourite had invited the King to his Princely New Pallace which might save Digby the trouble and discommodity of riding many leagues to Madrid to meet there though it is to be understood by those that know that the Court and Council and State of Spain are said to be alwaies residing in Madrid in New Castile for receiving Ambassadours and making dispatches yet the amity of Digby with that Council hoped now to alter that Custome in favour of this urgent affair and him And therefore lands as the time and weather would afford the neerest Port Saint Andrews in Biscay there he stayes sends his Secretary to Madrid to signify to Cottington his arrival and reason for resting there as yet intimating that if he could surprize the King at Burgos or Lerma so far neerer his return home might there also hasten his dispatch upon that so reasonable consideration The King in complement told Cottington That he hoped the Ambassadours business was of more weight than to be taken up in the road where it became not his Majesty to return him back to his Master without entertainment of the Court of Spain But Digby understood this as State formality and pressing his own conveniency was at last ordered to have audience at Lerma whereupon Digby might say without merit of a scoff That it was the first President of honour to an English Ambassador and to his person a particular favour And so he sest forward to Burgos where Cottington meets him whom he returns back twenty miles to Lerma upon serious affair to prepare some of the Council with such interests as were intrusted besides his sealed Commission resolving himself to follow at the heels with surprize rather than Ceremony Yet the Kings Coaches came to wait on him neer Lerma unto Villa Mansa where he reposed till the Conde de Salazera Maior-Domo one of the Kings Stewards the Conde de Villa Madena Correjo Major or Chief Post-Master and the Viscount Toriza accompanied with several attendants conducted the Ambassadour to Court Thus far and in truth was the passages of Digbyes Reception which our Author abuses with base absurdities Abbot Arch-bishop of Canterbury aiming with a Cross-bow at a Deer in Bramzel park killed his Gamekeeper with the Arrow for which act having his hand in blood he is by Common-Law to forfeit all his estate and by the Cannon-Law irregular ipso facto and to be suspended from all Ecclesiastical function until he be restored This troubled the King what to do Not to add to his affliction and to leave virum Sanguinum Primate and Patriarch of all his Churches â—ounds harsh to the old Councells and Cannons upon either the Papists would descant and therefore it was referred to the Lord Keeper Williams five Bishops the two Chief Iustices and two Civil Lawyers who certifie so much and so he not being received into the full use of the Ministery himself forebore the Council Table as he told me in these words Since they will have it so that I am incapable of the one I shall spare my self the trouble of the other But he enjoyed the benefit of that See whilest he lived Much displeased he was I well remember with the Court and Clergy for Doctor Lawd refused consecration of St. David by his hand being tainted with blood but the Other was quit with him for underhand he caused it to be burited abroad That Lawd was by Puritans reputed a Papist in Oxford And to justifie that his function was not weakned by that Mischance he procured Commission to inquire Whether casual homicide was not excepted in the Cannon In which he was satisfied that it was not and so retired from his Magnificent Structure his Almes-house at Guilford to his Palace at Lambeth where the air of the Court breathing so neer and yet at this little distance he not admitted there he fell upon down right Puritan Tenents which gave occasion to many discontents of our Church and State to visit him then so frequent that they called themselves Nicodemites and his Disciples And I observed very often perhaps therefore that the Arch-bishop constantly with candle-light in his Chamber and Study made it midnight at Noon-day And here he began to be the first Man of Eminency in Our Church a Ring-leader of that Faction for I can name those then his private Disciples which lately appear desperate Proselytes The Tenents of Arminianism which the King feared had infected the Pulpit with so much heat that it inflamed each opponent so that to Suppress the danger of the one and to regulate the disorder of the other both offensive to the State the Arch-bishop of Canterbury had letters to settle their sick brains to this effect The Kings Letter to the Arch-bishop Most Reverend Father in God right trusty and intirely beloved Counsellour we greet you well That the extravagancies of Preachers in the Pulpit have been reformed in the Realm by some Act or Council of
State with the advice of learned Prelates Insomuch that the very licensing of Preachers had beginning by Order of Star-chamber the eighth of July 19. H. 8. And that at this present divers young Studients by reading of late writers and ungrounded Divines do broach unsound and seditious Doctrines to the Scandal of the Church and disquiet of the State and that humble representations have been to the King of these inconveniences by the Arch-bishop and other Reverend Prelates of the Church besides his Princely zeal for extirpation of Schism and Dissention proceeding from those seeds And for the settling of a Religious and Peaceable Government in Church and Commonwealth does by these charge and command you to use all possible care and diligence that these limitations and cautiono herewith sent you concerning Preachers be duly observed by Each Bishop in their Iurisdictions to be communicated to each Minister in Cathedral and Parish Churches of which we expect strickt account Windsor August 4. 1621. The Directions sent with the Letter in six Articles 1. That no Preacher â—nder the degree of Bishops or Deans fall into any set discourse or Common place which shall not be warranted in Essence Substance and Effect or Natural Inference with some one Article of Religion set forth anno one thousand five hundred sixty two or in some of the Homilies by authority of the Church of England 2. That none shall preach after noon on Sundays or holy days but on some part of the Catechism or of the Creed Decalogue or the Lords prayer and to incourage such Preachers as exercise children in their Catechism which is the most landable custome of teaching in the Church of England 3. That no Preacher under the Degree of a Bishop or Dean do preach the deep points of Predestination Election Reprobation or of the universality efficacy resistibility of GODS GRACE but leave these Theams for godly and learned men and that moderately and modestly by way of use and application rather then of positive Doctrines being fitter for the School then simple Auditories 4. That no Preacher soever shall presume in any Auditory to declare limit or bound out by way of positive doctrine the Power Prerogative Iurisdiction authority or duty of Sovereign Princes or meddle with matters of State and the differences between Princes and the people but rather confine themselves to faith and good life which are all the subject of the antient Sermons and Homilies 5. That no Preacher shall causlesly without invitation from the Text fall into bitter invectives undecent railing Speeches against the persons of Papists or Puritans but rather free both the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England from the aspersing of either Adversary 6. That the Bishops be more wary in the choice and licencing of Preachers And that all the Lecturers throughout the Kingdom a new body severed from the antient Clergy as being neither Parson Vicar nor Curate be licensed henceforth in the Court of faculties but only from a Recommendation of the party from the Bishop of the Diocess under his hand and Seal with a Fiat from the Archbishop of Canterbury a Confirmation under the Great Seal of England I well remember these times the invectives of the Pulpits which truly the wisdom of State thought fit to suppress The Non-conformist nestled himself into a Lecture by that means depending onely upon the devotion of the Parish was that way preferred without the favour of the Bishops And first insinuating into the women Wife Daughter and Maid infusing at their homes such doctrines as might easily catch their weak pallates and thereupon begat the frequent writing of Notes from their preaching in publick as it would astonish the indifferent Reader to meet with their Blasphemies and miserable Nonsense Notes And truly those Lectures wounderfully haunted by such people in after Noon Sermons on working days with such Stuff as savoured nought but railing against the Papist or our Church discipline The looseness of Servants took liberty almost every day in the week to be easied in their Labour and Callings to pretend devotion in this Ordinance of hearing Lectures in some or other Church untill their Masters complained of that Custome These Articles therefore were seasonably published to regulate the Ministery and to order the catechising of children and Servants which Godly and effectuall Way of teaching the King had often hinted heretofore but could never sufficiently reduce the Lecturers to obedience thereto See Anno 1603. Pag. 300. What could the care of the King do more to destroy the seeds of Dissentions Yet herein how captious Our Author observes That these directions were to be observed with Caution peaceable comporâ—ment that is saies he Papist and Puritan's quiet being Equilibero the Papist in the prime scale That the Lecturer is not to be endured unless he pass the Bryars through all Courts to the Broad Seal a pingeant Ordial Trial with his Teste me ipso and so becomes Orthodox So that saies he the Lecturers are implicitely forbidden by the inaccessible charge and trouble to come to it That the Preachers by an Order of Star-chamber in Heaven were licensed Ite predicate before any Henry 's time and so bids them learn least that Spirit from whom they receive the Spirit bind not them up And indeavours to perswade That the Papist did forment the Animosity of the King against Puaitans That Bishop Lawd his Agent though in Religion he had a Mothly form and quotes a Priest in Flanders that told him so was now become Buckinghams Confessor under the Court Livery and assures the Reader that the King once thought him so though now he became the bellowes to blow the fire for the Papist to put the King upon all Projects and Monopolies to sow the seeds of division between Puritan and Protestant for all were Puritans with the high-grown-Arminian-popish party that held the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches And it is somewhat true as he remembers Us That the Courtier Minister or Lay they called Regians who saies he swell up Prerogative even to all that the people had but a bare being which in mercy was left to them poor Republicans That more reverence was done by the Clergy to the King than to God And that the Iudges to inslave the people gave sacred and Oraculous Titles of the K. as of God But saies he the well-affected by writing and discourse sought to warm the Kings cold temper with fresh spirits into his chilled vains in this divided Kingdom So he This stuff smells rank of the Doctor that refined our dead Historians work and put it out in print as we have it Certainly he had heretofore passed the Pikes to be a Preacher and run through this Ordial-Tryal of his Text-ship who in those daies might well deserve a Duns-ship but of late went out Doctor to arm his Republicans if any such men are to be as arrant Rebels as himself in what estate soever they
Estate which we find in the Treaty of Mariage between Spain and England and being well assured how the ministers understand it who treated in the time of Philip the third that is that their meaning then was never to effect it but only by enlarging the Treaties and points of Mariage thereby to make use of the Friendship of the King of Great Brittain as well in matters of Germany as those in Flanders And suspecting that your Majesty is of the same opinion although the Demonstrations do not confirm it and that the Infanta Donna Maria is resolved to put her self into the Descalcas when she shall be pressed thereto I have therefore thought fit to present to your Majesty what my zeal hath afforded me the time most necessary for your Majesty with your Ministers to resolve what is fit The King of Great Brittain finds himself equally ingaged in two businesses to this Marriage moved thereto by conveniencies of your Majesties Friendship in making an Agreement with such Catholiques that he thinks are secretly in his Kingdom and so to be assured of them as likewise the honour in Mariage with one of the House of Austria and the best born Lady in the World The other is the Restitution of the Palatinate in which he is yet more engaged for besides that his Reputation is at stake there is added the love and interests of his Grand-children Sons of his only Daughter which in nature and reason of State are to be preferred what soever conveniencies might follow by dissembling what they suffer I dispute not That that Kings concernments herein are to be Governed with Art and Friendship He hath used both but as precisely not necessary I omit it But as a Maxim I hold these two Engagements to him are inseparable And for us though we make the Marriage we must fail in the other most necessary the restitution of the Palatinate Thus much supposed Having made the Marriage in the form as it is treated your Majesty and England will be ingaged in a War against the Emperour and the Catholick League and so to declare with your Arms. Or declaring for the Emperour and the League as certainly you will you will be forced to a War against England and yet your Sister married to his Son with the which all conveniencies whatsoever that were formerly thought upon will cease If your Majesty shall shew your self Newtral the first will appear very scandalous and with just Reason since in matters of less opposition than of Catholiques against Heretiques the Arms of this Crown hath taken part with the Godly against the convenient party And though at this time the French have taken the part of the Hollanders against us your pitty is such to send your Arms againsâ— the Rebels of that Crown of France leaving all the great considerations of State only because these men are enemies to the faith of the Church It will oblige your Majesty to give good occasion to those of the League to make use of France and other Catholick Princes ill-affected to this Crown as necessary for them so to do and these men against their own Religion will sement and assist the Heretiques for hatred to us and follow the contrary party only to leave your Majesty with that blemish that never hath befaln any of your Predecessours Besides the King of England will remain offended and disobliged seeing neither interests nor helpers do follow the allyance of this Crown is likewise the pretext of particular resentment for having suffered his Daughter and Grandchildren to be ruined in respect hereof For the Emperour though he be well affected and obliged to us in making the Translation at this time as business now stands the Duke of Bavaria being possesed of all the Dominions and though he would dispose all to our conveniencyes it will not be in his power to do it as your Majesty may see by the Memorial the Emperours Ambassadour gave you yesterday who make it certain Since in that List of the Souldiers that every one of the League is to pay Bavaria alone will pay more all than the rest joined together Which shews his power and intention not to accommodate matters but to keep to himself the superiority of all in this broken time the Emperour is now in the Dyet and the Translation is to be made in it I propose then for this Estate to conserve the means for a Conference with your Majesties Ministers for the Difficulty will be to find a Way to make the present Distracted Affairs straight again which with Lingring both the Power and the Time will be lost The Emperour as your Majesty knows by his Ambassadours desires to marry his Daughter with the King of Englands Son and I doubt not but he will be likewise glad to marry his second daughter with the Palatines Son Then I propound that these two Matches be made and set on foot presently giving the King of England full satisfaction in all his propositions for the more strict Union and Correspondence that he may agree to it And so all the conveniencies of allyance with us will be as full in this for it accommodates the matter of the Palatinate and the Succession of his Grand-children with his honour without blood or treasure together with the interest of the Emperour the conveniencies of England and the Palatinate and to reduce the Prince Elector that was an enemy to the obedience of the Church by breeding his Sonnes in the Emperours Court in the Catholique doctrine To conclude the business is great the difficulties greater than perchance have been in any other Case I am obliged thus to represent it to your Majesty and shall further shew what I think fit foe disposing of the things to the great Ministers of State if your Majesty please being helped with the good zeal of Count Gondamore and God his blessing therein so much for his Honour and your Majesties service Madrid Novem. 8. 1622. Olivares A wonder to some why this Bird was not hatcht in our Historians nest for it was fledged with the rest and writ you see but three daies after for Answer and might have been nestled in Mr. Prinns â—abal if either of them had been so honest as to preserve a truth Some reasons besides which animated King Iames to proceed having wasted much time of Tryal by his Ambassadours in Spain and with theirs here Gondamore a Man of subtile wit yet prevailed more with us by the advantage of time and our own distempers than by the virtue of any worth in him who having done here as you have heard was called home the last year and Don Iuan de Mendoza Marquess Inojosa with Don Carlos de Colonna sent hither Extraordinary with whom here passed more narrow overtures in the Match besides what was acted beyond Seas with such effects as are before remembred And being a mixed business of Love and State and yet in them the common good and quiet of Christendom involved standing upon
any body else which thus long after we see falls upon the Duke And although King Iames died some time after yet Death followes him close at the heels in this mans account and impoisoned also Marry his disease that brought his sickness is far fetcht Care for his Grand-children danger of his own person at home or Ingagement of war abroad or full feeding or sweet Wines or what other accident he knows not But a Tertian Ague he had which by several violent fits brought him into a Feaver and so expired on Sunday Morning the twenty seventh day of March the year of our Redemption 1625. at Theobalds Our Pamphlet having tumbled the King hitherto blowes his death at parâ—ing which he saies began with a Fâ—aver but ended with a poisoned Playster applyed by Buckingham for which being questioned the next Parliament it was hastily dissolved for his sake only to save his life In the entrance of the Spring the King was seized with a Tertian Ague which to another constitution was not pestilential but rather might prove Physical But all men then knew his impatience in any pain and alwaies utter enmity to any Physick so that nothing was ministred to give him ease in his fits which at length grew violent and in those Maladies every one is apt to offer advice with such prescriptions as have been helpful unto others and in truth those as various as the disease is common In this time of the Kings rerire the Duke got leave to visit his Estate at New-Hall in Essex where the Earl of Warwick told him that a neer Neighbour Dr. Remington at Dunmow had cured many and him also of a Quartane Ague which had lasted a long time The King being told this commanded the Duke to send for the Medicine which was a Plaister of Mithridate made and spread upon Leather and delivered from his hand to One Mr. Baker a Servant of the Dukes then and now living neer to the Earl and so by that Messenger brought to the King and shewed to the Doctors and lay ready prepared upon the Table untill proper time to be applyed to his stomach Together with a Possit-drink of milk and Ale Harrs horn and Mary-gold Flowers ingredients harmless and ordinary which the Duke gave him to drink and so took leave and went to London The King fallen into slumber about Noon the Physicians took opportunity to retire having watcht all night till that time When in the interim of their absence the King awakes and falls from a change of his fit unto timelyer effect then usually it had happened before which to allay this Plaister was offered and put to his Stomach But it wrought no Mittigation and therefore was removed by the Doctors who were much offended that any one durst assume this boldness without their consent But by after examination all men then were assured of the composition and a piece thereof eaten down by such as made it and the Playster many moneths afterwards in being for further tryal of any suspition of Poyson which if not satisfactory now it must and ought to lodge upon their scores Sir Matthew Lister Doctor Chambers and other Physicians worthy men who were herein examined with very great satisfaction to cleer that calumny and are yet living to evince each ones suspition Otherwise to blame was Montgomery that precious Earl of successive merit towards the Kings Posterity whom it is said the King trusted above all men and imprecates him for Gods sake look I have fair play which he mistrusted that this careless Earl should neglect his duty falsify his trust or connive with the composition of any poison if it were so It was indeed remembred the following Parliament and whereof the Duke was questioned as a boldness unpardonable but in the charge which I remember Littleton mannaged at a Conference in the painted Chamber it was not urged as poisonous but only in him criminable The Duke asked of me the effect of his Speech and answered me Well In that as other things my innocency is so cleer that their malice does the more rivet me into good mens affections and truâ—y the Lords thought the Commons more busie then needful to spend time in the examining Oh! But the Physicians muttered and others made a great noise and were forced to fly for it It is thus far true There is a Doctor yet living from that time discontent with the Court and perhaps to colour his own demerit would now insinuate to easie men his too much resentment of the Kings death which he is willing any one should suspect And to boot Egglesham ran away writ a scurrilous Book at Bruxells vain and false as full of lyes as lines which was reprinted in the times of freedom for such like Pasquils purposely set out to renew the memory of the Dukes crimes and to taint others with infection but as the surface thereof at the first sight is frivolous so be it examined to the full it will be found malicious and lastly laid aside as impossible I was told by Sir Balthaser Gerbier though his testimony be odious to any man that Egglesham dealt with him in Flanders for a piece of money not more then four hundred Guilders to defray the charges to imprint his recantation of which the Duke bid Gerbier join Knavery together and spit their Venome till they split and he would pay for printing that also But of these enough and yet what will our Monster of man pursue It will be a hard task for any Man saies he to excuse the King his successor for dissolving that Parliament to preserve One that was accused for poisoning his Father he means Buckingham who was never accused of any such crime Trace this Authors Steps in your reading as we have done his writing from his first taint towards King Iames of suspition to imprison Prince Henry and now concludes that his Son his only Heir and Inheritouâ— of his Crown and Kingdoms should connive an equal guilt with the Principal at the impoisoning of the Father what can be more horrid infamy for a Traytor to surmize to publish nay to imprint in Odium of his two Sovereigns for he lived their sworn Subject And now to conclude in Answer of their Characters who cauterize K. Iames. As also of such another Nuper Natus Notus Cumini cultor who hews the King into chips and then shreds them We refer them to the Encomiums Divine and Humane The one by Mr. Bolton a Reverend and Judicious Writer which he had preached to his People The other by Sir Francis Bacon that learned and most accomplished Judge of all Knowledges Divine Natural and Humane which he offered up a Pauegyrick to the King himself Boltons Religious Contemplation of King Iames. ANd here saies he I cannot hold but must needs most justly complain of the hateful intollerable unthankfulness of Us in this Kingdom the happyest people under the Cope of Heaven
had we hearts aright to conceive of Gods extraordinary love and such miraculous Mercies as never Nation enjoyed walk over the World peruse the whole face of the Earth from East to West from North to South from one side of Heaven to another you shall not find such another nlightened Goshen as this Island where besides doth the Gospel shine with such Glory Truth and Peace c. We have lived in a time of Miracles Our posterity will hardly believe the wonders done in Our daies c. Was it not a miraculous mercy to have such a King c. who hath already next under that Almighty God by whom Kings reign continued the Gospel unto us and preserved us from the destroying Sword all his blessed Reign over us and what do you think were so many years Peace worth were it to be bought with the Enjoyment of the Gospel to boot He hath enobled this Kingdome for ever by his excellent Writings in the cause of Religion against Antichrist which would have created a great deal of Honour to a private Man minding nothing else How illustrious then do they make Our King The child unborn will blesse King James For his Premonition to all Princes and free States of Christendome and that Royal Remonstrance against the rotten and pestilent Otation of the French Cardinal to the utter and Triumphant overthrow of it penned in that Stile that none can possibly reach but a learned King his Golden Pen hath given such a blow to that Beast of Rome that he will never be able to stand upon his four Legs again He hath shot out of his Royal Bow such keen Arrowes taken out of the Quâ—ver of Gods Book which will hang in the sides of that Scarlet Whore and make her lame as long as she lives Hath he not most happily and seasonably stopt the hasty torrent of the Arminian Sect and the domineering Rage of bloody Duels c. And was not the discovery and delivery from the Powder plot that great Astonihment of Men and Angels one of the most unparallell'd and merciful Miracles that ever the Church of God tasted c. And to crown all with wonder of greatest Astonishment do not we all that are of the Kings faithfullest Subjects almost fear still left we be in a dream That King Charles the flower of Christendom c. And concludes Away then with all sowr melancholick causeless sinful discontent And praise ye the Lord sing unto the Lord a New song and his praise in the Congregation of the Saints Let Israel rejoice in him that made him Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King for the Lord taketh pleasure in his People he will beautifie the meek with salvation Let the Saints be joyful in Glory Let them sing aloud upon their Beds c. Sir Francis Bacon in honour of K. Iames. WHerefore representing your Majesty many times unto my mind and beholding you not with the eye of presumption to discover that which the Scripture tells me is inscrutable but with the observant eye of duty and admiration leaving aside the other parts of your virtue and fortune I have been touched yea and possessed with an extreame wonder at these your virtues and faculties which the Philosophers call Intellectuals The largeness of your Capacity the faithfulness of your Memory the swiftness of your apprehension the penetration of your Iudgement and the facility and order of your Elocution And I have then thought that of all the persons living that I have known your Majesty were the best instance to make a man of Plato's Opinion That all knowledge is but Remembrance and that the Mind of man by Nature knoweth all things and hath but her own Native and Original Notions which by the strangeness and darkness of the Tabernacle of the Body are sequestred again revived and restored such a Light of Nature I have observed in your Majesty and such a readiness to take flame and blaze from the least occasion presented or the least Spark of anothers knowledge delivered And as the Scripture saith of the Wisest King That his heart was as the Sand of the Sea which though it be one of thr largest Bodies yet it consisteth of the smallest and finest portions So hath God given your Majesty a composition of understanding admirable being able to compass and comprehend the greatest Matters and nevertheless to touch and apprehend the least wherein it should seem an impossibility in Nature for the same Instrument to make it self fit for great and small Works And for your gift of Speech I call to mind what Cornelius Tacitus saith of Augustus Caelar Augusto profluens uâ— quae principem deceret eloquentia fuit For if we mark it well Speech that is uttered with labour and difficulty or Speech that â—avoureth of the affectation of Art and Precepts Or Speech that is framed after the imitation of some pattern of Eloquence though never so excellent All this hath somewhat Servile and holding of the Subject But your Majesties manner of Speech is indeed Princelike flowing as from a Fountain and yet streaming and branching it self into Natures Order full of facility and felicity Imitating none and imitable by any And as in your Civil Estate there appeareth to be an emulation and contention of your Majesties Virtues with your Fortunes a virtuous Disposition with a Fortunate Regiment a virtuous expectation when time was of your greater fortune with a prosperous possession thereof in the due time a virtuous observation of the Laws of Marriage with most blessed and happy fruit of Mariage a virtuous and most Christian desire of Peace with a fortunate inclination in your Neighbour Princes thereunto So likewise in those Intellectual Matters there seemeth to be no less contention between the excellency of your Majesties gifts of nature and the Universality and perfection of your Learning For I am well assured of this that what I shall say is no Amplification at all but a positive and measured Truth which is That there hath not been since Christs time any King or Temporal Monarch which hath been so learned in all Literature and Erudition Divine and Humane For let a Man seriously and diligently revolve and peruse the succession of the Emperours of Rome of which Caesar the Dictatoâ— who lived some years before Christ and Marcus Anâ—onius were the best learned And so descend to the Emperours of Graecia or of the West and then to the lines of France Spain England Scotland and the Rest and he shall find this Judgement truly made For it seemeth much in a King if by the compendious extractions of other Mens Wits and Learning he can take hold of any superficial Ornaments and shews of Learning Or if he countenance and prefer Learning and Learned Men. But to drink indeed of the true Fountain of Learning nay to have such a Fountain of Learning in himself in a King and in a King born is almost a Miracle And the more because there
is met in your Majesty a rare conjunction as well of Divine and Sacred Literature as of Prophane and Humane So as your Majesty stands invested of that Triplicity which in great Veneration was ascribed to the antient Hermes The power and fortune of a King the knowledge and illumiâ—ation of a Priest and the Learning and Universality of a Philosopher This propriety inherent and individual Attribute in your Majesty deserveth to be expressed not only in the fame and admiration of the present time nor in the History or Tradition of the Ages succeeding but also in some solid work fixed memorial and immortal Monument bearing a Character or Signature both of the power of a King and the difference and persection of such a King So he Memoria Iusti cum laudibus Et Impiorum Nomen putrescit An EPITAPH ON King Iames the sixth THose that have Eyes awake and weep For He whose waking wrought Our sleep Is fallen asleep and never Shall awake till wak'd for Ever Death's Iron hand hath clos'd those Eyes Which were at once Three Kingdomes Spyes Both to foresee and to prevent Dangers so soon as they were meant That Head whose working Brain alone Wrought all mens quiet But His own Now lies at Rest. Oh let Him have The Peace He purchasd in His Grave If that no Naboth all His Reign Was for his fruitful Vineyard slain If no Uriah lost his Life For having had so fair a Wife Then let no Shemei's curses wound His Honour or profane His Ground Let no Black-Mouth no Rank-breath Cur Peaceful James His Ashes stir Kings are as Gods O! do not then Rake in Their Graves to prove Them Men. For His daies toyl and Night watches For His craz'd sleep stol'n by Snatches For Two fair Kingdomes join'd in One For all He did or meant t' have done Do this for Him write on His Dust King IAMES the Peaceful and the Just. Sit Gloria DEO FINIS The Conclusion HItherto having pursued the Descent following the Union of the two Roses by Marriage of Henry 7. of England and the re-union of both Kingdoms Sovereignty by succesfull inheritance of King James and then left to a son and Heir and also to the numerous issue of a Daughter and her Descendents and suddenly into the present possession of King Charls of Great Britain France and Ireland the first who though affianced forthwith in Marriage with the Princess Maria Sister to the French King Louis the 13. Blessed also afterward with a numerous Issue Sons and Daughters as a full Period in shew of all former Mutation and change through them and their posterity perpetual So indeed it appeared to a State-observer but not seemed good to the Eye of Providence whose powerfull Hand hath ordered it otherwise for He is taken away in the strength of his years and perfections and none of his in possibility of Reason to succeed to any part or portion of his Inheritance But to proceed in the continuation of this History to these Times and to branch into such particulars as to draw down to discover Truth to after-Ages may seem to some very difficult the common Excuse of such as cannot or will not undertake it and therefore preâ—end that by following the heels of Truth too near a man may endanger his Teeth A defect of Reason so to conceive when an even and unbiassed Narrative of Men and Matters may well become the judicious Historian For first that King Charls was lawfully possessed and crowned Monarch of his Fathers Inheritance his Peers and People obediently submitting to his Scepter That He being necessarily imbroiled into some forrein Ingagements against Spain and France was enforced to summon the assistance of several succeeding Parliaments unsuccesfull and by too hasty Regulation of Ecclesiastick Discipline upon the Scots Kirk moved them to an unnatural Insurrection which caused Expeditions against their Armies already descended into the heart of England which enforced him to assemble another long-lasting Parliament wherein he lost himself and his Life also What were the true and different Reasons Grounds and Manâ—agements of the late Differences between Him and Them the Proâ—ocations on either side to the first entrance into the miserable War Their several Battels Sieges Policies and different Successes of that so long uncivil-civil Dissension His nâ—â—â—ssities enforcing Him to leave his own Party and to resign up himself unto his natural Countreymen unfaithfull Scots Their Sale of his Person back again to his English subjects Their several Passages Declarations Narratives Treaties Overtures and Disputes between Them both before and during his Restraint in order to a firm and lasting Agreement with his Parliament and People for Reconciling Important Affairs of Church and State with the Presbyâ—erian future destruction of the Hierarâ—hy of Ecclesiaâ—tick Discipline Their Policies thereupon to be rid of the Bishops Deans and Chapters The Dismission of the Lords House in Parliament and Impeachment and Execution of Ecclesiastick and Lay persons Bishops and Beers And after all they brought his Head to the Block a sacrifice for the sins of the whole Nations The different Disâ—ositions in their eleven years long domination of a pretended Triennial Parliament necessitates another Power to purge them with several Doses and afterwards to put them down Sundry Expedients to prove them by a fresh Assembly Representatiues of the People Their time and debates wasted to no good purpose they are broken up and in fine dissipated And then the last little Assembly rise of themselves leaving all in Anarchy and desperate confusion Untill it pleased the Almighty to raise a Power which resumed the Peoples protection in monstrous danger of utter destruction The necessity of the national Affairs introducing were put under the power of single Sovereignty How that power hath managed the Government against divers desperate Designs Forrein and Domestick The prosperous effects and issue now settled into an assurance of the Nations future subsistance And all these in reference to our neighbour States War with some Amity with others All these particulars faithfully put together without captious and presâ—mptuous opinions of partial observers not to descant private conceits upon the necessity of State But barely to represent the Narrative and to leave the 〈◊〉 the Readers sentence And this way God willing is thus intended and in part pursued the matter and manner of this monarchical succession and final conclusion to be faithfully performed unto these Times our last Days By W. SANDERSON Nec magna desiderantur Henry 7. James 4. James 5. Of King Iames parents to his Birth Their descent H. 8. turns Lutheran And makes war with Scotland And defeats them K. of Scots dies And his Daughter Mary born His Burial And Character Q. Maries entrance into heâ— Crown and Troubles By Factions of Hamilton and Lenox Earl of Arran Her Guide Her breeding in Fran. And there married the Dolphin And as heirs to England quarter the Arms. Which offended Qu. Elizabeth The French King and Dolphin die
Hist. Gr. Brit. p. 10. Arch Bishop Whitgift dies The Translation of the Scriptures Gen. 19. Isay 29. Psalm 48. Psalms translated Catechizing commended Hist. of the World pag. 249. Gowries aniversarie day celebrated See 1600. 1608. Hist. gr Br. pa. 12. Comotion of some Commoners Parliaments beginnings Jury were Judges so Lilburn pleaded Parliament of King and Barons onely The Commons taken into Parliament Of the Parliament of England The writ to summon the Peers The writ to summon the Knights and Burgesses Oath of Alleageance Of Supremacy Ecclesiastical matters Lords Privileges Lower House Harmony of all King Queen and Prince ride in triumph First Session of Parliament The Kings speech in Parliament abreviated 2 3. Peace and Unity in Religion and Manners Union with Scotland intended Ambassadours for Peace Co and ch pa. Proclamation to conformity in Church-discipline Assembly of the Church in Scotland in spite of the King Hist. Gr. Brit. p. 27. The Kings second Son Charls created Duke of York Pouder Treason Pouder Treason the story Anno 1605. Fauks his Confâ—ssion of the Design Th. Winter's Confession of the Plot discovery and success The story pâ—t together in brief Second Session of Parliament Three intire subsidies and six fifteens Several Acts. The effect of the Oath of Alleageance Taken by Papists The Popes Bull against the Oath The Kings Apologie and Preface to take the oath Justified by forein Princes Jesuits divide the English into four sects Their opinion refuted See before anno pa. 1542. pa. 9 And Imprisonment as bad Best Counsel to convince them by Preaching Anno 1606. Leptons 〈◊〉 to York 〈◊〉 back King of Dâ—â—mark land◠〈◊〉 Graves-end Princes forâ—â—â—â— their liberties by coming into another Kingdom without leave The Earls of Northumberland and other Lords confederates in the Pouder Treason are committed Of the Star-Chamber beginning and ending The Letter Anno 1607. The union argued The Kings Speech in answer to their Arguments Post-nati confirmed H. G. Bâ— pag 41. Judg Nichols his true justice Gâ—ntry flock to London Proclamation in restraint of new buildings unless of Brick Anno 1608. Hist. Gr. Bâ—it p. 49. L. Treasurer Dorset dies George Spâ—ot a Conspirator with Gowry his story and execution His Coâ—fessions His Trial. Restalrig's Letter to Gowry and after the Treason Other Letters to Gowry as also his 〈…〉 Confesseth the Indictment Jurors names Verdict Sentenced as a Traitor Executed A marvellous sign of guilt Abbot Bishop of Canterbury being present History of the Church of Scotland p. 509. The Kings disbursments already 60000 l. 19000. 17428. 11000. 107428. The Scotish Secretary Balmerino's treacherous Letter to the Pope The occasion 1609. He is sent pâ—isoner to be tryed in Scotland His indictment His confession And sentence Anno 1609. Is reprieved and dies King James a mercifull Prince and restores his son in blood And he a traytor also to King Charles is also pardoned And proves an ungratefull wretch to his blessed Master The Bishops in Scotland inlarged their power Scots Bishops consecrated in England Who ordain others at home Council Table ordered The Earl of Orkney committed High commission-Court The Session seek for grievances Hist Gâ— Bâ— ubique The Kings Speech to both Houses Of his Government Common Law and Civil Prohibitiâ—â—â— 2. Grievancâ—â— how to present them Not to meddle with his Office High Commission 3. The cause of calling the Parliament The quality how to give The quantity His expences Reasons for his liberality Conclusion 1. Religion The Common-wealth Proclâ—mation against â—ncrease of buildings about London Truce between Spain and the Netherlands Siege of Juliers Duke of Guelders and Juliers c. his descent last of the race The Netherlands sometime subjects to Spain Henry the fourth King of France stab'd 60000 l. Parliament dissolved Henry created Prince of Wales their dignities See before Knights Bachelors Anno 1603. Ayd mony H. Gr. Br. pa. 52. False suggestions to be impoysoned Court and ch of King James pa. 84. Hist Gr. Br. pa. 52. Nearer Intention for Prince Henry to match with Spain See after anno 1624. Papists persecuted by Pens Chelsey Coledge founded and why H. Gr. Br. pa. 53. The Kings favorite Mountgomery Hist. Gr. Brit. p. 54. See 1612. Masks and Comedies at Court H. G. Br. pa. 54. Discussed Our Adversary a Poet and play-maker Contribution-money 111046. l Suttons Hospitall founded Absurd Excommunication and unchristian in Scotland The three Earls revolt So was Padie Paulo Popisâ—ly excommunicated Earl of Eglington illegally adopts an Heir to his Honors Arminius Vorstius their Heresies Vorstius his blasphemous Books The Kings message to the States Arminius The States Answer Further accusations And proceedings therein Bookes of Vorstius Heresies The King writes again against them all Vorstius is preferred Professor of Divinity Sir R. Winwoods speech concerning Vorstius His Tenenâ—s Pag. 210 212. 232 237. 308. 441. 271. Pa. 38. 43. Cap. 16. Pa. 999. Conclusion And Protestation States Answer The Kings Declaration against Vorstius See more in the Kings works And against his Bookes Legat and Whithman burnt for Herâ—sie Legats Heresies Whitemans Heresies Adamites Incests Waldâ—nses â—in 〈◊〉 Anno 1612. I may be câ—nsured by some Robert Carr a favorite Hist. Gr. Br. pa. 55. Queen Mary of Scotland her corps inteâ—red at Westminster Anno 1586. Hist Gr. Br. pa. 62. Prince Palatine a suitor to Princess Elizabeth Prince Henryes sickness and death vindicated Hist Gr. Br. pa. 72. Lunary Rainbow His Corps viewed Interred at Westminster His character False suspition of poyson Hist. G. Br. pa. 64. Prince Palatine mâ—ried to Pâ—incâ—ss Elizabeth â—a 65. Sanquair a Scotish Baron hanged for murther Treasurer Salisbury dies His Fatâ—ers descent And preferments Earl of Salisburies preferments His Merits Court and ch King James pa. 12 13. Hist. Gr. Br. pa. .76 Court of Wards how erected and established Court of Wards how erected and established His Offices disposed to others Suffolk Lord Treasurer Rochester Chamberlain Sir W. Cope Master of the Wards and the Favourite made Secretary Sir T. Overbury his story A Friend to Rochester Dâ—sign'd Ambassadour Refuses to go The King wants money Sir Arthur Ingram Court and Ch. pag. 87. E. of Essex and his Countess Car and Overbury their stories intermixt Lady Rich divorced Hist. Gr. Br. pag. 68. Anno 1613 Hist. Gr. Brit. p. 69. â— of Suffolk petitions for his daughters divorce Delegates in commisâ—ion The Countesses Libell against her husband Essex's answer She is to be inspâ—cted by Ladies who repute her a Virgin and so do seven more â—adies Sentence of Nullity Signed by sufficient men Arch-bishop Abbots Arguments against the Nullity Answered The Countess marries Somersct H. Gr. Br. p. 72 Hist. Naâ— ch 28. Overburie designed to be deâ—troyed Earl Northampton dies His preferments to honour Against Duâ—lls Rebellion in Orkney The Earl convicted and executed his descent Oglevy a Jesuit his Examinations Plantations in America Hist. gr Br. p. 75. Cabot Virginia New England Elizabeths Isles Nova Francia Baronets created
make him capable to dine with the King and had Ayd-money of the people An ancient Custome from the Norman Conqueror and never till now disobeyed with any regret which indeed came but to twenty one thousand and eight hundred pounds And together he was also created Prince of Wales Duke of Cornwall Earl of Chester c. with all possible lustre that the father could express But however our Historian takes upon him to pry into the Kings Heart and though inscrutable devises a damnable and dangerous jelousie from the father against the most incomparable Excellent merit of this his first born sonne When afterwards the father saw him saith he too high mounted in the peoples love and of an alluring spirit to decline his paternall affections to him and bring him to the low condition he fell in may be the subject of my tears saies he not of my pen. Hic homo erubescit timere Caesarem Ecce Behold this Author This Man Mecenas names him Hic homo this fellow shames not to traduce his Sovereign King For he lived his Subject And here begins his trayterous intention to wound the Kings sacred memory as much as in him lies with a suspition of the death of this excellent Prince which another wretch says was done with Poyson but of the truth we shall speak anon when we treat of his natural death not long after yet we are told What his fatherly care had been to match him with the Infanta of Spain but after some Traverses in a Treaty it was declined when in truth it was otherwise to my knowledge for I can produce the letters from Sir Dudly Carlton then Ambassadour at Venice to the Lord Treasurer Salisbury being an Accompt to the King how to advize the choice of a Wife from the Protestant Princes wherein after a large Narrative of their Interests and particular Characters he concludes Thus farr I can confidently Counsel his Majestie seeing his Religious resolution is fixed to Princes of the reformed Churches But since I have been over-bold to ballance the weight of his Majesties sacred Intentions with my too much freedom in the concernments of such eminent Princes and the hazard of my person in the quality I carry here I beg of your Lordship not to suffer these Avisoes to see other light then the light fire And was it likely which our Historian inferrs a little before That after the Powder-Treason the Murther of the French King his Majesties speech in Parliament and the Excellent Acts against Papists he must hunt for a daughter in law from the farthest part of Christendom what his second son Prince Charles did after upon the like score we shall in due time and place observe The former passages of Jesuits gave cause to all good Christians to abhorr their villanies and set on work the spirits of the pen-men such as they were most sharpe set against them all that professed the Romish Religion and to work they went on all hands The Papists to palliate such Actions as painted out the Jesuit in his deviâ—â—sh likeness The Puritan of the reformed Churches to pick quarrels with all Catholicks alike and those disputes were spread abroad in several Pamphlets and Pasquells the Jesuit had friends to pay us Two for One. A zealous Church-man of ours Sutcliffe Doctor of Divinity procures a Patent for erecting a College at Chelsey near Westminster to consist of a Provost and 20. Fellowes to be chosen by the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Bishop of London and the Universities Vice-Chancelors for the time being Intentionally for able men in School divinity to answer and propose against our Grand Adversary Romanists The affections of the people were so pregnant to this purpose that in short time the Doctor had collected their free contributions of seven thousand pounds whereout he disburses three thousand pounds in the building and buyes land of two hundred pounds rent per annum with the remainder And himself becomes the first Provost and after his death Doctor Featly Slaughter and Wilkinson men of singular learning successively So then it was Sâ—tcliffe that sunck his own fortune to raise this fabrick and not Bancroft the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury who died this year and much abused in his Character by our Chronicler Nor did the King afford it more countenance then wisely to give way to mens wilde fancies especially when it took fire with the Puritan for himself soon foresaw that the witty Iesuit would wish no better sport then to press us to death with printed Pasquells in place of serious controversies of which yet no doubt also but Bellarmine had more Bookes to spare us then his own budget full Another reason for I must be bound to bundle up Arguments satisfactory to the Reader in answer of Calumnies throughout the Hystorian which makes this book thus bigg The other cause The Title of the land upon which the College is erected was passed then by Howard Earl of Nottingham for years at seven pound rent and a fine when in truth after the Earls death the 12. Iac. It came to light that the interest was in his Widow during her life and fourty years after whom the Lord Mouson maries and as her Administrator sells the interest to Duke Hamilton whose delinquencie and death leaves it to this State And now 1654. disposed for a Garryson or a Prison untill a good Customer for sale puts it to better use So then you see the crackt title besides broke the neck of this new College We are fallen upon the Kings first favorite with our Hystorians observation That as Queen Ann had hers he had his she loved the Earl of Pembroke he the younger brother whom he created Earl of Mountgomery Men of Considerable descents though of no fame in their merits especially the last of whom he says the King not finding sutable to his humour his fancie ran upon another young Gentleman But the man is mistaken for though the King was no quareller yet he hated a Coward and turned Mountgomery out of his affection for being switcht by a mean Gentleman Ramsey a Scot at a publick Horse-race Though this favorite was urged to revenge and backt by the English fourty to one to defend him He basely put it up to his death and the dishonor of a Gentleman What his after merits were to his end let the world judge he living to full age and having had his opportunity and choice to become an honest man Indeed the King was never without favorites but changed them often into one more close and intrinsick who served the turn for a Notable Skreen of envy between him and his Subjects upon whom the people as they never fail might handsomely bestow complaints through his Masters faults So Carr succeeded him and his story followes hereafter The splendor of the King and Princess with the rest of the royall yssue the concourse of strangers hither from forein Nations the