hath been verified in us who though we have been set up to the chinne in freedom and have had liberty bobbing at our lips yet never could we get a drop to squench our thirsts or a snap to stay our stomacks this being added to our sufferings to want in the midst of seeming abundance and as the vulgar have it to starve in a Cooks shop a trick those Lords we term absolute were never ingenuous enough to torment their slaves with Were there then no more but this we might well command those Roman and Turkish Tyrants with a Cede Majoribus to give place to ours How much of a punie did thy wish savour dull Caligula that all Rome had but one neck that thou mightest smite it off at a blow How short of art doth thy rage fall unskillfull Sultan with a Bowstring or Scymiter to snach life from an offending slave Behold and blush you who weare the title of Master Tyrants at the Norman exactnesse which hath thought it beneath a Princes anger to give sudden death a quick riddance and not worth the name of slavery unlesse he can make his vassals feel the lingring effects of his Tyranny it was not enough for us to be slaves unless we knew it lest otherwise not desiring freedom we should not have been so sensible of their power we must with Erasmus be hung between Heaven and Hell that we might see our losse as well as feel it but yet this was not enough something must be added to make their Tyranny most exquisite for we could not enjoy this condition unlesse we paid soundly for it how many Battles have been fought for a piece of Parchment to instruct us but with our miseries and how many millions granted to our Kings but to play the Hocus-pocusses and cheat us to our faces Happy and thrice happy may England call the condition of Turke Russe or Moor who depending only upon their Tyrants wils know no Law but their Commands a head now and then paies the shot there when two and twenty of the chiefest Lords heads must off at once here besides thousands of Gentlemen and Commons butchered for but acting according to those Lawes which their King and his predecessors had an hundred times sworn to grant and maintain inviolable as but to instance in the Raign of Edw. 2. omitting the innumerable carcasses of Englands noblest Sonnes which have bin so often forced to rampire in parchment liberty from the fury of other Tyrant and as their last wills to deliver a few writen Charters to their sons who were also to fight and pay for them as they did and be as much the better then too as they were For to sum up all these our so dear liberties were of no other use than to drein our purses as well as veins that when Englands generous bloud seemed encreased too to tamely suffer Norman Lords to trample on her upon this pretence it might be let out or when her Kings wanted mony they might by these lures draw subsidies to their fists and so hang them by till the next occasion but I humbly conceive that if our Ancestors had taken that course a Naturall once did when he was chosen to judg between a Cook and a Country-man and as their Kings fed them with a sight of Liberty supplied them againe with chinking of money have executed justice without respect of persons they had in all probability diverted those plagues which the crying sins of oppression and murder have brought down from Heaven upon this Nation But let us descend from Generalls and view but the Raign of Henry the third the very Idea of Tyranny and exact copie after which all other Kings have writ especially the last and we shall not only behold the map of our Ancestors miserie and folly but also perceive our own happinesse and Gods mercie in not suffering us to be deluded and baffeled as they were In the midst of the civill flames kindled between Tyranny and liberty King Iohn expiring his sonne Henry the third a child of nine years of age by the power of William Marshall Earl of Pembrook and the consent of most of the Barons ascends the Throne and here we may observe the unadvised lenitie of the English Lords who not considering what was bred in the bone would not easily out in the flesh so easily accepted of the Sonne though the Father had plaid the Tyrant and Traitor to the height giving the Crown to the Pope he would be a slave himself rather than they should not trampling upon the people yea detesting the whole Nation as his grief because Corne was so cheap when he thought he had wasted al may make out But Gods time was not come and he was pleased to set their example to guide posterity from splitting on that Rock I mean such of them who when they have eyes will make use of them But to say the truth they were Lords whom Kings knew so well to cajole or at worst set so together by the ears that they could command them into their traps at list let but one have that Earldome the other this Lordship and their turns were served others may shift for themselves if they can besides it was none of their interest to stub up Tyranny by the roots for then down had gon their branches too for they knew that when that tree was feld the Rooks nest must to ground with it but we may be silent in this and give experience leave to speak for us And yet let us but look a litttle further than the gilded and embroydered superficies and we shall perceive that these Lordlings estate was but even by so much more free and happy than the Commons by how much that King of Cypresses condition was bettered when his Iron shackles and chains were converted into silver fetters they enjoyed a little more gaudie servitude and to speak to the capacity of our Countryman were as the Fore-horses in the teame which though they weare the Feather and have the Bels about their eares yet must draw themselves as well as those that follow nay and if they did seem unwilling to lead they were sure to be lash'd by the Royall Carters till the bloud came and have their gay trappings to boot pul'd over their eares and this the wise and generous of them knew and often endeavoured to remedy but were still prevented by the envy and jealousie one of another which was created and cast in among them by their Kings as partly will appeare in the following story Henry being thus Crowned at Glocester and many great Barons daily resorting to his party moved both by the proud carriage of the Frenchmen and the confession of the Viscount Melun That Lewis had taken an Oath and all his Lords to destroy the English Nobility raiseth a great Army defeateth at Lincolne his enemies and forceth Lewis to condescend to an accord depart the Land and abjure his claim to the Crown which for two
Walker To the Reader HE must rise betimes saith the proverb who will please all which may cease our wonder that the Common-wealth is so displeasant to some which hath gotten up so late yet better late than never But though some dotarts square all by antiquity supposing none so wise which are not so old and guesse at the understanding by the gray hairs which in truth are rather a badge of imperfection and the declension of nature and which came into the world at the back doore being a part of that fatall offspring begot between the Serpents craft and our first Parents disobedience I speak not this in scorn of age which I honour when found in the way of righteousnesse and truth nor in deniall of its advantage over youth by experience but to oppose that errour spred amongst many that all wisdome deceased with their Grandsires and they are onely to travell in their tracks an opinion more agreeable to a pack horse than a man endued with a rationall soul which is not to lie idle and which indeed the word of God and universall experience which even make fools wise contradicts the one infallibly declaring that in the latter dayes the Spirit of Truth shall more abundantly be poured forth into earthen vessels the other visibly informing us of the daily advantages we have above our ancestors to attain Knowledge for admit they were such Gâ—y ants in understanding yet we poore dwarfes being upon their shoulders may see further than they but I say though some doe thus yet the sons of reason measure by another standard as knowing that if worth should be prised by antiquity the rotten would becom of more value than the ripe to such therefore do I present this Discourse who judge by reason not passion which so often makes the Crow seem white the Bells to tink as the fools do think and in confidence Reader that thy ingenuity is such that no byas of interest will wheel thee narrow and thy capacity able to draw thee from running wide of reason the only mark men in civil games should bowl at I have taken the pains to present thee with a map of Englands condition under her Monarchs wherein thou mayst view how justly Magna Charta is cast in our Governours teeths to beget a belief of their being more tyrannous than our Kings were admit it be not observed in every tittle now what are we the worse when some fresher and more apposite remedy is applyed to heal us let us consider that it was constituted under another Government and so cannot square to the present and that the makers of it were but men nay and such as had not that roome to act in as we have and so could not foresee or at best provide for all that now providence hath wrought amongst us but I shall not detain thee with a long Preface from the Book wherein an ingenuous and rationall spirit will discern that if our present Governours had been bound up to former rules we could never have attained that estate which now by Gods mercy and their prudence we enjoy and may so still if our own perversnesse hinder us not Truly that Fahle in Pliny of certain monstrous people in Africk which had one foot and that so big that they covered and shaded with it their whole body may be a perfect embleme of our Kingly Government which being at first instituted for a firm basis and prop to the body politick what by the fatall sloath and stupidity of the people and the industrious craft and activity of Monarchs was turned topsie turvie and had got so between heaven and us that it wholly deprived us of that free light and happinesse which God and nature held forth unto us and thus in stead of a support was become a burden under the weight of which the whole groaned nay was almost pressed to death but thou being a member and sound canst not but be as sensible of this as I and for dead slesh and rotten limbs corrosives and cuttings are onely proper it will be weaknesse in me therefore to doubt of the plaudit to the Common wealth so farewell till we meet in the book Anglo-Tyrannus Or the Idea of a Norman MONARCH c. FAtall and Bloody have Crowns and Scepters been in generall to all Nations in particular to this in England and that not only in regard of the strife between competitours who in pnrple gore deeply dyed their regall roabs and by the slaughtered carcasses of their Rivals and partakers ascended the Imperiall throne but in respect of the iterated contests between Prerogative and Liberty the Kings aiming at uncontrolable absolutenes the people claming their Native Freedome The verity of this assertion we may see deeply imprinted in bloody Characters throughout the whole series of English history yea so deeply that it may even create an envy in us of the Turkish happinesse and beget a wish after their bondage who though they go for absolute slaves yet cannot shew such dire effects of tyranny as we and our ancestors have felt and groaned under That policy of State impious and inhumane enough of destroying the younger Brothers of the Ottoman line though decried by us and all who write Christians yet compared with our Monarches politick arts and actings may seem to have been founded on the advice of their own and mankinds better genius to prevent the efusion of blood and deliver millions from the shambles there a few males of his own Family fall a victime to their Tyrant when whole Hecatombs can scarse appease the thirsty ambition of an English pretender ther one house suffers here none escapes as but to instance in one contest between Henry the sixth and Edward the fourth wherein was fought ten bloody battles besides all lesser scirmishes thousands of Lords Gentlemen and Commons slaine and one halfe of the Nation destroyed to set up a King to trample upon the other for in that quarrell between the Houses of Lancaster and Yorke fell 80998. persons 2. Kings 1. Prince 10. Dukes 2. Marquesses 21. Earls 2. Viscounts 27. Lords 1. Prior 1. Iudge 1 39. Knights 441. Esquiers this hath been the happiness and peace which a successive and hereditary Monarchy hath afforded England For our liberty we can indeed shew many of our Kings large and good deeds but few or none of their actions their hands alwaies having been too hard for their Seals Parchments and Charters we purchased of them with the price of Millions both in Blood and Treasure but let us but pass by their promises and view their performances and we may set aside Turkie and term England the slave and this appears in our Chronicles where though in the Theorie and System the English Government hath been limited and bounded by good and distinguishing lawes yet in the exercise and practic part of every Kings raign we shall find it deserve as bad a name as others who are called most absolute The Poets fable of Tantalus
The Lords netled with this Prelats peremptorinesse which the King bore him out in depart with more indignation vowing to spend their Lives in this cause concerning their liberties so much hereupon the K. sends for whole Legions of Poictovins then summons them to appear in the Parl. called on purpose to intrap them but they were so wise as to avoid the snare so resolute as to send him word That unles he would mend his manners by the common Counsel of the kingdom they would expell both him and his evil Councellors the Land But all this avayled them not for upon their refusall to repair to him at Glocester the King without the judgment of his Court or their Peers causes them to be proclamed Out-Laws seizes upon all their Lands which he divides among his Poictovins the Panisaries that guarded and boulstered out this Grand Sultan and his Visier Basha Winchester in their tyrannies and directs out Writs to attach their Bodie But now give me leave a little to digresse and shew how our bloud-hounds have run counter on the same foile have acted the most of this scene in our dayes For thus though our King wanted not so great a stock of strangers to set up with there being so many base spirited Englishmen which would be instrumentall in enslaving their Countrey a thing our noble and generous Ancestors abhorred to do yet German horse were to have bin brought over to help to improve the Trade and lye for factourage of Tyranny in every County Thus the Earl of Straffora tels the King he had an Army in Ireland which might be brought over to bring England under the yoak a Counsel which cost the Giver his Head Thus were Swedes Danes French Scots Irish and Dutch sent for over and invited by the King to help him Thus the Members were illegally proceeded against the Lords summoned to York and the Parliament commanded to Oxford and all that refused handled without mittens their Estates being conferred on those who would engage for Tyranny and themselves proclamed Traytors and Rebels indeed these things considered it was no marvell God was so often called to witnesse that Tyranny was not intended and impiety used to create credulity God mocked that men might be abused sith no reason could be given to gain our belief and make us give our own eyes the lye The Lords though much weakned by the revolt of some of themselves the King having won the Earl of Cornwall and Winchester with a thousand marks bought the Earls of Chester and Lincoln to his party repair into Wales at that time very sensible of their oppression and the Earl of Kent to cry quittance with the K. and make amends for his former faults breaks prison and joyns with them hereupon the K. in person marches against them but he is beaten and forced to retreat with dishonor to Glocester his Foraigners also being again sent against them runne the same chance their Generall and thousands of them being slain on the place being frustrated therefore in his design of force the King employes a Fryer to cajole the Earl of Pembroke General of the Forces raised by the Barons but all the flatteries promises and threats of that crafty instrument could not shake the constancy of that Noble Lord who gallantly told him That he feared no danger nor would ever yeeld to the Kings will which was guided by no reason that he should give an evill example to relinquish the justice of his Cause to obey that will which wrought all injustire whereby it might appeare he loved worldly possessions more than Right and Honour Thus the promise of restauration of his former estate with the addition of great Lands in Herefordshire nothing prevailed with him in whose heroik Mind Honour and his Conntryes good were Commanders in chief No way therefore now being left but that the King tryes what may be done by Treachery and takes a truce with them in the mean while seizing all those great possessions which were left the Earl in Ireland by his famous Ancestor the Earl Strongbow that thereby he might draw the Earl over thither this design takes effect and the Earl endeavouring to regain his livelihood lost his life circumvented by treachery Thus noblest souls are soonest intrapt who measuring others their own thoughts are the least suspicious but his death wrought such effects as caused the King to disown the businesse and lay the load upon his Counsellors shoulders In a Parl. at Westminst. the King being plainly told his own the Bishops threatning to proceed by Ecclesiasticall censure both against him and his Counsellors and seeing no way to subsist and get his ends but by temporizing consents to them calls home the Lords removes the strangers and brings his new officers to account now the storm fals so violently that Winchester with his Bastard are forced for shelter to take Sanctuary untill by large Fines the King was appeased who to get money was very ready to doe any thing Escuage is granted toward the marriage of his Sister whom he bestowed on the Emperour with 30000 marks for a Dowry besides an Imperiall Crown and other Ornaments to a great value The King marries Elianor Daughter to the Earl of Provence a match which beside the distance of the place was infinitely disadvantagious having no Dowry getting a poor kindred which must needs draw means from this kingdome A Parliament also is assembled at London which the King would have held in the Tower but that the Lords refused to come in which Sheriffs were removed for corruption and the new ones sworn to take no bribes Now the King endeavours to change his officers and to take the Seale from the Chancellor the Bishop of Chichester who refuses to deliver it which he had by the Common Councell of the kingdom without assent of the same and having carryed himself unblamably in his office is much favoured by the people Also he receives some old cast officers into favour such was his levity and irresolution moved with any Engine to doe and undo and all out of time and order wherein he ever loses ground and goes about by the Popes Authority to revoke his former Grants which addes to the already conceived displeasure of the people In another Parliament or the same adjourned the King demands relief and upon promise to confirm the Charters and not seek to infringe them upon any pretence as want of the Popes confirmation c. a thirtieth part of all moveables is granted yet upon condition that it should be gathered by four Knights in every shire and laid up in Abbies or Castles that if the King performed not his promise it might be returned that he should leave the Counsell of Aliens and use only that of his Naturall Subjects Which being done and to make shew on his part some old Counsellors suddenly removed and others chosen which were sworn to give him good and faithfull advice yet I hope he
had a Negative voice and might chuse whither he would hearken unto them and be no King or no the Parliament concluded and with it ended all his goodly Promises For he presently hastens to Dover receiving a Legat without acquainting the Lords with the cause of his comming exacts the Subsidie contrary to order is wholly swayed by the Counsell of his Queens Vncle an Alien sends for his father in Law to help away with his monie marries Simon Mountford to his sister the Widdow of William Earl of Pembroke a professed Nunne and of a banished Frenchman makes him Earl of Leicester But the Legat and Earl of Leicester proved better than was expected no thanks to the King who doubtlesse was no Prophet the one endeavouring to pacifie not foment divisions which before was held a property inseparable from his office The other becomming a most earnest assertor of the English Liberties as the Sequele will manifest The Lords incensed with these perfidious and tyrannous dealings Remonstrate against him and tell him of the profusion of his Treasure gotten by Exaction from the Subject and cast away upon strangers who onely guide him of the infinite sums he had raised in his time how there was no Archbishoprick or Bishoprick except York Lincoln and Bath but he had made benefit by their vacancies besides what fell by Abbyes Earldoms Baronies and other Escheats and yet his Treasure which should be the strength of the State was nothing encreased Lastly That despising his Subjects Counsels he was so obsequious to the will of the Romans that he seemed the Popes feudary the King hearing this harsh note and perceiving the Londoners and whole people ready to rise against him first by the Legat attempts to win his Brother now the head of the Lords party to side with Him but failing in this he cals a Parliament whether the Lords come armed Whereupon to gain time the businesse is referred to the order of certain grave personages Articles drawn sealed and publikely set up with the eals of the Legat and divers great men the King taking his Oath to stand to their determinations but whilst the businesse was debating he corrupts his Brother and the Earl of Lincoln whereby the Lords are weakned the businesse is dash'd and the miseries of the Kingdom continued Simon Montford is thrown out of favour and the Seal taken from him and his brother Geoffrey a Knight Templer put out of the Counsel Men much maligned as evil Counsellors so inconstant are Tyrants in their favours they lost their places for refusing to passe a grant of 4 pence upon every sack of wool made by the King to the Earl of Flanders the Queens Vncle to whom the next year he gave a pension of 300 marks per annum out of the Exchequer and here by their dejection we may observe that Officers under bad Princes are not alwayes so bad as men account them and that when the Master playes the wreaks the servant bears the burden But it seems one Gulph sufficed not to swallow up the substance of the Kingdom and therefore the Pope adds extortion to the Kings exaction and sends to have 300 Romans preferred to the next vacant benefices in England which mandate so amazed the Archbishop of Canterbury that seeing no end of these Concussions of the State and liberties of the Church he gives over his Sea and payes 800 marks to the Pope for his Fine We need never doubt sure but that they paid well for it who were to have it when so much was given by him that left it He demands a tenth also of the Clergy who flying to the King for protection against the Popes rapine were referred to the Legat yea and the chief of them offered to be delivered up unto him by the King who joyned with the Pope we may see to aw and punish the Kingdom and though they in the Councell then called stood out for a while against the Legat yet at length by the Treason of division the body of the Councel is entred into and the Pope prevails in this businesse Neither was Pope and King enough the Queenes kindred must have a share one of whose Vncles comes into England is feasted sumptuosly Knighted and the Earldom of Richmond with other gifts bestowed on him and the Arch-Bishoprick of Canterbury conferred on his Son but the poor Jews fasted for this who were forced to pay 20000 marks at two Terms that year The King being set agogg to be doing in France by his Father in Law and others the authors of his first Expedition summons a Parliament and moves the matter therein but it was generally opposed as a design not feasible and expensive besides the unlawfulnesse of breaking Truce Money also was denyed though the King came in person most submissively craving their aid with a letter from the Pope to boot in his hand Neverthelesse what by gifts and loans from particular men by begging and borrowing he scraped so much together that he carryed over with him 30 barrels of Stirling Coin and yet before the end of the year he got Escuage toward his charges which he lay spending at Bourdeaux to little or no purpose He sent for Grain Bacon had 10000 quarters of Wheat 5000 of Oates and as many Bacons shipt away most of which perished by Ship-wrack the very Elements seeming discontented as well as the English Lords at his unworthy carriage in undervaluing their Counsels and preferring strangers upon whom he consumed his treasure in such sort as caused his Brother and most of the English Lords to desert him and come over the wiser they for the Earl of Leicester and others which staid behind ranne behind hand too as wel as the King by borrowing large sums to defray their expences at last He was driven to make a dishonorable Truce with the French King and return having not gained so much as 30 emptie barrels were worth The Stangers having made up their mouths of him abroad follow him hither also so greedy were these Harpies after prey and so easy and ready was he to be made one to them and now the Countesse of Provence the Queens Mother bringing another doughter with her arrives at Dover is sumptuously entertained and sent away richly rewarded her daughter being immediately bestowed on the Earle of Cornewall who it seemes had as good a stomack to forraigne flesh as the King his brother that he could fall too so soone without sauce but the Earle was well beforehand in the world and so might the better dispence with the want of a portion Next slips in Martin the Popes collectour furnished with such ample power of cursing suspending excommunicating pardoning having whole droves of blanke Bulls which might be filled up according to occasion and all other accoutrements belonging to and necessary for St. Peters successors trade which was fishing for money not men that the former Legats were but fleas if compared with this horseleech who sucketh so
height of his jollity he was defeated at Lews such was the wages of Pride and Rage And thus the Sunne setting at Leicester went down at Naseby upon Charls whose successe kept time with his presumption and cruelty And now Henry is pitched down at Lewes where the Barons petitioning for their liberties and desiring Peace are answered by his proclaming them Rebells and Traitors and sending his own his Brothers and Sons Letters of defiance unto them But this was too hot to hold for the Lords perceiving what they must trust to notwithstanding the great numbers of the Enemy the Banished Poictovins being returned with great forces for his aide bravely resolve to give him battel and as gallantly perform their resolutions for fighting like men for their Liberties they gain the day and take Him his Brother and his Sonne with many English and Scotch Lords prisoners This victory was received with such universall joy that when news came of the Queens having a great Army of strangers ready to set sale for England such multitudes appeared on Barham Down to resist them that it could hardly have been thought that so many men were in the Land and at this appearance of the English the forreiners vanish and are disperst being terrified to hear the English were so unanimous in the defence of their Country and its freedome Oh were we but thus united now within our selves we need never fear the combination of forreiners But these noble souls being more valiant than wary more pitifull than just upon a few feigned shews of amendment and fawning promises of not entrenching upon their liberties receive the Snake into their bosomes which will reward their kindnesse with their ruine assoon as he is able For in the Parliament assembled at London the cry of blood and oppression being stopt and smothered up Henry again is seated on the Throne upon that poore and Thread-bare satisfaction of himself and his sonne taking their Oaths to confirm the Charters and Statutes before at Oxford and those now newly made sure Mercury was ascendent at Henries nativity so potent were his starres in deluding those who had been so oft mock'd and beguil'd before when in reason we might suppose his former frequent violations and reiterated perjuries should have taught them what trust was to be given to a Kings oath in whose eye Tyrranny was so beautifull that he never dallied to make market both of soul and body so he might but purchase his desired Paramour These oaths being past in order to the performance after the royall mode the Earl of Glocester is tampred with to leave the Barons and by the artifice of those masters in the art of Division who in all times knew how to work upon the covetous ambitious and envious humours of great men drawn to desert the cause of liberty and of this we our selves have had a sad and fatall experience how many great ones were cajold by Charles at Newcastle Holâ—bie and the Islle of Wight even to the great danger of our Cause nay the very House was not free as those Tuesday nights votes may and the Fridayes had informed us with a witnesse had not Providence wrought miraculously for us for it can be made out by good witnesse that there was a resolution to have dissolved the Parliament and proclamed the Army Traitors had they all met But Gold was too drossie to make Glocesters towring soul stoop and his free spirit could not be shackled with silver fetters some other Lure must be used to bring him down and now Leicester was mounted to so high a pitch in the peoples favour that Glocesters weaker wings could not reach him which whilest with an aspiring eye he gazes after his sight was so dazzled with the others motion us gave check to his pursute of the game The crafty Prince marking his advantage so works upon the weaknesse of this young Lord that by it he effects what he could not do by his own force thus Diamonds are cut by their own dust and the Champion of Englands liberty must be the man can ruine it accursed be that sorceresse envy so fatall then to Englands freedome so mischievous lately to the same whose menacing power had it not been stopp'd by the new modell had totally routed the Parliaments whole force so many Divisions of them being charged through and through and needs must that Army become a Chaos wherein Commanders consist of jarring Principles Glocester now being come to his fist away flies Edward to the Lord Mortimer notwithstanding his assurance given not to depart the Court that fable of the wise men of Gotams hedging in the cuckow hits many of our ancestors home who with oaths and promises went about to keep in their Kings when one of the Norman brood could flie over such a fence with the very shell upon his head and as the first part of that storie may be applyed to us so the second is not altogether insignificant for our Kings whom we shal alwayes find together with such as sing after them in one tune crying out disloyall dissoyall as if they could say as well as do nothing else yet a Christian may conceive such a found should make them tremble by bringing the sinnes of their fathers and their own iniquities into their remembrance did they but believe there were a God who will measure the same measure out unto them which they have meted to others and will visit the sinnes of the fathers upon the children Glocester and Edward having done the Prologue the Tragedy begins wherein the Scenes were so well laid that every actor was ready to enter and each had his part so well by heart that it is plain they had been long conning their lessons for no sooner were these two gone but the Earles Warren Pembroke with a whole shoale of Poictovins and other strangers come to land in Wales which with the scattered reliques of the battell at Lewes gathered from all parts embody in great numbers before the Lords who stood faithfull were aware of them yet they prepare for them as fast as they can but their fortune was now in the wane their pity and credulity had brought them into the snare and their lives must go for suffering him to escape whom God had delivered into their hands for to condemne the innocent and absolve the guilty are equally abominable in the sight of heaven and our ancestors to their cost have made experience of the truth of the Proverb Save a thief from the Gallows and he shall be the first will cut your throat First the Armies meet at Killingworth where the Lord Simon Montford sonne to the Earl of Leicester is defeated this bad newes meeting Leicester in Wales hastens him to repair the breach made in their fortunes and he meets the enemy near Evesham where in a bloody field fighting most valiantly he loses life and victory both and with him many more of the most noble English fall a victime to perjured
years he had worn over the greatest part of the Land for Iohn by his tyranny so galled the Peoples neckes that for ease they were forced to get a new yoke and elect Lewis the French Kings sonne to defend them against his cruelty such effects wrought the violence of an unruly King and the desperation of an oppressed people The agreement on Henrys part was to restore to the Barons and people all rights and heritages with the Liberties for which the discord arose between John and them to pardon al that had aided Lewis and set free all Prisoners of Warre and to doe this he takes his Oath or for him the Popes Legat and Protectour The Protectour dyes a man of great wisdom and valor and who had managed affairs to the great settlement of the State and the King is again Crowned and Escuage of 2. markes a Knights Fee granted him in Parliament he promising to confirm their Liberties when he came of age Henry having gotten some of his Fathers old Counsellors about him begins to play Rex and obtains a Bull from the Pope whereby he was adjudged of age sufficient to receive the Government into his own hands the power of making altering times and seasons it seems being then in the Romish Prelats Power and now sith He would be of age in the Parliament at Westminster the archbish. of Canterbury and the Lords desire him to confirm according to Covenant their promised Liberties This was impiously oppugned by some as Princes shall ever find mouths to expresse their pleasures of his Ministers who urged it to have been an act of Constraint yet at last it was promised to be ratified by the King and so by that usual shift of prolongation was put off for that time to the greater vexation of that following for this all his Raigne caused the imbroylments rendred Him odious to the people and made him a far lesse King by striving to be more than he was a just reward of violations But this pause turned the bloud and shewed how sensible the State was in the least stoppage of that tender veine For the Lords began to assemble at Leicester but the Archbish of Canterbury whom the King by fair words sooth'd into a fools paradice by menacing excommunication brought them in the King also to be even with them demands a restauration of all those things they had received from his Ancestors and to terrifie them for the future falls upon the chief sticklers taking divers Lordships from them thus were they forced to sit down with losse of both Lands and Liberties and such of them whose spirits could not brook the sight of the Coutt abusive proceedings secretly to jogge away into the Countrey The Royall gamster having dealt so well for himself yet on the sudden is put to his trumps yea forced to shuffle and cut too Money is wanting to maintain his Wars in France and this his ranting Counsellours cannot help him too they who were so high in the last Parliament are fain now to lower their sails the Lions hide must be patched up with the Foxes skin he must promise and do any thing for present cash A Parliament therefore is summoned to Westminster and of them a relief demanded but no pennie without a Pater noster no money unless their Liberties be confirmed and now necessity which makes the Old Wife trot perswades Henry to be so gracious to himselfe as to comply with them Thus Magna Charta and Charta de Firesta were confirmed which though purchased before and then entred upon and possest by the people yet have been paid for to some purpose if we consider the sums given since and to little or none if we sum but up the profit our Landlords let us reap by them Thus the Petition of Right and other later acts were obtained by us which being acts of grace were to cease when our King pleased to turn gracelesse which he never did nor intended to doe untill the first oppertunity wherein a small rub called impossibility might be removed out of his way These Lawes thus obtained downe go the forests and men repossess their habitations which the Norman Lords had outed them of and bestowed upon Wild Beasts yet more inoffensive than themselves for if Cato have any credit we must believe Kings to be de genere Bestiarum rapacium no better nor worse than ravenous beasts and indeed that undeniable Author Doctor Experience hath by arguments not to be disputed against confirmed that wise Romans assertion indeed the last of Romans who abhorred to outlive the freedom and honour of his Country And now if we will believe one Writer the very Doggs rejoyced being freed from the customary danger of losing their clawes but though the Gentleman is so sanguine now yet he afterwards becomes as cholerick and from playing with turns to play the very Curre barking and snarling at all those Lords which stood for these Lawes O the ridiculous power of slavish flattery working more than a brutish change in low Souls making a man out of his own mouth judg himfelf lesse deserving of Liberty because less sensible of it than a Dogge that will fawne and wag his taile at him who unchains him whilst he crouches and licks his fingers who enslaves and fetters him But take one observation along That as the Norman Conqueror first appropriated all old Forests and dispeopled places to make new ones and still when any parcell of Liberty was regained those Forest Tyrannies were diminished so now when that Norman yoak is thrown off our necks Forests and Parks are broken open with it a certain signe that tyranny is expired now that its pulse is ceased in the main Arterie Thus the Historian reports the Grove of Bayes dyed which was planted by Augustus when Nero was executed in whom ceased that proud and bloody Family Another Parliament is called wherein nothing was done by reason of the Kings sicknesse but only the Legats unreasonable demands denyed the Pope being become more than quarter-master in England by the Kings good Fathers means in this year also the Londoners were fined 5000 marks and the Burgesses of Northampton 1200 pounds for their former aiding Lewis contrary to the Oath and Pardon passed at the agreement as the Prelates were before who were made to pay such large sums that the Legat got 12000 marks for his share A Parliament is summoned at Oxford where the King declaring himself to be of lawfull age assumes the power of Government to himself this he had done before by the Popes Bull but it was requisite for his design to grow child again and the Pope was contented to have his Bull turn Calf to help his Son whom he knew might make him amends and now to shew what metall he was made on he cancels and disanuls the Charters as granted in his nonage and so of no validitie Here we may behold the wretchless impudence of these Royall Creatures he
that had before in the eighth year of his Raign made himself of age for his own ends yet now is not ashamed upon the same score to pretend nonage in the ninth year wherein he confirmed both the Charters Thus if the King say 8. is more than 9. the people must believe it for it is treason no doubt to question their Soveraignes words or actions and Rebellion to chop Logick with him And now this cancelling having annulled all hopes of a subsidie He hath a new shift to drain the peoples purses by making a new Seal and forcing all which held any thing by the old to renew their Patents fining at the pleasure of the Chief Iusticiarie not according to their ability It seemes the Old Seal was under age too and for this he had a Bul but whether from the Pope or somebody else is the question These perfidious and oppressive courses so incense the people that the Lords appoint a Randezvouz at Stamford intending it seems to bait these Buls by force to keep them from goring The King is startled at this news hearing his Brother the Earl of Cornewall was also joyned to them and by feare brought to promise a redresse and so pacifies them at Northampton and buyes his brother to side with him with his mothers Dower and all the Lands in England belonging to the Earl of Britain and late Earl of Bullogne These are the uneven paths which necessity forces Tyrants to stagger through scraching up here and leaving a piece there using the Rake with this hand and the Fork with that Peter must be rob'd to pay Paul these pilled and polled to bribe the other but these shifts will be quickly thredbare by which what is got in the Hundred is lost in the Shire The King having bound himself by his Procurators at Rome to the payment of Tenths it seems the Pope would not do a job of journeywork for nothing cals a Parliament that the Legat might demand them but though the Legat was impudent enough to ask the question yet the Laity were so modest as to deny him the Clergy being over-reachd by Segrave one of the Kings Counsell consented and found a very hard bargain of it for the ravenons Legat exacted them at a set day and those that miss'd it were sure to be hit home with an Excommunication Thus between the Lyon and the Wolf the Flock went to wrack for no doubt but the King had a feeling in the cause or his Counsell would never have beene so diligent in the businesse but all this would not do he therefore exacts great summes of the Clergy whom the Pope could rule and would it being his turn now and the City of London for redemption of their liberties an excellent way to make them free for they seldom are so of themselves yet have they given down largely in this Cause to their Honour be it spoken and may they be so moderate as not to kick over the palle in the upshot and forces the Iews to pay the third of all their moveables to maintain his Warres he then began in France whither he goes leaving them to pray that he might deal more Christianly with them for the future But his evill gotten goods thrived not and the King besides an infinite expence of treasure having lost divers Nobles and valiant men without any glory returns home bringing with him the Earle of Britaigne and many Poictovins to suck up what could further be wrung from the poor people of England and in order to this calls a Parliament wherein upon pretence and promise of sending supplyes into Spain against the Saracens he obtains a fifteenth of the Laity and Clergy but the Popes turn it seems was come who falls a cursing all that had any hand in with-holding Tithes from those multitudes of strangers which he had preferr'd to benefices and the King makes a strict inquisition after them forces them all to runne to Rome for absolution of this horrible sin of resisting his Pastors in the main work of their Ministery few of them having more English than would serve to demand their tithes but it was enough with the Pope they had that whose special care was to see the Flock might be fleec'd for teaching that might have spoyl'd devotion to Rome which ignorance is the sirurest Nurse too a strange way to Heaven that the blindest hit best Christs servants are the Children of Light Sure then his Holinesse must be Vicar to the Prince of Darknesse whose best Subjects see least A Parliament also is called at Westminster which expecting deeds from him before they would do any thing and he not being poor enough nor so shiftlesse as to fall to mending so soon breaks up with a flat denyall of any money Hereupon by the advice of the Bishop of Winchester sith the Parliament was so drie he fals to squeeze his own Spunges and amongst the rest his darling Hubert de Burgh Earl of Kent and his Chief Iusticiarie feels the weight of Kingly kindnesse which loves a man so long as he is usefull but if any advantage shall accrue it is very Rebellion should affection be so saucy as to plead privilege against Royall profit and naw kenning of Kingcraft for Kings to be more nice than wise O the wretched estate of that man who to curry favour with a Tyrant cares not how he acts nor what he does aside he is thrown so soon as his great Master hath served his turn on him and being down is sure to be trampled on to some purpose by the enraged people who in the servants misery seek a recompence for the Masters tyranny and this hath been told us by a King and Prophet long ago Put not your trust in Princes men of high degree area lye And now the Bishop of Winchester is the Court Minion but as he tript up the Earl of Kents heels so will he be laid on his back shortly and the same noose he made for others will catch the Woodcock himselfe ere long who was returned from the Holy Wars abroad to begin it seems wicked discord at Home for he shewing the king that Foraigners were the only journey-men to drive on his trade of Tyranny and fittest instruments to keep the English in slavery causes him who for his own ends cared neither whom nor what he made use of to displace all the chief Counsellors and Barons of the kingdom and to bestow all places of concernment either Military or Civill on strangers These strains of so strange and insufferable violences so exasperate the Nobility that many combine for defence of the publique and the Earl of Pembroke in all their names tels the King how pernicious and dangerous these courses would prove whom the Bishop of Winchester insolently answers That it was lawfull for the K. to call what strangers he would to defend his Crown and compell his proud rebellious Subjects to their due obedience that is tame slavery
sorely that the King what to pacifie the people and what for fear nothing would be left him should this cormorant fish on humblie beseeches the Pope that Fleece Skin Flesh and all might not be torn away and nothing but the Bones left him for his fees but he might have had as much kindnes of a Wolfe for a good word and as soon have kept that hungrie Beast from the folde by a Petition as his Holinesse who though he appeare in sheeps cloathing hath the wolfes conditions and is onely to be hunted or cudgeled from worrying the flocke No doubt this tender hearted Vicar had such a care of their soules that regarding neither his owne nor their bodies he endeavoured to begger them if possible in hopes that being poore they would receive the Gospell and in truth next unto Gods goodnes the Popes wickednes was the meanes of this nations receiving the truth who by his pride and covetousnesse caused Henry the 8th a King as proud as he for his heart and in more want for his purse to kick him out which was the first step to Reformation of Religion Yet though the King could obtain no redress of the Pope he prevails with him to lay on more loads getting Letters to the Lords Spirituall and Temporall to help him to money in the Parliament now assembled at Westminster which notwithstanding the Kings personall and Popes literall entreaties will grant none untill he give assurance of Reformation and the due execution of Lawes they require also that 4 Peers should be chosen as conservators of the Kingdom which should be sworn of the Kings Counsell see justice observed and the treasure issued out That the cheife Iusticiar and Chancellor should be of the four or chosen by the Parliament together with two Iustices of the Benches two Barons of the Exchequer and one Iustice for the Iewes that as their function was publike so might also their Election be but as the Devill would have it sayes one the Popes Nuncio spoyls all by demanding money of them towards the Popes Wars against the Emperour a Son in Law to England having married one of her Daughters thus was not the Pope ashamed to demand money for the King but to sing the second part to the same tune in the same Parliament on his own behalf an impudency so monstrous that we might well question it came it not from that strumpet of Rome and seting aside doctrine by practice we may easily perceive who is meant in the Revelation by the Whore of Babylon but the peremptory demand received an absolute repulse the Pope could get nothing but they granted Escuage towards marriage of his eldest daughter to the King twenty shillings of every Knights fee The King also upon a light occasion makes a great and expensive preparation against Scotland and the Earl of Flanders thirsting after his money comes over with a ragged Regiment to help whose unnecessary presence was nothing acceptable to the Barons as if the strength of England could not be sufficient without him for that action which was as suddainly ended as undertaken by a faire conclusion of peace The King assembles another Parliament which would grant Him no more money though he told them his debts were so great that he could not appear out of his Chamber for the clamour of those to whom he owed money for his Wine Wax and other necessaries of his House hereupon he falls to other violent courses and first he picks a quarrell with the Londoners and makes them pay 15000 marks for receiving a banished man into their City notwithstanding they produced his pardon under the great Seal which they were told was purchased when the King was under age Thus because the Lyon would have it so the Asses ears must be horns well fare the Fox therefore which had the wit not to come to Court Observe here the happy estate of our Ancestors under Monarchy who if they gained but this advantage though attended with many inconveniences and mischiefs incident to all Nations in their Kings minority of receiving a few good Grants and enjoying a pittance of Freedom once in 4 or 5 ages when their King was too young to play Rex and there hapned a wise and honest Protector yet were sure to pay through the nose for it afterwards with double and treble interest for forbearance Then employes one Passeleave in a peremptory Commission to enquire of all Lands which had been dis-forested and either to fine the occupiers at pleasure or take them from them and sell the same to others if they would give more for them and in this such rigour was shewn that multitudes were undone yet Passeleave should have been preferred to the Bishoprick of Chichester for his good service had not the Bishops opposed the King therein Thus have we not seen with our own eyes whole Counties almost to be challenged for Forest and our selves like to have been forced to purchase our own estates from Charles to save our habitations from becomming the places of Wilde Beasts The Lords also making bold to open the Popes packet to Martin found therein such vilany that the Nuncio was forthwith commanded out of the Land who so basely had behaved himself that he both needed and yet could hardly obtain a safe Conduct to preserve him from the violence of the enraged people and now the King being incensed also at the Popes oppressions or at least seeming to be so sith his cheats were made publike the Parliament make use of the good mood he was in and lay before him how that Italians Revenues in England amounted to sixtie thousand marks yearly besides the Popes Exactions which so moved him that he caused all to be notified by Commissioners sent to the Generall Councell at Lions demanding redresse which together with Martins usage so vexed the Pope that he endeavoured to set the French King upon his back In the Parliament holden at Westminster upon the Popes rejecting the Consideration of these grievances and despising the Kings Messages saying that he began to Frederize it was Enacted and Ordained under great penalty That no Contribution of money should be given to the Pope by any Subject of England and the same confirmed in a Parliament at Winchester and another at London The King also bustles against the Popes Exactions in such sort that it gave hope of redress but this heat was soon chill'd by the Popes threats of so irresolute and wavering a nature was the King Woman-like giving over what he manfully undertook but this may seem to confirm what was hinted before that what he did was rather out of policy to delude the people whose rage was risen so high that he fear'd to meet it than a just sence of their misery who in all things else which stood with his humour or advantage was more than enough stubborn and stiffe And now the Pope having given or rather taken the foile continues his former rapine yet fearing
if he kicked too hard he might be thrown out of the Saddle he seems openly to surcease and promises never to send any more Legats into England and underhand effects his will by other Ministers termed Clerks who had the same power though a different title the former being too eminent for his clandestine transactions which the King furthers him in all he can so cordiall was the reconcilement which shewes it was not effected by fear And to give them their due both play'd their parts very dexterously if the term may be proper for a sinister practice The Pope ranting as high in the Counsel as the King vapoured in the Parlament saying It is fit that we make an end with the Emperour that we may crush these petty Kings for the Dragon once appeased or destroyed these lesser Snakes will soon be trodden down But had he thought Henry one in earnest he would not so soon have received him into his bosome Peter of Savoy before made Earl of Richmond comes over again it may seem the King by his pretended forwardnes against the Pope had got some money bringing with him young wenches out of Provence which were married to Noblemen who were the Kings wards as to the Earls of Lincoln Kent c. and to be sure Peter lost nothing by such bargains though the Nobility were abused in a barbarous and tyrannicall manner Comes again the Countesse of Provence who lost nothing by the voyage though she had delivered Provence and sixteen Castles as a dowry with her Daughter married to Charls the French Kings Brother unto the French contrary to equity the Queen of England being the eldest Daughter and Covenant too having promised it to the King and received for five years 4000 marks annuall pension in consideration of the pact so fatally infatuated was this King that he cared not how he lavished out upon such cheats what he scrued and wrung from his Subjects And besides Thomas of Savoy titular Earl of Flanders who came over with her three of the Kings half-Brothers are sent for over to be provided of Estates in England which it seems he intended to divide between his own and his Wives beggarly kindred truly by this Kings actions a man would guesse he thought he had been set up onely to impoverish his Subjects and enrich Aliens and as he so almost every King plaid their prizes the only difference being that strangers were not alwayes the objects of their profusenesse yet King James imitated him in every circumstance who gave away so fast unto Scots the English Lands and they to relieve their penury fell'd the woods so lustily that for ought could be guessed Trees would have been as thin here as in Scotland had not the Lords by money hyred his jester Green to give a stop to his Carriere they themselvs not daring to give check to the Magisteriall Scot in his vanity by making a Coat with Trees and Birds on them and telling him questioning and wondering at the humor That if the Woods were fell'd so fast by his Countrey men a little longer Birds must perch upon Fools Coats for no Trees would be left them to sit upon Thus also was the Lord Cobham and Sir Walter Rawleys estates conferr'd on favourites and they made Traytors that Court Hang-bies might be made Lords and Gentlemen and to say the truth in this point all or most of our Monarchs have so behaved themselves as if with the Countrey fellow at Doctors Commons they thought England was dead detestable had made them her executioners and they were come to the Crown to diminish her goods But to return where we left Henry was so lavish and his Guests so unwilling to seem unmannerly and refuse his kindnesse that his baggs were now become as empty as his barrels were before A Parliament therefore is summoned at London and money demanded but they put him in minde of his Guests and besides sharply reprehended Him For his breach of promise in requiring another aid having vowed and declared upon his last supplie never more to injure the state in that kinde for his violent taking up of provisions for diet wax silkes robes but especially wine contrary to the will of the owners whereby Merchants will withdraw their Commodities and all Trade and Commerce utterly ceases to the detriment and infamy of this Kingdome That his Judges were sent in Circuit under pretence of justice to fleece the people That Passeleave had wrung from the Borderers on Forests vast sums of money they wonder therefore he should now demand relief from the impoverished Commons They advise him to pull from his favourits inriched with the Treasure of the Kingdom to support his prodigality sith his needlesse expences amounted to above 800000 l. since he began his destructive Raign postquam Regni caepit esse dilapidator thus plainly durst our generous Ancestors tell a Tyrant his own to his teeth Then they reprove Him For keeping vacant in his hands Bishopricks and Abbeys contrary to the Liberties of the Church and his Oath taken at his Coronation Which it seems was judged more than a Ceremony in those dayes though in ours the contrary hath so falsly and impudently been asserted Lastly they generally complain for that the chief Iusticia Chancellor Treasurer c. were not made by the Common-Councell of the Kingdom according as they were in the time of his magnificent predecessors as as it was fit and expedient but such advanced as followed his will in whatsoever tended to his gaine and sought promotion not for the good of the Kingdom but their own profit Here we may obsetve that it was no new doctrin which our Parliament in the beginning taught us but that it was practised as well as thought fit so to be by our Ancestors though the Royall Pen-men in their Declarations boldly and publickly avowed the contrary With this reprehension the King was netled as his speech the next Session makes out for though he promised amendment they would not beleeve him and therefore prorogued the Parliament till Midsummer that they might see whether he would be as good as his word We must know Kings were not grown so impudent and daring then as to dissolve Parliaamens at their own pleasures But he mended like sour Ale in Summer his heat it seems increasing with the Seasons and in the next Session with an Imperious and Magisteriall brow thus expostulates with them Would you curb the King your Lord at your uncivill pleasure and impose a servile condition on him will you deny unto him what everyone of you as you list may doe it is lawfull for every one of you to use what Counsell and every Master of a Family to prefer to any office in his house whom he pleases and displace again when he list and will you rashly deny your Lord the King to do the like Whereas servants ought not to judge their Master and Subjects their Prince or hold them to their condâ—tions
For the Servant is not above his Lord nor the Dâ—sciple above his Master neither should he be your King but as your Servant who should so encline to your pleasure Wherefore know I wil yeild to none of your desires A brave ranting speech yet I hope it will not be denyed but they were evill Counsellors which put this into that Kings mouth though they have been who penned the late Kings Declarations which were so like this speech as they could not be more though Charls his Declarations had been spit out of Henries mouth in both we may perceive the humour equally proud in the Kings and jointly mischievous in their Counsellors the first accounting their Subjects but their slaves the second making themselves such to curry favor with their Lordly Masters for let what palliations or disguizes soever of evill Counsellors be made to cover the shame of evill Princes wise men know and it hath alwayes been found by experience that the Tyranny of the Kings bears the first and the slavery of the instruments but the second part in the causality of the mischiefs and that these Lions rampant wil make use of none but Asses couchant which are most willing as wel as most able to bear the load Thus Henry he heaps his favours upon Strangers most because they were aptest to serve his turn and thus many in our dayes have been preferred and inriched not because the King loved Laud Wentworth Buckingham Dâ—gby c. better than others but because these were the fittest instruments to drive on the trade of Tyranny But to the story Herry would have money and the Parliament would have a redresse of grievances which his speech absolutely denyes they should and so they break up in discontent but though his stomach was so high his purse was so low as he was forced to sell his plate and jewels of the Crown We see here that the late King had a President for what he did and a very goodly one too but what will not Princes devoted to Tyranny sacrifice to obtain their lustings give pawn sell all they can lay their clutches on to carry on their design which being accursed and abominable none will be subservient to but they will be soundly paid paid for it and truly these slavish wretches buy their Gold too dear selling their fame together with their honesty for a little trash which commonly is torn from them by the hand of justice which makes them behold the losse of all they accounted and purchased so dear before it puts out their eyes by a shamefull death no marvell therfore Tyrants are so beggarly being forced to hire their journymen at such high rates He sends his letters Imperiously deprecatory to aid him with money which with much grudging they do to the sum of 20000l having the Christmas before required New-years gifts of the same Londoners in hope no doubt but to get some of his plate and jewels again which they had bought of him a little before Also by calling the Nobles and wealthiest persons apart he scrapes up something yet when the Abbot of Borrough denyed him a 100 marks as he required he told him it was more Charity to give an alms to him than to a Beggar that went from dore to dore to this lownesse had his profufe and tyrannicall courses exposed him The Iewes also were fleeced by the King again of whose sufferings we may take a guess by what one of them protested upon the faith he owed to his law to be true to wit that the King had within 7. years space taken from him thirty thousand marks in Silver besides 200 in Gold given to the Queen And the Londoners in requitall of their bounty forced to shut up their shops and keep St. Edwards Fair 15 dayes together at Westminster in a very wet and dirty season being also fined 1000 marks for beating some of the Kings Servants who came and reviled them as they were at their sport of running at the Quintan Thus his very Servants were willing to be beaten that their Master might get money by it The Monks of Duresme refusing to preferre his halfe Brother to that Bishoprick he goes to Winchester to make sure of that by his presence for him where entring the Chapter-House he gets into the Chaire begins a Sermon and takes this Text Iustice and Peace have kissed each other which he thus handles To me and other Kings belongs the rigor of justice to you who are men of quiet and religion peace and this day I hear you have for your own good been favourable to my request Justice and Peace hath kissed each other Once I was offended with you for withstanding me in the election of your late Bishop but now I am friends with you for this and will both remember and reward your kindnes As by a woman came destruction into the world so by a Woman came the remedy I to satisfie my Wife and prefer her Uncle disquieted and damnified you So now to advance my Brother by the Mother will reconcile my self to you c. Thus went he on blasphemously wresting and abusing Scripture yet could not the Geese beware when the Fox preached for he gains his desire and that Chair was more propitious to him than the Speakers was to CHARLS into which in imitation of Henry he violently thrust himself At York the marriage of his Daughter with the King of Scots was solemnized in the height of riot and lavish expence to recruit which the King is forced to find a new shift to get money He will needs take the Crosse upon him and away to the Holy Wars and to carry out the businesse the more impudently takes his Oath laying his right hand on his breast and after on the Book to perform the journey Which all knew was pretended onely to get Cash and now his good friend at need the Pope with a great deal of gravity ushers on the Imposture granting him a tenth of both Clergy and Laity for three years which had it been collected would have amounted to six hundred thousand pound A summe which might have afforded him a large Bribe for a dispensation A Parliament is called to London about this tenth which was denyed by all this put the King in such rage that he drave all out of his Chamber as if he had been mad but comming to himself again he falls to his old trick of dealing with them apart and first sends for the Bishop of Ely who plainly telling him He neither could nor would goe contrary to the whole State and diswading him from the journey by the example of the King of France on whom they might see the punishment of God to be faln for his rapine made on his peoples substance c. drove him into such a passion that he commanded the Bishop to be thrust out of dores Being thus disappointed by the Parliament he fals to his former violent courses and maintenance of his strangers in all
their riots and oppressions insomuch that it was the generall exclamation Our Inheritance is given to Aliens and our houses to strangers but we shall perceive the oppressions then on foot if we consider but what was told the King by divers to his face The Countesse of Arundell being harshly denyed by the King about a Ward detained from her in regard of a smal parcell of Land held in capite which drew away all the rest thus spake My Lord why turn you away your face from Iustice that we can obtein no right in your Court you are constituted in the midst betwixt God andus but neither govern your selfe nor us discreetly as you ought you shamefully vex both the Church and Nobles of the Kingdom by all means you can To which the King floutingly answered saying Lady Countesse have the Lords made you a Charter and sent you to be their Prolocutrix She replyes No Sir They have not made any Charter to me but the Charter which your Father and you made and swore so often to observe and so often extorted from your Subjects their money for the same you unworthily transgresse as a manifest breaker of your faith where are the Liberties of England so often written so often granted so often bought I though a Woman and with me all your naturall and faithfull people appeal against you to the Tribunall of that high Iudge above and Heaven and Earth shall be our witnesse that you have most unjustly dealt with us and Lord God of revenge avenge us Behold a generous and knowing Lady it was the sufferings of her Country not her self of which we find no mention extorted this true and resolute complaint from her Vpon the ruines of Henries fame hath Isabell raised an eternall trophie of her Vertue which shall stand conspicuous in English History so long as any memory of England remains Thus the Master of the Hospitallers tels the King saying he would revoke those Charters and Liberties inconsiderately granted by him and his Predecessors and for it alleging the Popes practice who many times chashiered his Grants So long as you observe Iustice you may be a King as soon as you violate the same you shall leave to be a King A Truth more Sacred than his Majesty could be and not to be violated for the sake of millions of Tyrants But above all for wonder is that of the Fryars Minors who returned a load of Freeze he sent them with this Message that he ought not to give alms of what he had Rent from the poor Indeed obedience is better than sacrifice but had this conscience been used by all the Romish Clergy their bellies had been leaner though their souls might have got by it their temporalities lesse though their spirituality more and this act deserves an Euge to these though it create an Apage to others rises in judgment condemning those great Clergy men who have been lesse than these Minors in Conscience and Honesty At last the King having a mind to have another bout beyond Sea summons a Parliament at London and now there is no doubt but he would be so gracious as to grant them what they could desire O what a blessed thing is want of money and how bountifull are Kings when they are quite beggared they will pull down Star-chambers High-Commission courts Monopolies suffer Favourites to be called to account for Treasons and vilanies they set them a work to do when they can do no other can neither will nor chose and will grant trienniall Parliaments and passe Acts that a Parliament shall sit so long as it will and which it might have done without their leave when all the devices and power they can make are not able to hinder it well though that proverb says Necessity hath no law yet with reverence to it's antiquity I must contrarily affirm that had it not been for necessity England had never had good law made nor kept neither ever should so long as the Norman yoake was in fashion This Gaffer Necessity at the first word obtains what all the Lords Prelats Parliaments so long demanded in vain Henry so the Parliament will but relieve him will ratifie and confirm their Liberties they do it granting him a tenth of the Clergy for three years and Escuage three marks of every Knights Fee of the Laity for one year towards his journey into the Holy Land indeed Gascoigne which how holy soever Henry accounted it he could never yet bring any reliques out of it though he had carried many a Crosse into it and he accordingly ratifies those often-confirmed Charters in the most solemn and ceremoniall manner that the Religion of that time and the wisdom of the State could then devise to do For the Parliament having so often found by experience that no civill promise or verball profession would hold in these Norman Lords raptur'd by Prerogative and devoted to perjury to maintain tyranny take now a more Ecclesiasticall and divine way of Obligation swearing to Excommunicate all who should be found infringers of the Charters And the King with all the great Nobility all the Prelats in their Vestments with burning Candles in their hands assemble in the great Hall at Westminster to receive that dreadfull sentence The King having received a Candle gives it to a Prelat saying it becoms not me being no Preist to hold this my heart shall be a greater testimony and withall lays his hand spred upon his Brest the whole time the sentence was pronounced which was Authoritate Dei Omnipotentis c. which done he causes the Charter of King Iohn his Father to be read likewise openly in the end having thrown away their Candles which lay smoaking on the ground they cryed out So let them which incurre this sentence be extinct and stinke in Hell and the King with a loud voice said As God me help I will as I am a Man a Christian a Knight a King Crowned and Annointed inviolably observe all these things Never were Lawes saith that witty Historian amongst men except those holy Commandements on the Mount established with more Majesty of Ceremony to make them reverend and respected than these were they wanted but Thunder and Lightning from Heaven which likewise if prayers could have effected they would have had to make the sentence gastly and hideous to the infringers thereof Yet no sooner was this Parliament dissolved by a sacred and most solemne conclusion but the King presently studies to infringe all and with a part of the money he then got purchasing an absolution of the Pope returnes to his former oppressive courses with more violence and hardnesse and for ought we know our late King had the like to help him over all those styles for Master Prynne tells us there was an English Lieger in Rome and our own eyes that there were Nuntio's here at home to continue a correspondence between the Pope and his Royall Favorite Thus what the King does the Pope undoes
the provident example of his Brotheâ— who absolutely refused it in regard it lay so far off so many Nations between the cavils of the Popes the infidelity of the People and the power of the pretenders They also repeat the Kingdoms grievances The breach of his promises and most solemn Oathes the insolence of his Brethren and other strangers against whom by his Order no Writ was to pass out of the Chancery how they abounded all in riches and himself was so poor that he could not repress the Welsh who wasted his Countrey but going against them was forced to return with dishonor The King seeing his friend Necessity was at his Elbow humbles himself tels them how he had often by evil Counsell been seduced and promises by his Oath which he takes on the Tombe of Saint Edw. to reform all these Errors but the Lords not knowing how to hold this ever-changing Proteus for security adjourn the Parliament to meet at Oxford in which time they provided for their own and the Kingdoms safety The King in the mean while is put to his shifts and upon promise of high preferment gets the Abbot of Westminster to put his and his Covents Seal to a Deed obligatory as a surety for threehundred marks sending by Passeleave this Deed with his Letters unto other Monasteries to invite them to do the like but notwithstanding his threats telling them how all they had came from the benignitie of Kings â—nd how their Soveraigne was Lord of all they had They refused to yeeld to any such deed saying They acknowledged the King to be Lord of all they had but so as to defend not to destroy the same And now the Parliament meets at Oxford and in this it is Enacted that the Poictovins and strangers should avoid the Land with many other profitable Laws for that time The Charters are confirmed and the King and Prince sworn to restore the ancient Lawes and Institutions of the Realm and to observe inviolable the Ordinances of that Parliament Now the chief Iusticiar Chancellor and all other great and publike Officers are elected by the common and publike Counsell which power was as we may see before usurped by the Norman Tyrants and worn as an especiall flowr of their Crowns and fruit of our slavery for it is manifest to any unlesse such as will wink that our English Kings were but as Generals in War without any other great jurisdiction our wise Ancestors knowing such a trust enough for one and therefore kept the Election of other Great Officers in their own power untill it was wrested out of their hands by the Norman Tyrants and that not so much by the Sword as by craft thus though William sirnamed the Bastard had defeated Harold in the field yet upon his Coronation he swore to maintain the ancient Laws Liberties and Customes of the English Nation and again renewed his Oath and granted the same too by Charter but when he was throughly setled in his seat he perfidiously broke all imposed the Norman Lawes and those in the Norman tongue as a badge of our slavery and a means to entrap the English who not understanding them knew not how to avoid the incurring the penalties whereby his Normans mouths up were made with their Estates thus his Successors were forced to swear and forswear to maintain themselves in their Kingships The Poictovins and strangers being banished presently followes the death and sicknesse of divers Noblemen who had been poysoned by their practice and a Steward of the Earl of Glocesters was executed for it he having received a great sum of VVilliam de Valence the head of the Poictovins to work the feat And though the Kings Favourites cryed out that he was condemned only upon presumption yet the evidence will appear very strong if we consider that his Lord and his Lords brother were poysoned the latter dying the former lying sick a long while having his body swell'd his nails and hair fallen off and this Steward convinced to have received a great sum of the Poictovin their Enemy for whom he could make out no service to be ever done unlesse what was layed to his charge besides a Iew being converced a little after confessed the poyson was prepared in his house The Earl of Cornwall now King of the Romans returns into England and upon his arrivall takes an Oath to observe inviolably and obey the Statutes and Ordinances made by the late Parliament at Oxford A Parliament was summoned at Westminster wherein were read and confirmed all the Statutes of Oxford and such pronounced acursed by the Prelats which should attempt in word or deed to infringe any of the same Whereupon Escuage is granted to the King forty shillings of every Knights Fee a very considerable sum in those dayes for there were above forty thousand Knights Fees in England at that time But the King having an intent to break more Oaths and knowing that now it would not so easily be done makes a Voyage over Sea to conclude a peace with France that he might not be interrupted in the game he ment to play at home having dispatched Messengers secretly to Rome for absolution of his Oath and to Scotland for aydes to be ready upon occasion When he had concluded with the King of France having made an absolute resignation of the Dutchy of Normandy the Earldoms of Anjou Poictou Tourenne and Main upon the receipt of 300000 Crowns and a Grant to enjoy what he had in Guien Xantongue c. doing homage and fealty to the Crown of France He returns and comes to London where he presently fortifies the Tower caused the Gates of the City to be Warded and then to pick a quarrel commands the Lords to come to a Parliament to be holden in the Tower which they refusing as he knew they would he takes an Oath of all above 12 years of age in London to be true to Him and His Heirs and sets armed men to defend the City Gates For fear sure the Parliament should have come in and so spoyled the design For neither Henry or any of our former Kings were ever so daring as to contest with a Parliament in the field or set up their standards against it but were alwayes forced to grant its demands or quietly sit down without having their own turne served when the Parliament was willing to dissolve And now Henry being provided for the work causes the Popes Bull purchased for absolving himself and all others sworn to maintain the Statutes of Oxford to be read publickly at Pauls-Crosse and makes Proclamation that all should be proceeded against as Enemies to his Crown and Royal dignity who should disobey the absolution and such was the blindnesse and slavery of many in those times that one Bull begot thousands of Calves in an instant and yet it seems veal was never the cheaper for his Son the Prince was forced to rob the Treasury at the New Temple to buy him
Provision every one refusing to lend him or the King a groat so great credit had their perfidie got them Many being clapt up in prison who would not be perjured the Lords and others whose consciences were more tender both of their Oath and Liberties than to believe the Pope or trust the King assemble together in arms for defence of themselves and their liberties and first they send to the King humbly beseeching him to remember his many Oathes and promises but when that would not availe them they advance towards London where the King lay in the Tower waiting the gathering of his forces and the comming over of strangers which he expected and now the Bishops who as they were seldom in any good so would be sure to be cheif in every bad action make such a stir to prevent bloudshed forsooth of which their tendernesse hath alwaies been well enough knowne that the controversy must be referred to the French King to decide much honour got England and much liberty was like to get by such an Arbitratour while she is forced to creep to forraigners to know whether they will please to let her enjoy liberty or no after 47 years oppression under Henry besides what his good Father and Grandsiers had loaded her with But the Lords being perswaded that their Liberties and Rights depended not upon the will of any one Man refused to stand to the partiall award of the French in the English Tyrants behalfe Thus concluded this business as all others commonly did which Bishops had a foot inâ—â— with a mischief to the Common-wealth the King gaining by it not only time for raising but a seeming justice for his using of Forces to compell the Lords to stand to the sentence by which their liberties were adjudged from them No doubt those wise and generous Barons not only disliked but disdained such an Vmpire as being sensible of the advantages Henry of the dishonour their Countrey and of the discommodity their cause would reap by him but that those Fathers in evill under the angelical shape of peace-makers necessitated them to accept of him to avoid the obloquy of being Incendiaries the involvers of their Country in a miserable civill war Let the English High Priests then to their eternall infamy carry a frontlet engraven with Mischeif to England on their foreheads who were the fatall instruments of enforcing their Country to submit her liberty to a forraigne Tyrants decision whose corrupt interest lay in adding fewell to the flames which consumed the Noblest Fabricks the uprightest and firmest pillars in the English Nation Yet that Henry might make a little better market for himselfe he Summons a Parliament at Westminster where whilst openly nothing but redressing grievances composing differences exclaiming against jealousies raised to scandalise the King good man as if he intended to leavy War against his people by factious spirits proceeds from Henry he underhand prepares for War endeavouring to divide the Barons and strengthen himself by all the plots and clandestine tricks he could at last having by sprinkling Court holy-water and promising fifty pound Lands per annum to such as would desert the Lords party drawn divers to revolt unto him he secretly withdraws from Westminster to Windsor and from thence to Oxford so on traversing the Country to patch up and peece together an Army And here we may see it was no new thing which was acted by his late successor who in al his actions made it appeare that he was a right chip of the old block Now pretences of the Barons insolencies against the King and oppressions of the Subjects Declarations of his being forced to take up arms for defence of the just Lawes and Liberties of the people and his own safety with protestations of his good intentions and divers other such knacks are every where on the wing as we have had flying up and down at the tayss of the Royall paper Kites of our times The Lords being thus left in the lurch are not wanting in preparing for defence being unanimously backt by the citizens of London who have hitherto had the honour of bravely standing for Liberty yet first they send to the King putting him in mind of his oathes and promises and desiring him to observe the great Charter and Oxford Statutes but the Drums and Trumpets make such musick in his ears that Henry will heare no talk of any Law but what his will and Sword shall give and for their good Counsell returnes them as tokens of his love the title of Rebels and Traytors which he as frankly bestows on their persons as he doth their Lands on his followers By these course Complements the Lords perceiving which way the game was like to go leave off putting their confidence in the King and trust their cause to God and their good Swords then choosing the Earls of Leicester and Glocester for their Generalls whose hands no manacle of alliance could lock from defending their Countries Liberties though the first had married the Sister the second the Neece of the King they take the Feild may Towns are taken by each party and many skirmishes passe wherein sometimes the one party sometimes the other get the better at length divers Scotch Lords and others with great forces being joyned to the King he marches against Northampton where he heard Peter Montford was assembling forces for the Barons the Town was very resolutely defended untill by the Treachery of some Monks within say some by the subtilty of the Kings Forces say others who advancing close under the Wall undermined it whilst the Captains within parlying with the King on the other side a breach was made so large that forty Horse might enter a brest by which Henry gained it by assault This Town being taken ran the same fortune Leicester lately did for Henry drunk with successe and rage like a violent Torrent swept all before him killing burning and spoiling where ever his Army came but here so unmanly was the cruelty of the Tyrant that he would have hanged all the Oxford Schollers a band of which were in the Town for their valour shewed in the brave resistance of his forces had not some of his Counsellers perswaded him from so doing for feare the only curb to an ignoble soule of exasperating their freinds against him by his cruelty many of the Schollers being young Gentlemen of good quality Here by the way we may observe the miserable effects of bad Governours in the Vniversities by whom such degeneratenesse was wrought in our youth that none in our times were found more desperate engagers against the cause of Liberty than young Schollers who heretofore were the most resolute Champions for it Let us therefore make no sinister constructions when we see our Governours diligent in purging the fountaines if we desire to have the streams run cleere But Northampton put a period to Henries fortune for although he caused the Barous to raise their siedge from Rochester yet in the
may observe that clause in the Coronation Oath to maintaine the rights and privileges of Holy Church to be indispensahle in former times as well as these latter wherein conscience was onely made of preserving Episcopacy Thus one part of the Oath was not to be violated upon pain of the highest censures all the rest but a mere formality and we poor Lay-slaves not to question our Kings doings but in a blind and brutish obedience perform all their commands just or unjust good or wicked our Clergy Impostures making the Pulpits ring with to obey is better than sacrifice for Rebellion is as the sinne of VVitchcraft c. Sacred writ being wrack'd to torment us and the Scriptures perverted to subvert our Liberties and notwithstanding the Cheat was so palpable the peoples understandings were lost in the Fogge which these Gipsy Magicians raised by their Charmes Behold then the reason of Episcopacies being so sacred and divine in the judgment of Kings who were so devoted to Tyranny that they ventured all to maintain it 3. The Nobility were made the Whifflers to make roome for the Monarchicall Masquers and although many of these were so generous that they disdained to be slaves and so potent and valiant that they regained their fredoms and brought the Tyrants on their knees yet so ambitious and envious were the most of them that they were easily divided and made to ruine one another every one chosing rather to be a slave to a Tyrant than be equall'd by his fellow and gaping for advancement over the rest by his obsequiousness to his great master thus by envy and Court preferment being bewitch'd they still undid what they had well done and made the peoples taking up of arms for Liberty the step to their own preferment betraying them to curry favour with their oppressor Thus were the people still betrayed by their Leaders and so disabled and disheartned for the future to claim their rights by the present losse and expence of bloud and treasure and those who faithfully stood by them severely prosecuted and murdered when the Tyrants though vanquished still escaped upon swearing a little amendment and were set up again to take revenge upon the peoples and to reward and preferre their own partakers Thus were good patriots dishearnted and deprest whilst that the Imps of Tyranny were emboldened and set aloft to the utter ruine of Englands Freedom Lastly when it was apparent that the noble and free spirits of the English could never be so deprest but that still they would up again and so might at last in spite of all opposers break the yoke with the noise of Parliaments and Charters Kings often stilled the Peoples cries when indeed the former were so stuffed with a King Lords and Prelats that the peoples Representatives sate for little more than cyphers to make up thousands and ten thousands when the others pleased to set the figure before them and the latter were of little or no use to the People who received no benefit by them but stood Kings in great stead helping them to Millions when all other shifts fayled to get money And now these things premised I appeal to the judgment of all rationall creatures whether it be not so perspicuous that the dimmest eye on this side blindnesse not winking our of design must perceive 1. That continuall claim hath been made by the English to their rights and Liberties so that in point of Law no pretentended succession continued by force fraud and perjury can be a just plea to barre us of our inheritance our Native Freedome which we have now gained possession of the most high and just judge having given sentence for us upon our appeal and of his free grace enabled us to enter in despight of those who so long kept possession against our Ancestors 2. That it would be the highest imprudencie if not folly and madnesse in us for the future to trust the most promising and insinuating Princes with our liberties and priviledges which can be no longer expected to be preserved by them than they may serve as footwools to advance them in the Throne of absolute Tyranny 3. That the whole frame of just Government hath been dissolved by our Norman Lords who have made their own proud wills the rules and their own greatnesse and absolutenesse the end of their Government Sic volo sic jubeo was Lex terrae I mean the Law which was onely in practice and if this be not tyranny let our Royalists enquire of Lipsius no small Champion of Monarchy who makes not the grandeur of the Court but the Good of the Common-wealth the mark that Princes are set up to aim at neque enim principatus ipse finis est absit aut altitudoilla splendor sed populi hoâ—um it is not the greatnesse and lustre of the Prince but the good of the people that is the end of Principality and that eloquent Panegyrist in his Oration in the Romane Senate shews that the Empereall dignity consisted not in sound or shew for saith he though we adorned our Emperours with majesty and pomp yet is there farre more due from them to us the authours and granters of their power as to take care of the Common-wealth and setting aside self interest to intend the good of the people c. neque enim specie tenus as nomine fortuna Imperii consideranda est sunt trabeae fasces stipatio fulgur quicquid aliud huic dignitati adstruximus sed longè majora sunt qua vicissim nobis auctoribus fautoribusque potentiae debent admittere in animum totius Reipublicae curam oblitum quodammodo sui Geniibus vivere c. Yet thus to have taught his duty and the peoples soveraigne power had been little lesse than treason with one of our Monarchs which a Romane Emperour disdained not to hear in the open Senate though he was accounted a more absolute Lord by farre than one of our Kings and we were entitled to more liberty than the Romans But to conclude so great corruption hath invaded Monarchy in generall and so universally is it fallen from its primitive purity that it is most evident its fate is not farre off quin ruet sua mole and will be buried in its own rubbish for there are Symptomes by which the dissolution of politick bodies may be guess'd at as well as naturall and too much surfetting will bring both into the dust And let us omit the tyrannies murders and idolatries and take a view but of the perfidies and perjuries the main pieces of King craft by which Monarchs have carried on their Designs a long while in the world and we may without a spirit of prophecy foretell what is likely to befall Royall families even by the light of nature and a common observation of providence for a very heathen Poet tells us {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} That though God may for a while deferre his Iudgement against the violator of his oath and promise yet hâ—mself wife and children shall dearly pay for it at last an oraculous truth and confirmed in our eyes and which may deterre all of us who are on this side sorcery or obduration from during tâ— engage against heaven and oppose the Almighty in the execution of Iustice upon an offending family by which we shall onely draw down vengeance upon our own heads to the eternall confusion of both souls and bodies for great is Iehovah and onely to be feared and there is none can deliver out of his hand FINIS 3. Yeare 4. Year 8. Year IX Yeare 10. Year 11. Year 13. Year 14. Year 15. Year 16. Year 19 Year 20. Year 21. Year 22. Year 23. Year 24. Year 29. Year 27. Year 29. Year 30. Year 31. Year 32. Year 33. Year 35 36. Year 37. Year 39. Year 40. Year 41. Year 42. Year 43. Year 44. Year 45. Year 46. Year 47. Year 49 Year 49. Year 50. Year 51. Year 52. Year