pounds subsidies due to the late Queen besides what the Parliament had given him And fearing that Proclamations who were indeed very active Ministers would now become Laws ushering in the Kings will with large strides upon the peoples Liberties who lay down while they stept over them The ingenious sort sensible of this incroaching Monarchy brake out into private murmur which by degrees being of a light nature carried a Cloud with it by which the wise Pilots of the State foreseeing a Storm gathering strive to dissipate it the next Session of Parliament which was held the nineteenth of February in the seventh year of our Kings Reign Thomas Sackville Earl of Dorset Not long after this the Earl of Dorset Lord High Treasurer died suddenly as he sate at the Council Table which gave occasion to some persons disaffected to him as what eminent Officer that hath the managing of Moneys can please all to speak many things to his Dishonour But they considered not that besides the Black worm and the White day and night as the Riddle is that are gnawing constantly at the root of this tree of Life there are many insensible Diseases as Apoplexies whose Vapors suddenly extinguish the Animal Spirits and Apostems both in the upper and middle Region of Man that often drown and suffocate both Animal and Vital who are like imbodyed Twins the one cannot live without the other if the Animal Spirits fail the Vital cannot subsist if the Vitals perish the Animal give over their operations And He that judges ill of such an Act of Providence may have the same hand at the same time writing within the Palace walls of his own Body the same Period to his Lives earthly Empire The Earl of Salisbury succeeded him a man nourished with the milk of Policy under his father the Lord Burley famous for Wisdom in his Generation a Courtier from his infancy Batteld by Art and Industry under the late Queen mother of her Country Though Nature was not propitious to his Outside being Crooked backt She supplied that want with admirable indowments within This man the King found Secretary and Master of the Wards and to these he added the Treasurers staff knowing him to be the staff of his Treasury For he had knowledg enough to pry into other Mens Offices aswell as his own and knew the ways of disbursing the Kings moneys The Earl of Northhampton he made Lord Privy Seal and these were the two prime wheels of his triumphant Chariot The Earl of Suffolk was made Lord Chamberlain before but he came far behind in the management of the Kings affairs being a Spirit of a more Grosser Temper fitter to part a fray and Compose the differences of a disordered Court than a Kingdom Upon the Shoulders of the two first the King laid the Burthen of his business For though he had many Lords his Creatures some by Creation and some by insinuation for Kings will never want supple-hand Courtiers and the Bishops being his Dependents the most of them tending by direct Lines towards him as the Center of their advancement so that He like the Supreme Power moved this upper Region for the most part and that had an influence upon the lower in inferior Orbs yet these two noble Men were the two great Lights that were to discover the Kings mind to the Parliament and by whose Heat and Vigor the blessed fruits of Peace and Plenty should be produced The Lord Treasurer by a Command from the King instructs both Houses in their business and what they shall do well to insist upon this Session First To supply his Majesties wants Secondly To ease the people of their Grievances They go commonly yoakt together for the peoples Grievances are the Kings Wants and the Kings Wants are the peoples Grievances How can they be separated If the King will always want the people will always suffer For Kings when they do want lay commonly lawless impositions on the people which they must take off again with a sum of money and then they want again to a continued vicissitude These two Propositions are sweetned by him with a third Which is to make the Parliament witnesses of those great favours and honours that his Majesty intended his Royal Son Prince Henry in creating him Prince of Wales Which though the King might do without a Parliament and that divers Kings his Predecessors had done so as by many precedents was manifested yet being desirous to have a happy Vnion betwixt him and his People he would have nothing resound ill in their ears from so eminent an instrument to the Kingdoms good as his Son Then they excuse the Kings necessities proceeding from his great disbursements For the three hundred and fifty thousand pounds Subsidies due in the late Queens time he received with one hand and paid her Debts with another redeeming the Crown Lands which she had morgaged to the City He kept an Army of nineteen thousand men in Ireland for some time a foot wherein a great many of the Nobility were Commanders and other deserving Soldiers that would have been exposed to want and penury if not supplied And it was not safe for the King to trust the inveterate malice of a new reconciled Enemy without the Sword in his hand The late Queens Funeral Charges were reckon'd up which they hoped the Parliament would not repine at Nor was it fit the King should come in as a private Person bringing in one Crown on his head and finding another here or his Royal Consort with our future Hopes like so many precious Ienels exposed to Robbers without a Guard and Retinue How fit was the Magnificence at the King of Denmarks being here And how just that Ambassadors from Foreign Princes more than ever this Crown received should find those Entertainments and Gratuities the want whereof would put a dim lustre abroad upon the most sparkling Jewels of the Crown Besides the necessary Charge of sending Ambassadors to others being concurrent and mutual Civilities among Princes That these are the causes of the Kings wants and not his irregular Bounty though a magnificent mind is inseparable from the Majesty of a King If he did not give his subjects and servants would live in a miserable Climate And for his Bounty to those that were not born among us it must be remembred he was born among them and not to have them taste of the blessing he hath attained were to have him change his Vertue with his Fortune Therefore they desire the Kings wants may be supplied a thing easie to be granted and not to be valued by Wise-men nor spoken of without contempt Philosophy saith that all Riches are but food and rayment the rest is nugatorium quiddam And that it is but purior pars terrae and therefore but crassior pars aquae a thing unworthy the denial to such a King who is not only the wisest of Kings but the very Image of an Angel that hath brought good
Doublet was Cloth of Gold imbroidered so thick that it could not be discerned and a white Beaver-hat suitable Brim-full of imbroidery both above and below This is presented as an Essay for one of the meanest he wore so that if this Relation should last longer than his old cloaths the Reader might well think it a Romance favouring rather of Fancy than Reality But this kind of Vanity had been long active in England For the last Parliament it was moved by some well-affected to Reformation of the Abuses of excess in Apparel that there might be a Regulation of this kind of Gallantry to the distinguishing of men one from another For it was said some of means Fortunes wore Garments fitter for Princes than Subjects and many Gentry of antient descent had wasted and impoverished themselves and their Posterities with this extravagancy so that it was very requisite to give some stop to this redundant humor To which was answered That if those of mean Fortunes went so richly attired and came not honestly by their ornaments they would be quickly found out and there were good Laws enough for such Transgressors But as there is no perpetuity of Being on Earth so there is a continual vicissitude and revolution in all sublunary things some are advanced and some decline God pulleth down one and setteth up another If any Noble or antiently descended Family will be so mad and foolish to beggar themselves and their Posterities with this or any other excess 't is very probable that some man of more wisdom and merit will injoy that which the other hath so idlely and prodigally mispent for to set such limitations will damp the spirits of Industry So the motion was declined But to return to the Lord Hayes Thus accoutred and accomplished he went into France and a day for Audience being prefixed all the argument and dispute betwixt him and his gallant Train which took up some time was how they should go to the Court Coaches like Curtains would eclipse their splendor riding on horsback in Boots would make them look like Travellers not Courtiers and not having all Foot-cloaths it would be an unsuitable mixture Those that brought rich trappings for their Horses were willing to have them seen so it was concluded for the Foot-cloth and those that have none to their bitter cost must furnish themselves This preparation begot expectation and that filled all the Windows Balcones and Streets of Paris as they passed with a multitude of Spectators Six Trumpeters and two Marshals in Tawny Velvet Liveries compleatly Suited laced all over with Gold richly and closely laid led the way the Ambassador followed with a great Train of Pages and Footmen in the same rich Livery incircling his Horse and the rest of his Retinue according to their Qualities and Degrees in as much bravery as they could devise or procure followed in couples to the wonderment of the beholders And some said how truly I cannot assert the Ambassadors Horse was shod with Silver-shooes lightly tackt on and when he came to a place where Persons or Beauties of eminency were his very Horse prancing and curveting in humble reverence flung his shooes away which the greedy understanders scrambled for and he was content to be gazed on and admired till a Farrier or rather the Argentier in one of his rich Liveries among his train of Footmen out of a Tawny Velvet bag took others and tackt them on which lasted till he came to the next troop of Grandies And thus with much ado he reached the Louure All Complements and outward Ceremonies of State being performed the Lord Ambassador made his business known by more private addresses which in appearance was well resented but indeed not intended and came to no effect For the Duke of Savoy had anticipated the young Ladies affection for the Prince of Pâ—emont his Son The Savoyan Agents bringing more Gold in their hands than on their backs had so smoothed the way that not only those about the Princess but the great ones themselves were made workers for him After the Ambassador had been feasted magnificently with all his gallant Train in several places to shew the Grandure of France he came over into England and practised it here making many times upon several occasions such stupendious Feasts and heaped Banquets as if all the Creatures had contributed to his excess I know not what limits or bounds are set to the glories of Princes Courts or Nobles minds We see the Sea it self and all his tributary Rivers do ebb and flow but if they swell so high to overflow that Bank that Reason hath prescribed to keep them in what Inundations of sad mischief follow Experience shews CHRISTINE DE FRANCE DVCHESSE DE SAVOYE Balt. Moncornet ex CAROLVS EMANVEL DVC DE SAVOYE ET PRINCE DE PIEDMONT Therefore to humble him more he is brought on his knees at the Council Table and three other Ingredients added to the Dose of a more active operation First He is charged That when he was the Kings Attorney in the beginning of his Reign he concealed a Statute of twelve thousand pounds due to the King from the late Lord Chancellor Hatton wherein he deceived the trust reposed in him Secondly That he uttered words of very high contempt as he sate in the seat of Iustice saying the Common Law of England would be overthrown and the light of it obscured reflecting upon the King And thirdly His uncivil and indiscreet carriage before His Majesty being assisted by his Privy Council and Judges in the Case of Commendams The last he contest and humbly craved his Majesties Pardon The other two he palliated with some colourable excuses which were not so well set off but they left such a tincture behind that he was commanded to a private life And to expiate the Kings anger he was injoyned in that leisurely retirement to review his Books of Reports which the King was informed had many extravagant opinions published for positive and good Law which must be corrected and brought to his Majesty to be perused But the Title of the Books wherein he stiles himself Lord Chief Iustice of England was to be expunged being but Lord Chief Iustice of the Kings Bench. And at his departure from the Council Table where he humbly acknowledged his Majesties mercy and their Lordships justice the Lord Treasurer gave him a wipe for suffering his Coachman to ride bare before him in the streets which fault he strove to cover by telling his Lordship his Coachman did it for his own ease But not long after the Lord Treasurer came under his lash in the Star-Chamber and he requited him for it Vera Effigies Viri clariss EDOARDI COKE Equitis aurati nuper Capitalis Iusticiarij ad Placita coram Rege tenenda assignati R White sculpsit Truly he was a Man of excellent parts but not without his frailties for as he was a Storehouse and Magazine of the Common Law for the present times
in the largeness of the extent thereof as we hope beyond your Majesties intention might involve those things which are the proper Subjects of Parliamentary occasions and discourse And where as your Majesty doth seem to abridge us of the ancient liberty of Parliament for freedom of Speech Jurisdiction and just Censure of the House and other proceedings there wherein we trust in God we shall never transgress the bounds of loyal and dutiful Subjects a liberty which we assure our selves so wise and so just a King will not infringe the same being our ancient and undoubted right and an inheritance received from our Ancestors without which we cannot freely debate nor clearly discern of things in Question before us nor truly inform your Majesty in which we have been confirmed by your Majesties most gracious former Speeches and Messages We are therefore now again inforced in all humbleness to pray your Majesty to allow the same and thereby to take away the doubts and scruples your Majesties late Letter to your Speaker hath brought upon us So shall we your Loyal and loving Subjects ever acknowledge your Majesties justice grace and goodness and be ready to perform that service to your Majesty which in the true affection of our hearts we prosess and powre out our dayly and devout prayers to the Almighty for your Majesties long life happy and religious Reign and prosperous Estate and for your Royal posterity after you for ever The Parliament thought it strange that the King in a Recess should call them together before the appointed time of meeting pretending Emergent occasions and by his Ministers of State persuade and incite to a War and when in obedience to this command they shall proceed in their advice only to prevent the dangers abroad and establish security at home they shall be accounted presumptuous and insolent But by this they discover and which the King plainly expresses in his Answer that he required none of their advice he wanted only their money if they had furnished him with that instead of Counsel it would have been a golden Remonstrance They are to be his Bank his Merchants he needs no other directions let them find money he knows how to dispose of it This was the great fault which this Petition strives to mitigate accompanied with the Remonstrance it self and the Petition against Recusancy for both which it was an intercessor but it could not with all its Humility procure acceptance for its Companions though sent by twelve select Members of the House and the leading man Sir Richard Weston who was really the King's chosen by the Commons to make their Petitions the more acceptable And the House finding it a great discouragement to them to proceed in any business when there was so great a distance betwixt the King and them the King thinking their actions an intrenchment upon his Prerogative and they thinking the King's expressions an infringement of their Liberties they resolved to give over all business till they had an Answer of their Petitions for they thought they had as good do nothing as have that they do undone again Which the King hearing of was vexed at the heart and entertained their Messengers very roughly and some say he called for twelve Chaire's for them saying Here are twelve Kings come to me But after he had considered their desires in their last Petition rejecting the others he returns them this answer to all WE must here begin in the same fashion that we would have done if your first Petition had come to our Hands before we had made a stay thereof which is to repeat the first words of the late Queen of famous memory used by her in answer to an insolent Proposition made by a Polonian Embassadonâ— unto her that is Legatum expectabamus Heraldum accipimus For we had great reason to expect that the first Message from your House should have been a Message of thanksgiving for Our continued gratious behaviour towards our People since your last Recess Not only by our Proclamation of Grace wherein were contained six or seven and thirty Articles all of several points of Grace to the people but also by the labour we took for the satisfaction of both Houses in those three Articles recommended unto Us in both their names by the right Reverend Father in God the Archbishop of Canterbury and likewise for the good Government of Ireland we are now in hand with at your request But not only have We heard no news of all this but contrary great complains of the Danger of Religion within this Kingdom tacitly implying Our ill Government in this point And we leave you to judge whether it be your Duties that are the Representative Body of Our People so to distate them with Our Government whereas by the contrary it is your Duty with all your indeavours to kindle more and more a dutiful and thankful Love in the peoples hearts towards us for our just and gracious Government Now whereas in the very beginning of this your Apology you tax Us in fair terms of trusting uncertain Reports and partial informations concerning your Proceedings We wish you to remember that we are an old and experienced King needing no such lessons being in our conscience freest of any King alive from hearing or trusting idle Reports which so many of your House as are nearest Us can bear witness unto you if you would give as good ear to them as you do to some Tribunitial Orators among you And for proof in this particular We have made your own Messengers confer your other Petitions sent by you with the Copy thereof which was sent Us before between which there is no difference at all but that since our receiving the first Copy you added a Conclusion unto it which could not come to our hands till it was done by you and your Messengers sent which was all at one time And if we had had no Copy of it before hand we must have received your first Petition to our great dishonour before we had known what it contained which would have inforced us to have returned you a far worse answer than now we do For then your Messengers had returned with nothing but that We have judged your Petition unlawful and unworthy of an answer For as to your Conclusion thereof it is nothing but Protestatio contraria facto for in the body of your Petition you usurp upon Our Prerogative Royal and meddle with things far above your reach and then in the Conclusion you protest the contrary as if a Robber would take a mans purse and then protest he meant not to rob him For first you presume to give Us your advice concerning the Match of Our dearest Son with some Protestant we cannot say Princess for we know none of these fit for him and dissuade us from his Match with Spain urging us to a present War with that King and yet in the conclusion forsooth ye protest ye intend not to
good Gardiners you pluck up the weeds that will choak your labours and the greatest weeds among you are jealousies root them out for my Actions I dare avow them before God but jealousies are of a strange depth I am the husband and you the wife and it is subject to the wife to be jealous of her husband Let this be far from you It hath been talked of my remisness in maintainance of Religion and suspicion of a toleration but as God shall judge me I never thought nor meant or ever in word expressed any thing that savored of it It is true that at times best known to my self I did not so fully put those lawes in execution but did wink and Connive at some things which might have hindred more weighty Affaires But I never in all my Treaties agreed to any thing to the overthrow or disagreeing of those Lawes But in all I had a chief regard to the preservation of that Truth which I have ever professed And in that respect as I have a Charitable conceit of you I would have you have the like of me also in which I did not transgress For it is a good Horseman's part not alwayes to use the Spur nor keep streight the Reign but sometimes to use the Spur and sometimes to suffer the Reign more remiss So it is the part of a Wise King and my Age and experience have informed me sometimes to quicken the Laws with strict Execution and at other times upon just Occasion to be more remiss And I would also remove from your thoughts all jealousies that I might or ever did question or infringe any of your lawful liberties or privileges But I protest before God I ever intended you should injoy the fulness of all those that from antient times give good Warrant and Testimony of which if need be I will inlarge and amplifie Therefore I would have you as I have in this place heretofore told you as Saint Paul did Timothy avoid Genealogies and curious questions and quirks and jerks of Law and idle innovations and if you minister me no just Occasion I never yet was nor ever will be curious or captious to quarrel with you But I desire you to avoid all doubts and hindrances and to compose your selves speedily and quietly to this weighty affair Carry your selves modestly and my Prayers shall be to God for you and my love shall be alwayes with you that a happy Conclusion may attend this Parliament God is my Judge I speak it as a Christian King never any way faring Man in the burning drie and sandy Desarts more thirsted for water to quench his thirst than I thirst and long for the happy success of this Parliament that the good issue of this may expiate and aâ—quit the fruitless issue of the former And I pray God your Counsels may advance Religion the publick weal and the good of me and my Children When the King had thus ended the Lord Keeper Williams Bishop of Lincoln and Speaker to the House of Peers who uses always to make the King's mind further known if there because told the Parliament That after the Eloquent speech of his Majesty he would not say anything for as one of the Spartan Kings being asked whether he would not willingly hear a man that counterfeited the voice of the Nightingale to the life made answer He had heard the Nightingale So for him to repeat or rehearse what the King had said was according to the Latine Proverb to enamel a Golden Ring with studs of iron He doubted not but that the King's Speech had like Aeschines Orations left in their minds a sting And as an Historian said of Nerva that having adopted Trajan he was immediately taken away Nepost divinum et immortale factum aliquid mortale faceret So he would not dare after his Majesties Divinum et immortale dictum mortale aliquid addere HONORATISS et REUERENDISS Dê° IOHANES WILIAMES EPISC. LINC et MAG SIGILL ANG 〈◊〉 The right Honourable and right-reverend father in god Iohn Lorde Bishop of Lincolne Lord keeper of the greate Seale of England and one of his Ma.ties most hon ble princes Counsell But the Parliament though they knew there was an intention of a Toleration of Popery upon the close of the Spanish match sealed up as it were their lips and would not see the light that discovered it self through this cloud that the King cast before it though some of the Commons had much ado to hold which he takes notice of at the next Interview and thanks them for but they went on directly to his Business making it their own forgetting all former miscarriages And upon the 24. of this moneth the Duke of Buckingham accompanied with the Prince as his Remembrancer made a long Relation of all the transactions in Spain to both Houses with all the advantage he could to make good his own Actions some of the Particulars whereof are already related And he took the first Discovery of the intention of the King of Spain not to deal fairly with Our King touching the Restitution of the Palatinate from the Arch-dutchess jugling in the Treaty at Bruxels which was managed by Sir Richard Weston our King's Ambassadour there who urged for a Cessation of Armes in the Palatinate the Arch-Dutchess pretending Power to draw off the Spanish Forces if Our King would first draw off his it came to an Agreement but in the close after some Delayes she confessed she had no Power to admit of a Cessation till she had more particular warrant for it out of Spain That these shufflings made Our King send Porter into Spain for a more resolute answer in relation to the Match and the Palatinate and assigned him but ten dayes to stay there In which time Bristol fed him with Hopes which he found very Empty ones whereupon Porter went boldly to Olivares who in an open-hearted way told him plainly that Spain meant neither the Match nor Restitution of the Palatinate Bristol seeing Porter would return with this answer persuaded him to speak with Olivares again who coming to Olivares found him much incensed for relating the private intimation he gave him to Bristol the Publick minister and denyed to speak with Porter anymore Bristol still puffs up Our King with an assurance both of the Match and restitution of the Palatinate but they proceeding slowly the Prince desired that he might go himself into Spain which Buckingham first broke to the King who with Reasons laid down for it was drawn to it When the Prince came there the Match at first was absolutely denied unless he would be converted which Bristol perswaded the Prince unto at least in shew to expedite his Business Then the Spanish Ministers urged for a Toleration of Religion in England which they hoped as some of them expressed would cause a Rebellion and they offered the Prince an Army to Assist him for the Suppression of the same But the Prince finding the Spanish did
put by her Government to say nothing of Prince Henry but the violence of it did not work because the Operation was somewhat mitigated by the Duke's Protestation of his Innocency For the King at the next Interview saying to him Ah Stenny Stenny which was the Familiar name he alwayes used to him Wilt thou kill me The Duke struck into an Astonishment with the Expression after some little Pause collected himself and with many asseverations strove to justify his Integrity which the good King was willing enough to Believe and Buckingham finding by some discourse that Padre Macestria the Spanish Iesuit had been with the King he had then a large Theme for his Vindication turning all upon the Spanish Iesuitical Malice which proceeded from the ruins of their quashed Hopes And the King knowing Inoiosa and all that Party very bitter against Buckingham and though he did not directly accuse the Prince to be in the Conspiracy with Buckingham yet he reflected upon him for such an attempt could never have been effected without his Privity therefore out of the Bowels of good Nature he did unbelieve it and after Examinations of some Persons the Duke's Intimates and their constant denyal upon oath which they had no good Cause to confess the King was content being loth to think such an Enterprize could be fostred so neer his own Bosom to have the Brat strangled in the Womb. And he presently sent into Spain to desire Iustice of that King against the Ambassadours false Accusation which he said wounded his Son's Honour through Buckingham's side which Sir Walter Aston represented to the King of Spain for Bristol was coming over to justifie his Actions to the Parliament But the Duke of Buckinghams reputation there procured no other Satisfaction than some little check of formality for when Inoiosa was recalled home he was not lessen'd in esteem Thus was this Information waved though there might be some cause to suspect that the great intimacy and Dearness betwixt the Prince and Duke like the conjunction of two dreadful planets could not but portend the production of some very dangerous effect to the old King But the Duke's Reputation though it failed in Spain held firm footing in England for Bristol no sooner appeared but he is clapt up in the Tower Their jugling practices whereof they were Both guilty enough must not yet come to light to disturb the Proceedings in Parliament Bristol had too much of the King's Commission for what he did though he might overshoot himself in what he said which was not now to be discovered Yet the Rigor of that imprisonment would have sounded too loud if he had not had a suddain Release who finding the Duke high mounted yet in power and himself in no Degree to grapple with him was content with Submission to gain his liberty and retire himself to a Country privacy The Lords being now at leisure began to consider of that stinging petition as the King called it against Papists how necessary it was to joyn with the Commons to supplicate the King to take down the pride of their high-flying Hopes that had been long upon the Wing watching for their prey and now they are made to stoop without it And after some Conferences betwixt both Houses about it the Petition was reduced to these two Propositions and presented to the King as two Petitions We your Majestie 's most humble and loyal Subjects the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament do in all humbleness offer unto your Sacred Majesty these two Petitions following 1. That for the more safety of your Realms and better keeping your Subjects in Obedience and other important Reasons of State your Majesty would be pleased by some such course as you shall think fit to give present Order that all the Laws be put in due execution which have been made and do stand in force against Jesuits Seminary Priests and others having taken Orders by authority derived from the See of Rome and generally against all Popish Recusants And as for disarming that it may be according to the Laws and according to former Acts and Directions of State in that Case And yet that it may appear to all the World the Favour and Clemency your Majesty useth towards all your Subjects of what Condition soever And to the intent the Jesuits and Priests now in the Realm may not pretend to be surprized that a speedy and certain may be prefixed by your Majesties Proclamation before which day they shall depart out of this Kingdom and all other your Highness Dominions and neither they nor any other to return or come hither again upon peril of the severest Penalties of the Laws now in force against them And that all your Majesties Subjects may thereby also be admonished not to receive entertain or conceal any of them upon the Penalties and Forfeitures which by the Laws may be imposed on them 2. Seeing We are thus happily delivered from that danger which those Treaties now dissolved and that use which your ill-affected Subjects made thereof would certainly have drawn upon us and yet cannot but foresee and fear lest the like may hereafter happen which would inevitably bring much peril upon your Majesties Kingdoms We are most humble Suters unto your Gracious Majesty to secure the Hearts of your good Subjects by the ingagement of your Royal Word unto them that upon no occasion of Marriage or Treaty or other request in that behalf from any forein Prince or State whatsoever you will take away or slacken the Execution of your Laws against Jesuits Priests and Popish Recusants To which Our humble Petitions proceeding from Our most Loyal and Dutiful affections towards your Majesty Our Care of Our Countries good and our own confident persuasion that these will much advance the Glory of Almighty God the everlasting Honour of your Majesty the Safety of your Kingdoms and the incouragement of all your good Subjects We do most humbly beseech your Majesty to vouchsafe a gracious Answer The King was prepared for the Petition having given his own Resolution the Check at present that whatsoever he might do hereafter yet now he would comply and therefore he sends for both Houses to Whitehall to sweeten them with a gentle answer to this Petition that might take off those sour aspersions that this miscarriage in Government might happily cast upon him And we will not say but his intentions might rove towards the End though he gave too much liberty through a Natural easiness in himself to those that He trusted with Management of the great affairs by evil means to pervert that end which made him guilty of their Actions For where true Piety is not the Director Carelesness as often as Wilfulness carries men out of the way But he had this Principle and made often use of it like ill Tenants when they let things run to ruin to daub all up again when forced to it and find no other Remedy This was the effect of
POTENTISS IACOBVS DG MAGNAE BRITAN GALLIAE ET HIBERN REX FIDEI DEFENSOR BEATI PACIFICI HONY SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE THe right high and most mightie Monarch IAMES by the Grace of God King of great Britaine Fraunce and Ireland Defendor of the Faith THE HISTORY OF Great Britain BEING THE LIFE AND REIGN OF King JAMES THE FIRST RELATING To what passed from his first Access to the Crown till his Death By ARTHUR WILSON Esq. LONDON Printed for Richard Lownds and are to be sold at the Sign of the White Lion near Saint Paul's little North-door 1653. THE PROEME I Am not ignorant or insensible from what Precipice and into what Gulf I am falling not like one in a Dream who starts at the horrour of the Object which his own imagination creates But deeply affected with those serious and real impressions which Time and Experience the two great Luminaries of Reason have fixt upon me Methinks I see the various cloudy and sad distorted Fancies of these Times that flutter up and down betwixt the Twi-light of Ignorance and Self-conceitedness bandy themselves against this Work led on by Prejudice which they muster up and gather together haply from the dross of those Fragments or vapours of Story that like crude and undigested Matter have something tainted that precious Order which Truth the Commandress of the Soul loves to appear and be admired in Making it a Crime even to name Kings as if from that Name nothing could result but such dreadful Apparitions as would blast and throw an odious tincture upon them to the defacing and besmearing of Virtue and Innocence when these will sit Triumphing upon a Throne in despight of Envy pleading their own Cause the Beams of that Majesty being too bright and splendid to be overcast with the Mantle of Malice though clouded and interwoven with all the false Pretences she can put on And yet I see no Reason why Princes towring in the height of their own Power should think themselves so far above ordinary Mortals that their Actions are to be incomprehensible This is but a weakness contracted in the high place they look down from which makes all things beneath them seem little yea very little to them And though Men at so great a distance from them are not able to discern every particular Plume that carries them about yet their often Circumgyrations and Turnings are Obvious many times stooping after a mean and inconsiderable Quarry By which they shew that they are carried up by the Airy Body of Admiration and that those gross Materials which tend to their Composition are as subject to distempered Passions as the meanest of the People Yet as they live in a Sphere above others if their Minds be suitable to that Height if they aim more at Piety than Policy if Religion be set up in their Hearts for her Humbleness rather than her Ornaments more for her Beauty than Bravery If Mercy and Iustice instead of Wild Beasts be Supporters of the Throne and Ensigns of Royalty If Truth in her plain Attire the loveliest Object of the Soul be not turned out of the Presence and her painted Enemy sit perching under the Cloth of Estate If Vertue and Goodness be venerated from an internal Principle in them rather than the specious outside of them Who will not admire and reverence such Majesty But when they shall so much debase that sublime and supereminent Region they are placed in and come down below that Dignity to drive a Trade of petty things thinking it a great Conquest to deceive protesting to do what they never intend and intending what they rather should protest against To what low Condition do they bring themselves We see all the Motions of Superior Bodies in what excellent Order and Perfection they move and if some Exhalation starts up among them from gross and putrid Matter whose Course is not yet known what horrid trepidations bring they with them and what Prodigious Calamities are they the fore-runners of Yet they hold not that Station long but blaze a little there and then extinguish and all that can be said of them is That we know not for what mischievous intent these Meteors did appear Whereas the other Celestial Bodies beget no wonder are no Prodigies but keep a constant Course in their own Spheres and are not contaminated with things below them yet they retain a Powerful Influence over them So Princes should always shine in Glory and a Noble Soul that loaths to soyl it self in sordid things is the true splendor of it But when they grovel here for trash and trumpery and trade away that gallant stock of Love housed in their Peoples Hearts for some false Coin minted by Passion mutable Affection or mis-led Reason they do degrade themselves And then the only difference betwixt a King and a mean Man is That the one by his Trade cosens a few the other a great many but himself most Thus we can look up to things above us easily discerning the Cracks and Flaws in Vessels of the purest Metal by that lustre that comes from them but if we cast an impartial Eye into our own Bosoms we may doubtless discover in our selves so much of Human Frailty even of a grosser Nature that may make Pity the Mistriss of our Passion rather than Pride and mourn for our own rather than glory in the Miscarriages of Others Shrouds are the fittest Ornaments for dead Bodies and who will rip up wounds that Time hath closed A little Urn will hold a great Mans Ashes and why should we bedribble with our Pens the Dust that rests there there is now no fear that it will rise and fly upon our faces Histories are like Anatomies especially when they reflect on Persons He must be a skilful Artist that can dissect a Body well If Ignorance or Malice attempts to hack hew or bespatter it 't will be most inhuman and barbarous it must be done by a gentle hand with Authority and Knowledg lest instead of discovering the Similar Parts they mangle and deface them and so dissect and open only their own follies When the true end of this dissection is to shew the ways and passages of the Body where Obstructions have been where Diseases have bred and by this Pattern learn to remove the accretion of bad Humors and apply fitting Remedies for prevention of such Evils So History must not cauterise and slash with Malice those Noble Parts the true end of whose discovery is to better Mankind For Examples of baseness and unworthiness if truly and genuinely related may deter and hinder the violent Career of such as mind no other happiness than what this vapour of vain-glory can contribute and esteem a good Name more among men than acceptance with God But yet in these Relations some grains of Human infirmity must in reason be allowed to Greatness because they have the means to more Temptations And though there are very many guilty and many Men
perfection in his excellent and incomparable History but when Liberty turned it to Action it taught him to roam so as the event proved fatal to him This Conspiracy put on such a face that few or none could discover or know what to make of it That the muddy waters were stirr'd was apparent but it was with such a mixture that little could be visible in it The Lord Grey Cobham and Sir Walter Rawleigh were Protestants why should they strive to alter Religion though the Priests Markham Bainham and others might But it seems they joyned together in a Politick way every one intending his own ends Discontent being the Ground-work upon which they built this slight Superstructure A great mischiefe intended to the Kings Majestie at his first entrance into the Kingdome of England before his Coronation Watson Clark Priests administring Oaths of secresie and applanding the project It came to nothing by Gods mercy The Kings Majesties clemency towards the Conspiratours after judgment past upon them No treason in England attempted but had a Romish Priest in the practise Watson Seducing Noblemen that being hudled together could not stand long Rawleigh's greatest Accuser was a Letter of Cobhams which some say after he denyed to be his hand Some of the Conspirators it may be desired to seem formidable venting their Anger so for being slighted others strove to make themselves so that they might have the glory of enlarging the Roman Power and they joyned together thinking their single strength would not prevail In this Cloud looking for Iuno they begot a Monster which having neither head nor foot some part lived the other dyed While these were provoked with Neglects others were incouraged with Favours Many of the Gentry that came out of Scotland with the King were advanced to Honours as well as those he found here to shew the Northern soyl as fruitful that way as the Southern But Knights swarmed in every corner the Sword ranged about and men bowed in obedience to it more in Peace than in War this Airy Title blew up many a fair Estate The Scots naturally by long converse affecting the French Vanity drew on a Garb of Gallantry meeting with a plentiful soyl and an open-handed Prince The English excellent for imitation loth to be exceeded in their own Country maintained their follies at their own charge All this came accompanied with a great Plague which hapned this year in London whereof above thirty thousand dyed Yet who will not venture for a Crown For in the heat of it on the five and twentieth of Iuly being the day dedicated to Saint Iames the King with his Wife Queen Anne were both crowned at Westminster fulfilling that old Prophecy or rather Fancy current among the Scots as they report before Edward the first brought the Royal Chair out of Scotland with the Stone in it and placed it at Westminster to Crown our Kings in Which Stone some old Saws deliver to be the same that Iacob rested his head on Ni fallat Fatum Scoti hunc quocunque locatum Inveniunt lapidem Regnare tenentur ibidem Englished Fate hath design'd That wheresoe'r this Stone The Scots shall find There they shall hold the Throne But how the Stream of Time runs through the Chanel of these Prophetical Fancies experience shews For 't is true if the Scots came so near the Throne as to enjoy the Stone or Chair where the English Kings are Inaugurated they may hold the Crown But being only grounded upon Conjecture these Conceits are commonly made up before they are half moulded or like Abortives are shaped after they are born When these Ceremonies were past the King retired from this croud of Infection gave some admission to Ambassadors that from all the neighbouring Princes and States came to congratulate his happy Inauguration For besides the ordinary Ceremony among Princes their Reason might tell them that if his Predecessors were able to graple with the growing Monarchy of him that coveted to be Vniversal and to assist and relieve her Neighbours and Confederates from his oppression He would be much more formidable bringing with him if nothing else Bodies of men Warlike and industrious hardned with cold and labour and active in the difficultest attempts however of late by what Divine Judgment I know not utterly disheartned to be Helpers who were formerly Hinderers to all the English Expeditions so that in him they courted their own Conveniences For certainly if ever the English Monarchy were in its true Glory and Greatness it was by this Union But there is a Period set to all Empires The Prince a little before this was installed Knight of the Garter the Earl of Southampton and the young Earl of Essex were restored to the right of Blood and Inheritance and Honours were conferred so thick as if the King intended a new kind of Conquest by a proceeding that tended to their and his own Ruin For to subdue the greatness of the Nobility who formerly could sweep such a Party of People to them with their long trains and dependencies that they were able to graple with Kings He by a multiplicity of them made them cheap and invalid in the Vulgar opinion For nothing is more destructive to Monarchy than lessening the Nobility upon their decline the Commons rise and Anarchy increases HONORAT Do CAROL BLVNT CO DEVON BA R MOVNTIOY The RIght honourable CHARLES BLVNT Earle of Deuon Baron Mountioy and Knight of the Garter As the Papist was different from the Protestant Religion on one side so was the Puritan as they then called pious and good men on the other both which were active to attain their own ends and the King had the command of himself not bitterly to oppose but gently to sweeten their hopes for His thinking himself unsecure betwixt them The latter were now solicitous for a more clear Reformation This the Bishops opposed as trenching too much upon them and the King listen'd to having experience of it in Scotland how much it had incroached upon Him For He thought their dissenting from the established Government of the Church was but to get that Power into a great many mens hands which was now but in one and that one had dependance upon him with whom He might better grapple The Prelates distilling this Maxim into the King No Bishop no Monarch so strengthning the Miter by the same Power that upholds the Crown Yet to satisfie the importunity a Conference is appointed at Hampton-Court where the Bishops Opponents Doctor Reynolds Doctor Sparks Mr. Knewstubs and Mr. Chadderton men eminent in Learning and Piety in themselves as well as in the opinion of the people did desire in the name of the rest of their party That the Doctrine of the Church might be preserved in Purity That good and faithful Pastors might be planted in all Churches That Church-Government might be sincerely administred That the Book of Common-Prayer might be fitted to more increase of Godliness Out
this blow reached presently into England and came somewhat near our Kings Heart therefore he took the best way to prevent his Fears by striving to prevent his Dangers having no other end but his own For when he considered the horridness of the Powder Plot and by it the irreconcileable malice of that Party he thought it the safest policy not to stir those Ashes where so much Fire was covered which gave way to a flux of that Iesuitical humour to infest the Body of the Kingdom But now being startled with this poysoned knife he ventures upon a Proclamation strictly commanding all Iesuits and Priests out of the Kingdom and all Recusants to their own Houses not to come within ten miles of the Court and secures all the rest of his Subjects to him by an universal taking of the Oath of Allegiance which the Parliament both Lords and Commons then sitting began and the rest of the People followed to the Kings great contentment For the last Session the Parliament was prorogued till the sixteenth of October this year and meeting now they were willing to secure their Allegiance to the King out of Piety yet they were so stout even in those youthful days which he term'd Obstinacy that they would not obey him in his incroachments upon the Publick Liberty which he began then to practise For being now season'd with seven years knowledg in his profession here he thought he might set up for himself and not be still journy-man to the lavish tongue of men that pryed too narrowly into the secrets of his Prerogative which are mysteries too high for them being Arcana imperii fitter to be admired than questioned But the Parliament were apprehensive enough that those hidden mysteries made many dark steps into the Peoples Liberties and they were willing by the light of Law and Reason to discover what was the Kings what theirs Which the King unwilling to have searched into after five Sessions in six years time dissolved the Parliament by Proclamation HENRICUS Princeps Walliae etc a. Reverendissimus in Christo Pater D.D. RICHARDUS BANCROFT Archiepiscopus Cantuariensis About this time Richard Bancroft Arch-Bishop of Canterbury died a person severe enough whose roughness gained little upon those that deserted the Ceremonies One work of his shewed his spirit better than the ruggedest Pen can depaint it For it was he that first brought the King to begin a new Colledg by Chelsey wherein the choice and abiest Scholars of the Kingdom and the most pregnant Wits in matters of Controversies were to be associated under a Provost with a fair and ample allowance not exceeding three thousand pounds a year whose design was to answer all Popish Books or others that vented their malignant spirits against the Protestant Religion either the Heresies of the Papists or the Errors of those that strook at Hierarchy so that they should be two-edged Fellows that would make old cutting and flashing and this he forwarded with all industry during his time and there is yet a formal Act of Parliament in being for the establishment of it But after his death the King wisely considered that nothing begets more contention than opposition and such Fuellers would be apt to inslame rather than quench the heat that would arise from those embors For Controversies are often or for the most part the exuberancies of Passion and the Philosopher saith men are drunk with disputes and in that inordinateness take the next thing that comes to hand to throw at one anothers faces so that the design fell to the ground with him and there is only so much Building standing by the Thames-side as to shew that what he intended to Plant he meant should be well Watered and yet it withered in the bud I can lay nothing to the charge of this great man but from common fame yet this I may truly say That for his Predecessor Whitgift and his Successor Abbot I never heard nor read any thing tending to their disparagement But on him some unhappy Wit vented this Pasquin Here lies his Grace in cold Earth slad Who died with want of what he had The Queen was Mistress of Somerset-house as well as the Prince was Master of St. Iames and she would fain have given it the name of Denmark-house which name continued her time among her people but it was afterwards left out of the common Calender like the dead Emperors new named Month. She was not without some Grandees to attend her for outward glory The Court being a continued Maskarado where she and her Ladies like so many Sea-Nymphs or Nereides appeared often in various dresses to the ravishment of the beholders The King himself being not a little delighted with such fluent Elegancies as made the nights more glorious than the days But the latitude that these high-flying fancies and more speaking Actions gave to the lower World to judg and censure even the greatest with reproaches shall not provoke me so much as to stain the innocent Paper I shall only say in general That Princes by how much they are greater than others are looked upon with a more severe eye if their Vertues be not suitable to their Greatness they lose much of their value For it is too great an allay to such resinedness to fall under the common cognizance Philip Earle of Pemb Mong Lord Chamberlaine to the King etc. Now all addresses are made to Sir Robert Car he is the Favourit in Ordinary no sute nor no reward but comes by him his hand distributes and his hand restrains our Supreme Power works by second Causes the Lords themselves can scarce have a smile without him And to give the greater lustre to his power about this time the Earl of Dunbar the Kings old trusty Servant the Cabinet of his secret Counsels died so that he solely now took the most intimate of them into his charge and the Officer of Lord high Treasurer of Scotland which staff the other left behind him and though it could be no great Supporter yet the credit of it carried some reputation in his own Country where it was his happiness to be magnified as well as in England for he had Treasure enough here where the Fountain was And to ingrandize all the King created him Baron of Brandspech and Viscount Rochester and soon after Knight of the Garter Thus was he drawn up by the Beams of Majesty to shine in the highest Glory grapling often with the Prince himself in his own Sphear in divers Conteslations For the Prince being a high born Spirit and meeting a young Competitor in his Fathers Affections that was a Mushrom of yesterday thought the venom would grow too near him and therefore he gave no countenance but opposition to it which was aggravated by some little scintils of Love as well as Hatred Rivals in passion being both amorous and in youthful blood fixing by accident upon one object who was a third mans in which the Viscount
this the passage to his entertainment The King strucken suddenly with such heaps asked the Treasurer what this money was for who told him he had received his Majesties Commands to give so much to the Viscount Rochester The King that either carelesly thought five thousand pound to be no more than the noise so much makes in Scotland which doth not amount to above five hundred pounds or cunningly if he knew the value knew also the Treasurers meaning said it was too much for one man and made him be contented with less than the half And now the King casts his thoughts towards Peterborough where his Mother lay whom he caused to be translated to a Magnificent Tomb at Westminster And somewhat suitable to her mind when she was living she had a translucent passage in the night through the City of London by multitudes of Torches The Tapers placed by the Tomb and the Altar in the Cathedral smoaking with them like an Offertory with all the Ceremonies and Voices their Quires and Copes could express attended by many Prelates and Nobles who payd this last Tribute to her memory This was accounted a Piaculous action of the Kings by many though some have not stuck to say That as Queen Elizabeth was willing to be rid of the Queen of Scots yet would not have it her action and being it could not be done without her command when it was done she renounced her own act So though the King was angry when he heard his Mother was taken away by a violent death recalling his Ambassador threatning War and making a great noise which was after calmed and closed up with a large Pension from the Queen yet he might well enough be pleased that such a spirit was layd as might have conjured up three Kingdoms against him For Patrick Grey that the King sent to disswade Queen Elizabeth from taking away his Mothers life was the greatest Instrument to perswade her to it Distilling always into her this Sentence Mortua non mordet When she is dead she cannot bite But the Love that tends to self-preservation is an adjunct of Nature more powerful than Filial duty and therefore there will be no great strife where there are not adequate operations This time was also presented unto us in a various dress and the event shewed though some years after there was more cause of Mourning than Rejoycing though the latter got the predominance For the Prince Elector Palatine came over into England to Marry the Kings only Daughter and Death deprived us of the Kings eldest Son A Prince as eminent in Nobleness as in Blood and having a spirit too full of life and splendour to be long shrouded in a cloud of flesh If that which gave life to his life had been less he might happily have lived longer Not that there was too much Oyl or that concurrent Natural Balsamum in this fair and well-composed Lamp to extinguish it self but the light that came from it might cast so radiant a lustre as by darkning others it came to lose the benefit of its own glory Iealousie is like fire that burns all before it and that fire is hot enough to dissolve all Bonds that tends to the diminution of a Crown The Prince of Spain his contemporary Son to Philip the second not long before this like a young Phaeton wished himself but one day in his Fathers Throne and he fell not long after into the hard hand of an immature fate before he could step into the Chariot So dangerous are the paths of Greatness that the tongue many times rouling aside makes men tread awry Strange Rumors are raised upon this sudden expiration of our Prince the disease being so violent that the combate with Nature in the strength of youth being almost nineteen years of age lasted not above five days Some say he was poysoned with a bunch of Grapes others attribute it to the venemous scent of a pair of Gloves presented to him the distemper lying for the most part in the head They that knew neither of these are strucken with fear and amazement as if they had tasted or felt the effects of those violences Private whisperings and suspicions of some new designs a foot broaching Prophetical terrors That a black CARLO D'AVSTRIA PRINCIPE DI SPAGNA Christmas would produce a bloody Lent For the Spaniard who opposed the marriage of the Prince Palatine and saw their ruin growing up in Prince Henries towardly Spirit were reputed vulgarly the Mint-masters of some horrid practices and that a Ship of Pocket Pistols was come out of Spain fit Instruments for a Massacre And these Trepidations were not only in the lower Region but wrought upwards so high that Proclamations were sent abroad to forbid the making or carrying of Pistols under a foot long in the Barrel And all Papists are not only dis-armed being ever esteemed Vassals to the Catholick King but their Actions with caution pried into In such dark clouds as these the whole Kingdom was at a loss all ordinary Transitions of Nature are imputed to prodigious Omens the greater the fears are the more blazing is the Meteor that arises from them Some that knew the bickerings betwixt the Prince and the Viscount muttered out dark Sentences that durst not look into the light especially Sir Iames Elphington who observing the Prince one day to be discontented with the Viscount offered to kill him but the Prince reproved him with a gallant Spirit saying If there were Cause he would do it himself Now whether these rumors begot a further scrutiny or whether it be the Court-trick to daub and slubber over things that may be perspicuous I know not But the Physicians about the Prince gave it under their hands which was spread abroad in several copies that he died of a strong malignant Feaver so are all violent dissolutions where Nature hath power of resistance that his Liver was pale and livid lead-like the Gall had no Gall but was full of wind the Spleen was unnaturally black and the Lungs in many places spotted with much corruption the Midriff or Diaphragma blackish and the Head in some places full of blood and in some places full of clear water Thus was he Anatomized to amuze the World and clear the suspicion of poyson as if no venoms could produce these effects He died the sixth of November and was carried on a Hearse Triumphing even in Death to Westminster the seventh of December following the pomp of the Funeral being fully compleated with the People tears and Lamentations But the King though he could not but be troubled to lose so near a part of himself looked over all these Mists and like the Sun dispelled all these Clouds and Vapours commanding no man should appear in the Court in mourning he would have nothing in his Eye to bring so sad a Message to his Heart The jollity feasting and magnificence of Christmas must not be laid down There were Princes and Nobles
up to three hundred pounds a piece But now again the poor Courtiers were so indigent that sixty pounds would purchase a Knighthood the King wanting other means to gratifie his Servants Yet he was of so free a Nature and careless of Money when he had it though solicitous to get it that he batled in his own bounty For being one day in the Gallery at White-hall and none with him but Sir Henry Rich who was second Son to the Earl of Warwick afterwards Earl of Holland a Gentleman of excellent Natural Parts but youthfully expensive and Iames Maxwel one of his Bed Chamber some Porters past by them with three thousand pounds going to the Privy Purse Sir Henry Rich whispering Maxwel the King turned upon them and asked Maxwel what says he what says he Maxwel told him he wisht he had so much money Marry shalt thou Harry saith the King and presently commanded the Porters to carry it to his Lodging with this Expression You think now you have a great Purchase but I am more delighted to think how much I have pleasured you in giving this money than you can be in receiving it This Story intervenes to shew the Temper of his Mind About this time also Gold was raised to two shillings in the pound occasioned from the high value set upon it abroad which made the Merchant transport it But the first Inhancers can make their Markets by ingrossing great Sums especially the Payments of those times and all this Kings Reign being for the most part in Gold so that it might be called the Golden Age that it is a wonder now what gulf hath swallowed those great sums if their golden wings be not flown to the Sun-rising But these little projects will bring in but small store of money to maintain the Work many such Materials must go to make up a Royal Building and little Streams will not easily fill a Cistern that hath many Issues A Parliament can furnish all but who dare venture on such Refractory Spirits Yet there was a generation about the Court that to please and humour Greatness undertook a Parliament as men presuming to have Friends in every County and Borough who by their Power among the People would make Election of such Members for Knights and Burgesses as should comply solely to the Kings desires and Somerset is the Head and Chief of these Vndertakers But this was but an Embrion and became an Abortive The English Freedom cannot be lost by a few base and tame spirits that would unmake themselves and their Posterity to ingrandize one Man For the Parliament meeting according to their Summons such Faces appeared there as made the Court droop who instead of Contributing to the Kings wants lay open his wasts especially upon the Scots with whom they desire medietatem linguae a share of favour The Bread by our Saviours rule properly belonging to the Children of the Kingdom And they beseech His Majesty to stop the Current of future access of that Nation to make residence here having enough to eat up their own Crums They enquire into the Causes of the unexpected increase of Popish Recusants since the Gun-Powder Plot the detestation whereof they thought should have utterly extinguished them and they find it to the Admission of Popish Nobility into his Counsels the silencing of many watchful and diligent Ministers the divers Treaties his Majesty hath entertained not only for the Marriage of the deceased Prince Henry but for Prince Charles that now liveth with the Daughters of Popish Princes which dis-heartneth the Protestant and encourageth the Recusant laying open with these many other miscarriages in Government which the King willing to have concealed stopt them in their Course dissolving the Parliament and committing to the Tower and other Princes the beginning of incroachment upon the publick liberties such as were most active for the Common good These fair Blossoms not producing the hoped-for fruit they find out new Projects to manure the People different much in name and nature a Benevolence extorted a Free-gift against their wills was urged upon them and they that did not give in their money must give in their names which carried a kind of fright with it But the most knowing men like so many Pillars to the Kingdoms liberties supported their Neighbours tottering Resolutions with assuring them that these kind of Benevolences were against Law Reason and Religion First against Law being prohibited by divers Acts of Parliament and a Curse pronounced against the infringers of them Secondly against Reason that a particular man should oppose his judgment and discretion to the wisdom and judgment of the King assembled in Parliament who have there denyed any such aid Thirdly against Religion That a King violating his Oath taken at his Coronation for maintaining the Laws Liberties and Customs of the Realm should be assisted by the people in an Act of so much Injustice and Impiety These and many other Arguments instilled into the people by some good Patriots were great impediments to the Benevolence So that they got but little money and lost a great deal of love For no Levies do so much decline and abase the love and spirits of the people as unjust Levies Subsidies get more of their money but Exactions enslave the mind for they either raise them above or depress them beneath their sufferings which are equally mischievous and to be avoided This Summer the King of Denmark revisited his Sister the Queen of England with some forty Lords Gentlemen and others in his Train landing at Yarmouth and passing directly to London took up his Lodging in our Common Inns and was not known but for some Outlandish Nobleman till he came to the Queens Palace in the Strand where she was surprized with the unexpected joy of a Brothers company distanced from her by the interest of his people the great Bar that hinders Princes the common civilities and happiness of their Inferiors But the joy continued not long for after some fourteen days interview they parted again But those days had such a plenitude of all those delights that contend to satisfaction as if a great deal of more time had been involved and contracted in them VERA EFFIGIES FRANCISCAE COMITISSAE SOMERSETIAE VICECOM ROFFEN ETc The lively portraict of the Lady Francis Countesse of Somerset Sir Ralph Winwood who had been Lieger-Ambassador with the States in the Netherlands for his abilities and good service had merited so much from the King that he made him Secretary of State The Queen closes with him the better to discover Somersets miscarriages and he was ready enough to oblige her for Somerset made him but an Vnderling grasping all Publick imployments into his own hand not caring whom he disobliged or what Malice he pulled upon himself for like a Coloss he stood the brunt of all the Tempests of Envy making those that carried the greatest sail to strike and come under him Nor would he suffer any
place in Court or dignity in State to be bestowed which was not sweetned with his smile that gave it or their bounty that injoyed it so that it was thought he ingrossed a mass of Coin as if his soul intended to take her ease This Pride and Covetousness added to his other miscarriages such a number of Vnderminers that he stood upon a tottering foundation having no support but the Kings favour which whether by Providence from above or purposes below both ever concurring from the Will to the Means was soon removed For about this time the King cast his eye upon a young Gentleman so rarely moulded that he meant to make him a Master-piece His name was George Villers he was second Son to Sir George Villers a Knight of Leicester-shire by a second Venter For the old man coming to Colehorton in that County to visit his Kinswoman the Lady Beaumont found a young Gentlewoman of that name allyed and yet a servant to the Lady who being of a handsom presence and countenance took his affections and he married her This was the soil where the glorious Cedar grew who having only the breeding and portion of a younger Brother with the Mothers help and travel got the addition of a French garb which brought him to the Court in no greater a condition than fifty pounds a year is able to maintain The King strucken with this new object would not expose him to so much hazard as the malice of a jealous Competitor nor him self to so much censure as to be thought changeable and taken again with a sudden affection therefore he instructs some of his Confidents to bring him in by degrees who intimated the Kings pleasure to him that he should wait Cup bearer at large being so at too strait a distance of place to have any mark of favour for suspition to level at And if the King had not received a new Impression thus the old Character of Somerset that was imprinted in his soul could not so soon as many men thought have been blotted out But Courts that are the wisest though not the most vertuous Schools do teach their Scholars to observe the Seasons and by the Astronomy of the Princes eye to calculate what Fortune such Aspects and such Conjunctions may happily produce And they found so much as gave them incouragement to hear and boldness to discover that which pulled down the one and set up the other But Somerset that had the pulse of his Conscience always beating at Overburies door was as active to preserve himself as his Enemies were to ruin him and finding himself shaking though there was nothing yet laid to his Charge but the imbezelling some of the Crown Iewels he throws himself at the Kings feet acknowledging the great Trust his Majesty had reposed in him and the weight of business lying on him might make him incounter him with some miscarriages through youth and ignorance great imployments often meeting with envy that jossels them in the way he therefore humbly besought his Majesty to grant him a general Pardon for what was past that he might not be exposed to the malice of those that would wrest all his Actions to the worst meaning The King that raised this fair Edifice being loth to have it quite pulled down again gave order for the drawing up of a general Pardon in so ample and full a manner that it might rather exceed than take rise from any former precedent This the King signed and sent to the Great Seal But the Queen having notice of it and using her Power with the Lord Chancellor gave stop to the Seal till the Kings coming to Town who was on his Progress in the West and then what was mutter'd in corners before rung openly in the Streets For the Apothecaries boy that gave Sir Thomas Overbury the Glister falling sick at Flushing revealed the whole matter which Sir Ralph Winwood by his Correspondents had a full Relation of and a small breach being made his Enemies like the noise of many Waters rise up against him following the Stream VERA EFFIG REVERâ—â—â—… DOMINI IOHANÌ„IS KING EPISCOPI LONDINâ—… Lo here his shade whose substaÌ„ce is divine Like God in all that may his Angell fitt Whose light before men like a lampe doth shyne The Oyle of Grace and learning feeding it Yet like a lampe that others light doth gieve Still wast's the Oyle by which him self doth lieve See thy true shadowe Nature and suppose How much thy Substance is belov'd of Harts O Cunning if thy Mirror could diclose His heavenly Formes of Zeale Religion Arts This picture might exactllie shewe in Hym. Each vertue done to Life for each dead Lym. For a little before this Weston was taken and examined but like a stubborn piece unmoulded for impression nothing could be drawn from him but God by the means and persuasion of the Bishop of London Doctor King a man eminent for piety in his time so wrought upon his heart that the eye of his soul being opened to the foulness of his sin he discovered all so that the whole Confederacy were laid hold on Who falling into the hands of the Lord Chief Justice Cook a Spirit of a fiery exhalation as subtil as active he left no stone unturned till he had ript up the very foundation But in the mean time between Westons standing mute and his Trial one Lumsden a Scotchman took upon him to make a false and libellous Relation of the business and delivers it to Henry Gib of the Bed-Chamber to be put into the Kings hand in which Writing he falsifies and perverts all that was done the first day of Westons Arraignment turning the edg of his imputations upon the Lord Chief Justice Cook which Bolt was boldly shot by him but it was thought not to come out of his own Quiver and it lighted into an ill hand for him for the King discovered it and left him an open Mark to that Iustice he had traduced Weston was the first that suffered by the hand of the Law which Sir Iohn Hollis after Earl of Clare out of friendship to Somerset and Sir Iohn Wentworth a Person debauched and riotous hoping from the beams of of Somersets favour to increase his wanting fortunes strove to blast in the spring for they rod to Tyburn and urged him at his Execution to deny all hoping that way to prevent the Autumn that followed but Westons Soul being prepared for Death resisted their temptations sealing penitently the Truth of his Confession with his last And this attempt of Hollu Wentworth and Lumsden to pervert Iustice being aggravated against them in the Star-Chamber by the Kings Atturney Sir Francis Bacon they were sentenced there and found the reward of their Presumption Mistris Turner followed next A Pattern of Pride and Lust who having always given a loose Rein to her life she ran this carreer at last into the jaws of death Sir Iervis Ellowis Lieutenant of the Tower
easily committed and concealed It is an offence that is Tanquam sagitta nocte volans it is the Arrow that flies by night it discerns not whom it hits for many times the poyson is laid for one and another takes it As in Sanders case where the poysoned Apple was laid for the Mother and the Child eat it And so in that notorious Case whereupon the Statute of 22 Hen. 8. cap. 9. was made where the intent being but to poyson one or two poyson was put in a little Vessel of Barm that stood in the Kitchen at the Bishop of Rochesters house of which Barm Pottage or Grewel was made wherewith seventeen of the Bishops Family were poysoned nay divers of the poor that came to the Bishops-gate and had the Pottage in Alms were likewise poysoned Here is great talk of Impoysonment I hope I am safe I have no enemies nor any thing men can long for that is all one for he may sit at the Table by one for whom poyson is prepared and have a drench of his Cup or of his Pottage and so as the Poet saith Concidit infelix alieno vulnere he may die another mans death and therefore it was most gravely judiciously and properly provided by that Statute that Impoysonment should be High-Treason because whatsoever offence tendeth to the utter subversion and dissolution of Human Society is in the nature of High-Treason But it is an offence that I may truly say of it Non est nostri generis nec sanguinis It is thanks be to God rare in the Isle of Britain It is neither of our Country nor of our Church You may find it in Rome and Italy there is a Religion for it if it should come among us it were better living in a Wilderness than in a Court. For the particular fact upon Overbury I knew the Gentleman it is true his mind was great but it moved not in any great good order yet certainly it did commonly fly at good things and the greatest fault that ever I heard by him was That he made his Friend his Idol But take him as he was the Kings Prisoner in the Tower and then see how the Case stands In that place the State is as it were a Respondent to make good the Body of the Prisoner and if any thing happen to him there it may though not in this Case yet in some others make an aspersion and reflexion upon the State it self For the person is utterly void of his own defence his own care and providence can serve him to nothing He is in the custody and preservation of Law and we have a Maxim in our Law that when a State is in preservation of Law nothing can destroy it or hurt it and God forbid but the like should be in Persons and therefore this was a circumstance of great aggravation Lastly To have a man chased to death in a manner as it appears now by matter of Record for other privacy of Cause I know not by poyson after poyson First Rosaker then Arsnick then Mercury sublimate then sublimate again it is a thing would astonish mans nature to hear it The Poets feign that the Furies had Whips and that they were corded with poysoned Snakes and a man would think that this subject were the very Case To have a man tied to a post and to scourge him to death with Serpents for so truly may diversity of poysons be termed It pleased my Lord Chief Justice to let me know that which I heard with great comfort which was the charge that his Majesty gave to himself and the rest of the Commissioners in this Case worthy to be written in Letters of Gold That the business should be carried without touch to any that was innocent not only without impeachment but without aspersion which was a most Noble and Princely caution for mens Reputations are tender things and ought to be like Christs Coat without seam And it was more to be respected in this Case because it met with two great Persons A Nobleman that his Majesty had favoured and advanced and his Lady being of a great and Honourable House though I think it be true that the Writers say that there is no Pomegranate so fair or so sound but may have a perished Kernel Nay I see plainly in those excellent Papers of his Majesties own hand-writing as so many beams of Iustice issuing from that Vertue which so much doth shine in him the business so evenly carried without prejudice whether it were a true Accusation on the one part or a practice or false Accusation on the other as shewed plainly that his Majesties judgment was Tanquam tabula rasa as a clean pair of Tables and his ears Tanquam janua aperta as a gate not side open but wide open to the Truth as it should be discovered And I may truly affirm that there was never in this Kingdom nor in any other the blood of a private Gentleman vindicated Cum tanto motu Regni or to say better Cum tanto plausu Regni If it had concerned the King or Prince there could not have been greater or better Commissioners The term hath been almost turned into a Iustium or Vacancy the people being more willing to be lookers on in this business than proceeders in their own There hath been no care of discovery omitted no moment of time lost and therefore I will conclude with the saying of Solomon this part of my Speech Gloria Deicelare rem and gloria Regis scrutari rem It is the glory of God to conceal a thing and it is the glory of the King to find it out And his Majesties honor is the greater for that he shewed to the World this business as it hath relation to my Lord of Somerset whose Case in no sort I do fore-judg being ignorant of the secrets of the cause but take him as the Law takes him hitherto for a suspect I say the King hath to his great honor shewed That were any man in such a case of blood as the Signet of his right-hand as the Scripture saith he would put him off Now will I come to the particular Charge of these Gentlemen And first I will by way of Narrative relate the Fact with the occasion of it This wretched man Weston who was the Actor or Mechanical party in this Impoysonment the first day being indicted by a very substantial Iury of selected Citizens to the number of nineteen who found Billa vera yet nevertheless at the first stood mute But after some days intermission it pleased God to cast out the Dumb Devil and he put himself upon his Trial and was by a Iury of great value upon his own Confessions and other testimonies found guilty So as thirty and one sufficient Iurors have past upon him and he had also his Judgment and Execution awarded After this being in preparation for another World he sent for Sir Overbury's Father and falling down upon his knees with great remorse
teach us how to steer our brittle Bark in this Worlds Tempest that we bear not too much sail but keep a moderate and even course betwixt the rocks of pride and shallows of contempt both which are equally dangerous Our King dedicated this Summer to the Northern Climate it is now fourteen years Revolution since the beams of Majesty appeared in Scotland He begins his Journey with the Spring warming the Country as he went with the Glories of the Court Taking such Recreations by the way as might best beguile the days and cut them shorter but lengthen the nights contrary to the Seasons For what with Hawking Hunting and Horse-racing the days quickly ran away and the nights with Feasting Masking and Dancing were the more extended And the King had fit Instruments for these Sports about his Person as Sir George Goring Sir Edward Zouch Sir Iohn Finnit and others that could fit and obtemperate the Kings Humour For he loved such Representations and Disguises in their Maskaradoeâ— as were witty and sudden the more ridiculous the more pleasant Edward Somerset Earl of Worcester But among all the Dances that these Times were guilty of none of the Maskaradoes presented so horrid a Vizard as the Churchmans For some of the Bishops pretending Recreations and liberty to servants and the common people of which they carved to themselves too much already procured the King to put out a Book to permit dancing about May-poles Church-ales and such debauched Exercises upon the Sabbath day after Evening Prayer being a specious way to make the King and them acceptable to the Rout which Book came out with a command injoyning all Ministers to read it to their Parishioners and to approve of it and those that did not were brought into the High Commission imprisoned and suspended This Book being only a trap to catch some conscientious men that they could not otherwise with all their cunning insnare For they would preach the Gospel in a Fools-coat as some of them exprest rather than be silenced for a Surplis And their Conjuring of them with the Cross in Baptism and the Circle of the Ring in Marriage could not make a well-composed Reason and a sound Conscience then start at it But when so frightful an Apparition as the dancing Book appeared some of the Ministers left all for fear others by force they were so terrified with it These and such like Machinations of the Bishops to maintain their Temporal Greatness Ease and Plenty made the stones in the Walls of their Palaces and the beam in the timber afterwards cry out moulder away and come to nothing Whereas if those in most Authority had not been so pragmatical but holy prudent and godly men as some others of the Function were their light might have shined still upon the Mount and not have gone out as it did offensive to the nostrils of the rubbish of the people The King in his return from Scotland made his Progress through the Hunting-countries his Hounds and Hunters meeting him Sherwood-Forrest Need wood and all the Parks and Forrests in his way were ransacked for his Recreation And every night begat a new day of delight till he brought Holyrood-day not Holyrood-house to White-hall This new incroachment upon the Sabbath gave both King and people more liberty to prophane the day with authority For if the Court were to remove on Monday the Kings Carriages must go out the day before All times were alike and the Court being to remove to Theobalds the next day the Carriages went through the City of London on the Sabbath with a great deal of clatter and noise in the time of Divine service The Lord Mayor hearing of it commanded them to be stopt and this carried the Officers of the Carriages with a great deal of violence to the Court and the business being presented to the King with as much asperity as men in authority crossed in their humors could express it It put the King into a great Rage Swearing he thought there had been no more Kings in England but himself yet after he was a little cooled he sent a Warrant to the Lord Mayor commanding him to let them pass which he obeyed with this Answer while it was in my power I did my duty but that being taken away by a higher power it is my duty to obey Which the King upon second thoughts took well and thanked him for it As Prophaneness crept in on one side so did Idolatry and Superstition on the other for there was more enmity against Ministers of the Gospel than Popish Priests they swarmed over the Kingdom working miraculous Projects in every corner One pack of them got into Stafford-shire among some of the Giffords in that County Gentlemen of good Estates where they practised their Artifices to seduce the people There must be a Ground-work Estates to keep them being like the Gout never troubling the poor and then there must be materials Correspondents to act for them Holiness and Piety must be confirmed by Miracle and these Miracles must be visible to the Peoples eyes that they may convey belief better to the heart If the Priests be holy and can subdue Satan the Religion they profess must be heavenly that triumphs over principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness bringing all to obedience These are finesses and subtilties of Mastring Wits calling them Piae Fraudes godly deceits Worms to bring Fish to the Net and this kind of frippery they are ever fraught with For about this time there was a Boy born at Bilson in that County whose father mother neighbours and many other people with admiration did absolutely think possest with a Devil for he had strange sudden violent distorting fits that appeared to all the beholders contrary to Nature and being not full fifteen years old it could not be imagined that any thing of Impostory could result from him and therefore the same of it was the more remarkable The Iesuits that are the best Physicians in such Distempers hearing of it visited the Boy prayed by him and used such other Charms and Exorcisms as are fit to make them to be admired giving his Parents good hope of dispossessing him of that foul spirit by which might palpably be discerned how much Gods power was exprest in their weakness and difference the truth and holiness betwixt the Catholick Religion and the Heresie professed among Protestants So that they that heard them as many resorted to the place must needs take them for very holy men by whom such Wonders were to be accomplished The Iesuits visited him often sometimes in private sometimes in Company but this kind of Spirit would not be commanded by them so that they grew almost desperate of the Cure The Boy in his fits would rave against an old woman dwelling near to his Father intimating by signs and ghastly behaviour that she had sent a Spirit to torment him and in plain terms when he was out of his fits
and the Infanta of Spain that was then in motion but to the infringement of the Peace and Amity established betwixt the two Crowns The King's fears being heightned to Anger he disavows the Action and lest others of his Subjects should by this example take the boldness to attempt the like Hostility against the King of Spain he puts out a Proclamation wherein he shews his detestation of such proceedings and threatens severe punishment to the enterprisers thereby to deter them Which gave Gondemar some satisfaction whose design being only to get Sir Walter Raleigh home after this brush vented little passion but so cunningly skinned over his malice that when Raleigh was in Ireland he found nor heard of no such great difficulties Dangers often flying upon the wings of rumor but that he might appear in England and the men not willing to be banished their own Country though some of them had France in their eye put in at Plimouth Raleigh was no sooner ashore but he had private intimation which gave him cause to suspect the smoothness of this beginning would have a rough end therefore he attempted an escape from â—hence in a bark of Rochel But being apprehended by Sir Lewis Stukly his Kinsman who had private warrant and instructions to that purpose so unnatural and servile is the spirit when it hath an allay of baseness there being many others sitter for that employment he is brought to London and recommitted to the Tower He was no sooner in the Tower but all his Transactions in this business are put to the Rack and tenter'd by his Adversaries They say he knew of no Mine nor did Kemish know that the Mine he aimed at was Gold but Kemish bringing him a piece of Ore into the Tower he fobb'd a piece of Gold into it in dissolving making the poor man believe the Ore was right that by these golden degrees he might ascend to Liberty promising the King to fetch it where never Spaniard had been But when Kemish found by better experience he was couzen'd by Raleigh he came back from the Mine And Raleigh knowing that none but Kemish could accuse him made him away This Vizard was put upon the face of the Action and all the weight of the Miscarriage was laid upon Raleigh's shoulders Gonaemar that looked upon him as a man that had not only high Abilities but Animosity enough to do his Master mischief being one of those Scourges which that old Virago the late Queen as he called her used to afflict the Spaniards with having gotten him into this Trap laid now his baits about the King There is a strange virtue in this spirit of Sol the intenseness makes men firm the ductilness brings them to be active French Crowns are not so pure not so piercing as Spanish Pistols Auri sacra fames quid non mortalia pectora cogis The King that loved his Peace is incensed by them that loved their Profit and the poor Gentleman must lay down the price of his life upon the old Reckoning Raleigh answered That he was told by his Council that Iudgment was void by the Commission his Majesty was pleased to give him since under the Great Seal for his last Employment which did give him a new vigour and life to that service The Lord chief Justice replyed that he was deceived and that the opinion of the Court was to the contrary Then he desired that some reasonable time might be allowed him to prepare for Death but it was answered That the time appointed was the next morning and it was not to be doubted but he had prepared himself for death long since Raleigh having a courageous spirit finding the bent of the King's mind and knowing Disputes to be in vain where Controversies are determined acquiesc'd was conveyed to the Gatehouse and the day following was brought to the Old Palace yard at Westminster and upon a Scaffold there erected lost his head He had in the outward man a good presence in a handsom and well-compacted person a strong natural wit and a better judgment with a bold and plausible tongue whereby he could set off his parts to the best advantage And to these he had the Adjuncts of general Learning which by Diligence and Experience those two great Tutors being now threescore years of age was augmented to a great perfection being an indefatigable Reader and having a very retentive memory At his Arraignment at Winchester his carriage to his Judges was with great discretion humble yet not prostrate dutiful yet not dejected Towards the Iury affable but not fawning not in despair nor believing but hoping in them carefully perswading them with Reasons not distemperately importuning them with Conjurations rather shewing love of life than fear of death Towards the King's Council patient but not insensible neglecting nor yielding to Imputations laid against him in words which Sir Edward Cook then the King's Attorney belched out freely and it was wondred a man of his high spirit could be so humble in suffering not being much overtaken in passion And now at his last when Deeth was presented before him he looked upon it without affrightment striving to vindicate his Actions by taking off the veil that false Reports had cast upon them especially the Imputation of his glorying and rejoycing in the fall at the death of the laâ—e E. of Essex which had stuck so many years in his breast this new miscarriage of Kemish's of a later date imputed to him for having provided himself privately for heaven clearing his Accounts with God before he came to the Scaffold He publickly at last reckon'd with man being to quit all soores and so made an end Times of Peace are accounted the happiest times and though they are great Blessings proceeding from the influence of supreme Mercy and the showers of Grace yet the branches of the Tree of Knowledge growing by this Sun shine for want of due pruning do often become so exuberant that their very fruits are not only their burthen but sometimes their ruin Prosperity is of an Airy constitution carried about with the breath of strange fancies which mount sometimes as high as Omnipotency but there finding-resistance they come down amain and beat the lower Region with a Tempest of Strife and Malice When the Romans wanted Enemies they digged them out of their own bowels Active Spirits will be set on work Our Neighbours of the Netherlands that had so long bounded the Spanish Power humbled their Pride so far as to acknowledg them a Free-State before they would so much as listen to an Overture of Peace had a fire kindled in their own bosomes It is now some time since the 12 years Truce betwixt Spain them began being in the Wain last Quarter While they had their hands full of business they had not their heads full of old Curiosities Now like Plethorique bodies that want letting blood they break out into distemper A Schism in the Church
who both by the attestations of the Divinity-Colleges at Basil and Heydelberg as also by manifest evidence out of his own Writings is convinced of a number of manifest Heresies These Reasons therefore namely the many enormous and horrible Heresies maintained by him the Instance of his Majesty grounded upon the welfare and honour of this Country the Requests either of all or of the most part of your Provinces the Petitions of all the Ministers excepting those only which are of Arminius's Sect should methinks prevail so far with my Lords the States of Holland as they will at the last apply themselves to the performance of that which both the sincerity of Religion and the service of their Country requireth at their hands Furthermore I have Commandment from his Majesty to move you in his name to set down some certain Reglement in matters of Religion throughout your Provinces that this licentious Freedom of Disputation may be restrained which breeds factions and part-takings and that you would absolutely take away the Liberty of Prophesying which Vorstius doth so much recommend unto you in the Dedicatory Epistle of his Anti-Bellarmine the book whereof his Patrons do boast so much And his Majesty doth exhort you seeing you have heretofore taken Arms for the Liberty of your Consciences and have endured a violent and bloody War the space of forty years for the Profession of the Gospel that now having gotten the upper hand of your miseries you would not suffer the Followers of Arminius to make your actions an example for them to proclaim throughout the World that wicked Doctrine of the Apostacy of the Saints The account which his Majesty doth make of your amity appears sufficiently by the Treaties which he made with your Lordships by the succours which your Provinces have received from his Crowns by the deluge of blood which his Subjects have spent in your Wars Religion is the only solder of this Amity For his Majesty being by the grace of God Defender of the Faith doth hold himself obliged to defend all those who prosess the same Faith and Religion with him But if once your zeal begins to grow cold therein his Majesty will then straightways imagin that your friendship towards him and his Subjects will likewise freeze by little and little The Right Honourable Sr. RALPH WINWOOD Kn. t This was the effect of Sir Winwood's Remonstrance to which after six weeks delay he received this cold and ambiguous Answer THat the States General had deliberated upon his Majestie 's Proposition and Letter dated the 6 Oct. 1611. and do give him humble Thanks for the continuance of his Royal affection towards the welfare of their Country and preservation of Religion And that they had entred into Consultation concerning the Articles charged against Vorstius and the Curators of Leyden did thereupon make an Order provisional that Vorstius should not be admitted to the Exercise of his Place but remain in Leyden only as an Inhabitant and Citizen And in case Vorstius should not be able to clear himself from those Accusations which were laid to his Charge at or before the next Assembly which was to be holden in Feb. following that then they would decide the Matter with good contentment to his Majesty But this Answer still savouring of delays could not in effect be esteemed less than an absolute refusal to yield to the King's desires besides the specious Separation of Vortius as a Citizen was only to satisfie the King at present for he after notwithstanding exercised his Place of Professor Whereupon Sir Ralph Winwood knowing the King's mind made this Protestation in their Publick Assembly My Lords THere is not any one of you I suppose in this Assembly that will not acknowledge the brotherly love wherewith the King my Master hath always affected the good of your Provinces and the fatherly care which he hath ever had to procure the establishment of your State In which respect his Majesty having understood that Vorstius was elected Divinity-Professor of Leyden a Person attainted by many Witnesses Iuris facti of a number of Heresies is therewith exceedingly offended And for the timely prevention of an infinite of evils did give me in charge to exhort you which I did the 21 of September last to wash your hands from that Man and not suffer him to come within your Country To this Exhortation your Answer was That all due observance and regard should be had unto his Majesty But his Majesty hath received so little respect herein that instead of debarring Vorstius from coming into the Country which even by the Laws of Friendship his Majesty might have required the Proceedings have been clean contrary for he is permitted to come to Leyden hath been received there with all honour taken up his habitation treated and lodged in the quality of a publick Professor His Majesty perceiving his first motion had so little prevailed writ a Letter to you to the same purpose full of zeal and affection persuading you by many Reasons not to stain your own honor and the honor of the Reformed Churches by calling unto you that wretched and wicked Atheist These Letters were presented to this Assembly the fifth of November last at which time by his Majesties command I used some speech my self to the same effect Some six weeks after I received an answer but so confused ambiguous and impertinent that I have reason to conceive there is no meaning at all to send Vortius away who is at present in Leyden received acknowledged respected and treated as publick Professor whether it be to grace that University instead of the deceased Ioseph Scaliger or whether to give him means to do more mischief in secret which perhaps for shame he durst not in publick I cannot tell For these reasons according to that charge which I have received from the King my Master I do in his name and on his behalf protest in this Assembly against the wrong injury and scandal done unto the Reformed Religion by receiving and retaining Conradus Vorstius in the University of Leyden and against the violence offered unto that Alliance which is betwixt his Majesty and your Provinces which being founded upon the preservation and maintenance of the Reformed Religion you have not omitted to violate in the proceeding of this cause Of which enormous indignities committed against the Church of God and against his Majestie 's person in preferring the presence of Vorstius before his amity and alliance the King my Master holds himself bound to be sensible and if Reparation be not made and that speedily which cannot be by any other means than by sending Vorstius away his Majesty will make it appear unto the World by some Declaration which he will cause to be printed and published how much he detests the Atheisms and Heresies of Vorstius and all those that maintain favour and cherish them To this the States promised a better Answer at their next Assembly but that producing no good
effect the King writes a Declaration against Vorstius which is extant in his own Works collected by Doctor Iames Montague son to Sir Edward Montague of Bowghton in the County of Northampton Knight then Bishop of Winchester and Dean of his Majestie 's Chappel in which Volume is depainted the King's excellent spirit and many Royal Graces tending to Religion and Piety IOSEPHVS SCALIGER And after in the year 1613. there were many Discords among them which our King hearing of he incited the States by Letters again so willing he was to have Unity among them that this War of the Tongue might be pacified rather by publick Authority than School Disputations and by his Mediation for a good time the Humor was abated or rested as in the interpolate Fits of Agnes but the Rancor broke out again more than ever For this year 1618. as formerly expressed the Distemper came to the State or height and had ever after a decline Our King hearing of the Disorders and Tumults among them looked upon them now as so many ill Omens portending not only the ruin of the Netherlands but the Tempest growing greater might beat too soon upon the British-shores To stay therefore the swelling progress of this Gangrene humor he prohibits his Subjects by Proclamation to send their children to Leyden and solicits the States by Letters again not only to forbid the preaching of these Controversies the Pulpits being made but the Bellows of Dissention but commands his Ambassador Sir Dudley Carleton to shew them their Disease and then prescribes them the Cure Their Disease was this Schism in the Church which usher'd in a Faction in the State jealousie and disaffection among the Magistrates hatred and heart-burning among the Common people contempt of the Orders and Decrees of the chiefest Courts of Iustice distraction among the Souldiers being tyed to several forms of Oaths insurrections commotions among the Companies new levied not well disciplin'd as likewise among the common people which have extended to blood to the affrightment fear and trouble of all the Provinces at which the Enemy smiles who happily have a hand in the design and their friends lament to see it so To cure which Malady there is no other way than to call a National Council where these Waters of strife being kept in due bound the asperous edge of Opinion might be taken off by grave and weighty Reason to abate the Passion both in Church and State The Remonstrants which the Arminians called themselves carrying on their Resolutions with a full sail would by no means alter their course or consent to the calling of a Council either fearing their party in Council would prove the weakest or knowing their partakers in Action would be the strongest for most of the States and Governours of Provinces had tasted of this infected Cup. And Barnevelt the Head of them being an active person and having a nimble tongue distilling into them a Iealousie that Maurice Prince of Orange who had the command of all their Garrisons as General or their Army affected to make himself by his power sole Lord and Monarch over them that the Freedom which they had purchased with their bloods was now ready to be trampled on he that was their Servant aspiring to become their Master having all power both by Sea and Land in his own hand all Governments and Offices at his dispose so that he wanted nothing but the Title to make him absolute These sparks took fire with many and yet they could not well see by that light because Barnevelt drew these pretences as a Curtain to get as much power in the Militia as he had in their Councils the better to bring his ends about Whereupon to ballance the Prince of Orange's power new Companies are levied in some of the Provinces secretly specially in Utrecht meaning to make that the Stage to act their bloody parts on Which Town being much corrupted with the Leaven of bad Doctrine they soon closed with the corruption of as bad manners The Prince of Orange and some others affected to him did cut out their time to the length of the others endeavours proportioning their Prevention suitable to the others Action so the advance of the one party ran upon the same Parallel with the other being ready to tread on their heels for hast And now the time being ripe The Prince goes to Utrecht accompanied with some of the States his intimates Count Ernest of Nassau and some other Commanders of the Army to seise upon or disband those new raised Forces in which he was opposed by Leydenburgh and other States of the Town who incited the Governour Sir Iohn Ogle our Countryman to deny the Prince entrance but he was too much a friend to the Honor of his Name and Nation to falsifie his trust So that the Prince encountred only with those whose unwillingness had power enough if they had had hearts to oppose him But he finding it would be an ill Precedent to the rest of the Towns to meet a Repulse here had ordered five Hundred foot from Arnham and the next Garrisons to meet him there who entred the Town that evening peaceably and the next morning about four a clock disbanded the new levied Companies before the Towns-men were well awake IOHAN VAN OLDENBARNEVELD Binnen s'Gravenhage Onthalst Den 13. May 1619. This giving some stop to the carreir of the Remonstrants in Utrecht the rest of the Towns took up though they had run long uncurbed And now the Prince and State thought of nothing more than of composing the Disorders of the Church by a National Council which Barnevelt and his Faction opposing they resolved to take away those impediments that hindered the Peace and Tranquility of the Provinces So that on the 19th of August the prime Ring-leaders of the Sedition Barnevelt Hogenberts and Grotius were seised on at the Hague as they were entring the Senate and committed to several Prisons This cast a general damp upon the spirits of the Remonstrants as if they had been crushed in the head And some few days after Leydenburgh was sent from Utrecht with a strong Guard These being the four chief Pillars whereupon this confused Building stood they being taken away it fell to the ground Leydenburgh to prevent their mercy stabbed himself in Prison with a knife that opened a passage to let out his life Hogenberts and Grotius found something of mercy by waiting for it but they were condemned to perpetual Imprisonment in the Castle of Lovestien And the latter of them Grotius after some time of Imprisonment made an escape in a Trunk which his Wife pretended to the Soldiers of the Castle to be full of Arminian Books which she would send away because they should not trouble her Husband's head But the Capital Offender Barnevelt was Beheaded at the Hague the fourteenth of May following being 1619. His Sentence of death was this That for so much he had endeavoured to disturb
more prayers and oblations offered here to the Mother than to the Son For the Marquess himself as he was a man of excellent symmetry and proportion of parts so he affected beauty where he found it but yet he looks upon the whole race of Women as inferior things and uses them as if the Sex were one best pleased with all And if his eye cull'd out a wanton beauty he had his Setters that could spread his Nets and point a meeting at some Ladies House where he should come as by accident and find Accesses while all his Train attended at the dore as if it were an honourable visit The Earl of Rutland of a Noble Family had but one Daughter to be the Mistris of his great Fortune and he tempts her carries her to his Lodgings in Whitehall keeps her there for some time and then returns her back again to her Father The stout old Earl sent him this threatning Message That he had too much of a Gentleman to suffer such an indignity and if he did not marry his Daughter to repair her honour no greatness should protect him from his justice Buckingham that perhaps made it his design to get the Father's good will this way being the greatest match in the Kingdom had no reason to mislike the Union therefore he quickly salved up the wound before it grew to a quarrel And if this Marriage stopt the Current of his sins he had the less to answer for This young Lady was bred a Papist by her Mother but after her Marriage to the Marquess she was converted by Doctor White as was pretended and grew a zealous Protestant but like a morning dew it quickly vanished For the old Countess of Buckingham never left working by her sweet Instruments the Iesuits till she had placed her on the first foundation So that the Marquess betwixt a Mother and a Wife began to be indifferent no Papist yet no Protestant but the Arminian Tenets taking root were nourished up by him and those that did not hold the same opinions were counted Puritans These new indifferences now grew so hot in England that the Protestant Cause grew very cold in Germany Which made the spirits of most men rise against the Spanish Faction at home and Spain's incroaching Monarchy abroad And though the King sped ill the last Parliament of Somerset's undertaking and thought to lay them by for ever as he often expressed looking upon them as incroachers into his Prerogative and diminishers of his Majesty and Glory making Kings less and Subjects more than they are Yet now finding the peoples desires high-mounted for regaining the Palatinate he thought they would look only up towards that and liberally open their Purses which he might make use of and this Unanimity and good agreement betwixt him and his people would induce his Brother of Spain to be more active in the Treaty in hand and so he should have supply from the one and dispatch from the other But Parliaments that are like Physicians to the bodies of Common-wealths when the humors are once stirred they find cause enough many times to administer sharp Medicines where there was little appearance of Diseases For in this Recess and Ease Time-servers and Flatterers had cried up the Prerogative And the King wanting Money for his vast expenses had furnished himself by unusual courses For Kings excessive in gifts will find followers excessive in demands and they that weaken themselves in giving lose more in gathering than they gain in the gift For Prodigality in a Soveraign ends in the Rapine and Spoil of the Subject To help himself therefore and those that drained from him he had granted several Patents to undertakers and Monopolizers whereby they preyed upon the people by suits and exactions milkt the Kingdom and kept it poor the King taking his ease and giving way to Informers the Gentry grown debauched and Fashion-mongers and the Commons sopt and besotted with quiet and restiness drunk in so much disability that it might well be said by Gondemar England had a great many people but few men And he would smile at their Musters for through disuse they were grown careless of Military Discipline ill provided of Arms effeminate Officers neglecting their charges and duties conniving for gain at their Neighbours miscarriages Some of the Officers in the Militia and Iustices of the Peace not a few being Church-Papists floating upon the smooth stream of the times overwhelming all others that opposed them stigmatizing them with the name of Puritans and that was mark enough to hinder the current of any proceeding or preferment aimed at or hoped for either in Church or State And the Iesuits ranging up and down like spirits let loose did not now as formerly creep into corners using close and cunning Artifices but practised them openly having admission to our Counsellors of State for when Secretaries and such as manage the intimate Counsels of Kings are Iesuitical and Clients to the Pope there can be no tendency of Affection to a contrary Religion or Policy Those were only most active in the Court of England that courted the King of Spain most and could carry the face of a Protestant and the heart of a Papist the rest were contented to go along with the cry For they hunted but a cold scent and could pick out and make nothing of it that drew off or crost or hunted counter Which raised the spirits of the people so high against them that were the chief Hunters in these times that they brought the King himself within the compass of their Libels and Pasquils charging him to love his hounds better than his people And if this bad blood had been heated to an itch of Innovation it would have broke out to a very fore and incurable Malady every man seeing the danger few men daring to prevent it The Pulpits were the most bold Opposers but if they toucht any thing upon the Spanish policy or the intended Treaties for the Restitution of the Palatinate was included in the Marriage before it was the Spaniards to give their mouths must be stopt by Gondemar without the Lady Iacob's Receipt and it may be confined or imprisoned for it So that there were noplain downright blows to be given but if they cunningly and subtily could glance at the misdemeanors of the Times and smooth it over metaphorically it would pass current though before the King himself For about this time one of his own Chaplains preaching before him at Greenwich took this Text 4 Mat. 8. And the Devil took Iesus to the top of a Mountain and shewed him all the Kingdoms of the World saying All these will I give c. He shewed what power the Devil had in the World at that time when he spake these words and from thence he came down to the power of the Devil now And dividing the World into four parts he could not make the least of the four to be Christian and of
command me to give you an account of my last Foreign Negotiation with the Emperour who you know being much exasperated with the invasion of Bohemia to which the King never gave incouragement in the attempt nor countenance in the Prosecution hath upon the advantage of his fortunate success there invaded into the inheritance of his Son the Palatine Whereupon I was directed by his Majestie 's Commission to treat if Peace might be compassed with fair endeavours to which the Emperour seemed very inclinable Albeit slow in giving Audience by reason that the Diet in Germany was deferred and he depended upon some answer from the Princes But in conclusion I received such satisfaction as promised Restitution of the Palatinate which only was granted by Commission to the Duke of Bavaria until it was setled by absolute Peace or further War And being addressed by the Emperour with Letters to the Duke of Bavaria wherein he wished his tractable condescent to all good Terms of Peace Upon which occasion I urged that I had Authority from the Count Palatinâ—e to cause the Count Mansfield to desist from War and likewise from the King to his Body of War under the Government of Sir Horatio Vere The Duke of Bavaria replied That he had becalmed Mansfield with great sums of money and when he is quiet my Peace is made To which scornful and slight reply somthing I answered and departed to the Infanta to Bruxels who seemed to understand by the Emperour's Letters that he did rather prepare for War then Peace and would give no direct answer till she heard from the King of Spain who I must ingenuously confess hath stood clear a Neutral according to his promise Yet is he now so strong prepared for War having at this instant five great Armies in motion that it will not mis-become the wisdom of the State to fear the worst And to conclude such hath been the care of the King for his own Honour and Son 's Right that he presumes you will cheerfully apply your selves to the necessity of the Times and this occasion and not only afford him aid for his present support but such further supply as may help to re-invest his Son into his inheritance Which Relation of Digbie's being seconded by some of the King 's great Minister of State who had instructions suitable to their Errand they let the Parliament know how justly and necessary it was and how forward the King would be to accomplish that by War which he could not recover by Peace and they set it off with all the slippery Oratory they could to draw in money for that being the main ingredient if that were provided the rest of the simples would easily be purchased to make up the Composition Thus the Kings suits and intreaties were slighted and disregarded abroad and his intentions suspected and feared at home Princes that do grasp Possessions with iron hands will not be smoothed out of them by fair words the Sword as it is the best determiner so it is the most honourable Treater And though the King incited the Parliament by these his Ministers to contribute towards a War yet they found his inclination bent towards Peace both in respect of Gondemar's power with him upon whose sandy promises he built a good Foundation of Hope and in regard of some Letters which the King had lately written to the King of Spain wherein great indulgencies were promised to the Papists whereby they saw he was too much transported with a desire to the Match And the King finding Digbie's indeavours fruitless in Germany intended to send him into Spain extraordinary Ambassador to that King whom he looked upon as the great Wheel that moved the others which way he pleased For he was resolved to close some way with the House of Austria either by Marriage or intreaty to peece and make up the Breach the War had made But the King had to do with cunning Gamesters that smiled to see how earnest he was at it for they had the sign given out of his hand and saw all the Game he played so faithless was the Councel about him The English in general except Papists were averse to this Match as boding some evil event because the Papists did prune themselves flutter up and down and spread their Trains so publickly This almost universal aversation of the people had a natural influence upon the Representative the Parliament who considering that the King by Digby and others did inform them how formidable the King of Spain was and did require them to apply themselves to the necessity of the Times and further him with help to re-invest his Son in his Inheritance thought there was no better means to be used than to try effectually the King's Spirit and stir him up to a war for so they should know which way their Money went at leastwise his mind before they tamely parted with it And therefore like wise Physicians that never prescribe letting blood but when it tends to the health of the Body first they shew the Causes of the Distempers and Evils that were to be feared Secondly what effects they were likely to produce And lastly the Remedies to prevent them in this Petition and Remonstrance Most Gracious and dread Soveraign VVE your Majestie 's most humble and loyal Subjects the Knights Citizens and Burgesses now assembled in Parliament who represent the Commons of your Realm full of hearty sorrow to be deprived of the Comfort of your Royal Presence the rather for that it proceeds from the want of your health wherein We all unfainedly do suffer In all humble manner calling to mind your gracious answer to our former Petition concerning Religion which notwithstanding your Majesties pious and princely intentions hath not produced that good effect which the danger of these Times doth seem to us to require And finding how ill your Majesties goodness hath been requited by Princes of different Religion who even in time of Treaty have taken opportunity to advance their own Ends tending to the Subversion of Religion and disadvantage of your affairs and the Estate of your Children By reason whereof your ill-affected Subjects at home the Popish Recusants have taken too much incouragement and are dangerously increased in their Number and in their insolencies We cannot but be sensible thereof And thereof humbly represent what we conceive to be the Causes of so great and growing Mischiefs and what be the Remedies 1. The Vigilancy and Ambition of the Pope of Rome and his dearest Son the one aiming at as large a Temporal Monarchy as the other at a Spiritual Supremacy 2. The Devillish Positions and Doctrines whereon Popery is built and taught with authority to their Followers for advancement of their Temporal Ends. 3. The distressed and miserable Estate of the Professors of true Religion in Foreign parts 4. The disastrous Accidents to your Majesties Children abroad expressed with rejoycing and even with contempt of their Persons 5.
The strange Confederacy of the Princes of the Popish Religion aiming mainly at the advancement of theirs and subverting Ours and taking the advantages conducing to that End upon all Occasions 6. The great and many Armies raised and maintained at the charge of the King of Spain the chief of that League 7. The expectation of the Popish Recusants of the Match with Spain and feeding themselves with great hopes of the consequences thereof 8. The interposing of Foreign Princes and their Agents in the behalf of Popish Recusants for connivence and favour unto them 9. Their open and usual Resort to the Houses and which is worse to the Chappels of Foreign Ambassadors 10. Their more than usual concourse to the City and their frequent Conventicles and Conferences there 11. The education of their Children in many several Seminaries and Houses of their Religion in Foreign parts appropriated only to the English Fugitives 12. The Grants of their just forfeitures intended by your Majesty as a reward of service to the Grantees but beyond your Majesties intention transferred or compounded for at such mean rates as will amount to little less than a Toleration 13. The licentious printing and dispersing of Popish and seditious Books even in the time of Parliament 14. The Swarms of Priests and Jesuits the common Incendiaries of all Christendom dispersed in all parts of your Kingdom And from these Causes as bitter Roots we humbly offer to your Majesty that we foresee and fear there will necessarily follow very dangerous effects both to Church and State For 1. The Popish Religion is incompatible with Ours in respect of their Positions 2. It draweth with it an unavoidable Dependency on foreign Princes 3. It openeth too wide a Gap for Popularity to any who shall draw too great a Party 4. It hath a restless Spirit and will strive by these Gradations if it once get but a Connivence it will press for a Toleration if that should be obtained they must have an equality from thence they will aspire to Superiority And will never rest till they get a Subversion of the true Religion The Remedies against these growing Evils which in all humbleness we offer to your most excellent Majesty are these 1. That seeing this inevitable Necessity is faln upon your Majesty which no wisdom or providence of a peaceable and pious King can avoid your Majesty would not omit this just occasion speedily and effectually to take your Sword into your hand 2. That once undertaken upon so Honourable and just grounds your Majesty would resolve to persue and more publickly avow the aiding of those of our Religion in foreign parts which doubtless would reunite the Princes and States of the Union by these disasters disheartned and disbanded 3. That your Majesty would propose to your self to manage this War with the best advantage by a Diversion or otherwise as in your deep judgment shall be found fittest and not to rest upon a War in these parts only which will consume your Treasure and discourage your people 4. That the bent of this War and point of your Sword may be against that Prince whatsoever Opinion of Potency he hath whose Armies and Treasures have first diverted and since maintained the War in the Palatinate 5. That for securing of our peace at home your Majesty will be pleased to review the parts of our Petition formerly delivered unto your Majesty and hereunto annexed and to put it in execution by the care of choice Commissioners to be there unto especially appointed the Laws already and hereafter to be made for preventing of Dangers by Popish Recusants and their wonted evasions 6. That to frustrate their hopes for a future Age our most Noble Prince may be timely and happily married to one of our own Religion 7. That the Children of the Nobility and Gentry of this Kingdom and of others ill affected and suspected in their Religion now beyond the Seas may be forthwith called home by your means and at the charge of their Parents or Governours 8. That the Children of Popish Recusants or such whose wives are Popish Recusants be brought up during their minority with Protestant Schoolmasters and Teachers who may sow in their tender years the seeds of true Religion 9. That your Majesty will be pleased speedily to revoke all former Licences for such Children and youth to travel beyond the Seas and not grant any such licence hereafter 10. That your Majesties learned Councel may receive commandment from your Highness carefully to look into former Grants of Recusants lands and to avoid them if by Law they can and that your Majesty will stay your hand from passing any such Grants hereafter This is the sum and effect of our Humble Declaration which we no ways intending to press upon your Majesties undoubted and Regal Prerogative do with the fulness of our Duty and Obedience humbly submit to your most Princely consideration the Glory of God whose Cause it is the Zeal of our true Religion in which we have been born and wherein by God's grace we are resolved to die the safety of your Majesties person who is the very life of your people the happiness of your Children and Posterity the Honour and good of the Church and State dearer unto us then our own lives having kindled these Affections truly devoted to your Majesty And seeing out of our Duty to your Majesty we have already resolved to give at the end of this Session one entire Subsidy for the present relief of the Palatinate only to be paid in the end of February next which cannot well be effected but by passing a Bill in a Parliamentary course before Christmas We most humbly beseech your Majesty as our assured hope is that you will then also vouchsafe to give life by your Royal assent to such Bills as before that time shall be prepared for your Majesties Honour and the general good of your People And that such Bills may be also accompanied as hath been accustomed with your Majestie 's gracious Pardon which proceeding from your own meer Grace may by your Highness direction be drawn to that latitude and extent as may best sort with your Majesties Bounty and Goodness And that not only Fellons and criminal offenders may take benefit thereof but that your good Subjects may receive ease thereby And if it shall so stand with your good pleasure that it may extend to the relief of the old Debts and Duties to the Crown before the first year of your Majesties raign to the discharge of Alienations without licence and misusing of Liveries and Oustre le main before the first summons of this Parliament and of concealed Wardships and not suing of Liveries and Oustre le mains before the twelfth year of your Majesties Reign Which gracious favour would much comfort your good Subjects and ease them from Vexation with little loss or prejudice to your own profit And we by our daily and devout prayers to the Almighty the great King of
Kings shall contend for a blessing upon our endeavours and for your Majesties long and happy Reign over Us And for your Childrens children after you for many and many Generations The King hearing that the House of Commons were hammering upon this Remonstrance went to Newmarket a cold and bleak Air in as cold and bleak a season pretending his Health but indeed to be further from the sound of that noise which perpetually possessed his Ears of the discontent of the Commons for the intended Match with Spain And as the Business grew up he had intimation of it from his creatures in the House for it vext his Popish Secretary Sir George Calvert Weston and others to find the House so bitter against their Profession though they were cunning Underminers and put on a smooth face there yet they aggravated the matter to the King with all the Acrimony they could so far as to reflect upon particular persons that were the most Active instruments in it And what is there in this Remonstrance at such a time when the Protestant Religion was in danger of being extirpated that put on so horrid a Vizard as to affright or exasperate the King The Emperor had prevailed in Germany the Protestant Princes either subdued or acquiesced and laid down their necks to the Yoak The Protestants were persecuted in France besieged and ruined by the youthful fury of Lewis the 13. And notwithstanding Our King's solicitations by Sir Edward Herbert since Baron of Cherbery his Resident Ambassador there who after his conflict with Luynes the youthful Constable of France and Favourite to that King being sent for home the Viscount Doncaster was sent again into France upon one of his mediating imployments who also followed that King from Camp to City and from City to Camp with as little success this being no journey of Bravery for it almost cost him his life there by a tedious sickness Rochel and Montaban were besieged at one time this very year Rochel by the Count of Soissons and the Duke of Guise and Montaban by the King a great distance one from another but Doncaster could prevail for neither yet the French King did not do his work When man hath vented all his malice he can go no further than the line God hath set him One sad story intervenes which had a various Countenance mixt with Bravery and Baseness so that it was doubtful which was most prevalent One Hicks an English-man undertook to carry a Letter from Rochel to Montaban through both Armies to let them know the good State and Condition of the Rochellers were in maugre the fury and violence of their Enemies that those of Montaban might be encouraged to hold out against the King's assaults Hicks makes a clear passage through the Army before Rochell and came to Thoulouse where the Viscount Doncaster was there he consorted with the English insinuating with a young Gentlemen one Fairfax of that noble Family in York-shire who was for that journey one of the Lord Ambassador's Train and Hicks finding him willing being a young and gallant Spirit to see the Kings Leagure at Montaban they rode thither together and under the notion of being of the Ambassador's retinue they had free admittance to view all the Works and Avenues Hicks whose eye was fixt upon his opportunity to fly into the Town made use of Fairfax to take his advantage with the least Suspicion and in the instant of time puts Spurs to his Horse and got into the Town through a Shower of Bullets leaving Fairfax astonish'd at the attempt to be wrackt and tormented to death as he was by the French fury to confess what he never knew so that Hicks his Braveâ—y deserves a Brand of Infamy and Fairfax his Innocency a memorial of pity A noble Spirit must not dare to do a gallant action an unworthy way UIUA EFFIGIES GENEROS I s siMI GULIELMI FAIRFAX PREFECTI To Frankenthal when seige Cordoua loyde Soe â—as our Britishe King craft ouerknau'd By Gondomeâ— as in it Martix made This honorable Cadet 3 and soe stau'd Of all reâ—reuts that Burroughs there comander Our glorious Burrougâ—s was compell'd to render THOVLOVSE But when this Remonstrance was brought to perfection the King had a Copy of it before the House had time to send their Messengers with it in which something so highly displeased him that he instantly dispatched a Letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons to forbid the sending of it To Our Trusty and Wellbeloved Sir Thomas Richardson Knight Speaker of the House of Commons Mr. Speaker WE have heard by divers Reports to our great grief that Our distance from the Houses of Parliament caused by Our indisposition of health hath imboldned some fiery and Popular Spirits of some of the House of Commons to argue and debate publickly of Matters far above their reach and capacity tending to Our high dishonour and breach of Prerogative Royal. These are therefore to command you to make known in Our Name unto the House that none therein shall presume henceforth to meddle with any thing concerning Our Government or deep Matters of State and namely not to deal with our dearest Son's Match with the Daughter of Spain nor to touch the Honour of that King or any other our Friends or Confederates And also not to meddle with any mans particulars which have their due motion in our ordinary Courts of Justice And whereas we hear they have sent a Message to Sir Edwin Sandis to know the Reasons of his late restraint you shall in Our Name resolve them that it was not for any misdemeanor of his in Parliament But to put them out of doubt of any question of that Nature that may arise among them hereafter you shall resolve them in Our Name That We think Our self very free and able to punish any man's misdemeanors in Parliament as well during their sitting as after which we mean not to spare hereafter upon any occasion of any man's insolent Behaviour there that shall be ministred unto Us. And if they have already touched any of these points which We have here forbidden in any Petition of theirs which is to be sent unto Us it is our pleasure that you shall tell them that except they reform it before it come to our hands We will not deign the hearing nor answering of it This was the effect of the Letter Dated at Newmarket Decem. 3. 1621. When the House had duly and weightily considered the just Reasons they had to draw up this Remonstrance in discharge of their Consciences and duties to God and the King and found how fruitless their labours were Having as it were cast out one Anchor in a tempestuous season which would take no hold they were forced to cast out another that both together might better fasten on the King 's good affections Therefore they framed this following Petition and sent the Remonstrance with it hoping yet to save the beaten Bark of the
Common-wealth from ruin in so great a time of danger And thus they address themselves to their great Pilot. Most dread and gracious Soveraign WE your most humble and loyal Subjects the Knights Citizens and Burgesses assembled in the Commons House of Parliament full of grief and unspeakable sorrow through the true sence of your Majesties displeasure expressed by your Letter lately sent to Our Speaker and by him related and read unto Us Yet comforted again with the assurance of your Grace and Goodness and of the sincerity of our own intentions and proceedings whereon with confidence we can rely in all humbleness beseech your most excellent Majesty that the Loyalty and Dutifulness of as faithful and loving Subjects as ever served or lived under a gracious Soveraign may not undeservedly suffer by the mis-information of partial and uncertain Reports which are ever unfaithful Intelligencers but that your Majesty would in the clearness of your own Judgment first vouchsase to understand from Our selves and not from others what our humble Declaration and Petition resolved upon by the Universal Voice of the House and proposed with your Gracious favour to be presented unto your Sacred Majesty doth contain Upon what Occasion we entred into Consideration of those things which are therein contained with what dutiful respect to your Majesty and your Service we did consider thereof and what was our true intention thereby And that when your Majesty shall thereby truly discern our dutiful Affections you will in your Royal judgment free us from those heavy Charges wherewith some of our Members are burthened and wherein the whole House is involved And we humbly beseech your Majesty that you will not hereafter give Credit to private Reports against all or any of the Members of our House whom the whole have not censured until your Majesty have been truly informed thereof from our selves and that in the mean time and ever we may stand upright in your Majesties Grace and good Opinion than which no worldly consideration is or can be dearer unto us When your Majesty had reassembled us in Parliament by your Royal Commandment sooner than we expected and did vouchsafe by the mouths of three honourable Lords to impart unto us the weighty occasions moving your Majesty thereunto And from them we did understand these particulars That notwithstanding your Princely and Pious indeavours to procure Peace the time is now come that Janus Temple must be opened That the Voice of Bellona must be heard and not the Voice of the Turtle That there was no hope of Peace nor any Truce to be obtained no not for a few days That your Majesty must either abandon your own Children or ingage your self in a war wherein Consideration is to be had what foot what horse what money would be sufficient That the Lower Palatinate was seized upon by the Army of the King of Spain as Executor of the Ban there in quality of Duke of Burgundy as the Upper Palatinate was by the Duke of Bavaria That the King of Spain at his own Charge had now at least five several Armies on foot That the Princes of the Union were disbanded but the Catholick league remained firm whereby those Princes so dissevered were in danger one by one to be ruined That the Estate of those of the Religion in Foreign parts was miserable And That out of these Considerations we were called to a war and forthwith to advise for a Supply for keeping the forces in the Palatinate from disbanding and to fore-see the means for raising and maintaining the body of an Army for the war against the Spring We therefore out of our Zeal to your Majesty and your Posterity with more alacrity and colerity than ever was precedented in Parliament did address our selves to the Service commended unto Us. And although we cannot conceive that the honor and safety of your Majesty and your posterity the patrimony of your Children invaded and possessed by their Enemies the welfare of Religion and State of your Kingdom are matters at any time unfit for our deepest consideration in time of Parliament And though before this time we were in some of these points silent yet being now invited thereunto and led on by so just an occasion we thought it Our Duties to provide for the present supply thereof and not only to turn our eyes on a war abroad but to take care for the securing of our peace at home which the dangerous increase and insolency of Popish Recusants apparently visibly and sensibly did lead us unto The consideration whereof did necessarily draw us truly to represent unto your Majesty what we conceive to be the Causes what we feared would be the effects and what we hoped might be the remedies of these growing Evils Among which as incident and unavoidable we fell upon some things which seem to touch upon the King of Spain as they have relation to Popish Recusants at home to the Wars by him maintained in the Palatinate against your Majestie 's Children and to his several Armies now on foot yet as we conceived without touch of dishonour to that King or any other Prince your Majestie 's Consederate In the discourse whereof we did not assume to our selves any power to determin of any part thereof nor intend to incroach or intrude upon the Sacred bounds of your Royal Authority to whom and to whom only we acknowledg it doth belong to resolve of Peace and War and of the Marriage of the most noble Prince your Son But as your most Loyal and humble Subjects and Servants representing the whole Commons of your Kingdom who have a large interest in the happy and prosperous estate of your Majesty and your Royal Posterity and of the flourishing Estate of our Church and Common-wealth did resolve out of our Cares and Fears truly and plainly to demonstrate these things to your Majesty which we were not assured could otherwise come so fully and clearly to your knowledg and that being done to lay the same down at your Majesties feet without expectation of any other answer of your Majesty touching these higher points than what at your good pleasure and in your own time should be held fit This being the effect of that we had formerly resolved upon and these the occasions and reasons inducing the same our humble suit to your Majesty and confidence is that your Majesty will be graciously pleased to receive at the hands of these our Messengers our former humble Declaration and Petition and to vouchsafe to read and favourably to interpret the same And that to so much thereof as containeth our humble Petition concerning Jesuits Priests and Popish Recusants the passage of Bills and granting your Royal Pardon you will vouchsafe an answer unto us And whereas your Majesty by the general words of your Letter seemeth to restrain us from intermedling with matters of Government or particulars which have their motion in the Courts of Justice the generality of which words
Letter which happily he might think would quicken the Pope to dispatch the Dispensation when he should find so little cause for Delayes by his closing so nearly with him Which whether out of Policy or Real intention cannot be asserted but the Letter was thus MOst Holy Father I received the Dispatch from your Holiness with great content and with that Respect which the Piety and care wherewith your Holiness writes doth require It was an unspeakable pleasure to me to read the Generous Exploits of the King 's my Predecessors to whose Memory Posterity hath not given those praises and Elogies of Honour that were due to them I do believe that your Holiness hath set their Example before my Eyes to the end that I might imitate them in all my Actions for in truth they have often exposed their Estates and Liâ—es for the Exaltation of the Holy Chair And the â—ouâ—â—ge with which they have assaulted the Enemies of the Cross of Iesus Christ hath not been less then the Care and thought which I have to the end that the Peace and Intelligence which hath hitherto been wanting in Christendom might be bound with a bond of true concord for like as the common Enemy of Peace watcheth alwayes to put Hatred and Dissention between Christian Princes so I believe that the Glory of God requires that we should endeavour to unite them And I do not esteem it a greater Honour to be descended from so great Princes then to imitate them in the Zeal of their Piety In which it helps me very much to have known the Mind and Will of our Thrice Honoured Lord and Father and the Holy Intentions of his Catholick Majesty to give a happy Concurrence to so laudable a Design For it grieves him extreamly to see the great Evil that grows from the Division of Christian Princes which the Wisdom of your Holiness foresaw when it judged the Marriage which you pleased to design between the Infanta of Spain and my self to be necessary to procure so great a good For 't is very certain that I shall never be so extreamly affectionate to any thing in the World as to endeavour allyance with a Prince that hath the same apprehension of the true Religion with my self Therefore I intreat your Holiness to believe that I have been alwayes far from encouraging Novelties or to be a Partisan of any faction against the Catholick Apostolick Roman Religion But on the contrary I have sought all occassions to take away the suspicion that might rest upon me and that I will imploy my self for the Time to come to have but one Religion and one Faith seeing that we all believe in One Jesus Christ. Having resolved in my self to spare nothing that I may have in the World and to suffer all manner of Discommodities even to the hazarding of my estate and life for a thing so pleasing unto God It rests only that I thank your Holiness for the permission which you have been pleased to afford me and that I may pray God to give you a blessed Health here and his Glory after so much travel which your Holiness takes within his Church Signed CHARLES STUART It may well be a Quere Whether this profession of the Prince in suffering all discommodities even to the Hazarding of Estate and Life did not rest upon him at his Death as may be said hereafter But there is a long Race for him to run before he come to that End It seems he had either a good Will to write this Letter or a bad Council to indite it or both conjoyned that were as careful to please the Pope as they were hopeful it would never come to see the light till the flame of it would be too visible For if the Prince intended Really when he had power to introduce Popery into England this Letter in a bloody colour too apparently would have been discovered and if his intentions were formal and only to close with the Pope for his present accommodation how black would every Character of this letter look to the Roman Rubrick and what a Tincture of Scandal would it leave upon the true Religion for Fallere fallentem may be a fit Motto for a bad man not a good Christian so that whatsoever his Intentions were the Act was evill And I could suspect it is a forged Letter but that it hath been asserted by so many Authors both at home and abroad The Pope finding by this letter and some other private intimations the Princes good affections to the Roman See thought it high time to dally no longer but to draw him altogether with the Cords of Love therefore he dispatches the Dispensation to his Nuntio at Madrid six months after the Prince's arrival there with a little Bob at the Tail of it yet to amuse them Which was That the King of Great Britain and the Prince should give Caution to perform what was stipulated between them and the King of Spain especially in those Articles which were in favour of the Roman Catholicks in England and other his Majestie 's Dominions Requiring at least some Soveraign Catholick Prince should engage for them by oath This made some little demur for being sent into England the King answered That he could give no other Caution but his own and the Princes Royal Words and Oaths Confirmed by his Council of State and Exemplified under the great Seal of England But this would not satisfie Therefore the King of Spain undertook it and it was thought a Spanish Device That by undertaking such an engagement he might not only the more endear himself to the King of Great Britain and to the Prince his Brother but have a more colourable pretext to make War against England if the Roman Catholicks there had not full satisfaction and freedom according to the Articles and the King of Spain knowing or assureing himself that no Catholick Prince would take such an Oath offered himself to satisfie the Pope And a Committee of Ecclesiasticks in Spain were appointed to debate the Case in Relation to the King's conscience whether he might take such an Oath for them and they being doubtless resolved on it before concluded Affirmatively And that if the King of Great Britain and Prince should fail in the performance of these Capitulations the King of Spain might save his Oath by vindicating the Breach thereof upon them with his Sword And now this Monster-difficulty being overcome by the Spanish Bravery the very same time Articles that our King and Prince had signed as are before related were sent into England for our King and his privy Council to swear to and there was not a Rub left for either party to stumble at But whilst these things were in motion in Spain they were much regretted and badly resented in England The Spirit almost of the whole Nation being averse to this Union which made many vent their Passion by their Pens as well as their tongues Amongst the rest the Archbishop of
Canterbury knowing that a Toleration was to be admitted though he stood tottering in the King's Favour and had the Badg of a Puritan clapt upon him thought it better to discharge his Conscience though he hazarded all rather than be silent in such a Cause where the Glory of God and the Good of the Kingdom were so higly concerned Therefore he writes this letter to the King May it please your Majesty I Have been too long silent and am afraid by my Silence I have neglected the Duty of the Place it hath pleased God to call me unto and your Majesty to place me in And now I humbly crave leave I may discharge my Conscience towards God and my Duty to your Majesty And therefore I beseech your Majesty give me leave freely to deliver my self and then let your Majesty do with me what you please Your Majesty hath propounded a Toleration of Religion I beseech you Sir take into your consideration what the Act is next what the consequence may be By your Act you labour to set up that most Damnable and Heretical Doctrine of the Church of Rome the Whore of Babylon How Hateful will it be to God and grievous unto your good Subjects the true Professors of the Gospel that your Majesty who hath often disputed and learnedly written against those wicked Heresies should now shew your self a Patron of those Doctrines which your Pen hath told the World and your Conscience tels your Self are Superstitious Idolatrous and Detestable Add hereunto what you have done in sending the Prince into Spain without the consent of your Council the Privity and Approbation of your People And though Sir you have a large Interest in the Prince as the Son of your Flesh yet hath the people a greater as the Son of the Kingdom upon whom next after your Majesty their Eyes are fixed and Welfare depends And so tenderly is his going apprehended as believe it Sir however his return may be safe yet the drawers of him to that Action so dangerous to himself to desperate to the Kingdom will not pass away unquestioned and unpunished Besides this Toleration which you endeavour to set up by Proclamation cannot be done without a Parliament unless your Majesty would let your Subjects see That you will take unto your self a liberty to throw down the Laws of the Land at your Pleasure What dreadful Consequence these things may draw after them I beseech your Majesty to consider And above all lest by this Toleration and discontinuance of the true profession of the Gospel whereby God hath blessed us and under which this Kingdom hath for many years flourished your Majesty do not draw upon the Kingdom in general and your Self in particular God's heavy Wrath and Indignation Thus in discharge of my Duty towards God to your Majesty and the place of my Calling I have taken humble Boldness to deliver my Conscience And now Sir do with me what you please Thus did our Solomon in his latter time though he had fought with the Beasts at Ephesus as one saith of him incline a little too much to the Beast Yet he made his tale so good to the Archbishop of Canterbury what reservations soever he had that he wrought upon the good old man afterwards in the Conclusion of the work to set his Hand as a Witness to the Articles And his desires were so heightned to the Heats of Spain which boyl'd him to such a Distemper that he would listen to nothing and almost yield to any thing rather than not to enjoy his own Humour Divers of his intimate Council affecting Popery were not slack to urge him to a Toleration and many Arguments were used inciting to it As that Catholicks were the King 's best and most peaceable Subjects the Puritans being the only Sticklers and the greatest Disturbers of the Royal peace trenching too boldly upon the Prerogative and striving to lessen the Kingly power But if the King had occasion to make use of the Catholicks he should find them more faithful to him than those that are ever contesting with him And why should not Catholicks with as much safety be permitted in England as the Protestants are in France That their Religion was full of Love and Charity where they could enjoy it with freedom and where Charity layes the Foundation the upper Building must needs be spiritual But these Arguments were answered and many reasons alledged against them proving the Nature of the Protestant Religion to be Compatible with the Nature of the Politick Laws of any State of what Religion soever Because it teacheth that the Government of any State whether Monarchial or Aristocratical is Supream within it self and not subordinate to any power without so that the Knot of Allegiance thereunto is so firmly tied that no Humane power can unloose or dissolve it Whereas on the contrary the Roman Religion acknowledging a Supremacy in another above that power which swayeth the State whereof they are Members must consequently hold that one stroke of that Supreme power is able to unsinew and cut in sunder all the Bonds which ty them to the Subordinate and Dependent Authority And therefore can ill accord with the Allegiance which Subjects owe to a Prince of their own Religion which makes Papists intolerable in a Protestant Common-wealth For what Faith can a Prince or People expect from them whose Tenet is That no Faith is to be held with Hereticks That the Protestants in France had merited better there than the Papists had done in England the one by their Loyalties to their lawful King having ransomed that Kingdom with their Bloods in the Pangs of her desperate Agonies from the Yoak of an Usurper within and the Tyranny of a Forain Scepter without The other seeking to write their Disloyalties in the Heart-Blood of the Princes and best Subjects of this Kingdom That the Number and Quality of the Professors of these different Religions in either Kingdom is to be observed For in France the Number of the Protestants were so great that a Toleration did not make them but found them a Considerable Party so strong as they could not have been suppressed without endangering the Kingdom But a Toleration in England would not find but form the Papists to be a considerable party witness their encrease by this late Connivency a thing which ought mainly to be avoided For the distraction of a State into several powerfull parties is alwaies weakning and often proveth the utter ruine thereof These thing were laid open to the King but all were waved by the King of Spain's Offering His engagement to the Pope by oath That he and the Prince his son should observe and keep the Articles stipulated betwixt them did exceedingly affect him And the Articles now coming to close up all they were ingrossed with a long preamble Declaring to all the World the much desired Union betwixt him and the King of Spain by the marriage of his son to
free Trumpet sending into England with the Prince Don Mendosa de Alcorcana to our King to congratulate the Princes happy Voyage into Spain and his safe return into England And from thence he had instructions to go into Flanders Germany and Italy to make known to all Princes and Potentates Allies to the King of Spain how neer the Treaty of Marriage betwixt the Prince of England and the Infanta of Spain was to be consummated And the Polonian Ambassadour at Madrid that solicited to have the Infanta for the Prince of Poland when he saw such preparations for the Match with England fainted in his Hopes and returned home For as soon as the Dispensation came from the new Pope which was in the Beginning of December Bonefires were made throughout all Spain for joy and the great Ordnance every where thundred out the noise of it The ninth of the month was prefixt for the Mariage day a Tarras being erected betwixt the Court and the next Church almost a quarter of a mile in length covered with Tapestry for the more magnificence and all things appointed in the highest State for so great a Solemnity Presents were providing in the Court of Spain for Our King and Prince the Infantas family to take into England was setled and established She had used her best skill among the Sweets of Spain as one of the Principal of them to cloth her Lord and Husband with some suits of perfumed Amber leather some imbroidered with Pearl and some with gold she had practiced long the English tongue to make it natural by the help of her two Iesuit Tutors Wadsworth and Boniface and began to draw the letters which she intended to have written the day of her Espousals to the Prince her Husband and the King her Father-in-law Her journeyinto England being resolved on about the Beginning of March In this State and perfection were the affairs of Spain when Our King's commands like a Cloud overshadowed the Brightness of them For Bristol had now Order to declare positively to the King of Spain that without the Restitution of the Palatinate and the Electoral Dignity the Treaty should proceed no further Four Messengers viz. Mr. Killigrew Gresly Wood and Davies followed each other at the heels which raised such a dust of Discontentment among the people at Madrid that as some report they wished they had broken their necks by the way so highly were the Commonalty of Spain affected with the Match And if they felt the Influence of this cloudy Message what did the Lady Infanta and the King do The one to lose her Lover the other to lose his Honour She whose Heart was affected and He who found himself affronted But his answer to Bristol was The Palatinate was none of his to give and the Electorate was in the Power of another but if the Emperor and the Duke of Bavaria would not yield to reason he would Arm himself on our King's part against them But this would not satisfie fair Promises having now lost their Virtue and the King of Spain discerning a Breach towards by this Various Motion sent to the Earl of Bristol to demand no more Audience of him to deliver no more Letters to the Infanta and gave command that none should call her hereafter Princess of England This was the end of seven years Treaty Wherein the King of England a King of Peace in spight of all the Spanish Armadoes got the Victory and Spain for many years did not receive so great an overthrow Yet they were paid in their own Coin For at the first and in the highest Progress of the Treaty when Our King was so eager for the Match in all likelyhood they never intended it But the Prince's Presence gaining much with both Sexes his Journey into Spain being esteemed among them so glorious an action and the hopes they had now by this Marriage to propagate the Catholick Cause finding the Prince as they thought something inclined that way better digested their first intentions and brought it to the state from whence it declined The Duke of Buckingham by the insinuation of a long converse having brought the Prince up to his own Humor taught him to look back to the Beauty he had seen in France which was neerer to him that he might remember the Spanish no more now esloigned from him But the Treaty with Spain must be first dissolved to give a tincture of Honor to a proceeding with the other and nothing but a Parliament shall do that which thâ—y had fore-determined For a Parliament taking away the cause which was a Treaty of Peace were best able to make good the effect which would be a War that must follow it Therefore a Parliament was summoned to meet the 12 th of February but a sad accident intervened which made it to be deferred for some few daies That morning the Parliament was to begin the King missed the Duke of Richmond's attendance who being a constant observer of him at all times the King as it were wanted one of his Limbs to support the Grandure of Majesty at the first solemn meeting of a Parliament and calling for him with earnestness a Messenger was dispatched to his Lodgings in Hast where the King's Commands and the Messenger Importunity made the Dutchess his wife somewhat unwillingly go to the Duke's Bed-side to awake him who drawing the Curtain found him dead in his Bed The suddenness of the affright struck her with so much Consternation that she was scarce sensible of the Horror of it and it was carried with that violence to the King that he would not adorn himself that day to ride in his Glories to the Parliament but put it off to the nineteenth of February following dedicating some part of that time to the Memory of his dead Servant who might serve as a fore-runner to the King and an Emblem to all his People That in the dark caverns of Man's Body Death often lurkes which no Humane Prudence or Providence is able to discover For the Dutchess to some of her intimates confessed afterwards that She found the effects of his full Veines that night that he was found dead the next Morning The portraiture of the illustreous Princesse Frances Duchess of Richmond and Lenox daughter of Thomas LD. Howard of Bindon sonne of Thomas Duke of Norfok. whose mother was Elisabeth daughter of Edward Duke of Buckingham Anno 1623. When She was Countess of Hertford and found admirers about her She would often discourse of her two Grand-Fathers the Dukes of Norfolk and Buckingham recounting the time since one of her Grand-Fathers did this the other did that But if the Earl her Husband came in presence she would quickly desist for when he found her in those Exaltations to take her down he would say Frank Frank How long is it since thou wert Married to Prannel which would damp the Wings of her Spirit and make her look after her feet as well as gawdy Plumes One
the delights she suckt in there made his condition again known to her Father The old man being troubled with his Daughters disobedience imbitter'd her being near him with wearisome and continual chidings to wean her from the sweets she doted on and with much ado forced her into the Country But how harsh was the parting being rent away from the place where she grew and flourished Yet she left all her Engines and Imps behind her the old Doctor and his Confederate Mrs. Turner must be her two supporters She blazons all her miseries to them at her depart and moystens the way with her tears Chartley was an hundred miles from her happiness and a little time thus lost is her eternity When she came thither though in the pleasantest time of Summer she shut herself up in her Chamber not suffering a beam of light to peep upon her dark thoughts If she stirred out of her Chamber it was in the dead of Night when sleep had taken possession of all others but those about her In this implacable sad discontented humour she continued some moneths always murmuring against but never giving the least civil respect to her Husband which the good man suffered patiently being loth to be the divulger of his own misery yet having a manly courage he would sometimes break into a little passion to see himself sleighted and neglected by himself but having never found better from her it was the easier to bear with her Robert Earle of Essex his Excellence Generall of the Army etc For coming to London next Winter with this full sail loaden with lust she found the Viscount much prepared for her who being at first fastned on the Object absence and all those little Artifices that mischievous Women and cunning Impostures could devise had advanced him as much in his desires as they had hindred the other We could dispute the Nature of these Operations how far they are Contingent and how the fancy works with them though ignorant of them making their impulsions more active being the sparks that kindle this combustible matter for we will never allow there was any other Diabolical means used Nature being strong enough for such a production but being not pertinent to the Story will leave it and follow them that found the effects of it and had affections suitable to it which they made use of with an unbridled appetite yet meeting closely in corners Sin being at first shamefaced but afterwards they grew more bold and every hour that the Viscount could steal from his Royal Master he dedicated it to his Disloyal Mistris being caught in this Net of Adulation he becomes a willing Prisoner Lust only getting liberty to all looseness and licentiousness Places of frequent Meetings are daily renewed Persons fitted for such practices are employed and when Nature was exhausted Art her subtil Imitator brought in her store to contribute new Spirits purchased at any rate All outward Adornment to present Beauty in her full Glory were not wanting on both sides being Lusts fuel which tended to the Consumption of all Reason And among the rest yellow starch the invention and foyl of Iaundice Complexions with great Cut-work Bands and Piccadillies a thing that hath since lost the name crouded in and flourished among us Mrs. Turner being nominoted to be the first Contriver happily in England but the Original came out of France which fashion and colour did set off their lean sallow countenances Thus did the Viscount get the Conquest of two the King and this Lady but could not subdue his own lustful Appetite The Wheel of Fortune running towards the Scots turned by the Viscount Rochester was unhappily diverted upon the Lord Sanquir a Baron of that Nation and married to a good Family in England who some years before meeting with a sturdy Fencer one Iohn Turner who was a Master of the Weapon-Trade in his own School the young Lord strove to put some affront upon him making it no little Conquest to disgrace a Master in the Art as they termed it and the man apprehensive of the Attempt with a bold rudeness prest so hard upon him that he thrust out one of the Barons eyes This business was much regretted by Turner and the Baron being conscious to himself that he meant his Adversary some ill took the Accident with as much patience as men that lose one eye by their own default use to do for the preservation of the other Some time after being in the Court of the late great Henry of France and the King courteous to Strangers entertaining discourse with him askt him how he lost his eye he cloathing his answer in a better shrowd than a plain Fencers told him it was done with a Sword The King replies Doth the man live And that question gave an end to the Discourse but was the beginner of a strange Confusion in his working Fancy which neither Time nor Distance could compose carrying it in his breast some years after till he came into England where he hired two of his Country-men Gray and Carlile men of low and mercenary spirits to murther him which they did with a Case of Pistols in his own House in White-Fryars many years after the loss of his bodily eye thus the Baron lost the eye of his Reason This bold nefarious Act was very deeply resented at Court and the Kings Commands were so active for apprehension of the murderers that they were all three taken one upon the Borders of Scotland so far had his fears carried him another in a Ship bound for Hamburgh who scaping in a Storm the Seas delivered up and the Lord himself being obscured in this Tempest of his Soul hearing a thousand pound was offered to bring his Head so liberal was the King for Iustice threw himself into the Arms of his Mercy by the mediation of the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury to whom he presented himself an Object of pity but no intercession could prevail their lives satisfied the Law the Baron not having the honour of a Noble death Edward Earle of Dorset Lord Chamberlaine to the Queene etc. The Kings affections were not so monopolized but that his crafty Servant the Earl of Salisbury had a good hole as well in his Councils as Treasure And being not well pleased to see himself bearded by a Youth new started into the affairs of the World and mounted by the wing of love not of merit he cast out many mists before him to hinder and damp his passage so that the Viscount could not rise to that pitch during his life that he afterwards arrived at And one thing among the rest he obstructed was five thousand pounds the King had given him to maintain his Riot Which sum the Treasurer thought too great a bulk to be carried lightly away and therefore he desired the King might see what he did And having layd the money in Silver upon Tables in his Gallery at Salisbury-house he invited the King to dinner making
but what is their great Errand to get Money If they touch upon miscarriage in Government it disparages him to his people for now the inside of his Copses are well grown again If upon Religion he knows well enough how to order that if the Treaty with Spain goes on And for the affairs of State he seems to imply as if there were some hidden and secret Art in those Mysteries of King-craft that the Parliaments apprehension cannot reach For who can have wisdom saith he to judge of things CAESAR BORGIA VALENtiorum Dux Cum pater ad summos Romae esset vectus honores Borgaei toto Praesulvt orbe foret Purpuraei donat gnato huic insigne galèri Quod tamen hoc tantum respuit ille decus Cum ferabella sequi mallet Veneremâ— nefandam Et sratrâ—m è â—ediâ— tolleret suum of that Nature but those that are traded in them Every man in his Profession So the Priests by their old Oracles did strive to keep the World in ignorance as the Romish Factors do now Whereas the true way of Treaties is with Christian not Machiavelian policy This we require this answer we expect you shall have this Retribution from Us. If you go about to cozen and cheat Us by delays and spin out time for ends such Syrens must not be listened after Every State must stand upon the foundation of its own Reason and Power and not build Castles of paper Hopes upon deceitful promises unless there be such redundant Causes of dependency upon them as it is impossible to subsist without them It was observed by Comines that in all Treaties betwixt the English and the French the English ever had the worst but in all Wars and Conflicts the English had the better intimating that Subtilâ—y may deceive but plain down-right Honesty is best and will prevail Falsness is fit for such spirits as Pope Alexander or his Nephew Caesar Borgia Scipio though a Heathen in his pactions with Spain and Carthage scorned it and the old Roman Senate were so Gallant as to rebuke Lucius Marcius their Ambassador and General because in the managing of his Wars and Treaties with Perseus King of Macedon he went about by subtilties to circumvent him And now an Ambassador as one saith lyes abroad Reipublicae causa for the good of his Countrey which tends rather to the hurt of it But now they find that the King would only make Merchandize of the Common-wealth yet Merchants look for their Money again with advantage and therefore their Counsel in disposing it may be well spared But the Parliament it they raise Money from the People which is never to be repayed there is good reason they should know not only to what purpose it is levied but how prudently and sitly laid out otherwise as the King tells them in the comparison of the Robber though in relation to his Prerogative if they should be summoned to levy Money of the people without consideration of what it is for or how it shall be disposed for the good of the Kingdom they may very well say and protest That they meant not to take it from them so that is not to rob them of it But the King's necessities must come under the Common Emergencies which he would not have known and what will one Subsidy without fifteens do The Protestants want in the Palatinate so doth he in England But he had lately a great assistance from his People never King of England found greater love as he saith of himself yet he wants still and would have supply for it under the notion of a War They must consider what Money is fit what Foot what Horse necessary but they must not know for what All that they can imagine is that the King wants Money for his Favourite Buckingham and his kindred to furnish them against Christmas for feasting gaming and bravery the three main pillars of the Times licentiousness raised up to a stupendious and excessive height or to send out his Ambassadors or help his indigent and expensive Courtiers and then the Wars are ended for Want is a great War But if the good of the Kingdom the establishment of Religion the happiness of the King and his Posterity be not fit Themes for them to discourse of why are they called The late Queen whose memory will be for ever famous by the King 's own relation liked the Parliaments Petition well when they humbly besought her to marry because they did not prescribe her place and person but left that to her Election if they had done otherwise She would have thought it presumption in them The King thinks it presumption in the Parliament humbly to beseech him for the good of Religion to permit his Son to marry with a Protestant Princess if they had fixt upon place or person he would have thought it High Treason So many degrees high was the King's spirit mounted above a Woman's to humble Subjects and so many degrees lower then Hers was his Spirit to daring Enemies Some of these things were publickly discoursed of among them in the House and other-some muttered and talkt of in private for full breasts will find vent but the main business that the Commons insisted on was the King's incroachment upon their Liberties debarring them freedom of speech in Parliament which was a Natural Reasonable and uncontroul'd immunity as long as they kept themselves within the limits of their duty which the House was to be the sole judge of And who can tax any particular Member with miscarriages that way that the house hath not Censured hitherto for now the heat is but new broke in among them and this liberty of speech stuck most with them for if any man should speak any thing to displease the King though it tended never so much to the good of the Kingdom it might be termed insolent behaviour and be liable to punishment after Parliament if not then as the King threatens in his Letter which carried such a Terror and over-awing with it that they resolved to give over all business left they should offend Which the King hearing of writes again to his Secretary Calvert and the Speaker to take off the edge of those sharp expressions he used in his Letters thinking to cool the heat among them But before this heat was in the House of Commons the Lords began to consider how cheap they were made by the multitude of Irish and Scotch Earls and Viscounts the King had accumulated not the Natives of those Kingdoms but private English Gentlemen who had procured and assumed those Titles to perch above the English Baronry to their great regret and dishonour And after some debate and canvassing in it they resolved That though they could not debar the King from making such swarms of Nobles with Outlandish Titles yet they would let him know what prejudice it was to them and if it produced no other good effect the King might at least see they took offence and
were not well pleased with it which made them present him with this Petition thus Subsigned The Humble Petition of the Nobility of England THat whereas your Majesty at the importunity of some natural Subjects of this Realm of England hath been pleased to confer upon them Honours Titles and Dignities peculiar to other your Majestie 's Dominions by which all the Nobility of this Realm either in themselves their Children or both find they are prejudiced Our humble desire is that with your gracious allowance we may challenge and preserve our Birth-rights And that we may take no more notice of these Titulars to our Prejudice than the Law of this Land doth but that we may be excused if in civil courtesie we give them not the respect or place as to Noblemen strangers seeing that these being our Country Men born and inheritanced under our Laws their families and abode among us have yet procured their Translation into foreign names only to our injury But in this address to your Sacred Majesty it is far from Us to meddle with much less to limit or interpret the Power of your Soveraignty knowing that your Majesty being the Root whence all Honour receives Sap under what Title soever may collate what you please upon whom when and how you please Wherefore in all humbleness We present this to your gracious view confident of your Majesties equal favour herein 1. Oxford 2. Huntington 3. Essex 4. Lincoln 5. Dorset 6. Salisbury 7. Warwick 8. Abergavenie 9. Dacres 10. Darcie 11. Stafford 12. Willoughbie 13. Sheffeild 14. Windsor 15. Gray 16. Wentworth 17. Mordant 18. Scroop 19. Cromwell 20. Sturton 21. Howard 22. St. Iohn 23. Paget 24. Russell 25. Gerrard 26. Dudley 27. Hunsdon 28. Denny 29. Spencer 30. Haughton 31. Stanhope 32. Say 33. Noell Thus we see the Errors of Princes are sometimes put into the Scale and they bring with them so much trouble and vexation that they often weigh down their Glory and Happiness for no man can feel the load and burthen of it but he that wears a Crown The King was conscious to himself that he had done these Noblemen injury especially the Barons to advance their inferiours above them for a little profit either to himself or his Courtiers And if he had not heard of this Petition before such a Troop of attendance together might have startled him but being prepared for it he mustered up his Spirits thinking it too great an abasement for Majesty to stoop at their Summons being so publick an Action or to lesson or recall what he had done Yet he was troubled not knowing what quarrels the strife for place and precedency might produce or what ill blood the discontent of so many of the Nobility at one time might ingender Therefore he sent for them all or the most eminent and leading men of them some days after and expostulated the business with them one by one in private knowing he could deal best with them so beginning with some of them roughly yet still he closed with them at last his anger being as it were raised to make them humble and reconcile themselves to him that he might the better reconcile himself to them And to the Earl of Essex he vented this Expression I fear thee not Essex if thou wert as well beloved as thy father and hadst forty thousand men at thy heels Which words he uttered as if he had chid himself that they made an escape from him And though this Petition did not derogate from the Dignity of those creations past yet the King willingly restrained himself for the time to come But the House of Commons found the King's Letters to entangle the way rather than make a free passage to their Liberties for that which was their birth-right would now come to be derived from his Ancestors And for all the King's finenesses they thought Religion very un secure for as long as the bent of his Affections tended to the Spanish match there must needs be a wide Gap open as an inlet to Popery and if it may be made Treason for his Parliament to advise him from it they saw but a very small door left open to liberty But whatsoever befell them they resolved to leave to posterity some prints and footsteps of their Parliamentary Rights and Privileges left them by their great Ancestors that though they could not preserve them intire those that succeed them might at least find some Reliques and ruins of what they had Which made them make this Protestation recorded in their Iournal Book 19. Dec. 1621. THe Commons now Assembled in Parliament being justly occasioned thereunto concerning sundry Liberties Franchises and Privileges of Parliament among others here mentioned do make this Protestation following That the Liberties Franchises Privileges and Iurisdictions of Parliament are the ancient and undoubted Birth-right and inheritance of the Subjects of England And that the arduous and urgent affairs concerning the King State and defence of the Realm and of the Church of England and the Maintenance and making of Laws and redress of Mischiefs and grievances which daily happen within this Realm are proper Subjects and matter of Counsel and debate in Parliament And that in the handling and proceeding of those businesses every Member of Parliament hath and of right ought to have freedom of Speech to propound treat reason and bring to Conclusion the same And that the Commons in Parliament have likewise liberty and freedom to treat of these Matters in such order as in their judgments shall seem fittest And that every Member of the said House hath like Freedom from all impeachment imprisonment and Molestation other then by censure of the house it self for or concerning any speaking reasoning or declaring of any matter or matters touching the Parliament or Parliament business And that if any of the said Members be complained of and questioned for any thing done or said in Parliament the same is to be shewed to the King by the advice and assent of all the Commons assembled in Parliament before the King give credence to any private information The King was again Alarum'd by this Protestation and he that naturally loved Peace both at home and abroad found a loud War in his own Breast which indeed was in effect raised by himself for no wisdom could resolve the Intricacies of his Resolutions but his own for he would have a War with the Emperor in Contemplation and a Treaty with the King of Spain in Action both at one time who were as it were one person and because the Parliament like wise Mathematicians would use the Practical part as well as the Theory he was enraged against them and his Prerogative stept in as a stickler and broke out like an Exhalation in thundring and terror to the Astonishment and fear of his people which made them shrowd themselves from those storms by creeping under the Shelter of their Native liberties And now the King flies from his