fer opem qui spem dedisti For I am sure it was not possible for a man living to have received from another more significant and comfortable words of hope your Lordship being pleased to tell me during the course of my last service That you would raise me and that when you were resolved to raise a man you were more carefull of him then himself and that what you had done for me in my marriage was a benefit for me but of no use to your Lordship and therefore I might assure my self you would not leave me there with many like speeches which I know too well my duty to take any other hold of then the hold of a thankfull remembrance And I know and all the would knoweth that your Lordship is no dealer of Holy-water but noble and teal and on my part on sure ground that I have committed nothing that may deserve any alteration and if I cannot observe you as I would your Lordship will impute it to my want of experience which I shall gather better when I am once setled And therefore my hope is your Lordship will finish a good work and consider that time groweth pretious and that I am now vergentibus annis and although I know your fortune is not to want an hundred such as I am yet I shall be ever ready to give you my best and first fruits and to supply as much as in me lieth a worthiness by thankfulness FR. BACON Sir Fr. Bacon to the Lord Chancellor It may please your Lordship AS I conceived it to be a resolution both with his Majesty and among your Lordships of his Councell that I should be placed Sollicitor and the Sollicitor to be removed to be the Kings Serjeant so I most humbly thank your Lordships furtherance and forwardness therein your Lordship being the man that first devised the mean wherefore my humble request unto your Lordship is That you would set in with some strength to finish this your work which I assure your Lordship I desire the rather because being placed I hope for your many favours to be able to do you some better service for as I am your Lordship cannot use me nor scarcely indeed know me not that I vainly think I shall be able to do any great matters but certainly it will frame me to use a more industrious observance and application to such as I honour so much as I do your Lordship and not I hope without some good offices which may deserve your thanks And herewithal good my Lord I humbly pray your Lordship to consider that time groweth pretious with me and that a married man is seven years â—older in his thoughts the first day And therefore what a discomfortable thing it is for me to be unsetled still For surely were it not that I think my self born for to do my Soveraign fervice and therefore in that station will I live and die otherwise for mine own private comfort it were better for me that the King should blot me out of his book or that I should turn my course to endeavour to serve him in some other kind then for me to stand thus at a stop and to have that little reputation which by my industry I gather to be scattered and taken away by continual disgraces every new man coming in before me and sure I am I shall never have fairer promises and hope from all your Lordships and I would believe you in a far greater matter and if it were nothing else I hope the modesty of my suit deserveth somewhat for I know well the Solicitors place is not as your Lordship left it time working alteration somewhat in the profession much more in that speciall place And were it not to satisfie my wives friends and to get my self out of being a common gaze and a speech I protest before God I would never speak word for it But to conclude as my honorable Lady was some mean to make me to change the name of another so if it please you to help me as you said to change mine own name I cannot be but more and more bounden to you And I am much deceived if your Lordship find not the King well inclined as for my Lord of Salisbury he is forward and affectionate Yours c. FR. BACON To King JAMES It may pleaase your excellent Majesty HOw honestly ready I have been most gracious Soveraign to do your Majesty humble service to the best of my power and in a manner beyond my power as I now stand I am not so unfortunate but your Majesty knows both in the Commission of Union the labour wherof for men of my profession rested most upon my hands and this last Parliament for the Bill of Subsidy both body and preamble In the Bill of Attainders of Tresham and the rest in the matter of Purveyance in the Ecclesiasticall Petitions in the grievances and the like as I was ever carefull not without good success sometime to put forward that which was good sometime to keep back that which was worse so your Majesty was ple sed kindly to accept of my services and to say to me such conflicts were the warres of peace and such victories the victories of peace and therefore such servants as obtained them were by Kings that reign in peace no less to be esteemed then Conquerors in the warres In all which nevertheless I can challenge to my self no sufficiencie that I was diligent and reasonably happy to execute those directions which I received either immediatly from your Royall mouth or from my Lord of Salisbury At that time it pleased your Majesty also to assure me that upon the remove of the then Attorney I should not be forgotten but be brought into ordinary place and this was after confirmed unto me by many of my Lords And towards the end of the last Term the manner also in particular spoken of that is that Mr. Sollicitor should be made your Majesties Serjeant and I Sollicitor for so it was thought best to sort with both our gifts and faculties for the good of our service And of this resolution both Court and Country took notice Neither was this any invention or project of mine own but moved from my Lords I think first from my Lord Chancellor whereupon resting your Majesty well knoweth I never opened my mouth for the greater place although I am sure I had two circumstances that Mr. Attorney that now is could not alleadge the one nine years service of the Crown the other the being Cousin-german to my Lord of Salisbury for of my Fathers service I will not speak But for the less place I conceive it was never meant me but after that Mr. Attorny Hubbard was placed I heard no more of any preferment but it seemed to be at a stop to my great disgrace and discontentment For gracious Soveraign if still when the waters be stirred another shall be put in before me your Majesty had need work a miracle or else
morall honesty of life or innated instinct of nature or for fear of some temporall punishment pretend obedience unto your Highness Laws yet certainly the onely Catholiques for conscience sake observe them For they defending that Princes Precepts and Statutes oblige no subject under the penalty of sin will have little care in conscience to transgress them which principally are tormented with the guilt of fin But Catholiques professing merit in obeying and immerit in transgressing cannot but in Soul be grievously tortured for the least prevarication thereof Wherefore most mercifull Soveraign we your loving afflicted subjects in all dutifull subjection protest before the Majesty of God and all his holy Angels as loyal obedience and immaculate allegiance unto your Grace as ever did faithfull subjects in England or Scotland unto your Highness Progenitors and intend as sincerely with our goods and lives to serve you as ever did the loyallest Israelites King David or the trustiest Legions the Roman Emperours And thus expecting your Majesties customary favour and gracious bounty we rest your devoted suppliants to him whose hands do manage the hearts of Kings and with reciprocate mercy will requite the mercifull Your Majesties most devoted servants the Catholiques of England Sir Walter Raleigh to King James before his triall IT is one part of the Office of a just and worthy Prince to hear the complaints of his vassals especially such as are in great misery I know not amongst many other presumptions gathered against me how your Majesty hath been perswaded that I was one of them who were greatly discontented and therefore the more likely to prove disloyall But the great God so relieve me in both worlds as I was the contrary and I took as great comfort to behold your Majesty and always learning some good and bettering my knowledge by hearing your Majesties discourse I do most humbly beseech your Soveraign Majesty not to believe any of those in my particular who under pretence of offences to Kings do easily work their particular revenge I trust no man under the colour of making examples should perswade your Majesty to leave the word Mercifull out of your Stile for it wil be no less profit to your Majesty become your greatness then the word Invincible It is true that the Laws of England are no less jealous of the Kings then Caesar was of Pompey's wife for notwithstanding she was cleared for having company with Claudius yet for being suspected he condemned her For my self I protest before Almighty God and I speak it to my Master and Soveraign that I never invented treason against him and yet I know I shall fall in manibus corum a quibus non possum evadere unless by your Majesties gracious compassion I be sustained Our Law therefore most mercifull Prince knowing her own cruelty and knowing that she is wont to compound treason out of presumptions and circumstances doth give this charitable advice to the King her Supream Non solum sapiens esse sed misericors c. cum tutius sit reddere rationem misericordiae quam judicii I do therefore on the knees of my heart beseech your Majesty from your own sweet and comfortable disposition to remember that I have served your Majesty twenty years for which your Majesty hath yet given me no reward and it is fitter I should be indebted unto my Soveraign Lord then the King to his poor Vassal Save me therefore most mercifull Prince that I may ow your Majesty my life it self then which there cannot be a greater debt Limit me at least my Soveraign Lord that I may pay it for your service when your Majesty shall please If the Law destroy me your Majesty shall put me out of your power and I shall have none to fear but the King of Kings WALTER RALEIGH Sir Walter Raleigh to Sir Robert Car after Earl of Somerset SIR AFter many losses and many years sorrows of both which I have cause to fear I was mistaken in their ends It is come to my knowledge that your self whom I know not but by an honorable favour hath been perswaded to give me and mine my last fatal blow by obtaining from his Majesty the Inheritance of my Children and Nephews lost in Law for want of a word This done there remaineth nothing with me but the name of life His Majesty whom I never offended for I hold it unnatural and unmanlike to hate goodness staid me at the graves brink not that I thought his Majesty thought me worthy of many deaths and to behold mine cast out of the world with my self but as a King that knoweth the poor in truth hath received a promise from God that his Throne shall be established And for you Sir seeing your fair day is but in the dawn mine drawn to the setting your own vertues and the Kings grace assuring you of many fortunes and much honour I beseech you begin not your first building upon the ruines of the innocent and let not mine and their sorrows attend your first plantation I have ever been bound to your Nation as well for many other graces as for the true report of my trial to the Kings Majesty against whom had I been malignant the hearing of my cause would not have changed enemies into friends malice into compassion and the minds of the greatest number then present into the commiseration of mine estate It is not the nature of foul Treason to beget such fair passions neither could it agree with the duty and love of faithfull Subjects especially of your Nation to bewail his overthrow that had conspired against their most natural and liberal Lord. I therefore trust that you will not be the first that shall kill us outright cut down the tree with the fruit and undergo the curse of them that enter the fields of the fatherless which if it please you to know the truth is far lesâ— in value then in saâ—ne But that so worthy a Gentleman as your self will rather bind us to you being sixe Gentlemen not base in birth and allâ—ance which have interest therein Aâ—d my self with my uttermost thankfulness will remain ready to obey your commandments WALTER RALEIGH Sir Thomas Egerton Chancellor after Lord Ellesmere to the Earl of Essex SIR HOw things proceed here touching your self you shall partly understand by these inclosed Her Majesty is gracious towards you and you want not friends to remember and commend your former services Of these particulars you shall know more when we meet In the mean time by way of caution take this from me There are sharp eyes upon you your actions publique and private are observed It behoveth you therefore to carry your self with all integrity and sincerity both of hands and heart lest you overthrow your own fortunes and discredit your friends that aâ—â— tender and carefull of your reputation and well-doing So in haste I commit you to God with my very hearty commendations and rest At the Court at Richmond 21 Octob. 1599.
and I dare truly say all my Countrymen shall be even as ready to sacrifice our bloods as for our own mother Scotland I do not only in regard of our own persons affirm that whatsoever in those infamous Verses is contained is utterly false and untrue and that your self hath dealt most dishonorably unworthily and basely but this I 'll ever maintain If these words sound harshly in your Lordships ear blame your self since your self forgetting your self have taught others how to dishonour you And remember that though Nobility make a difference of persons yet Injury acknowledgeth none PATRICK RUTHEN Sir Henry Yelvertons submission in the Star-chamber My Lords I Humbly beseech you to think that I stand not here either to outface the Court or to defend this cause otherwise then justly I may only I desire in mine own person to second the submission which hath been opened by my Councel for hitherunto hath nothing been opened unto you but that which hath passed under the advised pen of others and hitherto hath appeared from my self neither open nor inward acknowledgment My Lords it may seem strange to the hearers that against a Bill so sharpned I should abruptly fall upon a submission or confession whereby I may seem to bow down my neck to the stroke But my Lords in this I weighed not my self but I did it to amplifie the honour and mercy of his Majesty from whom I may say Clemencie springs as the blood that runs in his own veins For my Lords when this Charter was sometime questioned divers of my Lords here present had out of their great wisdoms discovered that shame in it which I must here confess I did not then see had related the same to his Majesty it pleased his Maj. out of his great favour to me his unworthy servant to send me this message by two great honorable persons here present and therefore under your Lordships favour I think not fit to hide so great a favour of his Maj. from the eyes of the people who offered to my choice either to submit to himself in private or defend here openly and when I saw I fell into such faithful hands I remember my answer then was that the offer was gracious and the choice was easie and his mercy free After came this Information against me I took it but as trial whether I would make his Majesty King of my confidence or not And though there was offered unto me and my Councel such a way of defence as I might have escaped yet I protest I did reject it because I would not distrust his Majesties mercy to let go the anchor-hold I had thereof and whatsoever becomes of me I protest I shall still honour the King though I go lame to my grave I humbly confess the manifold errors of this Charter to your Lordships wherein I have miscarried and I beseech his Majesty and your Lordships to think they are rather crept in unawares then usher'd in by consent The errors are of divers natures some of negligence some of ignorance some of misprision I mistook many things I was improvident in some things too credulous in all things But I who was chosen when I had so much provoked his Majesty by mine unexperienced years and having since found so many favours from his Majesties hands and this day having served him full seven years who this day hath translated me from a low estate unto a place whereof I enjoy now only the name and now since hath so much quickned and enlightned me by his gracious countenance and assured me by his daily favours to make me to depend upon him and that I should deliberately and determinately take any flowers from his Crown to place them on the heads of others or to betray his Majesties interest into the hands of others I hope his Majesty will vouchsafe me so much favour not to value me at so low a rate as to think these things came in de industria For if I had felt any such Eccho arise in my breast I protest I would have laid hands on my self and judged my self unworthy of any society My Lords the corruption of my hands are far inferior to the corruption of the heart and the hand that runs wilfully into error works meerly from the corruption of the heart and that makes it the more inexcusable as the bleeding of a wound inwardly ever becomes mortal and were I conscious to my self I would not have any color of excuse I thank his Majesties Councel that howsoever these hands were at first mistrusted yet since they are not at all misdoubted nor the least corruption laid to my charge But this doth most grieve me that my faithfulness to his Majesty should be suspected And I humbly desire upon my knees that his Clemencie in this case may stop the issue of his Justice that though a long time his face hath been hid yet now at length his mercy will break through the clouds to support me that am now fallen I lay my self at his Majesties feet to do with me as it pleaseth him and humbly desire his Majesty would take me to his own sentence I never thought of my self otherwise then clay in his Majesties hands to mould me to honour or dishonour When I look and behold this solemnity and spectacle about me I make no other account of it then Pompa mortis and such a Prince as he is knows that Lise and Reputation are equall if the last be not the greatest I know your Lordships have such power and his Majesty takes such pleasure in you you are so dear in his eyes that he can deny you nothing and therefore I would desire you that you would be suiters in my behalf that his favour might once again shine upon me I know his grace and clemency sleepeth if I be not unworthy to partake and the rather because the River that did run another way is now turned into the Sea again and the Charter given up surrendred and cancelled I know much life might be added to the sinewes of my happinesse by your Lordships intercessions for me in vouchsafing whereof I shall pledge a perpetuall assurance of better service for the time to come and shall be bound and engaged to every one of your Lordships so that my desire is that his Majesty might first be acquainted with this submission before you proceed into the merits of the cause remaining still a prisoner to his Justice knowing his Majesty may if he please turn me to vanity Ferdinand the second Emperour to the Catholique King Most gracious King my most loving Nephew FAther Jacinthus comes over to your Court to negotiate with your Majesty in the Popes name about a business much concerning the conservation of our holy Faith and consequently the support of our Pamily as your Majesty shall understand of the said Father to whom I refer my self as also to Don Balthazar de Zuniga to whom I have written more distinctly fearing to be
of the match and my instructions under your Majesties hands were to insist upon the restoring the Prince Palatine but not to annex it to the treaty of the match as that therby the match should be hazarded for that your Majesty seemed confident that here it would never grow to a perfect conclusion without a setled resolution to give your Majesty satisfaction in the business of the Palatinate The same course I observed in the carriage of the business by his Highness and my Lord Duke at their being here who though they insisted on the business of the Palatinate yet they held it fit to treat of them distinctly and that the marriage should proceed as a good pawn for the other Since their departure my Lord Ambassador Sir Walter Ashton and my self have been pressed to have this Kings resolution in writing concerning the Palatinate and the dispatches which your Majesty will receive herewith concerning that business were writ before the receit of your Majesties Letters and doubtless it is now a great part of their care that that business may be well entred before the Infanta's coming into England And his Highness will well often remember that the Conde dé Olivarez often protested a necessity of having this business compounded and setled before the marriage saying otherwise they might give a Daughter and a War within three moneths after if this ground and subject of quarrell should still be left on foot The same language he hath ever held with Sir Walter Ashton and my self and that it was a firm peace and amity as much as an allyance which they sought with his Majesty So that it is not to be doubted but that this King concluding the match resolveth to imploy his uttermost power for your satisfaction in the restitution of the Prince Palatine The question now will be whether the business of the Prince Palatine having relation to many great Princes that are interessed therein living at distance and being indeed for the condition and nature of the business it self impossible to be ended but by a formall treaty which of necessity will require great length whether the conclusion of the match shall any way depend upon the issue of this business which I conceive to be far from your Majesties intention for so the Prince might be long kept unbestowed by any aversness of those which might have particular interest in the Princes remaining unmarried or dislike with his matching with Spain But that which I understand to be your Majesties aim is onely to have the conclusion of this match accompanied with a strong engagement as can be procured from this King for the joyning with your Majesty not onely in all good Offices for the entire restitution of the Palatinate but otherwise if need require of his Majesties assistance herein These days past I have laboured with all earnestness and procured this Kings publique answer which I am told is resolved of and I shall within these few days have it to send to your Majesty as also a private Proposition which will be put into your hands and shall not fail further to pursue your Majesties present directions of procuring this Kings Declaration in what sort your Maiesty may rely upon this Kings assistance in case the Emperour or the Duke of Bavaria hinder the entire restitution of the Prince Palatine Bu I conceive if it be your intention that I should first here procure this Kings peremptory answer in the whole business and how he will be assistant unto your Maiesty in case of the Emperours or the Duke of Bavaria's aversness And that I should send it to your Maiesty and receive again your answer before I deliver the Powers for the Deposorios the match would thereby if not be hazarded yet I conceive the Infanta's going at Spring would be rendred altogether impossible For if upon the arrival of the Approbation I cannot refuse them but upon some grounds if I alleadge your Majesties desire of having the Deposories deferred untill Christmass they know as well as my self that his Highness Proxy is then out of date besides the infringing of the Capitulations and they will judge it is a great scorn put upon this King who ever since the Princes granting of the powers hath called himself the Infanta's Desposado and to that effect the Prince hath writ unto him in some of his Letters Besides it will be held here a point of great dishonour unto the Infanta if the powers called for by her friends should be detained by the Prince his part and whosover else may have deserved it she certainly hath not deserved disrespect nor discomfort Further upon my refusal to deliver the powers all preparations which now go on cheerfully and apace will be stayed and there will enter in so much distrust and so many troubles and jealousies that if the main business run not hazard by them at least much time will be spent to cleer them I must therefore in discharge of my duty tell your Majesty that all your Majesties businesses here are in a fair way the Match and all that is capitulated therein they profess punctually to perform In the business of the Palatinate I continue my earnest and faithful endeavours and they protest they infinitely desire and will to the utmost of their powers endeavour to procure your Majesties satisfaction The Prince is like to have a most worthy and vertuous Lady and who much loveth him and all things else depending upon this match are in good and hopefull way This is now the present estate of your Majesties affairs as it appeareth unto me and to Sir Walter Ashton with whom I have communicated this Dispatch as I do all things else concerning your Majesties service And I must cleerly let your Majesty understand that I conceive by the retaining of the powers when this King shall call for them and offering to defer the Deposories untill Christmass that your Majesties business will run a hazard what by the distaste and disgust that will be raised here and what by the art and industry of those which are enemies to the match whereof every Court hath plenty in Christendom That therefore which I presume with all humility is That you would he pleased to give me order with all possible speed that when the busines shall come cleered from Rome and that the powers of the marriage shall be demanded of me in the behalf of this King that I may deliver them and no ways seek to interrupt or suspend the Deposorios but assist and help to a perfect conclusion of the match And for the business of the Palatinate I continue my earnest and faithfull endeavours to engage this King as far as shall be possible both for the doing of all good offices for the Palatines entire restitution herein I will not fail as likewise fo this Kings declaration of assisance in case the Emperor or Duke of Bavaria shall oppose the said restitution to use all possible means and I conceive the dispatch of
with humble thanks By our own late loan of 3 5000. l. and 6000. l. more sent by Sir Thomas Wise and Mr. Stroad and yet there remains due to it for the Coat and Conduct of their own imprest Soldiers for divers voyages for the Recruits intended for the Isle of Ree for the conduct of the whole Army hence besides three Companies stand yet here for Silly and no small number of scattered sick whose mortall infection hath more discouraged the people then the charge That many and almost unaccountable are our ways of expence few or none have we of in-come for the want of Trade how then can there be any quantity of money to disburse their bodies and goods are left which we are assured will be ever ready for this Majesties defence and to be imployed in his Majesties service as far forth as ever our forefathers have yeilded them to his Majesties Royall Progenitors Particular proofs we would have made of the peoples disability to have satisfied his Majesties demands but we had rather adventure our selves and this humble advertisement upon your Lordships private and favourable instructions then to expose his Majesties honor to publique deniall and misspend his pretious time which applied to more certain courses may attain his Princely and religious ends wherein to be his Majesties Instruments will be our earthly happiness and singular comfort to be your Lordships obedient servants The Archbishop of Canterbury to the Bishops concerning King James his Directions for Preachers with the Directions Ang. 14. 1622. RIght Reverend Father in God and my very good Lord and Brother I have received from the Kings most excellent Majesty a Letter the tenor whereof here ensueth Most revered Father in God right trusty and right entirely beloved Councellor we greet you well Forasmuch as the abuses and extravagancies of Preachers in the Pulpit have been in all times repressed in this Realm by some Act of Councell or State with the advice or resolution of grave and learned Prelates insomuch as the very licencing of Preachers had beginning by an Order of Star-Chamber the 8. day of July in the 19. year of King Henry 8. our Noble Predecessor and whereas at this present divers young Students by reading of late Writers and ungrounded Divines do broach many times unprofitable unsound seditious and dangerous Doctrine to the scandall of the Church and disquieting of the State and present Government We upon humble representation to us of these inconveniences by your self and sundry other grave and reverend Prelats of this Church as also of our Princely care and zeal for the extirpation of schisme and dissention growing from these seeds and for the setling of a religious and peaceable government both of the Church and State do by these our speciall Letters straitly charge and command you to use all possible care and diligence that these limitations and cautions herewith sent unto you concerning Preachers be duly and straitly henceforth observed and put in practice by the severall Bishops in their severall Diocesses within your jurisdictions And to this end our pleasure is that you send them forthwith severall Copies of these Directions to be by them speedily sent and communicated to every Parson Vicar and Curate Lecturer and Minister in every Cathedrall and Parish Church within their several Diocesses and that you earnestly require them to imploy their uttermost indeavour in the performance of this so important a business letting them know that we have a speciall eye to their proceedings and expect a strict account thereof both of you and them and every of them And these our Letters shall be your sufficient Warrant and Discharge in that behalf Given under our Signet at our Castle of Windsor the fourteenth day of August in the twentieth year of our reign of England France and Ireland and of Scotland the fifty sixt Directions concerning Preachers THat no Preacher under the degree of a Bishop or a Dean of a Cathedrall or Collegiat Church and that upon the Kings days and set Festivals do take occasion by the expounding of any Text of Scripture whatsoever to fall to any let Discourse or Common-place otherwise then by opening the coherence and division of his Text which be not comprehended and warranted in essence substance effect or naturall inference within some one of the Articles of Religion set forth by authority in the Church of England and the two Books of Homilies set forth by the same authority in the year 1562. or in some of the Homilies set forth by authority of the Church of England not onely for the help of non-preaching but withall for a Patern or a Boundary as it were for the preaching Ministers and for their further instruction for the performance â—eâ—eof that they forâ—hwith read over and peruse diligently the said Book of Articles and the â—â—o Books of Homilies 2. That no Parson Vicar Curat or Lecturer shall preach any Sermon or Collation hereafter upon Sundays or Holidays in the afternoon in any Cathedral or Parish-Church throughout the Kingdom but upon some part of the Catechism or some Text taken out of the Creed the ten Commandments or the Lords prayer Funeral-sermons only excepted And that those Preachers be most encouraged and approved of who spend their afternoons exercises in the examination of Children in their Catechism which is the most antient and laudable custom of teaching in the Church of England 3. That no Preacher of what title or denomination soever under the degree of a Bishop or Dean at the least do from henceforth presume to preach in any popular Auditory the deep points of Predestination Election Reprobation or the universality efficacie resistibility or irresistibility of Gods grace but leave these Theams to be handled by learned men and that moderately and modestly by way of use and application rather then by way of positive doctrine as being fitter for Schools and Universities then for simple Auditories 4. That no Preacher of what title or denomination soever shal presume from henceforth in any Auditory within this Kingdom to declare limit or bound out by way of positive doctrine in any Sermon or Lecture the power prerogative jurisdiction authority right or duty of soveraign Princes or otherwise meddle with these matters of State and the differences betwixt Princes and people then as they are instructed and presidented in the Homilies of Obedience and in the rest of the Homilies and Articles of Religion set forth as before is mentioned by publique Authority but rather confine themselves wholly to these two heads Faith and good life which are all the subject of ancient Homilies and Sermons 5. That no Preacher of what title or denomination soever shall causelesly or without invitation of the Text fall into bitter invectives or undecent railing speeches against the persons of either Papists or Puritans but modestly and gravely when they are occasioned thereunto by the text of Scripture cleer both the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England from the
aspersions of either adversary especially when the Auditory is suspected with the one or the other infection 6. Lastly That the Archbishop and Bishops of this Kingdom whom his Majesty hath good cause to blame for their formâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—ss he more wary and choise in the licensing of Preachers and 〈◊〉 grâ—â—â— made to any Chancellor Official or Commissary to pass Licences in this kind And that all the Lecturers throughout the Kingdom a new body and severed from the antient Clergie of England as being neither Parsons Vicars nor Curates be licensed henceforward in the Court of Faculties only upon recommendations of the party from the Bishop of the Diocess under his hand and seal with a Fiat from the Archbishop of Canterbury and a confirmation under the great seal of England and that such as transgress any of these Directions be suspended by the Lord Bishop of that Diocess or in his default by the Lord Archbishop of that Province ab officio beneficio for a year and a day untill his Majesty by the advice of the next Convocation shall prescribe some further punishment By this you see his Majesties Princely care that men should preach Christ crucified obedience to the higher powers and honest and Christian conversation of life but in a regular form and not that every young man should take unto himself an exorbitant liberty to teach what he listeth to the offence of his Majesty and to the disturbance and disquiet of the Church and Commonwealth I can give unto your Lordship no better directions for the performance hereof then are prescribed to you in his Majesties Letter and the Schedule hereunto annexed Wherefore I pray you be very carefull since it is the Princely pleasure of his Majesty to require an exact account both of you and of me for the same Thus not doubting but by your Register or otherwise you will cause these Instructions to be communicated to your Clergy I leave you to the Almighty and remain your Lordships loving brother George Cant. Croydon Aug. 15. 1622. King James Instructions to the Archbishop of Canterbury concerning Orders to be observed by Bishops in their Diocesses 1622. 1. THat the Lords the Bishops be commanded to their severall Sees excepting those that are in necessary attendance at Court 2. That none of them reside upon his land or lease that he hath purchased nor on his Commendum if he hold any but in one of his Episcopall Houses if he have any and that he waste not the woods where any are left 3. That they give their charge in their Trienniall Visitations and at other convenient times both by themselves and the Archdeacons and that the Declaration for setling all questions in difference be strictly observed by all parties 4. That there be a speciall care taken by them all that the Ordinations be solemn and not of unworthy persons 5. That they take great care concerning the Lecturers in their severall Diocess for whom we give these special Directions following First That in all Parishes the after-noon Sermons may be turned into Catechising by Question and Answer when and wheresoever there is no great cause apparent to break this ancient and profitable order Secondly that every Bishop ordain in his Diocess that every Lecturer do read Divine Service according to the Liturgy printed by authority in his Surplice and Hood before the Lecture Thirdly That where a Lecture is set up in a Market Town it may be read by a company of grave and Orthodox Divines neer adjoyning and in the same Diocess and that they preach in Gowns not in Cloaks as too many use to do Fourthly That if a Corporation do maintain a single Lecturer he be not suffered to preach till he professe his willingnesse to take upon him a living with cure of souls within that Incorporation and that he actually take such Benefice or Cure so soon as it shall be fairly procured for him Fifthly That the Bishops do countenance and encourage the grave Orthodox Divines of their Clergy and that they use means by some of the Clergy or others that they may have knowledge how both Lecturers and Preachers within their Diocess do behave themselves in their Sermons that so they may take order for any abuse accordingly Sixthly That the Bishops suffer none under Noblemen or men qualified by Law to have any private Chaplain in his house Seventhly That they take speciall care that Divine Service be diligently frequented as well for Prayers and Catechismes as for Sermons and take particular note of all such as absent themselves as Recusants or others Eighthly That every Bishop that by our grace and favour and good opinion of his service shall be nominated by us to another Bishoprick shall from that day of nomination not presume to make any Lease for three lives or one and twenty years or concurrent Lease or any way renew any estate or cut any Wood or Timber but meerly receive his Rents due and to quit the place For we think it an hatefull thing that any man leaving the Bishoprick should almost undo his Successor And if any man shall presume to break this Order We will refuse him Our Royall assent and keep him at the place he hath so abused Ninthly and lastly We command you to give us an account every year the second of January of the performance of these our commands Subscribed at Dorchester I. R. Bishop of Winchester to his Archdeacon to the same effect SAlutem in Christo I have received Letters from the most Reverend Father in God the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury the tenor whereof foloweth Right reverend Father in God my very good Lord and brother I have received from the Kings most excellent Majesty a Letter the tenor whereof here ensueth Most reverend Father in God right trusty and right entirely beloved Councellor we greet you well For as much as the abuses and extravagancies of Preachers in the Pulpit have been c. According to the tenor of these Letters you are to see that these limitations and cautions herewith sent unto you be duly and strictly from henceforth observed and put in practice and that several Copies of those Directions be speedily communicated to every one of those whom they shall concern and that you may imploy your uttermost endeavors in the performance of so important a business considering that his Majesty will have a special eye over you and me and expect a strict accompt at both our hands whereof praying you to have all possible care I commend your endeavours therein to the blessing of God From Farnham Aug. 15. 1622. Your very loving friend Lan. Winton The Bishop of Lincoln L. Keeper to the Bishop of London concerning Preaching and Catechising My very good Lord I Doubt not before this time you have received from me the directions of his most excellent Majesty concerning Preaching and Preachers which are so graciously set down that no godly or discreet man can otherwise then acknowledge that they do much
Italy had to be jealous of the Arms of my Crown for having possessed many places of importance some I have freely given away and others after I had defended them in a time the owners had need I presently restored with much liberality Upon this moderation the Duke of Nivers being hardned against the Emperor my Uncle and he perhaps and other Princes calling thither the most Christian King who not contenting himselfe to have attained that which he publickly professed to desire and having left Garrison in Mountferrat and in Suza and as I am told having fortified some places hath thereby given occasion to the Emperour my Uncle to give order his Army should passe into Italy to maintaine the Authority Jurisdiction and preheminency of the Empire with whom I can doe no lesse then concurre and give him assistance in respect of the great and strict obligation of Blood of Honour and of Conveniency which I hold with his imperial Majesty and for the which I doe acknowledge from the sacred Empire declaring now as I have done heretofore and as my Embassadours have told your Holinesse that in this businesse I do neither directly nor indirectly aim at any other end of mine own particular interest But beholding the numerous Armies of the Emperour in Italy and with extreme griefe foreseeing the harmes inconveniences and dangers that Italy must thereby suffer in matter of Religion being that which most importeth I doe not only resent it in respect of that portion which God hath given me in Christendome but especially as a King and Prince of Italy the peace of those Provinces being disturbed which my Progenitors with so much Judgment and providence and with so much Authority and benefit of the Natives had so many years preserved Wherefore I thought it my duty to present unto your beatitude that experience hath demonstrated that to oppose and straighten the Jurisdiction of the Emperour and to resist his commandments hath brought matters to these difficult terms and this way being still persisted in there must needs follow those mischiefâ— which we desire to shun Now the most convenient manner how to compose these businesses is that your Holinesse doe effectually perswade the Duke of Nivers to accomodate himself to the Justice and obedience of the Emperour and the King of France to recall his Armies out of Italy and the Princes that doe aid Nivers no more to interest themselves in the businesse even as from the beginning my Ministers have propounded to your Beatitude because this difference being ended juridically all the persons interessed shall come off with honour and reputation and so all of them shall have a ground to beseech the Emperour that out of his wonted clemency he wil take off that impression which he justly might have conceived against the Duke of Nivers whereupon things inclining to this issue I shal with a very good will imploy my best offices to the end that speedy and exact justice may be administred and also that his Caesarian Majesty may give experimental effects of his magnanimity and stability desiring with a most sincere affection that so much Christian blood may be spared as would be spilt in this war and that those forces might be imployed to the service and not to the prejudice of Christendome Thus have I cleerly and sincerely delivered my meaning unto your Holinesse to the end that knowing my intention you may do those offices which your manifold wisedome shall find proper for the place whereto God hath advanced you and if God for our sins have decreed to chastise Christendome by continuing the war let this dispatch be a testimony of my good wil and real intention towards peace for the prosecuting whereof I on my part will alwaies imbrace any reasonable and proportionable meanes Oar Lord God preserve your Beatitude a thousand yeares The Councel of Ireland to King Charles in defence of the Lord Deputie Faulkland April 28. 1619 MAy it please your most excellent Majesty we stand so bounden to your royall Self and your most blessed Father our late deceased Soveraigne Lord and Master as we are urged in duty to prostrate this act of our faith at your Majesties feet as an assay to cleer some things wherein misinformation may seem to have approached your high Wisdome We understand that it is collected out of some late Dispatches from hence that there are such disorders in the Government here as by the present Governors are remedilesse all which is ascribed to the differences between persons of chief place We do in all humility testifie and declare that we have not seen or known any inconvenience to the publick service by the difference between your Majesties Deputy and Chancellor neither have of late seen or heard any act or speech of contention between them Other difference between persons of any eminent Action wee understand none neither are any disorders here yet so overgrown as co surpasse the redresse of the present Governour especially so long as he hath such a standing English Army as your Majesty now alloweth if only we may receive some supply of Armes and munition which we have often written for do daily expect and which shall be no losse to your Majesty It is true most gracious Soveraign that in some late dispatches we mentioned three grievances in this government which in extent may threaten much if we be not timely directed from thence concerning them viz. the insolence and excrescence of the Popish pretended Clergie the disorder and offence of the Irish Regiment and the late outragious presumption of the unsetled Irish in some parts towards all which being parties perhaps otherwise conceived of there then understood here your Deputy and Councel have of late used particular abstinence holding themselves somewhat limited concerning them by late Instructions Letters and directions from thence And therefore lest countenance of that course might turn to greater damage we make choice seasonably to crave expression of the good pleasure of your Highnesse and the most Honourable Lords of your Councel lest our actions and zeal therein might vary from the purposes on that side and so want of unanimity in both States breake the progresse of the Reformation not that we any way make doubt to give your Majestly a good accompt of our selves therein and of the ful eviction of those evils in due time so we might be assured of your Majestys and their Lordships good allowance of our endeavours being confident in all humility to declare and affirme to your Sacred Majesty that the rest of this great body as to the civil part thereof is in far better order at this time then ever it was in the memory of man as wel in the current and general execution of Justice according to the Lawes in the freedome of mens persons and estates the present charge of the Army excepted and in the Universal outward subjection of all sorts of setled inhabitants to the Crowne and Lawes of England and also in the
the Earl of Essex when Sir Ro. Cecil was in France P. 42 Sir Fr. Bacon to the Earl of Essex concerning the Earl of Tyrone P. 43 Another to the Earl before his going to Ireland P. 45 Another to him after his enlargement P. 48 Sir Fr. Bacon to Sir Ro. Cecil after defeat of the Spaniards in Ireland ibi Considerations touching the Queens service in Ireland P. 49 Sir Fr. Bacon to the L. Treasurer touching his Speech in Parliament P. 54 Sir Francis Bacon to the Earl of Northampton P. 55 To the Lord Kinloss upon the entrance of King James P. 56 To King James ibid. To the Earl of Northumberland concerning a Proclamation upon the Kings entry P. 58 To the Earl of Southampton ibid. To the Earl of Northumberland P. 58 To Sir Edward Coke expostulatory P. 60 To the same after L. Chief Justice and in disgrace ibid. To Sir Vincent Skinner expostulatory P. 66 Sir Francis Bacon to the Lord Chancellor P. 71 To King James P. 72 Mr. Edmond Andersons Letter to Sir Francis Bacon P. 73 Sir Thomas Bodeley to Sir Francis Bacon upon his new Philosophy P. 74 Mr. George Brook to a Lady in Court P. 79 To his Wife P. 80 King James to the Major and Aldermen of London after he was proclaimed Mar. 28. 1603. P. 81 The Roman Catholiques Petition to King James for Toleration P. 82 Sir Walter Raleigh to King James before his Trial. P. 85 Sir Walter Raleigh to Sir Robert Car after Earl of Somerset P. 86 Sir Tho Egerton Chancellor after L. Ellesmere to the E. of Essex P. 87 Lord Chancellor Ellesmere to King James ibid. Again to the same King P. 88 Sir Francis Norris to King James P. 89 A Patent for the Admiralty of Ireland P. 90 A Commission to divers Lords c. for the delivery of Flushing Brill c. May 14. Jac. 14. P. 92 A Commission to Visc Lisle Governour to deliver them up May 22. J. 14. P. 93 Countess of Nottingham to the Danish Ambassador P. 94 Sir Charls Cornwallis Lieger in Spain to the Spanish King July 23. 1608. ibid. Again to the Spanish King Jan. 16. 1608. P. 98 Again to the Spanish King P. 100 101 K James to the Vniversity of Cambridge Mar. 14. 1616. P. 105 Mr. Ruthen to the Earl of Northumberland P. 106 Sir Henry Yelvertons submission in the Star-chamber P. 107 Ferdinand the second Emperor to the Catholique King P. 109 Ferdinand Emperor to Don Balthazar de Zuniga Octob. 15. 1621. P. 110 K. James to Ferdinand Emp. concerning the Palatinate Nov. 12. 1621. P. 113 His Imperial Majesty to King James Jan. 14. 1621. P. 116 Earl of Bristol to King James P. 117 Ab ignoto to Conde Gondomar concerning the death of Philip 3. P. 125 K. James to the Earl of Bristol Ambassador in Spain Octob. 3. 1622. P. 127 Earl of Bristol to King James Octob. 21. 1622. P. 129 K. Philip the third of Spain to the Conde of Olivarez P. 133 Conde Olivarez his answer to the King ibid. K. James to the Earl of Bristol Octob. 8. 1623 P. 136 Earl of Bristol in answer to King Iames Octob. 9. 1623. P. 137 Again to King Iames Novemb. 1. 1623. P. 141 King Iames to the Palsgrave P. 143 The Palsgraves answer to King Iames P. 145 Ab Ignoto from Madrid P. 151 A Memorial to the King of Spain by Sir Walter Ashton Ambassador in Spain Aug. 29. 1624. P. 152 The Petition of Francis Philips to King Iames for the release of Sir Robert Philips prisoner in the Tower P. 155 Oliver St. John to the Major of Marlborough against the Benevolence P. 159 The Justices of Peace in Com. Devon to the Lords of the Councel P. 182 The Archbishop of Canterbury to the Bishops concerning K. James his Directions for Preachers with the Directions Aug. 14. 1622. P. 183 King James his Instructions to the Archbishop of Canterbury concerning Orders to be observed by Bishops in their Dioceses 1622. P. 187 Bishop of Winchester to his Archdeacon to the same effect P. 189 The Bishop of Lincoln Lord Keeper to the Bishop of London concerning Preaching and Catechising P. 190 Instructions for the Ministers and Churchwardens of London P. 193 Mons Bevayr Chancellor of France discharged to the French King ibid. Mons Richere forced recants his opinions against the Papal supremacie over Kings P. 196 Car. Richlieu to the Roman Catholicks of Great Britain Aug. 25. 1624. P. 197 Mons Balsac to the Cardinal de la Valette ibid. Mons Balsac to the King Louis P. 200 Mons Toyrax to the Duke of Buckingham P. 201 Ab ignoto concerning the estate of Rochel after the surrender P. 202 The Protestants of France to Charles King of Great-Britain P. 204 The Duke of Rohan to his Majesty of Great-Britain Mar. 12. 1628. P. 208 Pope Greg. 15. to the Inquisitor-general of Spain April 19. 1623. P. 210 Pope Urban to Lewis the 13. Aug. 4. 1629. P. 211 The Duke of Buckingham Chancellor Elect to the Vniversity of Cambridge Iune 5. 1626. P. 213 King Charles to the Vniversity of Cambridge in approbation of their election Iune 6. 1626. P. 214 The Vniversity of Cambridge its answer to the Duke Iune 6. 1626. P. 215 The Vniversity of Cambridge its answer to the King P. 216 A Privy-Seal for transporting of Horse Iune 6. 1624. P. 217 The Vniversity of Cambridge to the Duke P. 218 The Dukes answer P. 219 The Vice-chancellor of Cambridge to the King upon the Dukes death ib. King Charles to the Vniversity of Cambridge for a new election P. 220 The Earl of Holland to the Vniversity P. 221 The Vnimersity of Cambridge to the King P. 222 An Order made at Whitehall betwixt the Vniversity and Town of Cambridge Decemb. 4. 1629. P. 223 The Vniversity of Cambridge to the Archbishop of York P. 224 The Vniversity of Cambridge to the Earl of Manchester P. 225 The Vniversity of Cambridge to Sir Humphrey May P. 226 Instructions by K. Charles to the Vicechancellor and Heads of Cambridge for Government c. Mar. 4. 1629. P. 127 The Vniversity of Cambridge to the Lord chief Iustice Richardson P. 228 The Bishop of Exeter to the Lower-House of Parliament P. 229 King Charles to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal P. 230 A Councel-Table Order against hearing Mass at Ambassadors houses March 10. 1629. P. 232 The King of Spain to Pope Urban Sept. 11. 1629. P. 234 The Councel of Ireland to King Charls in defence of the Lord Deputy Faulkland Aug. 28. 1629. P. 235 Ab ignoto Of the affairs of Spain France and Italy June 5. 1629. P. 239 The Lords of the Councel of England to the Lords of the Councel of Ireland Jan. 31. 1629. P. 240 The Lord Faulklands Petition to the King P. 242 The Duke of Modena to the Duke of Savoy July 30. 1629. P. 243 Sir Kenelm Digby to Sir Edward Stradling P. 244 Mr. Gargrave to the Lord Davers P. 253 A Declaration of Ferdinand
assistance or no. But the Duke of Bovillon hearing inckling of it made more haste and hath been with the King and doth return forthwith to him as soon as he hath been at the marriage of the Lady Tremoville Your Lordship knows the circumstances of my journey are not such as can afford me any means to judge but this your Lordship may assure that by that time I have spoken to the King things will break out one way other so far as it will appear whether it be worth the tarrying to treat or no after once the King has been dealt with to which I will address my self with all speed and not tarry for the States who may be come to Paris by that time I do return for I believe they will be content to treat any where I shall have a miss of Sir Thomas Wilks were it not we were well instructed and surely he was grown very heavy of late and dull If I should stay here to attend his recovery it would comsume me to no purpose I have written a Letter to the Queen of some such gathering as I have gotten and of the speeches between me and the President because her Majesty may not be offended that I write not particularly to her selfe of something Although the Spaniards from Callis have spoyled Base-Bologne yet it is not holden here that the Cardinall will sit down before any Town speedily for he will not be able Neverthelesse the Constable is come into Picardy to give stay to the Province if that be the fruit of the Treaty we shall have less need to disswade the King I much fear Sir Tho. Wilks to be in a Lethargie Since your Lordships Letter of Feb. 15. which found me at Dover a little before my imbarking the wind hath not served to bring me any Letter out of England The Lord of heaven send me tidings of your Lordships health for whom I will daily pray I received also a Letter from the Earl of Essex of the 16. and did imbark the 17. I humbly take my leave and rest Feb. 26. 1507. Your Lordships humble and obedient Son RO. CECIL Sir Francis Walsingham Secretary to Monsieur Critoy Secretary of France SIR WHereas you desire to be advertised touching the proceedings here in Ecclesiastical causes because you seem to note in them some inconstancie and variation as if we somtimes inclined to one side somtimes to another and as if that clemencie and lenity were not used of late that was used in the beginning all which you impute to your own superficial understanding of the affairs of this State having notwithstanding her Majesties doing in singular reverence as the real pledges which she hath given unto the world of her sincerity in Religion and of her wisdom in Government well meriteth I am glad of this occasion to impart that little I know in that matter to you both for your own satisfaction and to the end you may make use thereof towards any that shall not be so modestly and so reasonably minded as you are I find therefore her Majesties proceedings to have been grounded upon two principles 1. The one That consciences are not to forced but to be won and reduced by the force of truth with the aid of time and the use of all good means of instruction and perswasion 2. The other That the Causes of Conscience wherein they exceed their bounds and grow to be matter of faction lose their nature and that Soveraign Prince ought distinctly to punish the practice in contempt though coloured with the pretence of Conscience and Religion According to these principles her Majesty at her coming to the Crown utterly disliking the tyranny of Rome which had used by terror and rigor to settle commandments of mens faiths and consciences though as a Prince of great wisdom and magnanimity she suffered but the exercise of one Religion yet her proceedings towards the Papists was with great lenity expecting the good effects which time might work in them And therefore her Majesty revived not the Laws made in the 28. and 35. of her Fathers reign whereby the Oath of Supremacie might have been offered at the Kings pleasure to any Subject though he kept his conscience never so modestly to himself and the refusal to take the same oath without further circumstance was made Treason But contrariwise her Majesty not liking to make windows into mens hearts secret thoughts except the abundance of them did overflow into overt and express acts or affirmations tempered her Laws so as it restraineth every manifest disobedience in impugning and impeaching advisedly and maliciously her Majesties supreme power maintaining and extolling a foraign jurisdiction And as for the Oath it was altered by her Majesty into a more gratefull form the hardness of the name and appellation of Supreme Head was removed and the penalty of the refusal thereof turned only into disablement to take any promotion or to exercise any charge and yet with liberty of being reinvested therein if any man should accept thereof during his life But after when Pius Quintus had excommunicated her Majesty and the Bulls of Excommunication were published in London whereby her Majesty was in a sort proscribed and that thereupon as upon a principal motive or preparative followed the Rebellion in the North yet because the ill humours of the Realm were by that Rebellion partly purged and that she feared at that time no foreign invasion and much less the attempt of any within the Realm not backed by some potent succour from without she contented herself to make a Law against that special case of bringing and publishing of any Bulls or the like Instruments whereunto was added a prohibition upon pain not of treason but of an inferior degree of punishment against the bringing in of Agnus Dei hallowed bread and such other merchandise of Rome as are well known not to be any essential part of the Romish religion but only to be used in practise as Love-tokens to inchant the peoples affections from their allegiance to their natural Soveraign In all other points her Majesty continued her former lenity but when about the 20. year of her reign she had discovered in the King of Spain an intention to invade her Dominions and that a principal point of the plot was to prepare a party within the Realm that might adhere to the Foreigner and that the Seminaries began to blossom and to send forth daily Priests and professed men who should by vow taken at Shrift reconcile her Subjects from their obedience yea bind many of them to attempt against her Majesties sacred person and that by the poyson which they spread the humours of most Papists were altered and that they were no more Papists in conscience and of softness but Papists in faction then were there new Laws made for the punishment of such as should submit themselves to such reconcilements or renunciations of obedience And because it was a Treason carried in the clouds and in
particular And on the other side I will not omit to desire humbly your Lordships favour in furthering a good conceit and impression of my most humble duty and true zeal towards the King to whose Majesty words cannot make me known neither mine own nor others but time will to no disadvantage of any that shall â—orerun his Majesties experience by their humanity and commendations And so I commend your Lordship to Gods protection From Grays-Inne c. Your c. FR. BACON To King James MAy it please your most excellent Majesty It is observed upon a place in the Canticles by some Ego sum Flos Campi Lilium Convallium that it is not said Ego sum flos horti lilium montium because the Majesty of that Person is not inclosed for a few nor appropriate to the great And yet notwithstanding this Royal vertue of access which nature and judgment hath placed in your Majesties mind as the portal of all the rest could not of it self my imperfections considered have animated me to have made oblation of my self immediately to your Majesty had it not been joyned to a habit of like liberty which I enjoyed with my late dear Soveraign Mistress a Princess happy in all things but most happy in such a Successor And yet further and more neerly I was not a little encouraged not only upon a supposal that unto your Majesties sacred eares open to the aire of all vertues there might have come some small breath of the good memory of my Father so long a principal Councellor in your Kingdom but also by the particular knowledge of the infinite devotion and incessant endeavours beyond the strength of his body and the nature of the times which appeared in my good Brother towards your Majesties service and were on your Majesties part through your singular benignities by many most gracious and lively significations and favours accepted and acknowledged beyond the thought of any thing he could effect All which endeavours and duties for the most part were common to my self with him though by design between brethren dissembled And therefore most high and mighty King my most dear and dread Soveraign Lord since now the corner-stone is laid of the mightiest Monarchy in Europe and that God above who is noted to have a mighty hand in bridling the floods and fluctuations of the seas and of peoples hearts hath by the miraculous and universal consent the more strange because it proceedeth from such diversity of causes in your coming in given a sign and token what he intendeth in the continuance I think there is no Subject of your Majesty who loveth this Island and is not hollow and unworthy whose heart is not on fire not only to bring you Peace-offerings to make you propitious but to sacrifice himself as a Burnt-offering to your Majesties service Amongst which number no mans fire shall be more pure and fervent but how far forth it shall blaze out that resteth in your Majesties imployment For since your fortune in the greatness thereof hath for a time debarred your Majesty of the fruitly vertue which one calleth the principal Principis est virtus maxima nosse suos because your Majesty hath many of yours which are unknown unto you I must leave all to the trial of further time and thirsting after the happiness of kissing your Royal hand continue ever Your c. FR. BACON To the Earl of Northumberland concerning a Proclamation upon the Kings entry It may please your Lordship I Do hold it a thing formal and necessary for the King to forerun his coming be it never so speedy with some gracious Declaration for the cherishing entertaining and preparing of mens affections For which purpose I have conceived a draught it being a thing to me familiar in my Mistress her times to have my pen used in politique writings of satisfaction The use of this may be in two sorts First properly if your Lordship think convenient to shew the King any such draught because the veins and pulses of this State cannot but be known here which if your Lordship should then I would desire your Lordship to withdraw my name and only signifie that you gave some heads of direction of such a matter to one of whose stile and pen you had some opinion The other collateral that though your Lordship make no other use of it yet it is a kind of pourtraicture of that which I think worthy to be advised to the King to express himself according to those points which are therein conceived and perhaps more compendious and significant then if I had set them down in Article I would have attended your Lordship but for some little Physick I took To morrow morning I will wait on you So I ever continue c. FR. BACON To the Earl of Southampton It may please your Lordship I Would have been very glad to have presented my humble service to your Lordship by my attendance if I could have foreseen that it should not have been unpleasing unto you And therefore because I would commit no error I chose to write assuring your Lordship how credible soever yet it is as true as a thing that God knoweth that this great change in me hath wrought no other change towards your Lordship then this that I may safely be now that which I was truly before And so craving no other pardon then for troubling you with this letter I do not now begin to be but continue to be Your Lordships most humble and devoted FR. BACON To the Earl of Northumberland It may please your Lordship I Would not have lost this journey and yet I have not that I went for For I have had no private conference to purpose with the King no more hath almost any other English for the speech his Majesty admitteth with some Noblemen is rather matter of grace then matter of businesse with the Attorney he spake urged by the Treasurer of Scotland but no more then needs must After I had received his Majesties first welcome and was promised private accesse yet not knowing what matter of service your Lordship carried for I saw it not and knowing that priviness in advertisement is much I chose rather to deliver it to Sir Thomas Hoskins then to let it cool in my hands upon expectation of accesse Your Lordship shall find a Prince the furthest from vain-glory that may be and rather like a Prince of the ancient form then of the latter time his speeches swift an cursory and in the full Dialect of his Nation and in speech of businesse short in speech of discourse large he affecteth popularity by gracing them that are popular and not by any fashions of his own he is thought somewhat generall in his favours and his vertue of accesse is rather because he is much abroad and in presse then that he giveth easie audience he hasteneth to a mixture of both kingdoms and nations faster perhaps then policy will well bear I told your
place it seems you have no such caution But my writing to you now is to know of you where now the stay is without being any more beholden to you to whom indeed no man ought to be beholden in those cases in a right course And so I bid you farewell FR. BACON To Mr. Toby Matthews Mr. Matthews DO not think me for get full or altered towards you But if I should say I could do you any good I should make my power more then it is I do fear that which I am right sorry for that you grow more impatient and bâ—sie then at first which makeâ— me exceedingly fear the issue of that which seemeth not to stand at a stay I my self am out of doubt that you have been miserably abused when you were first seduced and that which I take in compassion others may take in severity I pray God that understands us all better then we understand one another continue you as I hope he will 〈◊〉 least within the bounds of loyalty to his Majesty and natural piety to 〈◊〉 our Country And I intreat you much to meditate sometimes upon the effect of Superstition in this last Powder-Treason fit to be tabled and pictur'd in the chambers of Meditation as another Hell above the ground and well justifying the censure of the Heathen that Superstition it far worse then Atheism by how much it is less evil to have no good opinion of God at all then such as are impious towards his divine Majesty and goodness Good Mr. Matthews receive your self back from these courses of perdition Willing to have written a great deal more I continue Your c. FR. BACON To the Lord Treasurer concerning the Sollicitors place AFter the remembrance of my humble duty though I know by late experience how mindfull your Lordship vouchsafeth to be of me and my poor fortune and since it pleased your Lordship during your indisposition when her Majesty came to visit your Lordship to make mention of me for my imployment and preferment yet being now in the Country I do presume that your Lordship who of your self had an honorable care of the matter will not think it a trouble to be sollicited therein My hope is this that whereas your Lordship told me her Majesty was somwhat gravelled upon the offence she took at my Speech in Parliament your Lordships favourable endeavour who hath assured me that for your own part you construe that I spake to the best will be as a good tide to remove her from that shelf And it is not unknown unto your good Lordship that I was the first of the ordinary sort of the lower House that spake for the Subsidie and that which I after spake in difference was but in circumstance of time which methinks was no great matter since there is variety allowed in Councel as a Discord in Musick to make it more perfect But I may justly doubt her Majesties impression upon this particular as her conceipt otherwise of my insufficiencie and unworthiness which though I acknowledge to be great yet it will be the less because I purpose not to divide my self between her Majesty and the causes of other men as others have done but to attend her business only hoping that a whole man meanly able may do as well as half a man better able And if her Majesty thinketh that she shall make an adveuture in using one that is rather a man of study then of practice and experience surely I may remember to have heard that my Father an example I confess rather ready then like was made Sollicitor of the Augmentation a Court of much business when he had never practised and was but 27 years old And Mr. Brograve was now in my time called Attorney of the Dutchy when he had practised little or nothing and yet hath discharged his place with great sufficiencie But those and the like things are as her Majesty shall be made capable of them wherein knowing what authority your Lordships commendations hath with her Majesty I conclude with my self that the substance of strength which I may receive will be from your Lordship It is true my life hath been so private as I have had no means to do your Lordship service but yet as your Lordship knoweth I have made offer of such as I could yield For as God hath given me a mind to love the publique so incidently I have ever had your Lordship in singular admiration whose happy ability her Majesty hath so long used to her great honour and yours Besides that amendment of state or countenance which I have received hath been from your Lordship And therefore if your Lordship shall stand a good friend to your poor Ally you shall but tueri opus which you have begun and your Lordship shall bellow your benefit upon one that hath more sense of obligation then of self-love Thus humbly desiring pardon of so long a Letter I wish your Lordship all happiness Your Lordships in all humbleness to be commanded FR. BACON June 6. 1595. To the Earl of Salisbury concerning the same It may please your Lordship I Am not privy to my self of any such ill deserving towards your Lordship as that I should think it an impudent thing to be a Suitor for your favour in a reasonable matter your Lordship being to me as with your good favour you cannot cease to be but rather it were a simple and arrogant part in me to forbear it It is thought Mr. Attorney shall be Chief Justice of the Common-Place in case Mr. Sollicitor rise I would be glad now at last to be Sollicitor chiefly because I think it will increase my practice wherein God blessing me a few years I may mend my state and so after fall to my studies and ease whereof one is requisite for my body and the other serveth for my mind wherein if I shall find your Lordships favour I shall be more happy then I have been which may make me also more wise I have small store of means about the King and to sue my self is not fit and therefore I shall leave it to God his Majesty and your Lordship for I must still be next the door I thank God in these transitory things I am well resolved So beseeching your Lordship not to think this Letter the less humble because it is plain I rest c. FR. BACON Again to the Earl of Salisbury It may please your good Lordship I Am not ignorant how mean a thing I stand for in desiring to come into the Sollicitors place For I know well it is not the thing it hath been time having wrought alteration both in the profession and in that special place Yet because I think it will increase my practice and that it may satisfie my friends and because I have been voiced to it I would be glad it were done Wherein I may say to your Lordship in the confidence of your poor Kinsman and a man by you advanced In idem
of your ancient fidelity a reputation hereditary to that our Citie of London being the Chamber of our Imperiall Crown and ever free from all shades of tumultuous and unlawfull courses We could not omit with all possible speed we might to give you hereby a Test of our thankfull mind for the same and withall assurance that you cannot crave any thing of us fit for the maintenance of you all in generall and every one of you in particular but it shall be most willingly performed by us whose speciall care shall ever be to provide for the continuance and increase of your present happiness desiring you in the mean time to go constantly forward in doing all and whatsoever things you shall find necessary or expedient for the good government of our said City in execution of justice as you have been used to do in our said dearest Sisters time till our pleasure be known to you in the contrary Thus not doubting but you will do as you may be fully assured of our gracious favour towards you in the highest degree we bid you heartily farewell Hallyrud-House March 28. 1603. JAMESR The Roman Catholiques Petition to King James for Toleration MOst puissant Prince and orient Monarch Such are the rare perfections and admirable gifts of wisdom prudence valour and justice wherewith the bountifull hand of Gods divine Majesty hath endued your Majesty as in the depth of your provident judgment we doubt not but you foresee what concerneth both the spiritual and temporal Government of all your Kingdoms and Dominions Notwithstanding your Graces most afflicted Subjects and devoted Servants the Catholiques of England partly to prevent sinister informations which haply may possess your sacred ears before our answer be heard partly as men almost overwhelmed with persections for our considences we are inforced to have speedy recourse in hope of present redress from your Highness and to present these humble lines unto your Royal person to plead for us some commiseration and favour Alas what allegeance or duty can any Temporal Prince desire or expect at his Vassals hands which we are not addressed to perform How many Noblemen and worthy Gentlemen most zealous in the Catholique Religion have endured some loss of lands and livings some exile others imprisonment some the effusion of blood and life for the advancement of your blessed Mothers right unto the Scepter of Albion Nay whose finger did ever ake but Catholiques for your Majesties present title and dominions How many fled to your Court offering themselves as hostages for their friends to live arid die in your gracious quarrel if ever adversary had opposed himself against the equity of your cause If this they attempted with their Princes disgrace to obtain your Majesties grace what will they do nay what will they not do to live without disgrace in your Graces favor The main of this Realm if we respect Religion setting petty Sects aside consists of four parts Protestants who have domineered all the Queens dayes Puritans who have crept up apace amongst them Atheists or Polititians who were bred upon their brawls and contentions in matters of faith and Catholiques who as they are opposite to all so are they detested of all because error was ever an enemy to truth Hardly all or any two of the first three can be suppressed Therefore we beseech your Majesty to yield us as much savour as others of contrary Religion to that which shall be publiquely professed in England shall obtain at your hands For if our fault be like less or none at all in equity our punishment ought to be like less or none at all The Gates Arches and Pyramids of France proclaimed the present King Pater patria Pacis restitutor that is the Father of his Country and Restorer of their peace because that Kingdom being well neer torn in peeces with Civil wars and made a prey to foraign foes was by his providence wisdom and valour acquitted in it self and hostile strangers expelled the which he principally effected by condescending to tolerate them of an adverse Religion to that which was openly professed Questionlessm Dread Soveraign the Kingdom of England through the cruel persecution of Catholiques hath been almost odious to all Christian Nations Trade and traffique is exceedingly decayed Wars and blood hath seldom ceased Subsidies and Taxes never so many discontented minds innumerable All which your Princely Majesties connivance to your humble suppliants the afflicted Catholiques will easily easily redress especially at this your Highness fisft ingress Si loquaris ad nos verba levia erunt tibi servi cunctis diebus 1 King 7.7 that is if you speak comfortable things unto them or if you hearken unto them in this thing they will be servants unto you or they will serve all their days say the sage Councellors of Solomon to Roboam For enlargement after affliction resembleth a pleasant gale after a vehement tempest and a benefit in distress doubleth the value thereof How gratefull will it be to all Catholique Princes abroad and honorable to your Majesty to understand how Queen Elizabeths severity is changed into your Royal clemencie and that the lenity of a man reedified what the misinformed anger of a woman destroyed that the Lyon rampant is passant whereas the passant had been rampant How acceptable shall your Subjects be to all Catholique Countries who are now almost abhorred of all when they shall perceive your Highness prepareth not pikes or prisons for the Professors of their Faith but permitteth them Temples and Altars for the use of their Religion Then we shall see with our eyes and touch with our fingers that happy benediction of Isa 14.7 in this Land that swords are turned into mattocks or ploughs and lances into sithes and all Nations admiring us will say Hi sunt semen cui benedixit Dominus that is these are the seed which the Lord hath blessed We request no more favour at your Graces hands then that we may securely believe and profess that Catholique Religion which all your happy Predecessors professed from Donaldus the first converted unto your late blessed Mother martyred a Religion venerable for antiquity majestical for amplitude constant for continuance irreprehensible for doctrine inducing to all kind of vertue and piety disswading from all sin and wickedness a religion beloved by all primitive Pastors established by all Occumenicall Councels upholden by ancient Doctors maintained by the first and best Christian Emperours recorded almost alone in all Ecclesiasticall Histories sealed with the blood of millions of Martyrs adorned with the vertues of so many Confessors beautified with the purity of thousands of virgins so conformable unto naturall sense and reason and finally so agreeable with the sacred Texts of Gods Word and Gospell The free use of this Religion we request if not in publick Churches at the least in private houses if not with approbation yet with toleration without molestation Assuring your Grace that howsoever some Protestants or Puritans incited by
Your assured loving Friend THO. EGERTON C.S. Lord Chancellor Ellesmere to King James Most gracious Soveraign I Find through my great age accompanied with griefs and infirmities my sense and conceipt is become dull and heavy my memory decayed my judgment weak my hearing imperfect my voice and speech failing and faltering and in all the powers faculties of my mind body great debility Wherefore conscientia imbecilitatis my humble suit to your most sacred Majesty is to be discharged of this great Place wherein I have long served and to have some comfortable Testimony under your Royal hand that I leave it at this humble suit with your gracious favour So shall I with comfort number and spend the few dayes I have to live in meditation and prayers to Almighty God to preserve your Majesty and all yours in all heavenly and earthly felicity and happiness This suit I intended some years past ex dictamine rationis conscientiae Love and fear stayed it now Necessity constrains me to it I am utterly unable to sustain the burthen of this great service for I am come to St. Pauls desire Cupio dissolvi esse Christo Wherefore I most humbly beseech your Majesty most favourably to grant it Your Majesties most humble and loyal poor Subject and Servant THO. ELLESMERE Canc. Again to the same King Most gracious Soveraign YOur royal favour hath placed and continued me many years in the highest place of ordinary Justice in this your Kingdom and hath most graciously borne with my many but unwilling errors and defects accepting in stead of sufficiencie my zeal and fidelity which never failed This doth encourage and stir in me an earnest desire to serve still But when I remember St. Pauls rule Let him that hath an office wait on his office and do consider withall my great age and many infirmities I am dejected and do utterly faint For I see and feel sensibly that I am not able to perform those duties as I ought and the place requires and thereupon I do seriously examine my self what excuse or answer I shall make to the King of Kings and Judge of all Judges when he shall call me to accompt and then my conscience shall accuse me that I have presumed so long to undergo and weild so mighty and great a charge and burthen and I behold a great Cloud of witnesses ready to give evidence against me 1. Reason telleth me and by experience I find Senectus est tarda obliviosa insanabilis morbus 2. I heard the precepts and councel of many reverend sage and learned men Senectuti debitur otium solve senectutem mature c. 3. I read in former Laws that old men were made temeriti rudè donati And one severe Law that saith Sexagenarius de ponte whereupon they are called Depontanei And Plato lib. 6. de legibus speaking of a great Magistrate which was Praefectus legibus servandis determineth thus Minor annis 50 non admittatur nec major annis 70 permittatur in eo perseverare And to this Law respecting both mine office and my years I cannot but yeeld But leaving foreign Laws the Stat. anno 13. E. 1. speaketh plainly Homines excedentes aetatem 70 annorum non ponantur in Assissis Juratis So as it appeareth that men of that age are by that Law discharged of greater painfull and carefull especially Judiciall Offices 4. Besides I find many examples of men of great wisdom knowledge and judgment meet and worthy to be followed of which leaving all other I will remember that of William Warham Archbishop of Canterbury and Chancellor of England who after long service was upon his humble suit discharged or the office of Chancellor of England in respect of his great age Seeing then such a cloud of witnesses against me which in my private Soliloquies and Meditations are daily and continually represented to my view and mine own conscience more then a thousand witnesses concurring with me Pardon me my most gracious Soveraign to conclude with good Barzillai Quot sâ—nt dies annorum vitae meae quare servus tuus sit oneri domino nostro Regi obsecro ut revertar servus tuus moriar c. So I most humbly beseech your sacred Majesty graciously to regard the great age infirmity and impotency of your most devoted obedient loyall and faithfull servant Let me not be as Domitius after was Maluit deficere quam desinere But with your Princely favour give me leave to retire myself from the careful service of this great office and from the troubles of this world and to spend the small remnant of this my life in meditation arid prayer I wil never cease to make my humble supplications to Almighty God to bless prosper your Majesty the Queen the Prince all your Royal issue with all heavenly and earthly felicity which is the last and best service your poor aged weak and decayed servant can do for you THO. ELLESMERE Canc. Sir Francis Norris to King James Most gracious Soveraign THe advantage which mine adversary hath taken in first presenting his complaint freely and uncontrolled would have afflicted me greatly had I not known that your Majesty hath given to your Judges Injunction Auditne alteram partem That I entered into discourse with the Lord Willoughby in Church or Church-yard may make it manifest that I had no disposition at all to quarrell The rest of the world is wide enough for men fo affected They that prophane such places trust more to the place the ntheir own worth That I was improvidently in such a place by him surprized muffled in my own Cloak and treacherously buffeted shewed that I suspected no such assault as was there made upon me and where I was so disgracefully and ignobly assaulted by the Lord Willoughby and he in no sort by me yet wel I hope to satisfie every indifferent judgement much more the supream Judge that I had nothing in my intention either towards the Master or the Man It is true most gracious Soveraign that after the Lord Willoughby's dishonorable indignity by me expelled I seeing an unknown face coming fiercely with his sword upon me for my life in defence whereof God himself the law of Nature and Nations doth warrant us to contend I was forced to have forgone it at a Ruffins command or by resisting to yeild it up to your Majesty to whom I have vowed it whensoever you shall command it to your service This I presume to write to a King in whom rests the spirit of honor and by that spirit I hope your Majesty will judge that he which will run from his own defence being injuriously assaulted will also run from the defence of his Soveraign Master I also presume in all humility to address my self to a Prince indued with the spirit of Justice joyned to the divine vertue of compassion by both which I nothing doubt your Majesty will judge when you shall be truly informed of the
can be to wrong any woman of honour I deserve as little that name he gave me as either the mother of himself or of his children and if ever I come to know what man hath informed your Master so wrongfully of me I should do my best for putting him from doing the like to any other but if it hath come by the tongue of any woman I dare say she would be glad to have companions So leaving to trouble you any further I rest Your friend M. NOTTINGHAM Sir Charls Cornwallis Lieger in Spain to the Spanish King Iuly 23. 1608. YOur Majesty hath shewed the sincerity of your Royal heart in applying remedy to many inconveniences and injustice offered by your Ministers to the King my masters subjects in their goods and bodies and therein have performed not only what belongeth to your Kingly dignity but also what might be expected from a Prince so zealous of justice and of so good intention It resteth that now I beseech you to cast your Royal eyes upon another extreme injustice offered not only to their bodies and goods but to their very souls who being by your Majesties agreement confirmed with your oath to live within these your Kingdoms free from molestation for matter of opinion and conscience except in matters of scandal to others are here laid hold on and imprisoned by your Majesties Officers of Inquisition continually upon every light occasion of private information of some particular persons of their own Country who being fugitives out of their own houses and having according to the nature of our people removed not only their bodies but their hearts from the soil that bred them and from their brethren that were nourished with them do here seek to grace themselves by professing and teaching the observations of the Romish Church and that not out of any zeal but as plainly appeareth by many of their actions out of malice and envy By the Commissioners authorized by both your Majesties for the agreeing of the Peace it was clearly discerned that if upon private or particular informations his Majesties vassals here should be questioned for matter of Religion it was not possible that they should exercise any commerce in these kingdoms where they should be no one moment assured either of their goods or liberties It was therefore provided that they should in no sort be impeached but in case of scandal and that scandal with your Majesties favour must be understood to grow out of some publike action not out of private opinion or single conscience for if otherwise very vain and inutile had been that provision How the word scandal is in the most usual and common sense to be understood is in no books more evident then in the Divine Scriptures themselves Our Saviour in regard of his publique teaching of the Gospel and the abolishing of the Law-Ceremonial was said to be to both houses of Israel a stone of scandal The sin of David if it had lain covered in his own heart or been committed in private should not have been either published or punished as a scandal to the enemies of God St. Paul himself declareth that his own eating of flesh offered to Idols could not be an offence but only his eating before others of weak conscience whereby to give the scandal Besides I humbly beseech your Majesty consider how fitly that of the Apostle Quis es qui judicas alienum servum may be applied to those Officers of the Inquisition attempting to lay hands on the subjects of another Prince your Majesties confederate offering none offence to the Laws or publike prejudice to their profession yea in divers parts of your Majesties dominions the subjects of my Master have suffered this restraint The Inquisitor-Generall lately deceased who in all his actions shewed himself a considerate Minister and carefull in regard of your Majesties honour of the observing of what you have capitulated upon my complaint never failed to give the remedy that in justice I required He being now with God and one of my Soveraigns subjects having been long without cause detained by the Inquisitors in Lisbon and another of good account a man moderate and temperate in all his actions lately apprehended by that Office in Almonte and restrained in their prison at Sivil I am commanded from his Majesty and importuned by my Country-men who all with one voice complain and protest that they dare not longer continue their commerce without present order for remedy of so extream and perillous an injustice do beseech your Majesty that you will be pleased not only to give present order for the release of those that without scandal are known for the present in your prisons but also that in time to come the true intention of that Article be observed which is That without known offence and scandal the King my Masters subjects be not molested The accomplishment of this considering how much it imports your Majesty in honour your Majesty and the Archduke having in that Article in no other sort then in all the rest covenanted by especial words that your selves would provide that in no case but only in giving scandal to others the subjects of my Soveraign should be troubled for their consciences I cannot but expect from so just and sincere a Prince And therefore will not trouble your Majesty with more words but offering my self in all things within my power to your Majesties service I remain with a desire to be reckoned in the number of your Majesties humble and affectionate servants C. C. Iuly 23 stilo novo 1608. Sir Charls Cornwallis to the Spanish King Jan. 16. 1608. THe largeness and liberality of your Majesties Royall hand being such that it hath made your Greatness and Munificence of so much note through most parts of this world I assure my self it is far removed from the thoughts of your Princely heart to straiten in matter of Justice that so naturally and necessarily belongeth to your Kingly Office your Majesty hath been pleased to refer to the Constable the Duke of Infantasque and two of the Regents of your Councell of Arragon the understanding and determining of the extream and barbarous usage outrage and spoyl committed by ships set out in course under the commission at the charge of your Majesties Viceroy of Sardinia and his son-in-law Don Lewis de Calatana and others by their procurement those Lords and others there authorized by that Commission very nobly and justly desiring that of the spoyl committed there might be made intire satisfaction gave order divers months since but your Majesties Viceroy adding to his former offence contempt of your Majesties authority hath not onely disobeyed in his own person but contradicted and withstood in others the accomplishment of your commandements it seemeth that God is pleased for the good of your Majesties Estate and Government to disvizard that man and make apparent to the world how unfit he is to be trusted with your command of so great importance whose covetous
and ungodly condition is come to such height is hath drawn him not onely to spoil unlawfully and so barbarously to use the subjects of so great a King your confederate and thereby to hazard a breach of the amity between your Majesties so necessary for both your Estates and so utile to the whole Commonwealth of Christendom but also to neglect and contemn the authority of your Majesty his own Soveraign to whom besides the obligation of his naturall allegiance he is so infinitely bound for preferring and trusting him with a matter of so great consequence and dignity By this paper inclosed your Majesty shall understand the manner of proceeding of the King my Master against such of his subjects as commit the like crimes and outrage against any of yours and thereby conceive what my said Soveraign expecteth of your Majesty in this and the like and what I am commanded in conformity thereof to require which is that there be no proceeding in so clear and plain a case by way of processe or suit in Law which in this kingdom as by experience is known are immortall but that according to the sixth Article of the Peace and the most Christian and just example shewed by my Soveraign who so punctually and conscionably in all things observeth with your Majesty you will be pleased that there be not onely an intire and immediate satisfaction to the parties but that as well your said Viceroy and Don Lewis his son-in-law as all others their aiders partners and receivers in that crime may be criminally proceeded against and suffer such punishment as so enorm and unlawfull actions have justly deserved The performance of this considering with what patience the King my Master out of his love to your Majesty notwithstanding the daily complaints and importunities of the parties the generall exclamation of other his subjects who hold it rather agreeable with his honor and Kingly Office not so long to permit unsatisfied or unpunished so intollerable an outrage hath more then three whole years attended it I cannot but expect from so just and pious a Prince without further delay or protraction of time .. Jan. 16. novo stilo 1608 Sir Charls Cornwallis to the Spanish King WEll knoweth your Majesty in your Royall wisdom how necessary to Kings is the conservation of authority and respect to their Kingly dignities as also that the greatest and most absolute precept of Justice is to do to others what we would be done unto our selves How religiously punctually the King my master hath observed these unto your Majesty hath appeared by many demonstrations and not the least in the deniall he made to Antonio de Perez to abide in his Kingdom or to have accesse to his person onely out of a conceit he had that he came with a mind determined to disauthorize your Majesty in his speeches or to make offer of some practise against your estates in his overtures Your Majesties own Royall and gratefull inclination I know to be such as you are not without desire to pay my Soveraign with the like equivalent retribution but with your Majesties pardon and favour duty inforceth me plainly to tell you that the Ministers of these your Kingdoms shew not the like affection where not one but many my of Soveraigns worst affected subject are daily received cherished and honored with entertainments in your service Were that sort of people contented onely to abuse your Majesties Kingly munificence and Christian charity and to deceive your Ministers with their falsified genealogies and with putting the Don upon many whose fathers and Ancestors were so base and beggerly as they never arrived to be owners of so much as convenient apparell to cover their nakedness it were much more tolerable but when having here tasted the warmth of your Majesties liberall and pious hand they become furnished in such ample and abundant manner as their poor and miserable ancestors durst never so much as dream of like Aesops serpent they turn their venemous stings towards the bosoms that gave them heat and life and endeavour with all the force and Art they have to give cause of distaste and by consequence of division between your Majesty and your faithfullest and most powerful Confederate in uneven paiment for your Majesties so great and gracious favour With generalities for the present I will not deal as he whose cares and desires have ever been to soften and not to sharpen Two Irish in your Court the one a son as by his own Countreymen is generally reported either to a vagabond Rimer a generation of people in that Countrey of the worst account or to give him his best title of a poore Mechanicall Surgeon The other descended rather of more base and beggerly parents neglecting what by the Laws of God they ow to their own Soveraign and as little regarding their obligation to your Majesty who from the dust of the earth and miserable estate hath made them what they are notwithstanding that they cannot be ignorant of the strait charge and commandements your Majesty hath given that all due respect be had to the King my Master and his Ministers and subjects the first in irreverend and irrespective behaviour towards my self and some of mine the other in obstinate defending his companions unmannerliness delivering by way of direct asseveration that I am an heretique and such an one as to whom it is not lawfull under the pain of deadly sin to use any courtesie or reverence whatsoever have of late miscarried themselves as I hold it not agreeable either with what I ow to the King I serve or the honor I have to represent his person to passe over with silence but to present it instantly to your Majesty The names of the parties are Magg Ogg a Sollicitor as here is said for the fugitive Earle of Tyrone condemned by the verdict of his own Contreymen besides his delict of Treason of thirteen several murders The other names himselfe Condio Mauricio and is here as I am informed allowed for a for his vagabonding Countreymen hath put on the habit of a Priest and hath of your Majesty thirty crowns a moneth in Pension The parties and the offences I have made known unto your Secretary of State and I cannot doubt your Majesty in conformity of what the King my master hath by so many arguments demonstrated towards your Majesty and your Ministers will command such exemplary punishment to be made of them as a behaviour so undecent a slander and reproach so intolerable and an opinion so desperate and dangerous and so contrary to what your Majesty and all those of your Councell Nobility and Clergy do practise do worthily merit c. Feb. 1608. Sir Charls Cornwallis to the Spanish King YOur Majesty to whom God hath given so large an Empire so much exceeding that of other Princes and whom he hath blessed with so great an inclination to piety clemency and other vertues becoming your Royall dignity and Person will
I know hold it evil beseemmg so rare a greatness to come behind any King how pious vertuous soever either in the observance of the laws of mutual charity and friendship or in love or zeal to justice which to all Kingdoms and Governments gives the assuredst foundation and in defect whereof by the Spirit of God himself Kingdoms are said to be translated from one Nation to another The first King that God gave unto his people he elected of higher stature then the rest by the shoulders upwards signifying thereby how much Kings are to strive to exceed and excell in the height and measure of vertue and justice also how fit it is for them to over-look with their authorities and providences the highest head of their Ministers and to observe how they guide themselves By the contents of this paper inclosed your Majesty shall perceive the Christian and Kingly care the King my Master hath had not onely of the observances of the Articles of Peace since the same between your Majesties were concluded but of the punctuall accomplishment of the true Laws of amity and friendship which are more surely and expressively imprinted in Royall and Noble hearts then possibly they can be written or charactered by any pen in paper In your Majesties Kingdoms pardon I humbly beseech you if I speak plainly much contrary to that example the King my Masters subjects suffer all manner of spoils oppressions and miseries and are as well I may term them made a very prey to the hungry and greedy your Viceroyes and others enter their ships under cover and colour of Peace and Justice finding them rich they lay crimes to their charge whereof there appears neither proof nor probability yet serve their pretences to possess them of their goods to put the poor Merchants to a demand in Law wherein were truth alone the ballance they should be weighed by though that form of redress were far short of the immediate remedy provided by the King my Soveraign for your Majesties subjects yet were it much more allowable and to be endured but having here complained two whole years without any course at all taken for redress as in the cause with the Duke of Feria three intire years as in that with the Viceroy of Sardinia one year and more as in that of his Majesties servant Adrian Thibaut taken and spoiled by your Majesties Generall Don Luis as in that of Estry and Bispich imprisoned and bereaved of their goods by Iuan de Vendorza Alcalde of Madrid we are after so long a time spent in misery and charge countervailing a great part of the value of the goods taken from us inforced still to all punctualities and extremities of forms of law and to abide the uttermost perill of all advantages that by the inventions wits tongues of Lawyers can be devised to obscure and hide the light and right of truth The false colour given by every of these and the barbarous cruelty used to the parties would require too long and tedious a declaration It satisfieth that none of their pretences are proved nay which is more they are so false and fabulous as to no indifferent underderstanding they appear so much as probable My humble desire is your Majesty would be pleased to pass your own Royal eyes upon this paper and therefore to affect all possible brevity I will pass unto your Majesties other inferior ministers of your Ports of which few there are those in Biscay and some in Portugal only excepted where we have not divers oppressions imprisonments and unjust imbargements in Sivil especially whereof forty several suits and as many false sentences given raised and pursued by a man now dead and therefore in charity left unnamed We have hitherto in your Majesties Councel of war where before those noble Lords all passed by the equal line of Justice not failed in my remembrance in the overthrowing of any save one mistaken that passed in a wrong name and another concerning merchandise that had their manufacture in Embden whereof I suppose those Lords were not rightly informed only excepted In that Court I must acknowledge we have had redress but yet with your Majesties favour a miserable one our gain being whether we shall be owners of our own or not our expences and charges certain and the time without measure large whereby many have been undone some dead in prison in England for want of what was unjustly detained from them here Yet neither the false Judges in Sivil nor Promoters ever chastised or for any thing that I yet have understood so much as ever reprehended or found fault with I haste to a conclusion fearing lest I should dwell too long in a matter so unsavoury and unpleasing to your Majesties pittifull ears and Christian heart so much of it self disposed to all clemency and piety I will for the next resort to the ships cordage corn and other victuals and provisions taken from the King my Soveraigns subjects for your Majesties own services and the relief of the extreme necessity in your Gallies and Garrisons of the Navy of whom some have been enforced for want of payment of their monies to send their ships home unfreighted a loss extreme to poor Merchants that live by trade and time to repair to this Court and here remain some of them 14 moneths and others two years and more till their very charges had eaten out a great part of what was due unto them and in the end recover only their own without any relief or recompence either for their expences times lost or damages I will only instance two because their causes are most strange and pittifull and yet unsatisfied the one named Thomas Harrison and the other Richard Morris The first served your Majesty with his ship till the same with one of his sons and all of his men were swallowed with the seas and hath been here more then four years suing for his recompence and salary recommended by the King my Soveraign by Letters from your Majesties Ambassadors in England and by my self all that long time furthered with my earnest sollicitation which hath begot infinite promises but to this day no manner of payment or performance The other who sometimes hath been a man of wealth and reputation and falling into great poverty served your Majesty with all that in the world he was worth and all that in value above 6000 Ryals I blush I protest to think of it and my heart is grieved to mention it to so great a King of whose liberality and magnificence the world taketh so much notice His right and his necessity being well known unto your Officers he hath been more then three years and a half fed with hopes and put off with schedules and sending from one Port to another for the receipt of his mony till he hath indebted himself the most part of the sum and at present wanteth wherewith both to feed and cover him Now at last he is promised payment
out here of your Royal chests but after so many ceremonies and circumstances to be performed with your Officers in other parts as God knows hunger may end the poor man before they begin to satisfie him By all this will plainly appear to your Majesty that your Majesties subjects are by the favour and Christian justice of the King my master entred into the new Testament and law of Grace haying restitution and remedy without the delayes of ceremony and formality and we still remain under the old and tyed in ail things to the hand-writing of the Law to the burthenous circumstances and intolerable dilatory formalities of proceeding in this your Kingdom and what else your unpittifull Ministers will out of uncharitable and unsensible minds of other mens harms charge and impose upon us Well doth your Majesty conceive that would the King my Master wink at the like courses to be taken by his subjects and ministers with such of yours as they might meet upon the seas the English are not of so little invention but they could devise as good colours and pretences nor their Lawyers of so small skill and so much conscience but they could form and protract suits nor the ships of England so weakened and lessened but they could equal and surmount their losses I have out of mine own humble affection to your Majesty out of my generall and ever continuing desire to hold firm the ancient amity so necessary for your own estates and utile for the whole common-weal of Christendom out of the force of duty I owe to my King and Country thus far adventured to unburthen my soul and thoughts not doubting but your Majesties magnanimous and Christian heart will be moved as well in desire to equal the pious and immutable example of the King my Master as in a just compassion of a Nation now confederate with you and that so gladly would entertain any cause to love and serve you to give present remedy to those wofull and intolerable oppressions and that since you have firmed and consented by your Articles of Peace of new orders which being confirmed by your oath stand now in force of Laws you would be pleased in like manner to give them a new form of indilatory execution conformable to that of the King my Soveraign c. King James to the University of Cambridge Mar 4. 1616. JACOBVS Dei gratia Magnae Britanniae Franciae Hiberniae Rex Fidei defensor c. Acadmiae Cantabrigiae communi salutem SI jus civitatis impetret à nobis Cantabrigia veremur ne aemula urbis potentia crescente minuatur Academiae securitas sat erit apud nos metus vestri judicium fecisse nec enim tam vobis convenit Academiae periculum deprecari quam nobis sponte nostra quicquid in speciem illi noxium sit avertere Glorietur urbs illa se à Majoribus nostris electam doctrinarum sedem ingeniorum officium sapientiae palestram Quicquid his titulis addi potest nimis non honestatur plebeia Civitatis appellatione Musarum domicilium vel sane literatorum dicatur Civitas vel quod in villa nostrae villae in incolitarum tegitur celebritate Haec ejus fuerint privilegia Academiae dignitatem comiter observare cujus frequentia facta seipsa major affluentia bonarum artium studiosos amicè excipere quorum congressu dislata est Literatorum deinque honori ancillari unde haec illa nata est felicitas hae artes quibus crevit tenenda non aucupandam titulorum novitas incerti eventus facessat popularis vocabuli fastus unde certa oriatur aemulationis necessitas quae eo turpior urbi est futura quo majori erga Academiam obstrictam reverentiam nolumus sacrum illum musarum asylum minuti praetoris ense temerari nec strepere tetrica edicta ubi septem geminus vestri Chori auditur concentus satis in vetera purpura invidiae nova pompa tam illi futura supervacua quam vobis suspecta In nostra solvis tutela post Deum opt max. Alma scientiarum Mater nostro fovebitur sceptro indefessa illius foecunditas non abortiet ad praetorii gladii terriculum nullum honoris titulum Cantabrigiae indulgemus qui cum Academiae sollicitudine conjunctus sit Valete Datum è Palatio nostre Westmonast 4 Calend. Mar. 1616. JACOBUS REX Mr. Ruthen to the Earle of Northumberland My Lord IT may be interpreted discretion somtimes to wink at private wrongs especially for such a one as my self that have a long time wrastled with a hard Fortune and whose actions words and behaviour are continually subject to the censure of a whole State yet not to be sensible of publique and Nationall disgrace were stupidity and baseness of mind For no place nor time nor State can excuse a man from performing that duty and obligation wherein Nature hath tied him to his Countrey and to himself This I speak in regard of certain infamous verses lately by your Lordships means dispersed abroad to disgrace my Countrey and my self and to wrong and stain by me the honor of a worthy and vertuous Gentlewoman whose unspotted and immaculate vertue your self is so much more bound to admire and uphold in that having dishonorably assaulted it you could not prevail But belike my Lord you dare do any thing but that which is good and just Think not to bear down these things either by greatness or denyall for the circumstances that prove them are so evident and the veil wherewith you would shadow them is too transparant Neither would I have you flatter your self as though like another Giges you could passe in your courses invisible If you owe a spight to any of my countrey-men it is a poor revenge to rail upon me in verse or if the repulse of your lewd desire at the Gentlewomans hands hath inflamed and exasperated your choler against her it was never known that to refuse Northumberlands unlawfull lust was a crime for a Gentlewoman deserving to have her honour called in question For her part I doubt not but her own unspotted vertue will easily wipe out any blot which your malice would cast upon it and for me and my Countreymen know my good Lord that such blowes as come in rime are too weak to reach or harm us I am asham'd in your Lordships behalfe for these proceedings and sorry that the world must now see how long it hath been mistaken in Northumberlands spirit and yet who will not commend your wisdom in chusing such a safe course to wrong a woman a prisoner the one of which cannot and the other by nature quality of the place may not right his own wrongs Wherefore setting aside the most honorable order of the Garter and potesting that whatsoever is here said is no way intended to the Nobility and Gentry of England in generall which I doubt not but will condemn this your dishonorable dealing and for which both my self
great Uncle and perceiving that all the Councels of the Calvinists do aim to bring in the Turk he will not condemn his translation For no less is the Lutherans hatred against the Calvinists as the Catholiques and they think less danger do proceed from the later It is to be hoped therefore that the Elector of Saxony and other Lutheran Princes when they see the business brought to this point will not so far disapprove thereof as to put themselves in Arms which I shall shortly understand of the most excellent Archduke Charls my brother who is for this cause to treat with the Elector of Saxony And these motives as they are of great consequence so I imagine you which are daily of his Majesties Councell have pondered them as diligently as my self and therefore that you will omit nothing that is pertinent to establish this business whereby we obtain the long and wished fruit thereof which is the propagation of the honor of Almighty God through the Empire and the augmentation of the common safety Family and Dignity Beloved Don Balthazar I understand that there was a motive of great consideration omitted in my Letter to wit that if we had more countenance of his Catholique Majesty then we have at this present the Empire should always remain in the hands of Catholiques and so according to reason in our House to whose advancement the Duke of Bavaria will willingly concur in recognition of such a benefit being promoted by an Emperour of that House to so eminent and high a dignity as in our letters Vienna Octob. 15. 1621. King James to Ferdinand the Emperour concerning the Palatinate Novemb. 12. 1621. IAmes by the grace of God King of Great Britain France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. wisheth health and constant peace unto the most mighty and invincible Prince Ferdinando by the same grace elected Roman Emperour King of Germany Hungary and Bohemia Archduke of Austria c. our loving friend and cousin Most mighty and invincible Prince Brother Cousin and speciall loving Friend It is not unknown unto the whole world much less to your Imperiall Majesty how earnestly we have hitherto sought and endeavoured as well by the diligence of our Ambessadors whom we have sent as by the intercession of the chief German Princes the appeasing of those Bohemian wars ever since they first began and with what ardent zeal and affection we have so much hunted after the desire of peace Let it not therefore seem strange unto any man that we take it ill that all the very time when we were to the uttermost of our power treating of peace and giving our best furtherance for the overture of wholsome means to effect it even then notwithstanding we found clean contrary effects to ensue thereupon whereat we much marvelled seeing the Treaty was in hand and already begun on all sides as namely among the rest that our son-in-law was wholly despoiled and robbed of his hereditary patrimony that remained unto him excepting the â—lower Palatinate which was all by commandment of your Imperiall Majesty taken and possessed by the Duke of Bavaria according as himself confessed with strong hand and force of Arms and that for such reasons as are meerly new and such as the like were never hitherto once heard of That notwithstanding it plainly appeareth by the answer given unto our Ambassador that your Imperial Majesty had caused the suspension of that Ban or prescription in those Countries yet did your Imperial Majesty permit the taking of Arms again in hand which also after the same your Imperial Majesties answer was yet again likewise commanded to be done in the Lower Palatinate whereby there hath therein been since raised a grievous and cruel war and most part of the Country taken in by the Spaniards powerfull strength But as we diligently observed those things we cleerly see what great trouble and misery hath been occasioned by this our great patience and long delaying forbearing and doubtfulness which without all doubt may be hereafter further occasioned and which may perhaps prove heavier then the chief reasons of this misery it self And therefore we hold it best and most expedient that your Imperial Majesty do at length put a period to this most unhappy business And for that end and purpose have thought good at this time so propound what we prescribe our Son in law on th' one part to perform towards your Imperial Majesty which we have always councelled and exhorted our Son in law to do nor will we so much as in the least once doubt of the contrary and adverse success therein but are perswaded that your Imperial Majesty will be most graciously moved to receive our Son in law into grace and favour to redeliver unto him his hereditary lands and titles which he had enjoyed before those Bohemian wars and fully to restore him to his former honours and dignities In regard whereof the Count Palatine shall perform unto your Imperial Majesty as followeth 1. He shall for himself and his Son wholly renounce and acquit all pretence of right and claim unto die Crown of Bohemia and the incorporated Countries thereof 2. He shall from henceforward yield all constant due devotion unto the Imperial Majesty as do other obedient Princes Electors of the Empire 3. He shall upon his knee crave pardon of the Imperial Majesty 4. He shall not hereafter any manner of way either unfittingly carry or demean himself towards the Imperial Majesty or disturb your Kingdoms or Countries 5. He shall upon reasonable conditions reconcile himself with other his neighbour Princes and States of the Empire and hold good friendship with them 6. And shall really do all other like things as is above contained and that shall be reasonable and necessary Which proposed Conditions if your Imperial Majesty shall please to receive and accept of the same will be a notable testimony of your Imperial Majesties goodness and grace which how well and acceptable it will be unto us shall be acknowledged and shewed by our very willing service and unfeigned friendship as well towards your Imperial Majesty as towards the most renowned house of Austria But if it shall fall out contrary to our expectation that these our just demands and well-willed presentation shall not find acceptance or after this our diligent endeavor you shall seek to delay us by the using some new tergiversation and pretend to use that long councel and deliberate advice of the Princes of the Empire upon these our propounded conditions whereas notwithstanding your Imperial Majesty expresly promised in your last answer freely to declare what should be your purpose and resolution therein So that there being no ground to the contrary as we call God and the world to witness there is not and being forced and constrained by the duty and natural affection which we owe and bear to our Children for the preservation of their honour and welfare we are resolved to try the uttermost of our power
for their relief especially seeing we sue for desire and would obtain and retain no new title of honour for our Son in law but only to have again those of his own now lost which he then had and enjoyed when we matched him with our dear and only daughter For if in this distress we should leave our Children and their Partisans without councel help and protection it would be a foul stain to our honour Let not therefore your Imperial Majesty in regard hereof blame us at all if we with a mighty and puissant Army by force and strong hand seek to recover that which by propounded and reasonable conditions we could not obtain for the continuance of our friendship But for as much as it is most certain this cannot be without the great hurt and prejudice of all Christendom the breach of publike peace and the wounding of our contracted amity and friendship with the house of Austria which we have ever hitherto by manifold testimonies uprightly faithfully and inviolably observed It is therefore requisite and necessary that your Majesty of your innate gracious mildness and goodness and of that most reverent discretion wherewith you are endowed to seek in time to meet with and prevent these so great evils likely to ensue and use brotherly love good will God almighty long preserve your Imperial Majesties life and at last so direct your heart that sweet peace and the concord of all Christendom now rent asunder may be recovered and again maintained At our Royal Residence-Town of Royston Novemb. 12. 1621. JACOBUS REX His Imperial Majesty to King James Ian. 14. 1621. COnstans atque eadem nobis semper fuit mens idem desiderum non tam verbis quam re ipsa demonstrandi quanti tranquillitatem in Imperio publicam mutuae amicitiae cum vicinis Principibus potissimum Serenitatis vestrae sincere colendae studium aestimaremus Inde si praeteriti temporis successus de rebus in utroque Palatinatu tam superiore quam inferiore innovat de quo literis ad nos datis Serenitas vestra conqueritur deflexisse videri possint illi culpa venit omnis imputanda quem ab improba cupiditate aliena regna captantem nec divini nec humani juris respectus nec supremi Domini sui reverentia nec sacri Jus-jurandi religio nec prudentissimi Soceri concilium cohibere potuerint imo qui justo Dei judicio ca acie in fugam profligatus usque adeo obstinatione sua pertinaciter etiamnum inheret ut continuis machinationibus per Jagarndorfium Mansfeildum aliosque crudeles pacis publica perturbatores Acharonta potius movere quam sanioribus acquiescere consiliis ab usurpatoque regni nostri titulo desistere non officiis per Serenitatem vestram per quam sane diligenter interpositis sua ex parte quid deferens videatur nec ullum in hanc usque horam animi poenitentis signum dederit Itaque in tractatu de pace instituenda uti condescendamus videt Serenitas vestra ab cis quos principaliter id concernit quam nulla nobis causa vel occasio praebeatur Id quidem ingenue profitemur in exulceratissimo eo negotio cujus calamitas universum pene orbem involvit cum Serenitatis vestrae candorem cam animi moderationem equitatis justitiaeque respectum enituisse ut nihil sit vicissim quod non ejusdem desideriis salva suprema auctoritate nostra Caesarea salvisque Imperii legibus libenter tribuamus qui pro innata nobis benignitate aequisque conditionibus Arma poni optatam afflictissimae Germaniae pacem restitui quam legitime executiones insisti per caedes sanguinem Christianum gloriosa nomini nostra trophaea figi nunquam non maluimus In gratiam itaque Serenitatis vestrae ut ret ipsa deprehendat quanti nobis sit perpetuum cum eadem amicitia cultum novo fomite subinde revocari licet hactenus prosperos militiae nostrae successus divina benignitas tribuit acquiescimus ut benevolo tractatis almae pacis redintigrandae rationes opportunae ineantur cumque in finem ad evitandum viarum temporumque dispendia nunc in eo sumus ut serenissimae Principi Dominae Elizabethae Clarae Eugeniae natae Infanti Hispaniarum Archiducissae Austriae Ducissae Burgundiae Stiriae Carinthiae Canniolae Wirtinburgiae Provinciarum Belgii Burgundiarumque Dominae Consobrinae ac sorori nostrae charissimae ut istic in aula sua quorsum vestra quoque Serenitas si ita libuerit suos cum plena facultate ablegare poterit primum cumque proximum assequende pacis gradum cessationem ab armis aequis conditionibus nomine nostro Caesari stabiliendum permittemus prope diem expedituri Legatum nostrum virum nobilem qui diligentissime in gravissimo hoc negotio mentem nostram plenius aperiet atque inde ad Serenitatem vestram animum nostrum ad redintegrandae pacis studia proclivem qui non aliter quam quibuscunque benevolentiae officiis cum Serenitate vestra certare studet magis magisque testificetur cujus interim consilia generosa praepotens Deus publico orbis commodo in faelicissimos â—ventus disponat Dat. Viennae 14 Jan. 1621. Earl of Bristol to King James MOst gracious Soveraign it may please your Majesty to remember that at my coming out of Spain I signified unto your Majesty how far the Duke of Lerma had upon severall occasions intimated unto me an extraordinary desire of this King and State not onely to maintain peace and amity with your Majesty but to lay hold of all things that may be offered for the nearer uniting of your Majesty and your Crowns and that from this generality he had descended often to have discourse with me of a match for the Princes Highness with the second daughter of Spain assuring me that in this King and his Ministers there was a forward disposition thereunto But from me he received no other answer but to this effect That I in the treaty of the former match for the late Prince had received so strange and unexpected answer from them that their demands seemed so improper and unworthy that I conceived that your Majesty had little reason to be induced again to give eare to any such overture or that I should again enter into any such treaty much less to be the motioner thereof Although I would confess that if I were fully perswaded of the sincerity of their intentions and of a possibility of having the said match effected I know not any thing wherein I would more willingly imploy my endeavours but as the case now stood I was certain that if I should but make any such motion in England should but draw imputation of much weakness upon me there and no whit advance the cause for that your Majesty and your Ministers would make no other construction of the motion but as construed to divert the Match of France which was treated of for that your Majesty who but the
year before had received so unpleasing and unequal an answer should now be perswaded that there was here so great a change as that a match was really desired there would now need more then ordinary assurance But the Duke of Lerma continuing severall times the same profession and telling me besides that the greatest Cases might be altered by circumstances and that the Age of this Prince was much more proper then that of his brother I freely let the Duke know that in case I might see that it was really desired here and that I might be able to propound unto my Master conditions of so much advantage and certainty as might put him and his ministers out of doubt that this overture was not again revived from hence either for diversion or winning of time I would then willingly intimate unto your Majesty the inclination and desire I found here of having a proposition for this match once again set on foot The Duke told me he would have a further conference with me and that he then no ways doubted to give such satisfaction as might well assure your Majesty and your Ministers that they sincerly desired the match in generall and would omit nothing on their side for the accomodating of particulars that might give furtherance unto it But the very night before the Duke had appointed a meeting with me there came a Post dispatcht out of England from the Spanish Ambassador upon the arrivall of Sir Thomas Edmonds into England who brought word that the match with France was absolutely concluded and that within few days it was to be published Whereupon the Duke at our meeting the next morning told me that it would be needless now to descend to any particulars in the business whereof we are to treat since that they had newly received advertisement that the match with France was fully concluded And thus for the present the matter rested untill some five or six weeks after about which time my self was to go into England and so taking leave of the Duke he asked me whether I had not received advertisement that the match with France was published I told him no but I had certainly heard that it was not as yet fully concluded Whreupon he intreated me that in case I found not the French match in such forwardness as it could not be stayed I would let him know of it and that if I should see any kind of possibility that the business we had spoken of might be set on foot I would advertise him and that thereupon he would proceed to those particulars which he formerly intended for my satisfaction Herewith I acquainted your Majesty and finding the Spanish Ambassador in England had notice from the Duke of our former proceedings and order to further them by all possible means he could especially if he should understand that your Majesty were not fully resolved of the French match I thought it fit by this means to let the Duke understand in what estate I found those businesses in England and thereupon with your Majesties permission I wrote a letter unto him to this effect That although it were true that the Match with France had been treated of with much earnestness on both sides and with great likelihood of being concluded yet there daily arose so many difficulties and new cases of delay that I judged it far from any perfect conclusion neither did I see cause absolutely to despair of the businesses which our selves pretended unless the difficulty of the Conditions should make it desperate But if those things should be expected by Spain which in the Treaty for the late Princess were demanded it were better by much not to renew the business then by impossible or unfitting propositions on either side to give distaste or lessen the friendship which now was betwixt your Majesties And therefore except that in Spain they would be contented with such conditions as your Majesty most fittingly and conveniently might yield unto and all other Catholique Princes were willing to content themselves with I neither saw cause to hope for good success or reason to set the treaty on foot But in case I might know that the conditions in point of Religion might be such as I should see a possibility of your Majesties condescending unto them I should be far from despairing of some good effect for that I knew that divers not of the meanest nor least power with your Majesty were hereunto well inclined and would give their helping hands Hereupon the Spanish Ambassador dispatcht his Secretary into Spain and received answer from the Duke that he should give me all assurance that there was a great desire and inclination to the making of the Match and that at my return into Spain they no way doubted but that I should receive such satisfaction as should make it appear on their part there should be nothing wanting for the effecting of it It now remaineth what hath passed herein since my last coming to this Court. I arrived here in Madrid only a day or two before Christmass and having some six dayes after my audience appointed by the King whilst I was in a withdrawing chamber expecting the Kings coming forth the Duke of Lerma came thither to bear me company and after many respectfull demands of your Majesty and the Queens and the Princes health and some few complements unto my self concerning my welcom again unto this Court he fell to speak of the false Alarms we had in England concerning a Spanish Armado seeming much to be displeased that any credit should be given to any thing to his Majesties dishonour and want of fidelity as he termed it But your Majesty he said did never believe it And it seems he heard of some pleasant answer your Majesty should make to some one of your Ministers that in great haste came unto your Majesty when you were a hunting and told you that the Spanish Fleet was in the Channel From this he entred into great protestations of the sincerity of this Kings affection and intention towards your Majesty telling me that I should now see how much they desired to work a greater neerness and uniting between your Majesties And that of the principal business of which we had in former time spoken meaning the Marriage he desired to speak with me but it must be at more leisure I answered that I would not fail shortly to wait upon him and that he should find me answerable to the professions I had made which was that being induced thereunto by such sufficient and good grounds as might satisfie my Master both for the convenience and fittingness of having such a Treaty set on foot and likewise might take away all objections of their intents of entertaining and diverting your Majesty hereby I would be as ready to do all good offices and give furtherance to the business as any Minister the King of Spain had And this was all that at our first meeting passed in this business About some eight days
probable to produce a good effect and that I hoped God would give happy success unto the business But I should be bold in one thing to deliver my opinion which was No wayes to interess our Masters herein unless by the understanding and cleering the difficulties on both sides there should be great appearances and probabilities that the business would take effect For if their names should be herein used and after their Treaty should not be successfull it would but exasperate and breed a greater distaste betwixt your Majesties The Duke told me he himself misliked not my opinion though he said that howsoever that business succeeded yet your Majesty should have reason to accept kindly this Kings good intention for that if it miscarried it should appear not to be their default but that they had stretched as far as honor and conscience would give them leave And thus much he said I might write unto your Majesty if I thought fit or to my confident friends in England upon his word and assurance and so telling me that he would presently appoint those that should confer with me in this business we then parted Within two days after I went to the Duke and after that I had spoken with him about the business of Cleves according to my instruction whereof I gave an account unto Mr. Secretary in a dispatch directed unto him we fell again into the speech of the match The Duke told me had well considered of that which I had said unto him and much approved it not to interest our Matters in the business until we should see some likelihood of good success And for that he supposed the difference of Religion like to prove the onely difficulty of consideration he thought it fit that it should be first cleared and therefore he would break the matter with the Cardinall of Toledo the Kings Confessor and with them he joyned another learned man one Father Frederick who since I understand is a Jesuite but truly hath the report of a moderate man These the Duke said should have order to confer with me as far as might be reserving safe the grounds and sincerity of their Religion I answered the Duke that I was well satisfied herewith and that if their demands were such as might content any other Catholique Prince I should have hope of good success if otherwise I should judge it a happiness to be put out of doubt and suspence and so we passed from this subject I presume to set down to your Majesty all the passages of this business with so much length and fulness for that I no way dare adventure to offer unto your Majesty any opinion or belief of my own either for the fitness of the match or the sincerity of their intention or the possibility of accommodating differences of Religion But your Majesty seeing undisguised all that hath hitherto passed with every circumstance may be pleased out of the consideration and knowledg of those particulars to frame unto your self both such a beliefe of their direct meaning and such a resolution of the further proceeding herein as shall be most suitable to your Majesties wisdom onely I think it fit to set down further unto your Majesty the particular ends which may be conceived they aim at by setting this business afoot at this present in case they should not intend really to perform it The first may be to stagger and divert your Majesties Treaty with France The second for entertaining your Majesty with fair hopes and promises thereby to keep you from declaring your self opposite unto them in the present business of Juliers and Cleves which remaineth still uncompounded But this being so your Majesty may be pleased to understand that they serve themselves with this occasion not that there could be any such thing primarily in their intention for that the expression of their desire to the match was the last year long before these differences happened Further the Duke of Lerma should be the most fals and dishonorable man living without Christianity or soul if he should voluntarily damn himself with oathes and protestations of a thing that he sincerely meant not and truly he should deal contrarily to the wisdom of his other proceedings wherein he layeth all occasions of distaste or discourtesie upon other inferior Ministers labouring still to clear himself of the imputation of them if in this he should make himself the author and instrument of so unjust and indirect proceeding between Princes But the course of most security and caution is that your Majesty suffer none of your other resolutions to be interrupted by this overture onely if your Majesty be pleased for a while to entertain and suspend the conclusion of the match with France I conceive it can be little to your Majesties disadvantage It lastly now remaineth that I become an humble suiter unto your Majesty for your clear and full directions in this business desiring if your Majesty will have it further entertained that I may have ample instructions from your Majesty both that I may intimate what may be expected in point of Dowry and in all other things to be required by your Majesty as likewise how far I may proceed in satisfying in point or Religion For it is not to be supposed that they wil proceed with that freeness and directness which is to be wished unless in a fitting measure they shall see me likewise able and willing to declare my self in such points wherein they may expect satisfaction I intend not hereby to move for a formall Commission to treat but onely a private instruction for my direction and warrant how to behave my self as may be most advantagious to the cause and your Majesties ends So humbly desiring your Majesty to command this Bearer to be dispatched back with all convenient speed I commend your Majesty to the holy protection of God Your Majesties faithfull subject and servant BRISTOL Abignoto to Conde Gondomar concerning the death of Philip the third VPon the last day of February being Sunday 1620. his Catholique Majesty after he had heard Mass and the Sermon in the Chappel was taken with a Feaver which continued with him eight dayes with a ruddiness and pimples which appeared plainly in his face which afterwards began to diminish but he was suddenly taken with a vomiting and a great feaver which continued with him till the 21. day and the Physitians were of opinion to have him rise out of his bed which was accordingly done both that day and the next but about dinner-time happened unto him a great swouning which much astonisht him and the 23. day in the night his feaver did redouble upon him with a vomiting and a flux in the belly and a great melancholy and an opinion that he should die which feaver continued with divers reduplications the Physitians having an ill opinion of him till on Saturday night the 27. when his reduplications were more violent his water bad and the King persevered in saying how
Infanta having an absolute commission to conclude a suspension and cessation of Arms should now at last when all objections were answered and the former solely pretended obstacles removed not onely delay the conclusion of the Treaty but refuse to lay her command upon the Emperours Generals for abstaining from the siege of our Garrisons during the Treaty upon pretext of want of authority So as for avoyding of further dishonor we have been enforced to recall both our Ambassadors as well the Chancellor of the Exchequer who is already returned to our presence as also the Lord Chichester whom we intended to have sent unto the Emperour to the Dyet at Ratisbone Seeing therefore that out of our extraordinary respect meerly to the King of Spain and the firm confidence we ever put in the hopes and promises which he did give us desiring nothing more then for his cause principally to avoid all occasions that might put us into ill understanding with any of the House of Austria We have hitherto proceeded with a stedfast patience trusting to the treaties and neglecting all other means which might probably have secured the remainder of our childrens inheritance Those Garrisons which we maintained in the Palatinate being rather for honor sake to keep a footing untill the generall accommodation then that we did rely so much upon their strength as upon his frienpship and by the confidence security of ours are thus exposed to dishonor reproach you shal tell that King that seeing all those endeavours and good offices which he hath used towards the Emperour in this business on the behalf of our son-in-law upon confidence whereof that our security depended which he continually by his Letters and Ministers here laboured to beget and confirm in us have not sorted to any other issue then to a plain abuse both of his trust and ours whereby we are both of us highly injured in our honour though in a different degree we hope desire that out of a true sense of this wrong offered unto us he will as our deer and loving brother faithfully promise and undertake upon his honor confirming the same also under his hand and seal either that the Castle and Town of Heidelbergh shall within threescore and ten dayes after this your audience and demand made be rendred into our hands with all things therein belonging to our son-in-law or our daughter as neer as may be in the state wheirn they were taken and the like for Manheim and Frankindale if both or eithe of them shall be taken by the enemy whilst these things are in treating as also that there shall be within the said term of threescore and ten days a cessation or suspension of Arms in the Palatinate for the future upon the severall Articles and Conditions last propounded by our Ambassador Sir Richard Weston and that the generall treaty shall be set on foot again upon such honorable terms and conditions as were propounded unto the Emperour in a letter written unto him in November last and with which the King of Spain then as we understand seemed satisfied or else in case all these particulars be not yeilded unto and performed by the Emperour as is here propounded but be refused or delayed beyond the time afore mentioned that then the King of Spain do joyn his forces with ours for the recovery of our childrens honors and patrimony which upon this trust hath been thus lost Or if so be his forces at this present be otherwise so imployed as that they cannot give us that assistance which we here desire and as we think we have deserved yet at the least he will permit us a free and friendly passage through his Territories and Dominions for such forces as we shall send and imploy into Germany for this service of all which disjunctively if you receive not of the King of Spain within ten days at the furthest after your audience and proposition made a direct assurance under his hand and seal without delay or putting us off to further Treaties and Conferences that is to say of such restitution cessation of Arms and proceeding to a generall treaty as is before mentioned or else of assistance and joyning his forces with ours against the Emperour or at least permission of passage for our forces through his said Dominions that then you take your leave and return unto our Presence without further stay otherwise to proceed in the negotiation of the marriage of our Son according to the instruction we have given you Given c. at Hampton Court Octob. 3. 1622. Earl of Bristol to King James Octob. 21. 1622. MAy it please your most excellent Majesty I received your Majesties Letter of the 9. of Septemb the 23. of the same moneth by them understand that your Majesty hath received much satisfaction by what I had formerly written unto your Majesty both concerning the restitution of the conclusion of the Match but that your Majesty findeth the effects very unsuitable both by the proceeding at Bruxels in the Palatinate as also by what you understand from Rome by Mr. Gage of the Popes demands I hope by the arrival of Mr. Cottington your Majesty will have received satisfaction in some measure at least that there hath been no diligence or time omitted either for the redressing of any thing that hath been amiss or for the advancing of your Majesties affairs The very day I received your Letters I sent a Gentleman post unto the King who was gone into the Escurial to demand audience which he presently granted me and I repaired thither unto him upon the third of October the Conde de Gondomar being likewise commanded to wait upon the King I was there well received and presently upon my arrival the Conde de Olivarez came to me to the lodgings which were appointed for me to rest in To him I delivered fully in the presence of Sir Walter Ashton and the Conde de Gondomar what I had to negotiate with the King both in the business of the Match and of the Palatinate In the Match I represented how much it imported your Majesty that a speedy resolution might be taken therein both in regard of the Prince being your Majesties onely son now arrived to the age of 22 years and for the setling of your affairs in England I repeated unto him all the passages in this Treaty how many years had been already spent in it that after so long an expectation the diligences used in Rome for the obtaining of the Dispensation had wrought but small effect since the Pope had lately made such demands as were altogether impossible for your Majesty to condescend unto and therefore your Majesty seeing the business still delayed held it fit that some such course might be taken that both your Majesties might speedily know what you were to trust unto and therfore had comanded me to signifie unto this King your uttermost resolution how far you would condescend in point of Religion towards what
the Pope had demanded if herewith this King could be satisfied your Maj. desire that we might proceed to a final and speedy conclusion otherwise that this King would likewise cleerly declare himself that your Majesty might lose no more time in the disposing of the Prince your son Hereunto the Conde de Olivarez answer'd with some length the substance I shall only presume to set down briefly to your Majesty He proposed a sincere intention and resolution in the King to make the Match and that there should not be one day lost for the speedy dispatch thereof imported them as much as your Majesty and to the end that no time may be lost this King had the next day after for Don Balthazar de Zuniga appointed Don Ferdinando de Giron in his place in the Commission That for the going of Mr. Gage from Rome and the Popes demands they were absolutely ignorant of them That the King had done all that I my self desired for the redress of this error That I might assure your Majesty that you shall find all sincerity and cleer proceeding without any houres delay more then of necessity the nature of the business required As for the business of the Palatinate I presented at large the merits of your Majesties proceeding the many promises made from hence yet notwithstanding the whilst your Majesty was treating at Bruxels Heidelberg one of the three places which were only left and where your Majesty had Garrisons was besieged by the Archduke Leopold and Monsieur Tilly that this King had withdrawn his Forces and so exposed the Palatinate absolutely to the Emperor and the Duke of Bavaria The Conde de Olivarez answered me by acknowledging how much your Majesties proceedings had deserved at the Emperor and this Kings hands That whatsoever your Majesty could expect or had been at any time promised should by this King be really performed That the Prince Palatines own courses hitherto had been the only hinderance of the effecting of it That he referred it unto your Majesties own just judgment whether the calling of this Kings forces out of the Palatinate were with any ill intention or meerly for the defence of Flanders which otherwise had been put in great hazard by Count Mansfield as your Majesty saw by what had really passed That the siege of Heidelbergh was no way by the consent or knowledge of this King or any of his Ministers but was generally disapproved by them all I told them I conceived that was not enough for that your Majesty had engaged your self to this King that in case your Son-in-law would not conform himself you would not only forsake him but would declare your self against him and give the Emperor assistance for the reducing of him to reason and that your Majesty could not but expect a like reciprocal proceeding from the King He answered your Majesty should see the Kings sincerity by the effects and that if Heidelbergh should be taken and the Emperor refuse to restore it or to condescend to such accommodation as should be held reasonable this King would infallibly assist your Majesty with his Forces And this he spake with great assurance and wished me to desire your Majesty to be confident you would find nothing but real and sinc ere proceedings from hence I was then presently called for to the King to whom I spake first in the business of the Match and delivered him the contents thereof in writing which I have sent to Mr. Secretary I received from him the same answer in effect as from the Conde de Olivarez That he desired the Match no less then your Majesty That on his part there should be no time lost for the bringing of it to a speedy conclusion In the business of the Palatinate I spake unto the King with some length repeating many particulars of your Majesties proceedings and how much your honour was like to suffer that now whilst you were treating Heidelborgh defended by your Garrisons was like to be taken The King answered me He would effectually labour that your Majesty should have entire satisfaction and rather then your Majesty should fail thereof he would imploy his Arms to effect it for you My Lord Ambassador Sir Walter Ashton accompanied me at my audience and was a witness of all that passed as wel with the King as with the Conde de Olivarez Within few dayes after the newes of the taking of Heidelbergh came hither whereupon I dispatched again to the King in such sort as I have at large advertised Mr. Secretary Calvert The effect of my Negotiation was that they on the 13. of October dispatched Letters away of the Emperors and Duke of Bavaria's proceedings But pressing them further in regard their former Letters have wrought so little effect they have given me at present a second Dispatch which I have sent unto the Infanta and whereof Mr. Secretary will give your Majesty an account which I conceive will procure your Majesties better satisfaction then hitherto you have received from the Emperor and his party For the business of the match I have written to Mr. Secretary what is to be said at present and will only add that as I should not willingly give your Majesty hope upon uncertain grounds so I will not conceal what they profess which is That they will give your Majesty real and speedy satisfaction therein And if they intended it not they are falser then all the Devils in hell for deeper oaths and protestations of sincerity cannot be made It will only remain that I humbly cast my self at your Majesties feet for that addition of Title wherewith it hath pleased you to honour me and my posterity My gratitude and thankfulness wanteth expression and shall only say unto your Majesty That as all I have either of fortunes or honour I hold it meerly of your bounty and goodness so shall I ever cheerfully lay them down with my life into the bargain for the service of your Majesty and yours So with my humble prayers for the health and prosperity of your Majesty I humbly commend your Majesty to Gods holy protection and rest Your Majesties most humble servant and subject BRISTOL Madrid Octob. 21. 1622. King Philip the third of Spain to the Conde of Olivarez THe King my Father declared at his death that his intention never was to marry my sister the Infanta Donna Maria with the Prince of Wales which your Uncle Don Baltezer well understood and so treated this match ever with an intention to delay it notwithstanding it is now so far advanced that considering withall the aversness unto it of the Infanta as it is high time to seek some means to divert the treaty which I would have you find out and I will make it good whatsoever it be but in all other things procure the satisfaction of the King of Great Britain who hath deserved very much and it shall content me so that it be not the match Conde Olivarez his Answer to the King
Sir COnsidering in what estate we find the Treaty of marriage between Spain and Emgland and knowing certainly how the Ministers did understanding this business that treated it in the time of Philip the third who is now in heaven that their meaning was never to effect it but by enlarging the treaties and points of the said marriage to make use of the friendship of the King of Great Britain as well in the matter of Germany as those of Flanders and suspecting likewise that your Majesty is of the same opinion although the demonstrations do not shew so joining to those suspitions that it is certain that the Infanta Donna Maria is resolved to put her self into the Monastery the same day that your Majesty shall press her to make the marriage I have thought fit to present to your Majesty that which my good zeal hath afforded me in this occasion thinking it a good time to acquaint your Majesty withal to the end you may resolve of that which you shall find most convenient with the advice of those Ministers that you shall think fit The King of Great Britain doth find himself at this time equally in the two businesses the one is the marriage to the which he is moved by the conveniences which he finds in your Majesties friendship with making an agreement with those Catholiques that he thinks are secretly in his Kingdom and by this to assure himself of them as likewise to marry his son to one of the house of Austria knowing that the Infanta Donna Maria is the best born Lady in the world Th' other businesse is the restitution of the Palatinate in which he is yet more ingaged For besides that his reputation is at stake there is added the love and interest of his Grandchildren sons of his onely daughter So that both by the law of Nature and reason of State he ought to put them before whatsoever conveniences might follow by dissembling what they suffer I do not dispute whether the King of Great Britainy be governed in this business of the Palatinate by Art or friendship I think a man may say he hath used both but as a thing not precisely necessary to this discourse I omit it I hold it for a maxime that these two Ingagements in which he finds himself are unseparable for although the marriage be made we must fail in that which in any way of understanding is most necessary which is the restitution of the Palatinate This being supposed having made the marriage in the form as it is treated your Majesty may find your self together with the King of Great Brirain engaged in a war against the Emperour and the Catholique league so that your Majesty shall be forced to delare your self with your Arms against the Emperour and the Catholique league a thing which to hear will offend your Majesties godly ears or declaring your self for the Emperour and the Catholique league as certainly you will your Majesty will find your self ingaged in a war against the King of England and your sister married with his son with the which all whatsoever conveniences that was thought upon with this marriage do cease if your Majesty shall shew your self Newtrall as it may be some will expound The first will cause very great scandall and with just reason since in matters of lesse opposition then of Catholiques against Heretiques the Armes of this Crown hath taken the godly against the contrary part And at this time the French men have taken part with the Hollanders against your Majesty your piety hath been such that you have sent your Arms against the Rebels of that Crown leaving all the great considerations of State only because those men are enemies of the faith and the Church It wil oblige your Majesty and good occasion to those of the League to make use of the King of France and other Catholique Princes ill affected to this Crown for it will be a thing necessary for them to do so and those even against their own Religion will foment and assist the Heretâ—ques for hatred to us without doubt they will follow the contrary part onely to leave your Majesty with that blemish that never hath befaln any King of these Dominions By the second the King of England will remain offended and disobliged seeing that neither interesses nor hopes do follow the Allyance with this Crown as likewise the pretext of particular resentment for having suffered his daughter and grand-children to be ruined for respect of the said Allyance The Emperour though he be well-affected and obliged to us in making the translation at this time as businesses now stand the Duke of Bavaria being now possessed of all the Dominions although he would dispose all according to our conveniences yet it will not be in his power to do it as you and every body may see And the memoriall that the Emperours Ambassador gave your Majesty yesterday makes it certain since in the List of the Souldiers that every on of the League is to pay he shews your Majesty that Bavier for himself alone will pay more then all the rest joyned together the which doth shew his power and his intention which is not to accommodate matters but to keep to himself the superiority of all in this broken time The Emperour is now in the Dyet and the translation is to be made in it The opposition in this estate is by conserving the means for conference which your Majesties Ministers will do with their capacities zeal and wisdom and it is certain they wil all have enough to do for the difficulty consists to find a way to make the present estate of affairs straight again which with lingring as it is said both the power and time will be lost I suppose that the Emperour as your Majesty knows by his Ambassador desires to marry his daughter with the King of Englands son I doubt not but he will be likewise glad to marry his second daughter with the Palatines son Then I propound that these two marriages be made and that they be set on foot presently giving the King of England full satisfaction in all his propositions for the more strict union and correspondency that he may agree to it I hold for certain that all the conveniences that would have followed the allyance with us wil be as full in this it doth accommodate the matter of the Palatinate and the succession of his grand-children with his honor without drawing a sword or wasting treasure After I would reduce the Prince Elector that was an enemy to the obedience of the Church by breeding his sons in the Emperours Court with Catholique Doctrine The business is great the difficulty greater then perchance have been in any other case I have found my self obliged to represent to your Majesty and to shew if you please to command me what I think fit for the disposing of the things and of the great Ministers that your Majesty hath I hope with the particular notice of these
things and all being helped with the good zeal of the Conde de Gondemer it may be that God wil open a way to it a thing so much for his and your Majesties service King James to the Earl of Bristol Octob. 8.1623 WE have received yours brought us by Gresly and the Copy of how well we esteem your dutifull discreet and judicious relation and humble advise to our self and our Son whereupon having ripely deliberated with our self and communicated with our dear Son we have resolved with the great liking of our Son to rest upon that security in point of doubt of the Infanta's taking a Religious house which you in your judgment shall think meet We have further thought meet to give you knowledge that it is our special desire that the betrothing of the Infanta with words de praesenti should be upon one of the dayes in Christmass new stile that holy and joyfull time best fitting so notable and blessed an action But first we will that you repair presently to that King and give him knowledge of the safe arrival of our dear Son to our Court so satisfied and taken with the great entertainments personal kindness favour and respect he hath received from that King and Court as he seems not able to magnifie it sufficiently which makes us not know how sufficiently to give thanks but we will that by all means you endeavour to express our thankfulness to that King and the rest to whom it belongs in the best and most ample manner you can And hereupon you may take occasion to let that King know that according to our constant affection to make a firm and indissoluble amity between our Families Nations and Crowns and not seem to abandon our honour nor at the same time we give joy to our onely Son to give our onely Daughter her portion in tears By the advice of â—hat Kings Ambassadors we have entred a Treaty concerning the restitution of the Palatinate as will more particularly appear to you by the copies herewith sent Now we must remember you that we ever understood and expected that upon the marriage of our son with the Infanta should have a clear restitution of the Palatinate Electoral dignity to our son-in-law to be really procured by that King according to the obligation of our honor as you have wel expressed in your reasons why the person of our Son-in-law should not be left out of the Treaty but that the Emperor should findout a great title or by increasing the number of Electorate stiles wherewith to satisfie the Duke of Bavaria We now therfore require you that presently in your first audience you procure from that King a punctual answer what course that King will take for the restitution of the Palatinate and Electorate to our Son-in-law and in case that either the Emperor or the Duke of Bavaria oppose any part of the expected restitution what course that King will take to give us assurance for our content in that point whereof we require your present answer and that you so press expedition herein that we may all together receive the full joy of both in Christmass resting our self upon that faithfull diligence of yours we have approved in all your service Though almost with the latest we must remember to you as a good ground for you to work on that our Son did write us out of Spain That that King would give us a Blank in which we might form our own Conditions concerning the Palatinate and the same our Son confirms to us now What observation and performance that King will make we require you to express and give us a speedy account c. Given c. Earl of Bristol in answer to King James Octob. 29. 1623. MAy it please your most excellent Majesty I have received your Majesties Letters of the 8. of October on the 21. of the same moneth some houres within night and have thought fit to dispatch back unto your Majesty with all possible speed referring the answer to what your Majesty hath by these Letters commanded me to a Post that I shall purposely dispatch when I shall have negotiated the particulars with this King and his Ministers wherein God willing all possible diligence shall be used But forasmuch as I find both by your Majesties Letter as likewise by Letters which I have received from the Prince his Highness that you continue your desires of having the Match proceeded in I held it my duty that your Majesty should be informed that although I am set free in as much as concerneth the doubt of the Infanta's entring into Religion new direction I now received from your Majesty that the Deposories should be deferr'd till Christmas the said powers are made altogether useless and invalid it being a clause in the bodies of the said powers that they shall onely remain in force till Christmas and no longer as your Majesty may see by the copie I send herewith inclosed Your Majesty I conceive will be of opinion that the suspending of the execution of the powers untill the force and validity of them be expired is a direct and effeftuall revoking of them which not to do how far his Highness is in his Honor ingaged your Majesty will be best able to judge by viewing the powers themselves Further if the date of these powers do expire besides the breach of the Capitulations although the match it self jealousies and mistrusts be hazarded yet the Princes coming at the Spring will be almost impossible For by that time new Commissions and Powers shall be after Christmas granted by the Prince which must be to the satisfaction of both parties I conceive so much of the year will be spent that it will be impossible tor the Fleets and other preparations to be in a readiness against the Spring for it is not to be imagined that they will here proceed effectually with their preparations untill they shall be sure of the Desposorios especially when they shall have seen them severall times deferred on the Prince his part and that upon pretexts that are not new or grown since the granting of the Powers but were before in being and often under debate and yet were never insisted upon to make stay of the business so that it will seem that they might better have hindered the granting of them then the execution of them Now if there were not staggering in former resolutions the which although really there is not yet can it not but be suspected and the clearing of it between Spain and England will cost much time I most humbly crave your Majesties pardon if I write unto you with the plainness of a true-hearted and faithfull servant who ever hath cooperated honestly unto your Majesties ends I knew them I know your Majesty hath been long time of opinion that the greatest assurance you could get that the King of Spain would effectually labour the intire restitution of the Palatinate was that he really proceeded to the effecting
the Match will be a good pawn in the business and the help and assistance which the Princes being once betrothed would be able to give in this Court to all your Majesties businesses would be of good consideration So fearing I have already presumed too far upon your Majesies patience I humbly crave your Majesties pardon and recommend you to the holy protection of God resting Your Majesties most humble and faithful subject and servant BRISTOL Madrid Octob. 29. 1623. Earl of Bristol to King James Novemb. 1. 1623. MAy it please your most excellent Majesty I find that upon the news that is now come from the Duke of Pastrava that the Pope hath cleerly passed the Dispensation which is now hourly expected here There is an intention to call presently upon me for the Princes powers for the marriage left in my hands the which I know not upon what ground or reason to detain the Prince having engaged in the said powers the faith and word of a Prince no way to revoke and retract from them but that they should remain in full force till Christmass and delivered unto me a politique declaration o his pleasure that upon the coming of the Dispensation I should deliver them unto this King that they might be put in execution and hereof likewise was there by Secretary Serita as a publique Notary an Instrument drawn attested by all the witnesses present If I shall alleadge your Majesties pleasure of having the marriage deferred untill one of the Holidays although they should condescend thereunto that impossible for the powers will be then expired If I shall insist upon the restitution of the Palatinate this King hath therein declared his answer and it would be much wondred why that should be now added fo a condition of the marriage having ever hitherto been treated of as a business apart and was in being at the granting of the said powers and hath been often under debate but never specified nor the powers delivered upon any condition of having any such point first cleered and I must confess unto your Majesty I understand not how with honour and that exact dealing which hath ever been observed in all your Majesties actions the powers can be detained unless there should appear some new and emergent cause since the granting of them whereof as yet I hear none specified Therefore being loath to be the instrument by whose hands any thing should pass that might have the least reflection upon your Majesties or the Princes honour which I shall ever value more then my life or safety and judging it likewise to conduce more to your service and assuring my self that your Majesties late direction to have the marriage upon one of the holidays in Christmass was for want of due information that the powers will be then expired I have thought it fit with the advice of Sir Walter Ashton to raise no scruple in the delivery of the said powers but do intend when they shall be required to pass on to the nominating of a prefixed day for the Deposorio's but I shall endeavour to defer the time untill I may be advertised of your Majesties pleasure if it may be within the space of 24 dayes and will labour to find some handsom and fair occasion for the deferring of them without alleadging any directions in that kind from your Majesty or the Prince The reasons why I have thought it fit to take this resolution are First I find by your Majesties letters and the Princes that your intent is to proceed in the marriage and to that purpose your Majesty and the Prince have set me free to deliver the powers according to the first intentions by removing that scruple of the Infanta's entring into Religion whereupon they were only suspended Secondly your Majesties Letter only intimateth a desire not a direction of having the marriage upon one of the holidays of Christmass which I conceive is to be understood if it may well and fittingly be so not if there shall be impossibility therein by reason of the expiring of the powers before and that the intention of having it then should be overthrown thereby when I am confident that what your Majesty writeth is for want of due information of the clause of expiration of the powers Thirdly if your Majesty upon these reasons and such as I have formerly alleadged unto your Majesty should as I no way doubt but your Majesty will give me order for the present proceeding to the marriage yet by my refusing of the powers and alleadging your Majesties or the Princes directions although afterwards all things should be cleered yet would it cast some kind of aspersion and jealousie upon the sincerity of your Majesties and the Princes proceedings On the contrary side if your Majesties intention be not to proceed in the match whereof I see no ground the intimation of that may be as well a moneth hence as now And I judge it duty in a servant especially in a business of so high a consequence and wherein your Majesty hath spent so much time to give his master leisure to repair to his second cogitations before he do any act that may disorder or overthrow This I offer with all humility unto your Majesties wise and just consideration and beseech you to make interpretation of my proceedings herein according to my dutifull and zealous care of your honour and service I have of purpose dispatcht this Post with this Letter to the end I may receive your Maiesties directions in this particular with all possible speed which I hope shall be to proceed directly to the marriage according to the Capitulations and so to order all things for the Princess he journy in the Spring And for the Palatinate your Maiesty may be confident there shall be diligence used in procuring a speedy and good resolution So c. King James to the Palsgrave My most dear Son WE have been carefull and are at this present to perform the promise which we made unto you to imploy all our power to re-establish you into your estates and dignities and having by the patience and industry which we have used reduced matters within a more neer circle and of a less extent then the generality m which they were heretofore We have thought good to give you knowledge of such things whereof hope is given to us that we shall in all apearance obtain them to the end you may have recourse to your wisdom and after a mature deliberation make choyce agreeable to the providence honor and safety of your estates duly weighing and examining all circumstances and therefore we present unto you these Propositions to wit In the first place a due submission to the Emperour under convenient limitations which first shall be granted and agreed in conformity to that which is Noble with a safe conduct and assurance requisite and sufficient for the free and safe going and return of your Person and Train This being done we make you offer of a present and
full restitution of all the Palatinate unto the person of your son and that you shall be his Administrato during your life And that after the death of the Duke of Bavaria your son shall be re-established in the Electorall dignity And for the better confirming the sound Amity and assuring your Possessions and enioying of all according to the contract which is presently to be made and also to serve for a preparation for the bettering of the said conditions to your person which will be in all likelihood when the marriage will be resolved and concluded to be made betwixt your eldest son our Grand-child and one of the Emperours daughters In contemplation whereof they have approached a degree neerer to wit that the Electorall dignity shall come again to your person after the Duke of Bavaria's death In which Treaty of marriage to clear the principall difficulty which consisted with the education of your son with the Emperour we have taken from them all hope therein wherein we assure our selves you will be content and are purposed that he shal have his education with our son and with and in the presence of the Infanta when she shall be in our Court We have exactly shewed you the state of this Negotiation which chiefly concerns you and yours to the end you may fix your eyes upon your necessity and bare condition and manner of living which dependeth on the courtesie and assistance of others and that you may judge advisedly whether your ready entrance into the possession of your own and with a kind of present liberty of living with insurance in time to recover the possession of it shall not be more convenient for you then a hazardous long expectation upon othet uncertain means The former whereof I prefer before the later We pray you to consider what probable and feasible means we may undertake to reduce your condition to that state as you promise your self wherein we doubt not but you will weigh our forces and those of our Allyes and such other whereof we may hope to be assured to the end that if it should happen that we cannot obtain to the entire of that we desire by way of treaty or that we should take another course you may be partaker of Councels as well as the issues and uncertain events And forasmuch as we are desirous to consider with you for your personall estate and as we are obliged to have regard to the right of our only daughter and to the inheritance of your children with the hope of their posterity by what way it may be most easily established and by what fit means provision may be made best to that effect And herein we remain your most affectionate Father From White-Hall Novemb. 20. Jacobus Rex The Palsgraves Answer to King James SIR I Take as a great honor and favour your Majesties Letter of the 2â— of November delivered unto me by the hands of your Ambassador Sir Dudley Carleton who hath further explained your Majesties intention touching that which concerneth my restitution unto my honors and patrimonial estate that you continue firm and constant in conformity to your promises to labour and effect by one way or other so that the said restitution may be intire and totall as well in that which concerneth the Electorall dignity as the Palatinates and that the Propositions which your Majesty makes by your Letter to content my self to be Administrator to my son and he to be invested with the said dignity and put into present possession of the Palatinate is but in all events if so be your Majesty could not attain to the totall restitution the desired effect of your intentions leaving me nevertheless to be at liberty to chuse the lesser of the two evils if I may be permitted to term them so the one by the totall restitution of my Estates but with diminution or rather annihilation for so in effect it wil be in respect of my person of the Electorall dignity th' other of the recovery of both by war the events whereof are uncertain First I most humbly thank your Majesty for the paternall care which you continue and shew in this occasion and which doth more comfort me and my dear wife in our afflictions then the fear of humane events can grieve or incline us to be willing to recover the loss of goods with the loss of honors I will therefore use the liberty which your Majesty is pleased to give me in answering every particular point of your Letter In the first whereof I observe the proceeding of my enemies who require a personall submission intended to precede all other things under the safe conduct of the Emperour whereas by natural order used in these occasions the restitution which is materiall and substantiall ought by reason to precede the other being but a point of ceremony at the least it is necessary that all things be resolved and concluded under such assurances as shall be held convenient and then if the intentions on the Emperours part be reall and sincere and without any aim to take advantage upon my person as the Emperour Charls 5. did upon the Lantgrave of Hessen under the subtilty of a distinction of a syllable in safe conduct Ewis for Einis the said submission may as well be made by a Deputy as otherwise whereby I shall be freed from the apprehensions which the execution at Prague other cruelties exercised by the Imperialists may easily impress in the mind of him who is unwilling to lose himselfe by a quiete de Coeur Besides a simple consent to such a submission under the specified condition to yeild the Electorate to the Duke of Bavaria will be sufficient to prejudice my cause for ever For the Electors of Saxony and Brandenburgh who have always protested against the translation of the Electorate and the other Princes of Germany who have like feeling will disavow their protestations in regard of him who shall abandon his own pretentions and in stead of favouring me upon some breach of the Treaty or otherwise may be my opposites Moreover the experience of things past teach us what issue we may hereafter expect of the like condition contented to on our part The Emperour having manifestly abused us in two already First in the instrument which I signed for the conditionall resignation of the Crown of Bohemia in the year 1621. Then in my ratification of the suspension of Arms this last Summer The first having served the Emperour to accelerate his Treaty then on foot with Bethlem Gabor The second to intimidate the Electors of Saxony and Brandenburgh that they might not undertake any thing against the Emperour both the one and the other being divulged to the same effect according to the knowledge which the Emperour had of these designes before any thing was therin resolved and concluded And so will the Emperour in all appearance make his profit of this present proposition and strike with one stone two blows by hindering the
progress of Gabor on the one side and by continuing on the other the intimidation of the Princes of Germany who may with reason excuse themselves if they move not for him who hath bound himself hand and foot and consented to a submission which being yeilded to it will be always in the Emperours power to break or go on as he shall hold it expedient for himself I do also promise my self that your Majesty will have regard that by such submission and intreaty my undue proscription and banishment which being done in prejudice of the constitutions of the Empire are therefore held by the Electors of Saxony and Brandenburgh of no validity be not approved and thereby a mark of infamy set upon me and my posterity Touching the second point your Majesty may be pleased to remember that on the part of Spain hope hath alwayes been given me from the beginning of a totall and intire restitution to my own person yea the Earl of Bristol hath assured me by his Letters from Madrid in November 1622. when the marriage was not so much advanced at this time That the King of Spain in case of refusall of the totall restitution would joyn his forces with those of your Majesty against the Emperor to constrain him thereunto And yet in stead of the said restitution the translation of my Electorate to the Duke of Bavaria was since at Ratisbone agreed and congratulated unto him from Bruxels the inferior Palatinate dismembred by the grant of the Bergstreat one of the best peeces thereof to the Elector of Mentz the superior with the Bailywicks granted to the Duke of Nuburgh thereby to engage them further in the quarrel by the particular defence of that which generally the Imperialists have usurped upon me they confiscate and seise the goods of my subjects and those that follow my party sparing neither widow nor orphans It seems therefore necessary above all things to have sufficient assurance for the total restitution of my Electorate and Palatinates before any new treaty of marriage be proposed Of the which treaties as they are ordinarily handled and managed by the house of Austria and drawn to length and delays with the onely aim to the augmentation of their greatness without respect to civil honesty word or promise I have a dolefull experience in my own house in the person of one of my predecessors Frederick the second who contributed more to the first foundation which was laid for the greatness of the said house of Austria then any other German Prince and for recompence was allured and drawn by the space of many years with treaties and promises of marriage without any real intention as was seen by the effect ever to bring them to execution Seeing therefore that he who had so well deserved of the house of Austria which in all external appearance held him in greater estimation then any other German Prince was nevertheless so unworthily used by them in a treaty of marriage I who have been unduly put into the Ban of the Empire and spoiled of all my honours and goods by the eagerness hatred and usurpation of the Emperor himself whose daughter is propounded for the marriage in question know not what to hope but the same effect of fraud and deceit which my forenamed predecessor found with a sorrowful repentance of the evil when it was pad remedy And the Emperor wanteth but two or three years of leisure which he shall easily gain by a treaty of a marriage to establish in Germany the translation of my Electoral dignity and Patrimonial estate without any hope ever hereafter to recover the like opportunity as at this time that my pretensions are not prejudiced by a long interposition of time and that the memory of undue proceeding in the publication of the Ban against my person and the said translation of my Electoral dignity and seâ—sure of my patrimonial inheritance are yet fresh in the affections and minds of the Princes of Germany who are by the consideration of their own interests moved with the greater companion to see the wounds of my miseries yet fresh and bleeding and with passion and earnest desire to see them remedied And in this place I will say something in answer to the last point of your Majesties Letter wherein you commanded me to consider the means probable and feasible whereby my condition may be reduced to the former state and to weigh your Majesties forces with those of your Allies and others whereof your Majesty may hope and be assured If your Majesty hopeth for my restitution in Germany as an effect of the marriage with Spain nothing else is to be done but attend the event with patience And if you continue to distinguish between the Spaniards and the Imperialists there is no more to be said on this subject but as they have with joint consent conspired my ruine with the same forces the same councels and the same designs your Majesty will find if you please to unmask the fair seeming and hidden malice of the Spaniard the same effect as in the end you found the open and declared violence and hostility of the Imperialists who besieged your Majesties garrisons in my Towns taken into your protection I will use the liberty you have given me to discourse of your Majesties forces and those of your Allies and what may further with good probability be hoped from other friends and well-willers In the last rank I place what may be hoped from the Princes of Germany who to wit the two Electors of Saxony and Brandenburgh and in effect all the rest except those of the Catholique league have sufficiently declared the disavowing of the Emperors proceeding against me and their opinions that the peace of Germany dependeth upon my restitution besides the Levies which they made in the beginning of the last summer though by the unlucky accident of the Duke Christian of Brunswick they were soon after dismissed And certainly no want of any other thing to be converted to my aid but the countenance of a great Prince to support them against the power of the house of Austria the same affections remaining still in them and the same resolution to imbrace the first good occasion that shall be presented for the liberty of Germany Will there want hands for the accomplishing of such a work when it shall be undertaken openly and earnestly seeing that the number of those that have their interest conjoyned with mine is great and mighty For the greater part of the people both horse and foot which marched under the Catholique banner were of a contrary Religion to the Catholique and of affection as it is notorious to all the world more inclined to the ruine of those Leagues then to their preservation But the conduct of some powerfull Prince is necessary as well to the men of war us we have seen by experience the last year The King of Denmark is he upon whom all have set their eyes but he being a Prince
English The two Ambassadors here ever since the Princes departure have visited the Infanta as vassals but now they carry themselves like Ambassadors again We are all here in suspense and a kind of maze to see the event of things and how matters will be pieced together again we know not A Memoriall to the King of Spain by Sir Walter Ashton Ambassader in Spain Aug. 29 1624. SIr Walter Ashton Ambassador to the King of Great Britain saith That the King his Master hath commanded him to represent to your Majesty that having declared to your Majesty the reasons why he could receive no satisfaction by your Majesties answer of the first of January and that thereby according to the unanimous consent of his Parliament he came to dissolve both the Treaties of the Match and Palatinate he received another answer from your Majesty wherein he finds less ground to build upon and having understood that either by the Padre de Maestro or your Majesties Ambassadors which have assisted these dayes past in this Court there was something to be propounded and declared touching the business of the Palatinate whereby he might have received satisfaction the said Ambassadors untill now have not said anything at all to purpose which comparing with other circumstances of their ill carriage he gathers and doubts that according to the ill affection and depraved intentions wherewith they have proceeded in all things but especially in particular they have laboured to hinder the good correspondency and so necessary and desired intelligence which should be conserved with your Majesty Furthermore he saith That the King his Master hath commanded him to give account to your Majesty that in an Audience which he gave to the Marquess de Injiosa and Don Carlo Colomma they under Cloak and pretext of zeal particular care of his person pretended to discover unto him a very great conjuration against his person and Royall Dignity and it was That at the beginning of the Parliament the Duke of Buckingham had consulted with certain Lords of the arguments and means which were to be taken touching the breaking and dissolving of the Treaties of the Palatinate and Match and the consultations passed thus far That if his Majesty would not accommodate himself to their councels they would give him a house of pleasure whither he might retire himself to his sports in regard that the Prince had now years sufficient to and parts answerable for the government of the Kingdom The Information was of that quality that it was sufficient to put impression in him of perpetual jealousies in regard that through the ribs of the Duke he gave wounds to the Prince his son and the Nobility and it is not probable that they could bring to effect such designs without departing totally from the obligation of faith and loyalty which they owed to his Person and Crown because the Lords made themselves culpable as concealers And it is not likely that the Duke would hurl himself into such an enter prize without communicating it first with the Prince and knowing his pleasure And because this information might be made more clear he did make many instances unto the said Ambassadors that they would give him the Authors of the said Conjuration this being the sole means whereby their own honor might be preserved c. whereby their great zeal and care they had pretended to have of his person might appear But instead of confirming the great zeal they had pretended to bear him all the answer they made him consisted of Arguments against the discovery of the Conspirators So that for the confirmation of the said report there remained no other means then the examination of some of his Councell of State and principall subjects which he put in execution and made them take oath every one particularly in his own presence and commanded that such interrogatories and questions should be propounded unto them that were most pertinent to the accusation so that neither part particle or circumstance remained which was not exactly examined and winnowed and he found in the Duke and the rest that were accused a sincere Innocency touching the accusations and imputation wherewith they were charged This being so he turned to make new instances unto the said Ambassadors that they should not prefer the discovery of the names of the Conspirators to the security of his Royall person and truth and honor of thmeselves and the hazard of an opinion to be held and judged the Traytors of a plot of such malice sedâ—tion and danger But the Ambassadors remaining in a knotty kind of obstinacy resolved to conceal the Authors Nevertheless afterterwards he gave them an audience wherein the Marquess of Injiosa took his leave Few days after they demanded new audience pretending that they had somthing to say that concerned the publique good and conduced to the entire restitution of the Palatinate with desire to lose no opportunity that might conduce thereunto and therewith the confirmation and conservation of the friendship with your Majesty having suspended some few days to give them audience thinking that being thereby better advised they would resolve upon a wiser course and declare the Authors of so pernitious an action and having since made many instances and attended the success of so long patience he sent his Secretary and Sir Francis Cottington Secretary to the Prince commanding them that they should signifie unto the Ambassadors that he desired nothing more then the continuance of the friendship 'twixt both the Crowns and if so they had any thing to say they would communicate it to the said Secretaries as persons of so great trust which he sent to that end And if they made difficulty of this that they would chuse amongst his Councell of State those which they liked best and he would command that they should presently repair unto them and if this did not likewise seem best unto them that they would send what they had to say in a Letter sealed up by whom should seem best unto them and he would receive it with his own hands But the Ambassadors misbehaving themselves in all that was propounded the said Secretaries according to the order which they brought told them that they being the Authors of an information so dangerous and seditious had made themselves uncapable to treat further with the King their Matter and were it not for the respect to the King his dear and beloved brother and their Master and in contemplation of their condition as Ambassadors of such a Majesty he would and could by the Law of Nations and the right of his own Royall Justice proceed against them with such severity us their offence deserved but for the reasons aforesaid he would leave the reparation hereof to the justice of their King of whom he would demand and require it In conformity whereof the said Ambassador of the King of Great Britain saith that the King his Master hath commanded him to demand reparation satisfaction of your Majesty against
the said Marquis de Injiosa and Don Carlos Colomma making your Majesty Judge of the great scandall and enormous offence which they have committed against them and the publick right and expect justice from your Majesty in the demonstrations and chastisements which your Majesty shall inflict upon them which for his proceeding sake with your Majesty and out of your Majesties own uprightness and goodness ought to be expected Furthermore he saith that the King his Master hath commanded him to assure your Majesty that till now he hath not mingled the correspondence and friendship he held with your Majesty with the faults and offences of your Ministers but leaves and restrains them to their own persons and that he remains with your Majesty in the true and ancient friendship and brotherhood as heretofore and that he is ready to give hearing to anything that shall be reason and to answer thereunto and when your Majesty is pleased to send your Ambassadors thither he will make them all good treaty and receive them with that good love that is due For conclusion the said Ambassador humbly beseecheth your Majesty will be pleased to observe and weigh the care and tenderness wherewith the King his Master proceeded with your Majesties Ambassadors not obliging to precipitate resolutions but giving them much time to prove and give light of that which they had spoken and besides opening unto them many ways that they might comply with their orders if they had any such Which course if they had taken they might well have given satisfaction to the King his Master and moderated the so grounded opinion of their ill proceedings against the peace and so good intelligence and correspondence betwixt both the Crowns Madrid Aug. 5. 1624. The Petition of Francis Philips to King James for the release of Sir Robert Philips Prisoner tn the Tower Most dread Soveraign IF the Thrones of Heaven and Earth were to be sollicited one and the same way I should have learned by my often praying to God for your Majesty how to pray to your Majesty to other But the Liturgies of the Church and Court are different as in many other points to especially in this That in the one there is not so poor a friend but may offer his vows immediately to the Almighty whereas in the other a right loyal subject may pour out his soul in vain without an Ora pro nobis Now such is the obscure condition of your humble Suppliant as I know no Saint about your sacred Majesty to whom I can address my orisons or in whose mediation I dare repose the least assurance Let it be therefore lawful for me in this extraordinary occasion to pass the ordinary forms and raising my spirits above uncertainties to fix my intire faith upon your Majesties supreme goodness which is an ever ought to be esteemed both the best Tribunal and the best Sanctuary for a good cause But how good soever my cause be it would be high presumption in me to stand upon it I have therefore chosen rather to cast my self at your Majesties feet from whence I would not willingly rise but remain a monument of sorrow and humility till I have obtained some gracious answer to my Petition For though your Majesties thoughts cannot discern so low as to conceive how much it importeth a poor distressed Suppliant to be reviled neglected yet you may be pleased to believe that we are as highly affected and as much anguished with the extremities that press our little fortunes as Princes are with theirs Which I speak not out of any pride I take in comparing small things with great but only to dispose your Maiesty to a favourable construction of my words if they seem to be overcharged with zeal and affection or to express more earnestness then perhaps your Majesty may think the business merits as my self values it The suit I am to make to your Majesty is no sleight one it may be easily granted without references For I dare assure your Majesty upon my life it is neither against the Laws of the Kingdom nor will diminish any of your treasure either that of your coffers or that of your peoples hearts it being an act of clemencie or rather a word for even that will satisfie to create in your poor dejected Suppliant a new heart and send him away as full of content as he is now of grief and despair Nor is it for my self I thus implore your Majesties grace but for one that is far more worthy and in whom all that I am consists my dear Brother who I know not by what misfortune hath fallen or rather been pushed into your Majesties displeasure not in dark and crooked ways as corrupt and ill-affected subjects use to walk and near to break their necks in but even in the great road which both himself all good Englishmen that know not the paths of the Court would have sworn would have led most safely and most directly to your Majesties service from your Majesties displeasure there needs no other invention to crucifie a generous and honest-minded suppliant upon whom hath issued and been derived a whole torrent of exemplary punishment wherâ—in his reputation his person and his estate grievously suffered For having upon the last process of Parliament retired himself to his poor house in the Countrey with hope a while to breathe after these trouble some affairs and still breathing nothing but your Majesties service he was sent for ere he had finished his Christmas by a Sergeant at Arms who arrested him in his own house with as much terror as belongs to the apprehending of treason it self But thanks be to God his conscience never started and for his obedience herein shewed it was not in the power of any authority to surprize it For at the instant without asking one minutes time of resolution he rendered himself to the officers discretion who according to his directions brought him up captive and presented him at the Councell Table as a Delinquent from whence he was as soon committed to Tower where he ever since hath been kept close prisoner and that with so strict a hand as his own beloved wife and my self having sometime since urgent and unffaigned â—â—â—casion to speak with him about some private business of his Family and here upon making humble petition to the Lords of your Majesties most honorable Privy Councell for the favour of accesse we were to our great discomforts denied it by reason as their Lordships were pleased to declare unto us that he had not satisfied your Majesty fully in some points which being so far from being his fault as I dare say it is the greatest part of his affliction that he sees himself debarred from means of doing it The Lords Commissioners that were appointed by your Majesty to examine his offence since the first week of his imprisonment have not done him the honor to be with him by which means not onely his body but the most part of his
onely without but against reason that the Commous in their severall and particulars should be made relievers or suppliers of his Majesties wants who neither know his wants nor the sums that may be this way raised to supply the same Secondly it is against reason that the particular and severall Commons distracted should oppose their judgment and discretion to the judgement and discretion of the wisdom of their Land assembled in Parliament who have there denied any such aid It argueth in us want of love and due respect of our Soveraign Lord and King which ought to be in every of us towards each other which is to stay every one which we see falling and reduce the current What prosperity can there be expected to befall either our King or Nation when the King shall haply of ignorance or 'tis I hope out of forgetfulnesse or headinesse commit so great a sin against his God as is the violating of his great and solemn oath taken at his coronation for the maintaining of his Lawes Liberties and Customes of this Noble Realm his Subjects some for fear some in pride some to please others shall joyn hands to forward so unhappy an achievement can he any way more highly offend the Divine Majesty whom he then invocated as also can he then give unto another Hen. 4. If such an one should rise up which God forbid a greater advantage let these Articles put up against R. 2. be looked on it will appear that the breach of the Laws infringing the Liberties failing in this his oath were the main blemishes wherewith he could distain and spot the honor of that good and gentle Prince who indeed was rather by others abused then of himselfe mischievously any way disposed Secondly as very irreligiously and uncharitably we help forward the Kings Majesty in that grievous sin of perjury so into what an hellish danger we plunge our selves even so many of us as contribute is to be learned out of the severall curses and sentences of excommunination given out against all such givers and namely the two following viz. the great curse given out the 36. H. 3. against all breakers of the Liberties and customes of the Realm of England with their Abettors Councellors and Executioners wherein by the sentence of Boniface Archbishop of Canterbury and the chief part of all the Bishops of this Land are ipso facto excommunicated And that of 24. Ed. I. denounced immediatly upon the Acts made against such Benevolence free Grants and Impositions had and taken without common assent which because it is not so large as that former I will set down as our Books deliver the same IN the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost Amen Whereas our Soveraign Lord the King to the honour of God and of the Holy Church and for the common profit of the Realm hath granted for him and his heirs forever these Articles above written Robert Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of all England admonished all his Province once twice and thrice because that shortness will not suffer so much delay as to give knowledge to all the people of England of these presents in writing We therefore enjoyn all persons of what estate soever they be that they and every of them as much as in them is shal uphold and maintain those Articles granted by our Soveraign Lord the King in all points and all those that in any point do resist or break those Ordinances or in any manner hereafter procure counsel or in any ways assent to resist or break those Ordinances or go about it by word or deed openly or privatly by any maner of pretence or colour We therefore the said Archbishop by our authority in this Writing expressed do excommunicate and accurse and from the body of our Lord Jesus Christ and from all the company of Heaven and from all the Sacraments of the holy Church do sequester and exclude Sir hearing that to morrow the Justices will be here about this busie work of Benevolence wherein you have both sent unto and talked with me and thinking that it may be you would deliver up the names of the not-givers Forasmuch as I think I shal scarcely be at home to make my further answer if I should be called for I pray yon both hereby to understand my mind your self and if cause so require to let the Justices perceive as much So leaving others to their own consciences whereby in that last and dreadfull day they shal stand or fall before him who will reward every man according to his deeds I commend you to the grace of the Almighty and rest Your loving Neighbour and Friend OLIVER St. JOHN The Justices of Peace in the County of Devon to the Lords of the Councell THe Letters from his sacred Majesty unto the Justices of Peace in this County together with your Lordships have been opened and read according to the directions in your Lordships Letter to our high Sheriff expressed and the weighty business therein contained hath been maturely and speedily debated according to our most bounden duties to his excellent Majesty and the many concurring necessities which press the expedition of such a service and in those respects we can do no less then give your Lordships a timely knowledge of the vote and opinion of us all which was this day almost in the same words delivered by every of us That the sum enjoyned to be levied by the first of March is not to be so suddenly raised out of this County by any means much less by way of perswasion and hereof we had lately a certain experience in the business of the loans which notwithstanding the fear apprehended by the presence of the Pursivant hath come at least 6000. l. short of the expected sum and without him we suppose would have been much less and we are confident that nothing but extremities which had need also be back't by Law will raise his Majesty a sufficient quantity of treasure for his occasions For our selves at the time of the proposition of the forementioned Loans we did according to his Majesties proclamation and instruction then sent us engage our faithfull promise to our Countreymen that if they willingly yeilded to his Majesties necessities at this time we would never more be Instruments in the levy of aids of that kind his Majesties intentions so clearly manifested not to make that a president was the cause of that engagement and we conceive it cannot be for his honor or service for us to be the means of such a breach That his Majesties affairs and of his Allies do all want an instant supply of Royall provisions his provident and Princely Letter hath fully taught us but we have much more cause to wish then hope that these parts so lately and so many ways impoverished can yeild it Your Lordships may vouchsafe to remember how much this County hath been charged since the beginning of the war though sometimes refreshed with payment which we acknowledge
tend to edification if he take them not up upon report but do punctually consider the tenor of the words as they lie and doth not give an ill construction to that which may receive a fair interpretation Notwithstanding because some few Church-men and many of the people have sinisterly conceived as we here find that those Instructions do tend to the restraint of the exercise of Preaching and do in some sort abate the number of Sermons and so consequently by degrees do make a breach to ignorance and superstition his Majesty in his Princely wisdom hath thought fit that I should advertise your Lordship of the grave and weighty reasons which induced his Highness to prescribe that which was done You are therefore to know that his Majesty being much troubled and grieved at the heart to hear every day of so many defections from our Religion both to Popery and Anabaptism or other points of Separation in some parts of this Kingdom and considering with much admiration what might be the cause thereof especially in the reign of such a King who doth so constantly profess himself an open adversary to the superstition of the one and madness of the other his Princely wisdom could fall upon no one greater probability then the lightness affectedness and unprofitableness of that kind of Preaching which hath been of late years too much taken up in Court University City and Country The usuall scope of very many Preachers is noted to be soaring up in points of Divinity too deep for the capacity of the people or mustering up of so much reading or a displaying of their own wit or an ignorant medling with Civill matters as well in the private severall Parishes and Corporations as in the publique of the Kingdom or a venting of their own distastes or a smoothing up those idle fancies which when the Text shall occasion the same is not onely approved but much commended by his Royall Majesty both against the persons of Papists and Puritans Now the people bred up with this kind of teaching and never instructed in the Catechism and fundamentall grounds of Religion are for all this airy nourishment no better then a brass Tabret new Table-books to be filled up either with Manuals and Catechismes of the Popish Priests or the papers and pamphlets of Anabaptists Brownists and Puritans His Majesty therefore calling to mind the saying of Tertullian Id verum quod primum and remembring with what doctrine the Church of England in her first and most happy Reformation did drive out the one and keep out the other from poysoning and infecting the people of this Kingdom doth find that the whole scope of this doctrine is contained in the Articles of Religion the two books of Homilies the lesser and the greater Catechism which his Majesty doth therefore recommend again in these Directions as the theams and proper subjects of all sound and edifying preaching And so far are these Directions from abridging that his Majesty doth expect at our hands that it should increase the number of Sermons by renewing every Sunday in the afternoon in all Parish-Churches throughout the Kingdom that primitive and most profitable exposition of the Catechism wherewith the people yea very children may be timely seasoned and instructed in all the heads of Christian Religion The which kind of exposition to our amendment be it spoken is more diligently observed in all the Reformed Churches of Europe then of late it hath been here in England I find his Majesty much moved with this neglect and resolved if we that are Bishops do not see a reformation thereof which I trust we shall to recommend to the care of the Civil Magistrate so far is his Highness from giving the least discouragement to solid preaching or discreet and religious Preachers To all these I am to add That it is his Majesties Princely pleasure that both the former Directions and those reasons of the same be fairly written in every Registers Office to the end that every Preacher of what denomination soever may if he be so pleased take out Copies of either of them with his own hand gratis passing nothing in the name of fee or expedition But if he do use the pains of the Register or the Clerk then to pay some moderate Fee to be pronounced in open Court by the Chancellor and Commissaries of the place taking the direction and approbation of my Lords the Bishops Lastly That from henceforward a course may be taken that every Parson Vicar Curate or Lecturer do make and exhibit an account for the performance of these his Majesties directions and the reasons for the same at the ensuing Visitation of the Bishops and Archdeacons paying to the Register 6d for the exhibiting And so wishing but withall in his Majesties name requiring your Lordship to have a special and extraordinary care of the premisses I leave you to the Almighty Your very loving friend J. Lincoln C. S. Septemb. 3. 1622. Instructions for the Ministers and Church-Warde us of London Jan. 28. 1622. 1. THat his Majesties declaration published Anno Dom. 1628. be fore the Articles of Religion for settling all questions in difference be strictly observed 2. That speciall care be had concerning Lectures in every Parish 3. That the Minister and Churchwardens in every parish or one of them do by writing under his or their owne hands certifie unto the Arch-Deacon of London or his official at or before the 28 of this present January and afterwards at or before every visitation the Christian and Sirnames of every Lecturer in their parishes and the place where he preacheth whether exempt or not exempt together with his quality or degree 4. That they doe in like manner certifie the names of such men as being not qualified by Law do keep Chaplains in their houses 5. That they do further certifie the names of all such as absent themselves from or are negligent in coming to divine service as wel Prayers as Catechising and Sermons 6. That the Minister and Church-Wardens of every Parish successively doe keep a severall Copy of those Instructions by them whereby they may be the better informed of their duty and that the said Copies be shewed at every visitation when they shall present all such persons as have disobeyed these instructions that according to his Majesties pleasure such as do conforme may be encouraged and such as are refractory may be punished Subscribed Tho. Paske Arch-Deacon of London Monsieur Bevayr Chancellour of France discharged to the French King LO Sir I willingly resign into your hands the charge with which you were pleased to honour me and with the same Countenance that I received it without seeking for it I leave it without grieving for it the Law had sufficiently taught me to obey your Majesty so that I needed not to have been sent for by a Captain of the Guard and twenty Archers violence should only be used against those that resist and not against me that know how to obey
and that have ever esteemed this honour a heavy burden rather then a dignity which yet I had accepted for the good of your service because every able man owâ—s hâ—s â—ares and his years to the publick good and because â—t had been a shame for me to refuse to die with the stern in my hand being able to â—â—nder or at the least delay the shipwrack that thâ—eatens us God grant Sir that I be the greatest loser â—n this disfavour and that you and your state be the least touched in it This accident hath not taken me oâ— the suddainâ— having ever well foreseen that as I followed as much as I could the integrity and vertues of Mâ—nsâ—eur de Villeroy and the President Janin so I ought to expect the like fortune to theirs your commandment in this agrees with â—he choice my self had made â—f I had been at full liberty for I love a great deal better to be companion in their disgraces if I ought so to stile the being disbuâ—â—â—ened of affaires then to be imployed in the managing the State 〈◊〉 them that there remaine since I might n time have taken an â—ll day by 〈◊〉 â—ompany of such people to whom I no whit envy the increase of authority which is given them at my cost for I have not used to give accompt of my actions every morning by stealth neither will I be prescribed what I ought to doe if the States good and reason doe not counsell me unto it This is much more honourable for me then to have betrayed your Majesty in sealing a discharge to an accomptant of 80000 pound in the great poverty of the Treasury and that to further the good of a man that bâ—ushes not besides this to demand the Dutchy of Alanson by way of mortgage which is the portion of the Kings Sons and to pretend to the office of Constable which the late Kings will expresly was should be suppressed after the death of the late Lord Monmorency Think not Sir that in not giving my consent to this I desired to oppose my self against your Authority I know well that that hath no bounds but those of your wil but yet are you bound to rule your self according to reason and to follow the Counsel of those which have entred into the managing of the State by the choice which the late King had made of them as being more able to give it you then certain new comers drawn out of the dregs of businesse and of the people This exchange which is made of us for them is the trick of the Wolves to thâ— Sheepe when they tooke their dogs from them doth not your Majesty perceive it or dare you not redresse it for fear of disobedience Sir you owe obedience by nature to those that preach it to you but they themselves owe it you both by divine and humane right and though you should yeild them lesse they have given you but too many examples so to doe Remember if it please you that you are past fifteen years old and Kings are of age at fourteen Isaac followed Abraham his Father to be sacrificed because he was not old enough to fear any thing I believe if he had been a man grown and had foreseene the danger he would not himself have carried the sticks upon his shoulders he was but the appearance of a sacrifice I pray God in these occasions keep you from the effect for when I see that men move the Authority of the Court when they will that men set to sale and dispose of the offices of the Crown without being once hindred by any the Princes of the blood having been some imprisoned and other Princes having retired themselves for the security of their persons when I see that among the great ones they that are made see some shadow of better fortunes are faine to lend their hands to bring themselves into bondage that they which have attained some settlednesse in this alteration maintain it only for fear of returning to the former miserie of their former condition Besides it seemes also that the people and the Provinces partake of this change after the example of the great ones seeing the help of the law is unprofitable every thing being out of order by canvasing by violences and by corruptions the Louvre it self hath put on a new face as well as the affaires of the Kingdome there remains nothing of the old Court but the walls and even of them the use hath been changed for they were wont to serve for the safeguard of Princes and now they serve for their prison and for yours it may be if it be lawfull to say so for it is not without some end that when you go abroad you have a company of light horse to attend you chosen by a suspected hand this is your Guard after the fashion of the Bastile this distrust counsels you enough what you ought to doe and you need no other advice I am hist at I am scoft at and my discourse so was Cassardra used when she foretold the destruction of Troy Sir I have nothing left but my tongue to serve you with If I were so happy to draw you out of the errour in which you are fed I would bless a thousand times my disgrace for having emboldned me to speake freely in a time wherein even words are punished The falseness of the Alcharan is only authorised by that it is forbidden under paine of death to speak of it The incroachment which is made upon your Authority takes footing only by the danger that is in telling it you freely consider if it please you that those which usurpe power over you are of a Country where every body would raigne thence it that there is not a City on the other side the Alpes that hath not her republick or her petty King and if your Majesty had but a little tasted the History of your owne Kingdome you would have found that the most learned Tragedies that were ever seen in France have come from that side the last upon occasion of a lit-book which I published touching Constancy and Comfort in publick calamities I fear much that contrary to my designe this is a Work for your Reigne if the goodness of God take not pity on us Think not Sir that the grief to see my self removed from the State Affairs breeds so bold a discourse if I had felt any grief for that 't is but as new married Wives weep to leave the subjection of their Fathers to enter into the equality of Marriage Yet it is true that owing you my service I should with more contentment have imployed it in your Counsels of State then in your Parlaments where the matters are of lesse importance For I suppose that if the Carpenter which made the frame of the Admirall wherein Don John de Austria commanded at the Battell of Lepanto had known that she should have served in so important an occasion wherein depended the safety of the rest
end of his desires was only to attaine to be old and without doubt as it is a great advantage to be the Grand-child of an usurper so there is not a more miserable condition then to have been a King and now to be no more but the subâ—ect or tragedy to playes Let men then as much as they please praise the designes of this man and his good intention I for my part find nothing so easie as to fly and lose and posterity shall put him rather in the number of theeves that have been punished then of conquerours which have triumphed upon the earth Since it is true that the persecution ceases in England and that the King wearieth himself with giving us Martyrs it may be that within a short time he will altogether set soules at liberty that stâ—l makes one step to his mother Church As for my part I despaire not of this great conversion that all honest men will with salt tears desire this from heaven knowing to the contrary that he hath a reasonable spirit and may be perswaded upon a thing that he determined on I assure my selfe that he studies every day the truth of the instructions the great Cardinall Peron left him See King James his Remonstrance against Cardi Peron and that that w ll be the strongest in his Kingdomes assoon as his Conscience authority better reestablished then his His predecessors knew not â—ow to reigne in regard of him no not she that plaid with so many heads and who was more happy then needful for the Christian Common-wealth It is certain that heretofore England believed in God but this day it only believes in its Prince and Religion makes but a part of the obedience yeilded unto him in so much that if he would but set in the place of all the points of Faith all the fables of Poesie he should find in his subjects complying enough to bring them to his will and perswade himself that he may make all things just that he does and all things culpaple that he condemns his Authority came not so far at the first stroake and there must be time to make men lose * The way for Romish Conversion reason but at this time when all sp rits are vanquished and that the great beliefe that he hath given of his judgment takes away the liberty of theirs they can imagine nothing above the wisdome of thâ— King and without medling with any thing that passes between God and him they believe that if he command them to tread under foot all the Holy things and to violate all the Lawes all that was but for the safety of their Consciences But it is to be believed that this Divine providence which conducts things to their ends by means which in apparance are contrary will use the bloodâ—nesse of this people to procure their salvation and cause them to come again into the Church by the same doore they went out of it And since the hearts of Kings are in the hands of God there wants nothing but a good motion sent unto him to build againe the Altars which he hath beaten downe and at one clap to turne to the true Religion the soules of three Kingdomes A while agoe he sent a Gentleman expresly to this Court that it might not be contrary with the Marriage which he treated with Spaine and to endeavour to make the Romans think well of it and that one of these daies it may be he will call his Holinesse and the sacred Colledge of Cardinals but hitherto these are terms of a tongue unknowne to him Furthermore in this Country we imagine that there will be no lack of warrs till Rochel be reduced to extremity It is very true that the forces which the King hath left before it are not great but for how many men think you they count the Captaine into whose bands he hath put them It is not permitted to judg of that which he will doe by the ordinary course of the things of this world his actions cannot be drawn into example and though he be infinitely wise notwithstanding it is certaine that in what he undertakes it alwaies appears somewhat greater then mans wisdome Yet truly my Lord after having considered the motion of the Stars which are so just the order of the seasons which are so governed the beauties of nature which are so divers I find in the end that there is nothing in the world where God sheweth himself so admirable as in the guiding of the life of my Lord your Father But to the purpose behold this that I added yesterday to the great discourse which I made by your Commandment and which you much praised the first time Monsr. Balsac to the King Louis SIR The late King your father hath not done more and neverthelesse not to speak of the Actions of his life your Majesty knowes that his last thoughts made all the Kings of the earth to tremble and his memorie untill this day is reverenced to the uttermost ends of the world Notwithstanding Sir be it that you are come in a better time then he be it that God hath destinated your Majesty for higher things the glory which you have gotten at the going out of your infancy is not lesse then that which that great Prince deserved when he was was growne old in Armes and in affaires as he so you make your selfe redoubted without tyranny as he so you governe your people But I am constrained to avow that your Majesty must needs yeild to him in one thing which is that you have not yet begot a Sonne that resembles you But certainly Sir wee cannot any longer time have this advantage over you All Europe requires Princes and princesses of you and it is certaine that the world ought not to end but when your race shall faile if you will then that the beauty of the things we see passeto another age If you wil that the publick tranquillity have an assured foundation and that your victories may be eternal you must talke no more of working powerfully nor of doing greate Acts of State but with the Queen Mon r Toyrax to the Duke of Buckingham MY Lord your curtesieâ— are sufficiently known to all the world and you place them with so much judgment that those only may hope after them that make themselves worthy by their actions Now I know no action so worthy of that merit as for a man to imploy himself if in the defence of this place he vanquish not all difficulties so that no despair of succor nor fear of rigor in case of extreamity can ever make me quit a design so generous as also I shall esteeme my self unworthy of any your favours if in this action I omit the least point of my duty the issue whereof cannot be but honourable and by how much you adde to this glory by your valour and carriage by so much I am more bound to remaine during my life your Lordships humble and most
think it is only to draw the King to the best composition they can The Protestants of France to Charles King of Great Britain SIR the knowledg and resentment which it hath pleased your Majesty to take of the misery of the afflicted Churches of France hath given us the boldnesse to awaken your Compassion in such measure as our calamities are aggravated by the unmercifull rigour of our persecutors and as the present storme doth threaten neer at hand the total ruine and lamentable destruction of that which the mercy of God had yet kept intire unto us since the desolation of Rochel and as we have adored with humility the judgment of God in this bad successe which we impute only to his wrath justly kindled against us for our sins so our silence could be thought no lesse then ingratitude if we had not at the beginning of our Assembly resolved the most humble and most affectionate acknowledgment which wee now render to your Majesty for the great succour which you have sent us interessing your self so far in the grief of our oppression and in the means of our deliverance The most humble supplication which we do offer to your Majesty next after this our thansgiving is that your Majesty according to the sweet inclination of your goodnesse would permit us stil to present our complaints and discover our wounds before the eyes of your royall charity protesting unto your Majesty that we see none other hand under heaven by which we may be healed but your Majesties in case your Majesty will still vouchsafe to lift it up on the behalfe of oppressed innocents and of the Church of our Lord outragiously persecuted by the most invenom'd passion that our age or any age preceedent hath seen we most humbly beseech your Majesty to read this letter which is written with our tears and with our blood and according to your exquisite judgement your incomparable wisdome and the devotion of your zeale to the glory of God to consider our estate which is such that our persecutors upon the losse of Rochel supposing we had been put to utter discomfiture and into a weaknesse without recovery or resistance and boasting themselves that now there remained no more any eyes unto us but to bewaile our selves nor any sense but to feel the smart thereof without further imploying our hands or our arms for our defence have made use of this advantage with so much fiercenesse insultation and cruelty that they have not only sacked the houses and with an unheard of rudenesse and barbarismeâ— rifled the goods of our poore brethren of this Province of Languedock relying themselves upon publick faith and the benefits of the edicts of pacification especially of the last which your Majesty had favourably procured and confirmed unto us dissipating whole families and exiling them with perfidious inhumanity but also they have said wast and destroyed almost all the Churches of the same which are at their command and discretion under the liberty of edicts imploying Monks the Popes Emissaries assisted with force of souldiers and of the tyrannicall Authority of Governours to ravish mens souls and to draw the most constant with violence to Masse and to the feete of the Idol interdicting assembles and all exercise of true Religion in the same places beating imprisoning ransoming assasinating the faithful and their pastors with an inraged fury which hath exceeded all the inhumanities of the Inquisition profaning and demolishing of Temples their violence having proceeded so farre as publickly to burn in pomp and triumph the sacred books of Gods Covenant in presence of the Governor of the Province with damnable sacriledge which cryeth vengeance before God and doth elevate its voice to the eares Sir of a most puissant Monarch professing the purity of the Gospel zealous of his glory and capable to revenge so outragious an injury But your Majesty shal understand that all this hath produced an effect much contrary to the intention of our persecutors for so farre it is from us that their objects of pity and griefe whereof the very thought doth make us repine should render us faint-hearted and cause us to yeild our selves in prey to their rage that on the contrary seeing the Mask taken off and the pretext which they had alledged of the Army of rebellion whereof they accused us quite removed and that without any more distimulation their design goes on to the ruinating of our Religion and the extirpation of our Church and that there remained no more hope of safety and liberty but generall resolution to die in the Arms of our just and vigorous defence and that out persecutors possessing the spirit of our King and hindring the effects of his bounty have obtained a declaration of the fifteenth of December last which alluring us to implore his grace and mercy yet leaveth us not any hope of enjoying the benefits of any edict nor by consequence of any tolerable peace and soliciting us to disarm our selves and to put our selves into the condition of sacrafices destined by one and by one to the slaughter to be all at one stroak offered up to the fury of Antichrist by one general Massacre throughout the whole Kingdome whereof we doe not only heare the vaunts but doe almost see great armies upon our backs for execution This makes us Sir have recourse to your Royal and redoubtable puissance as to a place of refuge which God hath yet left open to us in your Ardent charity to finde within your assistance assured and effectual means to avoid ruine which is ready inevitably to fal upon our heads And to attaine thereunto Sir we have religiously renewed in this assembly the oath of union which binds us with a sacred bond unto the Armes of your Majesty of the violating whereof your Majesty may be assured that we will never make our selves guilty being encouraged to this resolution by the reiterate confirmations which my Lord the Duke of Rohan hath lately given us that your Majesty continues to take to heart the assistance and deliverance of our Churches according to your Royal promises being debtors to his sage and valorous conduct and to his pious magnanimity for all that strength and liberty which we yet enjoy and we will leave unto posterity memorable examples of our Constancie which prefers death before reproachfull cowardize and shameful servitude hoping that out of our ashes God will draw matter for his glory and the propagation of his Church being perswaded Sir that you are the instrument of his election to give us comfort and deliverance from our evils in time convenient Be you assured also that he wil uphold us in that extraordinary valour wherewith he hath inspired us to endure all extremities with a patience invincible expecting the succour of his hands through yours Of all Sir which a great Monarch could ever doe in the world nothing can be more just then this interprize nor more glorious then this deliverance the Lord having exalted you
to the most eminent degree of dignity and power to be the nursing father of his Church she hath right being thus mangled and bloody to stretch forth her arms unto you even shee that Spouse of Jesus Christ the common mother of Christians and and your mother also by the respect of her bruised members and of the searing of her innocent brest covered with wounds she will move your pity She assures her selfe Sir that the glorious title which you beare of the Defender of the faith shall interceede for your accepting of her humble request if you doe extend unto us your cares your affections and your formidable Armes you shall nourish in our hearts affections of honour and obedience which shall never die you shall daunt all powers that would raise themselves against your Crown you shall raise your glory to such a height that all the earth shall admire it all Christendome shall celebrate it and your name shall be of sweet odour unto Angels and men and in perpetual benediction unto all posterity of Saints and your reward shall be great and eternal in heaven May it please your Majesty to pardon us if our necessities pressing us we all do presse your Majesty by our instant supplications accompanied with a most humble respect to strengthen our selves so soon as may be with the honour of your commandments and the declaration of your favâ—ur the wholesome effects of your assistance according to the sweetnesse of your compassion and Charity and we will redouble our prayers to the divine clemency for the length and safety of your life and the prosperity of your estate being ready with a most holy and ardent affect on to expose our goods and lives to render us worthy of the quality which we dare take of your most humble most obedient and moâ—t faithful servants the Deputies of the reformed Churches of France in their general Assembly held at Nismes and for all Jaques de Maresey adjunct la Reque The Duke of Rohan to his Majesty of great Brittain the 12 of March 1628. SIR the deplorable accident of the losse of Rochel which God hath suffered to humble us under his hand hath redoubled in the hearts of our enemies their passionate fiercenesse to our utter ruine with an assured hope to attain thereunto But it hath not taken away from the Churches of those Provinces either the heart or the affection to oppose their unjust plots by a just and lively defence This is it hath made them take resolution to assemble themselves to cojoyn in the midst of these commotions to assist me with their good counsels and with me to provide the means of their deliverance And for as much as the greatest support which God hath raised unto them upon earth is the succour our Churches have and do look to receive from your Majesty the general Assembly hath desired that my Letters which alone hitherto have represented unto your Majesty the interest of the publick cause might be joyned to their most humble supplications put up to your Majesty I do it Sir with so much the more affection because I am a witnesse that these poor people who with sighes and groanes implore your assistance having once laid down their weapons which the oppression of their enemies made so necessary because they knew such was your desire to take them up again so soon as they heard that your Majesty did oblige them thereunto by your Counsel and Promises they have upon this only assurance continued all dangers surmounted all oppositions accounted their estates as nothing and are still ready to spend their bloud till the very last drop they esteem your love and favour more precious then their own lives and whatsoever promises or threatnings have been used to shake their constant resolution they could never be brought to make any breach in that they had tyed themselves to never to hear of any Treaty without your consent This great zeal for the preservation of all the Churches of this Kingdome which is naturally knit to the preservation of these few we have left and that fidelity with our example are worthy and glorious subjects to exercise your Charity and Power You are Sir Defender of that Faith whereof they make profession suffer it not to be so unjustly oppressed you have stirred up their affection in this defence by your royal promises and those Sacred words that your Majesty would imploy all the power in your Dominions to warrant and protect all our Churches from the ruine that threatned them have been after Gods favour the onely foundation of all their hope so the Churches should thinke no greater a Crime could be committed by them then doubt of your Royal performance thereof if their miseries and Calamities have at the beginning moved your Compassion This wofull subject hath increased with such violence that nothing but your succor can prevent their utter undoing for at this day the greatest offence our Enemies lay to our Charge and proclaim nothing can expiate but our blood is to have implored your aid and hope for it for this cause our Lands and Possessions are taken away and destroyed our houses made desolate and reduced to ashes our heads exposed to sale to murtherers our families banished and wheresoever the cruelty of them that hate us can extend men and women are dragged and beaten to Mass with Bastinâ—does To be short the horrour of the persecution we suffer is so great that our words are too weak to express it Moreover we see great and mighty Armies at our Gates that waite their onely fit time to fall with impetuosity upon the places of retreat that remain and after that to expel and banish the exercise of Religion and massacre all the faithfull ones throughout the whole kingdomes These things considered Sir I do beseech your Majesty not to forsake us I should feare by such words to offend so great so potent and so faithfull a king But because of urgent necessity that presseth us I have presumed importunately to intreat the hastening of your assistance to keep us from falling under the heavy burthen of our Enemies endeavors Your Majesty need not to draw but out of the source of your own profound wisedom for the fit meanes how to make your succor dreadfull and powerfull to those that contemne it and salutiferous to so many people that wait and long for it Your Majesty shall by this meanes acquire the greatest glory that can be desired pluck out from the fire and sword three hundred thousand families that continually pray to God for your prosperity preserve a people whom God hath purchased with his most pretious blood and which hath even in the middest of most eminent dangers and cruellest torments kept intire a sound and an upright faith both towards God and man you shall settle the fidelity of your word the reputation of your kingdomes and Armes to a pitch worthy of your grandeur and in repressing of the audaciousness of those that
go about every day to blemish the same through their vile and unworthy reproches you shal add to your titles that of the Restorer of a people the most innocent and most barbarously persecuted that ever was In that which concerns me Sir I will not make mention to your Majesty of my owne Interest though I might doe it having as it seems the honor be unto you what I am but I have so long since consecrated all things with my selfe to the publicke good that I shall esteeme my self happie enough so that the Church were not miserably distressed and that I may have this advantage that through my actions which your Majestie will not disavow I may make it known that I am Your Majesties most humble and most obedient servant Henry de Rohan Pope Gregory the 15 to the â—â—quisitor General of Spain April 19. 1623. Venerable Brother THe protection of the Orthodox Religion in the most spacious Kingdoms of Spain we think to be happily committed to your Fraternity for we know with what watchful vigilancie in this renowned station you are careful that Monsters of wicked doctrine steal not into the bounds of the Church and Vine But at this time occasion from heaven is offered you by which you may extend the benefits of your piety beyond the bounds of those Kingdoms and extend them also to forraign Countries We understand that the Prince of Wales the King of Great Britains son is lately arrived there carried with a hope of Catholike Marriage Our desire is that he should not stay in vain in the Courts of those Kings to whom the defence of the Popes authority and care of advancing Religion hath procured the renowned name of Catholique Wherefore by Apostolike Letters we exhort his Catholike Majestie that he would gently endeavour sweetly to reduce that Prince to the obedience of the Romane Church to which the ancient Kings of Great Britain have with heavens approbation submitted their Crowns and Scepters Now to the attaining of this victory which to the conquered promiseth triumphs and principalities of heavenly felicity we need not exhaust the Kings treasure nor levie Armies of furious souldierâ— but we must fetch from heaven the armour of Light whose divine solendor may allure that Princes eye and gently expel all errours from his minde Now in the managing of these businesses what power and art you have we have well known long ago wherefore we wish you to go like a religious Counsellor to the Catholike King and to try all ways which by this present occasion may benefit the Kingdoms of Britain and the Church of Rome The matter is of great weight and moment and therefore not to be amplified with words Whosoever shall enflame the minde of this Royal youth with the love of the Catholike Religion and breed a hate in him of Heretical impiety shall begin to open the Kingdom of heaven to the Prince of Britain and to gain the Kingdoms of Britain to the Apostolike See into the possession of so great glory I make no doubt but that your Fraternity armed with the sword of Verity will be desirous to come About which matter our venerable brother Innocent Bishop of _____ the Apostolike Nuncio shall discourse with you more at large whom you may trust And we with most accurate prayers will endeavour to procure the assistance of God for you upon whom most lovingly we bestow our Apostolical benediction Given at Rome in St. Peters under the Fishers Seal April 19. 1623. of our Popedom 30. Pope Urban to Lewis the 13. Aug. 4. 1629. To our dearest Son in Christ Jesus Lewis the most Christian King of France Pope Urban sendeth greeting MOst dear Son in Christ Health and Apostolical benediction The high exploits of your Royal valour which have drawn upon them all the eyes of Christendom bring a great deal of comfort to our fatherly care as well in regard of the glory of your Arms as the hope of your triumphs For considering as we do with much grief the impiety of Hereticks living in some places without fear or danger we now thank the Lord of hosts that hath in so fit an opportunity made your Majestie to maintain with Arms the dignity of the Catholike Religion Oh fair Apprentiship of Royal Warfare and worthy of a most Christian King What an admirable thing it is that the age which other Princes out of a kinde of softness and idleness use to pass away in sports and delights your Majesty should employ so generously so fortunately in appeasing differenâ—es conducting Armies and besieging the strongest places of Hereticks and all not without the special counsel of God by which Kings raign Is it almost credible that the very first steps of your thoughts should carry you in so high and troublesome an enterprise and that the dangers and difficulties which have stopt others in their course should onely serve for a spur to the greatness of your courage Enjoy dear Son the Renown your name hath got and follow the God that fights for you to the end that as you are now held the Thunderbolt and Buckler of War so you may hereafter be esteemed the praise of Israel and the glory of the world From the height of our Apostolick Dignity whereto if hath pleased God of his goodness to raise us unworthy of so great grace we assist your Arms with heart and affection and by our frequent prayers prepare the divine remedies And though we doubt not but your own vertue will make you constant in the work you have begun nevertheless we have thought good to adde Exhortations that the world may see the care we have of the advancement of true Religion and how willing we are to give way to your glory You have been hitherto infinitely bound to God for his bounty towards you and as we hope and wish you shall hereafter a great deal more For you having your minde endued with celestial doctrine and not with the bare precepts of humane wisdom do well know that Kingdoms have their foundation upon the truth of Orthodox faith and unless God keep the City what principality can subsist with any assurance It may easily be judged with what fidelity they are likely to defend your Royal Throne that have cast the very Saints themselves out of their Temples and done as much as in them lay to put them out of the number of the blessed yea out of Paradise it self that with impious temerity condemn the Institutions of our Fathers the Custom of Kings the Decrees of Popes and the Ceremonies of the Church These are the disturbers of the Christian Commonwealth and the reproaches of France whom the great God hath reserved to be exterminated as it were in the beginning of your Raign Know then that all Europe which the event of your Arms holds all this time in suspence hopes shortly it will hoyse sail upon the Ocean under the conduct of your Greatness and Power and go to the place which serves now for
praeconiis quam aeternis laudibus vestrae Celsitudinis memoriam nepotes nostri celebrabunt facile conjiciet is qui norit quantum Academia tranquille administrata vindicata privilegia immunitates conservatae otium libertas ipsa vita Musis doâ—ata promereantur Quot hostes Reipublicae Literariae infensos vestra Celsitudo profligavit quot in nos munera contulerit nec illi sine gemitu agnoscere nec nos sine stupore recitare valeamus Dum te licet conspicari dum tua genua prehendere floâ—ci faciamus mortalium iras in recessibus nostris abditi tuto literis indulgeamus Jam vestra Celsitudo novam parat Militiam quam vestro nomini gloriosam Religioni Christianae faustam nobis omnibus foelicem omnipotens Deus faxit quibus nos periculis exponimur Alii flumen nostrum siccare eumque ablatum a quo forsan ipsi aquas olim ingrati hauserunt alii nobis Imprimendi faculatem rursus adimere conabuntur Illustrissime Princeps pauca sunt nostra bona suppellex curta angusta Athenarum pomoeria nullae tamen opes Croesi vel Midae perditorum hominum insidiis petuntur atrocius quam inermis nuda paupertas nostra Videt vestra Celsitudo quam in ipsa fiduciam collocamus qui tempestas priusquam ingruit ad vestras aras confugimus Et quamvis haud ignari sumus quanta moles vestrae Celsitudinis humeros jam premat audacter tamentot curaruÌ„ montibus nostrum Parnassum superaddimus Perficiat vestra Celsitudo hanc suam Academiam ut incipit storentem orneâ— trepidantem excitet depressam sustentet periclitantem expediat quae Deum perpetuo implorat ut omnia tua gloriosa molimina vestra Celsitudo consequatur illa vesâ—rae Celsitudinis patrocinio fruatur in aeternum Dat' e frequenti Senatu nostro Nonas Julii 1628. Celsitudinis vestrae devinctissimi Procancellarius reliquusque Senatus Academiae vestrae Cantabrigiensis The Dukes Answer Gentlemen SUch and so cordial have your respects been unto me that no other Pen then your own can express them nor no other heart then mine can apprehend them and therefore I labour not any verbal satisfaction but shall desire you to believe that what service soever you please to think I have hitherto done for you I cannot so much as call an expression of that I would willingly do for you And whereas in your Letters you seem to fear that my absence may be an advantage of time to make your adversaries active and stirring against you and your affairs consequently meet with partiality and opposition I have therefore most humbly recommended them to the Justice of my Royal Master and to the bosomes of some friends where they shall likewise meet with mediation and protection to what part of the world soever my Master or the States service shall call me I can carry but one Chancellor of your University along with me but I hope I shall leave you many behinde me And I shall presage likely of the success of our actions since they are all so followed by your wishes and devotions which I shall endeavour you may always continue unto Chelsey 30 July 1628. Your most affectionate friend and humble servant BUCKINGHAM Directed To my very worthy and much-respected friends The Vicechancellor and Senate of the University of Cambridge The Vicechancellor of Cambridge to the King upon the Dukes death Dread Soveraign THe fatal blowe given your most loyal servant whom your Majesty made our Patron and Chancellor hath so stounded our University as like a Body without a Soul she stirs not till your Majesties directions breathe life again in the choice of another And although I am but one of many and therefore having to do with a multitude cannot absolutely assure the effecting of your pleasure yet I dare undertake for my self with the rest of the Heads and many others truely and faithfully to labour in your Majesties desires and now presume to send fair and strong hopes to give them full satisfaction Humbly intreating the continuance of your Majesties love and care of your University the onely stay and comfort of this her sad and mournful estate occasioned by such an unexpressible disaster cherishing her self with that blessed word your Majestie used upon her last Election That howsoever your Majesties appointment shadowed out another yet your Self in substance would be her Chancellor This as an indelible Character in her memory shall ever return as all thankful observance so to God prayers full of cordial zeal for your Majesties long and happie Raign King Charles to the University of Cambridge for a new Election RIght Trusty and Welbeloved We greet you well As We took in gracious part your due respect in electing heretofore for your Chancellor a man who for his parts and faithful service was most dear unto Us so now We are well pleased to understand that you are sensible of your own and the common loss by the bloody assassinate of so eminent a person and that you desire and expect for your comfort an intimation from Us of a capable subject to sucâ—eed in his room This expression on your part hath begotten in Us a Royal affection towards you and more care for your good out of which We commend unto free election of you the Vicechancellor and Heads and of the Masters Regents and Non-Regents according to Our ancient Custom Our Right Trusty and Right Welbeloved Cousin and Counsellor Henry Earl of Holland lately a member of your own Body and well known unto you all whose hearty affection to advance Religion and Learning generally in Our own Kingdoms and especially in the Fountains cannot be doubted of Not that We shall cease to be your Chancellor in effect according to Our promise but the rather for your advantage We advise you to the choice that you may have a person acceptable unto Us and daily attending on Our person to be Our Remembrancer and Sollicitor for you upon all occasions And your general concurring herein shall be to Us a pledge of Our affections which We are willing to cherish Given at Our Court the 28 of August in the fourth yeer of Our Raign CAROLUS Rex The Earl of Holland to the University Mr. Vicechancellor and Gentlemen the Senate of the University of Cambridge THe condition of man is so frail and his time so short here that in the sum of his account there are few accidents can deliver him worthy to posterity yet to prevent my destiny in this defect you have made my name to live by your general and free election of me to be your Chancellor the which will give me so to the world not my merit I take but my beginning by this Creation and will endeavour to proceed with such strength in my serious affection to serve you all as you shall see this Honour is not conferred upon an unthankful person It is my hap to succeed the most excellent example of the best Chancellor who had both will and power to
medicines for that State And as for other points of governing their Nobility as well in this Court as there of Knighthood of Education of their Children and the like points of comfort and allurement they are things which fall into every mans consideration For the extirpating of the seeds of troubles I suppose the main roots are but three The first the ambition and absoluteness of the chief of the Families and Sects the second the licentious idleness of their Kerns and Souldiers that lie upon their Country by sesses and such oppressions the third the barbarous customs in habits of apparel in these Poets or Heralds that inchant them in savage manners and sundry other such dregs of Barbarism and Rebellion which by a number of politique Statutes of Ireland meet to be put in execution are already forbidden unto which such additions may be made as the present time requireth But the reducing of this branch requireth a more particular notice of the state and manners there then falls within my compass For Plantations and buildings I do find it strange that in the last plot for the population of Munster there were limitations how much in Demesnes and how much in Farm and Tenantry how many buildings should be erected how many Irish in mixture should be admitted but there was no restraint that they might not build sparsim at their pleasure much less any condition that they should make places fortified and defensible the which was too much secureness to my understanding So as for this last point of plantations and buildings there be two considerations which I hold most material th' one of quickning th' other for assuring The first is that choyce be made of such persons for the government of Towns and places and such undertakers be procured as be men gracious and wel-beloved and are like to be well followed wherein for Munster it may be because it is not Res integra but that the former undertakers stand interessed there will be some difficulty but surely in mine opinion either with agreeing with them or by over-ruling them by a Parliament in Ireland which in this course of a politique proceeding infinite occasions will require speedily to be held it will be fit to supply fit qualified persons for underakers The other that it be not left as heretofore to the pleasure of the undertakers and adventurers where and how to build and plant but that they do it according to a prescript or formality For first the places both Maritine and Inland which are fittest for Colonies or Garrison as well for doubt of Foreigners as for keeping the Countrey in bridle would be found surveighed and resolved upon and then that the Patentees be tied to build those places onely and to fortifie as shall be thought convenient And lastly it followeth of course in Countries of new populations to invite and provoke inhabitants by ample liberties and Charters FR. BACON Sir Francis Bacon to the Lord Treasurer touching his speech in Parliament It may please your good Lordship I Was sorry to find by your Lordships speech yesterday that my last speech in Parliament delivered in discharge of my conscience my duty to God her Majesty and my Countrey was offensive if it were misreported I would be glad to attend your Lordship to disavow any thing I said not if it were misconstrued I would be glad to expound my words to exclude any sense I meant not if my heart be mis-judged by imputation of popularity or opposition I have great wrong and the greater because the manner of my speech did most evidently shew that I spake most simply and onely to satisfie my conscience and not with any advantage or policy to sway the cause and my terms carried all signifification of duty and zeal towards her Majesty and her service It is very true that from the beginning whatsoever was a double Subsidy I did wish might for presidents sake appear to be extraordinary and for discontents sake might not have been levied upon the poverty though otherwise I wished it as rising as I think this will prove or more This was my mind I confess it and therefore I most humbly pray your good Lordship first to continue me in your own good opinion and then to perform the part of an honorable good friend towards your poor servant and all in drawing her Majesty to accept of the sincerity and simplicity of my zeal and to hold me in her Majesties favour which is to me dearer then my life And so c. Your Lordships most humble in all duty FR. BACON Sir Francis Bacon to the Earl of Northampton May it please your good Lordship AS the time of sowing of a seed is known but the time of coming up and disclosing is casuall or according to the season so I am witness to my self that there hath been covered in my mind a long time a seed of affection and zeal towards your Lordship sown by the estimation of your vertues and your particular honors and favours to my brother deceased and to my self which seed sti l springing now bursteth forth into this profession And to be plain with your Lordship it is very true and no winds or noyses of evill matters can blow this out of my head or heart that your great capacities and love towards studies and contemplations of an higher and worthier nature then popular a matter rare in the world in a person of your Lordships quality almost singular is to me a great and chief motive to draw my affection admiration towards you and therefore good my Lord if I may be of any use to your Lordship I humbly pray your Lordship to hold me your own and therefore withall not to do so much disadvantage to my good mind as to conceive that this commendation of my humble service proceedeth out of any straits of my occasions but meerly out of an election and indeed the fulness of my heart And so wishing your Lordship all prosperity I continue yours c. FR. BACON To the Lord Kinloss upon the entrance of K. James My Lord THe present occasion awaketh in me a remembrance of the constant amity and mutual good offices which passed between my Brother deceased and your Lordship whereunto I was less strange then in respect of the time I had reason to pretend and withall I call to mind the great opinion my Brother who seldom failed in judgment of a person would often express to me of your Lordships great wisdom and soundness both in head and heart towards the service and affairs of the Lord our Soveraign King The one of those hath bred in me an election and the other a confidence to address my good will and sincere affection to your good Lordship not doubting in regard that my course of life hath wrought me not to be altogether unseen in the matters of the Kingdom that I may be in some use both in points of service to the King and your Lordships