have a reverend ambition to be tried and approved currant This I doe the more confidently affirm because it will be confessed by all men that this one mans example and personall respect did not onely encourage Learning and Honour in the Schooles but brought the affection and true use thereof both into the Court and Camp Nay more even many Gentlemen excellently learned amongst us will not deny but that they affected to row and steer their course in his wake Besides which honour of unequall nature and education his very waies in the world did generally adde reputation to his Prince and Country by restoring amongst us the ancient Majestie of noble and true dealing As a manly wisdome that can no more be weighed down by any effeminate craft than Hercules could be overcome by that contemptible Army of Dwarfs This was it which I profess I loved dearly in him and still shall be glad to honour in the great men of this time I mean that his heart and tongue went both one way and so with every one that went with the Truth as knowing no other kindred partie or end Above all he made the Religion he professed the firm Basis of his life For thls was his judgement as he often told me that our true-heartednesse to the Reformed Religion in the beginning brought Peace Safetie and Freedome to us concluding that the wisest and best way was that of the famous William Prince of Orange who never divided the consideration of Estate from the cause of Religion nor gave that sound party occasion to be jealous or distracted upon any apparance of safety whatsoever prudently resolving that to temporize with the Enemies of our Faith was but as among Sea-guls a strife not to keep upright but aloft upon the top of every billow Which false-heartednesse to God and man would in the end find it self forsaken of both as Sir Philip conceived For to this active spirit of his all depths of the Devill proved but shallow fords he piercing into mens counsels and ends not by their words oathes or complements all barren in that age but by fathoming their hearts and powers by their deeds and found no wisdome where he found no courage nor courage without wisdome nor either without honesty and truth With which solid and active reaches of his I am perswaded he would have found or made a way through all the traverses even of the most weak and irregular times But it pleased God in this decrepit age of the world not to restore the image of her ancient vigour in him otherwise than as in a lightning before death Neither am I for my part so much in love with this life nor believe so little in a better to come as to complain of God for taking him and such like exorbitant worthyness from us fit as it were by an Ostracisme to be divided and not incorporated with our corruptions yet for the sincere affection I bear to my Prince and Country my prayer to God is that this Worth and Way may not fatally be buried with him in respect that both before his time and since experience hath published the usuall discipline of greatnes to have been tender of it self onely making honour a triumph or rather trophy of desire set up in the eyes of Mankind either to be worshiped as Idols or else as Rebels to perish under her glorious oppressions Notwithstanding when the pride of flesh and power of favour shall cease in these by death or disgrace what then hath time to register or fame to publish in these great mens names that will not be offensive or infectious to others What Pen without blotting can write the story of their deeds Or what Herald blaze their Arms without a blemish And as for their counsels and projects when they come once to light shall they not live as noysome and loathsomely above ground as their Authors carkasses lie in the grave So as the return of such greatnes to the world and themselves can be but private reproach publique ill example and a fatall scorn to the Government they live in Sir Philip Sidney is none of this number for the greatness which he affected was built upon true Worth esteeming Fame more than Riches and Noble actions far above Nobility it self CHAP. IV. ANd although he never was Magistrate nor possessed of any fit stage for eminence to act upon wherby there is small latitude left for comparing him with those deceased Worthies that to this day live un-envied in story Yet can I probably say that if any supreme Magistracie or employment might have shewed forth this Gentlemans Worth the World should have found him neither a mixt Lysander with unactive goodness to have corrupted indifferent Citizens nor yet like that gallant Libertine Sylla with a tyrannizing hand and ill example to have ordered the dissolute people of Rome much less with that unexperienced Themistocles to have refused in the seat of Justice to deale equally between friends and strangers So that as we say the abstract name of goodness is great and generally currant her nature hard to imitate and diversly worshipped according to Zones complexions or education admired by her enemies yet ill followed by her friends So I may well say that this Gentlemans large yet uniform disposition was every where praised greater in himself than in the world yet greater there in fame and honour than many of his superiors reverenced by forrain Nations in one form of his own in another easily censured hardly imitated and therefore no received Standard at home because his industry judgement and affections perchance seemed too great for the cautious wisdomes of little Monarchies to be safe in Notwithstanding whosoever will be pleased indifferently to weigh his life actions intentions and death shall find he had so sweetly yoaked fame and conscience together in a large heart as inequality of worth or place in him could not have been other than humble obedience even to a petty Tyrant of Sicily Besides this ingenuitie of his nature did spread it self so freely abroad as who lives that can say he ever did him harm whereas there be many living that may thankfully acknowledge he did them good Neither was this in him a private but a publique affection his chief ends being not Friends Wife Children or himself but above all things the honour of his Maker and service of his Prince or Country Now though his short life and private fortune were as I sayd no proper stages to act any greatness of good or evill upon yet are there even from these little centers of his lines to be drawn not Astronomicall or imaginary but reall lineaments but such as infancy is of mansestate out of which nature often sparkleth brighter rayes in some than ordinarily appear in the ripeness of many others For proof wherof I will pass from the testimonie of brave mens words to his own deeds What lights of sounder wisdome can we ascribe to our greatest men of affairs than
not fear to suffer any thing there which would not prove a kind of Trophy to him So that howsoever he seemed to stand alone yet he stood upright kept his access to her Majesty as before a liberall conversation with the French reverenced amongst the worthiest of them for himselfe and born in too strong a fortification of nature for the less worthy to abbord either with question familiarity or scorn In this freedome even while the greatest spirits and Estates seemed hood-winkt or blind and the inferior sort of men made captive by hope fear ignorance did he enjoy the freedome of his thoughts with all recreations worthy of them And in this freedome of heart being one day at Tennis a Peer of this Realm born great greater by alliance and superlative in the Princes favour abruptly came into the Tennis-Court and speaking out of these three paramount authorities he forgot to entreat that which he could not legally command When by the encounter of a steady object finding unrespectiveness in himself though a great Lord not respected by this Princely spirit he grew to expostulate more roughly The returns of which stile comming still from an understanding heart that knew what was due to it self and what it ought to others seemed through the mists of my Lords passions swoln with the winde of his faction then reigning to provoke in yeelding Whereby the lesse amazement or confusion of thoughts he stirred up in Sir Philip the more shadowes this great Lords own mind was possessed with till at last with rage which is ever ill-disciplin'd he commands them to depart the Court To this Sir Philip temperately answers that if his Lordship had been pleased to express desire in milder Characters perchance he might have led out those that he should now find would not be driven out with any scourge of fury This answer like a Bellows blowing up the sparks of excess already kindled made my Lord scornfully call Sir Philip by the name of Puppy In which progress of heat as the tempest grew more and more vehement within so did their hearts breath out their perturbations in a more loud and shrill accent The French Commissioners unfortunately had that day audience in those private Galleries whose windows looked into the Tennis-Court They instantly drew all to this tumult every sort of quarrels sorting well with their humors especially this Which Sir Philip perceiving and rising with inward strength by the prospect of a mighty faction against him asked my Lord with a loud voice that which he heard clearly enough before Who like an Echo that still multiplies by reflexions repeated this Epithet of Puppy the second time Sir Philip resolving in one answer to conclude both the attentive hearers and passionate actor gave my Lord a Lie impossible as he averred to be retorted in respect all the world knows Puppies are gotten by Dogs and Children by men Hereupon those glorious inequalities of Fortune in his Lordship were put to a kinde of pause by a precious inequality of nature in this Gentleman So that they both stood silent a while like a dumb shew in a Tragedy till Sir Philip sensible of his own wrong the forrain and factious spirits that attended and yet even in this question between him and his superior tender to his Countries honour with some words of sharp accent led the way abruptly out of the Tennis-Court as if so unexpected an accident were not fit to be decided any farther in that place Whereof the great Lord making another sense continues his play without any advantage of reputation as by the standard of humours in those times it was conceived A day Sr Philip remains in suspense when hearing nothing of or from the Lord he sends a Gentleman of worth to awake him out of his trance wherein the French would assuredly think any pause if not death yet a lethargy of true honour in both This stirred a resolution in his Lordship to send Sir Philip a Challenge Notwithstanding these thoughts in the great Lord wandred so long between glory anger and inequality of state as the Lords of her Majesties Counsell took notice of the differences commanded peace and laboured a reconciliation between them But needlesly in one respect and bootlesly in another The great Lord being as it should seem either not hasty to adventure many inequalities against one or inwardly satisfied with the progress of his own Acts Sir Philip on the other side confident he neither had nor would lose or let fall any thing of his right Which her Majesties Counsell quickly perceiving recommended this work to her self The Queen who saw that by the loss or disgrace of either she could gain nothing presently undertakes Sir Philip and like an excellent Monarch lays before him the difference in degree between Earls and Gentlemen the respect inferiors ought to their superiors and the necessity in Princes to maintain their own creations as degrees descending between the peoples licentiousness and the anoynted Soveraignty of Crowns how the Gentlemans neglect of the Nobility taught the Peasant to insult upon both Whereunto Sir Philip with such reverence as became him replyed First that place was never intended for privilege to wrong witness her self who how Soveraign soever she were by Throne Birth Education and Nature yet was she content to cast her own affections into the same moulds her Subjects did and govern all her rights by their Laws Again he besought her Majesty to consider that although he were a great Lord by birth alliance and grace yet hee was no Lord over him and therfore the difference of degrees between free men could not challenge any other homage than precedency And by her Fathers Act to make a Princely wisdom become the more familiar he did instance the Government of K. Henry the eighth who gave the Gentry free and safe appeal to his feet against the oppression of the Grandees and found it wisdome by the stronger corporation in number to keep down the greater in power inferring else that if they should unite the over-grown might be tempted by still coveting more to fall as the Angels did by affecting equality with their Maker This constant tenor of truth he took upon him which as a chief duty in all creatures both to themselves the soveraignty above them protected this Gentleman though he obeyed not from the displeasure of his Soveraign Wherein he left an authentical president to after ages that howsoever tyrants allow of no scope stamp or standard but their own will yet wth Princes there is a latitude for subjects to reserve native legall freedom by paying hūble tribute in manner though not in matter to them CHAP. VII THE next step which he intendded into the world was an expedition of his own projecting wherein he fashioned the whole body with purpose to become head of it himself I mean the last employment but one of Sir Francis Drake to the West Indies Which journey as the scope of it was
did he not change his minde but as having cast off all hope or desire of recoverie made and divided that little span of life which was left him in this manner CHAP. XIII FIrst he called the Ministers unto him who were all excellent men of divers Nations and before them made such a confession of Christian faith as no book but the heart can truly and feelingly deliver Then desired them to accompany him in Prayer wherein hee besought leave to lead the assembly in respect as he said that the secret sins of his own heart were best known to himself and out of that true sense he more properly instructed to apply the eternall Sacrifice of our Saviours Passion and Merits to him His religious Zeal prevailed with this humbly devout afflicted company In which wel chosen progress of his howsoever they were all moved and those sweet motions witnessed by sighes and tears even interrupting their common devotion yet could no man judge in himself much less in others whether this rake of heavenly agony whereupon they all stood were forced by sorrow for him or admiration of him the fire of this Phenix hardly being able out of any ashes to produce his equall as they conceived Here this first mover stayed the motions in every man by staying himself Whether to give rest to that frail wounded flesh of his unable to hear the bent of eternity so much affected any longer or whether to abstract that spirit more inwardly and by chewing as it were the cudd of meditation to imprint those excellent images in hs soul who can judge but God Notwithstanding in this change it should seem there was little or no change in the object For instantly after prayer he entreated this quire of divine Philosophers about him to deliver the opinion of the ancient Heathen touching the immortality of the soul First to see what true knowledge she retains of her own essence out of the light of her self then to parallel with it the most pregnant authorities of the old and new Testament as supernatural revelations sealed up from our flesh for the divine light of faith to reveal and work by Not that he wanted instruction or assurance but because this fixing of a lovers thoughts upon those externall beauties was not only a cheering up of his decaying spirits but as it were a taking possession of that immortall inheritance which was given unto him by his brother-hood in CHRIST The next change used was the calling for his Will which though at first sight it may seem a descent from heaven to earth again yet he that observes the distinction of those offices which he practised in bestowing his own shall discern that as the soul of man is all in all and all in every part so was the goodnes of his nature equally dispersed into the greatest and least actions of his too short life Which Will of his will ever remain for a witness to the world that those sweet and large even dying affections in him could no more be contracted with the narrowness of pain grief or sickness than any sparkle of our immortality can bee privately buried in the shadow of death Here again this restless soul of his changing only the aire and not the cords of her harmony cals for Musick especially that song which himself had intitled La cuisse rompue Partly as I conceive by the name to shew that the glory of mortal flesh was shaken in him and by that Musick it self to fashion and enfranchise his heavenly soul into that everlasting harmony of Angels whereof these Concords were a kinde of terrestriall Echo And in this supreme or middle Orb of Contemplations he blessedly went on within a circular motion to the end of all flesh The last scene of this Tragedy was the parting between the two brothers the weaker shewing infinite strength in suppressing sorrow and the stronger infinite weakness in expressing of it So far did invaluable worthinesse in the dying brother enforce the living to descend beneath his owne worth and by abundance of childish tears bewail the publique in his particular loss Yea so far was his true remission of minde transformed into ejulation that Sir Philip in whom all earthly passion did even as it were flash like lights ready to burn out recals those spirits together with a strong vertue but weak voice mildly blaming him for relaxing the frail strengths left to support him in his finall combate of separation at hand And to stop this naturall torrent of affection-in both took his leave with these admonishing words Love my Memorie cherish my Friends their Faith to me may assure you they are honest But above all govern your Will and Affections by the Will and Word of your Creator in me beholding the end of this World with all her Vanities And with this Fare-well desired the company to lead him away Here this noble Gentleman ended the too short Scene his life in which path whosoever is not confident that he walked the next way to eternall rest will be found to judge uncharitably Thus you see how it pleased God to shew forth and then suddenly withdraw this precious light of our skie and in some sort adopted Patriot of the States-Generall Between whom and him there was such a sympathie of affections as they honoured that exorbitant worth in Sir Philip by which time and occasion had been like enough to metamorphose this new Aristocracy of theirs into their ancient and much honoured forme of Dukedome And he again applauded that universall ingenuitie and prosperous undertakings of theirs over which perchance he felt something in his own nature possible in time to come an elect Commander So usuall is it for all mortall constitutions to affect that which insensibly often works change in them to better or worse Now though I am not of their faith who affirme wise men can governe the Starres yet do I beleeve no Star-gazers can so well prognosticate the good or ill of all Governments as the providence of men trained up in publique affaires may doe Whereby they differ from Prophets only in this that Prophets by inspiration and these by consequence judge of things to come Amongst which kind of Prophets give me leave to reckon this Gentleman who first having out of the credible Almanach of History registred the growth health disease and periods of Governments that is to say when Monarchies grow ready for change by over-relaxing or contracting when the states of few or many continue or forsake to be the same and in the constant course of these vicissitudes having foreseen the easie satietie of mankinde with Religion and Government their naturall discontentment with the present and aptnesse to welcome alteration And againe in the descent of each particular forme to her owne centre having observed how these United Provinces had already changed from their ancient Dukedomes to Popularitie and yet in that Popularitie been forced to seek protection among the Monarchies then raigning and to
the freedome of other Soveraignties is bounded by Religion Justice and well-waigh'd commerce amongst Neighbor-Princes she foresaw the least thought of multiplying self-Prerogatives there would instantly be discredited and reflected back to stir up discouragement in the softest hearts of her most humble and dutifull subjects Therefore contrary to all these captived and captiving apparances this experienced Governesse of ours published to the world by a constant Series in her actions that she never was nor ever would be overloaden with any such excesses in her Person or defects in her Government as might constraine her to support or be supported by a Monopolous use of Favourites as if she would make any greater then her selfe to governe Tyrannically by them Nay more so far off was she from any lukewarmnesse in Religion as if a single testimony may have credit that blessed Queens many and free discourses with my selfe ingeniously bare record that the unexpected conversion of Henry the Fourth fell fatally upon him by the weaknesses of his Predecessor Henry the Third and the dissolute miscarriage of his Favourites Who like Lapwings with the shels of authority about their necks were let loose to runne over all the branches of his Kingdome misleading Governors Nobility and People from the steady and mutuall rest of Lawes Customes and other ancient wisdomes of government into the wildernesses of ignorance and violence of will Amongst which defects all fundamentall changes especially of Religion in Princes would be found as she conceived the true discipline of Atheisme amongst their Subjects all sacrifices obedience excepted being but deare-bought knowledges of the Serpent to expulse Kings and People once againe out of Mediocrity that reciprocall Paradise of mutuall humane duties Prophetically concluding that whosoever will sell God to purchase earth by making that eternall unity of many shapes must in the end make him of none and so bee forced with losse contempt and danger to traffique not for an heires place but a younger biothers in that Church at whose wide gates he had with shame enough already turned in And under conditions of a Servant rather then of a Sonne be constrained for his first step to set up the Jesuits faction providently suppressed by himselfe before and therein to shake the Sorbonists faithfull supporters in all times of Crowne-Soveraignty against these slave-making conjunctions betweene the Spaniard and his Chaplaine Nay yet with a greater shew of ingratitude his next step must be to suppresse those humble soules who had long supported him whilest he was King of Navarre against that murthering Holy-water of Spanish Rome Lastly to shew that no power can rest upon a steep hee must precipitately be forced to send Embassadors to Rome with his Sword in his scabbard servily begging mercy and grace of such reconciled enemies whose endlesse ends of spirituall and temporall Supremacy this Princesse knew would never forgive any heavenly Truth or earthly power that should oppose their Combination Finally she concluded that hollow Church of Rome to be of such a Bucephalus nature as no Monarch shall be ever able to bestride it except onely the stirring Alexanders of time present wherein the world is passing finely overshot in her own bow Wherefore to end as I began with the case of Essex was not this excellent Princesse therein a witnesse to herselfe that she never chose or cherished-Favourite how worthy soever to Monopolize over all the spirits and businesse of her Kingdome or to imprison the universall counsels of nature and State within the narrownesse of a young fraile mans lustfull or unexperienced affections Not thinking any one especially a Subject better able to doe all then her selfe Where like a worthy head of a great body she left the Offices and Officers of the Crowne free to governe in their owne Predicaments according to her trust Reserving appeales to her selfe as a Sea mark to warn all Creatures under her that shee had still a creating or defacing power inherent in her Crown and Person above those subalterne places by which shee did minister universall justice And though her wisdom was too deep to nurse or suffer faction amongst those great Commanders and distributers of Publique Rights yet was shee as carefull not to permit any Aristocraticall cloud or pillar to shew or shadow forth any superstitious or false lights between her and her people CAP. XVI AGaine in her houshold affaires she kept the like equall hands ballancing the sloth or sumptuousnesse of her great Stewards and white staves with the providence and reservednesse of a Lord Treasurer kept up the Tables for Servants Sutors and for honors sake in her owne house not suffering publike places to be made particular farmes of private men or the honor of her houshold to be carried into theirs And withall by the same reverend Auditor shee watched over the nimble Spirits selfe-seeking or large-handednesse of her active Secretaries examining their Intelligence money Packets Bils of transportation Propositions of State which they offer'd up by their places together with Sutes of other Natures in her wisdome still severing the deep businesse from the specious but narrow selfnesse of inferior Officers Besides all these were examined by reverend Magistrates who having bin formerly issuers of her Majesties Treasure in the Secretaries places did now worthily become Governours of her Finances as best able to judge between the selfnesse of place or person and the reall necessities of her State and Kingdome A fine art of Government by well chosen Ministers successively to wall in her Exchequer from the vast expence of many things especially upon Forraigne Ambassadors which she knèw could neither bring reverence nor thankfulnesse to their Soveraigne Under which head of Forraigne and Domestique Ambassadors the answer wherewith that Majesticall Lady entertained the Polarke expected a treating Ambassador but proving as she told him a defying Herald is never to be forgotten among Princes as an instance how sensible they ought to be of indignity and how ready to put off such sudden affronts without a prompting of Councellors againe worthily memorable among her Subjects as a demonstrative argument that she would still reserve Moses place entire to her selfe amongst all the distributions of Iethro And to go on with her Domestique affaires how provident was she out of the like caution and to the same end that even hee who oversaw the rest might have his owne greatnesse overseen and limited too Whereupon she forgot not to allay that vast power and jurisdiction of her Treasurers Office with inferior Officers of her Finances and perchance under an active Favourits eyes kept her owne Besides she watched and checked him in his marriage made with Paulet his Predecessor reserved that mans accounts and arrears as a rod over his Grandchilds alliance qualified and brought the fines of his many and great Copyholds to easie rates would never suffer any proposition to take hold of uniting the Dutchy of Lancaster to her Exchequer what narrow reasons soever were alleaged of
sparing and cutting off the multiplicity of Officers with their wages and ignorances or corruptions all chargable and cloudy paths which the dealing with Princes moneys doth as naturally bring forth as Africa doth Monsters But like a provident Soveraigne knowing that place in a Monarchy must help as well to traine up servants as to reward and encourage merit she constantly to that end keeps that Chancellorship of the Dutchy entire and will not make the rewarding part of her Kingdome lesse to overload her Exchequer with any addition of instrumentall gaine amongst under Officers into whose barns those harvests are inned for the most part Again with the same caution in all her doings she made merit precious honour dainty and her graces passing rare keeping them as the Venetians doe their curiously refined gold to set an edge upon the industry of man and yet like branches of Creation sparingly reserved within the circuit of her Throne as inherent and tender Prerogatives not fit to be left at randome in the power of ambitious Favourites or low-looking Councellors whose ends are seldome so large or safe for the publique as the native Princes Councels are or ought to be For her Clergy with their Ecclesiasticall or Civill jurisdictions she fashioned the Arches and Westminster Hall to take such care one to bound another that they in limiting themselves enlarged their Royalties as the chiefe and equall foundations of both their greatnesses she gave the superior places freely lest by example she should teach them to commit symony with their inferiors and so adde scandall in stead of reputation to Gods Word whose allowed Messengers they affect to seem Her Parliaments she used to supply her necessarily expended treasure and withall as Maps of orders or disorders through her whole Kingdome In which reverent Body as I said before she studied not to make parties or faction advancing any present Royallist in the nether House to stir up envy upon her self amongst all the rest and so publish the Crowne to use personall practises of hope or feare in these generall Councels of her Kingdome but by forbearing art was never troubled with any artificiall brickwals from them so as their need and fears concurring with her occasions made their desires and counsels concurre too and out of those equall and common grounds forced every man to beleeve his private fish ponds could not be safe whiles the publique state of the Kingdome stood in danger of present or expectant extremities Her Councell-board as an abridgment of all other jurisdictions she held up in due honour propounded not her great businesses of State to them with any prejudicate resolution which once discovered suppresseth the freedome both of spirit and judgment but opens her selfe clearly heares them with respect observes number and reason in their voices and makes a quintessence of all their concords or discords within her selfe from whence the resolutions and directions came suddenly and secretly forth for execution To be short she kept awe stirring over all her Courts and other imployments as her antidote against any farther necessity of punishments In which arts of men and Government her nature education and long experience had made her become excellent above both Sexes Againe for the Regiment of her Grandees at home she did not suffer the Nobility to be servants one to another neither did her Gentry weare their Liveries as in the Ages before their number and wealth was moderate and their spirits and powers counterpoised with her Majesty from being Authors of any new Barons Wars and yet reserved as brave halfe paces between a Throne and a people Her Yeomendry a state under her Nobles and above her Peasants proper to England she maintained in their abilities and never gave them cause to suspect she had any intent with extraordinary Taxes out of the course of Parliaments insensibly to impoverish make Boors or slaves of them knowing that such a kind of champion countrey would quickly stir up the Nobility it selfe to become doubtfull of their owne fences and by consequence in danger not only of holding lives lands goods and Liberties at their Soveraignes indefinite pleasure but by suspence of those nursing and protecting Parliaments to have all other native birthrights viz. Pulpits Lawes Customes Voyces of Appeale Audits of Trade humble and reverent mention of Coronation-oaths legall publishers and maintainers of War true Maps of Diseases and cures through her Kingdome with many other mutuall ciments of honour and use between Soveraigne and subjects like to be confounded or at least metamorphosed into Prerogative Taxes wherein the people neither have voyces nor valuable returne I say this home-borne Princesse of ours making her prospect over these wildernesses of will and power providently for her selfe and happily for us refused the broad branch of Pythagoras Y and chose that narrower but safer medium of State-assemblies concluding that these two Honourable Houses were the only judicious faithfull and industrious Favorites of unincroaching Monarchs So that it appears she did not affect nor yet would be drawne like many of her ancient Neighbours the French Kings to have her subjects give away their wealth after a new fashion viz. without returne of Pardons ease of grievances or comfort of Lawes lest her loving people might thereby dream of some secret intent to indennize their lives wealth and freedomes into a ship of Athens of which the name being old and all riders sleepers and other Timbers new they were to be shipped downe a streame of the like nature ever and yet never the same Besides not to be shipped into that ship as Mariners Souldiers Saylors or Factors but rather as slaves or conquered Out-Laws with great dishonour to the Legall and Royall state of Monarchicall Government as she conceived From which example of chaste power we that live after this excellent Lady may with great honour to her ashes resolve that she would have been as adverse from bearing the envy of printing any new Lines of Taxe Impositions Proclamations or Mandats without Parliaments upon her ancient coelestiall or terrestriall Globes as her humble subjects possibly could be or wish her to be Now if we shall examine the reason of her cutting between Lawes Kings powers and the Peoples freedome by so even a thread what can it be but a long and happy descent within the pedegrees of active Princes together with the moderating education of Kings children in those times or lastly in a quintessence of abilities gathered out of those blessed and blessing mixtures of nature Education and Practice which never faile to lift up man above man and keep him there more then place or power shall by any other encroaching advantages ever be able to doe In which Map as in a true perspective glasse this provident Princesse seeing both her owne part and her peoples so equally nay advantagiously already divided and disposed shee thought it both wisdome and justice to leave them ballanced and distinguished as she found them Concluding that the
pass for the divers moulds required in shipping betweene our Seas and the Ocean as the drawth of water high or low disposing of ports cleanly roomes for Victuals convenience of Deckes for Fight or Trade safe conveyance for Powder all other munition fit Stowage of Sea stores according to the difference of heats or colds in the Climes they were to reside in or passe through Againe as well to instruct the Captaines in their particular duties as to keep a hand of Government over the large trust and charge committed to them in all expeditions the Ship with her furniture tackling and men the Gunners Roome with all munition of that kind the Boat-swains provision of Anchors Cables Canvas and Sea-stores the Pursers Stewards and Cooks Roomes touching victuals were delivered to the Captaines by Bill indented the one part kept with the Officers of the Navy at home the other in the hands of every private Captaine to examine his accounts by when he return'd of which my selfe am witnesse as being well acquainted with the use of it in my youth but utterly unacquainted with the change since or any reasons of it Lastly this great Governesse could tell how to worke her high Admirals without noise to resign their Patents when the course of times made them in power and gaine seeme or grow too exorbitant yet kept she up their Command at Sea and when they were there made them a limited or absolute Commission under the great Seale of England sometimes associating and qualifying their place with a Councell of war of her own choice and ever guiding the generalities of the Voyage with instructions proper to the business and to be published at Sea in a time prefixed Out of which caution in her principall expeditions she striving as I said to allay that vast power of place with some insensible Counterpoise many times joyned an active Favourite with that Sea Neptune of hers making credit place and merit finely competitors in her service Besides she well understanding the humours of both temper'd them so equally one with another in her latter expeditions as the Admirall being remisse and apt to forgive all things Essex severely true to Martiall Discipline and loath to wound it by forgiving petty errours under that implacable Tyrant Mars in all likelihood her Fleet could hardly be over sailed or under ballasted and consequently the Crowne in her absence was sure to be guarded with more eyes than two to prevent confufusion in Martiall Affaires where every Ship proves beyond the amendment of second thoughts and so fatall to that state which paies and negligently ventures The Merchant-part of her Kingdome was oppressed with few impositions the Companies free to choose their owne Officers to fashion their Trade assisted with the name and countenance of her Embassadors the custome and returne of their industry and adventures contenting them in a free Market without any nearer cutting of peoples industry to the quick The Flushingers and Dunkerkers in succession of time it is true did much afflict their Traffique though with smal strength whereupon she first travelled to suppresse them by force but found the Charge grow infinite and the cure so casuall as she joyned Treaty with the Sword and set her Seas by that providence and industry once againe at liberty from all molestation or danger of Pyrates Her Universities were troubled with few Mandates the Colledges free in all their Elections and governed by their own Statutes the grosse neglect of using the Latine Tongue she studied to reforme as well for honour of the Universities as for her own service in all Treaties with Forraign Princes she studied to multiply her Civilians with little charge and yet better allowance to their Profession In a word she preserved her Religion without waving kept both her Martiall and Civill Goverment intire above neglect or practice by which with a multitude of like instances she manifested to the World that the well governing of Princes own Inheritances is in the cleare house of Fame superiour to all the far noised conquests of her over-griping Ancestors since what Man lives conversant in the Calenders of estates but must know that had not these wind-blown conquests of ours happily been scattered they must in time have turned the moderate wealth and degrees of England into the nasty poverty of the French peasants brought home Mandates in stead of Lawes waved our freedomes in Parliaments with new christned Impositions and in the end have subjected native and active Albion to become a Province and so inferior to her owne dearly bought forraign conquests being forced to yeeld up the superlative works of power to the equall Laws of Nature which almost every where America excepted proclames the greater to be naturally a Law-giver over the lesse CAP. XVII YEt as this wise and moderate Governesse was far from incroaching upon any other Princes Dominions so wanted she neither foresight courage nor might both to suppresse all insolencies attempted against her selfe and to support her Neighbours unjustly oppressed whereof by the Readers patience I will here adde some few instances She had no sooner perfected her Virgin-triumph over that sanctified and invincible Navy and by that losse published the Spanish ambition weaknesse and malice to all Christendome secured her owne estate revived the Netherlands confuted the Pope turned the caution of the Italian Princes the right way and amazed the world but even then to pursue that victory and prevent her enemies ambition which still threatned the world with new Fleets then I say did this active Lady conclude with advise of her Councell and applause of her Kingdome to defend her selfe thenceforth by invading and no more attend the Conquerors pleasure at her owne doores Out of which resolution she first sent forth the Earle of Cumberland who attempted the surprize of Porto Ricco accomplished it with honour and so might have kept it had not disease and disorder proved more dangerous enemies to him then the great name and small force of the Spanish did Againe to prevent danger not in the bud but roor she tooke upon her the protection of Don Antonio King of Portugall sent Sir Iohn Norris and Sir Francis Drake with a Royall Fleet and eleven thousand men to land seconded with the fortune and countenance of the Earle of Essex they tooke the base Towne of the Groyne and when they had overthrowne all that came to succour it and burnt the Countrey then marched they on to Lisbone and in that journey sacked Penicke wasted Villages and Provinces entred the suburbs of Lisbone even to the gates of the High Towne and burnt threescore Spanish hulkes full of provisions And to the same end she did and still meant successively to maintaine a Fleet of her owne Ships and her fast friends the Netherlands upon his Coasts not only to disturbe the returne of victuals munition and materials for War with which the Empire Poland and the Hanse Townes did usually and fatally even to themselves furnish