Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A03724
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The ambassador; Ambassadeur. English
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Hotman, Jean, seigneur de Villers-Saint-Paul, 1552-1636.; Shawe, James.
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1603
(1603)
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STC 13848; ESTC S104251
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45,449
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156
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which are for a seuerall discourse I wil only say that if an Ambassador will reape honour of his charge it is meete that he doe honour vnto the same and that he be iealous of the degree and place which is due vnto his Maister without yeelding any iote thereof vnto an other Princes and soueraigne estates doe hold many times more deare the conseruation of their degree and dignitie than of their lands and possessions So Arcases did put his Ambassador to death for hauing surrendered his place vnto Sylla as Plutarke saith It is true that alwayes such questions doe not arise because almost euery one throughout all places knoweth the degree and place that is due vnto him In the Court of Rome for these 50. or 60. yeares the Ambassador of Spaine hath made question of precedencie with those of France There was a great alteration therein at the Councell of Trent At Venice it hath beene adiudged to him of France The late Aduocate Pithou affirmeth that in all the prouincials of all the Cathedrall Churches of Christendome that haue beene imprinted at Rome euen to this present the King of France is put the first of all other Kings being seconded by the King of England and then by him of Spaine Bodin sayeth that in the ceremonie of the Order of England the place of the King of France is at the right hand of the chiefe of the Order and so it was decreed at a Chapter helde on the eue of Saint George patron of that Order in the yeare 1555 by the knights of the Garter albeit that the King of Spaine had maried Mary the elder sister of the late Queene of England I beleeue that there would be no lesse honour done vnto him in Scotland Denmarke of many princes and potentates of Germany and Italy But the Emperor being neere kins-man of the same name and armes that the King of Spaine is giueth the precedencie to his Ambassador and the last Emperor was content that it should goe by turnes as anciently that of the Roman Consulls was and at present that of the Burghemaisters and Auoyers in some Cantons of Swisserland is to the end not to displease th' one nor the other Neuerthelesse the King sent word vnto Monsieur de la Forrest his Ambassador that he should not alter any thing in this matter without his expresse commandement The Senate of Polonia to a like question ordayned tha the first come should be the first heard At an other time at the Councell of Constance the Ambassador of England debated it with him of France whose strongest argument was the title which his Maister then tooke of King of England and France And he possessed Aquitania and pretended vnto Normandie I haue heard reported that an Ambassadour of the Kings in Swisserland being in company with the Ambassador of Spaine at the assembly of Baden and seeing that the spaniard alwaies stroue for the way made as if hee would buy something at a Marchantes shoppe where both of them staying together the French stepped out first and took the aduantage The best is in such occasions neuer to meet together vnlesse that the seruice of his maister doe require it At least he can excuse himselfe for publike places and ceremonies as hath bin practised at Rome for these certaine yeares And if so be our Ambassador chance to be present at such like altercation of other Ambassadors he must take heed not to inuest himselfe in the one side or the other or any way to interpose himselfe therein without his masters commandement It is not so for al other differences that many fal out in the countrie where he is especially if hee perceiue his Maister to haue any interest therein as when there hapneth any discord amongst the Swissers or the Grisons all which haue almost as many common-wealthes as they haue Citties and Corporations And it is very hard that in that great body so diuersly compounded with difference of customes languages and religion in one only Canton of the Grisons there are three different languages spoken there growe not amongest them as wise as they all are some occasion of disputation wherein the wise Ambassadour may make the dexteritie of his spirit to preuaile by setting them at accord imploying the affection of his Maister towardes the one side and the other to oblige them both vnto him The which thing the Sieur de Liuerdis last Ambassador for the King amongst the Grisons knewe how to handle both wisely and profitably when he sawe they were on termes of disagreeing and I can speak for a certainty that his memory is yet helde deare amongest them The Interest of the King in these two estates is that during their diuisions hee can leuie no forces nor be succoured with their people to any purpose if hee shoulde stand in neede of them About the yeere 1602. the Sieur de Dase by his wise Meditation accorded to twoo Kings of Denmarke Swethen being ready to enter into warre and both of them made choice of him for Arbitrator of their differences His Priuiledges IT followeth now to speake of the priuileges immunities of an Ambassador not only for the respect of his owne person but also of those of his family of all that appertaineth vnto him for concerning his person euery man knoweth that by the lawes of God man euen amongst barbarous nations and in the middest of the armes and armies of enemies the person of an Ambassador hath in all ages beene adudged holy sacred and inuiolable for if besides the perill and inconueniences of a long voyage to which they expose themselues they should not be in safetie in the place whereunto they goe there would neuer be any which would vndertake the hazard thereof and consequently there would neuer any longer be made any truce peace or establishment of commerce finally we should fall againe into that first Chaos and confusion of all things And likewise the punishments of those that haue done violence vnto them haue in all times beene very rigorous this lawe being growne into a prouerbe Legatus neque coeditur neque violatur And when men haue not taken punishment for the same it hath beene obserued from age to age that God hath not suffiered this offence vnpunished witnesse the subuersion of Carthage of Sirus of Thebes and of so many other Citties yea Prouinces and whole Kingdomes Dauid fought against discomfited and brought into bondage the Ammonites for this cause The histories both sacred and prophane doe afforde vs enough and too many examples hereof King Frances the first denounced warre against the Emperour Charles for the murther of Amion and Fregose his Ambassadours Yea euen a rough and haughtie word a scorne or contempt done vnto some Ambassadors hath beene oftentimes cause of the beginning of warre as that of Dalmatia whereof Nasica was Generall and a long time after that of Simon King of Bulgarie against Alexander Emperour of Constantinople By a much stronger reason