Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A86042
|
The glory of this kingdome: or A discourse by way of conference and arguments, of the happinesse and successe of former Parliaments. With some observations upon the proceedings of this present Parliament.
|
May, Thomas, 1595-1650.
|
1643
(1643)
|
Wing G884; Thomason E92_2; ESTC R5838
|
3,060
|
8
|
THE GLORY OF THIS KINGDOME OR A DISCOVRSE BY WAY OF CONFERENCE AND ARGUMENTS OF THE HAPPINESSE AND SUCCESSE OF FORMER PARLIAMENTS WITH SOME OBSERVATIONS UPON THE PROCEEDINGS OF THIS PRESENT PARLIAMENT LONDON Printed for R. R. 1643. THE GLORY OF THIS KINGDOME SIR I Have according to my small abillity and the the shortnesse of time fulfilled your command in sending to yâ—u this briefe and plaine discourse concerning the ancient opinions and esteeme of English Parliaments for that was all that you desired without any reflectâ—on upon the proceedings of this present Parliament accept it only as a plaine peece of common taâ—ke which I would have delivered had I beene present with you such discourses had no neede of Rhetoricke The Constitution of our English Monarchy is by wise men esteemed one of the best in Europe as well for the strength and honour of the Prince as the security and freedom of the People and the Basis on which both are sounded is the conveniency of that Councell the high Court of Parliament Without which neither can the Prince enjoy that Honour and Felicity which Phillip de Commines a forrainer so much admires where he de ivers what advantages the Kings of England have by that representative body of their People by whose assistance in any action they can neither want meanes or loose reputation nor on the other side can the People have any possibility of pleading their owne Rights and Liberties For in the interim betweene Parliaments the People are too scattered and confused a Body to appeare it vindication of their proper Interests and by too long absence of such assemb ies they would loose all for as Iunius observes Populus authoritatem suam tante non utendo amittit sic plerumque accidit ut quod omnes curare tenentur curet nemo quod omnibus Comissam est nemo sibi commendatum putet The Peopâ—e sencibâ—y loose their power for want of useing it for so it happens that what all should looke after no man does what is Committed to all no man thinks his owne chaâ—g And in that interim it happens those Optimates Regni as he speakes who under the Prince are entrusted with Government meaneing Counsellours Iudges and other great Magistrates either through feare flatterie or private Corruption doe after betray the Peoples Râ—ghts to the Prince The state of government standing thus If distempered times Continnue as they doe as our Chronicles have shewed some whereby dissention betwene King and People the Kingdomes ruine is endangered it doth not prove that the Engâ—ish goverment is not the best as that the best Government may be abused for in every Monarcâ—y how limmited soever the Prâ—nce his person is invested with sâ—e much Majesty that it would seeme a mockerie in State if there were not considerab e power entrusted into his hands yea somuch as that if he be bad or weak he may not endanger the Ruine of the Kingdome so necessa y is it for all Humane Ordinances how wise soever to leave somewhat to chance and to have alwayes need of Recourse to God for his assisting and curing providence And though the Kingdome of England by vertue of the Governement thereof wil be as hardly brought into confusion as any Europe yet there is no warrant agaâ—nst the Probability of it for it was ever heretofore seen that our Parliaments were rather strength and advantage to an Honourable and a wise Prince then a remedy against a bad or weake one or if we change the expression they were rather an excellent diet to preserve a good Reign in strength then Physicke to Cure a bad one and therefore have ben asmuch Loved by sound healthy Princes as loathed by them that were out of temper the latter having thought them depression of their dignâ—ty as the former have esteemed them an advantage to their strength so that in such times onely the true convenience of that great Councell have beene perceived by England and admired by Forraigne Authors in other times it was that those witty complaints have beene in fashion as Sir Robert Cotton speakes of a bad time that Princes in Parliaments are lesse then they should be and Subjects greater but on the contrary that they have beene an advantage to Kings the constant Seires of our Historie will shew 1 First by those great Atcheivements which they have enabled our wise Kings to make who were most constant in calling them and consenting to them 2 Secondly noe one Prince was ever yet happie without the use of them It may therefore seeme A parrodox that any Prince should disafect that which is so High an advantage to him and a great wonder that some Kings of England not vitious in their dispositions nor very shallow in their understandings have so much kicked against Parliaments and that such have been before we shew what reasons may be of it see the chartecters of some Princes whose successe and fortunes are knowne to all that reade the Histories as they are deâ—ivered by Pollidor Virgill who in his sixteenth Booke speakes thus of Henry the Third fuit ingenio mitti animo magis nobili quam magno cultor religionis adversus inopes liberalis he was of a Gentâ—e Nature a minde rather Noble then great In his 18. Booke thus of Edward the Second fuit illi natura bona in gâ—nium mitte quem primo juvneeli errore actum in leviora vitia incidentem tandem in graviora malorum consuitudiues et consilia traxerunt non decreant illi animi vires si repudiatis malis sua soribus illas juste exercuisset He was of a good nature and mild disposition who first by the errors and rashnesse of Youth fading into small faults was afterwards drawne into greater by the society and councells of wicked men there was not wanting in him strength of minde if avoyding evill councell he could have made a just use of it And in his 20th Booke thus of Richard the Second fuit in illo spirritus non villis quem consociorum improbitas et insâ—sitas extinxit He was of a spirit not â—ow nor base but such as was quite destroyed by the wickednesse and folly of unhapy consociates A reason of this accident may be that their soules thought not visions have not been so large nor their affections so publique as their great calling hath required but being to much mancipaid to private fancies and unhapy Favourites and long flattered in those affections under the specious name of firmenesse and friendship not being told of that the adequate object of a Prince his love should be to the whole Peo le And that they who receive publique honour should returne as publique love and care they have too much neglected the Kingdome and grow at last afraid to looke their faces in so true a glasse as a Parliament And flying the remedy increase the disease till it come to that unhapy height that rather then acknowledg any unjust action they strive for an unjust power to give it countenance and so by a long consequence become hardly reconcilable to a Parliamentary way Such Princes though it may seeme strange have bin a greater afliction to this Kingdome 1. They have not beene so conscious to themselves of great crymes and therefore not so apt to be sensible of what they have beene accidentally made to do against their People by evill Counsell whose poyson themselves did not perfectly understand And therefore they are more prone to suspect the People as unkind to them then themselves as faulty and so the more hardly drawne to prevent their Actions or meete hartily with a Parliament as from the People who Naturally looke with honour upon the Prince and when they finde none or few personall vices in him nor considering that the true vertue of Princes have a larger evtent then those of private men will more hardly be brought to thinke though them selves feele and suffer for it that hee is faulty therefore some times which would hardly bee beleeved if experience had not shewed it the People have beene so rash as that to mainetaine for the King an uniust prerogative which themselves understand not they have to their ruine and the Kings too as it hath after prooved deserted that great Counsell whome themselves have chosen and by whome they could be preserved in their iust Rights untill to late for the Kings happinesse and therefore they have seene and Repented their great folly Such a desertion was so sadly seene at the end of that Parliament of Edward the 2. where the two Spencers were banished and the Tragicall effects that followed when the King found so great a party both of Clergie and Laytie as enabled him to call home againe his banished favourits and proved fatall to so many Parliamentary Lords as the like execution of Nobillity had never before beene seene in England over whose graves the People wept when it was too late and proceed â—urther in their revenge then became the duty and Alleagiance of Subjects FINIS