after hee left me on my vvay from Bruxelles to Nâ—mur and his returne to Bruxelles though he had neither Comission nor any letter of Credence for I did pocesse them therefore his said secret journey into Spaine prouued most ridiculous and his appearance to that Court vvas taken by the Conde-Duca as an argument of vveaknesse in those that had sent him that had no letters of credit It vvas from that instant that I became an Eye-sore to the English Spanish faction vvich vvas maintayned by the Lord Cotâ—inghton some of them caused a most malicious and horride asperssion to be cast on me supposing by theire letters to the Lord of Carlile his Majesties extraordinary Ambassador in Itallie in the yeare 1628. that I vvas sent that vvay about on a pretence to go to Spaine only to kill him by the vvay of which horrid asperssion the said Lord of Carlille vvas pleased to giue me notice and on my just â—essent declared in his Maiesties presence that hee neuer had any cause to credit that foulle report yet did the Authors thereoff continue their malice against mee by theire ill Offices during my Bleuen yeares Residency in his Majesties service in the Court of Bruxels returning copies to the Spanish ministers off all the of most Important advertissements vvhich I did sent to the King and State And as those malicious persons seemed to ayme to haue me and myne distroyed in that Residency they endeauoured no lesse than the distruction of his Maiesties seruice his Interest honnor that of the Nation and the interest of the best and most assured Friends and Allies of the State of England This they did on diuers notable occasions First vvhen by their maintayning the Spanish scarce any of his Maiesties subiects could get Iustice in the Admirallitie Courts of Brabant and Flandres vvhen diuers of his Maiesties subiets might haue been timly releast their perssons and goods freed from distruction diuers of them suffered therein by the insolency of their aduersse parties fauoured by the Spanish faction in England Secondly They crost many faire occasions concerning the Palatinat by returning to some of the ill disposed Spanish ministers of state such secret aduertissements as I had sent into England and vvhich I had in confidency from the Emperors Resident the Duâ—k of Neevvâ—â—â—g the Prince Elector of Treueâ— and the Resident of Collen The said English Spanish affected aduertissed the Marquis d'Aytonâ— that the Infanta Isabella Arch-Duchesse had honnored mee vvith a secret declaration that shee vvould put Franckendall into the Queene of Bohemias hands This they returned by one Iohn Taylier an English Papist vvho formerly had been by the English Spanish faction imployed into Germanie by vvhich auertissements the Infants for her good vvill tovvards the Queene of BOHEMIA vvas braught into question and that businesse vtterly distroyed vvhich then I did manifest to Old Sir Iohn Coke then Secretary of State and that I had vvitnesses hovv the said Iohn Tayler confest his faute for hauing conferred vvith the said Marquis dAytonâ— Contrary to his Instruâ—â—ions receaued from the King and the Secretary of State vvich he confest a month after his arriuall att Bruxels that he had kept sir Iohn Cokes letter to mee in his pocket untill the said busines of Franckendall vvas distroyed he said that the Cottintoniens had forbid him to go a long vvith me to the Spanish ministers Thirdly They returned to the Court of Bruxels the Copie of a great dispatch vvherein I manifested to the King and to the Secretary of State all vvhat the Catholike States both Spirituall and Temporall had resolued in their trance that those Prouinces vvere in hazard to be conquered By vvhich cetuâ—ne of Advertissement vvas vvrought the distruction of the famillies of the Duke of Ascot Prince of Espinoy Barbanson Duke or 〈◊〉 and oâ— Count Egmond One Iean de Viualde that had been Secretary to van-Malle for the Space of 1â— years in England beheaded on the Marquet place at Bruxels on the returne of such aduertissements as I had sent unto the State His sentence in Dutch bearing the vvords Vitz For hauing giuen aduertissments to a publike ministers of a Neigbour Prince All vvhich being become publix the COTTINTONIENS ceassed not to countenance instances done for my recall from that Residency vvhich the Marquis de Veladâ— and Don Alonzo de Câ—â—denas did vigourously persue though his Maiestie did most graciously reject their motions and vvith matkes of extraordinary exteeme of my fidelity for he answ wared it vvas not his custome to disgrace those that dit serue him vvill Like ill VVillers as the COTTINTONIENS did likvvelse countenance many complaints against mee made by factionaâ—ls about Queene Mother The Duke d'Elboeuf and others vvho vvould passe into England against his Majesties vvill vvhen the vvords of my Instuctions signed by the Lord Dorchester then Secretary of State dit beare that my 〈◊〉 vvas in the Scaâ—lâ—e if any one of those dit passe to trouble the English Seas As it seemed to be indeed vvhich vvay it vvent since the factionaris about Queene Mother had those in the English Court as vvell of the French 〈◊〉 of the Spanish faction and of others God knovvith vvllo did sturre an irreconciliable hattered against me for hindering so great a Princesse as Queene Mother to repaire in time vvhere shee might breath att rest the last of her dayes In fine it proved that to free Queene Mother from such aduertissements as I could and did giue from the place of my Residency 〈◊〉 factionaris about her ledd her avvay about into Holland vvhore my confractor Sir Vvilliam Bosvvell could not stop her though no ruine fell on him for her said passage into England vvhere 〈◊〉 selfe being returned I met a Sea of ill 〈…〉 of diuers factions vvho duting my Eleuen yeares Residency at Bruxels had taken occasion to except against my aduertissements vvhich spared none nor of Church nor State for vvhat vvas manifested to me and by mee found true on the place I did plainely set dovvn vvithout mincing any thing for feare of 〈◊〉 nor for allurements resolved to take things as God â—evould have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to make due exteeme of the vvise saying Nolite cansidere Principibus neque filiis hominum in quibus non est Salus His Majesty indeed vvas often graciously pleased to approve my endeaviours to expresse his satisfaction thereon and I may say vvithout vanity a truth as a marke of my gratitude that his Majesty vvas so gracious as to say in publike that of all those that did then attend His service abroad none vvas more diligent this vvas vvritten to me by my predecessor Sir Iohn Finet vvho attended the King at His dinner vvhen the vvords vvere uttered Nor could I thinke so meanly of my indeavours blessed by Gods assistaÌ„ce in the discovery of many things vvhich peradventure divers others vvould haue bin incapable off for vvant of Languages but that I might have bin thought vvorthy of a
better revvard better considered euen by the best friends of the State of England since diuers of my advertissements to His Majesties principall Secretaries of State did beare particulars vvhereby his best friends could be vvarned to looke to themselves vvhen foure hundred thousand Crounes vvere disposed for the betraying of Mastricht that engins vvere prepared against Beâ—gopzom That one Triboulet a Bourguinnon vvas dispatcâ—t from Brabanâ— to kill the French King Louis the XIII All I got for my paines vvas a check from old Secretary Coke to have named in my publike dispatch the Duke of Bullon though his name and the thing became aftervvards publique in the streets of Bruxels the check I 〈◊〉 vvas not old Sir Iohn Coke but came from the English Spanish faction vvho then constrained Sir Iohn Cokes pen to vvritte as they vvould have it On the second the man being discovered by the French King himselfe a Gentleman belonging to the Duke de Chevreule vvas â—ent to me vvith thankes nor did I looke for more since vvhat I could deserve vvas to put on that masters score vvho I had the honor to serve And vvho in conclusion vvas so gracious to mee as to confirme his satisfaction of my seruice in my letter of credence to the late French King by the vvords Vâ—z I Do RECOMMEND THIS GENTLEMAN 〈◊〉 MASTER OF MY CEREMONIES TO YOUR PARTICULAR PROTECTION FOR THAT HE HATH DONE MEE LONG AND FAITHFULL SERVICE This Letter of Credence I sued for vvhen I vvas persuaded that I could no longer breath vvhere the Cottintoniens had any credit since I did feele the continuance of their ill offices vvithout intermission That it vvas most knavvishly susteined to the King that I had deâ—â—â—ved to be heinged by my legs for having to the Lords in Parliament vvhen I vvas charged by them of my Consience declared the names of those that did bettray the Kings affaires in forraine parts though God knovveth I said no more then I could prove and did but ansvver to the Question for I never tutcht the string of others and vvhose rest It vvas not my designe since to trouble though my Iournals did beare vvhose Pensionnaries they vvere reputed to be vvhat Popish Priests vvere theirs That it vvas likevvise most knavishly represented to the King vvhen the Prince Elector Palatin to the hearing of Colonell Linzey vvas pleased at Yorckere the Standart vvas let up to request for my Licence that I might be dismist of my Office to shift for my selfe in some other part of the vvorld That I had been untrue to my first master the Duke of Buckingham and this on a most bace ridiculous and false pretence VVhich no doubt vvas forstalled by a person vvho in the Duke of Bukinghams time vvould once put me ill vvith the said Duke and even at the same instant that he intreated me to get him preferred to a more neere attendance to his person it vvas one Master Iohn Asbornham since one of the grooms of the Bedchambre it vvas for him I spake the Lady Duchesse at his earnest sute required me to do it I did it in her presence that she vvas a bed vvith the Duke vvho mistooke my speech and distickt it for novv I â—ust declare the truth on vvhich I take God to vvitnes it vvas vvhen the Duke had told me in private that he vvould have me in that place Sir Sackville Crovv being then on point to be preferred to the place of Tresorier of the Navy This office in favour of Master Asbornham though to my one prejudice then proved so little advantagious to me as that it vvas supposed to the Duke of Buckingham that I had taken the Lady Porbecks part to save her from the Officiers that vvould have carried her to prison from a house in the Strand next to the Venetian Ordinary vvere then the Savoye Ambassador did lay and vvhere by accident I then vvas It being in those dayes that the misunderstanding betvven the Duke and me vvas fomented God of Heaven knovveth to vvhose Tribunall I do appeale on that subject and to ansvver for all vvhat is contained in these Lines that I had no to-respondence at all vvith the Lady Porbeck nor bad seen her since the dayes that she lived in amity vvith the Duke and all the family of the Villiers Not had the Abot d'Escaille any premeditated dessigne vvith her nor to contribute to her escappe as vvas supposed on a vvanton 〈…〉 Loosnesse vvhich vvas acted on a suddayne vvithout any premeditation vvhen one of the Pages of the Ambassador vvas drest in a vvon as close Monsieur Bronâ—â— Sir Theodor Mayetnes brother in Lavv being then present and the said Page put in a Coach by the Abott d'Esrailles men vvho finding the house vvhere the Abott d'Escaillie their Master lay to bee abused by a number of men that brake in to gâ—â—â— ouer a pallâ— of his guarden into a next house vvhere the Lady Poâ—bech vvas said to Lodge proposed to the Abott being att dinner to ridde his house of annoyance for that his said men did conceaue that all the crevv vvould runne out of dores to stopp the Coach vvherein the Page vvas putt vvho vvas found to be a Page in effect as soone the Coach vvas overtaken the length of a street vvhich did not att all contribute to the escappe of the Lady Poâ—beck since the house vvherein she vvas remayned pocect vvith Sergeants and store of people All vvhich being examined and found true moâ—â—ed the Duke of Buckingham to reconcile himselfe vvith the Abott d'Escaille and to desire that the feast of reconcilliation should be att my house vvhere the Duke vvas pleased tvvo dayes after to beseech his Maiesties to come vvith the Quene to accept like entertainment because the manner thereof vvas pleasing The imposture therfore that I should haue been untrue to the Duke being Manifest could not butt vvith tvvo much Audacity and busnesse be represented to the Kings most Royal 〈◊〉 tvvelue yeares after that it vvas clereed and his Majestie had many proofes of my fidellity and constancy to his seruice for vvhich I haue many letters of his Royall hand to shue and vvherein as before said his Majesties hath ben most gratiously pleased to expresse his satisfaction I vvas thus contayned to sue for my remoue from the presence of a greate King in vvhose seruice and in that of the State I vvould haue thought my selfe happy to end my dayes yett my licence vvas refused to agreate Prince vvho in meere compassion inclined to speake in my favour vvhen all meanes of subsistance vvere taken from me that the Secretary of State then Lord Fackland had hindered some Bishops of paying such monnie to mee as had beene by Tallies struck on them a yeare before and for vvhich I had payed the fees in the Exchequer att vvestminster Being thus in an Instant deprived of all lively-hood and also frustrated of desboâ—â—ssments made both for the transpottation of Queene Mothers trayne from London to
that are no reall friends to the State of England vvith vvhome I vvould correspond both in publique and priuate if thereby I could doe good to the said State because I and my familly haue liued there thirty yeares that I am of the same Religion that the Church of England doth professe and that I haue a particullar affection to the Nation For the bruited correspondence in it selfe vvho doth it concerne IT may concerne the satisfaction of thâ—se that haue 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 if they please to confirme themselues in vvhat I do maintaine vvhich is TO TELL TRVTH to take the paines to reade the copie of a letter vvhich 〈◊〉 vvritten so me at my going from Paris vvhere I haue novv these nine months troubled my 〈◊〉 about recouering three of my daughters as yet detained from me in a Nunnery contrary to the Lavves of God of Nature the Fundamentall Lavves of the Land and of Nations in the sight of a most Christian Queens Regent vvho as Her pious exemplary life manifests Her to bee a machelesse Miror to all those of Her Seâ—e and condition 〈◊〉 disobedience of Children 〈…〉 Patents c COPIE AND TRVE TRANSLATION OF A LETTER VVRITTEN TO ME BY IAQUES D'ELDIMS dvvelling in the street S Leu behind La Rue 〈◊〉 Ours a Vâ—nneger house dated 4 Apprill 1646 Puril SIR I have thought fit to let you knovv that Monsieur des Champs is come to me from Monsieur de la Bernadiere and consorts Confrators of the Holy Sacrament as they terme themselves to bee employed to convert Huguenots and hath told mee that if you vvill become a Roman Catholicke Reconcile your selfe to the Queene of England and cast your selfe at her feet it shall bee procured that all your affaires vvill succeede according to your desire It behoves you to knovv vvhether your desires and contentments can bee assured by this meanes and if you do beleeve that your peace is easie to bee compassed vvith the Queene your Mistris for my part I do give you this advise as it is put to my charge to let you knovv the same praying you to vvritte thereon vvhat you thinke fit and your intention that I may make Knovvne to have acquitted my selfe of this commission so Kissing your hands I rest for ever SIR COPIE AND TRVE TRANSLATION OF MY ANSVVER TO THE LETTER SIR I do ansvver to your Letter of aduis for vvhich I thanke you though I stand not in need of any other Confraternity then that of Christians vvho haue tvvo Sacraments Instituted by their Cheefe Christ Iesus It 's for that profession my predecessors have shed their blood 〈…〉 in the 〈◊〉 of Monsieur 〈◊〉 as you may reade and for mee I have suffered for the same from my mothers VVombe vvho fled during the persecutions against those of our profession And for vvhat concernes the particular title of Roman Catholike I do ansvver that the Christian saith all That of Roman properly belonging but to him that 'll borne at Rome from vvhenoâ— as said seldome good men 〈◊〉 The proposed reconcilliation to the Queen of England seemes as strange to me as the proposed 〈◊〉 hauing neuer offended her in thoughts vvords nor deeds so that those vvho haue obliged you to notice theire propositions are vvholly mistaken in these tvvo points yet vvill I not forbeare to vvish them all good and to commende you for your good vvill vvhich obliges me to tell you that I am the more SIR Paris 6 of Aprill 1646. The Reader being come thus farre may if he please remember againe vvhat is said in the first lines of these leaves Iudgment belongs to God and to none else for he saith Iudgment is mine And aâ— by so doing he vvill free himselfe of that just censvver vvhich those deserve that judge arnisse so vvill he by the reading of the follovving lines be throughly informed of the just cause that justly moved me thereunto and that I could not vvithout proving criminall to my selfe obmit to mention the passages contained in the former lines For an Anatomist cannot proceed to the demonstration of the figure of the heart of man except he rips up the skin of the body Some kings and Princes vvho are abused by pernicious Councellors vvill not stick to the Obseruation of the Lavvs vvhich they themselues haue made not to those to vvhich they vvere svvorne Butt abandonne them selues unto a Licenciousnesse to dispose of the Liues and pocessions of men But none of them can dispose of the motions of the heart nor of any mans good fame Iff theire be any peculliar Prerogatiue in this vvorld sure selfe defence in the least questionnable it is the first Lavv of nature Therefore all men are bound to conclude that those vvho do vvilfully assaille it do make them selffe unvvoorthy of the benefist of the Lavvs of God the Lavvs of Nature the fondamentall Lavvs of Empires and of Nations To the heart I haue been vvounded and attempts haue been made to my soule and therefore no vvonder that I haue begunne these Lines vvith the names of my Parents their birth and their profession likvveise vvith my birth and profession and consequently vvith some passages that must argue vvhat I haue profest vvhiest in effet is the ripping upp of the first skin On vvhich Spirist of Darknesse and Diluzion haue of late endeauioured to put such an infamous stayne as neither Antiquity nor Moderne times can afforde amoreÌ„ horride example All vvhich the said Spirits of Darxnesse factionnaris and adherents to Cottintoniens haue been contracted in the persson of Mr. VVilliam Crafts vvho undertooke his taske to pocesse divers Noble Famillies in Paris vvith a most false opinion that my Daughters detained from mâ— in the Nunnery belong to others This the Eldest hath declared under her ovvn hand and that vvhen the said abominable false-hood vvas uttered by the said Master Craft shee desired a friend to reprove him he ansvvered it vvas to make her a fortune A fortune indeed vvhich the most vvicked among the Headens vvould on such condition reject and vvould for ever banish the vvord Fortune from their remembrance My selfe and a vertuous Mother proclamed the Keepers of these Children to have spent their meanes belonging to others horride Monsters that kept children from endeavouring their Salvation and in conclusion by the said Master Craft's most false relations become in the Opinion of number of Deluded persons a Monster that should haue been capable to do that for vvhich I should justly deserve to be forsaken by God and abhorred of all man-kinde better had I never been borne than to be coupable of such a crime better had I lived all my dayes among brute beasts and not in sight of the Courts of Princes My life hath been vvithout staine no man ever savv me pocest vvith vvine and sure no man can say that the place of my birth vvas destroyed by fire and Brimstone and that I vvas driven vvith my family in a Cave No man can say of mee as the VVorld hath just cause to maintaine of the said Master Crafts to haue svvarued from the Religion in vvhich I have been borne and bredd nor for any vvorldly preferments Meanes to vveake to vvork on a Christian setled mâ—nde I shall rather chouse to abandonne the Society of mankind all vvorldly conforts Nay burry my selfe alive than to yeeld to disordinate povvers And had it not been the hopes to do some good on my poore seduced Children I vvould not haue been moved neither by promises of SUFFICIENT ENTERTAINMENT ansvverable to my condition nor by assurances of Royall favours subscribed by Eminent Signatures vvhich Monsieur Brasset the French Resident at the Haghe did peruse ere I vould sturre from thence in August last 1645 to returne into France VVhere as said before all my labours on my seduced Children haue proued like the vvashing of Black mores my cares and paynes having produced to me but some letters vvritten by those blinded Virgins but penned by their blind Leaders for so theire arguments proues them to be since they haue sett under theire one hand that they could not hazard to imitatte Ioseph vvhen he rane to his father Iacob to gossen to do theire last duty but vvith hazard off theire SALVATION and therefore sent only to me at my departure a vvorke Stilled DISCOVRSE OF AMABLE BOVRZET a Priest vvho had dedicated a pack of mouldy ordinary tailles a nest of Cob-vvebs to Prince Edvvard Palatin Allas deluded Prince as iff those Lines vvere to proue as fatall as the vvound Achiles receaued in his heele and though vvhithout comparaison of quality consequently to stay me that I might be vvraught uppon or constrayned to render my Soule into the snarres of Monsieur Bourzet vvho teacheth a most damnable doctrine as disobedience of Children to Parents especially in things in different vvhich is to see and to heare Parents in a neuther place according the Lavvs of the Land VVhich do ordaine children to see and consulte their parents ere they take any religious orders All vvhich being finally seconded by the letter vvritten by Iacques d'Eldime vvho dvvels as said before at a Vinnegar man behind Saint Leu La Rue aux Ours in Paris proued a most brutish farvvell and a souer comfort to the vvounded heart of a Father BALTAZAR GERBIER